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New cars: Hyundai Sonata vs. Ford Fusion

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by suburbia, Jan 18, 2011.

  1. Mystery Meat II

    Mystery Meat II Well-Known Member

    Actually, Fiat begins its comeback on our shores later this year

    http://searchchicago.suntimes.com/autos/autoshow/news/3069178,fiat0212.article
     
  2. Sam Mills 51

    Sam Mills 51 Well-Known Member

    Did the TO also tell you to take the vehicle to the dealer for all your service, too?

    If the vehicle is being driven exclusively block by city block, maybe. Also, at some point, change the oil by time - every 90 days or so - if it's not being driven much. Otherwise, given the better technology, improvements in oil and tighter engine tolerances, it can go longer than every 3,500 miles.
     
  3. suburbia

    suburbia Active Member

    By the way, my insurance premium only went up by $10 a month with the Fusion. I have no idea if that's typical or just one of the quirks of my particular policy in my particular geographical location. But since a couple of people mentioned insurance premiums in this thread, I'd throw that out there.
     
  4. Philosopher

    Philosopher Member

    I purchased a 2010 Hyundai Sonata, and I love it. It has excellent reliability and safety scores, it drives well, we got a great warranty, and it was very cheap. I'm really glad I bought it.
     
  5. lono

    lono Active Member

    Really, you won't go wrong with either.

    My mom and my nephew have Fusions and love them.

    The Hyundais are light years ahead of what they used to be.
     
  6. TigerVols

    TigerVols Well-Known Member

    Before I went the diesel route with my BMW, I was a 3-time buyer of Mini Cooper S. But I learned to drive with Fiats that my dad brought over from Italy (a perk for being in the shoe industry!) so I've got a soft spot for them.

    The 500 was at the LA Auto Show and while it's Mini-like, it's got its own panache. And it's about $4,000 less.

    Autoweek likes it:

    http://www.autoweek.com/article/20110128/CARREVIEWS/110129878
     
  7. Sam Mills 51

    Sam Mills 51 Well-Known Member

    So you've gone six years newer? Did you change classification of vehicle, too? (You're in a sedan now ... what did you drive previously?). Also, have you moved? (I did not too long ago and premiums here are 60 percent higher for my same vehicle).
     
  8. BTExpress

    BTExpress Well-Known Member

    And the FOLLOWING year, you would not have had a "milestone" (120,000K) repair and could have possibly just spent only $240 on oil changes. So instead of a $2,500 over one year, you may have had $2,750 over two years.

    I had a $1,300 bill for my 1990 Lexus when it hit 150,000 miles in 2004 (timing belt, etc.). Haven't had any bill exceeding $800 since then.

    I know it "seems" that maintenance = payments as a car ages, but it really doesn't. It just "seems" that way because it's human nature to want to justify buying a new car. So all it takes it one $1,000+ maintenance bill to get people scurrying to the new car dealer (where they'll pay at least that much in sales tax alone). And human nature is a car dealer's best friend (and a bank account's worst enemy). 401(k) contributions are boring. New car smell is exciting.

    BTW, insurance on a new car will always be prohibitively more expensive than on a used one. I haven't carried collision on my 1990 Lexus in many years. I damn well would carry it on any new car I bought. We insure two cars at a total cost of about $1,100/year. The national average is twice that much.

    Road service/rental car is one of the great insurance bargains there is. Costs me less than $4 a year for towing service. If I use it just once in 15 years, I'm still ahead.
     
  9. NoOneLikesUs

    NoOneLikesUs Active Member

    I went through a similar exercise and the only quotes I got back were "Our Fusions are 25 percent off...call us!" or other non-committal bullshit.

    Had to go in and haggle the old fashioned way, but I did have a lot of information with me and I think I worked a decent deal.
     
  10. westcoastvol

    westcoastvol Active Member

    My 1970 Volvo P1800e has 358,456 miles on it as of this evening. Runs like a scalded ape that just had an Icy Hot enema.
     
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