I'm buying a new car. Any suggestions or recommendations?

[Tuesday Afternoon]

Honda Civic


Volkswagen Jetta




might as well riff of Gray,m right?

[Aristus]

1. Honda for styling. Jetta for engineering.

After that, you're on your own...

[Tuesday Afternoon]

2. you think Jetta would be less upkeep in the long run?

which one would get better gas mileage?

think it would handle better?

the civic is one sweet looking ride. true.

thanks for the input, Aristus

[Honeycombe8]

79. Honda beat VW in reliability hands down.

VW has many good points, but Honda, Subaru, and Toyota have all the brands beatend in reliability, if that is a main concern of yours.

Haven't you ever heard jokes about German cars? "Is it broken? What does he have?" Answer: "A BMW." Response: "Oh. Say no more."

VW diesels get great mileage, though.

[NV Whino]

3. Honda rocks

Volkswagen sucks.


Bad, bad experience with VW. I'll never buy another. Great experience with Honda.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

4. interesting. Never owned a Volkswagen but, loved the Honda Accord that I owned.

Loved it. Thanks for the input.

[elleng]

16. Loved VWs, from '79 Rabbit to 2004 Jettas,

few mechanical problems, loved their handling (and trunk space and comfort.)

Engineer friend says NO to VW for reliability these days.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

28. interesting...thanks to your friend for the input.

wonder what happened

[elleng]

38. Somehow Total Cost of Ownership

is not worthy, any longer. Not sure whether he EVER thought VW was worthy, as he's had Hondas and Toyotas over the years.
Sorry no more details.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. Volkswagen Passat, Buick Verano, Chrysler 200

[Tuesday Afternoon]

8. I know it is silly but, I can't get past the name -Passat-

what a suckass name. what were they thinking? ugh. someone should be fired for that one.

[TreasonousBastard]

20. In German it means tradewind, but, yeah, it loses something in the translation.

[NYC_SKP]

6. Honda for longer life without costly repairs and service.

I'll betcha, unless VW has caught up, Honda is hard to beat for reliability scores.

Toyota, too. I just service done for free on my 2007 115K miles Prius, for free, including new cooling pump and all weather floor mats, and a car wash, and they said the brakes looked fine. 115,000 and no work done on them and the brakes look fine.

Then I came home to a letter announcing my car loan is all paid off and the clear title in on it's way!

Woot!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

9. woot! Congrats on the clear title!!

Cheers, my friend

[cyberswede]

7. That Civic looks awfully small...

but I'm 6 feet tall, so I'm probably biased.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

10. well. I am 5'9" .... could be an issue. thanks

[yellowcanine]

48. I am 6' 3" and I fit in my Civic 4 Door Sedan fine.

That coupe does look a little small, though, particularly for head room.

[TheMightyFavog]

11. Get a Fiat 500!

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7IhKWjDc9wg/S0yHlwazr9I/AAAAAAAACB0/RF_5cK2DT4c/s400/Fiat500USA-695TributoFerrari+4.jpg

[Tuesday Afternoon]

13. they are cute!

but, So Small

[MorningGlow]

47. Actually, they're surprisingly roomy

This is mine--one week old! Cabrio ragtop with leather heated seats.




Tons of head room and leg room (in the front--a little tighter on legs in the back--I wouldn't pack four adults into it for a cross-country road trip or anything). The hardtop hatch has tons of space for loading stuff up, and you can fold down the back seats for more room. I was alarmed at the tiny trunk hatch on the cabrio when I got it, but lo! just as many groceries fit into it (including a 24-pack of bottled water and a 5 gallon jug of water, as well as a bag of kitty litter) as could fit into my Saab 9-3 trunk.

It's zippy and happy and you can park it ANYwhere. I LOVE THIS CAR!

[bluedigger]

12. Try it out in the store.

Do everything you would on the road.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

14. I plan to this weekend

[bluedigger]

29. You are much braver than Graywarrior.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

30. !

I aspire to Graywarrior. She of the thread that never dies

[bluedigger]

31. She's tough on ducks, but kind of a wuss on bed testing.

[Motown_Johnny]

15. Chevy Cruze (Buy American)

At the very least go compare it. They are all in the same price range with similar MPG. Lease deals are worth looking at now too. Since the model year changes in a couple months they will be looking to dump the 2012s pretty soon. You should hold off buying for another 6 weeks if possible. You should get a better deal at that point assuming you find one with the options you want.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

18. aren't Hondas built/assembled in America? but, you are right I should consider it --

for some reason I really want a coupe this time around though.

[TreasonousBastard]

22. Not a coupe, but the Buick Verano I mentioned earlier is a very nice upgrade to the Cruze. And the

Chrysler 200 convertible is a very nice car.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

25. yes, I know the 200 is nice but, what about gas mileage?

not sure about a ragtop, for a second vehicle, yeah -sweet.

