new car or drive it into the ground

[Point37]

so here's the deal... i have an 05 mazda 6i with 218k miles and counting...right now it's throwing a code for an evap leak...got a new gas cap so that wasn't the issue...which doesn't seem affect the performance...it also is starting to knock when i turn so i imagine that the joints are going and may need to be replaced...i am going to be bringing it into my mechanic sunday to have him look at the joints...the car isn't worth much at this point but if there is a cheap fix for the knocking i may fix it and keep driving it...if not i am figuring i will trade it in as is and look for something new since i don't want to sink anymore money into it and i can't sell it to a private party as is...so i have been looking into new cars as a backup plan if the fix is too much money...i have a laundry list of requirements for a new car...i would like to go new since i drive my cars into high mileage (previously had an 87 civic with 187k miles and a 99 civic 100k miles <totalled>)...i'd like to keep it under $25k...below are the cars i have been looking at...any input would be appreciated especially if you own one of these models...i have pretty much limited myself to honda, nissan, subaru and toyota...acura, infiniti and lexus would be options if i were looking used, low mileage and certified but i'd rather go new

in no particular order...

Needs
fwd/awd
automatic
4 doors
60/40 folding seat
steering wheel radio controls
telescopic steering wheel
lumbar support + good seat
low road noise
multiple windshield wiper settings
good turning radius
more front leg room
good headlights
easy to be changed front bulbs
ipod connection
aux input
cvt/5+ speed automatic gearbox
auto shiftable?
alloy wheels with some rubber under them
30+ mpg overall
good gas tank size
12V outlet in arm rest + another
good size trunk
traction control
abs brakes
splash guards
ambient temperature
VERY reliable

Wants
heated mirrors
heated wipers
bluetooth
heated/cooled seats
venturi shield

my current car



photos below may not be of the exact trim...

13 subaru impreza sport premium/limited


13 subaru xv crosstreck premium/limited


13 subaru legacy 2.5i premium/limited


13 honda accord lx


13 toyota camry 2.5 se


13 nissan altima 2.5 sv

[tsorfas]

Look Mazda 3/6 or new accord?

[JohnnyV]

2013 Passat SE ($24k or $25.5k w/ sunroof and some other little shit)

[timmyho414]

I just complete Honda's training "module" on the new Accord. That is a very nice car. The 4cyl has direct injection now too.

[Point37]

Look Mazda 3/6 or new accord?

not getting another mazda...don't like the way this one shifts and the main computer shit the bed on me, they covered it under warranty even though it wasn't still under warranty but a computer doesn't see any wear and tear so that shouldn't have gone

2013 Passat SE ($24k or $25.5k w/ sunroof and some other little shit)

i don't want a VW because i do a lot of driving and i need something very reliable...better edit the first post...that being said i have limited myself to honda, nissan, subaru and toyota...acura, infiniti and lexus would be options if i were looking used

I just complete Honda's training "module" on the new Accord. That is a very nice car. The 4cyl has direct injection now too.

good to know...i guess it's going to come down to seeing these all in person and driving them in the end

[duganc1717]

Sounds like you have already made up your mind about getting a new car, pretty sure you would be better off donating your car then trading it in....

Only new car advice I have is stay the hell away from Nissan. If you want reliable sounds like your stuck with a camcord. Also the latest gen of Passat's is suppose to be much better than recent years plus you could get a TDI.

[golden chicken]

I wouldn't buy brand brand new...I'd buy like, 30 months old with 30,000 miles on it. Why? Your $25k car now costs $15ish and when you put so many miles on your car in a year, your starting mileage gets nullified very quickly. At least you're still under warranty for 6 months or so, so if there's anything obvious you can still have it taken care of.

Hondas and Toyotas still seem to be the most stout vehicles, but newer Kias and Hyundais are beginning to impress me as well.

Most stout car I've ever seen? Crown Vic/Grand Marquis/Town Car. Easily 400,000 miles with basically oil changes and tires. Occasionally you have to replace the HVAC unit, but there's people out there who rebuild them.

[Point37]

Sounds like you have already made up your mind about getting a new car, pretty sure you would be better off donating your car then trading it in....

