Hey folks. Getting married in a month. My fiancee and I are looking into buying a new car. My parents are giving us their old minivan and we expect to get ~$4,000 on the trade-in. We're hoping to find something ~$250/mo all in for 72 or 84 months. Basically we're looking for a car that's going to be ~$22,000-$25,000 all in after freight, taxes etc.

We spent a day at various dealerships today and we're looking at the following. I was wondering if any of you have experience with one or more of these cars, or have some advice based on recent experience etc.

VW Jetta
Toyota Corolla
Honda Civic
Mitsubishi Lancer
Hyundai Elantra
Kia Forte
Chevy Cruze
Ford Focus

do you have any preferences other than price?

i wouldnt get the jetta, forte, or lancer. the others are down to preference.

I dont know a ton but I do tend to hear good things about Fords and Japanese models

Fords? What are you smoking and can I have some?

I'd suggest Honda or Toyota... If American car makers actually you know, made good cars, id buy American. Until then, Japanese it is.

Though I have heard Hyundai is on the up and up

the cruze is actually a good car, and the focus is one of the best selling cars in the world. dont be a hater trife....

American cars today (in last 5-10 years) are actually a lot better built than American cars say...over the previous 20 years. Ford being the better choice over GM.

The newer Elantras are really nice and obviously the Civic is nice but if you do much traveling or long drives the American cars will have a better ride.

As ford said, its all about preference they are all decent cars. I personally am not a big fan of the Cruze but I know a few folks that drive them and love them.

Lastly, Congrats on finding yourself a keeper. :)

Yah as Mdevol said the Ford quality has gone way up and it is one of the ones I have frequently heard suggested in various places. It isnt as wide of a gap as it used to be between Japan and America for cars.

if buying new I'd find one that might be helpful for years down the road, especially if making a payment for 84 months.

as such I'd recommend a hatch since inside they can be used like SUV"s they're just cheaper on gas.


Matrix, Mazda3, Dodge Calibur, Pontiac Vibe (it's a matrix), and ford focus.

a Matrix basically uses all Corolla parts and basically has same fuel economy, just a lot of room. it would be my recommendation of those.


if going off your list I'd recommend the focus, but to do the hatch.

dont listen to chump because he recommended a chrysler product, and a pontiac that is no longer in production.

sorry chump, your reasoning is solid, but list of cars is horrendous

I'd go with a Toyota or Honda if they are big enough for your needs. They are reliable and cheap to fix. Get a "station wagon" version of the Corolla if you can afford it as this will be extremely useful if you get kids and need to move their baby carriages and other junk.

I'd go with the Volkswagen over the Ford any day if you don't want to go japanese. Still the Ford Focus station wagon version is a very practical car.

Get the Ford Focus. I've had two, a 2004 and now have a 2011 and no problems whatsoever. I'd classify the 2004 focus as the best car I've ever bought as I've had it for years and no problems whatsoever.

Before those had a Jetta and a Civic and those were in the repair shop at least twice a year.

Big thumbs up for Ford quality, at least those built in Europe (tho I think my 2011 was built in Russia..). And driving one is an enjoyment.

i bought a new civic a few years back. i've changed its oil a few times and had it serviced twice. apparently these things last forever and when you eventually do have to repair them they repair cheap. that said it's boring and a hatchback would have way more packing space.

before this i bought a new corolla and hated that pos. it was boring, felt cheap, and just didn't drive as comfortably.

the wife loves her jetta, but I consider it a woman's car and it has a ton of problems all the time.

personally i've always thought if you were gonna get a focus may as well jut get a fusion. way better to travel in, though everyone complains about how underpowered they are.

in terms of cheering for the home team, I think my civic was made in ontario and my corolla in california.

cant go wrong w jap. america does make great cars now but dont have same resale value as jap.

id stay away from kia and mitsu(even tho its jap they had a bad last few years). other than those 2 id say go fow whichever one your wife falls in love w. always goota keep them happy

ps i been a car mech for 8 years

Civic is a good bet.

Thanks for the advice guys. Here's my take so far.

I test drove the Corolla, Mazda 3, Jetta, and an Impreza (was about $4,000 out of our price range) I liked the feel of the Jetta the best. The hydraulic steering made me feel the road better than any other car. The really low end pickup was a little poor, especially compared to the Scion tC I'm driving now, but it didn't take long to feel the power. 115hp at the wheels is around 147 at the crank, so it's comparable to the Impreza and just a few lower than the Mazda Skyactiv (155).

I've basically eliminated the Corolla. It doesn't look as good as the others. The drive itself is incredibly boring. Of the models we're looking at, the cost is near the top. Same with the Civic. Not too fond of the feel of the car, or the look.

