From time to time, even those of us on the inside of TTAC forget that one of our primary missions to help you make smart, informed purchases. Some of you might remember my friend who was torn between a slightly used Honda Accord and a slightly more used Infiniti G35 (she would up with a brand new Mazda 3 thanks largely to our 10 Best list). However, she ain’t a TTAC reader. You are. But, in addition to TTAC, you probably read other stuff. Like maybe a newspaper. And that newspaper might have informed you that thanks to Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch and AIG getting so smacked by the sub-prime mess that your 401K is now puny and sad. I know that’s what happened to me. However, I also know that lots of good folks are desperate to get out of their big ole SUVs and into cars that suck a little less gasoline. I know it ain’t news (or is it?) but times are tough. Personally, I was pretty desperate to get my girl out of her rapidly dying 2001 Ford Focus and into a brand new Mazda Miata. But then I fixed her cooling system and we’ve decided to wait until the Focus kills itself. I give it 18-months. But what about you? Bought anything new lately? And if you have, has TTAC (or someone else) helped you make that decision?
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I just leased a 2008 Mazda MX-5 Miata on September 2nd. Keeping my paid for 2006 Acura TSX as my winter/long trip car.
I love the Miata, ditch the Focus Jonny.
Anything new? No. Would TTAC help anyway? Probably not. I’m not really in the market for any car, since my 01 Impala is running perfectly fine (and is by far the best car me or my family have ever had.)
Yeap. The most safest (money-wise) car you can buy. Camry! And no, TTAC didn’t help me decide. The Camry got a pretty bad review. Horrid, actually, while the Sonata, Malibu, Accord, Altima, Fusion all got pretty nice ones.
I bought a slightly used 07 Speed6 about a month ago for a good price. I read all the TTAC reviews and re-read that one before (and after) purchasing, along with other reviews from both owners and journalists around the web. I don’t put much weight in printed reviews though, always too rosy.
from the professional reviews i read, most of the downside to this car was it’s competition; for the price of a new speed6 you could get a lot of nicer stuff. On the used market though, for the price I paid, the competition was a lot slimmer (think civic or corolla). That is what i like about used cars; the manufacturer can set whatever MSRP they want, but the free market decides what it is REALLY worth when you go to buy it used.
Bought a 2000 Jeep Cherokee Grand Laredo for a friend. TTAC sure did influence my choice; I bought it from our resident used car consultant Steven Lang, upon his recommendation (of course). 136k for $4k. (Send me the title please Steve.)
Drove the V8 beast from Atlanta to Providence in three days. Lost all feeling in my right butt cheek.
Looking to replace my Odyssey Minivan with a Lexus LX470, due to APPALLING service from my local Honda dealer. You’d think with times being as tough as they are…
I’ve have a paid-for 2001 VW Golf that suits our needs just fine at the moment, gets good mileage (although bad compared to the hp), and is decent fun to drive. At 100,000 miles, issues start appearing (although we were smart enough to get crank windows and few options to limit problems), and I’d probably buy a new car now(or lightly used), but for 2 reasons:
- we’d want another hatchback, and small cars are currently expensive.
- we’re planning to move internationally, and therefore don’t want to have an ongoing loan.
Obviously, TTAC would be an important factor in the choice of a future car. It’s the best website for practical information on the car and regarding the fun-to-drive factor.
And then CI or Edmunds provide mileage, reliability, ownership costs, and other objective information.
I just bought an 08 A3 s-line (4 cyl) dealer gave it to me at invoice and 7500 for my truck (01 tacoma) as well as 2.9% for 72 months.
Ttac sorta helped and didn’t . the review for the a3 was for the 6cyl quattro… For the life of me I can’t understand why anyone would pay that much money for a small car, and you can hardly find them in my neck of the woods… a review of a 2.0t with the dsg would have been much more useful.
I bought a V8 this summer. A strange move in the midst of gas prices shooting through the roof. It was an 2006 GTO.
http://www.caroftheday.org/2008/07/22/gto-vs-the-automotive-press/
It is a blast of a car. But is it a new car? No. I haven’t bought a new car in a long time. Of my last 6 car purchases, only one was new and that was in the year 2000. (with apologies to Conan O’Brien)
Recently bought an 84 Volvo 760 Turbo from a neighbor (original owner). Still needs a few items sorted out but it’s a great driver. Mazda is 2 years old now, keep it until a second kiddo comes along. TTAC may influence that decision, especially if it something like the Mazda5.
2008 Saturn Aura XE V-6. I wish we would’ve sprung for the XR for the better engine, but my wife is insistent on retiring one day.
