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Looking for sub 30k car

Cogman

Cogman

Lifer
Ok, the car is for the wife to use around town and potentially long trips.

Ok, so here is what I'm looking for

Requirements
  • To seat at least two
  • To be under 30k

Want in order of importance
  1. Low/not annoying road noise
  2. Good gas milage (I'm hoping for 24+ city and 30+ highway)
  3. Cruise Control
  4. Backup cam
  5. Satellite radio
  6. Good general safety

I don't care about power, 4WD, or anything like that. This thing will strictly be driven on the road in a pretty temperate climate.

So here is what I've been looking at
C-Max energi Good gas milage, higher sticker tag, road noise?
Chevy Malibu Quiet interior, higher sticker price for the nicer models with things like backup cam/satellite radio
Chevy Volt Good gas milage, over 30k 🙁

Should I redirect my attention? I've hardly looked at used cars, but are there any that I should consider?
 
For $30K you have your choice of the entire domestic + Asian car brands.
Camry, Altima, Accord, Fusion, Malibu, Mazda 6, Optima & Sonata - all good cars. Fusion and Mazda 6are widely considered to be the best mid-size car with the Accord coming in a solid 3rd. Altima & Camry are rather bland and the Malibu is widely panned.

It would seem you want a domestic - Go test drive everything that Ford/Chevy has to offer and stop by the Buick dealer as well. Chrysler has no real great offering aside from the Charger/300 - which you can get for under $30K as they have $4K discounts on em.

I would also test drive the Mazda 6 - great reviews!
 
If by around town you mean @40 miles a day on average or less....Run don't walk to your nearest Chevy dealer and drive a Volt. Nothing else on the road comes close to the mpg you can get with a Volt if your normal driving habits keep you within the effective range of the battery. Even when it is using the gas generator it gets 38-43mpg.

Forget the sticker. There is a $7500 tax credit, and depending on where you live there may be a state one as well. You can usually get $2-3K off of sticker without having to negotiate at all. If you don't want to wait until next year to get the tax credit, lease the Volt. When you lease the tax credits are taken by the bank, and you get a lower payment. Current Chevy lease is $269/month for 3Y/36K. Lease it, enjoy the fuel savings, and turn it in for the next-gen Volt that will be out in a couple years.

If you don't want to buy/lease new, 2011 Volts are coming off lease and hitting lots @$23K with low miles. I did the research (gm-volt.com), and the Volt has bullet proof reliability. No car is perfect, but overall the Volt is about as close as they get. Chevy warranties the powertrain 8Y/100K, and every Volt owner (even when you buy used) has access to a "Volt Adviser". They are in place to ensure that you get the best experience possible, and will make sure your local dealer treats you right.

I bought a loaded 2011 Volt (leather, nav, heated seats, OnStar, SiriusXM) with 21,113 miles on it last week for my wife for $24K. Her round trip to work is @40miles. Since Friday she has put 280 miles on the car and only used 2.1 gallons of gas.

The car drives like a luxury sport sedan. In "sport" mode it will surprise you off the line, and if eats miles in near silence when you are running on battery. If your driving habits fit the Volt profile (staying within the 40 miles on pure electric most of the time), you would be crazy to get anything else. The car is THAT good.

Do yourself a favor and at least take the time to take a Volt for a test drive. Then report back what you think. I am sure you will not be sorry.

I forgot to add....We are on track to save @$140 at the pump each month for the same payment we were making on the car we traded for the 2011 Volt.
 
Last edited:
Cogman said:
Ok, the car is for the wife to use around town and potentially long trips.

Ok, so here is what I'm looking for

Requirements
  • To seat at least two
  • To be under 30k

Want in order of importance
  1. Low/not annoying road noise
  2. Good gas milage (I'm hoping for 24+ city and 30+ highway)
  3. Cruise Control
  4. Backup cam
  5. Satellite radio
  6. Good general safety

I don't care about power, 4WD, or anything like that. This thing will strictly be driven on the road in a pretty temperate climate.

So here is what I've been looking at
C-Max energi Good gas milage, higher sticker tag, road noise?
Chevy Malibu Quiet interior, higher sticker price for the nicer models with things like backup cam/satellite radio
Chevy Volt Good gas milage, over 30k 🙁

Should I redirect my attention? I've hardly looked at used cars, but are there any that I should consider?
Click to expand...

Ford Fusion and Honda Accord are the best 2 midsizes on the market right now IMO. Mazda 6 gets lot of good reviews but when I test drove it, it didn't do much for me. Too loud and too bumpy. Its a good car, but its designed to be a more sporty alternative to the other midsizes so you feel and hear the road more. Not something I would want to drive everyday, but that's me.

I just bought a 14 Malibu back in December with the features you listed for 23k, but that was with employee discount and rebates. So far I am quite happy with it, though the gas mileage isn't as good as I had hoped. It doesn't like the cold weather at all, but on the few days it has managed to get above 40, then the gas mileage is fine. Plus it doesn't have many miles on it yet.

