NWR: Car Suggestions

diamondx423 · June 2011

I posted this on my month board as well.

So, FIs car decided last night that after 110,000 miles it was done working. There are so many repairs needed that it is not worth fixing at this point (even though we've already sunk $1200 into it this year). So, now we get to go car shopping.

We need a smallish car (not like a smart car or anything) that gets great gas mileage and has 4 doors. We're looking for new, but are willing to look into cars that are slightly older (like 2009 and newer). We want to keep it at or around $20,000 since we currently don't make car payments and don't want to stretch ourselves too thin adding one.

Any suggestions?

K&J64 · June 2011

Hyundai has a lot of 4 doors under $20K. They make great cars now too. I really like the look of the 2011 Sonata.

peaches178 · June 2011

I was going to suggest a Hyundai, too. I'm not a huge fan of them, but they really do fit every aspect that you're looking for.

I have a Camry and love it to pieces, haha.

gibribuz · June 2011

Two different people I know recently got Ford Fusions and they love it. Gas mileage is great.

cindyn9178 · June 2011

I just got a 2011 Hyundai Elantra two months ago and I love it! I've heard nothing but good things about them. It gets excellent gas mileage.. We just took a trip to Ocean City, Maryland and I got 30mpg for the entire trip. It is supposed to get more than that, but I tend to go over the speed limit, lol.

It is a 4 door with plenty of space, the trunk is huge, the back seats fold down. I'm leasing it, but it was right around what you are looking to pay. (and it is pretty much fully loaded - sun roof, leather interior, etc, just doesn't have navigation).

I got it from Global Hyundai on Route 22 in North Plainfield. I didn't have any problems with them. Our salesman was Ken Rogers (Yes, that was his name) and he was great.

diamondx423 · June 2011

Thanks! we're definitely going to look at Hyundai's and Ford. Anyone know anything about Chevy's?

Peaches, I don't love Hyundai either. But FI has a 45 mile commute each way, so the 100,000 mile warrantee sounds great.

cindyn9178 · June 2011

I had a Chevy like 8 years ago, but I guess that doesn't help, lol.

DoubleAS · June 2011

I would go with Ford or Honda.

Ford Fusion or Focus and then the Honda Civic. I had a Civic for 7 years, 100k miles, and she was still going strong when I traded her in. I only traded her in because she had exterior damage that wasn't worth fixing, and I still got $3500.00 toward my new car.

The Civic is a really great car and beyond good on gas. I think you can get the LX version for around $20k.

USER876 · June 2011

I would look at something slightly used, still under warranty. You can get a great deal this way because the first person took the largest hit on depreciation. You can also look at deals for certified cars on dealer lots that are slightly used and maybe have a sweeter warranty. Imports tend to hold resale values better, so domestic cars will have the best deals on a slightly used basis.

This takes a lot of work but is worth it. People honestly can't believe how my wife and I can afford the cars we drive, and then they can't believe what we paid for them. I honestly believe in cars, the deal of a lifetime comes up about every 2 weeks or so if you know where to look.

For what you are looking for,

Chevy Malibu and Cruze, Mazda 3

Honda Civic you should be able to get new well under 20. I almost bought a yr old fully loaded SI 6 speed for a second commuter car last yr and it was under 20K.

VW Jetta

Not a fan of toyota's although they seem to be reliable

Honestly the new Sonata is styled pretty nice, and is big enough to keep when the kiddies come. This would be my pick over the smaller one. You should think forward about this if you keep cars for 5 yrs +. Also realize whatever you pay and whatever your car payments are, what the car costs you is what you buy it for and what you eventually sell it for down the road. A good rule of thumb is that a car is worth half it's value after about 4 yrs.

gymchick05 · June 2011

I had a Hyundia accent for 7 years and ran it into the ground- great mileage and it worked fine- I woulda kept driving it forever because it worked and I dont car if my car is old if its paid off and working haha. My husband (FI at the time) made me get a new car a few months ago since he was scared my car would break down eventually. I got the Mazda 3 hatchback cause it still has good milegae, affordable, and I love having a htachback- lots of room. Its 4 door as well- it was I think $22-$23 but he insisted on the upgraded package w/ sound system, moon roof, etc (none of which did I care about) so w/o that it could be in ur range

