walking down the aisle to buy a new car...UPDATE

[f1r3s1d3]

Check out the Fusion / Milan. They aren't raved about for no reason. Hell, recently, I see more Fusions than I do new Camry's.

 

[The Stigenator]

Well I didnt get to test drive the 2009 TOyota Corolla, stupid dealer didnt show incentive.. i guess they are desperate, they are only going to go towards deals that are going to be good for them.

I test drove the Honda Civic, both Auto (LX) and Manual (Civic SI), I liked the Civic SI handling. They didnt have an EX to test drive and no hybrids. But I did notice that the EX/SI headroom is not too bad, but a bit lower but its good.
I like it but I am not sure of a few things. I do like it though. I wonder if the Civic EX is too plain vanilla. Its a good car otherwise. 37mpg, which is always nice! I didnt test drive the 5speed EX, but I did the auto LX and that auto is horrible. I didnt like it. THe Civic did get me teh feeling that I was not connected to the road.

Next up.. Hyundai Sonata, Mercury Milan, VW Jetta, Mazda 3s

 

[rdp6]

My 07 Passat (2.0T with MT) gets 34 mpg on the highway consistently at speeds ranging from 65 to 80 mph. If I am following a truck, (not tailgating), I have seen very close to 40 mpg on the multifunction display. I use 93 octane gas, as 91 is not available here.

I rented a 2008 barebones Jetta (2.5 with Auto) for a week while the Passat was being repaired (hit and run). The jetta seemed much slower, and had about half the range of the Passat, given the much worse efficiency and the smaller tank.

What's more is that the interior in the Passat (2.0T trim, not the "barebones" model) is much, much nicer than the Jetta's.

Funny thing is that when I went to shop for a new car last March, I planned on checking out the Jetta, but with a bunch of discounts I got the Passat for about 21K.

Short story: if you are going to get a VW, get the 2.0T for economy and spirited performance. There is no perceivable turbo lag, and with the 6-speed manual and the torque curve peaking at low revs, it is a blast to drive. I'll be the GTI is just awesome (didn't test drive one of those).

Also: the Passat fits oversized adults very comfortably. No problems at all with legroom in the back.

 

[raildogg]

Out of all those cars, the Civic is the best choice for the requirements you listed. I cross shopped the Rabbit, Mazda 3 and several others and have decided to wait for the new upcoming 2009 Honda Fit. The others do not deliver good fuel economy for their size and power, although they are good cars as well.

I have not driven the Honda Civic Hybrid yet but the regular Civic is pretty fun to drive and gets over 35MPG.

 

[Spicedaddy]

Jetta 2.0T gets my vote

 

[The Stigenator]

UPDATE:

So I had narrowed it down to 3 cars.

All cars have the following: Leather Seats, Heated Seats, Moonroof

• Honda Civic EX-L
  Mazda 3s Grand Touring
  Mercury Milan Premier / Ford Fusion SEL

So this is where it stands.

Honda Civic EX-L

• 
  Pros:
• Great Gas Mileage (35MPG)
• Cheapest Car spec'd in this group - online calculator put it at 21200 with Bass Kit & Auto D/N mirror with Homelink
  
  Cons:
• Lackluster performance in the auto transmission, good in Manual. Handling could get help and be stiffened up. The looks arent all that hot, its a good basic car with features. Car does not feature power seats. Its got a small boot.

Mazda 3s Grand Touring

• 
  Pros:
• Great ride and performance
• Good seats, good stereo separation in the BOSE sound system.
• Comes with HID lights, Traction Control, DSC standard.
• Spec'd to $22,555 with Moon roof & Bose + Compass + homelink mirror
  
  Cons
• Speedo has 60mph at 9'Oclock and 120mpg at 12'Oclock. Kinda irritating but can get used to it. Trunk space is a bit small.
• Interior cluttered. Too many buttons

Mercury Milan Premier / Ford Fusion SEL

• 
  Pros:
• Biggest car in the group selected, nice roomy trunk (Sonata is larger).
• the geek in me likes SYNC - though its capablities are much to be desired. Blue tooth standard support in car is handy since CA goes handsfree in July.
• Dealer Support pretty much available on every corner of middle america
  
  Cons:
• Worst gas mileage (28MPG I4, 26 V6), same engine as the Mazda 3, but heavier car.
• Interior dash a bit dated. Sound system is good but Head Unit is kinda old looking.
• Milan tends to be the most expensive of the group, the fusion is cheaper but the material quality is a bit lower. Also fusion has somethings options that are standard on the milan. End result, is you do end up paying for those with the ford.
  
