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Oh my - I am drowning trying to decide which car to buy. I was hoping someone might be able to give me some ideas or help me narrow my choice down.
So..... I am a twenty-something female. I want to buy a NEW car, not lease.
I have test drove the Acura TSX, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Fort Fusion, and VW CC.
My two favorites are the Camry and TSX. The Accord was too big as well as the CC. The Fusion was pretty good.
I require a car that is safe, blue tooth compatible, electric seats, decent sound system.
I am going to spend 25k-30k (tops)
A new Passat is coming this summer - so I don't know if I should wait for that - or just buy a Camry, TSX, or Fusion.
Are there any good cars in my price range that I have overlooked?? Is the TSX, Fusion, or Camry superior to one of the others or are any of them terrible?
Thanks for any help you can provide - my head is spinning (this is a lot of money to me!)
Your options are a bit baffling to me. The Camry is a decent car, kind of conservative for people who just want point A to B with reliability and no thrills. I have one, its our commuter car. The Acura is more sporty, so is the Fusion. Have you looked at the Mazda's, probably the 6 or even the 3?
Also the Accord is essentially the same size as the Camry, I am sure if you compare inch by inch some dimensions are going to vary, but not by much. Have you considered the insurance cost of these. Get a quote and that might sway you in some direction.
What are you going to use the car? Is it just commute, does it need to impress other people (business, etc?). At age 20 something with that budget you are doing well IMO.
Thanks for your reply. I really require a certain amount of bells and whistles -decent sound system, blue tooth. I'm a very trendy person - but I definitely can't swing a Mercedes or Audi - even though I love them.
The car will be used mainly for commute and errands - nothing spectacular. But traffic is really slow in south Florida, so I want a car that I enjoy spending time in
I agree my list seems baffling - that's why it is so hard. And there are soo many to choose from. The accord is only a few inches longer than the Camry - like 5 or 7, but it felt huge when I was driving it. The TSX size was better. But driving the Camry felt like driving a big comfy pillow.
I have not looked into Mazda at all, but I think I will check out the two models you mentioned. I wish someone else would decide for me. I'm tired of hanging out with car sales men!
I do not see how you can like the Camry and the TSX. Like one of them, but not both of them. The Camry is soooooo boring. The TSX is much more fun, has some edge to it, and nicer interior quality.
If you are self described trendy, then you are twenty years too young to drive the Camry.
Did you drive the Fusion Sport? It is fun to drive and with Ford Sync, has all the electronics you want.
I know - the Camry I drove had a moon roof and navigation - it didn't seem very mom-ish or granny-ish as you guys think. But I think I am wrong.
The Fusion was a sport Fusion. With Fusion, I can get fully loaded and navigation for cheaper than the TSX - but I like the exterior of the TSX the most.
Do you think the TSX or Fusion would fare better in an accident? South Florida has the deadliest freeway in the country - people drive horribly here. It is hard to find comparison info since TSX is considered upscale and Fusion is considered affordable. TSX has more airbags, but I don't think that makes a big difference since Fusion still has airbags
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More car for the money with the Fusion, they are very highly rated, a little different, and you don't have to pay a premium for the manufacturer's name.
I recently rented one and found it to be a great riding and handling car.
I do not see how you can like the Camry and the TSX. Like one of them, but not both of them. The Camry is soooooo boring. The TSX is much more fun, has some edge to it, and nicer interior quality.
If you are self described trendy, then you are twenty years too young to drive the Camry.
Did you drive the Fusion Sport? It is fun to drive and with Ford Sync, has all the electronics you want.
The Mazda6 is definitely worth looking at too.
besides super fast cars how can the rest of cars be boring or fun?
Of the two, Fusion Sport and TSX, I would go with the TSX. I do not discount the Fusion at all, and have driven plenty of them, but the TSX has a higher standard, and the resale on them is not bad either if you needed to trade/sell in a few years for a different type of car.
__________________
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
You may not want to hear this, but of the cars you're listing the most practical are either the Camry or the Accord. There's no accounting for taste, so if you liked the Camry and didn't like the Accord, cross the Accord off your list.
I wouldn't advise the VW because they are notably less reliable than Hondas and Toyotas. No matter how much "fun" it is, you won't be having fun sitting around while the car is in the shop.
Do look at the Mazda 6. It has the fun accessories you're interested in and they seem to be pretty reliable.
Good luck. If you make the decision right you can figure on driving this car for the next ten years or so.
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