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Hi all. I posted this question on the wrong forum, so I"m posting it again here. I'm shopping for cars--could be new or used (preferably new but not sure I can afford what I want, new), ZERO maintenance, excellent gas mileage, and zippy. I have a Corrolla now tha'ts pushing 180K and she's just broken in...has tons of life left, but my hubby needs a car so I'm giving him my old one, and I'm getting the new one.
So, what do you all have to say about the models I'm looking for? Any Honda Fit owners out there? I'm looking at an 08 Fit for around 9K with around 100K on it. High mileage, but for a Honda? THey go forever.
Also, are there any Prius owners out there that can chime in? Would I be making a mistake if I bought a used Prius with 110K for $13K? Do the batteries last on the cars?
I'm looking to put 200+K on my current Corrolla, and know she'll do it easily, plus some. So, given the history (ZERO maintenance for the 8 years I've had her), I'm used to reliability and want the same. Should I just stick with another Corrolla? I want a Hatchback though this time. No reason, really, just sick of sedans. Ugh. Decisions. What about Elantras? I have no clue. Need advice!
I'm not sure how to answer your question, but I will give it a shot. You seem torn whether you want a new or used car.
What I would do, since you have narrowed down your possible selections is to drive each one and see what appeals to you. Personally, I like the Elantra but I'm prejudiced in that I drive one myself. But all the rest are excellent choices.
I would check the April issue of Consumer's Reports that will rate all of these vehicles. You can see any trouble areas and possibly steer you to or away from one of these cars.
I'd be a little concerned about the Prius with that many miles. I believe they are warranted for eight years or 100,000 miles and those batteries can't be said to be that cheap.
Personally, if a gun were held to my head and I was going to get one vehicle right now it would be the Elantra Limited sedan with all options. I really, really, like that car. Everything is where it should be. I don't have the Limited but the GLS and it is my daily driver but it is hard to fault.
As a general rule I do not like the hatchbacks. They are rougher riding. But if you really want one, check out the Veloster. I drove one back from Texas today and it tends to grow on me each time I drive one. Has an excellent GPS unit and the pano roof. And I didn't know but it has the double clutch auto-manual transmission that should yield up some very good numbers. Handles quite well and I didn't find it tiring on the drive. You probably didn't have that one on your list. The ergonomics are quite well done, very similar to the Elantra.
THanks! I looked at the Veloster and loved the way it looked and felt inside. I definitely need to drive it. I like Hyundais but just want to know if I'm making the smartest decision. it's hard to depart from a Corrolla that has been in the shop ZERO times in 8 years. You heard that right, folks. ZERO problems in 8 years. zerooooooooooooooooooooooooo. I like zero. I like not spending hundreds of dollars for a starter, or a faulty battery, or shoddy check engine light malfunction do-hicky whatevers...these are all things that have gone wrong with friends' cars...and I'm like, "Sorry about your luck, I drive a Corrolla so don't know what you speak of--car trouble?" So, the appeal is there for Hondas or Hyundais, but zeroooooooooooo maintenance. How many miles are on your Elantra? Have you ever had problems with it at all? Where do I find the Consumer report for all these cars? I googled it but can't find anything official. I'd like to read consumer reports on all my choices. Thanks for the info!
And, due to money constraints, I'll probably go used.
There are no cars that need zero "maintenance", without maintenance they will all stop running. I believe you mean repairs. Now when it comes to repairs, you need a car that has been well maintained and honestly after 100K miles you need some luck too. You got lucky with your Corolla, but there are quite a few Corolla's out there that have seen inside a mechanic shop more often than their owners would like, just check toyotanation forums, the Corolla section.
I agree that a test drive would help, but if you have had such good luck with your Corolla, why not another one. They are known to be one of the the most efficient (mix of repair, gas, tires, etc) cars out there.
The Honda Fit is a sweet little car (I bought one for my son). It's "zippy" and fun to drive and is very roomy due to its configuration. Hyundai has been making leaps with each of its models, the current Elantra is a good performer and looks great. I don't think Hyundai has yet reached the level of low maintenance yet of Honda & Toyota but they keep improving them. Corolla is a solid just boring (imo) car. Prius owner's love those cars so I think they're good value but a little more expensive.
I think you have narrowed your selection down to a used car. That being the case, again the April issue of Consumer's Report goes into the various price levels and chooses the best and the worst of used cars.
I tend to agree with the above poster about the Fit. But it has been around for a number of years and might be considered as "long in the tooth". But still a good value. Of you are happy with the Corolla then perhaps you should get another. The only downside to buying a low mileage used car that I see is that their high prices sometimes exceed the prices of new. This is the time of the year to see incentives; sometimes very huge incentives to move the old models off the lot.
As the Hyundai, I've owned about six of them and can't, offhand, think of any problems I have had with any of them. But then again there is always a first time. I am just drawn to the value.
I'd still drive these cars and see what you like and what you are getting for the money and then do an NADA search of used car values. If you do buy new I would use either or both Edmunds or TrueCar to get the price to be paid. And check for all the incentives. You can google the incentives for each car and it should be there somewhere to be found.
If I haven't already mentioned it, Edmunds has a handy comparison way to line up the various makes and models side by side; five in all so you can compare the dimensions, prices and other critical data. If often use that myself to see such things as headroom, wheelbase, weight, etc., that otherwise are not widely known. But again driving each car should be done. I'm certain that will help cement the view that you made the best choice.
So, what do you all have to say about the models I'm looking for? Any Honda Fit owners out there? I'm looking at an 08 Fit for around 9K with around 100K on it. High mileage, but for a Honda? THey go forever.
What about Elantras? I have no clue. Need advice!
I bought a new 2012 Honda Fit sport in June 2012. It is a great little car that has a massive amount of space inside. It can carry as much as some small SUV's. Great gas mileage, handles well, very roomy inside. I'm a retired guy who drove the Fit from MA to Fl and back this past July and the Fit was comfortable enough for me.
I will say there are two things about the Fit I don't like. Excessive road noise and I believe the air conditioner system on the Fit is a little small for a car with this much interior room. Both of these negatives are common Fit complaints.
If you have any Fit questions I will answer them.
The years prior to the Fit I owned 3 Hyundai's. 2 Elantra's and a Tucson.
As a general rule I do not like the hatchbacks. They are rougher riding.
Most hatchbacks ride the same as the sedan. Focus, Impreza, Mazda 3, VW Golf, Feista, etc are the same vehicle mechanically as their sedan counterpart. The Veloster you recommend is a sportier car than other typical Hyundais which is why it rides "rougher" than something like an Elantra.
OP, if you like your Corrolla so much why not consider a Matrix? The Matrix is essentially a Corrolla hatchback.
If your current Corolla has given you very satisfactory performance ,reliability,economy i would reward the brand with continued loyalty and buy another Corolla..
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I have no clue. Need advice!
