Print

[lebriznon]

I'm looking to buy a new economy sedan later this year.  Has to be reliable, safe, inexpensive.  My mom has a 2006 civic, and i like it.  That is a reasonable range for me.  At the moment, tops on my list are (for 2008 models):

Lancer
Impreza
Civic
Mazda3

I dont know what the mazda will be like, and I imagine the civic wont change much. I like subaru, but sadly the 2008 impreza looks just plain ugly to me.  the 2008 Lancer on the other hand, seems like a winner.  its inexpensive, loaded with features, looks great, and has very lengthy warranties.

Anyone have suggestions?
And is there anything with Mitsubishi I should be concerned about? They dont seem to have  a very good reputation here.

[Alex548]

Visit Consumerguide.com and view their full evaluation of the vehicles for a bit more help in decision making.

[jesterrace777]

I can't believe you didn't list the toyota corolla.  Probably the most dependable econo sedan in existance.  As for Mitsubishis they are great in terms of looks and performance but the vast majority of them have severe mechanical problems once they go beyond about 70K miles (namely burning oil, timing belt destroy your engine if you don't watch it very carefully, crankwalk, blowing smoke out the exhaust after only a few years, ect.).  The other thing is that Mitsubishi parts tend to be expensive.  As for the lengthy Warranty, be sure you read the fine print on them as they tend to get sketchy beyond the 3 year range, unless you purchase a full extended warranty on it (ie cover a certain part of the vehicle but not others, or only cover a certain portion of the cost).  The Mazda 3 appears to be a decent car but I would prefer to see some more longevity studies.  The thing to keep in mind about Mazdas is that they have a tendency to have electrical problems as the vehicle gets older.  As for the Civic, I have found Hondas to be overrated and overpriced.  Not to say that they don't make some great cars, but my experience/research has shown me that the Corolla will give you more for your money.   Then again this all depends on how long you are planning on holding on to the vehicle.  If you are looking to trade in/up after 3-4 years (or prior to 60,000 miles) then it doesn't really matter which vehicle you get as they should all do well up to that point.  The Honda and Toyota will probably be more on the expensive side but they will also carry the best resale value.  So alot of this depends on what you plan on doing with the car.

[twistedsymphony]

If I was in the market I'd go for the Lancer... the new one looks friggin sweet. and while I loved my WRX the new Impreza is just hardcore fugly.

In terms of performance the Lancer and Impreza are probably a little more nimble then the other ones on the list.

The Corolla is a solid car, no doubt, but my brother used to have one and I just loathed driving the thing... it was just unimaginative and I felt like I should have a wife 3 kids and a load of groceries in the back. it's safe, dependable, and will probably last a while but I just got no joy from driving it.

The Mazda 3 IIRC is based on the same platform as the Ford Focus and the Volvo S40. I had a friend who owned one and loved it, though even washing it weekly it developed rust on the fenders inside a year along with other paint problems. I like the styling  (though not as much as the 08 Lancer) and the dashboard/IP is friggin awesome, it feels really high class/European IMO. My GF also owns a Focus for the past few years and loves it, it's a nice car for the price. Though it does have lots of brake problems requiring maintenance to quash vibrations nearly ever other service. I'm not sure if those problems carry over into the Mazda or if they've since been fixed.

If it were me I'd go for the Lancer... just take care of it, get the extended warranty and plan on selling/trading it in 4 or 5 years.

[grim_d]

dont lancers need serviced every 10k or something silly like that?

[lebriznon]

this is meant to be a workhorse car.  Basically driving it everyday to/from work/school, and I have no intentions to sell it afterwards.  If I did, it would be at least 7-8 years later.  Naturally the Corolla comes to mind, but I have never driven a corolla that i liked driving.  They look kinda ugly too.  Ive heard the 2008 model will be a complete makeover, so if that turns out to be nice, its certainly an option.  I'm still young; I want something that looks decent  

[jesterrace777]

If you are looking at 7-8 years at least, then I definitely would rule out the Lancer (or any Mitsubishi), unless they are offering 100% coverage bumper to bumper for 10 years.   With the Mazda you will probably be running into paint issues by the time you are looking at getting rid of it, as well as the electical problems.  If you are dead set against the corolla then I would go with a Civic or entry model Accord.  The Subarus are nice but I'm not sure about the price of parts.  Of course if you could give us a better idea of your price range (in terms of numbers) we could give you some more options.

