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car shopping...


Gixxus Christ!

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Time for a new 2nd vehicle for me and Mrs skullcrusher. Our budget is around $20k.

So far we've driven:

2012 kia optima, completely loaded, 20k miles, $19,900. We loved the electronics, the cockpit layout, the interior, trunk space etc and the motor/trans. It's not a CPOV so the warranty is only like 5 yr/60k and that's about all that's holding us back.

2014 Mazda 3:

Hated it.

2013 subaru legacy, 15 miles, $25,000

FANTASTIC motor/trans. Interior was nice, looks great but lacks a lot of the bells and whistles the kia had...no nav, no touch screen, no backup camera. It is a CPOV and has a 100k mile warranty...but the price is a little more than we want to spend.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Other vehicles to look at?

Edited by CrazySkullCrusher
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I like foreign cars. Even though I have an entire side of my family working for GM, I don't buy them. That being said, I drive rental cars just about every week and Avis tends to take care of me by giving me some of their better fleet. I cannot say enough good things about the Chevy Cruze. This car is spacious, great fuel consumption, fantastic leather interior, and drives like a champ. If I wanted a midsize sedan and didn't want to spend the coin in a 3 series or an Acura, I'd be in a Cruze. YMMV

Edited by C-bus
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I had a Cruze for a rental car a few weeks ago.  I though it felt like driving a go cart.  My GF has an Elantra, same size as the Cruze outside, but much more room inside.  I think the Elantra or Focus is going to be the best new car for $20K.

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Drove the elantra, liked everything but the motor...that thing was gutless.

We don't do base model, the Mazda 6 we want is out of our price range.

Will try the cruze and focus...but I'm weary of American cars...I've had problems before....

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Nothing but good things to say about our Impala. Full size room and power and still gets 30 mpg on the freeway. Mine is a 07 with 140k on the clock and I've put very little into it, other than the usual wearables maybe a couple nickel and dime things. I plan on buying another for our next car.

Edited by 2talltim
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I'd be cool with an impala but she doesn't like them...not sure why...

I think the new ones are sweet, waiting for more to hit the used market. My wife kind of turned her nose at them at first too, but now she loves it.
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I drive a 2013 Kia Soul and I like it.  The bluetooth was what sold me on it.  It's a + model, so the middle of the three trim levels.  I'd recommend it, if you're looking for a small car that doesn't look/feel like a small car.  The newer ones look a little fancier & updated on the outside.  I've got 40K on mine (that's heavy driving for a 2013 model year that I bought in 2012) and 0 problems so far.  With a nav screen, it'd be even nicer!  I have no experience with an Optima, but my car was around 19K new, so there'd be no need for a CPOV if you went new.

 

As for Subaru, I have no experience with a legacy, but my dad has had Forresters. The first one saved his life in an accident.  The second one just passed 200,000 miles with flying colors. (He's the kind of guy who has maintenance done on time, and by the dealership (LOL, he got a deal where if he doesn't miss any scheduled maintenance, they buy his tires for the life of the car!).

 

Good luck with the hunt!  Buying a new/used car is fun for some, and stressful for others.

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What are you looking for out of this vehicle?

 

There are a lot of things I wanted that I chose to live without.  I hate everything about my Corolla on paper, but I have not had any problems with it, and it gets 35+ mpg with the AC blasting.

 

If I were buying new, I think I would look at the Elantra or Forte.  I'd want to get the bigger engine and a 6-speed, but realistically, the base engine and an automatic are just better decisions if you're keeping it long term.

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Only input I have is be careful with Kia. Very good friend of mine bought the SUV last year...motor blew at 5,000 miles and Kia completely washed their hands of it because he had the oil changed at Jiffy Lube. Kia claimed the reason it blew was because it didn't have a Kia oil filter on it. Jiffy lube did extensive testing on the oil and filter that was on the vehicle and found no fault of theirs so they washed their hands of it. Long story short he had to file an insurance claim on the vehicle to get a new motor.

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Red, you only get 1 motor with the elantra. A 135 hp 1.8 i4.

 

There is also  2.0.

 

We bought a new 2013 1.8.   The reasons were the mpg and total cost of owning.  Elantras require little scheduled maintenance compared to others, which the gf liked alot.  40k on it now.  I would do it again.  

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Buick is out of our range. We are leaning heavily toward the subie after reading reviews for both it and the kia....lots of issues with the kia, major stuff breaking before 55k miles...not so much on the legacy. We also found another legacy with less miles for less money but not as high of trim package...

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You can get a used Verano or Regal under $20k fairly easy. I've been really impressed with my wife's Verano. If you want balls, look at the regal. Them bitches are surprisingly fun to drive

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I thought I saw a bunch of 2012 up. Under 45,000 mile under $20k when I was looking at sedans before finalizing an SUV was needed. My wife's is a base model and has heated leather, Bluetooth infotainment center remote start

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I have a '13 Kia Optima SXL and it's been a great car so far. Absolutely no problems and I'm getting very good mileage out of the 2.0L turbo. It's been one of my most favorite vehicles and I'll probably lease another one when this goes back. My wife has a '12 Mercedes c300 and I'll drive my Optima over her car any day of the week.

post-10359-14084740575917.jpg

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