I get the GM Employee discount from my old man, so I limited my shopping to GM. I think we wound up with just about the best GM at that price point.
BTW, averaging 26 mpg in mixed driving, which includes daily stop-and-go on the highway.
New cars? Or new used cars?
I just bought an ‘05 RSX Type S. Long story, really.
I haven’t purchased anything yet, but I am in the market (I have positive equity in my current vehicle and working at a dealership I get to drive and play with so many new vehicles the urge to upgrade is hard to resist).
I tend to check out some reviews before I buy from a variety of sources, web sites like TTAC and Jalopniks, forums for vehicles I am especially interested in, car magazines, people I know who have the vehicle I am looking at, etc. My process starts with a very wild field, and gradually narrows it down as I drive various vehicles and see which manufacturers are offering the best deals. Then again, if I see something coming on the horizon (as a ‘10 or later model) I may hold off entirely until that hits the streets and I can check that out too. I am basically the kind of buyer that all of the salesmen on the lot (myself included) don’t like to work with – I want to drive and compare everything, and I don’t have a clear idea in my head of when I will be buying, could be in a week, could be in a year.
While I have driven plenty of Fusions, the other night I had my first chance to take one out in a torrential downpour. I was amazed by how steady and smooth it was compared to my current vehicle. The Sport Appearance package and new Tuxedo Black paint availible on Fusions are also a big hit with me, but knowing it is about to undergo a major upgrade for ‘10 is a drawback for buying now. At the same time the newly upgraded ‘09 Escape is a strong contender for best cute ‘ute on the market. On a third hand I love the idea and interior of a Pontiac G8 GT (though I have yet to get a chance to drive one) and the Hyundai Genesis is too strong to ignore. The electric blue Mazda6 V6 GT is calling my name, but so is a very lightly used late 90s Mercedes SL350 on the used lot, and every time I take someone in a test drive in a Mustang GT convertible I swear to myself it will be my next car. Add in the fact that I have always had a deep and secret longing for an Isuzu Vehicross, Honda Element, and that I miss dearly my old Mitsubishi Montero and I am in quite a pickle.
So, I just read about everything new coming out on this and other car sites, window-shop aplenty, and end up buying on impulse what my crush-of-the-day is when I finally need to get rid of whatever I am driving at the time.
Test drove the BMW 328i this past April mainly because my wife’s Toyota Avalon is now 8 years old and she thinks it is time to get a new car. We drove the BMW for a weekend. She loved it but then she is prejudiced. She owned a BMW 2002 in 1973 and while we have had a succession of station wagons, a mini van and now the Avalon she still claims the BMW drives better than anything else. I personally wasn’t as impressed, yes it was a solid car and handled well, the seats were hard, the interior was tight, especially for my 6′2″ frame and the leather on the seats was as tough as nails, actually felt rather rough. We didn’t’ buy the car because I didn’t think it was worth the $34,000 price and my wife wasn’t ready to have another car payment. Since the Avalon has just under 100,000 miles and seats 5 comfortably, the actual number of people in the family when all are at home, we kept it.
From comments on this site I suggested that we could try the Mazda or Nissan, but neither of those were desirable to my wife so we are not purchasing a car this year.
I would love a VehiCross!
If you like the current Fusion, don’t want on a new one…especially if you can get some awesome deals on an 09. I do like the updated Escape, and I think the 2.5l AWD would be well-suited for 95% of driving tasks.
As much as I love Mercedes products, they’re expensive on maintenance unless you know where to go or what to do yourself. My family has had several (current is an 02 E430 4matic) and my dad said no more after this one. Plus, they don’t need such a sedan for 2 of them. He is thinking a G37X.
of course I’m a lease account manager for a vehicle leasing firm. it’s what I do…buy from dealers…re-lease to companies or the public.
As far as me…. I have an 09 Yukon SLT on order as my demo. (had to take a GM)
Gottleib:
You might seriously consider a Pontiac G8.
The truth about new cars is that they pretty much all suck except for the MX-5.
Traded in an ‘06 Acura TSX (last Honda… ever) for an ‘08 VW Jetta. The review on TTAC and the reader comments were helpful, even if I ended up discounting the review’s concerns about reliability.
Bought a new Mini right before the gas prices got crazy and the Minis on dealer lots got sparse. I’m afraid TTAC didn’t help with that one since we were replacing out last Mini and the decision was a forgone conclusion.
Haven’t bought anything new recently. Saving up to get a G8 variant soon however.
Jonny’s review of the manual I-4 Fusion SE was enough to get me to the showroom. Too slow for me to buy though.
