Jihforce

Had a list of 12 cars, nothing in any particular class. Just anything that fits my budget. So it came down to the following.

Civic EX (cuz its cheap, good quality and saves gas)
GTI (cuz its fun for a little car)
RX8 (cuz I dig the looks)
TSX (cuz they got decent deals for it right now and it fairly lux)
Camry V6 SE (heard its pretty quick, being a 4-door makes it practical)
CX7 (cuz its big and gets decent mileage for its size)
Mustang GT (300hp, loads of rebates)

I'm leaning toward the Mustang right now...but it IS a FORD after all so it does make me hesitate a bit. So my only option is to lease it in case it ends up being a crappy car.

Your thoughts?

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Jeffbx

What's your price range? Looking a new or used?

Jihforce

25 and under. New, so I have the option to buy or lease.

Jeffbx

I'd recommend the Saturn Aura XR

Showtime

You can get a TSX for 25k? If so, grab that cuz you will be happy with it 4 or 5 years down the road.

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thresher

I am driving a camry right now (truck in shop) with only 88 miles on it. NICE. It's like a little Lexus. Only thing is - very boring. And I already lost it in the Whole Foods parking lot. I have driven the GTi's and they're a blast, but like the Mustang they can be a little trouble in the reliability department. It can come down to which dealer is closest and has the best reputation for service. The TSX is a blast to drive, but is thief and vandal bait down here. If it were me and I had to buy a car (not truck) I would go GTi, but we have a great VW dealership and lots of hills.

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Jihforce

LOL Boring Camry, are they ever...I did hear the V6 SE can run a pretty mean 0-60 tho. But yeah, it is a Camry, I haven't driven it, so I am not sure how high it runs in the "fun to drive" dept.

So far I've driven the GTI and the RX8 on the list. I like them both. But RX8's engine recalls scare be a bit. GTI's is like a go-kart and DSG is insanely smooth and fast shifting. I have driven the TSX back in 03, its nice, but its very uninspiring, and its a tad higher in price than i'd like. But the financing is 1.9% right now so it makes it more affordable. Tough decisions...

pd123

Have you considered the newly designed Nissan Altima? If you want a V6, theirs has 270hp and it's under $25k. I have the Hybrid version with leather, sunroof, spoiler, great radio and lots more.

bachviet

Unless you are 50+, don't get the Camry. J/K

I would go for the TSX even though it is lack of low-end torque. Camry is a nice car but the design but I never like the design.

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gear02

I say go for the Civic. It's a great car with tons of features. I think it's a great deal. You don't have a lot of horsepower, but I personally think it's a fun car to drive.

tupacboy

my vote is for the TSX... i grabbed the TL-S this weekend and LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!!!

Jihforce

So I test drove the Mustang GT and V6 convertible. GT is fast, but felt heavier than expected. Still corners well enough. the V6 was surprisingly quick, definitely no slouch. Interior was so-so, but definitely better than expected. Still, some things felt cheap (glove box, vanity mirrors, radio & ac controls) At 300hp, I was sort of expecting it to push me against my seat when accelerating and give me an adrenaline rush, it didn't. (but my wife manage to give me a rush when she accelerated between two truck and was tailgating a minivan. she said she was testing the breaks) That said, I asked if they would sell the GT for invoice + rebates (approx 4000-4500 off msrp), and they said definitely, but only the GT.
Not sure how I feel about the car right now, part of me likes it, part of me isn't sure. We'll see.

As for the Altima, I am waiting on the coupe. I think the new sedan is improved from the previous generation, but I don't like the tail lights still. Anyone know when the coupe comes out?

I hear ya on the Camry, I sort of dropped it in the list cuz its got decent engine and its roomy. But camry are know to drive like boats, so am not even sure I want to test drive it.

Civic I haven't driven, but I want to try it, I like the new looks and the improved interior.

Jihforce

CONGRATS!!! TL-S is a sweet ride, I'd get it, but I really don't want to play that much. hahaha. Did you get it loaded?

cheapie

i dearly hope you're only looking at the manual trans 'stang!

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Jihforce

LOL, unfortunately, wife wants to drive it and refuses to get a manual. so i have to go auto if i want a mustang. its not a such a big deal after seeing the car in person, the auto revs pretty high, so plenty of power there. Plus the stupid cup holders are placed in a horrible spot that gets in the way of the gears if it were a manual. Also, been hearing horror stories about shifting noise on the manual. So I don't feel too bad about it.

cheapie

if you get a 6-cyl automatic mustang you might as well get a vanity plate that says "chick car"

ray

1) Where do you live?
2) How long is your commute?
3) Don't buy a Ford...Ever.

tupacboy

Fully loaded!!! with high performance tires... grinded them down to 34,500 (b4 tax and licensce) here in CA... ... go with acura!!

