The car question: Honda Accord? Nissan Altima? Or something else?

Buying a new car is such a great financial decision. I don't think you can go wrong.

 

Consider a small SUV.

 

To answer a few questions:

Budget is probably somewhere in the mid-20s. I don't want to go to 30. I will probably use the Costco buying program that gets you a well-above average non-negotiable price. I don't want to haggle, in part because I'm no good at it.

I currently have an '07 Accord. I feel like I'm at a spot mileage-wise where I need to either get something new or put some money in it (timing belt, a weird noise when it's cold and I turn) and drive it into the ground. I'm not opposed to a small SUV. Would consider a Honda CR-V or the newish Mazda CX-5. I don't think I want a Nissan Rogue.

I've been very Honda loyal, but am willing to look around and potentially even cheat on Honda with something new.

 

Honda Accord: Made in Ohio
Hyundai Sonata: Made in Alabama
Nissan Altima: Made in Tennessee
Toyota Camry: Made in Kentucky

And those are just the foreign sedans mentioned on this thread. Lots of foreign car companies have set up shop on our shores. I live 30 miles from a Nissan plant that makes pickups and SUVs.
Even though it's got a Japanese brand name, you can still support American workers.

 

I recommend the 2003 Dodge Neon.

 

I had one!

I now have a Nissan. Love it. Highly recommend it.

 

As someone who's been driving a Nissan 6 cylinder for 6 years (Infiniti G35); that engine is/has been bulletproof.

I bet the Honda's going to have a bit of a premium over the Nissan simply because the Honda name is perceived to be a better brand. You'll get some of that back in the resale but I bet the cars end up lasting the same.

I think Hyundai is a really good option, I'd say Hyundai is right about where the Japanese were in the late 80's/90's, still the perceived unknown but with an underrated/underpriced reliability.

BTW, other car is Sienna, only new car we've bought in 15 years, and it still purrs like the day we drove it off the lot.

 

Hyundai Sonata or Kia Optima is the way to go. My Sonata (and the Optima too) has a 2.0 turbo (276 horsepower, gets 34-35 mpg on the highway) for about $24,500. It has a huge trunk, great ride and a ton of standard features. And it's got a great warranty.

The Accord is bigger, but overpriced. For what I paid for my Sonata, you can get an Accord with less equipment and less horsepower (190).

The Camry is ugly, inside and out. The price is better than Accord, but it's still a boring car.

The Nissan Altima is not a bad car, but it has a CVT (continuously variable transmission) that saps the life out of either engine. Also, if you're looking for a cushier ride, it's a bit flinty.

 

At 0% interest it's better than buying used

 

Hyundai has supposedly come a long way in the last few years, but I want to see this continue for a few more years before they get to the Honda-Nissan-Toyota trio that has taken years to prove their combination of durability, reliability, performance and overall value. Hyundai shouldn't be so quickly handed anything. Yet.

Your opinion, of course. But you'll look foolish trying to convince many that Hyundais and Kias are superior to the other makers you're trying in vain to tear down.

Because we're Americans, we should settle for crappy cars?

Got it.

The Big Three got lazy, and both the Japanese and the Germans passed them so fast that the Americans got windburn. The Big Three have proven they can build good vehicles, but have been so obsessed with cutting corners that by the time the beancounters get to 'em, they're overly compromised.

No thanks.

 

Thanks for pointing this out before I could.

And I have owned an Accord and an Element and likely will never buy anything other than a Honda for the foreseeable future. If you want an SUV and have kids/do a lot of stuff outdoors/move a lot of stuff, I'd consider the Element. I love mine. It might not be the most stylish thing in the world, but it is so practical and easy to keep clean. I loved the comfort of my Accord as well. I miss that car, but the Element has been great and is very good on mileage for an SUV-type vehicle.