New Car Thread

[TangoJuliet]

Ok, this is now the 3rd thread I am making about buying a new car. I had my mind made up about buying a Prius then switched to a Fit.....now I just dont know.

Things to consider:

1. I drive 130 miles a day to and from work

2. I just got a new job and took a $30k paycut by doing so

3. I should get a raise in a month, with another one in another 6 months or so.

4. I want to keep the monthly payment under $300 for a 48 month or 60 month loan

5. I may move closer to work or transfer to another job out of state in 2 years or so

6. My current car is 10 years old and I plan to keep the car for a while

7. Need a automatic as I commute to NYC and manual driving is a PITA; plus my wife cant drive stick

8. Plan on starting a family soon so need something that wont just fit myself and a paperclip.

These are the choices that I have been looking at

2009 Fit Sport w/ Navigation $19,430
2009 Fit Sport w/o Navigation $17,580

2009 Honda Civic DX $16,986
2009 Honda Civic Hybrid $24,220
2009 Honda Civic Hybrid w/ Navigation $26,220

2009 Toyota Yaris Sedan S $15,885

2009 Toyota Prius $22,720

2009 Toyota Corolla S $19,865

2009 Nissan Versa w/ XM, moonroof, ABS $18,965

2009 Chevy Aveo5 $n/a (2008 model configured at $15,740)

The 2 Hybrid models are $22k+ so getting that payment under $300 is almost impossible with what I plan on putting down ($2000 cash, $5000 trade in).

I really like the Fit Sport with the Navigation system but at $19k its a little more then I would want to spend. I have been warming up to the Corolla S a lot lately which is about the same price as the Fit.

Also, I happened to check out Chevy and saw the 09 Aveo5 and thought it was pretty nice looking as well. If the price stays similar to the 08 model then a fully loaded one would be under $16k.

 

[desy]

Try a Hyundai Elantra
I bought a Versa cause its HW manners are better than a Fit or Yaris
But a mid size Civic is hard to beat and suggested the elantra cause its getting good reviews ,long powertrain warranty, cause 130 miles is a lot of driving!

 

[TangoJuliet]

Originally posted by: desy
Try a Hyundai Elantra
I bought a Versa cause its HW manners are better than a Fit or Yaris
But a mid size Civic is hard to beat and suggested the elantra cause its getting good reviews ,long powertrain warranty, cause 130 miles is a lot of driving!

Just did a build your own config and came out to

2008 Elantra SE $18,395 with moonroof and heated seats.

Not bad...I would still want to test drive it before making any decisions.

Also, something I have to factor in is the APR financing and how much I am going to get for my trade.

 

[OnePingOnly]

I'd go with the Prius. It's fuel saving features will really pay for itself once you get bogged down in NYC traffic. You'll be running on battery burning nothing during idle. Also, come time to sell you will benefit from strong resale.

 

[evident]

civic / hybrid /prius- like the other guy said, w/ hybrids you dont burn anything when you're sitting in traffic. sometimes i wish how much gas i could save in a traffic jam if i had a hybrid. but a regular civic is probably more peppy, cheaper and it really can't be beat in its class. the driving enthusiasts will chime in and say mazda3 is the most fun car to drive in this class which is true, but it's at the expense of 5-6 mpg according to the epa

 

[LucJoe]

if you can, wait until next spring and get a honda insight

 

[TangoJuliet]

Yeah I read about the Insight a couple days ago. From the photos it looks pretty sharp - 4 doors now instead of the original's 2 doors. It was based on the Clarity which is a nice looking car too.

I'm not sure if I can wait for it though. I currently own a Mustang and have been averaging about 24.5 MPG which isnt bad but I'm spending about $400/m in gas. Plus the car is getting a little long in the tooth and I don't want it to break down on me. The car is 10 years old and I have 135,000 miles on it now.

Edit:

I'm still not sure if I can justify the higher price of the Hybrids over the regular gas cars. The Prius is $22,700 while the Fit is $17,580. Its about $5000 more expensive and while it would probably make up the difference in cost over time I cannot say that I'll still be living so far away from my job in the next 2 years.

