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Well, since you asked for opinions...
First, I would not purchase ANY "new" vehicle. The instant depreciation turns me off!
Second, there is nothing on your list that I would want. I would get a Subaru, if I were car shopping.
But, since I like my convertible, and Subies don't have a convertible, and nobody makes an AWD convertible AFAIK, I will stick with my Turbo PT Cruiser convertible.
notnamed, note that Subaru is #2 on that so-called "reliability list".
Jeep is #29 out of 30. I disagree with that. I have owned several Jeeps, and found them to be very reliable!
Well, since you asked for opinions...
First, I would not purchase ANY "new" vehicle. The instant depreciation turns me off!
Second, there is nothing on your list that I would want. I would get a Subaru, if I were car shopping.
But, since I like my convertible, and Subies don't have a convertible, and nobody makes an AWD convertible AFAIK, I will stick with my Turbo PT Cruiser convertible.
notnamed, note that Subaru is #2 on that so-called "reliability list".
Jeep is #29 out of 30. I disagree with that. I have owned several Jeeps, and found them to be very reliable!
Most people don't have a usage pattern where good snow tires on a FWD car won't do the trick. I winter at a ski resort where I often see 200" of snow in my driveway. I own an AWD car but I had a FWD VW GTI sitting next to it as my daily driver for 15 years. There are usually a half-dozen days where the 4WD and ground clearance are convenient but I could get by just fine with a FWD car and a bit of shoveling.
I think most people are better served buying the hatchback version of that compact platform than the crossover. It costs less. It gets better fuel economy. It handles better. It has similar cargo capacity. I don't understand why hatchbacks are so unpopular in the United States. If you live in a city where you want the trunk so people don't break glass and steal things, sure. In Germany, old people drive sedans and anyone younger and active drives a hatchback. In the US, everyone wants the crossover.
Jeep is #29 out of 30. I disagree with that. I have owned several Jeeps, and found them to be very reliable!
Jeeps of the past, I absolutely agree. Look at all the oldies still on the road. Rusted out, banged up, but performing well. I was so excited to finally purchase a newer model Jeep not long ago. Mine was manufactured after Fiat became the parent company and I'm discovering it's not the caliber I expected. Wagoneer will be reintroduced soon, and as much as I've coveted owning one, I'll not have a Fiat Jeep Wagoneer.
Oh, sorry for the hijack. My mother had a Honda Accord. That little thing had 300,000+ miles on it before giving up the ghost. No problems except expected maintainence. Until the transmission went out and the car was too old to sink a new one into.
The Subaru Impreza hatchback does tick off the boxes and is a great little car. But part of the deal with Subies right now is that the company really could sell a lot more cars than it's capable of making and dealers generally discount them less than pretty much any other car make. So it would be a little bit more than the other options on the list. (And one a year or two old is not really much of a price break, provided you can find one.)
VWs in general and the Fiesta both have a reputation for reliability problems. And VWs have enough proprietary parts that they tend to be very expensive to fix. With our 03 Passat, even the windshield wiper blades had to be bought from the dealer rather than getting them from Autozone.
We were buying a new car for my mother and test drove a Fit. It was a rough ride. We upgraded to a Civic and it is MUCH better. Just feels more solid. I'd recommend testing Fit vs Civic.
Honda Fit-great fuel economy, easy to park, trick rear seats, and fun to drive.
Mazda3 5 door-good fuel economy, no CVT transmission, very fun to drive, larger interior volume for storage.
Look into the Hyundai Elantra GT (5 door), Hyundai Accent 5 door, Kia Forte 5 door, and Kia Rio 5 door. The Rio/Accent are in the same class as the Fit. I think the Fit is better but you may find you like the ride and looks better. The Elantra/Forte is in the same class as the Mazda3. The Mazda3 has sportier handling but the Elantra & Forte have a smoother ride. When making your decision, take into consideration comfort for long highway trips, ride over bumpy roads, ease of parking, and most important is how do you feel once you've adjusted the driver's seat and reached for all the controls. Don't forget to check your rear and side visibility. Most models now have a rear view camera but they're worthless in rain, fog, or darkness. In some cases the screen can be obscured by sunlight reflecting off the screen so don't rely solely on the rear view camera.
I'Ve narrow down to my top 4,5,please help me decide and give me your reason for your pick
What I m looking for- Reliable, gas saving, low maintance and over all a good car even in snow condition
1. Honda Fit sport
2. Ford Fiesta hatchback
3. Volkswagen Jetta or golf
4. Mazda 3 (5 door)
Thanks so much for your time
I'm kind of in the same boat as you for when I need to upgrade my 09 Fit Sport.
I just drove the 2016 Fit LX CVT. It's certainly an improvement over my 2009 Fit and I'd probably get a Fit Sport EX CVT given your list.
The Fiesta is too small compared to the Fit and I think the Fit has better resale & reliability. #2 (without driving one) would be the Mazda 3 hatch. Although it's $2-$4K more for a comparably equipped one, it also gets great reliability scores and has very good resale.
I'd drive the Fit and 3 and go from there. My guess is that the 3 will be nicer inside, looks better on the outside and has better pickup, but you pay for it (so the tradeoff is up to you).
The Subaru Impreza hatchback does tick off the boxes and is a great little car. But part of the deal with Subies right now is that the company really could sell a lot more cars than it's capable of making and dealers generally discount them less than pretty much any other car make. So it would be a little bit more than the other options on the list. (And one a year or two old is not really much of a price break, provided you can find one.)
VWs in general and the Fiesta both have a reputation for reliability problems. And VWs have enough proprietary parts that they tend to be very expensive to fix. With our 03 Passat, even the windshield wiper blades had to be bought from the dealer rather than getting them from Autozone.
It's kind of the same for the Fit. They are basically MSRP, maybe a few hundred off (except for the EX-L w/ navigation).
On truecar, for me a loaded Impreza wagon's MSRP is $24,390, selling for $23,258 or 4.6% off, while a Fit Sport EX-L w/ navi is $22,000 MSRP going for $21,650 or at MSRP.
However, if the OP wants AWD, I'd suggest the Honda HRV and if that's too expensive, the Impreza.
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