Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Sedans Midsize Sedans 2.0
13142 messages, Last post on Nov 08, 2009 at 7:34 PM
You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
|
Replying to: kdshapiro (Feb 07, 2008 4:19 pm) Most of Fairfield County residents aren't rich. Housing costs are very high. Gasoline at the lowest place in my area just dropped to $3.19, although 15 miles away it's 10 cents cheaper. My gas heat bill issued 2/6/08, 32 day period, 921 degree days, 274 CCF of usage (we have programmable thermostats with the heat at 62 to 65 almost all time time, one 264 sq ft room on it's own heating zone is at 70 for 5 hours) was $414. Electric bill, 30 days, 563Kwh = $126. Yeah, in our town there's BMWs, some MBs, a lot of new(er) SUVs. Most of those BMWs & MBs are purchased to impress and most of them are not bought new. Some people prefer a new reliable car and others will buy a few year old name badge. I guess I don't live in the right part of Fairfield County and certainly don't have a high enough income to have hired help, never mind buying a car for that hired help.
|
|
|
Replying to: bhmr59 (Feb 09, 2008 12:03 pm) |
|
Lease is up on my speed 6 and am looking at acura TSX or TL or lincoln MKZ .TSX is slightly cheaper($350.00 month) with the TL and MkZ being pretty equal cost wise($400.00 month). All 36 month lease with 15k/year with total out of pocket $1000.00.Any advice on either cars or prices would be appreciated.
|
|
|
Replying to: bhmr59 (Feb 09, 2008 12:03 pm)
|
|
|
Replying to: aviboy97 (Feb 09, 2008 4:31 pm) I'm in Trumbull, some 40 miles from Greenwhich and just a few miles from the economically hurting city of Bridgeport. We (my 2 man company) bought bought our latest Sonata in Denville, NJ at Towne Hyundai. They're 100 miles from my house. Through word of mouth, Towne Hyundai has sold 8 cars in the last year through our and a friend's recommendations. Key Hyundai in Bridgeport is good for service, but they don't have good selling prices. Before I heard of Towne, I flew to Naples, FL in April 2005 and saved (after including trip expenses) $1500. [It didn't cost me anything to stay in Naples because my parents live there.] |
|
|
|
|
Replying to: robger99 (Feb 09, 2008 12:50 pm) I haven't driven the MKZ yet. I did like the interior alot and if the Sync with navigation is a great system. Even without nav, it is cheaper than a lot of stand-alone car kits and allows hands free operation of the audio system and any device connected to it as well. The handling for the MKZ is supposed to be on the sporty side, but I haven't driven it yet. Have you driven these 3 cars? Did you have a favorite?
|
|
|
Replying to: lilengineerboy (Feb 10, 2008 5:03 am)
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: elroy5 (Feb 08, 2008 8:31 pm) van
|
|
|
Replying to: lightfootfl (Feb 10, 2008 7:01 am) I generally buy Korean or GM cars despite the depreciation because the purchase price is so much better. Even though I like my Optima (and Maxx for that matter) a lot. Getting to completely different price points on Korean cars may be a real marketing problem for HyunKia. |
|
|
Keep in mind, I have a Mazda6 v-6 w/ a manual transmission, so many of my comparisons refer to what I own. I received a promotion to drive a car with Sync and I'd get a gift card to Best Buy, so thought that this was a good excuse to see the differences. I had a chance to drive a Fusion or the Milan, but since I liked the grill a bit better on the Milan, I chose to take it for a drive. The leather in the Milan seemed to be much better quality than the Mazda6's that I've sat in (my 6 does not have leather), and the dark grey plood was a very nice accent despite my usual impression that plood looks cheesy. The trip computer font looked completely 1980's, but looked to be quite easy to use and see unlike the Impala I had to use a few months back. One of the knocks on the Mazda6 is that the back seat is too small (though I have driven 6 footers in the back who were comfortable) so it was nice to see that there were what seemed to be a couple more inches of legroom back there. As far as the fit and finish of the interior goes, most everything looked to be tight and well fitted with good quality materials. Among the highlights of the Milan, I thought the gauges looked good and were easy to read, the center armrest had a nice damped feel to it, and all the controls were easy to locate with a quick glance. Interior materials were solid and easily competitive. One lowlight though was the analogue clock which had a cheap chrome on plastic look to it... While the interior had a more refined upclass feel to it compared to my 6 which leans more on the sporty end of design, the ride quality of the Milan was very similar to my 6 except that it seemed to have dampened the suspension and quieted the interior. Going over bumps had a much softer feel to them, similar in feel to the Accord I drove a couple years ago. And it was quite a bit quieter, especially at highway speeds. To those who prefer a more passive ride, this car has the qualities that they'd be after. But the very nice thing was that the steering feel and chassis control was still top notch compared to my 6. Body lean was minimal compared to other cars in this class, steering feel was very direct with little slop, and the brakes seemed strong and easily modulated. Despite this car having the same engine that's in my Mazda6, I found the way it drove completely different, probably due to the fact that my car has a manual while the Milan had an automatic. Although the Milan was not slow and sluggish, it did not have the responsive acceleration that my Mazda6 has nor did it seem as quick as the Altima (last gen) or the Accord (also last gen). I had no problem passing people quickly and safely on highways and side roads, but found myself wishing I had either more control over the gearing or an extra 30 horses. But I figure if a buyer was looking for a mellow/ refined ride, having enough horsepower for drag strip would probably not be that important. All in all, while the Milan is largely based on the Mazda6 with a similar engine and chassis with solid handling characteristics, it added a nice dose of serenity and composure by making the ride quieter and smoother without going overboard and making the ride feel like a sponge. While not being my cup of tea, as I lean a bit more toward sporty handling cars, I was impressed at how a few changes in the interior and suspension bits could transform a Mazda6 to meet the needs of a more mature and refined buyer.
|
|
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
2011 Hyundai Sonata
2010 Toyota Camry
2010 Honda Accord
2010 Nissan Altima
2010 Volkswagen Passat
2010 Mazda MAZDA6
2010 Ford Fusion
2010 Chevrolet Malibu
2009 Saturn Aura
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
