Best car for ~ $30,000?

[colsankey]

Looking at a few new cars and while some are more appealing than others, I'd like some ideas on maybe a car I havn't thought of yet.

Keep in mind I'm looking for NEW cars, 2011 or 2010, I know I'll take a hit as soon as I drive it off the lot, but I want something new and under warrenty. There's something to be said for a shiny new car, with new car scent. It also needs to be auto and auto or sedan in case I let the wife drive the car shes buying me ;)

Right now I've considered

Cruze LTZ turbo - not digging the cloth "webbing" interior.
Subaru Impreza 2.5i - mediocore financing, but the AWD is appealing
Lancer GT - HP seems a little gutless, but love the new styling
Mazda3 GT-E - Zoom, zoom and financing are appealing.
Mazda 6 4cyl GT - Zoom zoom and sexy, plus financing
Ford Focus SEL titanium, wife doesnt want a ford, but I like it aside from those nasty rims.
Sentra - Kinda Meh on this one.
VW Jetta - also falling into the Meh category
Altima - Kinda meh unless its a loaded v6 and thats $$$.

[msommers]

I'd stay away from Mazdas. Fusion and Impreza would be my suggestions. What didn't you like about the Jetta?

[CapnCrunch]

Originally posted by colsankey
Looking at a few new cars and while some are more appealing than others, I'd like some ideas on maybe a car I havn't thought of yet.

Keep in mind I'm looking for NEW cars, 2011 or 2010, I know I'll take a hit as soon as I drive it off the lot, but I want something new and under warrenty. There's something to be said for a shiny new car, with new car scent. It also needs to be auto in case I let the wife drive the car shes buying me ;)

Right now I've considered

Cruze LTZ turbo - not digging the cloth "webbing" interior.
Subaru Impreza 2.5i - mediocore financing, but the AWD is appealing
Lancer GT - HP seems a little gutless, but love the new styling
Mazda3 GT-3 - Zoom, zoom and financing are appealing.
Mazda 6 4cyl GT - Zoom zoom and sexy, plus financing
Ford Focus SEL titanium, wife doesnt want a ford, but I like it.
Sentra - Kinda Meh on this one.
VW Jetta - also falling into the Meh category
Altima - Kinda meh unless its a loaded v6 and thats $$$.

What are you using it for?

Honestly, buying even 6 months old used will give you some way better choices with warranty. Your new car is new for a month, then you're stuck with a used car, just like everyone else.

[colsankey]

Never really loved the VW look - I took a look at one, at the auto show and thought it looked OK. But never had the urge to run out and buy one or look any deeper. Just not loving it, but don't have anything against it either.

[Xtrema]

What's your definition of best?

Fuel Economy? Handling? Looks? Space? Maintenance? Resell? Interior quality?

IMO, under $30K car are all Meh, other than may be Civic Si or Focus Titanium.

You may be interested in this thread:
http://forums.beyond.ca/st/334273/motortrend-2011-compact-comparsion/

[MintRacer]

Fantastic deals on new Nissan Altimas for the month of June, factory discount of $8500 on top of the line 3.5 SR, including navi and leather. Just over 30K.

Take out leather and nav and your well under 30K.

[colinxx235]

Seems like you want a 4 door from that list... otherwise I know everyone on this site loves their VW Gti's... not sure what the MSRP is on them these days.

[colsankey]

Originally posted by Xtrema
What's your definition of best?

Fuel Economy? Handling? Looks? Space? Maintenance? Resell? Interior quality?

IMO, under $30K car are all Meh, other than may be Civic Si or Focus Titanium.

You may be interested in this thread:
http://forums.beyond.ca/st/334273/motortrend-2011-compact-comparsion/

Honestly; Performance, handling, looks and maintenence would be my top must haves. Then interior, I'm less worried about fuel and resale.

[Xtrema]

GTI will be more like $32K out the door even in the lowest configuration. Not sure if there are any promos going tho.


Originally posted by colsankey
Honestly; Performance, handling, looks and maintenence would be my top must haves. Then interior, I'm less worried about fuel and resale.

Civic Si: Performance, Handling, Maintenance.

Focus Titanium: Handling, Looks, Interior.

[yipb]

kia forte

[Tomaz]

I love the way the Mazda 3 drives. Even with the lack of power, the car is fun as hell. Some things to note would be the Mazda can be a PITA when dealing with service/warranty. If you decide to go check them out a bit further in detail, talk to Ken Nahn and tell him Thomas sent you. :)

The Cruz is alright. I wasn't extremely impressed with it, but I can see how it could be appealing. The low end toque gives a great illusion of speed, and makes getting around town pretty fun. You will want a RS if you want it to look good.