Sajeev’s Grand Marquis review also got me looking into a used Panther, but I was underwhelmed after driving them.
Just purchased a 2005 Scion xB with 30k miles on it. A baby is on the way, and finding room for a rear-facing car seat is way more difficult than it should be.
After driving a 09 xB and the 05, I could see exactly what the TTAC reviews were talking about. The 05 is like driving a go cart, the 09 drives like your hands have gone numb. The 09 is no where near as fun as the 05.
I also perused what Dan Neil had to say, Edmunds (mostly for the user reviews), and used autotrader and eBay motors for pricing and to find the thing.
Was able to pay cash for the thing, and have been happy with it so far. Anyone else buy a new car due to an increase in family size?
Re: VehiCROSS
I thought I was the only one who secretly desired one of those! It’s good to be in like-minded company.
No new cars for us, no. And probably not for a long time to come, the good Lord willing. Car loans are not conducive to getting approved for a home loan, so it would seem– and we want to be homeowners within the next three or four years, at the latest.
Nope. The 401K dropped enough this year to match the cost of a new car. Couldn’t stomach buying anything right now.
If I had to buy now, it would be a 5-year-old SUV. CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP!!!!
My last new vehicle was a gsx-r 600 in Nov. 2005, and before that, a new WRX STi in March 2005. My last used vehicle was June of 2005….yep, 3 vehicles in a year.
I am averaging 620 miles/month on the STi, or 7,440 miles/year.
I am averaging 250 miles/month on the bike or 3,000 miles/year.
My wife & I together are averaging 1012 miles/month or 12,000 miles/year on the neon.
These numbers are highly skewed as I went from 75 miles round trip to taking public transport.
The next new vehicle will depend if my wifes car falls apart before we buy a house in end of 2009 or not. If it doesn’t, it will be a 200-650cc motorcyle, else probably a yaris.
Yes, but everybody already knows and loves the Mazda3.
HELP!!!
This week I sent the TTAC brass an emaik requesting help and advice.
My wife and I are desperately test driving cars for our long distance cruiser.
We are absolutely torn.
It seems down to these:
ES 350. (back seat room?)
Genesis. (FWD?)
MKS. (MPG?)
Avalon. (Poor leather and dash sucks?)
AND the 09 TL if and when we can test her out.
Criteria?
Luxury.
SILENCE. Absolute!
MPG.
ROOM…lots of room.
FWD…we live a lot in the blue ass cold north.
(Exception for the Genesis…and although we are frightened of RWD, it is so damned good, its still in the running)
Now we know everybody has their biases.
But this is a very hard task.
And I feel sorry for auto salespeople.
It is damned competive.
These cars are all great cars, each offering something while missing one or two.
Thanks.
micvog:
Why did you get rid of the TSX and swear off Honda products? I hope I don’t have headaches coming.
My 2006 has not given me any trouble (knock-on-wood). 25,000 miles. Except for the fact that the brakes are pathetic, in typical Honda fashion, I enjoy the car.
Just bought a two-year old Fusion SE with 5 spd. Is it THE car I wanted? Um, no…but it was hard to argue with a decent sized car outfitted with a sunroof, alloys, wheel-mounted radio etc..for under $12k that was only two years old. Overall, I’m pretty happy with it. Sure, an Accord is probably screwed together better, but finding one that young for under $12k wasn’t going to happen. We all (well, most of us) have to concede somewhere. I wanted a Wrangler, but couldn’t justify it as a daily driver. Besides, the wife really likes the Fusion, so no real complaints. Would I buy a NEW car? Nope..getting hit with 30% depreciation is for dummies! I’d rather be the one taking advantage of the loss.
We sold (outright) our 04 TSX with 56k miles on it and picked up a 08 WRX Sedan (lease deal of $249/mo) – very, very cheap for this car. Seems the 2008s weren’t as radical as they should and the 2009s will remedy this with a better turbo (which we can always easily upgrade). The 2g TSX was such a let down as if it had awd and turbo (from RDX) with a proper manual transmission we would have bought it as we loved our TSX. Just got long in the tooth.
I also sold my 944S2 as just didn’t have time to work on it – especially when a clutch job is 12-14 hours long and costs over $1k in parts if you do it yourself. Bought an ‘89 Civic Hatchback with 1 owner and not modified at all. Had to ship it from Cali back here but in the end I wound up spending less than if I had bought one in its condition out here in my area.
I don’t buy new cars anymore and haven’t done so in 8 years. We bought a 58K mile 2001 A4 for a pretty good price in May. I’m hoping to get 100k or so out of the car. Not that Audis are the cheapest cars to run, but they tend to hold up pretty well over time and I know this platform pretty well.
