What new car to get??

[Uppsala9496]

Ah, the joys of looking for a new car.
I have an old 1998 Sebring that is on its last legs. Front windshield has a nice crack in it, the rims are bent (I loathe aluminum rims when they meet potholes) and the car is starting to make some funny noises (think there is a bearing issue in the wheel hub up front).
Car is paid for and I am not looking forward to another car payment.

The catch is my wife wants it gone because she doesn't trust the car with the baby in it.

So, it is new car time.

I should preface this stating I do have an authorization number for the GM supplier discount. Thing is, I am not so sure I want a GM. Right now I have a Pontiac Aztek as the main car. I know, I know, ugly car.......now that we have that out of our systems, I do love that car. Drives just like my wife's old Grand Am, gets decent mileage, and is absolutely perfect for what we use it for. I will not trade the car in, so no comments about dumping both cars.

I'm looking to spend no more than $20,000. Good gas mileage is important, but not the number one factor. Has to be 4 doors because getting a baby into a carseat in a 2 door coupe sucks (another issue with my sebring). I am leaning towards a compact car. Price is the big factor along with it being 4 doors.
The one nice thing with the GM supplier discount is I can combine that with any incentives going on (financing, cash back, etc).

I have been looking at (has to be auto since wife can't drive stick):

2008 Saturn Astra (5 door XR) - coming in at $20,005.05 (after discount of $810 - not much). Considered GM's best compact brought into the US. No incentives.

2009 Pontiac Vibe 2.4l - $18,609 ($756 discount) - Matrix has better resale, but is more money out the door. No incentives. The '09 matrix with the same options is $22,950 MSRP.

2008 Mazda3 5 door - $21,605 msrp - 1.9% 36 months/3.9% to 60 months. I imagine I can get that price down closer to $20,000 (or is that not going to happen?).


Any other suggestions for compact type cars (will go with a sedan if the price is right) with 4 doors that are in the same category as those listed?

We are most likely going to go test driving this weekend, so I'd like an idea on what places to hit.

The yaris and fit are all just too small to be considered.

Oh and the plan is to keep this about 3/4 years and then sell it while the resale is still decent.

 

[Arkaign]

Compact? High Resale?

Civic Sedan. They drive wonderfully, get good fuel economy, are incredibly dependable, and have *TOP* resale value. Look up used 2005 models to get an idea (they are ~4 years old now).

 

[geokilla]

Mitsubishi Lancer. It looks aggressive and it has a 150hp engine. It's price at around $20k in CAD and I think Mitsubishi had 0% financing up here. Plus it has one of the best warranties in the auto industry. It's "powerful", and fuel-efficient. Since your wife can't drive manual, you can order the CVT transmission.

You can also think about the Honda Civic. One of my friends has the EX coupe and it's a great car. Only downside is that it doesn't have enough rear headroom for people at about 6 foot. Another friend is getting a Civic sedan. The interior styling is excellent, but for the exterior styling, I prefer the Lancer over the Civic.

The Civic starts at about $20k CAD as well. The auto transmission is 5 speed so it makes better use of the engine while fuel economy should be a bit better than the 4 speed autos out there.

 

[Arkaign]

Lancer isn't a terrible car, and the new design is pretty nice. But major warning bells are ringing. Mitsubishi's have AWFUL resale value.

 

[Gibson486]

Civic. It cost more than a Corolla, but you have all these features that come standard.

As for the 3, the incetives during presdents weekend were wow. You could get a 3s Sport auto 5 door for 16.8k. The sticker on those is usually 19.x. If you you really want to bargain hunt, some dealers still even have 1 or 2 07s lying around.

That said, I own a 3 and if you do not care for performance, then teh Civic is much better.

 

[Riverhound777]

Well if your looking for a fun to drive car, go with the Mazda. If your more concerned with mileage and dependability(debatable) go with a civic or others. Should be able to get a Mazda close to invoice, that is what I did. With any car you choose, try and talk with a internet sales or fleet manager to get a better no hassle deal.

 

[Vette73]

I was going to say Saturn Astra since you have a GM discount. Really nice and have not seen much ad's for them yet.

Why not a small-midsize. The new malibu looks nice and comes with a 4cyl. Or even a hybrid-lite Saturn Aura?

 

[melijak]

How about Subaru Impreza hatchback. around 170hp, 5 star safety rating, all wheel drive, fun, reliable, good resale value.
or something bigger like Honda CRV or new Forester, both should be around 20 grand.

 

[Uppsala9496]

I'm not averse to a midsize. Just figured the price would be a bit more than I want to spend. The GM hybrids aren't eligible for the discount (which sucks).
I'll have to look a little closer at the Malibu and Aura.

 

[Arkaign]

Malibu resale will be terrible. But the Aura shouldn't be too bad. Civic will be the highest, their resale is literally quite insane. I don't know why people even buy recent used ones, the new ones are so close in price.

 

[radioouman]

Do you want a car that is close in size to the Sebring?
You might feel cramped in the Civic/Corolla... just go drive some cars... If I were you, I'd look at the Malibu and Saturn Aura, although honestly I don't know the prices on those cars...

I sat in an Astra wagon at the car show and it felt like my Saturn S-series.

 

[melijak]

Around Chicagoland the malibu 4 cyl has been advertised for 18K so its even lower than GM discount. The GM discount is usually 3 % over invoice. You should be paying invoice or lower for any GM car - rebates. Except Saturn of course.

 

[bigpow]

I'd stay away from those Saturn and Mazda. I've had friends who suffer from them.
One co-worker is loving his old Vibe, I'd be cautious since the 2009 Vibe is the 1st year model.

If you're an open-minded person, you should consider Scion xB or xD.

I'm thinking if I need to replace my old beater, I'd get an xD.

I know, both xB and xD are also 1st year models.

 

[Funyuns101]

Originally posted by: melijak
How about Subaru Impreza hatchback. around 170hp, 5 star safety rating, all wheel drive, fun, reliable, good resale value.

+1 for taking a look at the Impreza. Lots of safety going with Subaru and good reliability as well. Your profile said IL, so methinks that AWD would be good for you there.
It's very similar to the Mazda3; both come in sedan and hatchback forms.

 

[jjanders]

I test drove a Mazda 3 (both sedan and hatch) last weekend, great car. Love the exterior, interior was great (so much better than the 09 Corolla I drove an hour beforehand, holy cheap). I drove the S trim so it had decent power. Only downside is not so great MPG and some minor reliability issues.

The 2009 Corolla was nice and quiet but just felt really cheap inside and out....I'm sure it's great mechanically but ehhhh. Plus I am wary buying a first model year car.

I hope to drive the Civic this weekend, and perhaps the Impreza as well.

 

[ElFenix]

are you out in the boonies because those prices seem high to me. pontiac G6s are in today's paper for $14,500.

 

[zoiks]

Originally posted by: bigpow
I'd stay away from those Saturn and Mazda. I've had friends who suffer from them.
One co-worker is loving his old Vibe, I'd be cautious since the 2009 Vibe is the 1st year model.

If you're an open-minded person, you should consider Scion xB or xD.

I'm thinking if I need to replace my old beater, I'd get an xD.

I know, both xB and xD are also 1st year models.

I wouldn't get the xB unless you want to make the world more ugly.
I would look into the Aura. It's a sweet car and was named car or the year or something.

 

[Arkaign]

Restating this from the OP to help clarify the responses here :

"Oh and the plan is to keep this about 3/4 years and then sell it while the resale is still decent."

 

[BZeto]

Originally posted by: jjanders
I test drove a Mazda 3 (both sedan and hatch) last weekend, great car. Love the exterior, interior was great (so much better than the 09 Corolla I drove an hour beforehand, holy cheap). I drove the S trim so it had decent power. Only downside is not so great MPG and some minor reliability issues.

The 2009 Corolla was nice and quiet but just felt really cheap inside and out....I'm sure it's great mechanically but ehhhh. Plus I am wary buying a first model year car.

I hope to drive the Civic this weekend, and perhaps the Impreza as well.

Post back with your opinions. I'm pretty much in the same boat as you. I want the Mazda3 for it's looks/performance/price, but I'm a little hesitant because of the lower MPG and other little quirks people have said the car has. I'd really rather not get a civic because the 3 is so much better looking. The subaru's are even worse.

 

[Funyuns101]

Originally posted by: zoiks

Originally posted by: bigpow
I'd stay away from those Saturn and Mazda. I've had friends who suffer from them.
One co-worker is loving his old Vibe, I'd be cautious since the 2009 Vibe is the 1st year model.

If you're an open-minded person, you should consider Scion xB or xD.

I'm thinking if I need to replace my old beater, I'd get an xD.

I know, both xB and xD are also 1st year models.

I wouldn't get the xB unless you want to make the world more ugly.
I would look into the Aura. It's a sweet car and was named car or the year or something.

But the xB is already a step up from the Aztec that he currently has
OP, go test drive some cars and find the one that's best suited for you.

 

[jjanders]

Originally posted by: BZeto
Post back with your opinions. I'm pretty much in the same boat as you. I want the Mazda3 for it's looks/performance/price, but I'm a little hesitant because of the lower MPG and other little quirks people have said the car has. I'd really rather not get a civic because the 3 is so much better looking. The subaru's are even worse.

Will do. I agree the Impreza's looks turn me off, but I figure I may as well test drive it just for fun.

Another negative against the 3, the S trim would increase my insurance by $20/month, not sure why. A Civic would be like $2/month more. Given that, as well as the gas and resale, the Civic is at the top, though I still haven't test driven it. If I end up not liking how it drives, the extra money for the Mazda will be worth it if that is what I like and want.

 

[theeedude]

Wow, that's expensive. I paid 16800 +TTL for my 2006 Mazda3s in fall 2005, for the touring model with sunroof and 6cd, but manual tranny.
Honestly, I would get it all over again, despite some minor issues that have been fixed: rattle in glovebox, and bad carpet.
Fuel economy is pretty good for the power you are getting and the sporty (short) gearing of the 5mt. I do wish they had a 6th gear for highway cruising, but from my experience with tailgating big rigs, the fuel economy at high speed is highly impacted by aerodynamics.
I don't know where you live, here it's curvy mountain road and I like to throw my mountain bike in the back and drive to the trails on weekends, so for me the Mazda3 hatchback is perfect, because it fits a bike with both wheels on with rear seats folded. If your commute is a straight line highway affair, you probably won't be taking advantage of the sublime handling of the 3 as much.

 

[Nyati13]

Originally posted by: bigpow
I'd stay away from those Saturn and Mazda. I've had friends who suffer from them.
One co-worker is loving his old Vibe, I'd be cautious since the 2009 Vibe is the 1st year model.

.

The new Saturns are basically just rebadged Opels ( which is a good thing ). The Saturn Aura is the Opel Vectra, which is a good car. The new Astra is the Opel Astra (hey, for once they didn't rename something) and is also a good car.

That said.... go look at a Subaru....

 

[Chunkee]

i can get a civic fully loaded with leather, heated seats..all that jazz for under 20

jC

 

[krunchykrome]

I'd get a Civic.