Opinions on a new car

[aquatix]

Which of the following should I get?

2004's

Honda Accord
Honda Civic
Toyota Camry
Nissan Altima
Kia Spectra
Saturn Ion
Hyunai Elantra
Or something comparable?

Looking for something with good gas mileage, reasonably safe and doesn't look like a girl's car... Will have a baby seat in the back :)

[GrantDawg]

If you have kids and need room, Camry. If not then an Accord.

[GrantDawg]

Of course for the same money, let me recommend a Sentra 2.5s. My wife just got one, and they are fun to drive. It still has foor doors and enough room for the little ones in the back. An adult would be squeezed to sit in the back, though.

They have a better rebate (except maybe the ION) than any car listed up there, with a very good resale value.

[Warhammer]

Depending on the budget I would have to suggest either a Sentra, or a Maxima. My Maxima has 94,000 miles in 3 years and I have not had a lick of problems. My wife's Sentra is 4 years old, and has not had any problems either.

[Peregrine]

I'd personally look heavily at a Mazda 6 if you're going to be shopping that category. Very nice car IMO. I do second Warhammer though, I have a Maxima and it has been very reliable, even though I do personally hate the look of the 2004s.

[FrogMan]

I would not list the Elantra in the same list as the Camry, if your budget allows you to shop for a Camry...

FM

[GrantDawg]

Let me recommend a site for you. hxxp://www.carsdirect.com. They will give you price qoutes that are usually at or below invoice. If you sign on with them, they will find you the car at that price without the hidden dealer fees.

[Peregrine]

Also of course www.edmunds.com is indispensible in any car search. Reviews, good pricing info, excellent message boards, etc.

[MrIllini]

the altima is bad assed

[duckman]

I would buy an used 2004 model and save that 25% you'll lose when you drive it off the lot.

[WSUCougar]

For my two bits, I'd eliminate anything but the Hondas, Toyotas, and Nissans (adding perhaps VW Jetta and Subaru whatever).

You've got Civic and Accord on there, which is a jump between class. What's your price range?

I swear by Toyotas, but have also owned a Honda Civic and Nissan Maxima with very good results.

[Swaggs]

I sell Nissans now and would echo WSU's comment of sticking to a Toyota, Nissan, or Honda if you are looking for a mid-size sedan.

If you are looking in the $18-22K range, go w/ an Accord, Altima, or Camry.

If you are looking for something in the $12-16K range, look at the Civic, Sentra, or Corrolla.

[korme]

http://www.bilnyheter.no/xB.jpg

[Tzar007]

These cars are quite different in terms of pricing.

Personally, I would either go with the Accord or the Altima. But as Peregrine said, you should definetely test drive the Mazda 6. Same size as an Accord, but better looks. Also has got a good engine in the V6 version. The station wagon Mazda 6 is damn nice also.

[GrantDawg]

I would buy an used 2004 model and save that 25% you'll lose when you drive it off the lot.
Unless the new car is giving you the 25% in rebates. It cost more to buy a one year old car in some cases right now than it does to buy a new one.

[Ksyrup]

http://www.bilnyheter.no/xB.jpg
I'm ashamed to admit this, but my 60 year old father-in-law bought one of these a few months ago. Burnt orange. God help us all.

He took me out in it one afternoon, and we nearly caused an accident as some guy in the left-hand turn lane stopped dead in the middle of a green turn arrow to stare at us. I thought I was going to die. I felt like a 12 year old school girl whose dad was listening to Eminem in the car - complete with thumping bass - and everyone was staring at us as they drove by. I even offered to let him park in the garage because I didn't want anyone to see the damn thing in my driveway.

And I can't even call it his mid-life crisis. I told my wife it must be his 3/4 life crisis.

[Ksyrup]

But as Peregrine said, you should definetely test drive the Mazda 6. Same size as an Accord, but better looks.
Is it really the same size? I have a 1999 626, but I rented a 6 on a trip last year, and it felt so much smaller than my car. Frankly, I would not have bought the 6 if that was the only choice when I was looking for a car, at least not with a "family car" in mind. It felt like a combination of a Mustang and 626. It drove well, and has much more pickup than the 626, but it swings way too much toward "sporty," as opposed to "family sedan."

[korme]

My brother (21) just bought one, that color, not crazy orange, and I like it actually..

[Ksyrup]

He's not 60. And it's not ORANGE.

[Ksyrup]

Of course, the nickname for it is Pimpmobile.

[Peregrine]

Is it really the same size?

Yes the 6 is pretty much the same size as the Camry/Accord. I know it feels a little different because it has an emphasis on sporty, but it compares pretty similarly to those models. I threw together a comparison on Edmunds, all three cars are virtually the same dimensions on the outside, and very close on the inside:

http://tinyurl.com/5jn89

[JPhillips]

My wife and I just recently bought a new Hyundai Sonata for a very reasonable 13,600 after rebates. That was Memorial Day so the price may now be higher. It drives well, gets over thirty MPG and the front lines are very similar to a new Jaguar. We are very pleased with both the car and the value for our money.

[Ksyrup]

Yes the 6 is pretty much the same size as the Camry/Accord. I know it feels a little different because it has an emphasis on sporty, but it compares pretty similarly to those models. I threw together a comparison on Edmunds, all three cars are virtually the same dimensions on the outside, and very close on the inside:

http://tinyurl.com/5jn89
All I know is, we didn't have nearly the room in the back for the kid as we do in my 626.

[Tzar007]

Is it really the same size? I have a 1999 626, but I rented a 6 on a trip last year, and it felt so much smaller than my car. Frankly, I would not have bought the 6 if that was the only choice when I was looking for a car, at least not with a "family car" in mind. It felt like a combination of a Mustang and 626. It drove well, and has much more pickup than the 626, but it swings way too much toward "sporty," as opposed to "family sedan."