Though I have not driven the latest version of the Ford Focus, I was very impressed with the last generation. Not great in the power department, but the car handled great, and felt very "solid". I was very impressed how well it drove.


Something that wasn't on your list is the Honda Civic. It would be worth taking a look at as it really is a decent car.

My second favorite vehicle was the VW TDI Golf Wagon. It might be slow and really wasn't meant to "play", but I found it to be a great daily driver with lots of space and AMAZING fuel economy. It really would be worth considering IMO.

So, those were my picks. I have driven almost every vehicle in this price range and only the above mentioned cars even slightly impressed me in some form. You should teach the wife to drive stick. Most of the cars in the lineup you ware looking at really do drive better as manuals. Just saying.

Good luck! :burnout:

[ercchry]

Originally posted by colsankey


Honestly; Performance, handling, looks and maintenence would be my top must haves. Then interior, I'm less worried about fuel and resale.

ford mustang :dunno:

[CapnCrunch]

Originally posted by ercchry


ford mustang :dunno:

The new ones with the V6 are amazing. 300hp and I've seen guys getting 34-35mpg on the highway.

It's still the lady mustang tho............ :(

[colsankey]

Originally posted by ercchry


ford mustang :dunno:

If it doesn't have 4-doors the wife's not signing off on it :(

[ercchry]

Originally posted by colsankey


If it doesn't have 4-doors the wife's not signing off on it :(

oh my... :rofl:

well i guess you are hooped? what does it take to get into a c-class or 3 series?

[colsankey]

I'm OK with the 4 door, I liked my Grand Prix while I've had it. A series looks like they are ~34k base for a 2011.

Leaning more towards a fully loaded lower end car, than a base model mid-range. IE Mazda6 2.4l /w leather over Mazda6 v6 base.

[Guillermo]

not too clear on what you're looking for, but sounds like you want a sports coupe? best bang for buck IMO would be:

hyundai genesis
kia forte

[cam_wmh]

4 Door VW GTi

[Xtrema]

Loaded Elantra is $27.6 out the door.

[gojetsgo]

Originally posted by Guillermo
not too clear on what you're looking for, but sounds like you want a sports coupe? best bang for buck IMO would be:

hyundai genesis
kia forte

I think this car is for him, not the wife.

[gpomp]

civic si. $28.5 out the door

[ercchry]

Originally posted by colsankey


If it doesn't have 4-doors the wife's not signing off on it :(



Originally posted by Guillermo
not too clear on what you're looking for, but sounds like you want a sports coupe? best bang for buck IMO would be:

hyundai genesis
kia forte


yeah, i would say you are a little confused :rofl:

[94boosted]

Originally posted by MintRacer
Fantastic deals on new Nissan Altimas for the month of June, factory discount of $8500 on top of the line 3.5 SR, including navi and leather. Just over 30K.

Take out leather and nav and your well under 30K.

:werd: That's what I'd do or a fully loaded Sentra SER if you want to save even more money.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by gpomp
civic si. $28.5 out the door

No Auto on Si.

[heavyD]

Auto throws a damper on things. If it has to be auto I would go Focus or Golf as some of the others offer CVT's which are economy transmissions as opposed to performance.

[Quizzes]

Originally posted by Xtrema
Loaded Elantra is $27.6 out the door.

+1.
Kia Forte - fully loaded can be had for ~$27K. Great warranty plus 0% financing if you wanna go that route.

[rage2]

Those Mercedes B200 Turbos are a pretty good deal with the 0.9% 4 year lease rates.

[colsankey]

Never though I could look at a Benz for ~30,000.

Closer to 35k with an auto, but its worth test driving for sure!

[max_boost]

Originally posted by colsankey
Never though I could look at a Benz for ~30,000.

Closer to 35k with an auto, but its worth test driving for sure!
I would take the B200 over everything on your original list.

0.9% lease over 4 years is probably the best lease deal going right now.

[colsankey]

I think both Mazda and Mitsu are offering 0% over 4.

I need to do some serious reading into a Benz maintenance schedule and maint costs for the first 5 years before I could commit. From a "I gotta know everything" point of view.

[max_boost]

For Benz: 15,000kms=$300, 30,000kms=$600, not sure what the 45k/60k/75k service costs are.

I can't comment on the other cars but I can tell you if you buy a Subaru Impreza, this is probably one of the most low maintenance cars out there. Runs on 87, good fuel, awd, just very reliable but boring to drive.