[Rylinkus]

My thoughts would be
1. Corolla
2. Civic / Mazda
3. Imprezza
9. Lancer

Granted I haven't driven some if em, so I cant say that they drive great. The Mazda is the nicest looking, but I would worry about rust. (I'd also consider the 6, but the 3 hatch looks sweet IMHO. ) But given what I assume a Civic would cost, I'd deal with rust. And I'm almost 100% that any Honda would be more expensive to insure.

What about one of the Scions? They look pretty cool, are Toyotas, and should be relatively reliable. Sentra? The SE-Rs are kinda cool.

[capboy210]

QUOTE(lebriznon @ Apr 24 2007, 01:27 AM)

Anyone have suggestions?
And is there anything with Mitsubishi I should be concerned about? They dont seem to have  a very good reputation here.

Their Tv's suck   . Never owned a Mitsubishi automobile or driven one. Just had to add that!

[jesterrace777]

QUOTE(Rylinkus @ Apr 25 2007, 03:16 AM)

My thoughts would be
1. Corolla
2. Civic / Mazda
3. Imprezza
9. Lancer

Granted I haven't driven some if em, so I cant say that they drive great. The Mazda is the nicest looking, but I would worry about rust. (I'd also consider the 6, but the 3 hatch looks sweet IMHO. ) But given what I assume a Civic would cost, I'd deal with rust. And I'm almost 100% that any Honda would be more expensive to insure.

What about one of the Scions? They look pretty cool, are Toyotas, and should be relatively reliable. Sentra? The SE-Rs are kinda cool.

True.  I can personally attest to the fact that the Sentra SE-R Spec V is one fun little car to drive.  It actually outperformed some of the smaller 6 cylinder engines that I was looking at.  Not sure if they fixed the power valve screw problem yet.  If you look into that definitely make sure that isn't an issue before buying.  

[rms2001]

Thats all I have to say...

Well... just one thing. TDI Jetta = 40+ MPG. TDIs are usually well taken care of.

[Rylinkus]

You keep talking fit and finish on these cars. The other designer for our company bought an 06 last year. (I kept encouraging Charger or the like.) In any case the interior is shoddy as hell and already rattling. And with a little over 16k on the clock he's looking to trade in. I simlpy do not get the appeal of VWs at all. Maybe other people have good luck with them, but everyone I've seen is a complete piece of shit.

[jesterrace777]

Outside of the classic VWs, I have to agree.  Golfs can be made into some amazing performance machines but I certainly wouldn't call them reliable or well built.  I certainly wouldn't be buying a diesel engine either, the additional cost of the fuel negates any possible MPG gains.

[ubernewb]

QUOTE(rms2001 @ Apr 25 2007, 04:47 PM)

Thats all I have to say...

Well... just one thing. TDI Jetta = 40+ MPG. TDIs are usually well taken care of.

maybe we can just make a bot for you that whips up "asian imports suck.. buy domestic or vw" in every post in this forum. then you'd never have to post here again..

.. just effin with ya





but seriously tho.. you're a 'tard.




back to topic.. you need a big sedan, or just something with 4 doors? if so, the new camry's look pretty cool, and the 08 scion xb (new body style) is just plain sex. those things are cheap as hell too. and of course it's a toyota, so it'll last quite some time. another bonus with the 08 xb's is that they're replacing the slug 108hp echo motor for the 160hp celica one.. yay!

[lebriznon]

I dont need a lot of room.  The price should be $25k (Canadian) or under, which basically leaves me with economy sedans (i prefer 4 doors) or subcompacts (too small for me).

A hatchback would be nice, but not necessary.