Minor update: Need suggestions for a new compact/midsize

[Pollock]

So here's the deal: my dad wants to unload two of our older, less reliable vehicles because he's tired of constantly having to take vehicles in for repair (we have several in our family). It's also partially because of the buyer-friendly climate, and that he wants to sell some of our investments before they lose a lot value.

So he wants to get two new vehicles, one for himself - a small SUV with 4WD, not AWD. I'm pretty sure he has his sights set on a RAV4.

He also wants to get a new car for me to drive in a few months when I move out of the dorms. I feel like it's a bad idea to have a new car on campus (besides the fact that it's spoiling), but there's nothing I can do to change his mind.

So I basically started with the Civic, Corolla, Mazda 3, and Focus. I wasn't impressed with the interior quality of the Focus, even though I'd be okay with buying a Ford.

So between the Civic, Corolla, and 3, what do you guys think? We've looked at all of them, and I think I prefer the Civic slightly, but the other two are both fine.

An important question is also: do you think we can get any sweet deals by buying two cars from the same dealer (i.e. RAV4 + Corolla)? Any must-have options or other opinions?

Update:
So the situation has changed a little. I guess my dad would rather hold off on the SUV. I've also been thinking about midsize sedans - reasonable? Yeah, fuel economy will suffer somewhat, but it'll be a nicer vehicle for not much more money.

I guess this opens it up to the likes of the Accord, Camry, Mazda 6, Fusion, Altima, others, in addition to the Civic and Mazda 3.

Thoughts?

 

[geokilla]

In order of preference, Mazda 3, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla. I haven't driven any of these cars though.

You could always trade in your old cars so you can get like a discount on your new car purchase.

 

[Kermy]

Mazda 3 unless MPG rating is important to you. I was in your situation a month or two ago. I went with the Civic over the 3 because I commute 90 miles a day 3 days a week.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

Originally posted by: geokilla
In order of preference, Mazda 3, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla. I haven't driven any of these cars though.

You could always trade in your old cars so you can get like a discount on your new car purchase.

perfect list, theres a car for anybody out of these 3 looking for high reliability, daily commuter, fuel efficiency.

of the 3 i'd say you CANNOT go wrong in any way with the civic. decent power, easy to drive, comfortable, high reliability, high resale value cheap to fix, high mpg.

go for it. maybe buy a cr-v with the civic and you'll get much better discounts.

the cr-v is a better compact suv than the rav4 anyway... read up on reviews comparing the two

 

[Pollock]

I wish he would consider the CR-V, but he is really miffed by the fact that it's not "true 4WD." He actually bought a 2008? RAV4 with 4WD for my brother, and while it is a nice vehicle, I feel like the Civic is superior to the Corolla. And I agree that some serious coin could be saved by buying a Civic and CR-V.

His explanation for wanting 4WD vs AWD is so that he can drive it to work in the winter (this is Columbus though, so I'm not sure how entirely necessary that is). Any kind of advice on this front?

 

[DivideBYZero]

Q: How is AWD worse than 4WD in the snow?
A: It isn't.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

the cr-v and the rav4 systems aren't much worse/better than each other. it should NOT make the rav4 a better buy than the class leading and class best selling cr-v

 

[Draftee]

The RAV4 is hardly any better at keeping good traction.
A Subaru Impreza is the best car for that money if want good road holding abilities. Either that or the Forester. You can try and get a discount with those 2 together.

The best value for money though would have to be the Civic.

 

[Vetterin]

Wait until next month and check out the Honda Insight.

 

[Arkaign]

Unless you have a need for a locking center diff, and the need for rock-crawling sort of abilities, true 4WD is not going to be better for winter driving for a typical passenger vehicle on typical journeys. As a matter of fact, the sophisticated traction control technologies available in AWD vehicles such as Subaru produces are probably superior for real-world winter driving than most true 4WD systems.

 

[Strk]

I'd say the Mazda 3, then the Civic. The Focus will probably give you the most incentives. I'd put it between the Mazda 3 and Civic purely because of the cost factor.

 

[Arkaign]

Mazda3 is definitely the nicest car of the bunch, but almost unfit to be part of the grouping, due to the higher cost, lower fuel economy, and heavier weight. Consider it a 'luxury/economy' hybrid. The Focus made the most sense to me, though I agree there are elements to the interior that are a bit spartan/cheap. I particularly dislike the doors. The dash is decent, and the center console and controls are pretty nice. It's the lightest of the bunch, and delivers excellent handling and road manners.

 

[zoiks]

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS

Originally posted by: geokilla
In order of preference, Mazda 3, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla. I haven't driven any of these cars though.

You could always trade in your old cars so you can get like a discount on your new car purchase.

perfect list, theres a car for anybody out of these 3 looking for high reliability, daily commuter, fuel efficiency.

of the 3 i'd say you CANNOT go wrong in any way with the civic. decent power, easy to drive, comfortable, high reliability, high resale value cheap to fix, high mpg.

go for it. maybe buy a cr-v with the civic and you'll get much better discounts.

the cr-v is a better compact suv than the rav4 anyway... read up on reviews comparing the two

Your posts are so damn annoying. Blatant fanboy hawkish.
OP, check the internet forums for problems on these cars.Corollas are really not that great inside. Civics have problems with interior noise.
Oh LOUISSSS, give it a rest about Japanese vehicles being cheap to fix. That simply is not true as Japanese parts tend to be more expensive. Don't get me started on mpg.

