Looking for a new sedan

[sunfire]

Only advice I have is avoid latest new generation redesigns. My father almost bought the 2007 Camry with the accelerator problem. He wanted to wait a few months to get the 7th gen Camry. But I told him to get the 6th gen 2006.

It usually takes a few years and revisions for car makers to work out the bugs after the initial redesign.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: bigmike
The Jetta appears to have very little dealership service support, from what I've read.

Well, you probably want to stay far away from their service anyway, if you can help it.

Have you looked at the CC? With the 2-liter turbo 200hp engine, you should find it pretty peppy, plus you can chip it for more performance.

I like the ins and outs of it more than all the japanese makes (Lexus/Acura excluded), but I understand that's a personal preference.

A slightly used CPO'd 3series, 5series, or A4 is also a possibility.

BTW, I also ditched a 1-year old Accord once. Not because it didn't have enough power (it was a V6 model), but just the overall boredom and lethargic auto trans was beginning to tax my nerves... Even though I obviously lost some money on this deal, I don't regret doing it. Life is too short to be making payments on a car that you do not enjoy driving.

 

[CivicFan]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: bigmike
The Jetta appears to have very little dealership service support, from what I've read.

Well, you probably want to stay far away from their service anyway, if you can help it.

Have you looked at the CC? With the 2-liter turbo 200hp engine, you should find it pretty peppy, plus you can chip it for more performance.

I like the ins and outs of it more than all the japanese makes (Lexus/Acura excluded), but I understand that's a personal preference.

A slightly used CPO'd 3series, 5series, or A4 is also a possibility.

BTW, I also ditched a 1-year old Accord once. Not because it didn't have enough power (it was a V6 model), but just the overall boredom and lethargic auto trans was beginning to tax my nerves... Even though I obviously lost some money on this deal, I don't regret doing it. Life is too short to be making payments on a car that you do not enjoy driving.


As they say, once you dip your toe in the German car pool, you will not go anywhere else after that.

 

[stumpypete]

Agree with the Critic. A friend just went thru the same decision and struggled with Altima v6 vs Maxima. Finally got a good deal on the Maxima and never looked back. With things being slow and the time of year it is, the deals appear to be there.

 

[bigmike]

Originally Posted By: asiancivicmaniac
Originally Posted By: The Critic
The Altima is great, but only in the 3.5SR V6. The four-cylinder doesn't have good driveability with the CVT IMO, but the V6 is phenomenal. Plus, for 2010 they retuned the V6 to run on 87.

With a heavier foot, I would expect lower 20s mixed. My dad was able to get 31 on a recent tank with his light foot, so the car is capable of decent mileage.

Also, for the money I REALLY like the 2010 Maxima in the base model trim. The base model comes extremely well-equipped and you can find many volume Nissan dealers selling them for about $25k or less. However, the Maxima still requires premium but the interior quality is heads and shoulders above the Altima.


Ditto, and have you considered a Subaru?


I have and there is a new subaru dealership just opened up down the road from me. Any thought on the Legacy? 4 or 6 cyl?

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: bigmike
I have and there is a new subaru dealership just opened up down the road from me. Any thought on the Legacy? 4 or 6 cyl?


Personally, I like cars that are at least in their second year of production. Traditionally, first-year cars have a lot more issues than subsequent model years.

The chain-type CVT was apparently developed with a "maximum durability" mentality, according to some articles. I don't know if that's true.

If you're looking for a V6, I'd stick with the VQ series. It's a fantastic engine and Nissan tends to make great handling cars, which I feel is important if you are after such a powerful car to begin with. Also, Subaru doesn't offer much IMO unless you really need AWD.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

Quote:
I have and there is a new subaru dealership just opened up down the road from me. Any thought on the Legacy? 4 or 6 cyl?


Maybe you and your wife should just go test drive the cars you're considering and see which ones you like. Maybe the Accord might not seem that bad after you're sat in a few others. I'm a Honda fan so I would just keep the Accord.

I have a friend who is also looking for a new car and he's impressed with the Altima's standard features for the price.

 

[barlowc]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
The Altima is great, but only in the 3.5SR V6. The four-cylinder doesn't have good driveability with the CVT IMO, but the V6 is phenomenal.


