BG Auto I summon thee. 1st time buying an actual car.

[Tokitoki]

Weird. Nice, but weird.

[Meresgi]

Test drove a few today. Finding it hard to beat Ford's rebates on the focus since it knocks the MSRP down to around 13k or so from what I qualify for. Test drove a Honda Fit, Toyotta Corolla and Scion xD. Corolla was decent, but pretty big and not into large vehicles really. xD gets shitty gas mileage for it being such a small vehicle so not sure wtf is up with that. I like the Honda Fit but price is kinda eh, and Honda doesn't do great rebates from what I have seen so far.

I might just end up with another Versa haha, the price is good and I like the car for the past 4 years i've owned one. Only issue I know is that stock rotors on them wear down and warp fast.

[Omniyoji]

Why oh why did Honda have to ruin the Fit's good looks just like the Civic hatchback....

[Kohan]

Test drove a few today. Finding it hard to beat Ford's rebates on the focus since it knocks the MSRP down to around 13k or so from what I qualify for. Test drove a Honda Fit, Toyotta Corolla and Scion xD. Corolla was decent, but pretty big and not into large vehicles really. xD gets shitty gas mileage for it being such a small vehicle so not sure wtf is up with that. I like the Honda Fit but price is kinda eh, and Honda doesn't do great rebates from what I have seen so far.

I might just end up with another Versa haha, the price is good and I like the car for the past 4 years i've owned one. Only issue I know is that stock rotors on them wear down and warp fast.

What's all this talk about "rotors" and "wearing down?" Clearly, if you're knowledgeable about beige boxes, you can't be passionate about cars overall. You don't know what you're talking about, obvs.

Have you considered trying a Mazda3? I believe that was mentioned in this thread at some point. If you have a Versa hatchback, and like that style, you could look for a Mazda3 hatchback, too.

[archibaldcrane]

Since you are looking right now, look at the 2014 models dealers are desperate to get rid of, not the 2015s at their peak price.

[Ksandra]

I liked my versa, fuck any haters. She would have been fine if I wasn't popping out a circus.

I will warn you if you DO expect kids, don't get a versa or mazda 3 or any of that.

Stroller takes up the whole trunk.

[Anakron]

Test drove a few today...

Which Corolla did you test? The base model (L) has a horribly outdated 4-speed transmission. The other ones have a CVT, which I'm not a big fan of either, but get slightly better MPG.

Do note that the Versa and Fit are one class below the Civic, Corolla, and Focus though. Their materials are noticeably cheaper (if you care about that sort of thing).

If you're considering the Civic and Corolla already, I really think you should give the Mazda 3 a try. It's slightly more expensive, but it has a hatchback version if that's a plus for you.

[Kohan]

Since you are looking right now, look at the 2014 models dealers are desperate to get rid of, not the 2015s at their peak price.

Just to stick to the Mazda3 point, one of those probably wouldn't fit his budget if he looked at 2014s. He'd probably have to go a good number of years older. Versas would work, of course, but I'd suggest getting a decently low mileage older yet higher quality car over purchasing another Versa. I like little econo boxes a lot—shit, you'd be really hard-pressed to find a car I don't like—but there's no real reason to not upgrade a bit.

[Meresgi]

Yeah only looking at 2014 models, seems Ford is trying to get them all gone due to the rebates and shit. No one had any mazda's up around me since I was only looking locally within 25mins or so. Corolla I drove was a LE, talking about setting up $225 a month payments before I did any haggling with the guy. Wasn't too impressed by the car really.

[Anakron]

Corolla I drove was a LE, talking about setting up $225 a month payments before I did any haggling with the guy. Wasn't too impressed by the car really.

Honestly, I'd be surprised to hear that anybody is actually impressed by a Toyota. They're cars for people that don't care about cars. They're decent enough, and gets you from A to B, but that's really it. Their quality cutting has become more and more apparent (at least in the Camry), so if anything, it surprises me that so many still buy their products when there are (IMO) so much better out there.

[Minions]

Honestly, I'd be surprised to hear that anybody is actually impressed by a Toyota. They're cars for people that don't care about cars. They're decent enough, and gets you from A to B, but that's really it. Their quality cutting has become more and more apparent (at least in the Camry), so if anything, it surprises me that so many still buy their products when there are (IMO) so much better out there.

Parents Honda Pilot (2011) burned out the motor at right around 100,000 miles. Out of warranty etc etc. Dealership said they couldn't figure out why it happened, and could tell that the oil had be changed on time. They gave a slight discount on a motor rebuild but still crazy. Mustang (2005) had all kinds of electrical issues that developed after a few years. Windows would stop rolling down randomly.... you would have to go to the drive through then open your door to order.... Both cars were new off the lot. Perhaps we just got stuck with Lemons? I'm very unimpressed so far regarding quite a few cars.... that said....

2005 Corolla still kicking. So far this car has Impressed me. These days it seems you are lucky to get 100,000 out of a car.... No issues so far with the car other than the window tint started pealing after about 6-7 years. Car will probably last until 200,000 miles or more. Cars that you can beat to hell and still function like the day you bought them are great investments. Cars devalue like crazy.... but if you actually plan to drive the hell out of them the price they are worth is irrelevant. Only things that bug me about my Corolla is it is a few years before Bluetooth was an option... so if I want to stream music I have to use a AM/FM transmitter. Also the hubcaps are annoying.... however cheap to replace. (You can get 4 caps for like $40 on amazon)

[Kohan]

Honestly, I'd be surprised to hear that anybody is actually impressed by a Toyota. They're cars for people that don't care about cars. They're decent enough, and gets you from A to B, but that's really it. Their quality cutting has become more and more apparent (at least in the Camry), so if anything, it surprises me that so many still buy their products when there are (IMO) so much better out there.

