Best new car for....

[woodman1999]

.... $35,000 - $45,000

This seemed like a good place to start getting some advice on new car buying. My 15 year old Passat is slowly rotting away with broken bits showing up on a weekly basis not to mention a constantly drained battery (even after new replacement). It has seen better days, and I feel as though I am due for a new car.

Location: New Jersey
Family: Wife + 2 kids both still in car seats
Desires: New Car, Ample room (i am 6'4", 295 so would need something more than a Fiat), sedan (we have a Highlander), safety, rear legroom for carseats, ample cargo space for "stuff", safety, memory seats, remote start
Bias: None. "American"/Japanese/Korean/German are all fine if they meet my interests
Online looking: Chevrolet Impala, Buick Lacrosse, Hyundai Genesis, Honda Accord, Nissan Maxima, Toyota Camry, Audi A6 (pricey), Kia Optima.

I know test driving is where I will really get a feel, but I'd like to narrow my list down to 3 or so choices before dragging the family around to dealerships. My 1 year old will lose his mind if he has to get in and out of the car a lot.

Any suggestions would be much obliged.

 

[slatr]

http://www.toyota.com/avalon/

 

[woodman1999]

I haven't looked at the Avalon yet because for some reason I can't get the image of a cotton topped old lady driving it. Perhaps that is something I should deal with!

 

[pauldun170]

.... $35,000 - $45,000

This seemed like a good place to start getting some advice on new car buying. My 15 year old Passat is slowly rotting away with broken bits showing up on a weekly basis not to mention a constantly drained battery (even after new replacement). It has seen better days, and I feel as though I am due for a new car.

Location: New Jersey
Family: Wife + 2 kids both still in car seats
Desires: New Car, Ample room (i am 6'4", 295 so would need something more than a Fiat), sedan (we have a Highlander), safety, rear legroom for carseats, ample cargo space for "stuff", safety, memory seats, remote start
Bias: None. "American"/Japanese/Korean/German are all fine if they meet my interests
Online looking: Chevrolet Impala, Buick Lacrosse, Hyundai Genesis, Honda Accord, Nissan Maxima, Toyota Camry, Audi A6 (pricey), Kia Optima.

I know test driving is where I will really get a feel, but I'd like to narrow my list down to 3 or so choices before dragging the family around to dealerships. My 1 year old will lose his mind if he has to get in and out of the car a lot.

Any suggestions would be much obliged.

Before I make my recomendation...

If plan is to keep the car for awhile, drop the
Audi - Service costs and "Audi stuff" once past the initial perks of the first couple of years of ownership. These are lease cars...not buy cars. Some say they are worth the gamble but they are a known risk.
Optima - Dealership service centers tend to suck balls. Kia still hasn't learned how to put together a composed suspension.

Since you mentioned room, sedan and I'm assuming you haven't embraced the Minivan lifestyle so I won't lecture....

Screw it. Lost patience
Impala...Impala...Impala

Starting with the assumption that tall people are up front driving and that the little minions in the back will eventually start growing "legs" like Dad.

This is a battle between the Lacrosse, Avalon and Impala
Genesis\Accord\Maxima\ have less room in the back seat and one more shortcoming I will get to at the end.

Avalon is a wee bit wider. Lacrosse and Impala has more room for legs.
So if you had to decide between tall people and kinda tall fat people you would have a real head scratcher on your hands.

Why Impala should be on the top of the list.
Aside from the interior space advantage it has over the most cars in the segment it has one huge advantage over everyone else on the list.

The trunk.
Avalon interior is wider. Impala almost as wide, is longer and has a bigger trunk.
Lacrosse has close to the same interior space....but has a smaller trunk.
Everyone else....less room inside. Lots of itty bitty trunks campared to the Impala.

 

[Bubbleawsome]

The genesis G80 might be something you'd like, but I'm not sure the interior space on the new ones. Might want to test drive it

 

[woodman1999]

Before I make my recomendation...
snip....

Thanks for all the info. Did not realize Kia was so far off their game, and I had my suspicions about Audi as well. This is an own car as my wife doesn't love the idea of leasing.

On the topic of the wifey, she DESPISES the thought of a minivan, much to my chagrin. Shocking as it may be, it's me trying to push one on her. She just doesn't like the idea, probably similar to my mental issues with the Avalon.

I really do like the Impala and when I started this search it was one that interested me right off the bat. There's a Chevy dealership maybe 10 minutes from my house, so it's definitely convenient to go take a look at. The only issue I've really heard about is the poor rear windshield. It's apparently very small and vision is poor. I guess that's what the rearview camera would be for though...

Lacrosse is an interesting choice and a late entry to my options. Buick's reputation has gone up recently, so it may be worth a look. We liked the Enclave a lot when we were looking for SUV's, it just felt a bit truckish.


