Ask the Car People.SM


Help Me Choose!

3276 messages,  Last post on May 19, 2013 at 7:38 AM

You are in the Sedans Forum.

What is this discussion about? Chevrolet Malibu, Nissan Maxima, Mazda MAZDA3, Nissan Altima, Honda Accord, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Lexus IS 250, Acura TSX, Car Comparisons, Sedan

Messages Page 297 of 329

#2953 of 3276 Re: '11/'12 Hyundai Elantra Limited vs. '12 Mazda3 i Touring vs. Dodge Dart SXT [mr_gone] by plekto

Nov 21, 2012 (3:47 pm)

Replying to: mr_gone (Nov 21, 2012 6:52 am)
The Reason I think the Cruze is a better car than the 3 is because it actually has a usable and decent interior. It certainly drives better thanks to the weight and wheelbase.
 
Almost all of the magazines seem to be calling neck and neck between the two. Remember, that this car is a re-badged version of GM's best selling small car in Europe and is made by Opel. So it feels a lot better than the GM of old. Or essentially it's caught up with the imports.
 
But $16K? (including the destination fee!) That's 2-3K less than the nearly identical driving 3. Plus it has a usable rear seat. I have to give the Cruse the win here based on that crazy incentive program. And 0% for 5 years financing.
 
Also note that according to the EPA, the Cruze is actually a mid-size sedan and GM is marketing it as a compact. Where it is doing very well as expected. Of course the heavier and beefier built chassis will drive smoother. Of course the rear seat can fit normal people. The trunk in the Cruze is almost 50% larger than the 3 as well.
 
If the prices were the same, I'd probably get the Mazda. But at 16k? Grab it while there are still some 2012s left on dealer lots.

#2954 of 3276 Re: '11/'12 Hyundai Elantra Limited vs. '12 Mazda3 i Touring vs. Dodge Dart SXT [plekto] by backy

Nov 21, 2012 (5:47 pm)

Replying to: plekto (Nov 21, 2012 3:47 pm)
The Reason I think the Cruze is a better car than the 3 is because it actually has a usable and decent interior.
 
Huh? Have you SAT in the back seat? I have. What a joke... more cramped for leg room than even the Mazda3. One of the main reasons I took it off my list a long time ago.
 
I will say the dash is pretty nice on the Cruze. And the car has a nice solid feel. But so too does the Mazda3.
 
And the Cruze has no steering feel. A problem the Mazda3 does NOT have.
 
Leftover Mazda3i Touring sedans can be had for $16.5k in my town. I'd take that any day over a Cruze LS. Does that even offer cruise? I don't think so. (kinda funny... no cruise on the Cruze). And not the turbo 4 either, on that LS. And plastic wheel covers, vs. nice alloys on the Mazda3i Touring. etc. etc. etc.

#2955 of 3276 Re: '11/'12 Hyundai Elantra Limited vs. '12 Mazda3 i Touring vs. Dodge Dart SXT [backy] by markwillis

Nov 21, 2012 (6:10 pm)

Replying to: backy (Nov 21, 2012 5:47 pm)
Same here. I've received multiple quotes for about 16.5K on i Touring 3's, AFTER destination fee and BEFORE military rebates (which I believe is only $500, but still, that's 16K which in my opinion is an INCREDIBLE deal). With that, I'm sold. No need to sacrifice options or anything. That's the price of most BASE models of cars in the same class with half the options. I believe the only way my mind can change is if the offer isn't available in a month, which I don't believe will happen because dealers will still be trying to clear the 2012s off the lot, and I know end of December sales can be very rewarding, possibly even more than November.
 
Not to mention, sure I can get a Cruze at the same price, but that's a stripped down Cruze with no options, not even cruise control! No thanks. I'll stick with a 3 i Touring, which mind you is the second most option-happy trim the 3 comes in, second to the i Grand Touring (unless you count the s Touring and Grand Touring models, which I don't because of the mpg hit for only a little more horses) which comes with leather and a few other bells and whistles, which I wouldn't call a necessity by any means.

#2956 of 3276 Re: '11/'12 Hyundai Elantra Limited vs. '12 Mazda3 i Touring vs. Dodge Dart SXT [backy] by benrey23

Nov 22, 2012 (1:16 pm)

Replying to: backy (Nov 21, 2012 5:47 pm)
The Cruze has almost 3 cu in of cargo space in the rear, has a longer wheel base which will give you a better ride/feel along with the 17 in tires verse the 16 in on the 3. Cruze has 40,000 more miles on the warranty PT and roadside assistance to go with it. Ipod hook up, The steering you dont like allows for better response. It does have less HP but the same tourque and achieves better fuel economy (owners have validated the fuel economy). There may be a little less room in the rear seat but the areas used 90% of the time are better than the 3. Cruze hands down.....

#2957 of 3276 Re: '11/'12 Hyundai Elantra Limited vs. '12 Mazda3 i Touring vs. Dodge Dart SXT [benrey23] by backy

Nov 22, 2012 (1:26 pm)

Replying to: benrey23 (Nov 22, 2012 1:16 pm)
The Cruze LS that Pletko was talking about doesn't have 17" wheels, does it? Just 16" steelies I believe... vs. 16" alloys on the Mazda3i Touring. I think you need to go all the way to the 2LT to get 17" wheels on the Cruze, right? 17 inchers are available on the Mazda3 also... as are 18" wheels. If that's important to you.
 
The Cruze has almost 3 cu in of cargo space in the rear...

