Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
haven't been in the market for a new car in forever and am left confused when trying to shop around.
all i care is that the car has an auto transmission and is not one of these underpowered economy boxes IF what i am reading is true about their performance.
car is for mom, i like driving my old vw's
i just want a simple car that gets the job done. im scared an economy car won't get out of its own way on the freeways when merging, etc. on our california highways.
i was looking at a ford fiesta and am scared after reading about all the transmission issues people seem to have with them for the past few years.
honda i'm kind of annoyed with. i got a 2007 honda civic for my mom now and have found out it was part of a run of bad engines or something. honda extended the warranty but its over now, so its a ticking time bomb apparently that could go at any time.
am i better off going with civic knock offs from a few of the companies that offer longer than 30,000 engine/tranny warrantys?
i was just quoted $17,100 for a barebones civic sedan which surprised me. the fit is $15,500. hatchback is around $19,500
Location: San Ramon, Seattle, Anchorage, Reykjavik
2,254 posts, read 2,734,754 times
Reputation: 3203
There isn't a single new car out there that is underpowered for freeway driving. Most cars on the road have more powerful engines than the monsters of the 1970's and 80's. Even the cheap Hyundais, Fiats, Kias, etc. I'd buy a used Subaru Imprezza hatch if it were me, especially if you live anywhere with inclement weather. Cheap, high quality, reliable, efficient, and AWD. Looks good too (atleast the 5 door hatch does IMHO).
Any compact class sedan will fit your needs. These include Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Subaru Impreza, Nissan Sentra, Chevrolet Cruz, Ford Focus, VW Jetta, Hyundai Elantra, and Kia Forte.
I suggest you take her to look at the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sentra, Hyundai Elantra, & Kia Forte. Mazda is engineered for sporty handling which means rougher over bumps. Subaru Impreza has a slightly lower fuel economy but the benefit of AWD. Not sure about the Jetta enough to suggest for or against. The Sentra has midsize sedan interior room and is comfortable. Try all these for yourself
If you're looking in Fiesta class then look at Chevrolet Sonic, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Toyota iA, Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, and Nissan Versa. Most of the above are available in 4 door hatchback. Toyota iA in sedan only and Honda Fit in hatchback only.
2015-16 Hyundai Sonata Limited 2.0T, or even an Azera can be found under 20k with very low miles. way more power and comfort. Also there are many other brands you can get a year or two old that will be a much better car
I got my 2014 Azera for 17k out the door, has 293 HP and 0-60 in low 6's... and is a huge car. Under 20k new you will probably end up in an econobox - but If you had to go new, I would recommend a Mazda 3 or the new Civic - they aren't that bad compared to a Versa which is a complete pile of junk. I had a 2008 Versa and while it was fine to learn manual on, it was unbearably slow and cheap. the new Versas actually have less HP than the 2008 model (109 vs 122)
There isn't a single new car out there that is underpowered for freeway driving. Most cars on the road have more powerful engines than the monsters of the 1970's and 80's. Even the cheap Hyundais, Fiats, Kias, etc. I'd buy a used Subaru Imprezza hatch if it were me, especially if you live anywhere with inclement weather. Cheap, high quality, reliable, efficient, and AWD. Looks good too (atleast the 5 door hatch does IMHO).
Not sure where you live but here in the bay area I have to disagree. If I'm not swerving lanes to pass the idiots and going with the fastlane flow of traffic the commute will take longer.
I drove a fiesta with a stick and that car was slow getting on the freeway. I see allot of the brands mentioned $13,000 cars are mentioned to be some slugs by the namebrand review sites? fit seems to be similar spec.
my old vw turbo diesel will smoke these cars merging but this will be the last car my mom drives and i don't want to take over the turd when she is done.
Not sure where you live but here in the bay area I have to disagree. If I'm not swerving lanes to pass the idiots and going with the fastlane flow of traffic the commute will take longer.
I drove a fiesta with a stick and that car was slow getting on the freeway. I see allot of the brands mentioned $13,000 cars are mentioned to be some slugs by the namebrand review sites? fit seems to be similar spec.
my old vw turbo diesel will smoke these cars merging but this will be the last car my mom drives and i don't want to take over the turd when she is done.
Location: Danbury CT covering all of Fairfield County
2,637 posts, read 7,427,019 times
Reputation: 1378
I have a Subura Impreza and it is slightly underpowered. I would have gone with a Mazda 3 if I needed AWD in that price range. You might be able to a lower trim Sonata, Optima or Mazda in your price range if you want a larger car.
I've yet to see a car that couldn't merge onto the highway or pass another car. So called power is irrelevant.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
