New Car Decisions

Jmiller

Jmiller

Active Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2005
Messages
427
Location
Nebraska USA
Car(s)
2001 Oldsmobile Aurora 3.5
It?s time for a new car, my current 2001 Oldsmobile Aurora is just not worth fixing anymore. I am a car guy and looking for some more sport, lots of tech, and some luxury with HID/Xenon headlights. I am mid 20?s, home owner, and single, so this plays into it some I think. I would say 80% of my driving is in town, but with a new car I do have some road trips I would like to go on. My daily commute is about 7 miles each way. I live in Nebraska so we get some snow. Because of that I have a want of AWD but FWD is what I have had and with winter rated all season tires(Nokian) I have been fine in the past. About once or twice a year I may end up borrowing an SUV from work but that is kind of a pain. I really only need to get out my drive way and 2 houses down before I hit a snow route. Having access to some AWD SUV?s makes me want that extra security I guess. I am kind of DIY mechanic. I do my own oil changes, brakes, and general basic stuff. Having a car I can work on is a plus. As long as I have good internet documentation I am willing to do most things. My budget is around 25K. Reliability is important, I want a car I can depend on since its my only car. I do have access to company cars (right now) but don?t want to rely on them.

So what have I been looking at?

Infinity G37x Sedan
Year 2009
Price $22-25k
Miles 20-40K
MPG (City-Combined-Highway) 18-20-25
User Reported MPG 16-17 in town
Gas Type Premium
AWD Yes
Transmission 6A
How many on Market? Some
Seats Good
Reliability Good

I liked how the G drove but they get pretty terrible fuel economy in town. They also seem expensive for the being used and not a European brand.

Acura TL
Year 2009
Price 21k (Tech about 1200 more). (AWD Model about 25-26k)
Miles 40-45k
MPG (City-Combined-Highway) 18-21-26
User Reported MPG
Gas Type Premium
AWD No
Transmission 6 Speed Auto (5 Speed auto on AWD)
How many on Market? Lots (TL), Some (AWD)
Seats Good ?
Reliability Fantastic

I liked how the TL drives, Love the reliability of Acura. I would be lying if I said the TL was my favorite looking car, but I don?t hate it like others do. The TL is heavy and it shows, its physical volume is also big but interior its similar to the car I have now. The TL is packed with technology especially if you get the technology packages. I feel like if I got the FWD TL I would opt for tech, if I with with the SH-AWD I probably would not. I fell like MPG should be better but its not too bad. I feel like the TL is my best mix of reliability, size and sport/tech but it's also the most expensive thing I am looking at in AWD form, and AWD is kind of a big premium.


Acura TSX
Year 2009
Price $20-22k
Miles 32k
MPG (City-Combined-Highway) 21-25-30
User Reported MPG
Gas Type Standard
AWD No
Transmission 6 Speed Auto
How many on Market? Good amount
Seats Very Good
Reliability Fantastic

TSX is basically just a smaller TL. It?s really not that much smaller about 2 inches in the rear seat and a bit narrower. I don?t carry that many people in my car now, so I could get by fine here, but wondering if I want to longer term? It is a 4 Cyl motor, non turbo. It has paddles which I do like. It does get a bit better mileage and would be pretty easy to work on for the most part. It also doesn't have the big TL nose, but it?s not a very distinctive car.


VW CC
Year 2009
Price 20k
Miles 18-19k
MPG (City-Combined-Highway) 19-23-29
User Reported MPG
Gas Type Premium
AWD No
Transmission 6 speed DSG
How many on Market? Good amount
Seats Excellent
Reliability Fair

The CC I drove was probably not the best example, it was a recent trade and had not had much done to it in prep. It had super noisy tires, and creaked some. It did feel less sporty but the seats were great. The DSG was fun, although it needed paddles. VW reliability scares me. Looking at some of the user reports it looks like its more major stuff on these that go wrong. People either love or hate them. You can get lower mile cars for less money, do you just plan on it going to the shop? I have always loved how the CC looks and the seats were the best I sat in. Loved the two tone seats too. AWD CC?s do exist they are just super hard to find, and come with a different motor.

E90 BMW 328i X Drive
Year 2009
Price 20-22K
Miles 50k?
MPG (City-Combined-Highway) 17-20-25
User Reported MPG
Gas Type Premium
AWD Yes
Transmission 6 Speed SMG?
How many on Market? Not as many as I thought right now
Seats Very Good
Reliability Fair

By far the BMW was the best driving car I drove. I might get in trouble with one but god it was good. Being a car guy BMW has automatic appeal. My biggest concern is reliability here. Do you just plan for service and get by with the cheaper car and also not planning to keep it for 7+ years? Logic says not to go this route but is it really this bad? Interior was good, kind of plain BMW but nice too.


