I, too, am shopping for a new ride

[dbax791]

Ahh, my beloved Jeep Cherokee, you have done well for 8 years and 108,000 miles, but you are just not really practical any more...so I am going to have to trade you in. Sorry.

I find that I have a 4wd SUV but I never use the 4WD and cant remember the last time I needed the cargo space. So I am looking for something economic and practical.


4-door sedan
4-cyl engine
Great fuel economy (26+ city)
Good reliability
Good ergonomics
$16-22K price range
Can seat 5 people
Factory XM is a must


I am not a car enthusiast and have no idea what is out there. So what I am looking for is models to research, and any feedback from other owners.

So far, I am considering the Hyundai Elantra, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Mazda3. Any thing else I should consider?

About a month ago I was out of town on business and had an Elantra for a week. I LOVED it. It just seemed to fit me.

Thanks in advance for your help/suggestions.

[Agent Plissken]

Go with your feelings... Elantra all the way!
Too bad you arent in my immediate family, we get a pretty good discount :)

[pd123]

Are you lookinf for new? Look into the Nissan Altima, it meets all your criteria, you can easily get the car in your pricerange. Check the http://www.nissanclub.com/forums/new-2007-nissan-altima-discussion/ if you have questions. There is a thread called "How much did you pay for your 07..." because people are getting discounts. BTW, I have a Hybrid version, the car handles like a sports car is very quick and my real world mpg with 80% city is 32mpg.

[dbax791]

Thank you. I will add the Altima to my research list.

[Jihforce]

I'm sort of hesitant to suggest the Altima because its newly redesigned. Usually I consider 1st year models to be "betas". Anyway, I'd vote the Mazda3 mainly because we have one and it is nice. for 22k u can get it fully loaded 2.3 version with GPS probably.