But Hyundias are great as well and at least now they r pretty too

cindyn9178 · June 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_new-jersey_nwr-car-suggestions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:90Discussion:c3d70308-acdc-416c-81df-e7e149538c04Post:c439859a-fcde-46e2-a376-fb8b75e843c9">Re: NWR: Car Suggestions</a>:
[QUOTE]I would look at something slightly used, still under warranty. You can get a great deal this way because the first person took the largest hit on depreciation. You can also look at deals for certified cars on dealer lots that are slightly used and maybe have a sweeter warranty. Imports tend to hold resale values better, so domestic cars will have the best deals on a slightly used basis. This takes a lot of work but is worth it. People honestly can't believe how my wife and I can afford the cars we drive, and then they can't believe what we paid for them. I honestly believe in cars, the deal of a lifetime comes up about every 2 weeks or so if you know where to look. For what you are looking for, Chevy Malibu and Cruze, Mazda 3 Honda Civic you should be able to get new well under 20. I almost bought a yr old fully loaded SI 6 speed for a second commuter car last yr and it was under 20K. VW Jetta Not a fan of toyota's although they seem to be reliable Honestly the new Sonata is styled pretty nice, and is big enough to keep when the kiddies come. This would be my pick over the smaller one. You should think forward about this if you keep cars for 5 yrs +. Also realize whatever you pay and whatever your car payments are, what the car costs you is what you buy it for and what you eventually sell it for down the road. A good rule of thumb is that a car is worth half it's value after about 4 yrs.
Posted by USER876[/QUOTE]
I have to say I disagree about VW. I know at least 5 or 6 people that own or have owned VWs in the last couple years and they ALL told me to avoid them. They've all had numerous problems with their cars, that the service department can never seem to fix. I've personally never been told by a VW owner that I should buy one. ..

My sister has a Civic with over 100k miles that she bought used from a family friend. She's had it for about 4 years now, and has had zero issues with it, and she swears by it. I personally don't like them because I feel like everybody and their mother owns a civic, and I really don't like the styling on the new model.

cindyn9178 · June 2011

and just because I love my car, here it is, lol

jroxx · June 2011

You have SO MANY options under $20K (all said and done I assume, including taxes). I just went through this myself last summer, my sister and friend (both bridesmaids) as well more recently. I got a Honda Civic Sedan, my sister a Suzuki SX4 (hatchback, 4wheel drive), and my friend a Honda Fit. All were under $20 after taxes. I looked into the VW Jetta, Toyota Corolla, Mazda 3, Hyundai Elantra and Ford Focus. If you really want a smaller 4-door with great gas milage I'd go with the Honda Fit. The reason it wasn't on my list was it doesn't come with a sunroof (total dealbreaker for me). The Civic is great. The Jetta won't last you 110k miles, unless you get a deisel, but then you're looking at at least $21k before taxes. The Corolla was too sluggish for me (4-speed auto), I would only have gotten it in manual (5 speed), but that's what my fiance drives, so I didn't want the same car. The Mazda was super fun to drive, but it was WAY too small for me, I'd only consider the hatchback... But then it's more money. The interior styling is just a little off. Or it was in the 2010 models. The Hyundai, seriously I just had a bad experience at the dealer (Brad Benson, I heard good things about Samson though- went there for Mazda). And the Fords were just as expensive as a Civic for less features.... The Fiestas are adorable though- fun to drive I hear too. My friend who bought the Fit, that was her second choice.

Just make sure to test drive everything! And if you can, subscribe to consumer reports, find out what the lowest price the car you want is going for and bring that paper to the dealer. That's what I did and I got an amazing price on my Civic. I seriously have done way too much car shopping in the last year...

USER876 · June 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_new-jersey_nwr-car-suggestions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:90Discussion:c3d70308-acdc-416c-81df-e7e149538c04Post:efd83614-9264-4cf1-b507-cc887165cc22">Re: NWR: Car Suggestions</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: NWR: Car Suggestions : I have to say I disagree about VW. I know at least 5 or 6 people that own or have owned VWs in the last couple years and they ALL told me to avoid them. They've all had numerous problems with their cars, that the service department can never seem to fix. I've personally never been told by a VW owner that I should buy one. .. My sister has a Civic with over 100k miles that she bought used from a family friend. She's had it for about 4 years now, and has had zero issues with it, and she swears by it. I personally don't like them because I feel like everybody and their mother owns a civic, and I really don't like the styling on the new model.
Posted by cindyn9178[/QUOTE]

I won't disagree with you, with cars it's a touchy subject, and all it takes is one bad experience with them to get a poisoned mindset. My father, for example has driven chevy's all his life. Maybe he is lucky but so many people curse that brand, but he has never had a major issue with any of his cars and drives them into the ground before upgrading. On the forums, the issues with VW seem to be isolated.....you either have a great car or the car is doomed with a boat load of issues. Supposedly with the new style, JD powers claims these things have been addressed...who knows. If they are as bad as you said they were they would be out of biz by now. I am a sucker for german cars, for various reasons, and I tend to dump cars when the warranty runs out anyway, so ok, maybe it wasn't the best suggestion for a longer term purchase. Honda's seem to be reliable, but I had a friend go through an engine at their cost at 60K when the timing belt went, and another friend had to stomach a grand on the AC when it went at 75K miles......so they are not bulletproof either. I think a lot of it has to do with how people take care of their cars, and how they are maintained....my father being a great example.

