Car Shopping Time- anyone have any of these?
 

So i'm starting to think about cars, I'm planning on buying one before the end of November probably. Does anybody have any of the following:

Hyundai Tiburon
Hyundai Sante Fe
Acura RSX
Subaru Impreza
VW Jetta

If you have one of these (recent models- i'll buy either a 2005 or 2006), please share your experiences!

Thanks!

I haven't heard very many good things about the Jetta. Friends of mine who have one have had all kinds of mechanical issues with their car within the first year. Also, the car looks roomier on the outside than it really is. Not sure if this is the case with the '05 Jetta but I know this holds true for the '99-'04 Jettas.

I haven't heard anything about the Acura RSX but I have friends with TSX. Now that's a sweet car.

I purchased a car back in July and I was between the Toyota Highlander, Honda CRV, Honda Accord, Mazda 6, and Nissan Altima. Safety was my #1 concern with reliability being 2nd. I ultimately went with the Honda CRV and I definitely don't regret my decision. I love my car!

we just purchased a diesel 2006 jetta and a diesel 2006 golf. we love both of them, the gas mileage is unbelievable(vs. my tahoe) and they handle great on the interstate. the 2006 jetta is rated tops by consumer reports and car and driver, among others. the safety is the highest rating. you might also want to look at the audi a4. good luck.

also, we were told at the vw dealership that sometime this fall, there will be a diesel passat-it may already be out now. it has been in europe for years.

My dad has an 05 Sante Fe. He's been extremely happy with it so far. It has lots of room and handles really well. I've driven it a few times and my only thing is the gas pedal acceleration differs from my own car (an Xterra) so that was a bit to get used to.

I have also heard bad things about the VW, esp with the electrical systems. Mostly, if you're paying that much for a car, it shouldn't break down. They may have fixed it recently and also i'm not familiar with the diesel versions. One person i know even went so far as to sell her car after less than a year b/c of all the probems.

My sister has an 03 Jetta. She loves her car and wouldn't trade it for anything. Hers is the turbo edition so the mileage isn't as good as the normal kind, but the car handles well and has never had any problems. It's a comfortable car to ride in, too. The diesel version, as said above, gets amazing mileage, too.

I have a Subaru Impreza Outback Sport, which I think of as a cross between the regular Impreza and the Outback. I LOVE IT. If you have to drive in the snow, it is AMAZING, and I think it's cute.

I would avoid a VW at ALL costs. My brother has a Jetta and has SOOOO many problems with it, as well as my roommate who has a Cabrio. Also, your insurance will go up because it's difficult to fix and can only be fixed at certains places with certain parts. And lots of little things have gone wrong like the windows and random buttons on the dash. Definitely not worth it. My brother is going to trade it in as soon as possible.

I had a Hyundai and the warrantly is tough to beat.

I just got a 2005 Ford Escape and I LOVE it! It's perfect because it has the safety of an SUV but didn't cost as much as a typical SUV. With everything I wanted, it was about 23,000, but you can get one cheaper. And the gas is about the same that you would spend for a small car.

Good Luck and have fun shopping!

I was always under the impression that the diesel VWs were ok but the others weren't. I have an older one, and it's been pretty good.

As for Subaru, they are truly unbelievable in the snow like
valkyrie said. I eventually decided on the Forrester, but I've never felt so safe before when driving.

avoid VW's like they are a fat guy at a bar hitting on you.


Acura RSX... my one friend has it and she likes it alot. Seems to get pretty good gas mileage. Problem is that a bunch of teenage kids always stare at her and try to race her.

I am not familiar with the other cars except I have heard that Hyundais are disposable cars

I've yet to hear much good about the Jetta, but in my immediate (and small!) family, we've had 11 Subarus - and I think you'd have a hard time convincing me to buy anything else. Right now, I have a Legacy, but have been driving my mother's Outback Legacy.

The Impreza Outback is really cute - I've been eyeing that for my next car.

I've had an 88 Jetta, a 96 Jetta, an 00 Jetta and an 03 Jetta.

I loved my 88, 96 and 00. Trading the 00 in was a mistake.

I HATE my 03 Jetta. It drives like a dream, don't get me wrong. But the gas mileage is AWFUL. I have the 6 cyl, GLX Jetta and I get 10-12 mpg. And there are weird electrical problems left and right and yet the dealership can't find a thing wrong with it.

6 months more of payments and I am selling it. (I will owe less than its worth at that point) Otherwise I'd have 18 mos left on my lease, and I cannot bear that thought, the car is breaking me w the gas.

In addition to my 4 Jettas I've had a GTI and a Cabiolet. Loved those too. But this Jetta has completely soured me on VW.

I went car shopping last summer and originally wanted a Jetta. I test drove an 01 and loved it but my parents talked to our mechanic and he warned us against Jettas, saying they have A LOT of mechanical problems.
I ended up getting an 02 Toyota Celica, which I absolutely LOVE. I saw you have a Tiburon on your list, and I know a lot of people who looked at both Celicas and Tiburons, so that could be something you might want to look into.

Thanks all for your advice, keep it coming :)

I think i'm going to take the Jetta off my list. I've heard way too many bad things about it since i've started asking around.

ZTAngel- one of my good friends/recent roommate had the CRV. It was okay, but I wasn't a fan of it. I personally didn't like the way it handled.