Only new car advice I have is stay the hell away from Nissan.

i wouldn't say that cause if the fix is cheap i probably won't get a new car...it would be nice to get rid of it while it's still worth something but if i can squeeze another 50k miles out of it before i get rid of it, i will

care to elaborate on the Nissan issues?

[AVI8_636]

I wouldn't buy new for the reasons mentioned above, but what about Hyundai? They're making some very nice cars now that are affordable, reliable and also have a long warranty. You can't beat the 10yr/100,000 mi warranty.

[Point37]

I wouldn't buy brand brand new...I'd buy like, 30 months old with 30,000 miles on it. Why? Your $25k car now costs $15ish and when you put so many miles on your car in a year, your starting mileage gets nullified very quickly. At least you're still under warranty for 6 months or so, so if there's anything obvious you can still have it taken care of.

Hondas and Toyotas still seem to be the most stout vehicles, but newer Kias and Hyundais are beginning to impress me as well.

going used may be an option if i can find one low mileage, under warranty and certified at a good price

[Point37]

I wouldn't buy new for the reasons mentioned above, but what about Hyundai? They're making some very nice cars now that are affordable, reliable and also have a long warranty. You can't beat the 10yr/100,000 mi warranty.

i know hyundai has come a long way in recent years but i remember how they used to be and feel as though they give you that warranty cause you will need it so they can find a loophole to screw you...while honda and toyota have been solid for a long time...my dad has a 98 corolla that runs and looks like it's new...it's a bias from the past...probably not accurate anymore but from the sonata down to the smaller cars none of them really excite me so i haven't bothered to really look at them much

[duganc1717]

i wouldn't say that cause if the fix is cheap i probably won't get a new car...it would be nice to get rid of it while it's still worth something but if i can squeeze another 50k miles out of it before i get rid of it, i will

care to elaborate on the Nissan issues?

Google Pathfinder transmission problems....Plus they rust pretty early on.

[hondarider102]

I was looking into new 4cyl cars a month or 2 ago, ended up holding off for now but if i were to have done it, i found a 09 accord EX fully loaded for 18k out the door still under warranty, only 22k miles on it.

[tls25rs]

CV joints/Axle shafts shouldn't cost you too much to get fixed (at least my experience is that they don't) which is likely what the knocking/clicking when turning is. The Evap light may be because your gas tank filler tube has rotted through, my Subaru did this, wasn't an expensive repair.

My school of thought is that unless your annual repairs are costing you more than say 6 months (3 months if you want to be conservative) of a new car's payments and/or causing you significant inconvenience with extended times in a repair shop, than the car you own is better than buying a new one. Obviously this doesn't take into account if you are just tired of driving the old car and/or you have new needs that only a different (new/used) vehicle will address.

Looking at your list of possible new vehicles I would think it would be difficult to get the fuel economy you are looking for out of the Subaru/AWD vehicles that are listed. As others have mentioned the newer Kia vehicles are not a bad option. The Optima looks pretty nice when you get into the higher trim lines and I believe they aren't ridiculously expensive like some of the more established car manufacturers are. The Honda/Toyota options you pretty much can't go wrong with either just a little more expensive right out of the gate.

Good luck!

Joel

Oh yeah, you mentioned getting rid of your car while it is still worth something. Your car is pretty much worth the same with 218K as it would be with 280K ......... not too sure trading it would even be worth it. Maybe private sale would work out that way but either drive it 'til it dies or donate it and take the write off.

[golden chicken]

A couple of other things you might consider when looking at a 'new' car:

How much oil does it take? At 7 or 8 bucks a quart, it starts to add up if you have to put 6 or 7 quarts in each time instead of 4.

What size tires does it take? You can still buy cars with 15" steel wheels, although 16" is becoming the standard. Cheap 16" tires are $80-100 a pop. 17" and 18" tires get expensive fast.

Does it have a T-belt? At the rate you drive, you'll have to do a T-belt about every 3 years and Hyundai/Kias with T-belts suggest replacement every 60k. That can add up to significant maintenance cost if you aren't going to do these services by yourself.

[burnham]

Wife and I were in almost the same boat a few months ago. She had an '05 Legacy GT we got rid of, had 100k on it and was a great car we both loved. It was a little tough on gas.

