Car question- make and model

[LadyLuna]

I'm going used car shopping, and I need some help, because I know nothing about cars. Other than, out of all the cars I have, there were two that were a pleasure to drive, and I'm pretty damn sure it had something to do with the body shape and proportions, as well as the size. I like 4-door sedans, because I like being able to open a door to get behind the front seat, instead of having to move the seat forward.

My favorite of all the cars I ever drove was a 2006 Kia Spectra. (the year is so important, this year's Kia Spectras feel like boats in comparison to the car I drove...)

My second favorite was a 2006 Honda Accord. (this one is slightly bigger than the spectra, and is at the upper end of how big I'm comfortable with parking.)

Assuming I can't get either of those, what are some recommendations for cars that have a similar body type and would handle kinda like those?

The car will mostly be used for trips to the store and to the bank, occasional short highway hops to a nearby town (to see his grandfather), and about once a year a 45 min to hour long drive to the airport (there and back twice). I understand that good gas mileage seems to be standard with that sort of car, but that is a consideration for me. Especially as there are literally no gas stations for the whole airport trip (fill up once before we leave, and again when we get back, because there's none on the way and none close to the airport.)

Also, there may be a substantially longer trip in the car's future if I/we do end up moving states.

Thanks guys!

 

[PersonalAngel]

I have the honda Element that I love. It has great mpg, and a huge amount of leg room in the back.

 

[Kickaz]

Honda has a very good reputation, especially the accord. Their parts are cheaper and easily available.

Look at the total Kms or miles. Lower than 100k km would be a good find.
Ask what work the previews owner has done to the car, ask for receipts.
Look at the paint. If the car has been in an accident you might be able to tell sometimes from the paint. Stay away from cars that have been involved in accidents.
Look for rust. Usually this is a bad sign.

I also recommend Hyundais. They have come a long way since they started and have pretty good reviews.

Negotiate the price, especially with dealers.
This is my personal opinion but since a car is a depreciating asset I wouldn't buy anything fancy (brand new) and would try to buy it all in cash (no monthly payments). Most of the profit for dealerships is in interest and not in the actual sale of the car.
Having liquid cash puts you in a better position to negotiate.

 

[GreatDane]

Have you tried any of the other styles of those cars? the Honda Fit is a hatchback that has a LOT of room and great mileage from what I have heard. Kia has some decent vehicles but they seem to be losing headroom but for most people that's not an issue. Nissan has some good vehicles and decent room and mileage look at the Nissan Versa for a smaller vehicle that has amazing leg room.

It really depends on what YOU are comfortable in, we can all make suggestions but you need to think about what you want in a car / vehicle ( baggage area, air bags, how many people you want to be able to fit comfortably, safety features, fog lights, etc. etc.) Kia and Hyundai both have good warranties, Honda has a great name and resale factor, Nissan has a lot going for them too. Toyota has issues with the head rest tilting forward which affects some people differently than others but they tend to run forever if you take care of them.

 

[angrystan]

If you like the Spectra and the Accord, then in today's market you are looking for a car with a very smooth ride rather than superior "handling". Handling being what sports cars do especially well. If you are looking to replace 7 year old, or "nearly broken in" cars this implies you are in an area where rust is a greater issue than for most of us. I tend to forget about rust being in Texas. Speaking for myself, I love a compact car. My daily driver is an '04 Corolla which is far more stiff than your Spectra, but in the same size class.

I go forward presuming you are looking for a c-segment or "compact" car not unlike the Spectra, Corolla, Focus, Civic and a few dozen others.

Core ideas:
Avoid anything with a European nameplate, without regard to where it was screwed together. On North American roads, these cars are not reliable. Often they have slicker interiors, but offer no other practical advantages over similar cars from other parts of the world.
Avoid Toyota or Honda simply because the no-longer-accurate perception of quality raises the price dramatically and needlessly. Unless you, like me, prefer a manual transmission in a market where such cars are feared.
Avoid Chrysler and its sub-brand, Dodge, as the cars in the used market today were built during a particularly chaotic period in the company's history and that was reflected in the relatively poor design and quality of the cars.
Avoid Subaru who make great cars that are prone to especially expensive repairs best handled by a specialist of the marque.
Avoid premium brands as a general rule, Lexus, Infiniti, Buick, as the price tends to be inflated over the analogous car out of the same factory. On the other hand you can, rarely, find an amazing private, not from a lot, sale on the Lexus, Lincoln, etc. grandma drove 1000 mi. per year before she passed away.
You won't like a Mazda as they are geared toward performance, and all other aspects of the car suffer, particularly fuel economy and ride comfort.

Hyundais and Kias are acceptable only after the 2004 model year. This may not need to be said for you specifically since you are replacing 2006 models, but I include this as a general reference.

Hondas are to be categorically avoided from 2008 up. I know I'll get some grief on this one, but following Sochiro Honda's passing and the falling away of his generation and their direct successors, the cars simply are not what they used to be. The most conspicuous issue is the intense fading and crumbling of interior plastics, especially in sun-belt states for Hondas too new for this kind of problem.

