Most vehicle for the money as of 2011 ???

[redgtxdi]

Pondering a new car purchase here in the near future and looking to spend the money as "efficiently" as possible. Thinking long & hard over the last 5 years I tried to prioritize criteria. Here's what I'm thinking......

#1.) Price (You can get a Camry/Accord for circa $20K and an E550 AMG for A LOT more but both carry the same amount of cargo

#2.) Cargo (With crossovers all the rage, there is something to be said for gaining what the trunk of a sedan takes away. Combined w/ non-truck/unibody designs to keep weight down & MPG up, they make sense)

#3.) Quality (Might be hard to lose here. Can't buy a TaTa here yet & even Hyundai has glowing reviews lately.)

#4.) Features (This, to me, is the biggest game of the 21st century. I know Blue Tooth & touch screen are convenient, but I don't need 'em. Switches & knobs are just fine with me. Give me A/C, power windows & cruise control & I'll figure out the rest, thanks)

Candidates:

Chevy Equinox
Kia Sorrento
Hyundai Tucson
Nissan Rogue
Hyundai Sonata/Kia Optima (However, for little more money, you fill in that rear-trunk void)

With Price & Cargo as premium criterion, I'm thinking these above are a good start. Any suggestions??

TIA

 

[punjabiplaya]

I'd add hot hatches and/or wagons to your list

a few examples:
MS3, GTI, WRX
CTS Wagon, A4 Wagon

 

[Arkaign]

I'm a little hesitant right now to recommend a Kia/Hyundai for personal reasons (gf just had a cheaply made part fail which caused very expensive repairs, though this was on a 2006 econobox with 81k miles).

The Equinox is universally respected. The Rogue is pretty small. If you're not huge on features, have you considered used/cpo? Might be worth considering at least, though there's something nice about buying something new you know nobody has neglected or abused.

With your criteria and those selections, I think the i4 Equinox takes it due to the large capacity, top fuel economy, and ease of maintenance.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

You're leaving out a big item on your priority list. You're assuming it must be a 2011.

 

[Arkaign]

I'd add hot hatches and/or wagons to your list

a few examples:
MS3, GTI, WRX
CTS Wagon, A4 Wagon

Hmm. While those all are certainly more fun to drive than the vehicles listed by the OP, they are all a lot smaller, and the CTS and A4 are a lot more expensive. MS3/GTI/WRX are all based on compacts. Eg; the GTI has 15.1 cubic feet of cargo capacity, the Equinox has 63.7 with the seats folded, 31.4 without. So 2x or 4x the cargo handling, which was #2 on the OP's list right behind economy.

 

[redgtxdi]

Arkaign took the words out of my mouth. Some of those are smaller and/or more expensive.

CTS wagon = expensive and while I'd love to cruise an SRX crossover, it's little more than a dressed up Equinox anyway. (And they want a lot more for those duds) Oh, and you can't get it in the i4. (bummer)

I test-drove an equinox about 6 months ago and it was nice enough, just a little narrow but when I considered a Toyota Matrix I had to ask myself........"Isn't the Equinox just like a longer Matrix?"

The 2012 Sorrento is going to get that 2.4 DI and a little bump in MPG ta boot. I'll admit I didn't look at cargo numbers yet, but I believe the Sorrento is a bigger car.

I see it coming down to the Equinox/Sorrento.

And, P.S. ===== Yes, I know I might want to consider CPO as well, just that a new car is......well........aaaaaaahhhh.

 

[Jumpem]

2012 Impreza hatch. AWD + cargo space + 36mpg.

 

[redgtxdi]

Not bad but I'll bet it would come up a little small in comparison to the rest. For that matter an elantra would be a better comparo to the impreza.

Keep em comin though.

TIA

 

[Strk]

2012 Impreza hatch. AWD + cargo space + 36mpg.

Wow, just looked up that mileage just because the one thing Subarus kind of always had was shitty mileage for the size of cars, but sure enough, up to 36mpg estimate.

The 2012 looks damn nice, especially since the taillights are changed from the 2011 (those lights are so ugly).

 

[MotF Bane]

What state do you live in?

 

[punjabiplaya]

Arkaign took the words out of my mouth. Some of those are smaller and/or more expensive.

CTS wagon = expensive and while I'd love to cruise an SRX crossover, it's little more than a dressed up Equinox anyway. (And they want a lot more for those duds) Oh, and you can't get it in the i4. (bummer)

I test-drove an equinox about 6 months ago and it was nice enough, just a little narrow but when I considered a Toyota Matrix I had to ask myself........"Isn't the Equinox just like a longer Matrix?"

The 2012 Sorrento is going to get that 2.4 DI and a little bump in MPG ta boot. I'll admit I didn't look at cargo numbers yet, but I believe the Sorrento is a bigger car.

I see it coming down to the Equinox/Sorrento.

And, P.S. ===== Yes, I know I might want to consider CPO as well, just that a new car is......well........aaaaaaahhhh.

well you didn't really list requirements and/or price

but it seems like you're going for small/midsize SUVs
tons of choice in that market, check out the Hondas, Toyotas, whoever's midsize and small SUVs etc...

gratuitous ATG Ford Fusion recommendation

 

[exar333]

Wow, just looked up that mileage just because the one thing Subarus kind of always had was shitty mileage for the size of cars, but sure enough, up to 36mpg estimate.

The 2012 looks damn nice, especially since the taillights are changed from the 2011 (those lights are so ugly).