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: TangoJuliet
I'm still not sure if I can justify the higher price of the Hybrids over the regular gas cars. The Prius is $22,700 while the Fit is $17,580. Its about $5000 more expensive and while it would probably make up the difference in cost over time I cannot say that I'll still be living so far away from my job in the next 2 years.

This is the reason why I never recommend a hybrid. The higher initial cost doesn't justify the gas savings for 90% of the people that buy them. You do drive a lot but in a year or so how much will you be driving then?

 

[thedarkwolf]

Just get an aftermarket nav unit if you actually need one.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

At the end of 2yrs you will have 60,000 miles on the car, your resale value will be shot so I would start off with the cheapest car.

I would suggest the Versa if you were going with the 6spd manual, the CVT has had poor reviews

Suzuki SX4 Sport
$18,849 Loaded

All-aluminum 2.0-liter, 16-valve DOHC 4-cylinder engine, 143 horsepower @ 5,800 rpm, 136 lb.-ft. of torque @ 3,500 rpm
5-speed manual transmission
4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD)
Advanced, dual-stage driver and weight-sensing, front-passenger airbags Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
Front seat-mounted side impact airbags
Front and rear side-curtain airbags (SRS)
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

SX4 Sport Road TRIP? Edition Touring Package adds these features:

Suzuki Road TRIP? NAVI System
Suzuki Road TRIP? Real-time traffic and MSN Direct²
4-wheel disc brakes, front ventilated
17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels
AM/FM/CD audio system with in-dash 6-disc changer, MP3/WMA? playback, XM® Ready, 9-speaker audio system including subwoofer
SmartPass? keyless entry and start system
Cruise control
Leather-wrapped steering wheel with integrated audio controls
Air conditioning with automatic climate control system
Electronic Stability Program (ESP®) with Traction Control System (TCS)
Front fog lamps
Rear spoiler

 

[TangoJuliet]

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
Just get an aftermarket nav unit if you actually need one.

I was thinking that because the Fit Sport is $17,580 while the Sport with the Nav system is $19,430 ($1850 more). I'm sure I could get a unit installed for way cheaper the only problem is the car is brand new and there arent any in dash units out there yet that are going to fit the space.

Originally posted by: Fmr12B
At the end of 2yrs you will have 60,000 miles on the car, your resale value will be shot so I would start off with the cheapest car.

I would suggest the Versa if you were going with the 6spd manual, the CVT has had poor reviews

Suzuki SX4 Sport
$18,849 Loaded

All-aluminum 2.0-liter, 16-valve DOHC 4-cylinder engine, 143 horsepower @ 5,800 rpm, 136 lb.-ft. of torque @ 3,500 rpm
5-speed manual transmission
4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD)
Advanced, dual-stage driver and weight-sensing, front-passenger airbags Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
Front seat-mounted side impact airbags
Front and rear side-curtain airbags (SRS)
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

SX4 Sport Road TRIP? Edition Touring Package adds these features:

Suzuki Road TRIP? NAVI System
Suzuki Road TRIP? Real-time traffic and MSN Direct²
4-wheel disc brakes, front ventilated
17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels
AM/FM/CD audio system with in-dash 6-disc changer, MP3/WMA? playback, XM® Ready, 9-speaker audio system including subwoofer
SmartPass? keyless entry and start system
Cruise control
Leather-wrapped steering wheel with integrated audio controls
Air conditioning with automatic climate control system
Electronic Stability Program (ESP®) with Traction Control System (TCS)
Front fog lamps
Rear spoiler

I need an automatic car because it is a PITA do drive a manual transmission car in the stop and go traffic in NYC. Plus, my wife cannot drive stick so thats out of the question.

I had priced a Versa 1.8SL Hatchback with XM, moonroof, ABS, CVT, etc at $18,965 which wasn't too bad.