If your budget is in the US$13000 range and you are considering purchasing used, seriously consider the "stripper" Nissan Versa, a very well received car in this size class which sells new for around US$11500. Financing will be cheaper for a new car.

Look at cars.com or Auto Trader to get a feel for the market for a particular model of car in your area. A deal too good to be true is almost certainly a poorly rebuilt insurance write off.

The list of what you are shopping for:

Chevrolet Cruze, but not the Cobalt. Unexpectedly comfortable, reliable little car from the General.

if you can get past the bling, a 2007 and up Ford Focus can be a good deal. The older-generation Focus had a rather infamous problem with overheating which was solved along the way, but leads to a poor perception and a lower price.

Hyundai Elantra, without reservation save the 2004-and-up rule. The market is getting wise to the quality of Hyundai, so the deal won't be as amazing on this car as it would have been two years ago. I very nearly talked myself into the Elantra Touring (read: station wagon) a couple of years ago.

Kia Forte. This is the Elantra in drag. Kias tend to be sold to first-time buyers who don't garage or maintain their cars as a general rule, extra caution is required.

Nissan Sentra is not on the list only because you can get a new, superior Nissan Versa for the same money. Don't bother looking for a used Versa as people who buy such cars tend to hold on to them for an extended period of time. There are literally none in my area right now.

If you can find a good deal, and are convinced that the car is not rebuilt from scrap, try on a Toyota Corolla for size, or the Toyota Matrix and Pontiac Vibe, the same car in American drag. The latter two are "crossovers" (read: station wagon) versions of the Corolla and may not be what you're looking for. You cannot go wrong with a Corolla newer than 2003, period. They do tend to be more expensive to purchase, however.

In the mid-size class, like the Accord, you are looking for a Chevrolet Malibu, Saturn Aura, Pontiac G6 (all the same car) or a Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan (the same car) and the only reason you don't want a Toyota Camry is the high initial-purchase price. The value leader in this class is the truly brilliant Hyundai Sonata, priced like an American tougher than Japan. I cannot in good faith recommend any others in the class. Be careful when shopping for American cars over six years old, this tends to be the point at which "rebuildable" cars turn up on lots.

Any used car should be inspected by a professional, trusted mechanic. Any lot which does not allow this is not someone with whom you should be trading, period.

 

[LadyLuna]

For some reference:

-head room is a little important, can't be shorter than my previous cars

-backseat leg room is not very important. only groceries are going back there, so as long as I can get the 24-case of soda behind the seats we're good.

-I am not replacing any car. I currently have no car. The reason my honda accord was a 2006 was because it was purchased brand new in 2005 by my father. The reason my kia spectra was a 2006 was because it was purchased from a "Everybody who applies gets one!" used car lot in 2008, and it fit my budget at the time.

-yes, rust would be an issue.

I have about $800 for the down payment. I do not have liquid income, and I don't have time to save up.

My only question is:
-what cars, make and model, will have similar proportions to the two cars I enjoyed driving.

handling vs luxury- I'd actually rather the handling. Out of all the cars I've driven, I much preferred the ones where I knew how to turn them. It's just the body-size, and the proportion of the length to the width, of the kia spectra and honda accord, specifically those years, felt right. I instinctively knew how wide it was, how long it was. This is important in parking, especially in a place where the parking spaces are often... barely big enough for the side mirrors. I also was really good at judging where I was with a 2004 Kia Optima, but that car also felt too big.

 

[OliviaSchrute]

I drive a 2008 mazda 6. My bf has a 2007 honda fit. Both are great cars in my opinion. The drawbacks to the fit is that it's rather uncomfortable, the seats are not good for long trips. The good thing about it is that it has AWESOME gas mileage.
As for my mazda, I absolutely love it. It's the perfect size for me. I'm only 5'4" so I can fit into most vehicles but this car is just perfect for me. The backseats are sort of small, but the trunk room makes up for it. It's very comfortable to drive and it handles exteremley well. I've had it for a little over 3 years and have had no issues with it thus far. It's not got all the bells and whistles as the newer luxury cars, but personally, the only thing I use religiously are the steering wheel controls for the radio and cruise and of course, it has a 6 disc cd changer in dash, which is also nice. I get pretty decent gas mileage but when I was commuting everyday the miles were mostly highway and I would get on average 28/mpg. Can't say what it would have done city miles though. It's pretty comparable in size to the honda accord.
Just my :twocents-02cents:

 

[southsamurai]

having driven several cars of the sedan class that you are talking about, they all seem to have similar head and leg room. i found the kias to be a bit small for my 6 foot 300 lb frame, but im a big dude lol.

in the same class there is also the toyota camry. i liked it as much as the accord (i tend to prefer toyotas just slightly myself for their leg room) the handling on the camry was a bit better and in 07 when i was test driving the gas mileage was better by about 3 or 4 mpg. i think its prettier too lol. i ended up going with a toyota yaris. smaller, and a hatchback, which is the kind of car i like most, but that's off topic.