[TreasonousBastard]

52. Gas mileage is the low end of average, but for 30 grand or so you can get...

the hardtop version and pretend it's a coupe.

(But, you probably could do a lot better for 30 grand, if not a convertible)

[Motown_Johnny]

24. Some are,

Last edited Fri Jul 6, 2012, 02:32 PM - Edit history (2)

but the Cruze is definitely being built in Lordstown Ohio

[Tuesday Afternoon]

26. defiantly ? defintely ? cool either way !

[sinkingfeeling]

54. Honda plants in the USA are non-union, while GM is a union shop.

[Motown_Johnny]

61. Sorry, it must be the heat!

[sad sally]

42. Look at the sticker; ours has parts (like the drivetrain) built in the US, but it was assembled in

Canada (eh?) and the tires are from Mexico.

[PRETZEL]

46. That's the car my wife wants

but isn't there a recall on it? I thought I heard something a little while ago.

She wanted me to get another SUV so I just got a 2012 Equinox. It only gets 22/32 but it is most definately the most comfortable vehicle I ever had.

[Motown_Johnny]

50. Yes, but no reported injuries. Doesn't look like a big deal.

http://www.mlive.com/auto/index.ssf/2012/06/analysts_chevy_cruze_recalls_o.html

^snip^

DETROIT, MI- General Motors Co.’s Friday announcement recall of all 2011 and 2012 model-year Chevrolet Cruzes shouldn’t have a lasting impact of the vehicle, according to officials.

Analysts and industry experts said the Detroit-based automaker, as many others have since Toyota Motor Corp.’s acceleration problems, took responsibility for the problem before it could get out of hand without any reported injuries.

“Getting out in front of it can often make or break how big something like this is,” said Karl Brauer, editor of TotalCarScore.com. “I’ d be surprised if six months from now we are even talking about this – assuming no other variables more into play.”

The recall is over an engine shield problem that could result in a fire. It affects nearly 500,000 Cruze models across all trim levels in the U.S., Canada and several hundred exported to Israel.

[PRETZEL]

51. Thanks

wasn't sure.

Sounds good.

[Populist_Prole]

58. Just rented a Cruze: Very impressed

Granted, it was a top of the line model. Was powerful yet unbelievably good on fuel. When I got home and did some research, I found out it had a very small ( 1400cc ) engine but with a small turbocharger, which spins up and builds boost quickly; which is why it felt so torquey. Had a solid feel and excellent handling, well finished interior.

If they make this in a 2 door coupe, this could be my next car.

[MicaelS]

17. 2013 Altima or 2013 Ford Fusion

I have a 2008 Altima Sedan and I love it, fabulous car. New style for 2013, looks even better than my '08.

http://www.nissanusa.com/altima/

The new 2013 Fusion is simply gorgeous. Note the nose / grill looks like an Aston Martin.

http://www.ford.com/cars/fusion/2013/

[Tuesday Afternoon]

21. I was really hot for that Nissan Altima a few years ago...

you are right about that Fusion...need to consider that. thanks

[MicaelS]

27. The Fusion has an AWD option, the Altima does not...

The only negative I see about the Fusion is Ford getting rid of their V6 in favor of the Ecoboost engines, which get better fuel economy, but use turbocharging. Nissan still offers a V6.

[CJCRANE]

85. You're right about the new Ford Fusion.

That's a great looking car. I think I'd go for one in British Racing Green just to accentuate the Aston Martin resemblance.

[madinmaryland]

19. I just bought a Toyota Corolla. No problems after a month and 2500 miles.

My brother is still driving my Mom's 1993 Corolla at 150K miles.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

23. I loved my Toyota Camry ... til this guy pulled out in front of me and totalled it

silly, I know but .... kind of cooled my jets for Toys since then. weird, right. can't help it though.

[LAGC]

67. I *hate* the Toyota Camry.

I'm renting one right now and I keep bumping my head each time I reach out to close the door after ducking to get in. And I'm only 5'7". How could you stand it?

I only paid $2200 for my used '98 Chevy Cavalier with under 100K miles on it a year ago. Plenty of head room and the only maintenance I've had to do on it besides oil changes was replacing the water pump when it started to overheat. That's it. It's run like a champ, 35-mpg which is great for a non-hybrid.

Give me an American car any day of the week.

[sinkingfeeling]

55. I have a 1999 Saturn. No problems at all for 13 years 1 month and 4 days

and 91,000+ miles.