I respectfully disagree. The V6 is indeed phenomenal, but the I4 with the CVT has excellent driveability. The ride is smooth, the handling is great, and while not that of a V6, the 2.5-liter engine provides enough power. I say this coming from a 1998 Grand Prix GTP Coupe that had the supercharged 3.8-liter V6. I was skeptical of the 4-cylinder at first, but after driving it, I was convinced. I also bought the car when gas was $4.00/gallon for 87, so fuel economy weighed into my decision. My average MPG is 30.5 with a 70/30 mix of highway/city. You'll really have to drive it for yourself to decide. Also look at the reviews the Altima has gotten; it's a Consumers Digest Best Buy.

 

[roadrunner1]

for what its worth i bought my wife an 06 mercury milan new v-6, now has 65,000 mi. and it has not had one issue.

other than oil changes not one mechanical issue, and can get 32 mpg on the hwy.

 

[Slick17601]

Originally Posted By: addyguy
Fusion all the way. They look like a really awesome car from a fairly solid company.


I'll second that. My neighbor just purchased one and it is a fine car. Ford is really on the right track.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: Slick17601
Originally Posted By: addyguy
Fusion all the way. They look like a really awesome car from a fairly solid company.


I'll second that. My neighbor just purchased one and it is a fine car. Ford is really on the right track.


The Fusion is a decent car, but the center stack looks dated to me. Then again, all of the midsized sedans have dated looking interiors to me, with the exception of the new Sonata and the Maxima.

 

[barlowc]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
The Fusion is a decent car, but the center stack looks dated to me.


I haven't seen the Fusion's interior so I can't comment. But personally I find the Accord's center the most awful thing ever. I looked at the Accord Coupe before buying my Altima Coupe and knew I'd never be able to live with the Accord's terrible center stack.

Some could probably describe the Altima's as "dated", but I personally find it neat, clean, and well organized. But to each is own.

 

[bigmike]

I can't say thanks enough for the suggestions. It appears I have alot of footwork to do. I will probably test drive the Altima and Fusion first and go from there. I'd really like to drive the Taurus and Maxima, but feel they might be out of my range.

I'm not a big fan of test driving so this is why I made this thread: basically to narrow down to say, top 5 choices. It's alot of time to invest and it's a hassle, but most of the time I (or my butt in the seat) makes a quick decision.

 

[KrisZ]

And that's why it is important to drive the cars yourself IMO, I know it's a hassle, but I'd rather buy a car that I really like, cause a test drove it before, than buy something just based on someone elses opinion, or just looking at one aspect, like fuel economy, resell value, or where it's made.

 

[BearZDefect]

bigmike, if you plan to DIY with this car be sure to also look under the hood and consider how easy or difficult it will be to maintain, and if you plan to keep it for long look for simple repair items too.

I looked under the hood of a 2008 Altima i4 sedan a couple of years ago and decided I would not want to work on one myself. I also felt the deep dash wasted space, and the roof was low in the back seat.

 

[bigmike]

Originally Posted By: BearZDefect
bigmike, if you plan to DIY with this car be sure to also look under the hood and consider how easy or difficult it will be to maintain, and if you plan to keep it for long look for simple repair items too.

I looked under the hood of a 2008 Altima i4 sedan a couple of years ago and decided I would not want to work on one myself. I also felt the deep dash wasted space, and the roof was low in the back seat.


I usually check under the hood before I even sit in it!

Any particular reasons on why you wouldn't want to work on the Altima?

 

[97tbird]

to escape from the, mind-numbing boredom, and zero personality/spirit of the big overrated japanese 3, following can be considered:

Fusion (v6/sport?)
Sonata (not a fan of the 2011, really)
Mazda 6
Legacy (a pre-2010 GT would be nice, post-2010: ugly)

CPO/used:
BMW 3-series (328i)

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: 97tbird

Sonata (not a fan of the 2011, really)

Sonata does look unattractive in this photo, but it wasn't too bad in person, actually.

I'd still take this instead...

 

[97tbird]

which VW is that?
The side windows are about 1/3 of the car's height, and that small rear windshield...i wonder how the visibility is in that car...

Other than that, and the very bmw 6-ish headlights, it looks kinda cool.

 

[CivicFan]

It's the latest Passat model. They look quite impressive on the street - seen one or two. They are not as widely popular as one would hope for.