USER876 · June 2011

My friend at work just got a sonata limited, it's pretty nice I have to admit and has a ton of features, but it was 30K! I think they start closer to 20 though on the base models. It's very roomy.

jroxx · June 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_new-jersey_nwr-car-suggestions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:90Discussion:c3d70308-acdc-416c-81df-e7e149538c04Post:831e48c3-b23b-4b7b-a2dd-1d9ba8dfb013">Re: NWR: Car Suggestions</a>:
[QUOTE]I just got a 2011 Hyundai Elantra two months ago and I love it! I've heard nothing but good things about them. It gets excellent gas mileage.. We just took a trip to Ocean City, Maryland and I got 30mpg for the entire trip. It is supposed to get more than that, but I tend to go over the speed limit, lol.
Posted by cindyn9178[/QUOTE]

<div>Your gas mileage will get better! I bought a Civic last August and was so disappointed I was not getting anything near the 36mpg highway they boast (I was getting more like 29/30mpg) and I figured it was just that, that I drive way too fast normally... BUT it actually takes more like 13-15k miles to break in the car and get "good" mileage. So right after my 2nd oil change (about 14k miles) my MPG jumped to 32/33! My mechanic told me that was totally normal and it does take awhile to break in.</div>

jroxx · June 2011

Oh! I should mention the Japan crisis DID take a toll on the Japanese auto makers. The deals we got before the earthquake you will not get these days. My salesperson at Honda (I visited him during my last oil change) told me they were getting 80% less cars in because of the stock shortages. And since they don't know when the cars they sell will be replaced they are not willing to let the ones they have go cheap.

Just something to keep in mind if you persue a Japanese car.

And some people spoke about VWs... My Civic replaced my Passat which after 100k miles just went downhill. They have engine issues after 100k- the only VW I would recommend is a diesel, different engine entirely. My Passat made it to 125k miles before I gave up on it. I LOVED that car though, it drove fantastic, top of the line everything... I really wish I could have replaced it, but it just didn't make sense.

amor133 · June 2011

I had a Chevy Cobalt which I really liked and I just got a Chevy Equinox in February which was about 23k for the the mid model. The LS (base model) is less. I love it!!!

NJhousewife22 · June 2011

Chiming in to say we have a 2009 Jetta and a 2011 Tiquan and haven't had any issues with either of them. I LOVE LOVE my Tiquan but I don't think you are in the market for an SUV.

Like PP said, the best thing to do is test drive a bunch of options and definitely don't rule out the gently used models. Sometimes those can be pretty good deals especially if they come with a warranty.

diamondx423 · June 2011

Well a VW is pretty much the only car we're avoiding. We're currently replacing the GTI. It pretty much all fell apart at the 100k mile mark, which is expected, but the upkeep on it just because it was a German car and was turbo charged was more expensive. Even an oil change cost him 3x more than it did for my Jeep.

I think tonight we're going to look at the hyundai elantra and the accent, the ford fusion, chevy cruze. for whatever reason I don't think he wants a Honda. He drives cars into the ground (commutes more than 500 miles a week) so in reality getting 5 years out of it will be wonderful.

diamondx423 · June 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_new-jersey_nwr-car-suggestions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:90Discussion:c3d70308-acdc-416c-81df-e7e149538c04Post:e312ed74-03cd-4ad8-9686-92596e7504c3">Re: NWR: Car Suggestions</a>:
[QUOTE]Chiming in to say we have a 2009 Jetta and a 2011 Tiquan and haven't had any issues with either of them<strong>. I LOVE LOVE my Tiquan but I don't think you are in the market for an SUV. </strong>
Posted by NJhousewife22[/QUOTE]