Thanks for the tip on the Suzuki.....I'll take a look at it.

 

[Funyuns101]

If you can wait another month or so, the new Elantra Touring wagon will be a nice little car like the Matrix and Mazda3.
I've been waiting for this car to come out until I make a decision, but now the Insight may have jumped up to my #1 slot.
You're driving a lot of miles, so that's why I would recommend Hyundai~

 

[JDub02]

Get a base model Mazda3 or Civic. Cheap, reliable, nice standard features, good gas mileage. The price difference between those and a hybrid will buy you alot of gasoline.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

I'll make another suggestion,

2009 Sonata 4cyl - rated at 32mpg hwy and an interior that is considered best in class. You should be able to get roughly $3,500 off MSRP with little to no haggling.

'09 4cyl Camry's are $3,500off MSRP as well.

With that kind of impressive MPG why not take 2-4mpg less for damn near the same price as a sub-compact econo-box.

 

[Arkaign]

Man, I picked up a 2008 Focus Coupe S for dirt cheap, think it ended up being around $12k, I get 40mpg on the freeway (just took a road trip to Knoxville from Dallas and back), the motor is a great Duratec 2.0 from Mazda (same as in the Mazda3i, but this car is a lot lighter than a Mazda3), it handles great, it's comfortable (I'm a large-frame 6'3" guy and it's roomy for me), it's quiet, etc. I really couldn't find anything near the price range that was comparable. The 140hp motor feels pretty good, as the car only weighs ~2550lbs, as opposed to the much heavier Mazda3, Sentra, Cobalt, etc. The Civic is pretty light as well, floating between 2600-2800lbs depending on configuration, and it's really hard to go wrong with a Civic, but they do cost a bit more.

The other route is to wait for the next-gen Insight to hit, that thing is almost guaranteed to be amazing for the kind of driving you're speaking of.

 

[TangoJuliet]

Originally posted by: Arkaign
Man, I picked up a 2008 Focus Coupe S for dirt cheap, think it ended up being around $12k, I get 40mpg on the freeway (just took a road trip to Knoxville from Dallas and back), the motor is a great Duratec 2.0 from Mazda (same as in the Mazda3i, but this car is a lot lighter than a Mazda3), it handles great, it's comfortable (I'm a large-frame 6'3" guy and it's roomy for me), it's quiet, etc. I really couldn't find anything near the price range that was comparable. The 140hp motor feels pretty good, as the car only weighs ~2550lbs, as opposed to the much heavier Mazda3, Sentra, Cobalt, etc. The Civic is pretty light as well, floating between 2600-2800lbs depending on configuration, and it's really hard to go wrong with a Civic, but they do cost a bit more.

The other route is to wait for the next-gen Insight to hit, that thing is almost guaranteed to be amazing for the kind of driving you're speaking of.

I did take a look at the Focus as Ford was having a 0% APR thing for 60 months. However, there were a couple things I had to consider #1 - resale value on the car is going to be terrible #2 - the side scoop things on the vehicle are fugly.

The only problem I see with the Insight is if I wait a year or so for the car that will leave me with about 1 year of this commute and then I will either move closer or out of state and the luxury of having the hybrid becomes pointless.

 

[Arkaign]

^^ Good point on the side vents, two things to consider though :

The 'S' model has no side vents
The other models, you can take them off
2009 Foci have no side vents

 

[sindows]

Kia Spectra5
Kia Rondo
Hyundai Elantra

All decent little cars that are surprising value for money. They don't completely suck either. I think they are better than the American options save for the Focus. And I only say the Focus becuause I love the way it handles and thats about it.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: sindows
Kia Spectra5
Kia Rondo
Hyundai Elantra

All decent little cars that are surprising value for money. They don't completely suck either. I think they are better than the American options save for the Focus. And I only say the Focus becuause I love the way it handles and thats about it.

Have you checked out the new Focus?

*Improved the interior (aside from the overuse of hard plastic here and there), great fit and finish.