We drove a new '12 Legacy with the CVT. The car felt kinda boaty and bagless to me. I also thought the CVT sucked.
We then drove a '12 Jetta diesel. That was a nice car for $25k. Had leather and a sunroof. It also felt a little funny to my wife, and I decided she would either kill it or hate it so we passed. If it was a car for me I would be all over a Passat diesel.
We then drove a '12 Accord, a '12 Civic, and then bought a '13 Accord.

The Accord has about 2k miles on it now, is getting around 30mpgs, and is pretty fun to drive. The paddle shifters work well, and the CVT doesn't feel like a regular automatic tranny on its way out. We're pretty happy with the car.

[AVI8_636]

i know hyundai has come a long way in recent years but i remember how they used to be and feel as though they give you that warranty cause you will need it so they can find a loophole to screw you...while honda and toyota have been solid for a long time...my dad has a 98 corolla that runs and looks like it's new...it's a bias from the past...probably not accurate anymore but from the sonata down to the smaller cars none of them really excite me so i haven't bothered to really look at them much

Don't let old stereotypes make decisions until you actually see it though. I know a few people who bought Elantras over Accords and Camrys. I've driven a few new Hyundais and they are very nice cars. I would love a 2dr Genesis. 6spd RWD sports car? Yes please.

[Cheese]

My experience with Hyundai and Kia is that the options aren't very American friendly. For instance if you want leather seats in a Hyundai Elantra, you have to go with their top of the line package rather than just adding it to a lower model. If you're looking at the Honda, Toyota and Nissan I'd give the Ford Fusion a look. Plenty of ponies and the interior actually has some 20th century upgrades whereas the other makers are pretty much putting all their emphasis on gas mileage and keeping the inside the same as the car you're driving now. As far as buying new or used, you really have to run the numbers. If it's a year or two old you probably won't save any money. $4K-$6K in rebates and low financing rates for new offset depreciation savings of only a few years old.

[golden chicken]

A Ford Fusion shares the platform with the Mazda6.

[AVI8_636]

The new Fords are awesome! The new Focus is very nice, and they can come very nicely loaded. I've driven them a few times and they were comfortable (and I'm 6'1), fun to drive and loaded with everything.

[Cheese]

A Ford Fusion shares the platform with the Mazda6.

Yup, but 8 years newer that the one he's driving.

[Point37]

A couple of other things you might consider when looking at a 'new' car:

How much oil does it take? At 7 or 8 bucks a quart, it starts to add up if you have to put 6 or 7 quarts in each time instead of 4.

What size tires does it take? You can still buy cars with 15" steel wheels, although 16" is becoming the standard. Cheap 16" tires are $80-100 a pop. 17" and 18" tires get expensive fast.

Does it have a T-belt? At the rate you drive, you'll have to do a T-belt about every 3 years and Hyundai/Kias with T-belts suggest replacement every 60k. That can add up to significant maintenance cost if you aren't going to do these services by yourself.

yea i'm not too worried about the oil but that's a good point...i'm done with steel wheels, mine are all rusted up and look like crap under the wheel covers...i've never replaced a timing belt on any of my cars...guess i'm just lucky

CV joints/Axle shafts shouldn't cost you too much to get fixed (at least my experience is that they don't) which is likely what the knocking/clicking when turning is. The Evap light may be because your gas tank filler tube has rotted through, my Subaru did this, wasn't an expensive repair.

My school of thought is that unless your annual repairs are costing you more than say 6 months (3 months if you want to be conservative) of a new car's payments and/or causing you significant inconvenience with extended times in a repair shop, than the car you own is better than buying a new one. Obviously this doesn't take into account if you are just tired of driving the old car and/or you have new needs that only a different (new/used) vehicle will address.

Looking at your list of possible new vehicles I would think it would be difficult to get the fuel economy you are looking for out of the Subaru/AWD vehicles that are listed. As others have mentioned the newer Kia vehicles are not a bad option. The Optima looks pretty nice when you get into the higher trim lines and I believe they aren't ridiculously expensive like some of the more established car manufacturers are. The Honda/Toyota options you pretty much can't go wrong with either just a little more expensive right out of the gate.