[Guillermo]

Originally posted by ercchry

yeah, i would say you are a little confused :rofl:

sorry i missed that post. this is why people need to be explicit when asking "what kind of car should I buy." :rofl:

[colsankey]

I mentioned auto in the OP, but missed 4-door. :)

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

I really like the Fusion.

[trieuth]

Fusion sport, awd 260hp. backup camera in the rear view mirror. sensors let you know when cars are in your blind spots etc.


My buddy just picked one up, super nice.

[rage2]

Originally posted by colsankey
I think both Mazda and Mitsu are offering 0% over 4.
Mitsu is definately not offering 0% over 4 on a lease. The RVR GT and the Lancer Sportback Ralliart, while both cheaper than the B200T fully loaded, was about $150-200/month more than the B200T on a lease.

The 2 factors for the low price are the 0.9% rate, and the 4 year residual at $15.5k for the B200T, which I honestly don't think it'll be worth 15.5k after 4 years. This 4 year old one sold for less than $13k!

http://forums.beyond.ca/st/334191/fs-2007-mercedes-b200-turbo/

With the GST savings on a lease, low rates and high residual, it's cheaper to lease and return after 4 years than to buy new and sell after 4 years.

[colsankey]

Rage: I was looking to buy when I checked their rates, didn't even bother looking at lease %, so you're probably right about mitsu.

[rage2]

Originally posted by colsankey
Rage: I was looking to buy when I checked their rates, didn't even bother looking at lease %, so you're probably right about mitsu.
Yea, just checked my quote, 0% over 5 for finance.

[3drian]

Id consider an ralliart, I drive a lancer myself and its fun and whatever but it lacks power, so Im sure the Ralliart will be pretty fun to drive

[kvg]

Fusions are really nice to drive.

[colsankey]

Originally posted by 3drian
Id consider an ralliart, I drive a lancer myself and its fun and whatever but it lacks power, so Im sure the Ralliart will be pretty fun to drive

Ralli's a stick only from what I can see and after taxes, etc may be more than what I'm willing to spend on a car. But it defiantely has alot more "fun" potential over the lancer.

[kvg]

I was looking at one and they have a dual clutch manual :clap:

[npham]

Originally posted by kvg
I was looking at one and they have a dual clutch manual :clap:

While not a true manual, it does have the same transmission as an Evo-MR minus S-Sport. Fun car for sure, but the maintenance(SST first service is $750, fuel economy(350kms per tank @ $60) is awful, etc. So keeping this in mind might put it out of your range.

[colsankey]

Twin-Clutch Sportronic® Shift Transmission - I was under the impression this was a manual tranny but it looks like it's an auto.

The ralliart with leather is a chunk of change more than the lancer GT, but the awd, turbo and "goodies" might make a big diffrence.

[max_boost]

Yea, just remember at 48,000kms, it costs around $700 to change your transmission fluid on the Ralliart so keep that in mind. :D

[colsankey]

I love the new lancer look though and actually wanted to try and squeeze a ralliart out of the budget until I saw the tranny and thought it was stick. time to go test drive one.

[duaner]

Originally posted by trieuth
Fusion sport, awd 260hp. backup camera in the rear view mirror. sensors let you know when cars are in your blind spots etc.


My buddy just picked one up, super nice.
Fusions are quite nice and the AWD is supposed to work well but if one could wait a year to get the 2013 model...

[afif]

My mom has 2007 Altima V6 3.5L loaded. Really nice car. CVT saves gas too.

[Palmiros]

GTI in terms of handling/performance is really nice, but even without NAVI I believe it's somewhere around $35 out the door.

[carzcraz]

Originally posted by max_boost
Yea, just remember at 48,000kms, it costs around $700 to change your transmission fluid on the Ralliart so keep that in mind. :D

Sad but true. Fortunately, you can save yourself a few hundred by bringing the car to Vex.

Our STi will be having its 48000 km service and Subaru quoted us a minimum $750 for the service. Vex is charging us $550 for the service (using Motul fluids) and we just have to provide our own Motul oil (which we get for cost through our mechanic friend).

[btimbit]

Originally posted by Palmiros
GTI in terms of handling/performance is really nice, but even without NAVI I believe it's somewhere around $35 out the door.

Base price is $30, Nav is $2000 and Auto is $1400. If you shopped around you could probably find one fully loaded with sunroof as well for under $35k.

The leather is a lot, $2600, and I think the cloth looks much better on these anyway.

I also think there's some promo with 0% financing going on right now. Volksfest or whatever they're calling it. Not sure if it includes the GTI though.