Interestingly, while I really respect the Corolla for being a dependable car, I actually agree that it's boring—and I normally take issue with normal, commonly-sold cars being called "boring." After all, it still takes good engineering, well-aimed marketing, and long-term product reliability to create a car that sells as well and as regularly as the Corolla. The same goes for the Civic, which is why I respect it so much. Meanwhile, I personally dream of classic American muscle, peppy imports (though I think JDM is a waste of money, but I'm a cheap ass)... and then I'm also enough of a nerd to wish I could drive this—but I've already said it'd be hard to find a car I didn't like.

I respect it, but I don't like the excessive dash and other accents in the cabin. That's the same problem I've got with, if I remember correctly, the 2010-2012 Honda Accord. There's so much plastic in the cabin, and it's not even appealing. The feeling of excess in the Corolla really comes across as a mismatch. It doesn't feel middle-ground, it feels low-end. Then there's the four cylinder engine, which performs crappily when it's trying to move around almost two and a half tons of weight. Still, it sells, and it is dependable, so I guess a lot of people don't mind.

[Quixon]

If you want an appliance to get back and forth to work there is nothing better than a Corolla. If you want ANYTHING else out of your vehicle, don't bother with a Corolla. They are the kings of mediocrity. They check just enough boxes for the majority of the population who knows nothing about cars and just needs something reasonably priced to commute. Then when you retire and want something more comfortable, you pick up a Camry for slightly more money lol.


The focus is nice. I've been looking at picking up the ST as a daily driver for a couple months now. Big rebates on those as well now. I do once again recommend at least test driving the Mazda 3, and if you can deal with a smaller vehicle the Mazda 2. They are generally more fun cars to drive, and if you can swing a new Mazda3..... man those cars are great. They are a reason they are best in their class, as is the mazda 6. Tons of tech in the car, phenomenal gas mileage, a really sharp looking vehicle overall, and really good reliability.

[Plow]

The Focus and the Mazda 3 are really really similar cars still pulling from the Mazda+Ford era of mx6/probe, the Mazda is a tiny bit nicer, but if you're satisfied with a 3 you'd probably be satisfied with a Focus as well if that's where the best deal is.



Also in that price range, a Kia Optima from just a year or 2 ago should be down there and you'd be getting a car that's a couple classes up for the same money due to Kias getting shit on in the resale market. It is a bit bigger, but you'll still get ~25mpg.

[Quixon]

The 3 is more driver focused. Tighter steering, tighter suspension, etc. The Focus is more appliance.... well Focused. I like the Mazda3 better than the focus on pretty much all levels. However, I do like the Focus ST much more than the most recent Gen Mazdaspeed 3 by a fair margin. The FocusST has a great suspension and tech that almost completely kills Torque Steer in the car, really nice for FWD with power behind em.


OP Keep in mind when you are shopping for deals, the vehicles on finance special are on sale for a reason. That is why you won't ever see much of a finance deal on Hondas. All of their models aside from the huge SUVs (Pilot I think?) sell very well, so Honda has no reason to offer any finance/lease deals on them. Toyota is very similar. You can usually find some deals on the Mazda3 due to Mazda being a lower volume manufacturer, they use the finance deals to entice people away from sticking with "Brand X". Their deals are OK, nothing special by any means like 0% for 60 months or anything of that nature.

[Plow]

The 3 is more driver focused. Tighter steering, tighter suspension, etc. The Focus is more appliance.... well Focused.

Is it really? I thought the numbers on base 4 doors were like identical.

[Ksandra]

At this point OP should do that $99 month lease on an altima, save up some money, pop out some babies, and get a minivan.

[Meresgi]

At this point OP should do that $99 month lease on an altima, save up some money, pop out some babies, and get a minivan.

Babies never gonna happen, unless you're now renting your services for childcare lol.

Versa has tons of room, ill just stuff any kids if I do have them in the trunk.

[Anakron]

If you want an appliance to get back and forth to work there is nothing better than a Corolla. If you want ANYTHING else out of your vehicle, don't bother with a Corolla. They are the kings of mediocrity. They check just enough boxes for the majority of the population who knows nothing about cars and just needs something reasonably priced to commute. Then when you retire and want something more comfortable, you pick up a Camry for slightly more money lol.

This is the issue I have with Toyota. They're basically coasting on their reputation, doing just enough to stay somewhat competitive, and relying on their history (and often ignorant/apathetic customers) to get them sales. As recent as 2012/2013, the RAV4 and Corolla were still using a 4-speed automatic transmission. That's just inexcusable with today's technology and engineering.

I do have to say that their new Avalon is pretty nice, though.

And I recall that the Mazda and Ford partnership on the 3s and 6s ended with the previous generation. The new models were developed by Mazda exclusively.

You can look for what manufacturer incentives are available here: http://www.edmunds.com/car-incentives/

[Melena]

Babies never gonna happen, unless you're now renting your services for childcare lol.

Versa has tons of room, ill just stuff any kids if I do have them in the trunk.

Versa has tons of room? Are you and your gf midgets? I'm stuck with a Versa as a rental while my car is in the shop and I feel more cramped in that thing then I did with my 08 Civic I traded in. I will say though that it drove better than the 14 Impala I rented earlier this month though.