We've been car shopping all weekend. He almost bought a Toyota Camry SE last night. We were too late to get in with the finance people, because the dog wanted to go for a ride. We were cleaning the old car, and he wouldn't get out of the backseat. The top choices are the Mazda 3, Malibu, and the Camry. The Mazda 3 had really great mpg, but my partner is a bit too big to be comfortable. He wanted another Malibu, and the engine sleeps while you stop, but Chevrolets are pretty bad anymore. Malibus engine was almost completely a black box. I really like the Camry, but the Hybrid is just out of the price range. Any advice?
Hybrids are always going to have a higher MRSP because of the extra tech in it. For cars that might be in your price range while still boasting a decent MPG (can't say much about the engine because I don't know), the Honda CRZ has a pretty decent MPG (about the same as the Mazda 3) and AFAIK is reliable, but might still be small for your partner considering it seems about the same size as a Mazda 3. Then there's always the Honda Civic 2015 - it's a spacious sedan, and it gets an average of 33MPG as well (30 city, 39 highway), and from what I heard is rather reliable. There's a reason why it's considered a classic in Canada. That's for automatic BTW - manual is rated at about 2 lower MPG. And for larger, there's the Honda Fit which gets even better MPG (average 35, 41 on highway), at a similar MRSP. Haven't heard much of it though - but it may be a tiny bit too compact as I'm not sure of the dimensions. Dodge has the Dart Aero to offer - which gets an average of 32 MPG (40 highway) with very little difference between the manual and automatic options - and it's a full-sized sedan. MRSP is still similar to the above models - but quick warning, the manufacturer instructs to use premium gasoline in this model. Kia has the Forte - with an average of 30-31 MPG. May be a little too compact for your needs - but as far as I'm aware it's a reliable car at an affordable price. A little bit more expensive (especially with options), there's the Mini family which has gotten roomier in the last few years. MRSP starts at 20k though, so maybe it's a bit steep. On the OTHER side of the price curve, there's the Mitsubishi Mirage which is widely reported to have a MPG between 35-40 (and it's not a hybrid). I don't know about the reliability - but, while it's hard to tell from the pictures I've seen, the high MPG may be helped by a more compact size. That's all I could find in the 20k-30k$ MRSP range with a MPG close or higher than 30. HOWEVER I'm no car expert, have no driving license and only have actually rode two of these cars (the Civic and the Forte) so only use this as a guide to start looking or getting more info. And this list is also most likely not comprehensive. But hey, it's a start.
Thanks for the advice. Dodge has a weird logo on the grill now. Even makes the Charger look bad. I was looking around at Kia, I must have missed the Fortes. The Honda Accords, have a stupid grain on the cloth seats. I can see his son getting crumbs, in every possible cranny. Those and the CRX are a bit out of the range we could negotiate. I like those smaller cars, but I don't drive. My partner is a hulking barbarian, and wouldn't be comfortable.
I fully understand - the place I work has a large amount of large people (which vary from the overweight to the Vikings, like your partner) and I hear all about how they like small cars. It's a shame they don't make them more adjustable (but then again, I'm pretty sure that insurance has some stupid policy which makes it hard to implement without the intended customer base being buttfucked by skyrocketing rates). But yeah - if you ask me, maybe you should wait and save a little to build up a slightly bigger budget, because most cars that sound like would be ideal for you are out of your current one. Unless it can't wait because it's essential work transportation? If it is - you might want to look into older/used models (though it's almost guaranteed they'll have a worse fuel efficiency - the last few years were very productive in that regards)
I have a story about the Fit. I'm a big, wide guy, and I have long legs. I test drove a Fit, twice, and barely fit into the car. I ended up buying a Scion xA and love the stupid little thing. The xA won't win any races, but I can eek out 38MPG if I drive like a grandma. My telescope easily fits into the xA, but will not fit in the Honda, despite the Fit being slightly larger. I'm happy that you like your Fit; hopefully they make more 5-door hatchbacks as that is my favorite car style. The next car is either going to be a Ford C-Max, Mazda 3 5-door or a Prius V. Hopefully the current car holds out for a few more years as the plan is to roll into a dealer at exactly 200K miles and get a new vehicle.
When we were looking, there were no xAs that hadn't been ridden hard and put away wet. It seemed like a nice little car but there weren't any specimens available that weren't beat to shit. Not so with the xD - lots of hard plastic in the wrong places. I was physically incapable of getting into the passenger seat without banging my knees on a dashboard that had no excuse to protrude as far as it did. We were looking for a used Fit but because Honda had brought them to the market so late, and discontinued them 9 months later, the delta between a used 08 and a new 09 was less than a thousand dollars. New it was. What's your scope? Back up in WA I've got a 10" Coulter f/4.5 Dobsonian and it will fit in a... Fit no problem. Of course, I can easily see the problems an equatorial mount would engender.