<div>I want a Tiquan after the wedding when I replace my Jeep! </div>

cindyn9178 · June 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_new-jersey_nwr-car-suggestions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:90Discussion:c3d70308-acdc-416c-81df-e7e149538c04Post:c619f77d-1b3c-4fd2-bcc9-b1e5ef54724b">Re: NWR: Car Suggestions</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: NWR: Car Suggestions : I won't disagree with you, with cars it's a touchy subject, and all it takes is one bad experience with them to get a poisoned mindset. My father, for example has driven chevy's all his life. Maybe he is lucky but so many people curse that brand, but he has never had a major issue with any of his cars and drives them into the ground before upgrading. On the forums, the issues with VW seem to be isolated.....you either have a great car or the car is doomed with a boat load of issues. Supposedly with the new style, JD powers claims these things have been addressed...who knows. If they are as bad as you said they were they would be out of biz by now. I am a sucker for german cars, for various reasons, and I tend to dump cars when the warranty runs out anyway, so ok, maybe it wasn't the best suggestion for a longer term purchase. Honda's seem to be reliable, but I had a friend go through an engine at their cost at 60K when the timing belt went, and another friend had to stomach a grand on the AC when it went at 75K miles......so they are not bulletproof either. I think a lot of it has to do with how people take care of their cars, and how they are maintained....my father being a great example.
Posted by USER876[/QUOTE]
Oh yeah, I definitely agree that sometimes you hear one bad thing and that sours your opinion of something, even with vendors that are mentioned here on TK.

In my experience, it has been every person that I know personally that has owned a VW. My friend had a 2009 Eos and she had a ton of issues with it from the beginning. Her alarm used to go off randomly for no reason. The top used to constantly get stuck. She had issues with the car locks.. it seemed like all of the problems were mechanical. Before that, she owned a Cabrio and had multiple problems with that as well (I guess she didn't learn her lesson).

My sister's ex BF had a Jetta and he had multiple problems with the brakes and the check engine light always going on. He leased it for 3 years and had brought it in for service like 10 times for random issues, that they were never able to fix. It would make a grinding noise when he turned corners, which they said was "normal".

I'm sure there are plenty of people who have had no problems with VW, but being that they are the one manufacturer that I've heard more negative than positive about, I choose to avoid them.

On a side note, 3 of my friends have the Hyundai Tuscon and absolutely love it, and my Uncle has an older model and loves it as well.

When making the deal on my new car, the salesman was saying that Hyundais have a really good resale value.. not sure if that's true though.

USER876 · June 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_new-jersey_nwr-car-suggestions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:90Discussion:c3d70308-acdc-416c-81df-e7e149538c04Post:bd0ae90a-580a-4d9d-9730-b76f3d5cbd0f">Re: NWR: Car Suggestions</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: NWR: Car Suggestions : Oh yeah, I definitely agree that sometimes you hear one bad thing and that sours your opinion of something, even with vendors that are mentioned here on TK. In my experience, it has been every person that I know personally that has owned a VW. My friend had a 2009 Eos and she had a ton of issues with it from the beginning. Her alarm used to go off randomly for no reason. The top used to constantly get stuck. She had issues with the car locks.. it seemed like all of the problems were mechanical. Before that, she owned a Cabrio and had multiple problems with that as well (I guess she didn't learn her lesson). My sister's ex BF had a Jetta and he had multiple problems with the brakes and the check engine light always going on. He leased it for 3 years and had brought it in for service like 10 times for random issues, that they were never able to fix. It would make a grinding noise when he turned corners, which they said was "normal". I'm sure there are plenty of people who have had no problems with VW, but being that they are the one manufacturer that I've heard more negative than positive about, I choose to avoid them. On a side note, 3 of my friends have the Hyundai Tuscon and absolutely love it, and my Uncle has an older model and loves it as well. When making the deal on my new car, the salesman was saying that Hyundais have a really good resale value.. not sure if that's true though.
Posted by cindyn9178[/QUOTE]

That would be enough to sour me against the brand too. I've never owned one, I can't really comment.

hcer0708 · June 2011

I have only owned VW's and I love them! I have never had a problem

goaliegirl · June 2011

My last 3 cars have been Nissans and I love them. I had an Xterra that had 150,000 miles on it and had no problems. I just took it in for routine maintenence and that's it. Those are a little more expensive....but I also had an Altima that you can get the basic model for just over 20K. The Altima got excellent gas mileage and was a great car. I only had it for a few years because I traded it in for a Rogue which I have now.

We got all 3 of those at Meadowlands Nissan and worked with a salesman Bill. He was awesome and they gave us great deals each time!

cindyn9178 · June 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_new-jersey_nwr-car-suggestions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:90Discussion:c3d70308-acdc-416c-81df-e7e149538c04Post:42c13cff-1256-435f-a813-60f64a111f55">Re: NWR: Car Suggestions</a>:
[QUOTE]My last 3 cars have been Nissans and I love them. I had an Xterra that had 150,000 miles on it and had no problems. I just took it in for routine maintenence and that's it. Those are a little more expensive....but I also had an Altima that you can get the basic model for just over 20K. The Altima got excellent gas mileage and was a great car. I only had it for a few years because I traded it in for a Rogue which I have now. We got all 3 of those at Meadowlands Nissan and worked with a salesman Bill. He was awesome and they gave us great deals each time!
Posted by goaliegirl[/QUOTE]
I can't believe I didn't think of Nissan to suggest. FI is obsessed with Nissan especially his current 350z, and Nissan is the only car he's ever owned!