What am I forgetting? Should I go drive a Cadillac CTS AWD? Subaru WRX (Kind of small)? 5 Series x drive? Thoughts?
 
TSX Sport Wagon's can be found in your price range, but overall I think any of those would be great.
 
Well that depends - are you a badge snob? It seems that way from some of your choices, but I could be mistaken.

First off, I would eliminate the CC from your list. VW products just are not that reliable. Which is too bad - the CC is really a pretty car, and I was looking for one myself about a year and a half ago.

I would reconsider the BMW as well. You say you like working on your own car? Well BMW doesn't like for you to do that. It's not a very easy car to work on.

The G and Acuras aren't bad - but for $25K, you will be limited to lower spec/higher mile cars. Plus, repairs and maintenance will be more than what you are used to with your Olds - insurance, too.

I would suggest looking at some domestic alternatives - primarily Ford brands. $25K can get you a CPO Fusion or Taurus with or without AWD. And if you go Certified Preowned, you will get a 6 year, 60K mile warranty free of charge. I would try to find a Fusion Sport - that has the 265hp 3.5 V6. Or you could get a Lincoln MKZ with the same engine. And the Fusion - particularly in Sport trim, although the other models are no slouch - handle and drive very well for their class. And reliability records for the Fusion and Taurus are very good - with the AWD versions slightly less so.

Another option for you is a Subaru Legacy - although it won't be near as fast as a WRX, unless you get one with the H6 engine.

Are you in a big city, like Omaha or Lincoln? I could look up some cars for you to consider.
 
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devil500 said:
TSX Sport Wagon's can be found in your price range, but overall I think any of those would be great.
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Didn't really consider the wagon model. I may have to think about that.

CAPT_Howdy said:
Well that depends - are you a badge snob? It seems that way from some of your choices, but I could be mistaken.

First off, I would eliminate the CC from your list. VW products just are not that reliable. Which is too bad - the CC is really a pretty car, and I was looking for one myself about a year and a half ago.

I would reconsider the BMW as well. You say you like working on your own car? Well BMW doesn't like for you to do that. It's not a very easy car to work on.

The G and Acuras aren't bad - but for $25K, you will be limited to lower spec/higher mile cars. Plus, repairs and maintenance will be more than what you are used to with your Olds - insurance, too.

I would suggest looking at some domestic alternatives - primarily Ford brands. $25K can get you a CPO Fusion or Taurus with or without AWD. And if you go Certified Preowned, you will get a 6 year, 60K mile warranty free of charge. I would try to find a Fusion Sport - that has the 265hp 3.5 V6. Or you could get a Lincoln MKZ with the same engine. And the Fusion - particularly in Sport trim, although the other models are no slouch - handle and drive very well for their class. And reliability records for the Fusion and Taurus are very good - with the AWD versions slightly less so.

Another option for you is a Subaru Legacy - although it won't be near as fast as a WRX, unless you get one with the H6 engine.

Are you in a big city, like Omaha or Lincoln? I could look up some cars for you to consider.
Click to expand...

Ya I might be a bit of a badge snob. I have always been more of a fan of European/Japanese brands. I would agree that I have pretty much eliminated the VW & BMW for reliability reasons. We have a couple of really good independent shops here, one that will work on anything and another that specializes in Honda/Toyota. Both are a decent amount less than ad dealer. I understand that maintenance is going to be more than I have been paying (not much) on anything I get. My hope is by buying a car with 50k on it, it wont be a big deal very often.

I really not a Ford fan, I like the design and some of the tech of the new Fusions, but thats not where I am really at in terms of $. I may have to go drive a Fusion Sport just to see what its' like. I would be open to GM type things. A coworker has a new Legacy and it's pretty nice, I was hoping to get something with more technology though and a bit more lux. Not really looking to downgrade to cloth and a CVT.

I am in one of those cities and they are close so I would take suggestions from either. The last few company cars we bought were big luxury sedans from Ebay that ended up being in Houston. It was fun to fly down and drive one back so I am keeping that type of option open too. I know a guy who for a flat fee (something like $400-500) will buy you a car on the national auction circuit too. They are graded so he ends up getting pretty good cars it seems. The people I know who have done this are happy.
 
1) Don't rule out RWD. For some reason many people think it's terrible in the snow but that simple isn't true. On snow tires, my Miata has been downright impressive in the winter. Uphill starts and downhill hard braking without ABS are not a problem at all.
2) You said you're single. Why are you only looking at four-doors?

Look at the first-gen CTS-V, Mazdaspeed 6, Audi S4 B6-B7 (with the V8), E46 M3, Pontiac GTO, etc
 
CAPT_Howdy said:
Okay - I did a little looking on Cars.com and found this CPO Fusion Sport in Council Bluffs for just under $22K. Might be worth a look.
Click to expand...

I will take a look, Can't call the last gen Fusions lookers by any means.

LeVeL said:
1) Don't rule out RWD. For some reason many people think it's terrible in the snow but that simple isn't true. On snow tires, my Miata has been downright impressive in the winter. Uphill starts and downhill hard braking without ABS are not a problem at all.
2) You said you're single. Why are you only looking at four-doors?

Look at the first-gen CTS-V, Mazdaspeed 6, Audi S4 B6-B7 (with the V8), E46 M3, Pontiac GTO, etc
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Insurance, and practicality. I do haul stuff sometimes and like flexibility. The Mazdaspeed 6 is interesting even thought its older than I would like to go, picking up a 2008 would be ok. Edit it looks like they were only made for 2 years and there are very few of them.
 
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Just found a CPO 2010 TSX for sale in Omaha that meets your budget.

Seriously - if you're going to buy used, go Certified Pre-Owned. I can't stress this enough. You will be getting a clean, low mile car with a factory warranty. Hard to beat that.
 
I don't know about that TSX wagon.

First off, the ad says "Black Tie Certified" - that means nothing. That's just something the dealer stuck onto the ad to make people think they're getting a factory certified pre-owned car.

Second, the only warranty is the existing factory warranty. The basic, bumper-to-bumper warranty is 4 years or 50K miles, meaning there's just one year left on that. The drivetrain warranty is a bit better with 3 years remaining.

The reviews for the dealer, however, are excellent - except for the time he sold a customer a Nissan Murano that apparently had flood damage. But he took the car back and got the customer another one for the same payment amount. Hurray! (Except for the initial sale of a flood-damaged car to a customer.)

I personally would stick to factory certified cars close to you; but that is your call, of course.
 
As far as that list goes, if you want something totally reliable, i'd say the TSX is probably your best bet. I haven't really heard problems about the TSX. I know a relative owns a previous generation TSX and that hasn't really given him problems either, especially since the TSX has the I4. I'd be a bit wary of the TL with its transmission as some transmission problems still plague the Honda/Acura models equipped with the V6.

Jmiller said:
Infiniti G37x Sedan
Year 2009
Price $22-25k
Miles 20-40K
MPG (City-Combined-Highway) 18-20-25
User Reported MPG 16-17 in town
Gas Type Premium
AWD Yes
Transmission 6A
How many on Market? Some
Seats Good
Reliability Good

I liked how the G drove but they get pretty terrible fuel economy in town. They also seem expensive for the being used and not a European brand.
Click to expand...

However I can shout out to the Infiniti G37, personally owning the G35 variant of the V36 chassis (the current generation chassis, as you know 07-08 had the upgraded 3.5 VQ vs the current 3.7 VQ)

And as a correction, the G37 is equipped with a 7-speed Automatic.

As far as pricing, it's much more costly up north, heck a 07-08 still retails for about $20k if you're looking at something with average mileage (60k for 07-08s). I honestly got lucky when I found my G loaded with the Sport and Tech packages. However it seems that at 22-25k, it'll be difficult to find a decent condition G that's fully spec'd.

As far as reliability goes, the G is a fairly reliable vehicle. However they are known for weak wheel bearings, as I actually got the front ones replaced under the still valid powertrain warranty (6 years, 70k miles (110k KM)) as it was kind of making a noise. Now the noise I get seems to be because of the Toyo directional tread on the fronts. Also, while it wasn't really an issue but more of a concern, the 5AT transmission in mine has a bit of lag engaging Reverse or Drive, with engaging Drive from Reverse being a 2 second lag. While its supposedly "normal" with Nissan and Infiniti vehicles, my dealer put in an order for a transmission under warranty for me. Though that hasn't arrived yet, still got to follow up with the dealer.

However overall, the G is a solid vehicle but may not be as solid as a TSX. So if you were to head that route, i'd suggest finding the xS (if AWD) or S (RWD) if you want the paddle shifters as it also comes with the sport bumpers, sport seats with adjustable bolsters (though it may be a bit too stiff/narrow compared to the normal ones) and some other perks. The RWD S model is also outfitted with the sport tuned suspension vs the AWD which is more of a cosmetic package.

