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2009 Corolla, Mazda 3, Civic or Sentra ?

Mazda 3 hands down the best sub-compact car. I currently own one and will want to own the new generation as nothing beats it. Unless... I get richer then I'll move on to something like BMW :D

Corolla - Reliably boring.
Civic - Spaceship Fuel efficiently boring.
Sentra OR Versa - Just don't even think about it.

However each car serves different needs. If you honestly don't care about driving, and driving to you is A-B, then Corolla will be fine. If you absolutely care about the highest MPG and save every penny for gas and willing to sacrifice fun, then get the Civic. But mind you, I've driven the Civic and as soon as I go over 120km/h (70mph) it feels like I am floating and I totally lose the sense of control.

To me, driving is all about the enjoyment. I sure want every second of my life to be fun, even during a daily commute from A to B. And believe it or not, I've driven my 3 for 2 years and I still get excited every time I hop on to drive. Everyday feels like the first day I got this car. And no other car have ever given me this experience yet. That gotta mean something!

dL
 
In europe the Mazda 3 is basically a Ford Focus. Don't know about america though.

Mazda is a good car. Almost as good as a Focus (in europe) but lacking slightly.

Corolla's are good too, maybe a little more boring but very reliable.

Civic's used be more sporty but i don't really like the new one. Seen too many broken down too.

Stay away from Nissan... very boring :D

I'd go Corolla or Mazda, basically take both for a test ride and see which you like more.
 
TBi said:
Stay away from Nissan... very boring :D
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Not more boring than Toyota or Honda. Mazda is the sportiest one of the main Japanese car companies, followed by Nissan, which has a mix of sporty and utilitarian cars. All Toyotas are boring.

Having said that, the Sentra is supposed to be boring.
 
Mazda 3 for most entertaining, for dead nuts reliability get the Civic.. a Si sedan would be loads of fun but the 3's hatch back is worlds more useful
 
I've test driven all of them, and almost bought a 2010 Mazda 3 (hatchback).

Then I found out I could get the 2009 MAZDASPEED 3 GT (their unfortunate use of caps, not mine) for over 20% off MSRP. And so, a few days ago, that's exactly what I got. I love it.

However, its mileage is not great, and it requires 91 or better gas, so it wouldn't suit your needs. The 2010 Mazda 3, though, fits your needs and, while perhaps not as economical to drive as the others, it will be far more enjoyable to drive and not cost a lot more in gas. If it were me, I'd take fun and pretty darned economical over not-as-fun and very economical.

What impressed me about the 2010 3 were, among other things, the excellent horsepower in its class as well as the incredibly quiet (again, for its class) ride.
 
jsw said:
I've test driven all of them, and almost bought a 2010 Mazda 3 (hatchback).

Then I found out I could get the 2009 MAZDASPEED 3 GT (their unfortunate use of caps, not mine) for over 20% off MSRP. And so, a few days ago, that's exactly what I got. I love it.

However, its mileage is not great, and it requires 91 or better gas, so it wouldn't suit your needs. The 2010 Mazda 3, though, fits your needs and, while perhaps not as economical to drive as the others, it will be far more enjoyable to drive and not cost a lot more in gas. If it were me, I'd take fun and pretty darned economical over not-as-fun and very economical.

What impressed me about the 2010 3 were, among other things, the excellent horsepower in its class as well as the incredibly quiet (again, for its class) ride.
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I love the 'Speed3. My biggest concern is that it is pushing a lot of power to the front wheels, and torque steer is a beast. They should have made it AWD, like the Speed6. But I still want one. :)

I agree with what you said about the 3 being more fun. It's what drew me to my first Protege. I had test driven models like the Corolla and Civic, and I found them good, but expensive and boring. See, I don't view my car as an appliance. I like to enjoy what I drive Then I drove the Protege on a nice, curvy backroad, and I was hooked. The same is true with the 6. I finally found one with the V6 and manual transmission, and I loved it. I didn't think a mid-sized FWD sedan could be that much fun to drive.
 
