Help Me Decide On A New Car!

[quagmire]

well, to be fair both the subaru and civic got the "good" rating whereas the cobalt merely gets "acceptable". I definitely like subarus too.

I am calling the Civic a marvel given the engineering that has gone into it's frame (crash test videos), the engineering that has gone into it's legendary motor (consistently strong reliability), refinement of the interior (the dashboard looks like star trek without being cheesy), the incredible fuel economy, the incredible feel during driving, the quietness during driving

.... all at an incredible price. To me, that's a marvel of engineering. I don't think there is a single new car that you can get that price that meets all those criteria.

If I lived in a snowy or wet place, I'd definitely consider the Subaru, but given it's lackluster fuel economy, the civic makes more sense.

Again, it is a well engineered car, but hardly an engineering marvel.

There are few cars today that I would call an engineering marvel and the Civic is definitely not one of them. The latest marvel would have to be( and I can't believe I am saying this due to their boring products in the past decade) is the Lexus LF-A.

Here's one model I'll really consider:

2011 Ford Fiesta hatchback (North American model):

Given Ford's much-improved reliability of late, I'm seriously considering getting the new Fiesta hatchback with the Powershift dual-clutch automatic to replace my 1998 Honda Civic HX coupe.

The Fiesta more goes against the Fit, Aveo, Yaris, etc.


Anyway, the Fiesta is a good car. The engine is a bit weak when it comes to passing on the highway( from a review I saw about it),but the 30 MPG city/40 MPG HWY fuel economy makes up for it.

 

[SactoGuy18]

Anyway, the Fiesta is a good car. The engine is a bit weak when it comes to passing on the highway( from a review I saw about it),but the 30 MPG city/40 MPG HWY fuel economy makes up for it.

One thing Ford has talked about is eventually switching to direct injection for the Ti-VCT 1.6-liter gasoline engine. That will bump up the power to the 124-125 bhp range, and also improve acceleration times because a direct-injected engine has stronger acceleration. Ford is looking at a 1.4-liter Ecoboost engine with about 140-142 bhp for a more "sporting" model down the road, and that could make the Fiesta a real fun car to drive, especially since the suspension setup is already so good.

 

[quagmire]

One thing Ford has talked about is eventually switching to direct injection for the Ti-VCT 1.6-liter gasoline engine. That will bump up the power to the 124-125 bhp range, and also improve acceleration times because a direct-injected engine has stronger acceleration. Ford is looking at a 1.4-liter Ecoboost engine with about 140-142 bhp for a more "sporting" model down the road, and that could make the Fiesta a real fun car to drive, especially since the suspension setup is already so good.

I hope the 2012 Aveo brings its A game to go against Fiesta.

 

[Jaro65]

man to the people posting about chevrolet interiors:

Chevy made great cars in the 60's. In this millenium, it's safe to say that in general Chevy's are less reliable, less well designed, and less efficient compared to Toyota and Honda. If you're concerned that the Camry's interior is bland, go for a honda civic. seriously the interior and exterior of the current honda civics are TIMELESS designs!

Agreed. The Civics really look great. Nice clean lines and they have superb reliability. Having said that, OP stated that he doesn't want a Civic. With that in mind, I would definitely recommend a new Mazda 3 as compared to an older Nissan.

 

[JonathanLB]

Yes, I've ridden in a Camry, it is the most boring, uninspired car I've ever been in. Sorta like all Toyotas since they scrapped the MR2.

This is the best comment in this thread. If you think a Camry is a cool vehicle, you are seriously a really boring person, and I don't mean that offensively. Maybe you're very safe and frugal, you care about practical issues like gas mileage and safety and all of that, but you probably aren't exactly considered a trend-setter in your circle

Part of me is astonished / disgusted by the sheer number of boring, pretty much terrible looking cars out there, which is about 98% of them, and the other part of me says wow what a great world where everyone buys such lousy cars that my car stands out! Because what if every car was gorgeous and fast, then it wouldn't be so special. At the same time, my logical mind cannot really understand why people buy such boring cars. I have seen, for instance, several really good looking SUVs with kind of a predator sort of look to them, aggressive, well styled, etc. Why would anyone buy a box-like Element if they could get a better looking SUV? And when I see something as boring as a Camry, I'm not just surprised and shocked that it can sell hundreds of thousands of cars, I'm surprised it can sell even one! In a perfect world, customers would take one look at these horribly boring vehicles and say, "Uhh, no, try again." It obviously doesn't cost a ton of money to make a decent-looking body to a car, even if it is slow, so why they can't do better than this I have no clue. Maybe it really is the case that most people are so boring that they actually like things that are also boring? I don't know.

In any case, I got a new car a few weeks ago, Camaro 2SS, rally yellow with black racing stripe (Transformers Edition), and there's nothing more fun than having a very fast V8 6.2L engine under the hood and knowing I can basically smoke / pass every car on the road with me except a new Corvette or some after-market-modified ricer perhaps, and the obvious usual suspects like Ferrari, Lambo, etc. But how often do I see those cars on the road? Not often. And all of the boring Civics and Camry's out there are probably why I get so much attention in this car, waves, thumbs up, girls saying, "Nice car!" and basically can't stop at a gas station without getting bugged. I'm 3 for 4 so far with refueling it and getting someone coming up to me and saying something about it or taking a picture of it, haha, it's funny.

