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Sedans Midsize Sedans 2.0
13303 messages, Last post on Dec 01, 2009 at 6:39 PM
You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: jd10013 (Jul 15, 2007 6:24 pm) |
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Replying to: andres3 (Jul 13, 2007 1:17 pm) The only difference between Ford's Fusion and GM's Malibu or Aura warranties is that GM will give you more miles to use in those 5 years on the Malibu and Aura. Since the average is 12k miles per year for any of these cars it's kind of useless and really only sounds good on paper when you really think about it. The number of people who can actually use those miles is pretty darn small. Ford also included '06 Fusions purchased after a certain date. It was a nice gesture by them and shows their confidence in current products. IIRC GM did not roll their warranty back for the Malibu, Aura or anything else. |
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Replying to: jd10013 (Jul 15, 2007 7:31 pm) what did you like most about it? Or better yet, what ways did you find it superior to other cars you shopped for. what surprissed you the most? First some background because I think it's important to know where an opinion is coming from. I'm not a car guy. I'm 52 years old. I spend a lot of time stuck in Southern CA traffic. I buy a car, keep it for years, and pay little attention to the industry until it's time to buy again. My last two purchases were new Accords, 1986 and 1998. I looked at no other cars. I went shopping with the following criteria in order of importance: Less than $25k Quiet ride six cylinder engine exterior/interior style value for the money I paid $22,845 plus tax/license for the Aura. For that I got a 252hp V6 engine, six speed auto transmission, 18 inch alloy wheels that look great, 4-wheel ABS disk brakes, stability control, front, side, and rear-side passenger airbags, a 200-something watt stereo with 8 speakers that sounds very nice, iPod integration with an aux input, OnStar, and a beautifully styled exterior and interior car. Just as important, I was able to get what I wanted without having to get other stuff I didn't want like XM radio, faux wood interior trim, leather seats and a sunroof. Aura has a five star safety rating. The Aura's ride was the quietest and most refined of all the cars I tested. It's not like a Buick, but it doesn't ride as hard/loudly as the Mazda or the Accord. It's a perfect combination (for me) of road feel and quiet comfortable ride. When I set out on this trek, I was sure I wanted a Camry because of its well deserved reputation for reliability and quiet ride, even though I never did warm to the new (or older) design. I will say though, that the current exterior design is better looking than the previous generation. I prefer the Aura's exterior styling to the Camry's styling and I was immediately turned off by Camry's center dashboard. It looked cheap (especially that plastic door that hides the Aux port for the iPod) and I didn't like the style/coloring of the radio and climate control stuff. 100% subjective opinion. Others may disagree. Different strokes for different folks. Camry had a nice quiet ride, but I couldn't get past that ugly dash. A comparably equipped Camry would have cost thousands more than the Aura. The current generation Accord is at the end of its life which was one of the reasons why I never seriously considered it. When the 08 model comes out I may regret that decision, but I doubt it. The spy photos I've seen on the internet haven't caused buyer's remorse. Honda just doesn't build quiet rides in the Accord. The Mazda had the same problem: too hard/loud and it's style-challenged to my eye. But I loved the wagon's styling. That's a very cool looking car, but it's not a sedan. I liked the Fusion but it just lacks the panache that the Aura has. I really like the exterior design, but the interior left me uninterested and the model I drove didn't have an aux connector or the salesman couldn't find it. Having drooled at the Fusion's I've seen in traffic, this was second on my list of cars to test. They have an eye-catching design. What surprised me most about the Aura was how great a value it is. It's a great package. It does a lot of things well for a very good price. The other thing that surprised me was that I could be won over to an American car on its merits alone. The $2,250 in incentives played no part in my decision to buy. I would have gladly paid MSRP (no haggle pricing still in effect at Saturn). Before seeing/driving the Aura XR, I never dreamed I would buy it. I had to force myself to even consider it so great was my bias against American nameplates. Things have changed. GM is building some great cars now. Based on my experience, I'm convinced that there is a gap between the quality of these new models and buyers' perceptions which presents an opportunity to get a great car at a value price. GM is certainly aiming at the Japanese buyer with the Aura, but the car is more aligned with European imports. It is in fact, an Opel Vectra, a German car made in Kansas City. The Saab 9-3 shares the same platform as well. The interior design more closely resembles my friend's Audi than any of the Japanese imports I considered and it's ride is more like a Euro sports sedan. All the cars I tested are fine automobiles. You can't go wrong purchasing any of them. It's hard to make a bad decision in the mid-sized category any more because the cars are so good. The Aura met my objective and subjective requirements. It was a no-brainer. If you're considering a Japanese import with a six cylinder engine, I would encourage you to consider the Aura. It's an incredible value and a fine car. My wife drives a 2007 Nissan Maxima for work. She has always owned Japanese imports. She thinks the Aura is superior in every way to her Maxima with the exception of power which she thinks is a tie. Ultimately, deciding on a particular car is an emotional experience dependent on many factors which differ for all of us. The Aura and I just connected. Your mileage/criteria may vary. And that's OK.
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Replying to: zzzoom6 (Jul 12, 2007 7:44 am) drove a little more in the 9-3 sportcombi today. plenty of power - maybe a little more body lean than i'd like - but i bet the Aero would be better in that regards. its a slushbox, and i much prefer to row my own gears...so i dont really like the transmission - but im not being subjective on that  all in all - its a really nice car for what it is. we own a 9-2x Aero (2005) and we love that too (though its really a WRX wagon - we call it the saabaru!) -thene 
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Replying to: goodegg (Jul 16, 2007 3:21 pm) |
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Replying to: auraowner (Jul 16, 2007 5:11 pm)  Loren |
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Replying to: auraowner (Jul 16, 2007 5:11 pm)
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Replying to: auraowner (Jul 16, 2007 5:11 pm) What I find difficult to understand is that we have 3 large mfgrs based in this country, all of which are in supposed financial difficulties, and only one of them seemingly can produce a car truly competitive in this segment. More and better choices especially from a car built in this country by a US based mfgr. would be a good thing! Don't know if the Aura is quite strong enough to get me off the last 3 Altimas I've bought, but a serious contender. Enjoyed your 'evenhanded' review, don't be a stranger here
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Replying to: captain2 (Jul 17, 2007 4:59 am) Just because YOU don't like the Fusion doesn't mean it's not competitive.
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A reporter would like to speak to owners who purchased a Honda or Toyota but didn’t consider purchasing a domestic vehicle (specifically Ford or GM vehicle). Please respond to ctalati edmunds.com no later than July 24, 2007 with your daytime contact information.
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