The Mazda 3 was really fun to drive as well. My only concern is that for that price we're getting basically a used car. It's a demo car with 10k on it. Sold as-is off the floor. Has a few scratches here and there, some black paint on the interior fabric, and a tiny bit of damage to the front bumper. At 238/mo 84 months after the trade-in value it's among the more expensive that we're looking at. My question is - do I like it enough to spend as much on it used as I would on another car brand new? It does come with a sunroof, and the Skyactiv is really appealing.

I'm going over to a Ford and Chevy dealership now to drive the Focus and the Cruze. I've heard a lot of great things about the Focus. I think anyone who still says "don't buy American because it's American" is living in the 90s. There's a reason Ford was the only of the big 3 to not need a bailout. And the other two paid it off within 3 and 6 months. American cars are selling well, their reliability scores have gone way up, and because they know they have to make up for a crappy perception they stick more stuff in their cars than any Japanese or German manufacturer. The Focus' Sync System and onboard computer are unmatched by any other entry level car. My only concern is performance.

I'm not interested in resale value. We plan on driving this car 12-15 years. I'd rather pick a car that will be cheaper over those 12-15 years (original cost, maintenance, fuel) and sacrifice $1,000-$2,000 at the end of in resale value than end up spending $5,000 more over the life of the car just so I can sell it for a few grand more at the end.

The most important factors for me are:

1) Cost of the car
2) Fuel efficient
3) Warranty
4) Maintenance cost (not including oil changes - I do those myself)

Japanese cars have plenty of after-market parts that make replacements relatively cheap. They also have a solid customer base, solid sales, and a solid reputation, meaning they don't need to be as aggressive with their pricing and incentives.

German cars are built the best, in my opinion. They're solid. The engineering on them can't be matched. Maintenance though might be an issue - I know a few years ago it would be impossible to fix a VW or Audi without importing parts from Germany. Now that they've been around longer I'm sure there are some after-market parts available.

My concern with American cars is that they sacrifice performance for flash. They have all these fancy new computers and systems and big screens in the car and park assist and cool paints that appeal to casual drivers. I don't need all that stuff. I want a car that feels good to drive, and will be reliable over a long period of time. Not saying American cars aren't - but I can't help but think they're trying to cover SOMETHING up with all these bells and whistles.

Really, if I had the extra bit of money, I'd get an Impreza. The new CVT-2 transmission is a huge improvement over the first generation. The AWD is great in the winters. The car itself feels awesome to drive. And the tech is pretty sick too. But as it stands right now I'm stuck. They all have cool things, they all have concerns. Of the ones I've driven right now, factoring in the feel of the drive and the price that I've been quoted, I'm going with the Jetta with the Mazda in a close second. I'll give the Americans a shot today. If I like the Focus, I'll do some serious research on the Jetta, Mazda 3, and Focus before picking one.

It's a fun process, but lot's to think about.

And thank's mdevol! She definitely is a keeper!

I recently bought my daughter a 2013
Toy corolla le. It gets around
28mpg. It has 130 something horsepower. Compared to honda corollas are fluff.
I have had a vw jetta, 2011 tdi. Was a gutless pos and had transmission probs (manual 6sp).
Civic has more horespower than all of those listed and more standard options. It has less cabin noise but is the most expensive, next to th jetta.
I would go with the civic, you get more for your money. American compacts are fluffty and dont hold their value.

I drive 60 miles one way to work a day... I bought a new 2013 Hyundai Accent (fully loaded) for 20k. I like it a lot. I average 37 MPG actual driving conditions.

I would recommend a hatch back in whatever you get. Hatch backs are so nice because you can put larger items in it easier.

Where do you live? Elantra is very nice car but is not good at all in the snow.

People stating that American cars are inferior have their heads stuck in the past. This isn't the 1990's anymore. Over the last 5 or 6 years the American companies (ford specifically, GM to a lesser extent) have been better vehicles than the japanese.

I think you should try buying a Chevy hhr and sticking a train horn on it. Too bad they don't make them anymore, so you'll be buying used. The suspension is a bit crap and you'll be replacing the exhaust manifold every couple years or so. However, they get good mpg (especially the SS models), and your wife will undoubtedly love the extra safety feature.

Id Reccomend 2 Vespas, Lots Of Trunk Space And Like 300mpg

In my experience... Toyota corolla is one of the longest surviving mofos I know about. Toyota in general are very nice. My parents have Land Crusier and well... service is excellent and not much to repair. Its 8 years old now and not many probs.

prius c. hatcback for some room, 50 mpg on the reg. help the environment until you have to dispose of the battery bro. my friend got one it was like 23-24k out the door with nav and fluff.

I've had some great experiences with Hyundai brand vehicles.

They're reliable and fuel efficient. Very comfortable to drive too. My brother bought one first, the GS model. It was really, really nice. Then I bought an Elantra, and it met every expectation of it. Not a single problem up until I got it wrecked by a dump truck running into my lane, then it was totaled. :(

GN's are mostly built by Toyota anyway. That Impala is really a Toyota Avalon in Chevy Badging. Park them next to each other, you'll see. It's just like the Ford sedan who's name I can't think of at the moment and the Jaguar sedan they are marketing here. Other than the badging and a different front hood to accomodate the larger headlights on the Jag, you can't tell them apart. Stupid JAG buyers. Buy it for the name, like Apple buyers.

do you have any facts to back up this theory? or do you just think they look the same?

the ford and jaguar USED to be on the same platform because at the time ford owned jaguar....

i know that GM and toyota worked together on the Pontiac vibe, and the toyota matrix, but have no knowledge of anything other than that

oh, and there is no such thing as a Hyundai GS. GS is a options package within their different models.

maybe he mixes up jaguar x-type sedan and ford mondeo, x-type's production was cancelled in 2009.

who cares, jaguars are junk and fords are the bomb. end of discussion

toyota all the way... they make more cars in america than any other. also, buy yourself a used car.. 2012, and save yourself 6k :P

Does anybody know if VW measures HP at the crank or at the wheel? The guy at the dealership says that the HP listed on their cars is wheel HP, but I haven't been able to confirm that anywhere.

+1
Kia/Hyundai are same company and the experiance I've had with them was horrible from the get go. I am ASE certified and still had trouble with the Kia brand, Ford on the other hand is VERY good vehicles, the Focus is an excellent model by Ford, I personally like the Ford 500 or Fusion myself.

can foreigners who dont have a credit rating get a car loan in america? or is buying used with cash the only way to go? :/

I have a Mazda 3 and I love it. As noted in your post, it's just a fun car to drive. I find it roomy enough to accommodate traveling on short road trips (6-8 hours to NYC or DC). I bought an '07 about 3 years ago and have not had to service it besides oil changes and an alignment here or there. I got new tires, but mainly because I had some extra money and I wanted to upgrade.

I had a civic previously and loved that car as well, but the Mazda was more fun to drive and I actually found them to be more affordable to purchase/repair than a civic. Just my two cents!

All those posts and no one has said anything about paying for a new car for 7 years? I'd recommend buying something used, the APR might be a bit higher but you're talking about financing something for 84 months.

Is anyone offering decent financing for that long?

actually yes they are, I bought mine two yers ago on a 7 year plan, and with having no credit my payments were only 350 a month

While yes, American cars have rebounded in quality, it is mostly Ford that has actually changed its business model and made HUGE strides. Do not be fooled by the bait and switch that GM pulled in "paying back" its loans. They paid back a HUGE chuck of their auto bailout loans with a different govt bailout they got in the form of TARP money and went on an aggressive campaign claiming they paid it all back early due to a huge surge in profits. That said, they have improved the quality of the vehicles but I wonder how sustainable they will be if they keep trying to push cars on the US that the US doesn't want or finds even remotely practical.

Kia forte is pretty good. performance is way over for the price imo. Otherwise Civic will never fail you.

0% financing justtaint... length doesn't matter. we prefer lower monthly payments over paying it off 1 year sooner. No interest makes no difference

Congrats Hawk-eye!

I'm also looking for a new car currently (I commute 60+ miles to and from work so...yeah) so I've done some digging into this myself. I like the Mazda 3, hated the Jetta. Drove nice but couldn't get out of it's own way, or so it seemed at least. I've driven the 2012 Focus before and liked it but walked away thinking it'd be even better if I were driving the manual version. That's a matter of taste though.

The cheep plastics make me a bit hesitant to recommend any chevy.

I will say this for my Honda Civic, tires matter. I put two know tires on the car and it is not driving like it did. I may have to let a little air out of the two new tires.

Your takeaway from that is that the tires and especially tire pressure matter on a Honda Civic. Honda wants 30 PSI on my car. The tires say 44 PSI Max and the car had driven best on 40 PSI previously. If it were to come down to the Civic and something else, you might ask the dealer to increase the PSI to something around 35-38 PSI on a test drive. You might like the way the car drives more.

I like my Kia

We've been a Toyota family for years and we have always been happy, no problems, great dealer / service center, etc...

This is bad form, but seeing as OP has gotten good advice, can I hijack?

Looking for a crossover, 2-3 years old. I'm liking the Hyundai Tucson AWD or a Subaru Forester. Any feedback on those two, or other stuff I should be looking at? I like Toyota well enough, but everyone and their mother has a RAV4 and they look sort of McAssemblyLine to me.

Thanks, and again sorry to hijack.

edit: I live in New England (lots of snow) and drive 10-12k miles/year, mostly around town.

I was wondering why aren't you looking at the Quashqai as that's flying off the showroom floors all over europe. But for some reason they don't sell it in the states: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Qashqai

Over here it has basically redefined the crossover market

or volvo xc (if its sold there).

Man up and get a Chevy Z71 4x4 and jack it up throw some big tires on it and dunk it in the mud a few times

My Prius and the 45+ MPG are great

and big wallet to get gastank filled.