The Jetta's are okay, I personally like the look of the Jetta/Golf Wagon but the Jetta sedan is too camry/boring looking. You could get a fully loaded TDI with Nav and Auto for just a touch under $30k, or for a few thousand more there will be the GLI soon.

[J-D]

Altima, or step down two years and get a Maxima. Great daily drivers.

[Stealth22]

Originally posted by colsankey
Subaru Impreza 2.5i - mediocore financing, but the AWD is appealingImpreza 2.5i is good, especially with the standard AWD. Or for a couple thousand more, there's the Legacy 2.5i. Both cars fit around the ~$30k range. The Legacy has more legroom and in general, is just roomier.

If you don't want a WRX or STI, just spend the extra $$$ on the Legacy. Compared to the Impreza 2.5i, its worth the extra cash.

[npham]

Originally posted by carzcraz


Sad but true. Fortunately, you can save yourself a few hundred by bringing the car to Vex.

Our STi will be having its 48000 km service and Subaru quoted us a minimum $750 for the service. Vex is charging us $550 for the service (using Motul fluids) and we just have to provide our own Motul oil (which we get for cost through our mechanic friend).

What fluids are you changing out for your STI? Engine and transmission? Doesn't seem like much of a deal, except you are getting Motul instead of Castrol/Mobil 1/etc.

[shadezofgrey]

Just to play devil's advocate for a second, what about looking into a *slightly* used car? In part the reason I suggest this is I think it would probably meet a lot of your criteria (i.e. - is backed by warranty and would likely still carry some of that new car scent/shinyness). Going beyond that though it could be notably cheaper going this route, which in turn could bring slightly more expensive cars down into your price range. Just some food for thought.

[colsankey]

Went slightly over the ~30k I was looking to spend, but damned happy with the car on the test drive.

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSk8olhJtzyc-K8SJ09gGs21kxHwYqvBsBMp9lBgiMCaK59hpBTRg

[HiTempguy1]

Originally posted by colsankey
Went slightly over the ~30k I was looking to spend, but damned happy with the car on the test drive.

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSk8olhJtzyc-K8SJ09gGs21kxHwYqvBsBMp9lBgiMCaK59hpBTRg

That's awesome, I was going to +1billion some of the other guys' posts. The Ralliart is a huge bang for the buck. Sure, the interior is mediocre, but its a $30k car that handles very well and has good powa!

[heavyD]

Originally posted by colsankey
Went slightly over the ~30k I was looking to spend, but damned happy with the car on the test drive.

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSk8olhJtzyc-K8SJ09gGs21kxHwYqvBsBMp9lBgiMCaK59hpBTRg

Congratulations. Ralliart is a great value when you consider you are getting the EVO X engine, MR transmission, and EVO IX AWD system. Probably a better car than the EVO for the average person as it's much easier to live with on a day to day business. It's a much higher tech car than the WRX even if it doesn't have the same straight line speed due to it's little single scroll turbocharger. What color and trim?

[colsankey]

I ended up getting a premium sportback in rotor glow.

So pumped to pick it up tomorrow.

Also wish I knew what I was doing wrong trying to imbed my image...

[Aleks]

Originally posted by colsankey
I ended up getting a premium sportback in rotor glow.

So pumped to pick it up tomorrow.

Also wish I knew what I was doing wrong trying to imbed my image...

Congrats on your new ride. Aren't those closer to $40K with premium pack OTD?

[colsankey]

Definately closer to 40, but after driving an impreza, a mazda 6 v6 and the ralliart, the ralliart blew the doors off everything else as far as speed and sheer fun factor.

Closer to 40 brought in a few more options, but not many in the 35-40 range had AWD, loaded and the fun factor I had in the ralliart.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Nice :thumbsup:

[max_boost]

Nice. Congrats man! Enjoy it. :burnout:

[heavyD]

Originally posted by colsankey
Definately closer to 40, but after driving an impreza, a mazda 6 v6 and the ralliart, the ralliart blew the doors off everything else as far as speed and sheer fun factor.

Closer to 40 brought in a few more options, but not many in the 35-40 range had AWD, loaded and the fun factor I had in the ralliart.

Remember to post pics when you get the car.;)

[colsankey]

I'm going tonight, it's hard not to just blow off work for it!

[npham]

Congrats! There are some great aftermarket parts for the Ralliart, and there are quite a few owners in Calgary who have done the Evo X turbo swap as well. But the first thing you want to do is grab a tune. The stock map is really rich, so you will gain some MPG by flashing it, Cobb AP or with a Tactrix cable + a free GST map. You'll gain 50-60tq and another 30+ hp for next to nothing.

PM me if you want to know more.