And PS, Jaro: No, the Civics do not look great. They are one of the most boring cars in the world, a total Happy Meal on wheels. It's like exact mediocrity, not a bad car at all, works well, sells great, and does the basics, but also nothing more than that, so basically complete mediocrity.

 

[YS2003]

I will vote for a Mazda 3. As a owner for both Nissan and Mazda, I find both car companies make quality vehicles for each price segment. I was torn among a Mazda 2, Mazda 3, and others when I was shopping for a new car about a few weeks ago. I ended up with a Mazda 2 as I did not want to spend extra money on a 3 as I already have a weekend car. But, I wanted to have a fun car to drive even though I did not want to spend too much money. I went for Mazda over Nissan. If not, I would have picked a Mazda 3 as it is a fun car drive while being practical as a daily driver.

 

[puma1552]

Although this is an old thread, it's too bad nobody can spell CamAro worth a damn.


(EDIT: A few people got it right)

 

[RandomNinjaAtk]

Mazda 3 all the way! I had a 2010 3, but then I got my career going, so I took the hit and upgraded to a Mazdaspeed 3 2010. Best cars I've ever owned. And so much fun to drive . Get a manual! Manual = More fun!

 

[ddrnrgonxtc]

the Z

 

[Eclipse278]

This is the best comment in this thread. If you think a Camry is a cool vehicle, you are seriously a really boring person, and I don't mean that offensively. Maybe you're very safe and frugal, you care about practical issues like gas mileage and safety and all of that, but you probably aren't exactly considered a trend-setter in your circle

Part of me is astonished / disgusted by the sheer number of boring, pretty much terrible looking cars out there, which is about 98% of them, and the other part of me says wow what a great world where everyone buys such lousy cars that my car stands out! Because what if every car was gorgeous and fast, then it wouldn't be so special. At the same time, my logical mind cannot really understand why people buy such boring cars. I have seen, for instance, several really good looking SUVs with kind of a predator sort of look to them, aggressive, well styled, etc. Why would anyone buy a box-like Element if they could get a better looking SUV? And when I see something as boring as a Camry, I'm not just surprised and shocked that it can sell hundreds of thousands of cars, I'm surprised it can sell even one! In a perfect world, customers would take one look at these horribly boring vehicles and say, "Uhh, no, try again." It obviously doesn't cost a ton of money to make a decent-looking body to a car, even if it is slow, so why they can't do better than this I have no clue. Maybe it really is the case that most people are so boring that they actually like things that are also boring? I don't know.

In any case, I got a new car a few weeks ago, Camaro 2SS, rally yellow with black racing stripe (Transformers Edition), and there's nothing more fun than having a very fast V8 6.2L engine under the hood and knowing I can basically smoke / pass every car on the road with me except a new Corvette or some after-market-modified ricer perhaps, and the obvious usual suspects like Ferrari, Lambo, etc. But how often do I see those cars on the road? Not often. And all of the boring Civics and Camry's out there are probably why I get so much attention in this car, waves, thumbs up, girls saying, "Nice car!" and basically can't stop at a gas station without getting bugged. I'm 3 for 4 so far with refueling it and getting someone coming up to me and saying something about it or taking a picture of it, haha, it's funny.

Maybe 98% of people have figured out there are much more important things in life to spend their time and money on. For example, I don't give a single **** if you can "smoke" me off the line. I wouldn't race anyways because acting like a jackass on roads only gets people killed. And I'm certainly glad people don't pester me at gas stations. I like my car though, and I don't care if you think it's boring.

OP, you should keep driving the camry and save your money because after college, you're going to need it.

 

[DakotaGuy]

The new Taurus looks interesting, but the Focus is a relic.

It won't be a relic for long... The 2012 Focus will be a game changer in the U.S. small sedan market.

 

[Synchromesh]

In any case, I got a new car a few weeks ago, Camaro 2SS, rally yellow with black racing stripe (Transformers Edition), and there's nothing more fun than having a very fast V8 6.2L engine under the hood and knowing I can basically smoke / pass every car on the road with me except a new Corvette or some after-market-modified ricer perhaps, and the obvious usual suspects like Ferrari, Lambo, etc. But how often do I see those cars on the road? Not often. And all of the boring Civics and Camry's out there are probably why I get so much attention in this car, waves, thumbs up, girls saying, "Nice car!" and basically can't stop at a gas station without getting bugged. I'm 3 for 4 so far with refueling it and getting someone coming up to me and saying something about it or taking a picture of it, haha, it's funny.

Not all of us want a Camaro. You couldn't make me drive an American car unless it was something like a Vette/Viper and free at that. While I think new Camaro looks decent I would never buy one. That kind of attention from Law Enforcement is not something I desire.

And about how fast it is... Go to autocross. You'll be surprised how many small Japanese and European cars will whoop the Camaro's ass because they can CORNER. Something the Camaro (or Mustang) were never designed for.