Yeah, new CVT for these. You will probably see most Subarus be either CVTs or MT now. The good thing is the CVTs should raise the average MPGs enough so the rest of us can still get the MTs.

 

[redgtxdi]

What state do you live in?

In case it wasn't obvious by my sig.......

The God-forsaken state of Kaleeeforneeuuh!

A temporary increase in sales tax dies at the end of this month which will also make this a good time to buy a car.

Reason I'm looking at these mid-sized crossovers is because I'm looking for that intersection of value where you get the most vehicle for the money (thus the title)

Money-wise I'd say $20K-$25K.

 

[Doppel]

Cargo capacity on some of these "mini suvs" is pretty pathetic, you'd do basically as well to get a hatch back and it's cheaper and better on gas.

Don't forget you can also get a Thule-like roofrack pod if you need capacity for trips or a cage/platform on a tow hitch on the back (good for a couple hundred lbs). Many people seem to have just forgotten in this country the effectiveness of roof racks or trailer hitches. And so they drive around a vehicle way bigger than they need for most trips.

The good thing is the CVTs should raise the average MPGs enough so the rest of us can still get the MTs.

Didn't happen with Nissan, I'm afraid; MTs are going away and Nissan is huge into CVT. Subaru has a little different demographic for a while, though.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Wow, just looked up that mileage just because the one thing Subarus kind of always had was shitty mileage for the size of cars, but sure enough, up to 36mpg estimate.

The 2012 looks damn nice, especially since the taillights are changed from the 2011 (those lights are so ugly).

The hatch's trunk space is appalling. Go to a dealer and check it out first.

 

[endlessmike]

gratuitous ATG Ford Fusion recommendation

Actually, I would recommend the Taurus. Ford has some good financing (and/or cash rebate) deals going on now, the price difference over a Fusion isn't really all that much. If you're concerned about cargo capacity, the trunk is enormous and the back seat will really fit 3 across.

My wife has an '07 CR-V LX AWD. Like all the other crossovers you mentioned, it's basically just a tall station wagon; you're not going to be doing any heavy hauling with it, but it's handy when you need to pick up a big box from the store. It probably gets something like very low 20's city, maybe high 20's highway.

 

[redgtxdi]

Funny you put the Scion xB in that pic. I actually consider that a cool ride but it is a Scion which isn't bad in itself except it shares similar Scion attributes.......center dash, sparse interior, utilitarian, etc. But I could still dig it........IF.....it got better than low to mid 20's for MPG. It should do better than that, imho, especially being a Toyota.

Also, in my dilema I have to be careful not to consider price too much cuz if I do go from justifying a Impreza, to a Sonata/Optima to an Elantra/Forte and then eventually find myself in a Accent or something based on price alone.

 

[exar333]

Cargo capacity on some of these "mini suvs" is pretty pathetic, you'd do basically as well to get a hatch back and it's cheaper and better on gas.

Don't forget you can also get a Thule-like roofrack pod if you need capacity for trips or a cage/platform on a tow hitch on the back (good for a couple hundred lbs). Many people seem to have just forgotten in this country the effectiveness of roof racks or trailer hitches. And so they drive around a vehicle way bigger than they need for most trips.Didn't happen with Nissan, I'm afraid; MTs are going away and Nissan is huge into CVT. Subaru has a little different demographic for a while, though.

Look at the new Juke. Options are CVT or MT.

 

[ViviTheMage]

Audi Q5 3L TDI ... oh wait.

 

[MovingTarget]

Actually, I would recommend the Taurus. Ford has some good financing (and/or cash rebate) deals going on now, the price difference over a Fusion isn't really all that much. If you're concerned about cargo capacity, the trunk is enormous and the back seat will really fit 3 across.

My wife has an '07 CR-V LX AWD. Like all the other crossovers you mentioned, it's basically just a tall station wagon; you're not going to be doing any heavy hauling with it, but it's handy when you need to pick up a big box from the store. It probably gets something like very low 20's city, maybe high 20's highway.

I do like the new Taurus. You do get a real bang for the buck with that car. I would like to see, however, a wagon version based on the new Taurus. They have made Taurus-based wagons before, but based on this platform, it would be a real beast.

 

[QuantumPion]

If cargo capacity wasn't a priority I'd say a V6 mustang. 300 hp, 30 mpg, stylish, nice interior, & ford sync for ~22k.

 

[theeedude]

I fit a full sized washing machine in the back of my Mazda3.

 

[Turin39789]

Based on thread title I came to recommend a Z06.

 

[Dirigible]

The Element is an old design, has been discontinued, doesn't have much power, and the mpg isn't really that good, but in terms of price (you can get one for under $20k) and cargo room (75 cubic feet with rear seats out) it's tough to beat. Very basic features, but you seem fine with that.

 

[rdp6]

I do like the new Taurus. You do get a real bang for the buck with that car. I would like to see, however, a wagon version based on the new Taurus. They have made Taurus-based wagons before, but based on this platform, it would be a real beast.

Bought an '11 Flex LTD / EcoBoost for the wife a few months ago. It is really nice. I'm pretty sure it shares a lot in common with the Taurus, at least the SHO anyway.

I wonder if I need to start a Flex thread - it never seems to get mentioned around here. Initially the wife was not thrilled about the styling (neither was I) but we both have come around, and now she has nothing but good to say about it (she offered pretty much no input on selecting a new vehicle).