*35MPG Highway (I actually see ~40mpg with my 5-speed 'S', using Mobil SuperSyn)

*Only 2550lbs, lightest car in the class (most are ~2700-2900, with some at 3000lbs!)

*Stock stereo on the base model plays MP3 cds, with nice digital display showing track/folder/etc

*2.0 16V DOHC Mazda Duratec motor with timing chain (no stupid belt to replace at 90k!)

*Quietest car in the class, they increased sound insulation and used thicker windows

*Roomy!

On the bad side :

*Styling is .. odd. The side vents are awful.

*No rear disc brakes, stupid drums bleh.

*I think the auto is still a 4 speed, and they don't have paddle shifters AFAIK (I bought the excellent 5-speed, so meh)

*Stock tires are those god-awful Hankook LRR POS turds. I burned them up in 4k miles and promptly replaced them with excellent Falken Ziex shoes.

 

[Synomenon]

OP, have you considered the new four door Yaris hatchback?

 

[TangoJuliet]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Just a couple of things

The Sonota with the cash back offer looks enticing especially when compared to the Elantra (they come to about $1000 difference in price with the Sonota being more car)

The Camry is a nice car but I don't think sacrificing the MPGs is worth it especially when I have so many cars to choose from.

I'll have to take a look at the 2009 Focus as you guys mention the side vents are gone. The only thing that worries me is the resale value of the car after say 3 years and if I can get a good financing offer.

Lastly, yes I looked at the Yaris hatchback and its a little too small for me. I prefer the sedan over the hatchback.

Oh and has anyone seen the 2009 Aveo5? Follow this link and check it out. http://www.chevrolet.com/aveo5/
It looks similar to the Fit and is about $2000 less.

 

[desy]

Well , the Aveo will have the same depreciation as the Focus
But you first started off saying you were going to keep for a long time?
Then you don't worry about resale, and buy the car you want. . . Hyundai's resale drops big time too, pretty much Honda and Toyota are the only real ones immune

 

[TangoJuliet]

Originally posted by: desy
Well , the Aveo will have the same depreciation as the Focus
But you first started off saying you were going to keep for a long time?
Then you don't worry about resale, and buy the car you want. . . Hyundai's resale drops big time too, pretty much Honda and Toyota are the only real ones immune

Yeah but the same configured Focus Sedan will cost about $2000 more then the Aveo5.

Yes, I plan on keeping the car for a while but that may change if I move out of state. If I do decide to stay in state then I will probably be moving closer to my job.

I did state that I have had my current car for 10 years and my next purchase I would like something that is cool, comfortable and sporty. I am going from a Mustang convertible....so it'll be hard to go from there to a Kia.

Totally off topic if I do move out of state and closer to the job then I'll probably be looking at something a lot cooler: ie Audi A4, BMW 335xi, or Inifiniti G35/37.....but thats something for another day/time and topic.

 

[desy]

The Focus is considered a compact the Aveo a Sub compact just look at their dimensions and weight, different class of cars.
The Versa is considered a sub even though its almost the same weight and lenght as a Civic

Like I said , buy the car you like the most, otherwise the whole world would drive Civics based on $ and function and reliability. BUT theres over 400 different kinds of cars in NA for sale , I guess people like choice

 

[TangoJuliet]

well I think I have come to a conclusion. I cannot seem to justify spending $19-20k on a car only to either sell it or trade it in a couple years later. I also cannot come to grips with buying something I do not like just because it's cheaper then the $19-20k cars I do like.

What I think I am going to do is.... My mom is currently leasing a 2006 Honda accord (4 cyl) and her lease is up either this year or early next. I will have her buy the lease out and then I'll buy it from her. I'm pretty sure the buyout is under $10k. I'll use it for 2 years and then sell it and will probably get half my money back for it when it comes time to sell it or trade it in.

The accord is in great condition as my mom barely drives it and I think it has less then 20k miles on it. I drove the car for a week when my parents went on vacation and it was awesome on gas (around 425 miles/tank).