 

[Funyuns101]

there's a new mazda3 coming out this spring if you can wait a couple more months

 

[Strk]

Originally posted by: Arkaign
Mazda3 is definitely the nicest car of the bunch, but almost unfit to be part of the grouping, due to the higher cost, lower fuel economy, and heavier weight. Consider it a 'luxury/economy' hybrid. The Focus made the most sense to me, though I agree there are elements to the interior that are a bit spartan/cheap. I particularly dislike the doors. The dash is decent, and the center console and controls are pretty nice. It's the lightest of the bunch, and delivers excellent handling and road manners.

I'd say pricing out a Focus wouldn't be a bad idea. As you said, and the OP, it's interior isn't as good, but that can be compensated. It's almost a guarantee you will get the best deal on it.

The Mazda 3 S is still a nice car, but both that and the comparable Civic (EX would probably be the closest trim level to it), are over $19k. Even with the mid-range ones (i vs LX), you're still looking at around $17k once they're similarly equipped.

 

[InflatableBuddha]

If you're considering the Focus, you may want to give the Escape a test drive also to see if the "bulk discount" is a possibility.

 

[ElFenix]

i'm getting about 28.2 mpg on my mazda3 on a 6 fill moving average

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
i'm getting about 28.2 mpg on my mazda3 on a 6 fill moving average

2.0 or 2.3? Auto or Manual? Sedan or Hatch?

 

[StageLeft]

You can probably get deals. Forget honda/toyota, too expensive. Go for a mazda 3.

Also buy one barely used, then you still have gobs of warranty (mazda certified car should have 100k powertrain--at least my MPV did) and save a ton of money. Mazdas also fall quickly in resale vs honda/toyota, working to your benefit.

Per funyuns if there really is a new mazda3 coming out this spring, wait until it's in the show rooms and then pounce on a last-model, they'll be almost free.

 

[geokilla]

Originally posted by: zoiks

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS

Originally posted by: geokilla
In order of preference, Mazda 3, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla. I haven't driven any of these cars though.

You could always trade in your old cars so you can get like a discount on your new car purchase.

perfect list, theres a car for anybody out of these 3 looking for high reliability, daily commuter, fuel efficiency.

of the 3 i'd say you CANNOT go wrong in any way with the civic. decent power, easy to drive, comfortable, high reliability, high resale value cheap to fix, high mpg.

go for it. maybe buy a cr-v with the civic and you'll get much better discounts.

the cr-v is a better compact suv than the rav4 anyway... read up on reviews comparing the two

Your posts are so damn annoying. Blatant fanboy hawkish.
OP, check the internet forums for problems on these cars.Corollas are really not that great inside. Civics have problems with interior noise.
Oh LOUISSSS, give it a rest about Japanese vehicles being cheap to fix. That simply is not true as Japanese parts tend to be more expensive. Don't get me started on mpg.

I know you're not directing your post at me, but I have to say this. My friend has a 2008 Honda Civic EX (or LX, can't remember) and his car is quieter than our 2000 Volvo S70. Granted that our S70 is almost 9 years old, so the sound deadening material might be aging, like how plastic gets hard over time and what not.

@OP. You are considering the new Mazda 3 right? Or if you get a used one, get the hatchback. My friend has one and it's a REALLY good car. Only thing I don't like that I've observed while sitting in the passenger and the back is the fact that the leg room might be limited for certain people. Then again, a simple adjust on the seat's position would fix that.

As for getting a Focus...yea I don't like the design of the Focus. I don't like American cars that much. Yes I'm biased and I prefer Japanese cars over Canadian cars. Flame me if you want about this.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: geokilla

Originally posted by: zoiks

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS

Originally posted by: geokilla
In order of preference, Mazda 3, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla. I haven't driven any of these cars though.

You could always trade in your old cars so you can get like a discount on your new car purchase.

perfect list, theres a car for anybody out of these 3 looking for high reliability, daily commuter, fuel efficiency.

of the 3 i'd say you CANNOT go wrong in any way with the civic. decent power, easy to drive, comfortable, high reliability, high resale value cheap to fix, high mpg.

go for it. maybe buy a cr-v with the civic and you'll get much better discounts.

the cr-v is a better compact suv than the rav4 anyway... read up on reviews comparing the two

Your posts are so damn annoying. Blatant fanboy hawkish.
OP, check the internet forums for problems on these cars.Corollas are really not that great inside. Civics have problems with interior noise.
Oh LOUISSSS, give it a rest about Japanese vehicles being cheap to fix. That simply is not true as Japanese parts tend to be more expensive. Don't get me started on mpg.

I know you're not directing your post at me, but I have to say this. My friend has a 2008 Honda Civic EX (or LX, can't remember) and his car is quieter than our 2000 Volvo S70. Granted that our S70 is almost 9 years old, so the sound deadening material might be aging, like how plastic gets hard over time and what not.

