Originally Posted By: Bladecutter
There's no way to make you happy, honestly.
The list you provided has a mixture of boring looking cars, inside or out, or boring driving cars, from behind the steering wheel. The Mazda 6, as suggested by many others, is "too flashy" or "too sporty", and yet you felt that it wasn't sporty driving.
You seem to want fantastic gas mileage, but yet you are ruling out cars with DI or CVT's, because they "might" have a problem sometime in the future, but you don't know that for sure.
You would like to have AWD, but the only car in the segment with it has one of the most unoriginal interiors, and worst driving dynamics, AND it has a CVT transmission.
The Camry is also going to be an unpleasant driving experience with the 4 cylinder engine, but at least it isn't DI, or have a CVT attached to it. You just happen to already know how it will drive, because you own a Corolla, it will just have more room, and a bit more power.
Very soon, the Mazda 6 with the i-Eloop system will start hitting the US market, and it will get 40+ mpg on the highway because of the i-Eloop system. Here's the link to the article to understand what's causing it to truly be the best in class:
2014 Mazda 6: Tech Package Earns 40 MPG Highway
Honestly, though, what you really need is a large compact with better driving dynamics than your Corolla. And that isn't hard to do at all. Mazda 3 (current, or you can wait for the new 3 in a couple months which will be even better), Focus, Impreza, etc, etc. All of them should drive way better than your Corolla, and feel better on the interior than your Corolla.
Plus, they will all be less expensive for a well optioned up compact than a stripped down midsize car.
If it were me shopping for a sedan, I would pick up a Mazda 6.
If I were shopping for best mpg, I would pick up a Mazda 6 with i-Eloop.
If I needed better mpg than that, I would wait for the Mazda 6 with Skyactiv Diesel engine in several more months.
Are you starting to see a pattern there?
Best interior.
Best exterior.
Best fuel economy.
Best handling characteristics.
Best transmission.
Best technology.
But, it's all up to you.
What you like in a vehicle is probably entirely different than what I like.
BC.
To be honest, I don't want "sporty", as I don't really drive sporty. That said, I just feel like the Mazda didn't have enough get up and go at low RPMs, and this is apparently the case with them. I'm didn't say I wanted fantastic gas milage, just that I don't want terrible gas milage. The cost of any V6 with the exception of the 200 is more than I want to spend for car, let alone car + gas. As for DI and CVTs, it just seems like one too many people have been burned by them, and so many have told me to stay away.
I'm going to go see a Mazda 6 this weekend if I get a chance, I'm really open to giving it another look over. I will also have to see what the insurance company thinks about it, too. I'm not sure I can agree with best interior on the Mazda (though it was up there), but pretty much everything else on that list does seem to ring true. What about reliability?
Originally Posted By: Spazdog
The Sonata certainly felt like it had plenty of power to me.
I hated the steering in it, but for just driving around it had plenty of power and the transmission shifted smoothly. Just that dead/numb steering and the terrible feel of the pebbly vinyl wheel itself put me off. The ride and handling were like a Camry to me. Competent, but not fun.
I don't know why you would consider a Hyundai Sonata but not a Kia Optima. Mechanically, they are the same cars. (the Optima looks better to me personally)
The Optima does expose a glaring fault in Korean cars. They do not have suspension tuning down yet. The ride is a little firmer than it's sister the Sonata but it really doesn't handle any better. Leather wrapped steering wheel at least felt better but it's the same dead/numb steering with bad on center feel.
I don't like the Altima's brakes. Press the pedal: nothing, nothing, nothing, GRAB!!!!!! Every new Altima that has come in has had that same brake feel. I guess you get used to it.
At least they are finally getting rid of the ugly mustard color dash lighting.
You can roll the dice on a Kizashi. Very good car but when it does break, I do not know if you will get parts for it.
I still have not driven the new Mazda6 and there is a reason. My Mazda6S is paid off. If I drive that [darn] thing there is a good chance that I will end up leaving my perfectly good but well worn Mazda at the dealership and go home with a new car and a new set of payments.
If you want to go a little smaller, the Cruze is very interesting. I haven't liked the Focuses (Foci?) I've driven but some people do. The new Sentra is pretty good looking but manages to come in with less power than
everybody. A 20 year old Integra LS (non-vtec) makes more horsepower and very nearly as much torque out of the same size engine.
Interesting, it wasn't for a lack of power, but it just didn't feel anything like 198hp to me. The steering is what really killed it for me too. As for the Kia, I might get flamed for this, I just don't want to drive a Kia. I know they make a much better car than they did, I just can't bring myself to do it.
The Altima seems to be a bastion for problems (tons of negative reviews over on Edmunds), which is a shame, because it seemed like a nice balance.
I'd probably skip the risk on the Kizashi. I'm considering checking out the Cruise and the Focus. I've heard really good things about the Cruise, and it may be a reasonable replacement for the Corolla, though I would like to step up in size for comfort, but perhaps it is bigger. The Sentra has a nasty CVT and no horsepower, so I'll agree that needs a pass.