Good luck!

Joel

Oh yeah, you mentioned getting rid of your car while it is still worth something. Your car is pretty much worth the same with 218K as it would be with 280K ......... not too sure trading it would even be worth it. Maybe private sale would work out that way but either drive it 'til it dies or donate it and take the write off.

good to know thanks...yea the only reason i'm not looking into private party sale is that i don't want to pay to fix it to sell it...either trade it in or donate may be an option

Wife and I were in almost the same boat a few months ago. She had an '05 Legacy GT we got rid of, had 100k on it and was a great car we both loved. It was a little tough on gas.

We drove a new '12 Legacy with the CVT. The car felt kinda boaty and bagless to me. I also thought the CVT sucked.
We then drove a '12 Jetta diesel. That was a nice car for $25k. Had leather and a sunroof. It also felt a little funny to my wife, and I decided she would either kill it or hate it so we passed. If it was a car for me I would be all over a Passat diesel.
We then drove a '12 Accord, a '12 Civic, and then bought a '13 Accord.

The Accord has about 2k miles on it now, is getting around 30mpgs, and is pretty fun to drive. The paddle shifters work well, and the CVT doesn't feel like a regular automatic tranny on its way out. We're pretty happy with the car.

another vote for accord

Don't let old stereotypes make decisions until you actually see it though. I know a few people who bought Elantras over Accords and Camrys. I've driven a few new Hyundais and they are very nice cars. I would love a 2dr Genesis. 6spd RWD sports car? Yes please.

i may test drive them but i doubt i'll get one...yea the genesis looks like a fun summer time car...myself i need 4 doors and fwd or awd

My experience with Hyundai and Kia is that the options aren't very American friendly. For instance if you want leather seats in a Hyundai Elantra, you have to go with their top of the line package rather than just adding it to a lower model. If you're looking at the Honda, Toyota and Nissan I'd give the Ford Fusion a look. Plenty of ponies and the interior actually has some 20th century upgrades whereas the other makers are pretty much putting all their emphasis on gas mileage and keeping the inside the same as the car you're driving now. As far as buying new or used, you really have to run the numbers. If it's a year or two old you probably won't save any money. $4K-$6K in rebates and low financing rates for new offset depreciation savings of only a few years old.

i don't really have too many issues with the inside of my car at the moment but better gas mileage i def want a little more of...yea that's what i noticed a couple years ago i could go used for a few grand less than new so i would opt for new in that case...i would really need a great deal on a used car to pull the trigger

A Ford Fusion shares the platform with the Mazda6.

yea i'm good with the mazda 6 so the fusion is out as well...i wouldn't go ford myself anyway...the reliability rankings aren't that great

[Stromper]

Last time I did 1/2 shafts they were cheap like 78 and they were out and in in under 3 hours

I went through this bought an equiped CIVIC real world expressway mileage is 33 to 35 never less than 29
I don't think gas will go down anytime soon if ever so mileage should be high on the list

TOO may used cars are lease turn ins and still have the factory oil in them at 36000 miles.

[golden chicken]

Going back over your list of needs and wants, I'd suggest you look for something like a 2010 Accord EX-L 4-cyl., although I don't think the fuel economy will be significantly better than your Mazda.

They handle pretty well (I think you'd be disappointed coming from a Mazda and getting into a Camry) and have few major problems. An LX would drop the sunroof, leather, heated seats, and 17" wheels.

[Priv]

Going back over your list of needs and wants, I'd suggest you look for something like a 2010 Accord EX-L 4-cyl., although I don't think the fuel economy will be significantly better than your Mazda.

I have an 08 Accord 2 door ex-l with a 6 cyl, just dropped in on 110k on it, and I've had zero problems with it. At all. Period. This car impresses the crap out of me. It gets about 25 mpg consistently with the vcm helping me a bit, but I drive it like a jerk, so it'd be better if I tried harder, and if it were a 4 cyl I'm sure you'd end up where you want to be.

I've fallen in love with this thing, it's my first honda, won't be my last. I literally have only done routine maintenance to it, and with a couple hook ups I've managed to get through my brakes and timing belt services without denting my wallet too badly. Good luck with the decision!