@OP. You are considering the new Mazda 3 right? Or if you get a used one, get the hatchback. My friend has one and it's a REALLY good car. Only thing I don't like that I've observed while sitting in the passenger and the back is the fact that the leg room might be limited for certain people. Then again, a simple adjust on the seat's position would fix that.

As for getting a Focus...yea I don't like the design of the Focus. I don't like American cars that much. Yes I'm biased and I prefer Japanese cars over Canadian cars. Flame me if you want about this.

Hmm. The Focus is basically an international car. It's based on the MK1 / 1.5 Focus design that debuted from Ford UK in 1998, albeit updated significantly. It uses a Mazda powerplant, and other than some cosmetic work, is still a European/Japanese hybrid of design and parts.

Have you personally driven an '08+ Focus? The 2.0 Duratec is the same motor in the Mazda3i.

 

[Nyati13]

Originally posted by: Pollock
a small SUV with 4WD, not AWD. I'm pretty sure he has his sights set on a RAV4.

The RAV4 is an AWD vehicle regardless of what Toyota calls it, it's drivetrain runs 100% of torque to the front wheels until it registers slippage, then it pushes torque to the rears. It has a button to switch the system into 50%/50% at low speed (below 25mph).

Compare to the Subaru Forester that is 50%/50% at all speeds in the manual, and 50%/50% in 1st and 2nd gear, then 90%/10% in 3rd and 4th gear, and able to push as much as 100% to either axle.

 

[Pollock]

I thought the Mazda 3 was actually around the same price as a Corolla or Civic when similarly equipped (~$17,000 is what I've been looking at). But it still stands that it's almost certainly a superior deal to buy two cars from one dealer, and I don't know anything about the CX-7.

For what it's worth, I'd prefer a manual, but those are apparently nearly impossible to find (one, maybe two cars per dealer). Should I just give up on this front?

If it was me, I would buy slightly used, but that's not how my dad operates. Waiting for the new Mazda 3 or the Insight (I've thought about both) isn't really any option, either - we've been looking for a few weeks, and I think he wants to buy in the next couple.

But I did like the 3, only thing is, it probably won't happen. I'd be fine with a Corolla or Civic if it meant saving a couple thousand or something. Civic preferred, of course.

Anything else on the RAV4 vs CR-V?

 

[LOUISSSSS]

Originally posted by: Pollock
I thought the Mazda 3 was actually around the same price as a Corolla or Civic when similarly equipped (~$17,000 is what I've been looking at). But it still stands that it's almost certainly a superior deal to buy two cars from one dealer, and I don't know anything about the CX-7.

For what it's worth, I'd prefer a manual, but those are apparently nearly impossible to find (one, maybe two cars per dealer). Should I just give up on this front?

If it was me, I would buy slightly used, but that's not how my dad operates. Waiting for the new Mazda 3 or the Insight (I've thought about both) isn't really any option, either - we've been looking for a few weeks, and I think he wants to buy in the next couple.

But I did like the 3, only thing is, it probably won't happen. I'd be fine with a Corolla or Civic if it meant saving a couple thousand or something. Civic preferred, of course.

Anything else on the RAV4 vs CR-V?

say i "troll" all you want, but its pretty obvious that the cr-v dominated the compact suv market.

OP, please convince your brother to get the cr-v, its a better car than the rav4. but if you can't just get yourself the civic + the rav4 for him. both are genuinely good cars and are the TOP contenders in their respective class.

tell him to at least take a look and to get a price quote on buying the cr-v+civic at the same time. see what kind of deals he'd get first..

 

[LOUISSSSS]

Originally posted by: zoiks

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS

Originally posted by: geokilla
In order of preference, Mazda 3, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla. I haven't driven any of these cars though.

You could always trade in your old cars so you can get like a discount on your new car purchase.

perfect list, theres a car for anybody out of these 3 looking for high reliability, daily commuter, fuel efficiency.

of the 3 i'd say you CANNOT go wrong in any way with the civic. decent power, easy to drive, comfortable, high reliability, high resale value cheap to fix, high mpg.

go for it. maybe buy a cr-v with the civic and you'll get much better discounts.

the cr-v is a better compact suv than the rav4 anyway... read up on reviews comparing the two

Your posts are so damn annoying. Blatant fanboy hawkish.
OP, check the internet forums for problems on these cars.Corollas are really not that great inside. Civics have problems with interior noise.
Oh LOUISSSS, give it a rest about Japanese vehicles being cheap to fix. That simply is not true as Japanese parts tend to be more expensive. Don't get me started on mpg.

getting any japanese car fixed in NYC is cheaper than getting any american car fixed. THERE ARE ALSO BETTER AFTERMARKET PARTS offeref for those who wish to tune their compact cars (for reasons such as power gain, smoother ride, higher fuel eficiency)

and please, GET STARTED ON MPG. and please start at my Honda Accord V6 gets 34 mpg on the highway with 4 adult male passengers + luggage for 5 days
also please finish with why we should buy american other than they are making good cars starting now," because that doesn't tell us ANYTHING until there have been some long term reliability tests released. which should, in turn, bring up resalve value right?