@carguy622:
My TSX was bullet-proof until 50K at which point third gear in the auto transmission began to slip. I have had issues with auto transmissions in previous Hondas (including a TL that I traded in for the TSX) and decided enough was enough. Honda replaced the transmission and a week later I dumped it. FWIW, my TSX was impeccably maintained and had a transmission fluid swap at 30K.
In the time span of just over a month I bought two cars, though neither was new. One was slightly used Mazda3 and the other is a (hopeful) collector I’m planning to hold on to.
Basically, I liked the 3 from the get-go, but shopped around and did research on some competitors. I read the reviews on TTAC and some other sites, but what really sent me over the top was the CR Recommendation.
I guess you could say I relied a little on TTAC, but I wouldn’t call it the “say all, end all” of any buying purchase.
ppellico- I’d say ES350 or MKS, for the same reason that RF wants to get an LX470, superior customer service. Lincoln and Lexus top satisfaction surveys. Toyota and Hyundai are near the bottom.
I have a 2005 ION so no new cars any time in the future. I might buy a garbage pickup truck if I can save up some money.
Nope… nor planning to do so.
I have an Isuzu Impulse… quite satisfied with it.
Good to find another Isuzu fan here: Banger. Maybe not the same vehicle.
New cars if…
Tahoe, CTS, G8, Commodore, Mazda 3, Miata, Civic, Malibu, STi (previous generarion), Grand Cherokee (with HEMI please)
Bought a new Mazda 3 hatch in July. Yes I voted for the car after I had bought it. I was biased. I love my 3.
I’m a grad student and wanted something affordable with decent fuel economy, good handling, and a hatch so I could throw my mountain bike in back (no roof rack required). And it needed to have a manual tranny. I live in Michigan now, so FWD seemed prudent. Thus the 3. Which replaced a 98 Jeep Cherokee with enough electrical gremlins to make a movie.
ppellico:
I don’t want to jack the “QOTD” thread, but have you looked at the Taurus/Sable Limited? I think it’s a much better value than the MKS and has higher fuel economy.
Anyway, assuming you can easily swing the payments, I’d personally rank the vehicles that match your criteria as follows:
1. Taurus Limited/ Sable Limited
2. MKS
3. V8 Genesis
4. Azera Limited (mostly due to price)
5. Avalon
6. ES350
7. V8 Lucerne
8. V6 Genesis
9. V6 Lucerne
?. TL
I research constantly.
I love the TTAC reviews. They are technical with a splash of human interest.
Sajeev has convinced me into waiting for the Genesis V8 for testing…
Justin got me out looking at the Jetta.
Justin also had me double checking the MKS.
But as they all would agree…read and then TEST TEST TEST.
You are the one who needs to feel the car.
There is a whole lot of emotion in purchasing a car and all opinions aside, you will get these yourself.
I just ordered a black ‘09 Honda Fit Sport (5-speed) to replace my reliable but aging ‘03 Hyundai Accent (auto). The Accent was a great basic car — I put 84k miles on it from new in 4.5 years with no issues. I was just getting tired of the 2-door thing (loading lots of music gear including an upright bass gets tiring without back doors) and was just ready for a change and a clutch pedal again.
The Fit was the first car to come along in a long time that I actually *wanted* — and could afford. I spent a day test driving a bunch of small, 5-door hatches and it was the clear winner, by a mile. The Mazda3 was also quite nice, but a few thousand more expensive for similar equipment and less gas mileage.
On a side note, do the other manufacturers drive their competitor’s cars? I’m looking at you Yaris and you Focus.
I used pretty much every only resource that had reviews/info on the new Fit (and the old one), including TTAC, Edmunds, Jalopnik, etc. Buying a car has gotten easier in the last few years for sure. There is no excuse now for going into the battle zone of a dealership without all the information in hand.
Another side note: I sold the trusty Hyundai in 12 hours with a Craigslist ad. Reasonable price and full service history help, but God Bless good MPG! Good thing it wasn’t a Hummer.
Thanks so very much ajila and davey49.
Did indeed do the Taurus/Sable testings.
Very lovely cars and deals.
But I didn’t like the softness (or lack of) with their seats.
I am serious about the luxury that is required for 7 hour drives, 4 times eash month…sometimes even more.
Noise and softness are worth a lot of points!
I am lucky to be able, like RF, to be in a higher price range.
IF I was not, like last year, these two (one) would be in my driveway.
While TTAC did not directly influence our purchase of our last two cars (`08 Fusion SEL and `08 Solstice GXP) I did read the reviews by Mr. Farago and Mr. Lieberman respectively prior to purchase.