I believe it is roughly the same size as an Accord. Probably not as roomy in the back seat as a Camry. I fully agree it feels more sporty, and that's why I like it :-) Because we are looking for family cars does not mean we want boring cars that are not fun to drive :-) This is the main reason why I would never, never buy a Camry. It's a great car, very reliable and efficient, but it definetely does not feel sporty at all, either in terms of road handling or pick up.

[RPI-Fan]

My wife and I just recently bought a new Hyundai for a very reasonable 13,600 after rebates. That was Memorial Day so the price may now be higher. It drives well, gets over thirty MPG and the front lines are very similar to a new Jaguar. We are very pleased with both the and the value for our money.

Enjoy it while it lasts.

To be honest, the only experience I have with Hyundai's is my sister's '02 Elantra, but man the car/service is a piece of crap.

Every time something on it breaks (which is about every month), at the service center they say "Oh, there were a bad batch of those." (referring to a certain part/mechanism)

They've seriously said that a good half-dozen times, for completely separate incidents - it's like the company line or something.

I'd highly advise you steer clear of the Hyundai if at all possible, but I don't know much about cars, so there might be reason to believe that it would be a good purchase.

~rpi-fan

[sterlingice]

http://www.bilnyheter.no/xB.jpg
That monstrosity is ugly as sin.

SI

[ZXTT]

Since you've included cars from more than one class, I'll stick to the bigger ones. The Accord and Camry are going to be the best engineered cars. I would lean toward the Accord. Also, the Accord hybrid is coming, but it'll probably sticker for $30K and I doubt if there'll be any deals for awhile.

I have a 1999 Camry, and it's a good car, but the suspension is too soft and it is just too generic. My wife has rented newer Camry's and she likes them, though - after all, everything works the way you expect it. Note that the '05 Camry appears to be out and is revised (mid-model refresh) over the 04's.

The Altima is sportier than the Accord/Camry and also a 2005 model and is improved over '04 (again, a mid-model refresh). I haven't seen an '05, but the Nissan's I saw at our local auto show had unimpressive materials - ie. I didn't like the way they looked and felt inside. I'd say the Altima has a top-notch powertrain, but you'd better see if you like the looks of the rest yourself - it's below the level of engineering seen in the Accord/Camry.

The Mazda 6 is also sportier than the Accord/Camry, but, like the Altima, is really at a lower level of engineering than them (say, as at the level of know-how displayed by Honda and Toyota on their previous generation).

But...you should really indicate how much you want to spend. You can run the numbers at Edmunds for options you want.

As for options, my preferences are for V-6 engines and 5-spd transmissions (better fuel economy and better ratio when you stand on it). I also like ABS and traction control and if you care about survivability in a side-impact accident, side and head airbags.

[FBPro]

We've had 2 Camry's, 1 Accord and 1 Civic and loved them all. Camry is probably the one I'd go with, though the newer Accord's look nice as well. All are tip top mechanically speaking.

[JPhillips]

rpi_ Sorry to hear that. We've had an Elantra for a few years and have had no troubles(well except when someone spun out and t-boned me!). I was pretty leary when I got our first Hyundai, but they've both been great for us.

[Hurst2112]

The Mazda 6 is also sportier than the Accord/Camry, but, like the Altima, is really at a lower level of engineering than them (say, as at the level of know-how displayed by Honda and Toyota on their previous generation).


Engineering schmengineering. :D There are other factors involved in car purchasing. For instance, the cargo space of the 6 is far better than an Accord. Also, as posted in a previous thread, I was not able to fit into a honda accord. I was too damn tall. That is why we chose a 6.

As for options, my preferences are for V-6 engines and 5-spd transmissions (better fuel economy and better ratio when you stand on it).

I would say that a 4 cyl. has better gas mileage than a 6. In purchasing our mazda 6, we took a killing in the gas mileage department. They aren't that efficient. Also, depending what type of transmission you have (auto or standard) makes a difference in gas mileage, not if it is a 6 speed auto or 5 speed auto.

[ZXTT]

Engineering schmengineering. :D There are other factors involved in car purchasing. For instance, the cargo space of the 6 is far better than an Accord. Also, as posted in a previous thread, I was not able to fit into a honda accord. I was too damn tall. That is why we chose a 6.

Don't get me wrong, I like the 6. I tried to get my wife to rent one on her recent trip. On the other hand, I like what state-of-the-art engineering brings to a car when I'm going to own it for 6+ years.


I would say that a 4 cyl. has better gas mileage than a 6. In purchasing our mazda 6, we took a killing in the gas mileage department. They aren't that efficient. Also, depending what type of transmission you have (auto or standard) makes a difference in gas mileage, not if it is a 6 speed auto or 5 speed auto.

I only meant a 5spd auto give better gas mileage than a 4spd auto, which it does because the ratios can be closer together and top gear can be higher. Acceleration is normally improved as well, and all other things being equal, the transmission will be smoother. Most people aren't looking for a manual in a family car - if they want one, they'll know.

A 4 should definitely give better mileage than a 6 and the car should weigh less and handle better. A 6 is my preference for the power - even if I'm not trying to drive fast, I still enjoy driving a 6 more than a 4.

[Ryan S]

Just curious, what is wrong with American or European cars?

[GrantDawg]

Just curious, what is wrong with American or European cars?
Resale and durability for the American cars, and price for the Euros. Volkswagons are some of the best cars in this sector, but they run a good 3-4000 higher than the comparable size car.