I don't doubt that.
 
The steering you dont like allows for better response.

The reason I don't like it because it doesn't have good response or feel... especially compared to the Mazda3.
 
... achieves better fuel economy (owners have validated the fuel economy).
 
Better than the Mazda3 Skyactiv? Please show me the numbers... especially compared to the Cruze LS. Mazda3 owners have validated the excellent FE on their cars also. Also, in CR's tests, the Mazda3 Skyactiv got better FE than even the Cruze Eco.
 
There may be a little less room in the rear seat but the areas used 90% of the time are better than the 3.
 
Let's see... I use the steering and suspension pretty much 100% of the time. Also the engine (which uses fuel). I think the Mazda3 is superior in all those respects to the Cruze.

#2958 of 3276 Used Car Under $10k - commute and winter mountains by mattsnowboard

Dec 01, 2012 (3:03 am)

My fiance and I need a second car. We have a 2001 Toyota Camry with about 110k miles right now. It has no major issues but we want a second car so we aren't sharing.
 
It needs good gas mileage, so we're leaning toward another mid-size sedan. It will mostly be used by one of us to get to work 5 days a week, so we don't want to spend a ton on gas.
 
We want something reliable. I've owned that Camry and a Honda Accord in the past, both purchased with high miles because I knew they would last long and be reliable. I'm open to any suggestions but my instincts say it should either have low miles or be a model that is well-known for reliability.
 
We also want it to be able to handle driving to the mountains for snowboarding. We're from Michigan so we're used to driving in snow, but now we're living in Seattle so we'd be taking it to the mountains (we'll also need some tire chains). It would also be nice if the trunk was wide enough to fit a 156cm long snowboard, like my Toyota can now, but as long as there is some way to fit the boards in back seat or something that is fine. I thought AWD would be nice, but I'm thinking that the cost of reduced fuel efficiency isn't worth it for the weekend trips to the mountains. From what I've heard it isn't that important anyway.
 
Our budget is $10k, but I'd like to keep it closer to $8k.
 
Ideally this will last us about 5 years and hold up a decent portion of its value in that time with regular maintenance.
 
Just looking for some ideas as to what to look out for in our search. Some make/model/year suggestions in that budget would be extremely helpful. Thanks!

#2959 of 3276 AWD by maxx4me

Dec 01, 2012 (6:07 am)

At that price range, I'd suggest a Pontiac Vibe AWD or Toyota Matrix AWD. I'm not sure what you will find in a Subaru at that price range, but if you can, one of their hatches or wagons would also suite your driving and storage needs.

#2960 of 3276 Re: Used Car Under $10k - commute and winter mountains [mattsnowboard] by sebring95

Dec 01, 2012 (7:42 am)

Replying to: mattsnowboard (Dec 01, 2012 3:03 am)
Since you seem to like the Toyota/Honda offerings, there's no reason not to look at a newer model of either. Frankly, I think the Camry that would fit into your budget is a dud and would recommend the Accord from 2004-2006. These should fit into your budget with careful shopping and are a much nicer vehicle than similar years Camry. I also would not recommend awd for your location and how often you expect to need it. Snow tires would be a far better investment and would actually help out a lot in rainy Seattle at well. Not only does the AWD requirement narrow your choices down drastically, the mpg is not impressive nor the performance. I'd take a FWD with snow tires over an AWD car with all-seasons any day. You may still need to chain up in the mountains depending on the local laws, but that's not a big deal really.
 
There are certainly other vehicles out there to pick from but you didn't give any other requirements beyond reliability and fuel mileage...and I thing Toyota and Honda have it wrapped up in this price range. There are more interesting or better performing or better looking vehicles...but Accord and Camry are just so plentiful and generally reliable I can't see much argument for anything better.

#2961 of 3276 Re: Used Car Under $10k - commute and winter mountains [sebring95] by mr_gone

Dec 01, 2012 (8:20 am)

Replying to: sebring95 (Dec 01, 2012 7:42 am)
I second the vote for an Accord, but I'd further refine that choice by noting that not all of the models had side curtain airbags until 2005. That's a big safety advantage. There are many, many Accords out there, and you should be selective when shopping. Because of their durability, you would do well to look for a model with high miles and a careful owner who did the maintenance required. Don't be afraid to get one with 150,000 miles -- you might need to accept that level to get into the sub-$10,000 range.
 
Avoid the V6 because of mileage concerns as well as the need to replace its timing belt every 100,000. Early Accords from that series (2003-2007) had auto transmission problems, so research that, too.
 
Regarding the Matrix/Vibe, drive one after you've driven an Accord. I don't think you'll like it much. Rough ride, noisy, not a lot of fun. Reliable and practical in terms of their shape, sure, but when I had to drive one as a rental years ago I couldn't wait to give it back.

#2962 of 3276 Re: Used Car Under $10k - commute and winter mountains [sebring95] by mattsnowboard

Dec 01, 2012 (10:53 am)

Replying to: sebring95 (Dec 01, 2012 7:42 am)
Thanks, I'll look into that! (still open to other suggestions too)
 
Quick question, I've always just had all-season tires in Michigan. If I got winter tires in Seattle, would I have to change them in the summer? I'm not sure how much of a hassle this would end up being living in an apartment with limited storage space. Or would they work okay year-round because it doesn't get too hot? I'm guessing that even though the climate is pretty moderate, it would be warm enough in the summer that the winter tires would wear down faster.

Messages Page 297 of 329

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement