New car buying advice

[Mike Peters]

Hey fellow DS members, I wanted a lil' advice from ya so, let me give ya the scenario.....

Got a '95 Yukon eligible for the "Cash for Clunkers" gov't-funded program. The car would be for my prettier half and I could maybe get my hands back on the '99 Grand Prix GTP. So, we've been out looking at a few cars and I've been trying to read reviews on some of the cars in the compact category. So, does anyone have any brand opinions? We test drove one of the new Kia Forte's and it was a solid car with quite a few options for the price. Anyone know if Kia is gaining a solid reputation? Don't beat me up for not looking at the U. s. company cars please. She doesn't find any of them interesting and most are joint ventures with a Japanese company anyway. Has Volkswagen improved their reliability? That lil' Rabbit looks to be a cool little car and has more power than most. She likes the Nissan Versa too and I'd like to look at the Mazada3. So, if anyone out there has any good/bad experiences with the small car segment, your opinions would be appreciated.

BTW, if anyone is interested in a loaded '95 2-door Yukon that has been very well-maintained for the $4500 I could get in the C for C deal, let me know. I've owned it since new and the thought of them pouring a solution in the crankcase to seize up the engine so it can't be driven any longer makes me cringe.

[bracketracer]

Mike, You can't go wrong with a Honda or a Toyota....1st choice for me is the Honda Accord EX has all the bling bling

[DOTracer]

We got my wife a 2006 VW Jetta TDI. So far it's been a great car. She gets 45 mpg driving to and from work. She will only drive a 5 speed manual which was highly recommended over the auto. She just got home from a trip from Florida and got 50 mpg on the highway.

Awesome little car, handles well, stops well, very fun to drive. It also has a good deal of interior space compared to other cars in it's class...trunk is HUGE for the size of the car too.

I believe the new ones qualify for extra cash from the government for their fuel economy being a diesel.

[Mike Peters]

Mike, You can't go wrong with a Honda or a Toyota....1st choice for me is the Honda Accord EX has all the bling bling

That's what I'm thinking too. Both always seem to score high on the reliability charts and both are primarily made in the U.S. Honda's are priced "Accordingly" to their reputation around here in Wichita and the dealers aren't negotiation-friendly at the moment. The Toyota she might be interested in would be the Corolla. One car she really liked was the Nissan Versa which had the CVT transmission. I've gotta hand it to Nissan on that transmission. That is one cool piece of engineering.

I discovered a bit of good news yesterday. For some reason, it dawned on me I owned another vehicle. I've got an '86 GMC S-15 that I've let my mother drive for a number of years now. The truck's not in very good shape and I might be lucky to get $500 out of it if I tried to sell it. However, it seems the gov't thinks it's worth $4500 for trade-in purposes. Who am I to argue? So, I won't have to send the Yukon to the crusher. I'll just hand the keys over to dear ol' Mom and keep it in the family.

[Mike Peters]

We got my wife a 2006 VW Jetta TDI. So far it's been a great car. She gets 45 mpg driving to and from work. She will only drive a 5 speed manual which was highly recommended over the auto. She just got home from a trip from Florida and got 50 mpg on the highway.

Awesome little car, handles well, stops well, very fun to drive. It also has a good deal of interior space compared to other cars in it's class...trunk is HUGE for the size of the car too.

I believe the new ones qualify for extra cash from the government for their fuel economy being a diesel.

Thanks Todd. 50 mpg is friggin' good!!!! I want to drag her out to the VW dealer tonight to see if she likes the Rabbit. Do you have any opinion on that "tiptronic" transmission they offer? Seems like the concept is awesome and just a matter of their execution of bringing that idea to the car. Have you had any reliability issues with the Jetta or heard of any with the newer VW's?

[vegaracer]

I think Kia reliability has increased. I can' remember the last time we towed one.

[Mike Peters]

I think Kia reliability has increased. I can' remember the last time we towed one.

That lil' Kia Forte was loaded with options for the price. The more I look, the more frustrating it is to try to find something of similar price that has the same features. She liked the car except we drove one with the sport-tuned suspension. I like a firm ride but, even this one was too much for me on the city streets. Kia hands out a pretty good warranty also. I just didn't think I'd be considering a Kia being a "car dude".

What brand do you tow the most?

[wikd69]

What brand do you tow the most?

Ford ? (hehe)

Sorry, I just had take the opportunity...

[DOTracer]

We got my wife a 2006 VW Jetta TDI. So far it's been a great car. She gets 45 mpg driving to and from work. She will only drive a 5 speed manual which was highly recommended over the auto. She just got home from a trip from Florida and got 50 mpg on the highway.

Awesome little car, handles well, stops well, very fun to drive. It also has a good deal of interior space compared to other cars in it's class...trunk is HUGE for the size of the car too.

I believe the new ones qualify for extra cash from the government for their fuel economy being a diesel.

Thanks Todd. 50 mpg is friggin' good!!!! I want to drag her out to the VW dealer tonight to see if she likes the Rabbit. Do you have any opinion on that "tiptronic" transmission they offer? Seems like the concept is awesome and just a matter of their execution of bringing that idea to the car. Have you had any reliability issues with the Jetta or heard of any with the newer VW's?

We were warned to syat away from VW automatic transmissions as they aren't as reliable as the stick models.

The only thing we had go wrong was the shifter knob medallion snapped off (three plastic tabs broke off). The dealer replaced the whole shifter knob & boot under warranty.

[drummondracing]

We bought my wife a 03 jetta 2.0 turbo and that litte joker will haul ass, We wanted a tdi but couldnt find one. The gas version still gets 35+ and she has a lead foot. (5 speed)I will tell you from experience working on the Kia's when the timing belt goes they ARE interference motors and will bend valves and bust pistons. Just something to keep in mind

[vegaracer]

I think Kia reliability has increased. I can' remember the last time we towed one.

What brand do you tow the most?

Lately, not much of any. New cars are just too reliable I guess. The scrap car side is busy though.