NJgurl19 · June 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_new-jersey_nwr-car-suggestions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:90Discussion:c3d70308-acdc-416c-81df-e7e149538c04Post:42c13cff-1256-435f-a813-60f64a111f55">Re: NWR: Car Suggestions</a>:
[QUOTE]My last 3 cars have been Nissans and I love them. I had an Xterra that had 150,000 miles on it and had no problems. I just took it in for routine maintenence and that's it. Those are a little more expensive....but I also had an Altima that you can get the basic model for just over 20K. The Altima got excellent gas mileage and was a great car. I only had it for a few years because I traded it in for a Rogue which I have now. We got all 3 of those at Meadowlands Nissan and worked with a salesman Bill. He was awesome and they gave us great deals each time!
Posted by goaliegirl[/QUOTE]

How do you like your Rogue? I'm turn between a Rogue and the GMC Acadia.

jcg98 · June 2011

I miss my Honda. I had a '99 Civic (bought it new for $16K) for 10 years and at 216,000 miles it was still going strong, but my grandfather offered to help me get something newer and it was an offer I couldn't refuse. I still got $1000 trade-in value on my Civic (amazing since there was damage on the fender). I really wanted a Honda CR-V but ended up with an '07 Hyundai Sonata with only 10K miles on it. I like my Sonata, it gets good gas mileage and is much roomier than my Civic.

Raeven79 · June 2011

As someone who is looking for a similar car and is in a similar situation, I am finding this useful. Unfortunately, now is not the best time to buy b/c of the economy (more people holding on to used cars driving up cost of new) and b/c of the situation in Japan (fewer cars, higher prices). I had no intention of buying new, but I want a piece of mind and certified used cars are coming in only moderately lower than the new cars right now. I would just say to be somewhat flexible in what you want. Have a first choice, but be willing to go w 2nd if it's going to be too difficult to secure or too expensive.

goaliegirl · June 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_new-jersey_nwr-car-suggestions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:90Discussion:c3d70308-acdc-416c-81df-e7e149538c04Post:f7f42170-2cfd-47fb-830f-356a3edfa082">Re: NWR: Car Suggestions</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: NWR: Car Suggestions : How do you like your Rogue? I'm turn between a Rogue and the GMC Acadia.
Posted by NJgurl19[/QUOTE]

I love the Rogue! It is a great car and gets very good gas mileage for a small SUV. We wanted to get something a little bigger for the baby and the Rogue is perfect. It isn't huge but not small. Plenty of space in the back for his stroller and other stuff. I have only had it since January so no problems with it as of yet, but like I said earlier I have had 2 other Nissans before this and never had any problems.

diamondx423 · June 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_new-jersey_nwr-car-suggestions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:90Discussion:c3d70308-acdc-416c-81df-e7e149538c04Post:8024fb64-ca59-4456-b9ca-dce47248486f">Re: NWR: Car Suggestions</a>:
[QUOTE]As someone who is looking for a similar car and is in a similar situation, I am finding this useful. Unfortunately, now is not the best time to buy b/c of the economy (more people holding on to used cars driving up cost of new) and b/c of the situation in Japan (fewer cars, higher prices). I had no intention of buying new, but I want a piece of mind and certified used cars are coming in only moderately lower than the new cars right now. I would just say to be somewhat flexible in what you want. Have a first choice, but be willing to go w 2nd if it's going to be too difficult to secure or too expensive.
Posted by Raeven79[/QUOTE]

you're right about everything. we actually went to two different hyundai dealerships and neither had the accent, and only one had an elantra on the lot. it was also a 2011 since they were out of all the 2012s. even though they didn't redo the car, come trade in a 2011 vs a 2012 will make a difference. the dealership also was not willing to negotiate because of how fast the cars are selling.

we're most likely going with a honda civic (even though I had to convince FI to stop at the dealership). for the gas mileage and all the features the price is the same as the elantra, however there are many 2012 civics in stock so there is room for negotiation. they're also running 0.9% apr through july 5th for 48-60 months at honda right now.

thank you for all your suggestions! it was a long night and today will probably be a long day of deliberating and (hopefully) purchasing. i don't like being a one car family at all!

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