Car Shopping 2

Some time ago I posted a little write up about looking for another car to replace my 3.2 TL.

At the time I was considering several high performance near-lux cars ( CTS, G35, TL, G8) but with gas going out of sight I have done some re-thinking and am now looking at more economical transportation.

I went through the usual suspects:

Toyota Corolla... I, unlike its owners, actually like to drive, like its bigger brother the Camry this car is about as interesting as watching the grass grow...good car, well built, Boorrring.. zzzz

Hundyai Elantra, Decent value, but any goodies take that away and much like the Toyota a dullard to drive

Toyota Prius, my mom has one of these, great gas miliege, Jetsons shape, big interior, needlessly complex gadgets, handles like a clumsy minivan, not exactly uh fun, like most other Toyotas, well built, dull as dirt and even at with gas at 4 dollars a gallon would require 8 years of ownership to break even on the costs compared to other small cars

Honda Civic Hybrid, sharp looking, love the wheels, my wife has a 2003 and it has been very dependible. Great gas mileage also but with a smaller electric motor than the Prius 0-60 requires the patience of Jobe and Passing is an exercise in strategic planning,

Colbalt and G5: Not in the running, until GM can get these built with something other than UAW labor, these cars will always be red-headed step children next to the Japanese and Korean cars. Noisy engine, cheap grade plastics, subpar handling and ride comfort.

Ford Focus: It does not drive as well as the previous generation model and the coupe frankly reminds me too much of an 80's two door Tempo, Nothing stands out here other than the gimicky voice command system.

Nissan Sentra: not really a standout in any area, and the shrunken Altima styling just does not work. Its a box on wheels, Ditto the Versa

Honda Civic EX coupe: now we are talking, an econo car that drives well, gets 36mpg on the hwy, and looks great going down the road. I had a 94 EX and sold it with 125K on the odometer and zero Maintenance issues. The sedan adds some room on top of everything else.

Mazda 3, A killer in this class, the Hatchback has great cargo space, a strong for its class engine, with plenty of torque, fantastic chasis tuning, upscale seats and interior and a lot of cool features.

So it looks like either the Civic EX or the 3 Hatchback, I will keep y'all posted

I vote for the Mazda 3!! Cool car.

Me, too...Mazda 3 all the way!!!

I vote for the honda, but only because there is a honda plant in my town. Good luck car shopping.

I'm looking at getting the Honda myself. My dad has had his honda accord since 92 or 95 one of those with only minor troubles (stuff gets old!) and the Honda that you're talking about did really well in the consumer reports rating. Keep us updated!

I have actually had 3 Hondas: an 87 Prelude, a 94 Civic Ex 2 Door and my Current 2000 Acura 3.2 ( Acura is owned by Honda and the 3.2 is a fancier version of the accord sedan) All have been very reliable, well engineered cars. Recently my Dad-in-Law bought an '08 Accord Ex--V6 a very roomy and luxuriously riding car.

The Civic has always been a great value, but I really like the fact the Mazda 3 has the 5 door configuration which is not offered on the Civic ( the CRV is too big for my needs) and from what I understand the 3 is the closest thing to a BMW for under 22K,

I will definately drive both cars to see which I like better

I appreciate everyone's opinion

Yeah, I vote for the Honda! I have an accord LX that is from 1992 and it is still kicking at 228,000 miles!

The Mazda does have a NIIICE look to it and sounds like a really good car, though!

Hmmm, now you got me thinking cuz I am gonna get a new car, too in the next few months!

We HAD to have an Alfa Romeo because it was the only option and very cheap off a friend. Our old car died on us a few weeks ago.

It is doing nothing for our carbon footprint unfortunately and i feel rather guilty driving it. It is too sporty for me, give me a small economical car anyday. In an ideal world i would go back to riding a horse everywhere, but i would be the laughing stock in the city

Jin

I say go for the Honda - I have a 99 Civic SI and I love it. It has just over 100,000 km on it and aside from regular maintenance / oil changes I haven't had to do a thing to it. It get's great mileage and has really good pickup.

--splitimage

The current SI is a sweetheart and a blast to drive, very cool car, awesome seats and now is available in both body styles.

I would love to have that one, but my poor old wife is terrified of a stick shift and one of my parameters is that she has to be able to drive it ):

I am also a big fan of the Mazdaspeed 3, the WRX and the Lancer EVO. all are fantastic cars.

TJ

If you can swing the money on it and you want to replace your accord, have a look at the 2008, My dad in law got an EX-V6, its very nice, lots of standard features and silky ride on the hwy. The EX-4 is a bit less expensive and a sweet ride in its own right.