Jihforce

1)Long Beach
2)18 miles mostly freeway
3)I wouldn't be buying it, probably lease it. Cuz after all, it IS a Ford. Hahaha. My A4 has had its share of issues, my 3-series before it was in the shop every 3 months for something. So as long as its under warranty. Doesn't matter.

ray

Sounds like reliability has been an issue in the past, so I would throw out my suggestions of any Toyota, Honda, Acura, Infiniti or Lexus vehicle.

gear02

Nav included? I might be in your shoes in a couple of months.

tupacboy

yes sir all type-s come with it i think... ...

i had a hard time deciding between the g35 sport fully loaded... but in the end... the TL was about 3 grand cheaper... and i got 1.9% financing while the G35 was about 6%-7%... not to mention that my trade in (beat up 2000 passat)... I got 3600 from acura while infiniti only offered me 2500... in the end i could not justify the difference financial difference... even though i was leaning toward the g35... the resale of tl is better and overall it cost me about 6000 less to get the fully loaded tl...

gear02

How hard was it to get them down to 34500?

Jihforce

Yeah I was thinking about that, which is why I threw in the Honda and Toyota in the list. But I'm not 100% sold on their reliability, i mean little things will happen, I've had folks with Honda Accords complain about how much their car breaks down, then my friend's TL was taken to the shop because of excessive rattling on the backseat, only had 3500 miles on it. Then I have my cousin putting 75000 miles on his passat before major problems occured, and the main reason that happened was due to not maintaining the car like he should have. (only changed oil, nothing else). I guess I pretty much consider any car breakable, specially nowadays when most features are computer controlled and electronic.

tupacboy

we started @ 36000 so it wasn't too bad...

but prices vary per state i think...

if you have time check out www.acurazine.com

go to the 3rd generation TL and there is a sign up and everyone puts their location, color, type, add ons, and what they paid b4 tax + licensce

when do you think you will be picking one up?

gear02

After I buy a townhouse. I was thinking of waiting for the G37 and see what they price it at.

ray

I totally agree that cars these days are more faulty than they were a decade ago, partly because a lot of gauges and most of the dashboard is electronic. However, even with those advances in technology, the bottom line is most japanese cars still leave the production line with far less problems in the first couple years than automobiles from other manufacturers (ie: german, american). I'm not saying they are fail proof, but every year the trends continue to favor the japanese cars more than the rest of the competition.

Additionally, because you live in Long Beach I am going to go out on a limb and say you will probably get much better service from a Honda or Toyota because their corporate headquarters are based in Torrance. While geographic location doesn't guarantee better service, it's much easier for you to complain to the corporation itself (rather than the dealership) to get your car fixed if it escalates that high.

I have a 2002 Toyota Camry and have had my fair share of problems (in-dash cd player died the first week i had the car, transmission was borked by service technicians at Toyota of North Hollywood 2 years ago). Despite the problems I have had, the service I received from the dealership service departments has been amazing. My in-dash cd player was fixed once the new player arrived and my transmission was replaced for free and I was given a loaner vehicle for the duration of that service.

Jeffbx

Actually the opposite is true. American brands are steadily catching up with & overtaking Japanese brands. I don't want to come across as the 'Buy American!' guy, but heck, given my location I have to speak out.

Have a look at my post over here (Paragraph from Consumer Reports Regarding HDTVs) for details. For 2006, 3 US brands (Mercury, Buick & Cadillac) beat out every Japanese brand with the exception of Lexus in terms of vehicle dependability.

tupacboy

Have you seen the G37 yet? I didn't like it, but it may grow on me...

Worst case it will at least make the G35 way cheaper

Also, the Type-s is limited, so keep that in mind...

Jihforce

Yeah I have to agree with that report. GM for example has taken great strides in terms of quality in most of their lineups. However, most people stick to the "American = Poor Quality" mentality. I tend to give most automakers their fair shake, trying to focus on the vehicle design, performance, price, warranty, built quality & materials. I try my best to shy away from the sigmas as much as possible. With the exception of a few brands I still feel a bit unsure about (Kia, Hyundai, Saturn and to an extent, Saab and Mitsubishi). But I probably wouldn't write them off completely, I would still consider certain models if they meet certain criterias.