rmd | YOUR OPINIONS. SHOW THEM TO ME.

So, I may be in the market for a new car as the Mini is dead. So here's a thread specifically to solicit people's opinion on what car models are awesome. Preferably car models you have actually had experience with as a driver or passenger.

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From:

milktree.livejournal.com

I recently went through kinda sorta what you're up against.

My requirements were: 5 doors, standard transmission, windows I can see out of (good visibility) not an SUV, gas mileage that doesn't suck. "doesn't suck" means to me "more than 30mpg", which isn't great, but I considered it a bare minimum.

I wanted to like the Prius, but... I hate it. Its handling was adequate, barely. The interior room is good, but visibility totally sucks. You can't see a damn thing behind you, or behind to the left or right. The "gas pedal" is seriously non-linear, as is the brake pedal. The computer thinks it's smarter than you are, so it does electrical "go" and "stop" before engaging the actual engine or actual brakes. It does it in a very disconcerting way, especially if you're coming from a car that has actual "good handling" and "good engine response". My car didn't, it was a '93 Accord wagon with 265k on it, but it was still way better than the Prius. I drove my parents' Prius for a couple weeks, and I found out why so many Prius drivers appear to be blind, stupid, asleep, or downright malevolent: The car doesn't do what you tell it to, so you can find yourself half way into an intersection with the car barely moving, and now you have to stomp on the gas to get the damn thing to move (that electric motor isn't enthusiastic) I got as high as 62mpg out of it, for a short while, but couldn't maintain it very long. When I drove like a normal person (with no consideration of fuel economy), I still got in the 40s. But those numbers are based on the car's ECU, which lies. My father tells me that he's only getting in the low 40s or high 30s (based on actual fill ups) even though the computer tells him he's getting in the high 40s to low 50s. It's also surprisingly noisy for such a slippery car with a small engine. My parents' car is a '10.

Honda Fit is a nice little car, I really like them, especially the current generation that has a telescoping steering wheel. But you (RMD) probably don't care about that, my legs are more than a little longer than yours. :) The fit has crazy amount of space in it for its outside dimensions, it's fun to drive, it gets quite good mileage if you drive reasonably, and decent mileage if you don't. It's got good windows you can actually see out of (in all directions) and although it's a little "teenager car" ish, it drives pretty well. The only reason I didn't get one is 'cuz you really really can't pull a trailer with one. The engine just won't do it.

Since "five doors and a standard transmission" is pretty hard to find, I of course looked at Subarus. Their death knell for me was the crap-tastic fuel economy. You're lucky if you get 30 out of one. I really liked the previous gen. Legacy wagon (not the outback, which is an SUV and handles like one) But finding one with a standard transmission was hard, and they still get poor fuel economy. The Forrester is easier to find with a manual, and it's a comfortable car (mostly, a little small in the legroom dept. for me) and the windows are fantastic, total fishbowl. Mileage was still a killer though. I've driven and ridden in the previous generation ('06) Impreza, and it's a nice car. There's space inside, you can get them with a manual (the one I drove wasn't) the windows don't suck, and they handle well. Don't get an automatic, the slushbox really saps the power from them.

I drove a Kia Forte Wagon, which handled quite well, has enough doors, good fuel economy, and a standard transmission. Its rear visibility isn't great though, you really have to get your mirrors just right and look carefully to make sure there's nothing there before changing lanes.

From:

milktree.livejournal.com

I drove a Mazda3 wagon, which I rather liked, better than the Forte, but it has the same "poor visibility" problem that nearly all new cars seem to have. The Mazda3 felt like it handled better than the Forte (or at least more comfortably for the same performance) and you can get them used.

I drove a Mazda5, which I really liked. It's built on the Mazda3 platform, so it's not a big car, despite its minivan styling. You can get them in a manual, lots of doors, good visibility, decent fuel economy, handles well (not spectacularly, but plenty good) and is comfortable. I didn't get one 'cuz I'm a little spooked by buying *BRAND NEW* vehicles, and I found something I wanted more.

I wanted to drive a Hyunda Elantra Touring (the wagon version) 'cuz it gets good reviews from car guys, and Hyundai has an increasingly good reputation for build quality and reliability. I never found one with a manual transmission to test drive before I stopped looking though.

The Honda Element is kinda... big. It feels big in all dimensions. I don't know how bit it actually is, but it feels like a big car, kinda bubbly. Drives fine, but sketchy mileage. If I needed a utility vehicle I'd look at one seriously, but not as an only car.

I drove a Scion xA (the small one) and... too damn small. Too tinny, kinda harsh on the pavement bumps. It seemed well made, but I couldn't get one. My parents had an xD (newer small one) for a while, which is nicer, but still pretty small, and terrible windows.

I really wanted to like the Toyota Matrix, but I couldn't get the seat to adjust so I could reach the steering wheel comfortably *and* have my legs not folded up like a cricket. You won't have that problem. They're practical vehicles that just don't suck... except for the damn windows. The current generation is worse than the previous generation. It's too bad they don't make a Corolla wagon anymore, that's basically what the Matrix is, but with dumb windows. Otherwise I rather liked it.

I looked at Honda CR-Vs and Toyota RAV-4. Both were too tall and too SUV-like for me. They both felt like you could tip one over if you tried just a little bit. The handling didn't inspire confidence.

I looked at a bunch of SAABs, but none of them felt right. I was looking at older ones though. The newer ones I sat in had the same "can't see out" problem that so many cars do.

I was really reluctant to buy anything from Volkswagen, because of their ... less than stellar repair record, but since my options were running thin, I did. I drove an '04 or '06 (I forget) Passat wagon, and ... I liked it. My parents' old car was an '04, but it had an auto transmission, which made it not want to get out of its own way. The manual transmission is *way* better. It had go. They have enough doors, good windows, and styling that isn't ... too trendy. The gotcha with that generation of VWs is the 1.8L turbo engine, they really really need to have the right oil or they can lunch the turbocharger. If you don't know that the previous owner hasn't done something stupid with the engine, it could be bad. The later 2.5L engines (inline 5!!!) are supposed to be better, but worse on fuel. The 1.8T engines require premium fuel, without a corresponding improvement in fuel economy/performance. Plus, the Passat I looked at had other issues that made it not a car I wanted.

I ended up with a Jetta TDI wagon. The TDIs are the simplest and most robust of the VW engines, so I wasn't worried about a pre-lunched motor. The Jetta wagon (mine's an '04) has good windows, good handling, it's quiet, fantastic fuel economy (I get about 48mpg overall) and it fits me.

I ended up going for a car that will take more maintenance and hand-holding than a Honda or Toyota, because I can deal with those things on my schedule. All the other cars I looked at, although probably more reliable, would piss me off *EVERY TIME* I drove one, and that would make me sad.

If you're up for really keeping on top of the maintenance and paying attention to small changes in the car's behavior, I'd look at one of the VW Golf TDIs, they're neat cars. If you want to just put gas and oil in and keep the tires inflated, I'd look seriously at the Honda Fit.