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.
Full of enthusiasts? Not from what I've seen. And I'm not a full-blown wrench guy either.
The advantage you have of asking a forum like this is people come from everywhere and have had all kinds of experiences. Some who may say Hyundai is laughable simply may be going off 10-year old information and is too ignorant to realize they may have changed. You just have to weed out those types of comments when others reply with that idea. As for Honda, I'm sure people have told you they are boring but reliable cars. That has to be a consensus by now.
Consumer Reports? Maybe if you go by their surveys of readers, but don't go by their 1 review of that 1 specific car they happened to get.
When I was in the market for a used SUV several years ago, I did use Consumer Reports Used Car Buying Guide. I knew nothing about SUVs, had never owned one, and had to start somewhere. They rated each model by year, the various features, told what year models to avoid, and suggested the best year of any particular model. Using that info, I purchased a used Hyundai Santa Fe and am very happy with it. So that publication can be very useful.
I wasn't going to comment, but we have to show the OP that there is no consensus on that either, so here goes:
I have owned dozens of cars that CR said was junk. Only one of them actually was junk. The rest have been great, including our current Dodge. That publication was absolutely useless in making my buying decisions. YMMV, of course.
People here talk about what they know. All of us have not owned every vehicle there is, so our knowledge will be limited to what we've experienced or we might pass along what we've heard from others. Also, there isn't any perfect car out there. What is great for one person seems inappropriate to someone else. Even Consumer Reports evaluations sometimes leave me scratching my head ... "Why would they put so much emphasis on that?"
You can just ask an individual his or her opinion and take it for what it is ... an opinion. Often held in vast ignorance of what alternatives are out there. Because how many of us have driven every car in a particular class, let alone all the other possible choices?
You should have told us ahead of time that you needed the consensus of strangers in order to make an informed car purchase; we would have gotten together for a secret vote.
This is not a car forum, the level of knowledge is probably only a little higher than "The key goes here, and gas goes in there."
If you want good opinions on cars from car enthusiasts, visit a car forum.
But I will say this... as a car enthusiast who has been around for a long time.
From a design and engineering point of view, compared to 20 or even 10 years ago, you'd be hard pressed to find any car made today by any major manufacturer that is out and out junk. This is not to say that you won't find individual cars that have been hit by the "bad juju stick," but on the whole you will find that most cars will serve their basic functions and get you 100K without major problems.
But even with that said, you should be aware of these basic rules of thumb:
If you are going to have problems with a model, you will more likely have them with introductory year designs. First few off the assembly line? It might be great being the first in your neighborhood, but it will probably be more trouble than it is worth - especially since most dealers will try to jack you for the newest flashy models.
Any mechanical or software engineer alive will tell you no matter how well and throughly designed, any complicated system is going to have bugs. During testing, a car manufacturer may build a small number of test cars, with this small number of cars, they will likely shake out most of the bugs, but some will slip through. Second year cars will benefit with fixes for the additional bugs found through the thousands of cars sold and driven 12-15K miles; with major complaints from the consumer addressed ASAP.
The last year of any model produced before a major redesign (not a face lift) will be the most reliable of that model series. Almost all of the bugs found during the 5-7 year run will have been removed. One of the best and worst things though about the last model is that it may have has some minor elements of the next model coming out incorporated into it that could make it a little less reliable, but in my experience make it better.
The first year of the redesign will be similar to a completely new design - except that although it is a major redo, may parts, systems, and concepts will still carry over and the many years of competence. Additionally, the workers who assemble this model will have experience and knowledge that they didn't when the car was fresh. But still, many of the parts and systems will be new and there will be glitches - just not as many as the first release.
Given all of the above, it makes sense that the last few examples of any car produced will be the best to be had.
You really don't know much about cars or forums, do you ? What makes you think that if you ask any group of people the same question you will get the same answer ? It NEVER happens, regardless of the question or the level of expertise of the respondents.
I build cars and am on about 5 car forums. There are some very heavy hitters on some of the forums, guys who do this for a living and some who are celebrities in the auto field, and yet, when a question is asked there is always a heated discussion because everyone has their own opinions and ways of doing things.
It is just like asking the question "Do you like black cars?" Half the people will say they like them and the other half will say they don't. No big mystery here. Same with brands and models of cars, some people have had great luck with a particular model and other people think it is a lemon.
my problem with consumer reports is that road tests are not written by car guys. true they give you information, 0-60 times, interior room, truck room, etc. but the biggest issues i have are;
1: CR writers dont give you very good impressions on how the car feels in various driving regimes.
2: ralph nader was heavily involved in CR in its early years, and when it comes to automobiles, i dont trust him at all.
So you are living in the past (Ralph Nader).
How about the description below concerning the Subaru Impreza? I think the notes are more than descriptive enough for you to decide whether you go see and drive one for yourself.
Quote:
The Driving Experience
Ride comfort and noise: The Impreza's suspension is compliant and provides impressive isolation, especially for a small car. On the highway, it's steady, supple, and controlled. Noise levels are average for a small car. The continuously variable transmission, however, can exacerbate the coarse engine noise by holding revs high for too long. Road noise also makes itself known in the cabin.
Handling: Expect nimble handling with relatively little body lean. While the electric power steering is responsive, handling is not as sporty as a Ford Focus, Mazda3, or Volkswagen Golf. Road feel isn't as communicative as it is in those other cars. The hatchback Sport, with its 17-inch tires, handled a mite better than our tested Premium sedan, showing better grip and making it easier to use the throttle to tailor the best line through a corner. At our track, both Subarus instilled confidence with their predictable behavior, adjusting their cornering line promptly and gradually when the driver lifted off the throttle. Both posted a decent speed through our avoidance maneuver.
Powertrain: While most cars get more horsepower with every new generation, the revised Impreza's opposed four-cylinder engine shrank from 2.5 liters to 2.0 and horsepower dropped from 170 to 148 hp. Now paired with a continuously variable transmission, it still delivers good acceleration and improved fuel economy. We averaged 27 mpg for the sedan and 26 for the hatchback, impressive for an all-wheel-drive car.
The CVT transmission changes ratios smoothly but often holds engine revs high. Engine braking is too aggressive while descending hills, which annoyed some of our drivers. Revving doesn't drop to idle speed fast enough once you stop, either. Moreover, the engine sounds more boisterous and less refined than that of some competitors. Paddle shifters on the steering wheel allow the transmission to mimic the gears in a conventional six-speed automatic. A five-speed manual is available as well.
I wasn't going to comment, but we have to show the OP that there is no consensus on that either, so here goes:
I have owned dozens of cars that CR said was junk. Only one of them actually was junk. The rest have been great, including our current Dodge. That publication was absolutely useless in making my buying decisions. YMMV, of course.
I forgot to say that when car-shopping one of the big things on my list was a good cup holder. Consumer Reports was entirely useless on that matter!
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.
What makes you think that if you ask any group of people the same question you will get the same answer ? It NEVER happens, regardless of the question or the level of expertise of the respondents. 