The xD is awful. The engine compartment is bigger, the passenger compartment is cramped, there is less cargo room, it is a heavier car, it gets less gas mileage than the car it replaced, the xA. The xA was originally a mini delivery van in Japan that they "youthed" up for the US market and targeted at first time car buyers. I got mine for about $12K and don't regret the purchase at all. As young first time buyers were the target of the car I'm not shocked that you saw so many used in bad shape. There is also an incredible after-market and tuner community around this and the xB. The xB is just something that I cannot see myself driving; if I need something like that I'll get a Mazda 5 minivan. The main telescope is a 14" Orion Dob that I use for myself and for outreach events. I also have an 80mm Stellarvue on an iOptron mount that I take images with (poorly). Both scopes, camping gear, laptops, batteries and supplies for a few days out in the middle of nowhere fit easily. Like I said, I'm gonna miss this little jerk when I have to trade it in.
All of those cars are compacts or subcompacts, so if size is an issue, keep that in mind. That said, I'd say they're all good options with except maybe the Dart and the Mirage. The Dart is middling territory, just like the Malibu is, and the Mirage is pretty rough all around. From what I've heard about Mini, crazy as it sounds as it's owned by BMW, they actually have a really spotty reliability records and repair bills for them can be on the more expensive side of things. Here's a quick breakdown on affordable mid-size sedans with reliability ratings.
Problem is that sedans, because of their larger size, often have lower fuel efficiency - which HeathenFairy pointed out is a valuable trait for a car to have. And sedans, because they're larger, also are more expensive - the top 10 of your link, for instance, has a MRSP of between $25k and $30k - which seems like just above what HeathenFairy seems to have a budget for.
Hmm. He didn't list specifics for either. The mpg thing is a bit of a sacrifice with mid-size sedans, yes, but still with cars today the milage is probably better than what they're currently driving. As for price, with the right dealer incentives and some savy shopping, you can get a mid-size sedan for a compact price. You just gotta be careful, cause it's financing tricks that make dealerships money.
Out of the three you listed, I'd go in order of . . . 1) Camry - It's boring, yes, but you'd be hard pressed to find a family sedan with a better track record. If you're the kind of person who likes to keep your cars for a long period of time, it'll last you as long as you'd expect and maybe then some. Just don't slack on the maintenance because it's a Toyota. You still gotta take care of it. Don't worry about not getting the hybrid though, you'll still get good gas mileage. 2) Mazda 3 - Kind of interesting that you're looking at two mid-size sedans and then have a compact as your third option. Still, it's not a bad choice. It's attractive, gets good gas mileage, and while Mazda isn't as well known for reliability as Toyota and Honda are, they're better than Mitsubishi. Don't hesitate to look at the Mazda 6 either, as it's in the same class as your other two options. Still, I'd really recommend the Camry. 3) Malibu - Hmm. Eh. Well, are you sure you wouldn't rather look at a Kia Optima or Honda Accord first? I mean, don't get me wrong, the new Malibus and Impalas are much better this time around, but you can get better for your money.
Well the Camry almost won last night. They are selling the 2015 sportier models at a steal. The Mazda 3 was small, the salesman should have shown us a 6, with less options. The mpg is pretty awesome, but all the parts are foriegn. Uh, I didn't like the Malibu. My Mom was paid in a lemon settlement against Chevy. She made 17 payments while her truck was in the shop, in three years. Thank you, for the advice.
I like them. I love the Tacoma, because I have many truck needing hobbies. We compromised I will spend like $2000, and get a truck he can work on. That way he saved money on gas, for everyday driving. He gets another vehicle, and I get help loading, and driving the truck.
Let me tell you man. She has the weirdest taste in niche cars. Don't get me wrong, she still enjoys good classics like Datsun 510s or 1st gen Celicas. Sometimes though, she'll see something like a used Mack U615 and says "Ooh, that looks nice" or "Come look at this Unimog! Let's buy that!" Thank the Lord she's not serious enough to follow through with something like that, but the fact that they appeal to her just strikes me as odd. I don't think either one of us could drive one to save our lives. No, if anything, when we win the lottery she's getting something niche, but still practical, like an International Harvester S100.
That harvester is beautiful. My Dad, and his brothers own a truck, van, and semi junkyard. I used to play there as a kid, wonder why I grew up to be a hippie. My Dad has a 69 Firebird for drag racing. My step mom has an old Bonneville for cursing. The GTO Judge is the retirement project. I really hated all the noise of drag races as a kid, but I would have enjoyed the colored smoke tires, you posted. If I won the lottery, I would get a backhoe. Surveying was my favorite math class. Hopefully I will get high enough in the parks system, I can tell someone to teach me.