the ford fusion is sort of meh imo. not bad, but nothing that stands out last time i was a passenger in one, and when i drove one i found the handling a bit too stiff for my taste. good thing about the ford fusion (and the chevy malibu, tho i never tested one of those myself) is that you can get them worked on anywhere. kia. hyundai and subaru are all sort of hit or miss. they all depend on the size of town you live in, the model year and if there is a dealership close by. my ex room mate had a kia rio from like 2000 and always had to take it to the dealership to get a repair done right. the 09 she replaced it with she had better luck with repair wise, but the parts were still sick expensive compared to other companies.

the nissan altima is one that i can recommend highly. great handling, above average mpg, plenty of pick up in the 0-60 range and the used ones tend to be available readily for a fair price. accords and camrys seem to be a grand or two more in any given model year

just did a google search on the model class and apparently suzuki and mazda make models in the mid size sedan class as well. never drove either one myself so i cant do better than any online review could give you other than to say i have never known anyone who owned a suzuki that didnt hate it after 6 months, and theyre as hard to find a good mechanic for as obscure sports cars from europe. in other words outside of a large city, good luck.

based on my personal experience driving them and talking with owners who have had them for a few years, my short list would be the accord, camry or altima as top picks based on leg and head room, handling and fuel efficiency, plus ease of repair (easily available parts, and mechanics familiar enough with them to make repairs correctly) next on the list would be the fusion or malibu, which are solid cars, but ford and chevy just dont seem to put as much design effort into the comfort and durability of their mid size sedans imo. plus the japanese cars i've seen plenty of them on the road at over 200k miles with minimal repair bills beyond basic maintenance, and the upper limit for the american makers seems to be right at the 200k mark when they crap out and fail completely.

my personal experience in owning a toyota has been superb. my yaris might be tiny on the outside but im comfy in it, it gets right at 40 mpg and has room for my huge ass speaker box in the hatch bay lol. it is an 07 and has needed nothing but basic maintenance so far. heck with only 50k miles on it i havent even had to replace the factory tires or brakes yet.

 

[angrystan]

If your down payment is $800, you are looking for a $5000 car. In today's market, that can be done but it will be more difficult to get something neither worn out or rebuilt. Since you are looking at financing, you resolutely must either arrange your own or shop with a "franchised dealer", by which I mean a dealer of new cars, even though you will be buying from the used lot. Do not fear cars with over 100K miles. Cars have been better than they were in the 80s for a very long time.

You may have a trusted, beloved dealer of reliable used cars in your area, but this is rare. Indeed, if you do forget most of what you read here and buy from their inventory. Find a rough, rednecky friend of a friend who tends to do his own automotive repairs to go with you. He (invariably he) will be pleased to demonstrate his expertise. This person will know how to spot trouble and the evidence of trouble being covered up. Even the best of lots will attempt to sell you a service contract. The dealer will also run the car cold for about three minutes with the cap away from the fuel filler door. This causes the service light to come on within 48 hours of delivery. Three days after delivery they will call you and ask whether you are interested in the service contract. Call your redneck who will bring a tool that clears the code and causes this needless light to turn off.

The Kia Spectra was a "compact". This is a formal EPA size category. The Honda Accord is a "mid-size" on the same scale. All of the cars in these categories are so similar, parsing between them is beyond the scope of what can be presented in this kind of forum. The following assumes you are shopping for a car from the 1998 to 2007 model year.

Like the Spectra: Ford Focus, Nissan Sentra, Mazda 3 or Protoge, Geo Prizm, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Saturn L

The Geo Prizm and Toyota Corolla until 2003 are the same car built in the same factory which is the Tesla factory today. Geos tend to sell for less because they do not have the precious Toyota badge as they were sold on a Chevrolet lot.

Like the Accord: You cannot go wrong with a Toyota Camry, barring a rebuilt wreck, when shopping cars in this price class. Also, Ford Taurus or Fusion, Chevrolet Malibu, Buick Century or Regal (which tend to be better cared for), Hyundai Sonata (2004+), Honda Accord, of course, Nissan Altima, Mazda 6, or Mercury Sable.

Your choice between these is largely aesthetic and dependent upon availability.

Go to cars.com or Autotrader.com, choose advanced search, select these makes and models and see what's out there. On the end of the market you're shopping the more flexibility you have the better.

 

[LacieLaPlante]

Let me point out that if you are financing a $5000 dollar car, the interest rate might be HUGE compared to financing a $11,000 dollar car.

Infact, when I was looking to buy my car, the difference in the end between financing a much older 5000 dollar car and a car from 2007 @ 11,000 was only a couple thousand dollars. Things to consider. Make sure you go to LOTS of small car lots if you plan on financing to find the best rate. My interest rate at the Toyota Dealership was only 3% - the rate at the small car lot was 21%!!!

And I know no one else will suggest this car, but I bought a Toyota Yaris and I looove it. It's super small, but surprisingly big inside.. and it takes absolutely no effort to park. I have NEVER had to do a 3 point turn in it. Ever. Big selling point for meee who hates driving.