opinions on new car

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Voltmaster

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Hi all,

Its time for me to move on to new a car and I was wondering what the general choice would be here about one of these cars:

12+ Prius 3/4
14+ Corolla S
12+ Subaru Legacy
12+ Sonata

I mainly will be using this car for commute, but I do drive 7-10k for road trips each year.
Dependability, ease of repairs, low cost of ownership is what I am looking at.

Legacy's AWD is definitely nice in inclimate conditions.


Thanks,
I have only had experience working with Hondas and Toyotas, so the other brands will be new to me. How is it working with Subi's and Hyundai?
 
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I've been generally happy with my 2011 Prius - I just turned 100k and have had no real issues to complain about.

But for a road trip car, any mid-sized sedan would be a better choice.
 
How many people would be with you on a road trip? The Sonata might be better for more than 2 people. I like the Legacy myself, but for ease of repairs and low cost of ownership, I think the Corolla is better. I have only been in the Corolla and Prius for long trips. I did not care for the seats in the Prius. I found them very uncomfortable after a few hours. The Corolla was very comfortable. I didn't even think about the seats on that trip. They are similar to do minor work on. The Subaru is a little more complicated with the AWD.
 
Pick a midsize vehicle you like and is comfortable.

Small cars(Prius, Corolla, Civic, Focus, Cruze) you'll regret latter on your commute/road trip. I am a former 25k/year commuter who suffered in a Civic that was beyond reliable but miserable at best.

Midsize vehicles seem to have very little penalty in MPG and in upper mileage feel less "old". Small cars just shake themselves apart and seat materials are typically lower quality.
 
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Originally Posted By: Voltmaster
12+ Prius 3/4
14+ Corolla S
12+ Subaru Legacy
12+ Sonata

...

Dependability, ease of repairs, low cost of ownership is what I am looking at.

...Evidently.
48.gif



Originally Posted By: Voltmaster
Legacy's AWD is definitely nice in inclimate conditions.

Assuming you meant inclement.

What inclement conditions do you expect in California?
 
Maybe 2015 Honda Accord LX.

I rented an Accord LX with CVT transmission and was impressed, but I would buy a 6 speed manual trans.
 
The Subaru or Corolla but only with a real automatic not the CVT. A CVT can sink your "ease of repairs, low cost of ownership" scheme quick.
The Sonata is a bigger and more comfortable car with a real transmission in it not some rubber band slide and drive POS.

I like Subaru a lot but since they have gone all CVT in all but the BRZ (and IIRC one other) they are done in my book.
All things considered from a mechanics point of view the Sonata is the clear winner in this lot.

Prius? No comment i don't want to offend anyone. lol
 
Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
When you get to your absolute final choice you might want to rent a similar model and go for a real test drive.

Excellent advise. Some rental agencies like National/Alamo will let you pick what vehicle you want from what is on the lot. If you spend a little time playing on their web site with days of the week and pick up times, sometimes you can rent a car for two weeks for the same or less than one week.

Over the last 2+ years I've rented several Impalas - drove one about 3,500 miles over a 3 week time frame. That was one of the reasons I choose my newest car in my signature.
 
I would throw the Honda Fit in the mix. Very low cost of ownership, the inside is huge. Very roomy and comfortable. No known issues with powertrain. Easy DIY maintenance.
 
Are the 7-10k in road trips on your dime, or for business? If someone else is paying, I'd go for a big GM/buick fwd boat. I really don't like them for a DD, but to cruise the interstate for a few days in a row, they are quite nice.
 
The Prius and Sonata are good on your list.
Corollas, even the new ones, still seem dated compared to other car lines. Heck even the Chevy Cruise is nicer IMO.
 
For occasional road trips, the larger Legacy or Sonata would be great. A slightly larger vehicle is even better in more common situations such as picking up a couple friends.

Another option that I didn't see listed is the Impreza wagons, should offer more space in the hatch than a Corolla, still has the AWD, and pretty good gas mileage with the CVT.
 
Originally Posted By: krismoriah72
I would throw the Honda Fit in the mix. Very low cost of ownership, the inside is huge. Very roomy and comfortable. No known issues with powertrain. Easy DIY maintenance.



Maybe. It's a nice car, but does have several downsides. It's on the louder side, the new one is DI and CVT, and the 185/55-16 OEM tires are $$$ when replacement time comes. Thankfully a 205/50-16 fits just fine with a small MPG penalty.

I've been happy with my Cruze. Quiet, comfy on long trips, easy to DIY stuff on, fun enough to drive with a stick, a lot peppier than other compacts, and it's been pretty reliable. Downsides are it's not the cheapest compact to change oil on, running it on 87 octane makes it a dog, and it isn't tolerant of sloppy maintenance practices thanks to the baby turbo engine. It's not everybody's cup of tea.

I'd test-drive the Corolla, Prius, and Sonata from the choices listed. The Sonata should be a Korean Buick LeSabre, or a boat of a car that will waft down the road. The Corolla and Prius ought to be bastions of reliability, considering that Toyota has made incremental improvements to very well-proven (er, ancient) drivetrains and chassis instead of radical leaps.
 
Thanks for all the input!

I do have to agree, American cars's interior is much more nicer. But I would like an asian guy, preferably japs.

It will be just me and my girlfriend for the trips. The trunk of prius is very nice as there is nothing blocking it and the rear seats.

I thought subaru's repairs would be on par with Honda's just costing more in parts, I may be wrong about this.


Finding automatic is impossible now days, everybody switching to CVT's.

Corolla: only base model comes with automatic. I was hoping to get an S model.

I may be moving around the country for internships and jobs. A city like Denver or Flagstaff is ideal for me so the AWD and other safety technologies inside sub might not just be nice, but a necessity.

I have my eye on 2012 Legacy or 2014 Corolla S at this point. I really like them both.
 
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Maybe I misunderstood, but the Corolla isn't offered with a manual gearbox in their base model?

My vote is either the Subaru or Corolla btw. If none of those work, go with the Sonota.
 
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