Followup from an earlier thread:
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=38&threadid=1892625
Here are my results:
2006 Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T GLI:
Pros: This car was awesome. Handling was top notch, had great pickup, and the mileage was still really good. The ride was great and it was a damn fun car to drive.
Cons: Price was a bit on the high end, and the seats are weird (they use a wheel to adjust tilt like on an old school Ford Taurus). Seats were a deal breaker for my wife.
2006 Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T:
Pros: Basically the same ride as the GLI, but with better options for seating.
Cons: Price was still high. Volkswagen quality has also been pretty questionable the past few years so I'm hestiant to buy one. I'm sure it will be fine for the first 2-3 years but I'm not willing to shell out lots of time/money later down the line when it inevitably has all the mechanical problems of a typical German car.
2006 Nissan Altima 2.5S and 3.5SE:
Pros: Good pickup/ride quality, and good prices.
Cons: Felt cheap and uninspiring. Just wasn't in the same category of quality as the other cars I test drove.
2006 Honda Accord V6
Pros: Great quality and good ride/suspension.
Cons: Price was high and it had an uninspiring interior. I used to have a 1994 accord and this car felt exactly the same. Nothing has changed about this car in 10 years. Its still the same old accord. Been there done that.
2007 Camry SE V6
Pros: Great ride and suspension (surprisingly!) and the interior was really nice. I was pretty sold on this car and started negotiating. Thats when the Cons came in.
Cons: Current inventory on this vehicle is extremely low. Most dealers will be lucky to have 1 or 2 on the lot. MSRP is currently about $5,000 over invoice. And the dealers do not budge much on price because of the inventory.
Cliffs: I need to get a new 4 door car. I test drove the Jetta, Altima, Accord, and Camry. Liked the Camry and Jetta best. Jetta quality is bothering me and Camry price is over budget. No decision made yet.
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=38&threadid=1892625
Here are my results:
2006 Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T GLI:
Pros: This car was awesome. Handling was top notch, had great pickup, and the mileage was still really good. The ride was great and it was a damn fun car to drive.
Cons: Price was a bit on the high end, and the seats are weird (they use a wheel to adjust tilt like on an old school Ford Taurus). Seats were a deal breaker for my wife.
2006 Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T:
Pros: Basically the same ride as the GLI, but with better options for seating.
Cons: Price was still high. Volkswagen quality has also been pretty questionable the past few years so I'm hestiant to buy one. I'm sure it will be fine for the first 2-3 years but I'm not willing to shell out lots of time/money later down the line when it inevitably has all the mechanical problems of a typical German car.
2006 Nissan Altima 2.5S and 3.5SE:
Pros: Good pickup/ride quality, and good prices.
Cons: Felt cheap and uninspiring. Just wasn't in the same category of quality as the other cars I test drove.
2006 Honda Accord V6
Pros: Great quality and good ride/suspension.
Cons: Price was high and it had an uninspiring interior. I used to have a 1994 accord and this car felt exactly the same. Nothing has changed about this car in 10 years. Its still the same old accord. Been there done that.
2007 Camry SE V6
Pros: Great ride and suspension (surprisingly!) and the interior was really nice. I was pretty sold on this car and started negotiating. Thats when the Cons came in.
Cons: Current inventory on this vehicle is extremely low. Most dealers will be lucky to have 1 or 2 on the lot. MSRP is currently about $5,000 over invoice. And the dealers do not budge much on price because of the inventory.
Cliffs: I need to get a new 4 door car. I test drove the Jetta, Altima, Accord, and Camry. Liked the Camry and Jetta best. Jetta quality is bothering me and Camry price is over budget. No decision made yet.