  Milan Spec'd to $23,090 with Moon & Tune Elite, Heated Seats
  Fusion Spec'd to $22,860 - 2000 retail customer cash. Options are Leather Seats, Heated Seats, Moon & Tune.
  

Dealer Support

I went to several dealers, the only one that treated me right is Galpin Family (Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Panoz, Lotus, Honda, Saturn).

Galpin mentioned some sort of "state of california/police/fire/local city & county employee discount" - rated between 250-500 over invoice. Not sure if other dealers honor this. Not sure if its a gimick .. your thoughts?

 

[thecritic]

I'd say the Civic EX-L is your best choice.

Also consider the 08 Jetta Wolfsburg with the 2.0T. VW recently completely redesigned the 2.0T engine (within the last few months). The new one has the "CCTA" engine code. It has a spin-on oil filter, a timing chain, and a much easier to access oil filter. Pair that with a manual, and the car should be quite reliabile. Fuel economy should be the same as your focus, but it will require premium.

If you can live without leather, consider the Altima 2.5S w/Manual or Altima 2.5SL.

 

[Vette73]

Have you checked out the new Saturn? has everything you ask for and is pretty low price.

32Mpg, heated seats, leather, 7-speaker 6-disc mp3 system, etc.. for less then $19,900


Saturn Astra

 

[Arkaign]

The Mazda3s is a nice car, but beware, the 2.3L is pretty thirsty.

The Civic is probably the most bulletproof of any of the cars in this thread, and will maintain the best resale value as well. You could drive it for 4 years, and at trade-in, you'll get a decent chunk of your investment back to use as down payment towards something else. OTOH, it's also the best bet as a 'drive it into the ground' car, as ordinary maintenance should net you ~200k miles or more.

EDIT : Also, the 2.3L Duratec motor in the Mazda 3 is a lot different than the 6 that's in the Ford/Mercury. Both may be Duratec variants, but they are not the same.

You might want to check out the Mazda3i, it uses the 2.0, and paired with a manual transmission should deliver a great balance between performance and fuel economy. It will certainly have more 'go' than the Civic.

 

[f1r3s1d3]

Out of those I'd go with the Mazda 3 2.3 Grand Touring or the Fusion. My Uncle just bought a Mazda 3 5 door w/the 2.3. It's a grand touring, has the moonroof, leather, and nav, fully loaded. He is the pickiest man you'll ever meet about cars. He's also a die hard Honda fan. He bought this for him and his wife for their condo in Florida, though. He likes it more than his 2005 Accord EX-L V6. He said, while it isn't as fast, it is such a blast to drive that him and his wife argue about who is going to drive it. He said he gets low-mid 20's city driving and 29-31 highway. He LOVES the thing, so much that he's thinking about selling the Honda and getting the new 2009 Mazda 6 Grand Touring when it comes out.

 

[The Stigenator]

You know the Honda Civic is probably the most sensible one.. its got good gas mileage, presumed good reliability, and hopefully will last a LONG Time.

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: Arkaign
The Mazda3s is a nice car, but beware, the 2.3L is pretty thirsty.

The Civic is probably the most bulletproof of any of the cars in this thread, and will maintain the best resale value as well. You could drive it for 4 years, and at trade-in, you'll get a decent chunk of your investment back to use as down payment towards something else. OTOH, it's also the best bet as a 'drive it into the ground' car, as ordinary maintenance should net you ~200k miles or more.

EDIT : Also, the 2.3L Duratec motor in the Mazda 3 is a lot different than the 6 that's in the Ford/Mercury. Both may be Duratec variants, but they are not the same.

You might want to check out the Mazda3i, it uses the 2.0, and paired with a manual transmission should deliver a great balance between performance and fuel economy. It will certainly have more 'go' than the Civic.

yeah, my 3 gets 19 in the city and 27 on the highway.

 

[maziwanka]

man. i saw the mazda3 at the autoshow in NY and it was freaking hot (red hatchback or stationwagon? i can't remember)

 

[Jawo]

Out of the final three, I would go with the Mazda3. I got a 07 mazda6 last July and couldn't be happier with it. I have the v6 and regularly get over 30 mpg on the highway, 25 in the city. In 15k miles haven't had to do anything besides oil changes. The heated leather seats get warm very quick when you want them....last winter it was perfect, since the engine didn't get warm enough during my brief commute.

Edit: I can't believe the most obvious thing...the styling is so much better than the Honda!

 

[GTaudiophile]

As a previous owner and as someone who had one as a rental for 6 days last week, my vote is for the MZ3.