Bub, I tried to look online at a G80, but Hyundai's website doesn't seem to have a "Build and Price" option for it, unless i completely whiffed on it. Hyundai is close by though as well, so it may not be to much of a stretch to get out and take a look.

 

[Bubbleawsome]

I think this should link to a build and price.

 

[NutBucket]

Chevy SS.

 

[RockinZ28]

Would have thought AWD would be a consideration in NJ. I was thinking Ford Taurus SHO, Ford Fusion Sport, Acura TLX and Volvo S60.

 

[CA19100]

I bought a loaded AWD Ford Fusion Titanium last year, and couldn't be happier with it. Comfortable to ride in, plenty of power for me (240HP), and a very usable back seat. With nearly every option, including the automatic parking, adaptive cruise, heated/cooled front seats, inflatable rear seat belts, remote start, and more, it's a little under $38K sticker. I've had it for a little over a year now, and am just as happy with it as the day I drove it off the lot.

The only complaints I have are that the trunk, though large, has a somewhat narrow opening, and the city fuel economy is mediocre. (I expected that, and my driving style probably doesn't help it!) Otherwise, it's been a perfect car for me. I particularly like the remote start setup, as (in its default setting) it checks the temperature and either heats/defrosts everything, or cools it, as needed. That includes the seats, which is nice on a hot day with black leather!

If you want more power and have the budget to spare, the 325HP Sport model is supposed to be incredible, and is about $40K equipped similarly to the Titanium above.

 

[Yuriman]

Just going to throw out there that, of the three sedans suggested by pauldun170, the Avalon has the best fuel economy for its power, and is historically the single most reliable and problem-free vehicle sold in America, as per several sources and on several metrics. Here's Long Term Quality Index's chart for full-size sedans:

Mind you some of these vehicles have black marks for things that happened a decade or several generations ago, but Toyota consistently delivers.

 

[hans007]

i have a friend with a 2013 fusion (so same size as current one) and i have a new 2017 a4. so if an A4 is too small a fusion probably is too

the new A4 is almost as big as the a6.... i guess it might be worth at least sitting in (it feels a lot bigger than my 328i i just sold, then again i'm 5'11 and like 155 lbs).

i'd probably look into a charger or something. 8 speed ZF, pentastar engine which is supposedly pretty good (pretty sure its based on the same design as the current m276 mercedes engine in the C400/c450/c43 just without turbos) and its pretty big and probably decently fun

 

[woodman1999]

And here I thought I was down to 3 or so choices. Seems I need to be looking at Ford, Volvo, Dodge, and Acura as well. I will take a look at Audi, but as said before, there seem to be some more serious concerns with that car.

Yuri, I appreciate the chart. I see the Impala way down the list, but I have a sneaking suspicion that data includes the pre-2014 redo which, from what I've been reading, was a huge change that made the car significantly more reliable.

And AWD would be nice, but FWD is acceptable. Just no rear-wheel around here!

 

[Yuriman]

You're correct. Their index goes back something like 25 years, but if you visit their site you can break things down further and see when and where failures commonly occur.

 

[woodman1999]

I'd add to the above post, but this is a bit of a separate topic. Would you all consider Consumer Reports a reliable source of car reviews? I am using them right now as another starting point, but am wondering if they are worth using or not.

 

[woodman1999]

Thanks Yuri. Looks like the impala has improved as of late, which is a good sign...

 

[woodman1999]

I think this should link to a build and price.

Thanks!

 

[JulesMaximus]

I'd give the Lexus ES350 a look too. Typically they are well equipped and you can get them for around $5k off MSRP with a little negotiating.

Hyundai Genesis is a nice sled too. A friend of mine has one and he has been very happy with it.

 

[woodman1999]

The Genesis seems to get pricey fast, but I will keep at it.

Will take a look at the lexus too. Thanks!

 

[JulesMaximus]

The Genesis seems to get pricey fast, but I will keep at it.

Will take a look at the lexus too. Thanks!

Our ES350 had an MSRP of $45k and it had the navigation package plus the luxury package and the dealer knocked $5k off it without batting an eye.

 

[woodman1999]

Hopefully they are as helpful around here as well.

Wife and I are going to test drive the Impala Saturday during the kids nap time. Hopefully the poor rearview isn't a deal breaker.

 

[sontakke]

Definitely take a look at Charger SXT AWD. We had one for a week during our recent vacation. I am an import fanboy but Charger impressed the heck out of me. So much so, that I am now considering Chrysler Pacifica to replace the Odyssey.

You can get insane deals on FCA products if you shop around. Expect at least $6K off the MSRP without any haggle.

 

[NutBucket]

The problem is then you own a Dodge LOL.

 

[JulesMaximus]

The problem is then you own a Dodge LOL.

The problem is they're garbage and worthless the moment you sign the paperwork. Unless you pay cash for it you'll be upside down in it until you make the last payment.

 

[soulcougher73]

My choices would be the Avalon and Impala. I like the looks of both vehicles.