Regardless, you can't go wrong with any of the vehicles you're considering, as long as you save some money aside for maintenance and repairs for any of these vehicles, or take advantage of whats left of their warranties.

Good luck!
 
How much is the Toybaru in the States? I'd be looking at one of those if it were in budget.
 
Before CrazyRussian comes in to suggest that it's crap, I'll say that it starts around $25k, it's still on my list of cars to try out since I'm willing to drink that particular brand of kool-aid, but demand outstrips supply still. going the mustang route, you can't deny the bang/buck of the v6 mustang ...more power for less money, also a fair bit bigger and heavier, if you've had to swap your FWD with nokians out for an suv, I don't know how much I would recommend the rwd, as much as I love it myself, for what sounds like a rather under supported plow network to snowfall ratio.

Reliability... maybe not an evo then, I'd probably go for a subaru as mentioned. Or a Jeep, 7 miles isn't far at that point, I would probably rate fuel economy as less of a concern, other planned uses?
 
How about the Lexus IS 250 AWD (I think only the later 350s were available in AWD)? Easily the most reliable car in it's class and It's a pretty small car compared to a G37 and Acura TL which that means it's lighter and nimbler. :D

Everyone calls the Lexus LS "the Japanese Mercedes", but I've always thought of the IS as "the Japanese BMW (3-Series)"...same sort of thing but more reliable. :)
 
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Whaaa? The IS 250 was fat, boring, and soft. The previous IS300 was none of those three, but it's a bit older than the competition that the OP listed.
 
Of the options you have listed, I think the Infiniti is my first choice. The Acura is a nice car, but my brother and I had nothing but problems trying to get Honda to honor their warranty (I had a Civic, he has and RSX). The Acura is also little more than a tarted up Honda. The VW CC I think stands for Complete Crap, seriously, avoid the VW unless you like failed water pumps and constant electrical problems. Plus Spectre will point out the lack of proper subframe bolts on the CC, which leads to major rigidity issues.

The BMW is kind of the gold standard, but I personally think they are overpriced and they go through tires faster than I go though pants.

I keep coming back to the Infiniti as my first choice, especially since it is available in AWD.
 
LeVeL said:
1) Don't rule out RWD. For some reason many people think it's terrible in the snow but that simple isn't true. On snow tires, my Miata has been downright impressive in the winter. Uphill starts and downhill hard braking without ABS are not a problem at all.
Click to expand...
I agree, out of the 3 layouts I'd go with AWD > RWD > FWD when it comes to winter driving. I've had trouble with a Hyundai Accent, Kia Rondo, Pontiac Montana, PT Cruiser, Dodge Caliber, Dodge Avenger/ Chrysler 200/Sebring and the Dodge Caravan, all FWD vehicles and all have either gotten me stuck or were downright dreadful to control. My Cressida which is RWD never got stuck despite pathetic ground clearance. The RWD cars I drive at work being the Chrysler 300/Dodge Charger, BMW 323i, Mercedes C250 and Hyundai Genesis never had problems...and I didn't have access to snow tires on them.

Of the cars you chose, the G37X is the one I'd go with. Its all around a pretty good car and the X version will come with a good amount of tech. I don't really get to drive many Honda products so I can't say much about the TL/TSX, the only Honda product I get exposed to is my sister's Civic...which is problem prone and I've driven some Fits and newer Civics none of which are impressive. The Passat CC...judging from the B6 Passats its likely going to have electrical problems since ours have, its also the least practical car you have with its small trunk and lack of headroom in the back. The BMW 328ix, it has no SMG as far as I'm aware which is a good thing, but it seems you're looking at the automatic...and that automatic is terrible. 1st gear is so tall that the 328ix feels as slow as a 323i, it might even be the slowest car you listed because its not a manual.

Here's a wild card I'll throw out. Hyundai Genesis...that's actually my favourite car to drive at work. Its the biggest among the cars your considering, the older one isn't as fast as the newer one(286 hp vs 333) so if you can get a newer one I would because the newer one will be faster than everything you listed. Its RWD but its pretty easy to control and the traction control will actually let you have fun unlike some of the others. I didn't think I would have so much fun in a Hyundai sedan but I easily like it more than an Audi or a Merc which aren't that fun, and interestingly enough I think it drives better than the Infiniti G, its only the BMW that might handle a slight bit better...but not by much and the Genesis stomps it on power.
 
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I agree as well. I have only driven two FWD cars in the snow and I prefer the RWD I learned on (no traction control, no ABS). Even in the XTerra, I rarely put it in 4WD just for snow.
 
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