I noted their likes and dislikes and tried to see if I felt that they made a big enough difference in the final decision. Other reviews too.
Fusion SEL V6- agree that it is not as quick as it could be but fuel economy is good enough to forgive lack of ooomph off the line. Interior quality and build quality is good. Handles very well.
Solstice GXP- Agree, that it is a blast to drive. Yes, trunk is non-existent but forward planning meant I could drive across North America comfortably this Summer (with top down). Top is a pain but did not find it ill-fitting. Interior is sparse but it all works, seats are comfy over long hauls and hug this fat boy pretty well. Shift linkage, not great but never missed one. Brakes, not sure if Jonny had a bad set but stops were pretty short and linear in mine.
TTAC reviews are very fair and balanced in my opinion.
I bought a smart back in May, and suffice to say I paid no mind to any of the crybaby reviews inflicted upon the car by various outlets.
Some of you here are funny, I don’t think you know what a old car is.
I HAVE an AGING vehicle as a daily driver:
1992 Acura Integra
ppelico> I’m not sure about you, but I find my attention wandering if I’m in soft seats. Hard seats are my preference for long trips….
I guess I’m just stupid (or 17-years-old) but as soon as the WRX is paid off (very soon!) I go new car shopping.
Maybe I like new car payments?
@Rockit- those are wonderful cars.
I sure miss my old 92 Integra GS-R…but it’s running very well in the hands of a Catholic priest!
ppellico…we jsut got a brand spanking new lincoln mks in today for a client. It suprised me, it’s really quite nice. haven’t driven it but AWD and some discounts make the world go round.
AWD is a must for us up north.
ppellico,
What are the most important elements to your next car?
And how do you rank them?
For example, I like
Horsepower, price, comfort, style, mpgs and in that order.
But that formula isn’t for everyone.
Have you looked into the Saab 9-5’s? They have great pricing right now.
Or the Volvo S60s are a nice mix of luxury and everything else you are looking for.
It is all about options.
Click on my name and it will take you to CarOfTheDay.org. I regularly help people find cars or think about cars they might not have considered yet. Just fire up a comment and we will get a dialogue started.
I bought a 2000 Boxster S in July of this year, in part based on the reviews Robert and Jonny gave the new ones. I have always wanted one, but I had to wait for a nice one to become affordable. It is incredible that a convertible can be so tight after eight years.
I bought an 05 Honda Pilot the beginning of July, both because kid #3 is on the way and my dearly beloved 91 Mercury Grand Marquis threw in the towel. TTAC definitely had an influence on my choice, because it took me days to get over the anti-SUV voices in my head which originated with the B&B. Fortunately for me, the Pilot got hit pretty hard depreciation-wise by the mass migration away from SUVs, so I got a killer deal on it.
TTAC continues to have a strong influence, though, as I’m planning out my next used car purchases. I think our next purchase in 2-3 years will be a used G8 GT. If I’m making enough at that point to have a fun third car, I think I’ll have to go with the Mustang Bullitt.
ppelllico –
I am admittedly a bit biased, but the MKS would be my choice out of what you are looking at for your needs. Quiet, smooth, great seats (which are heated front and back, might be a factor since you live up north).
I think it was Edmunds who recently did a test of the Mazda6 (which in V6 trim has the same engine) and it showed fuel economy above what the EPA measured.
Also, not sure how much this side of things matters to you, but if you are planning on getting a vehicle loaded with the options, the MKS has hands down the best Nav/Stereo/Entertainment/Bluetooth/Electronics package in the price range (and even going a good bit above) in the market.
Yes
NulloModo
Yes, it was Michael Karesh review of the Mazda6.
I liked what he said about it and I was already a 6 guy.
I really wanted this car to perform better.
Michael says I shouldn’t have been so disappointed with the MPG on the 6 cyl..ONLY 25 hwy.
Today, you just gotta do better with that small a car.
garythepowers
My ranking of elements are listed above.
I suppose silence, soft lururious seats and space.
After those, MPG and FWD.
Sajeev has talked me into waiting for the arrival of the Genesis V8…although RWD, he states the leather is many notches above the V6.
So I keep asking the dealers but not arriving until later this fall.
And as far as the German cars…all to hard.
I really lean towards the soft, buttery leathers.
Robstar…I indeed intend on falling asleep.
I expect the car to simply awaken me upon my arrival…sort of like arriving in an airplane after a long overseas flight.!
Otherwise I would get the sportier RWD cras.
Thanks all for your help…
I will hold off until the Genesis V8 AND the arrival of the new 09 TL.
Then I will once more test each one…one more time.