If the employee pricing was not available to me, I would have gone for the accord or the fusion, both of those were around 25-26k IIRC with the features you wanted. I felt both of those cars were slightly better than the Malibu. Thats not to say the Malibu is bad, I liked it alot better than the camry, mazda 6, and the sonota, but the accord and the fusion just felt slightly more refined overall. But then chevy has the better warranty and onstar, not sure if that matters to you.

The volt is a great car, but I am not sure how it is for long trips. I would stay away from the C-max.
 
I just put a deposit on a 2013 Ford Fusion SE with 1.6L Turbo. Picking it up tomorrow to replace my totaled 2009 Jetta 2.5L.

I'm excited about it... love the way it drove. Electronic assisted steering leaves a bit to be desired, but it's much better than the electronic assist steering in my Sonata rental car.

1.6L Turbo is supposed to get 36 mpg on the highway.
 
MiataNC said:
If by around town you mean @40 miles a day on average or less....Run don't walk to your nearest Chevy dealer and drive a Volt. Nothing else on the road comes close to the mpg you can get with a Volt if your normal driving habits keep you within the effective range of the battery. Even when it is using the gas generator it gets 38-43mpg.

Forget the sticker. There is a $7500 tax credit, and depending on where you live there may be a state one as well. You can usually get $2-3K off of sticker without having to negotiate at all. If you don't want to wait until next year to get the tax credit, lease the Volt. When you lease the tax credits are taken by the bank, and you get a lower payment. Current Chevy lease is $269/month for 3Y/36K. Lease it, enjoy the fuel savings, and turn it in for the next-gen Volt that will be out in a couple years.

If you don't want to buy/lease new, 2011 Volts are coming off lease and hitting lots @$23K with low miles. I did the research (gm-volt.com), and the Volt has bullet proof reliability. No car is perfect, but overall the Volt is about as close as they get. Chevy warranties the powertrain 8Y/100K, and every Volt owner (even when you buy used) has access to a "Volt Adviser". They are in place to ensure that you get the best experience possible, and will make sure your local dealer treats you right.

I bought a loaded 2011 Volt (leather, nav, heated seats, OnStar, SiriusXM) with 21,113 miles on it last week for my wife for $24K. Her round trip to work is @40miles. Since Friday she has put 280 miles on the car and only used 2.1 gallons of gas.

The car drives like a luxury sport sedan. In "sport" mode it will surprise you off the line, and if eats miles in near silence when you are running on battery. If your driving habits fit the Volt profile (staying within the 40 miles on pure electric most of the time), you would be crazy to get anything else. The car is THAT good.

Do yourself a favor and at least take the time to take a Volt for a test drive. Then report back what you think. I am sure you will not be sorry.

I forgot to add....We are on track to save @$140 at the pump each month for the same payment we were making on the car we traded for the 2011 Volt.
Click to expand...


How is it on the highway? That's my biggest concern about it. Getting from 60-80 requires real power. I've been interested in them since they came out though.
 
I would look at:

1. Honda Accord Hybrid ($29k, 50 city, 45 highway, not a plug-in hybrid)
2. Mazda3 ($17k, 28 city, 39 highway, hatchback & coupe options)
 
Midwayman said:
How is it on the highway? That's my biggest concern about it. Getting from 60-80 requires real power. I've been interested in them since they came out though.
Click to expand...

It's great on the highway!

I just texted the wife and asked what what she thought of the performance and passing power at highway speeds. She texted back "Awesome".

Both of our commutes use the I-15 here in Vegas from St. Rose-Sahara every morning. Average speeds are 75-80mph (65mph posted limit). Both my wife and I are lead foots, and we are very pleased with how fast the car gets up to speed and how easy we can pass with it.

0-60 = 8.8 secs (@1 sec faster than a Prius, about the same as a 2012 2.5L Camry, and the same as a 2011 Accord SE). Performance wise it returns about the same numbers as the Malibu 2.4L.

Take one for a test drive, and insist on taking it on the highway. I am sure you will be pleased. It isn't a rocket, but it sure isn't a dog either. The electric power delivery is so smooth and quiet, you don't realize how fast you are going or how quick you got there most of the time. it is a completely different driving experience, and well worth taking the time to see for yourself, even if you never buy one.
 
New Mazda6? Nearly 40MPG on highway and looks awesome. No turbos, battery packs, ect to worry about.
 
My biggest complaint about the Volt is the backseat and lack of room. Even for my kids it's pretty cramped back there.
 
vi edit said:
New Mazda6? Nearly 40MPG on highway and looks awesome. No turbos, battery packs, ect to worry about.
Click to expand...
Bought a 2014 Mazda 6 for my wife last year, and I am very impressed with the car. I strongly urge potential buyers to not buy another car without test driving the 6 first.
 
Why is everyone recommending the honda accord when low road noise is his number one priority?

I agree the accord is pretty good all around car, but low in road noise it is not.
 
Last edited:
Wingznut said:
Bought a 2014 Mazda 6 for my wife last year, and I am very impressed with the car. I strongly urge potential buyers to not buy another car without test driving the 6 first.
Click to expand...

It looks damned good for a midsized four door family sedan. I would take your advice - why get a generic looking driving appliance like a Camry or Accord when you have something sexier and not so common?
 
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