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Need some new car advice

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by Batman, Aug 10, 2007.

  1. Batman

    Batman Well-Known Member

    I'm getting ready to shop for a new car, and have narrowed it down to three choices -- a Mazda3, a Nissan Sentra, or a Toyota Corrolla. All of them are about the same price, and I've rented the Mazda and Nissan in the last couple months and both seemed to drive OK. Haven't test-driven a Corrolla, but it's got a good reputation. All three cars seem to have gotten good reviews, too.
    So for anybody who's owned one of these (a 2006 or 2007 model, preferably), are there any suggestions? How do they hold up once they get broken in? How's the gas mileage? Any help is appreciated.
     
  2. Sam Mills 51

    Sam Mills 51 Well-Known Member

    From what I've read - key phrase ... I've driven none of the above - I would go with either the Nissan Sentra or Toyota Corolla.

    Toyotas tend to be the most bulletproof, though Nissan tends to give their cars a little bit more punch. I've owned two Nissans ... outstanding vehicles, but based on my ownership, the auxiliary items (i.e., non-mechanical bits that won't leave you stranded on the side of the road) tend to go after a few years.

    The Mazdaspeed3, not the Mazda 3, has earned strong reviews. But those were performance numbers as a new vehicle. Given that Mazdas now have Ford mechanical bits, it would rate a distant third on my list (for those of you with older Mazdas, hang onto them for dear life ... ).

    Bottom line: Flip a coin between the Corolla and Sentra ... or see which dealer has the better selection and offers the better deal. Let Ford/Mazda continue to flop around like a beached whale ...
     
  3. JR

    JR Well-Known Member

    We drove a Toyota Matrix to NYC and back. Nice car.
     
  4. 2muchcoffeeman

    2muchcoffeeman Well-Known Member

    If only Ford would bring in some of its European models .... your opinion would change. Night-and-day level of difference between US and European versions --- or for that matter, between US and Australian Fords (Give my right arm for a Down-Under built Ford Falcon, would I. Instead, we get the Taurus/Five Hundred. :mad: )
     
  5. EStreetJoe

    EStreetJoe Well-Known Member

    I drive an '06 Toyota Corolla I got in early July last year (after totalling my '02 Corolla a week and a half before my wedding). With mostly in-town driving I'm getting right around 30 miles per gallon (running the AC might drop it to 28 miles per gallon). If I do a lot of highway driving, that goes up to 35+ miles per gallon. So I highly recommend the Corolla.

    Acceleration is great for feeding onto highways, it rides smoothly, it handles great for making those three-point turns and parallel parking, the '06 I have not only has a low fuel light, but a light to alert you if the pressure in any of the tires is low. A "Maintainance Required" (not the check engine) light comes on at start-up and ocassionally while driving when you start getting within 100-200 miles of the recommended oil change mileage.

    The other thing to consider is which cars hold their value longest. The Toyotas definitely have a high resale value/insurance value if you get into a bad accident.

    I love my Corolla.
     
  6. Batman

    Batman Well-Known Member

    That's a shame about the Mazda. I drove one on a trip to Florida and really liked it. It was fun to drive and had some giddy-up. The accelerator was so light it was actually hard to keep it under 80 on the highway. But I'm proud to have never owned a Fucked Over Rebuilt Dodge, and I don't want to start now. Especially if it's a Ford in sheep's clothing.
     
  7. PaperDoll

    PaperDoll Well-Known Member

    I just had a brand new Mazda3 rental for my southern adventure, and I liked it a lot (though not nearly as much as my '03 Protege).

    It goes really fast really quickly. The speed limit on the highways was 75, and I found myself going significantly faster most of the time. I didn't even notice and I was goin' 90! :eek:

    Definitely try the car on first, particularly if you're tall or have long legs. I wound up with aches in muscles I didn't know I had because I was stretching my arms to hold the steering wheel comfortably.

    Oh, and the light that says you're low on gas is hard to see over the steering wheel. But I didn't run out in the middle of nowhere... really! I just got damn close. :-X
     
  8. Sam Mills 51

    Sam Mills 51 Well-Known Member

    Because it had seriously cooked itself financially, Mazda didn't have a choice when Ford came calling.
     
  9. Breakyoself

    Breakyoself Member

    i just got a Mazda3 and like it a lot. As for price, it depends what you get in the car, but I think the corrolla and altima are a little more, although both are damn good cars too.
     
  10. txsportsscribe

    txsportsscribe Active Member

    check out the saturn aura
     
  11. HeinekenMan

    HeinekenMan Active Member

    I rented a Ford Fusion and thought it was okay. I owned a Corolla and didn't like it's weak engine. Does anyone know about he Mitsubishi Lancer? I see a lot of those on the road.
     
  12. 2muchcoffeeman

    2muchcoffeeman Well-Known Member

    The all-new one for 2008 is highly thought of by Car And Driver. The old base models, not so much. The Lancer Evolution is great for hoonage, but it's not exactly a family car.
     
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