You get a lot of car for the money, but yeah, MPG could be better. I had 20K miles on the ODO when I sold mine (moved to DC) so I cannot comment on long-term reliability.

 

[Chunkee]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Have you checked out the new Saturn? has everything you ask for and is pretty low price.

32Mpg, heated seats, leather, 7-speaker 6-disc mp3 system, etc.. for less then $19,900


Saturn Astra

which are you speaking of?

 

[duragezic]

Originally posted by: Jawo
Out of the final three, I would go with the Mazda3. I got a 07 mazda6 last July and couldn't be happier with it. I have the v6 and regularly get over 30 mpg on the highway, 25 in the city. In 15k miles haven't had to do anything besides oil changes. The heated leather seats get warm very quick when you want them....last winter it was perfect, since the engine didn't get warm enough during my brief commute.

Edit: I can't believe the most obvious thing...the styling is so much better than the Honda!

The V6 gets better mileage than the 2.3L i4? Or at least very similar?

 

[Chunkee]

Originally posted by: TheGoodGuy
You know the Honda Civic is probably the most sensible one.. its got good gas mileage, presumed good reliability, and hopefully will last a LONG Time.

I am thinking same thing...but I want the SI Sedan...they are making good deals on them also...only thing...no leather or heated seats and premium fuel...but funner engine, look and sound, better stereo and still good gas mileage. always a trade off.

jC

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: Chunkee

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Have you checked out the new Saturn? has everything you ask for and is pretty low price.

32Mpg, heated seats, leather, 7-speaker 6-disc mp3 system, etc.. for less then $19,900


Saturn Astra

which are you speaking of?

theres a link in my replay with the name of the car and the link goes to the site that shows the car I named/linked too. Not sure if i can do anything else to tell you what car it is.

 

[daveymark]

mazda 3s. but bose sound system is a con, not a pro

 

[Soapy Bones]

Looks like everyone is saying Mazda and Honda, I have an 08 Fusion SEL and I'm very pleased with it. I got everything you are looking at except I did not get leather/heated seats. The Sync is a nice added bonus and I am pleased with the price paid for the features/comfort. I got the v6 and have about 6,000 miles on it. Absolutely no issues with the thing at all. I've read a lot about their reliability which was a big reason why I went with it. I personally like the Fusion's styling slightly better than the Milan as far as exterior goes because of the front end, i like the lower chrome cross bars on the Fusion.

 

[Chunkee]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Originally posted by: Chunkee

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Have you checked out the new Saturn? has everything you ask for and is pretty low price.

32Mpg, heated seats, leather, 7-speaker 6-disc mp3 system, etc.. for less then $19,900


Saturn Astra

which are you speaking of?

theres a link in my replay with the name of the car and the link goes to the site that shows the car I named/linked too. Not sure if i can do anything else to tell you what car it is.

hey Gomer, thanks for editing your post after i posted mine. Ropadoped

 

[Chunkee]

Originally posted by: lather164
Looks like everyone is saying Mazda and Honda, I have an 08 Fusion SEL and I'm very pleased with it. I got everything you are looking at except I did not get leather/heated seats. The Sync is a nice added bonus and I am pleased with the price paid for the features/comfort. I got the v6 and have about 6,000 miles on it. Absolutely no issues with the thing at all. I've read a lot about their reliability which was a big reason why I went with it. I personally like the Fusion's styling slightly better than the Milan as far as exterior goes because of the front end, i like the lower chrome cross bars on the Fusion.

what is your mpg Mr. Lather

 

[Mermaidman]

Originally posted by: Chunkee

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Originally posted by: Chunkee

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Have you checked out the new Saturn? has everything you ask for and is pretty low price.

32Mpg, heated seats, leather, 7-speaker 6-disc mp3 system, etc.. for less then $19,900


Saturn Astra

which are you speaking of?

theres a link in my replay with the name of the car and the link goes to the site that shows the car I named/linked too. Not sure if i can do anything else to tell you what car it is.

hey Gomer, thanks for editing your post after i posted mine. Ropadoped

Uh . . . he edited his post at 11:05 AM, and you posted your query at 11:34 PM. Did your your brain require all that time to compose a 5 word reply?

 

[Soapy Bones]

It varies quite a bit really... I have not yet taken a trip that has been all highway driving so I cant give a real highway number. My daily commute is 20 miles and its kind of city driving but all the roads are 45 mph... i'm usually in the 21-24 mpg range depending on where else I go. Never under 20 yet on a tank. If I reset it on the highway at cruising speeds I'll see something in the range of 27-30.