steve2112 said:
I love the 'Speed3. My biggest concern is that it is pushing a lot of power to the front wheels, and torque steer is a beast. They should have made it AWD, like the Speed6. But I still want one. :)
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They've apparently reduced the torque steer issues in the '10 version of the SPEED, but, honestly, I don't think it's that bad. It's certainly not unmanageable. :)
steve2112 said:
I agree with what you said about the 3 being more fun. It's what drew me to my first Protege. I had test driven models like the Corolla and Civic, and I found them good, but expensive and boring. See, I don't view my car as an appliance. I like to enjoy what I drive Then I drove the Protege on a nice, curvy backroad, and I was hooked. The same is true with the 6. I finally found one with the V6 and manual transmission, and I loved it. I didn't think a mid-sized FWD sedan could be that much fun to drive.
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My previous Mazda was a 1993 MX-6 V6. I had more fun driving that car than any since (the SPEED might become an exception), even though it was somewhat underpowered. I'm glad to get back to Mazda.
 
Well we all know japanese cards are reliable, so I would say you seem to be find with any of those. I have had a toyota before and it was fantastic...had it for 7 years and no problems.
 
I never meant in the history of automobiles. We're talking about new cars, and none of those are on the market right now.

If you can go to a Toyota dealership and find a car that isn't boring, then you're boring.
 
Scarlet Fever said:
I think Celica, Supra and MR2 want a word with you.
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+1 for me on this comment. Anyone that calls a Supra boring isn't seeing the big picture!!

TBi said:
Stay away from Nissan... very boring
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You've OBVIOUSLY never seen the inside of a Silvia or Skyline...:eek:

Just IMO; Honda has never let me down. Not once. Always suberb with gas mileage, PRICE, roomy, gadgets, etc. I've owned a civic hatch, a prelude, and acura's more recently [same deal though]. Go with the Civic, it's your best option....search your heart and you'll know this to be true. :D
 
Have you considered a Subaru Impreza hatchback? They are as fun to drive as a Mazda, albeit different dynamics. For me, the AWD is a wonderful wonderful thing on rainy and snowy days - the car is almost immune to bad weather.

If you remotely like the act of driving, do not, please, do not buy a Toyota (Toyota:driving :: Novocaine:teeth). And the suggestions for a Mazda are good ones, but it's the new smiley face air dam and lack of AWD that keep me away.
 
Given your preference for space, reliability and fuel economy my suggestion is either the corolla or civic.

Guys, he stated in the topic that he is looking for automatic transmission, base model and no-gimmicks which I interpret as "basic transportation".

You can't beat Toyota or Honda for their reliability. I don't know much about the current models and the mpg ratings but I'd take a fearless guess that they are well above 30 mpg.

OT, about the Supra...I miss this model so much. My brother-in-law had a TT model and I absolutely loved it (sadly, he sold it when he started his family). When I see a Supra now, they are all done horribly wrong and too over the top. (Wow, I must be getting old...I actually used to like import shows LOL)
 
Abstract said:
I never meant in the history of automobiles. We're talking about new cars, and none of those are on the market right now.

If you can go to a Toyota dealership and find a car that isn't boring, then you're boring.
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True that. Toyota's lineup at the moment is about as exciting as drowning. Toyota's current cars are so bland and devoid of character, it's depressing. They'll outlive cockroaches in a nuclear blast, but i'd rather use a pogo stick to get from A to B. It'd be more fun.
 
It's really bad when Toyota's most exciting design is the Matrix, and it's only exciting because the design is so awkward (in a good way that keeps you off your toes, IMO), rather than "beautiful", which would be more of a compliment. Everything else about it is still kinda sucky though.
 
Abstract said:
It's really bad when Toyota's most exciting design is the Matrix, and it's only exciting because the design is so awkward (in a good way that keeps you off your toes, IMO), rather than "beautiful", which would be more of a compliment. Everything else about it is still kinda sucky though.
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Toyota never really has had a soul when it came to design. They've always been theiving designs from other manufacturers, and on the rare occasion that they do come up with something original, it's usually hideous.
 
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