[bigwillq]

32. I've always had an Nissan

and loved every single car I've had. I lease, so I've had about 5 Nissans during my driving history. Good, reliable, and pretty affordable.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

33. I loved my Nissan Pathfinder - practically lived in it one summer! It was reliable

and fun to drive

[graywarrior]

34. Honda Fit Sport gets better mileage than a Civic

[Tuesday Afternoon]

37. really. I did not know that. Interesting looking ride -

[graywarrior]

44. I have an orange one

It is a blast to drive!

[NV Whino]

45. I just totaled my 2007 FIT ( not sport)

As soon as I get my settlement, I'm off to buy another. They hold their value. Insurance gave me 2k over top Blue Book so I think I can buy a new one.

Plenty of cargo space. I've had 6 foot plus friends in it who marvel at the head room. Very versatile vehicle.

They are releasing the all electric FIT on July 20 in California and Oregon. Lease only.

[graywarrior]

59. $39,000 for the electric model

I paid $17,000 for mine. I'm leasing it so I pay $200 and some change per month. When the lease runs out in 2013, I will lease another or buy the Fit I have now. I adore it. It always looks like it's smiling.

[NV Whino]

62. It does look like it's smiling

You can't believe the stuff I have carried in mine. I had to get some lounges down to repair for a client once. He could only get one in his Toyota Highlander. I got two in my FIT.

[graywarrior]

63. Ain't it wild?

I packed a lot of moving stuff into mine when we moved in October. Way more stuff than in our Honda Accord.

[sad sally]

35. We bought a Honda Civic EX on April 30, 2012 and are very happy with it.

It's a coupe (like your pic), silver. There's plenty of headroom, the inside is roomy and even with just 2-doors, the backseat has space to sit comfortably. The trunk is bigger than the 98 Mustang we traded it in for it. The gas mileage rating is all that it's reported to be; on a recent trip to visit my sister I got 40.8 mpg. Was used to driving a 5-speed but after trying out both the manual and automatic, we went with the automatic - it's got plenty of zip to merge onto freeways and for passing. Doesn't have the "rumble" of the V8 the Mustang had, but that's okay.

The couple of downers are what the car mags call "hard plastic" - but it's not offensive or cheap looking. The other grumble is that insurance went up, as Civics are favored by young men* to use as illegal street racers so get a low safety rating (lots of wrecks and such). We're old people with excellent driving records, so were surprised, even though we'd expected rates to go up some.

*edit: I shouldn't have singled out "young men" as plenty of young women race too. In fact, I used to, except it was on an NHRA scantioned drag strip.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

39. wow! Drive, sally! Drive! that is awesome

and yeah - I am really leaning toward the Civic this time out

[Broken_Hero]

36. Hmm, here are some experiences

and not recommendations persay.


We currently own a Chevy Malibu Maxx 2006 3.5 liter, V6. We get on average around 30 mpg, and the tank capacity is 15.75. The car was sitting at 23k miles when we got it in 2009, and its currently at 109k miles and we have had no issue whatsover outside of normal issues(tires/oil). The car has decent get up and go, and sits 4 large people comfortably(I'm really big, and I fit in any seat). I hope this car hits 200k miles, but the jury is still out on that....another perk on this car, our insurance company considers this car a Station wagon(trust me it doesn't look like one), and we got a lower rate on our insurance because of that(not sure if that rule is honest, but its what our Safeco lady told us).

We owned 2 Dodge Intrepids, a 2001, and a 2004(last year it was made I think). It was roomy, handled very well, its average mpg was around 24 or so, and its gas tank capacity was 16 gallons. We had both at a relatively young age(one at 45k, the other at 37k), and one got killed by a Ford Truck(the 2001 dodge), and at that time the Intrepid was around 140k miles. The 2004 died on us when it hit 134k miles, all due to transmission issues. I loved the look of the Intrepid, and loved driving it, but it irked me that it appeared that no matter how much $$$ I dumped into transmission work it never recovered.

I had a few other cars, but they were trucks/suburbans/vans, and it appears you are in the market for a small coupe/sedan, so I will not talk about them.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

41. thanks for the input, Broken Hero

yeah, wanting a coupe this time around...must be a midlife crisis thing, maybe

[opiate69]

40. We just got a Nissan Juke a couple months ago.

Very cool car. Quick, comfy, good mileage and emissions.

[Initech]

43. 2013 Dodge Dart

[HopeHoops]

49. Ford Focus - haven't heard anyone complain about theirs for any reason.

[quakerboy]

69. Here's your first

Ours spontaneously combusted. Granted, outside of that it seemed to be a good car. But that one is kind of a deal breaker. I am told there were 8 foot tall flames coming off of it by the time anyone noticed and called the fire dept. Fortunately we had not parked in our usual spot under the trees that day.

[HopeHoops]

70. "outside of that" - LOL!

Minor detail?

[quakerboy]

74. Sometimes its the little things

like the 8 foot flames and the unexpected fireman at the door who is obviously wondering why you dont have pants on, while he asks you "did you know your car was on fire?"

I will say this for the escort... you can nearly burn that sucker down to the ground, melt the engine and everything, and it doesnt explode or anything. Very quiet burning, that model.

[HopeHoops]

81. I bought a '91 Escort wagon new. Excellent car. Sold it with 150K on it, has over 300K now.

The only reason I sold it is because it was about 2" short of being wide enough to handle a car seat and two booster seats. A booster seat and two car seats fit just fine, but booster seats are wider. My late F-I-L gave us his '93 Sable wagon and the seats fit just fine. We also got a '84 Colony Park wagon used so we were in good shape car-wise. I used the Escort for commuting from NH to the Boston beltways so it had a rough life. I know the current owners and they love that car.

[quakerboy]

82. The escort is a beast

I had one, back before I knew about cars. Some years later and wiser, based on increased automotive knowledge gained in the mean time, I can report that it continued to run, albeit with more and more noise, for approximately 3 months after it had run out of oil, and before my father actually rode in the car and stopped dismissing my reports of odd noises as nothing to worry about.

Last I saw it you could still drive it, but the noises, I now know, mean that it was headed in the general direction of engine demolition.

Still, you gotta give props to a car that can run 3 months with no oil.

[HopeHoops]

84. I used to joke that every time I put gas in my Maverick I had to add a quart of oil.

That wasn't far from the truth. Fords have a long-running reputation for being the champions of burning oil, but they will run without it for a long time, but I've had good luck with all of them and still have the '68 Galaxie fastback my grandfather bought new.

[lastlib]

53. Buy American.

Keep America working.


(jus' sayin............)

[Burma Jones]

56. I have a 2008 Camry Hybrid with about 102,000 miles on it

This car has cost me NOTHING besides tires and maintenance and it still gets an average 37 MPG.

[GeorgeGist]

57. Don't buy new.

[mnhtnbb]

60. Best answer. I haven't had a "new" car since 1988: I buy 2 years old with low miles.

The internet is a terrific place to find pre-owned (used) cars.

Go to the dealer--drive cars--figure out what you want with extras
you MUST have (you'll get a better price with fewer extras).

Then POUND the internet.

I flew to Cincinnati (from Raleigh) to buy the car I'm now driving--
and drove it home 2 1/2 years ago. No problems...very happy with the car.

[Kali]

64. I have the perfect car for you. My son is trying to sell this:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

65. You Nut

what is that color? Mustard Yellow?

[Kali]

66. baby shit

[bluedigger]

73. I'm interested.

How many cup holders does that have?

[Kali]

75. with those old bench seats?

there is a CAN holder (cups? who used cups in those days?) between the legs of the driver and every passenger (at least two up front plus the girl on the shotgun rider's lap could hold a couple)


remember these?

[bluedigger]

78. Archaeologists use those to help date deposits.

Roughly 1965 to 1977 in the US. You'll probably find a few under the seats.

[Kali]

80. I think he did.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

68. Thanks everyone, for the comments and info.

really appreciate the input.

[flvegan]

71. What ghastly choices.

No offense but the CRZ? "Hi, we wanted to make a modern CRX and scored with an all-of-the-tiny, none-of-the-fun option instead." At least that Jetta never tries to hide how badly it wants to be a cheaper BMW 3 series.

I'd offer better automotive choices, but since all that you offered in details of what you're looking for is that it must have two doors and 4 wheels, I can't help.

But whatever it is, neither of those. If you're completely clueless as to what makes a good car, buy a Toyota. Quality for the clueless.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

72. Have a Nice Day. Peace. Out.

[Norrin Radd]

76. Prius C. My girlfriend just got one.

She loves it.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

77. Thanks for the suggestion. I will consider it.

[Bombero1956]

83. My wife just got a 2012 Ford Focus SEL hatchback

Hers came with Dual zone electronic automatic temperature control, SYNC voice-activated communications and entertainment system, MyFord Driver Connect Technology, 2.0L Ti-VCT direct-injection I-4 cyl engine, 6-speed PowerShift automatic transmission with SelectShift capability. Rated 27 city/37 highway and a universal garage door opener. She loves it.

[bluedigger]

86. Like this?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1018150343

[Bombero1956]

89. no that's a Fiesta

plus it's 650 hp.

[bluedigger]

90. Yeah, I know, now.

*sigh*

[Marooned]

87. Of all the pics and descriptions I've seen in this thread

the Ford Fusion looks like the winner. That thing looks wicked.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

88. Thanks for the input and Welcome to DU!