I'm only considering the Santa Fe because I am sorta worried about driving in the winter b/c with my job I may have to drive a lot, to WV and such. But then it has kinda not so great gas mileage so i'm not sure.

I'm not sure if i'm an Outback sorta girl... not my style. I like the sporty imprezas, and my parents have had fabulous luck with their Subarus (2 Forresters and an older Impreza).

So I guess at the top of my list right now is the Tiburon and the RSX. I want to test drive stuff soon, but I also need to figure out what I can afford.

WVU Alpha Phi- I don't think Toyota's making Celicas this year... there's none on their website.

My friend just got a Subaru Outback. She loves it and her insurance is pretty low... and she's a 19 year old female. She seems to think it's because they are safer. It's nice and seems to run well. I assume all Sub's are of same/similar quality.

From what I hear, the newer RSX's have the same gas mileage issues as my Jetta. My mechanic drives one, complains about it every time I bring my car in complaining./

I don't have any experience with the car models you listed, but I've driven an older-model Acura for the past several years, and it's a good solid car. The last time I took it to the garage, the mechanic told me that, with proper maintenance, I could get at least another decade out of it (it's already over a decade old). When the sad day comes that I have to replace that car, Acura is definitely on my list. So, do check out the RSX, although it would suck if amycat's right about the mileage.

I guess I'm out of the car knowledge mix now, then.

One thing that's probably goofy but I like about the Outback series is that it rides at a higher level, but you don't notice it. So, when you get out of it in a dress, it doesn't hike up like when you're in a sports car or an SUV. I know, geeky - but when I get out of a car at a nursing home, the last thing I need is a bunch of little old men trying to escape with me!

Not to scare you or anything, but one of my friends sold his Jetta because--get this--the wheel fell off during a road trip! It wasn't an old model, either. It had some other problems, but I think that's the one that sort of convinced him to get rid of it. :p

Acura
 

My sister had a new model Acura RSX for two years (2004-2005). Nice car, and very pretty inside and out. Good luck car shopping!

We just got a Sante Fe and love it! I wasn't quite ready for the mommy van, and this is still sporty enough that I don't feel like a total matron! The gas mileage is decent compared to our trade in. The room is great, and the drive is nice! We've been totally happy with it! And someone else mentioned the awesome warranty!

Subarus can be really, really reliable. My best friend has the Legacy wagon that has been in the family since 1993, and "Susie" the car is still doing really well even tho she's been several minor accidents and had three new drivers learning to drive a stick shift.

Speaking of VWs, a friend from my old job had her transmission die on a 2004 Passat for no discernable reason.

I know this isn't on the list, but I love my 2005 Ford Focus four door sedan. It's a great, yet affordable, not-so-little car.

Not familiar with the cars you listed, Dani, but my sister has a 2005 Malibu that she loves. I actually drove it for a week when she was on her honeymoon and I was impressed. Reasonably priced, too.

So I went test driving yesterday, and I'm pretty sure I want the Acura RSX. Now it's just a matter of haggling on the price- there's only 3 dealers in the Pittsburgh areas, but on the plus side, they're super competitive with each other so hopefully I can work that.

Surprisingly, I also liked the Nissan Altima 2.5 S with Special Edition package, but it is very different than what I thought I wanted. It was suggested to me to test drive, so I did. So i'm considering it, but Acura is outweighing it in being more of what I want, better warranty, better resale value, and maybe lower insurance (gotta call the insurance agent tomorrow).

I also test drove the Sentra Special Edition- I liked it, but it's basically my current car (a 200sx) updated. But anyone looking for an inexpensive, reliable car that's cute, AND has a great soundsystem, i'd recommend it.

Wanted to test drive a Tiburon, but the Hyuandai dealer I went to didn't have any automatics. But I did look at a manual to see what it looked like. After the Acura, it looked like junk, lol. So that's off my list.

If anyone else has opinions on the Acura RSX or the Nissan Altima, i'd love to hear them!

Still partial to My Honda, 4 th.

Toyota is also one of the best in that grouping. Lexis and Accura are just upgrades of the two I listed. More fru fru.

Want to drive well or look well? Cost is a big factor! No?

Mileage with gas pricing is a premium for sure.

Make sure You go with a good dependable Auto.

My friend has the Nissan Altima. It's a great car. I drove his one time since it was one of the cars I was considering. It handles really well. The reason I didn't get it is because I wanted an SUV (higher up so I can see better) and side airbags weren't standard. It was going to cost an arm and a leg to include the side airbags. Plus, it comes in a package where I'd have to get all these other features that I didn't want with the side airbags. I have a feeling that in a few years it will be a requirement for all cars to have side airbags.

My recommendation is to go online and request quotes from the dealers through one of those online websites. I had a dealer that was 40 minutes away give me a really good quote online so I went to the closest dealer and asked if they could match it/beat it. They did better by $500. I got my car for below invoice but I think it was because it was the end of the model year and because there were a bunch of those hidden dealer incentives going on. Also, it was the end of the month; most dealerships are trying to meet quota and are willing to sell cars for a lower price.

I've heard bad things about the RSX's gas mileage. I know someone with one and he gets 10-12 mpg.

My old roommate used to have a Nissan Sentra and she drove that thing until it wouldn't drive anymore. They are pretty decent cars, so an Altima should be in the same ballpark.

I know you aren't looking at Subarus anymore, but apparently 4 wheel drive comes standard on most, if not all, models. I don't know if you are looking to drive in the snow at all. If you aren't, the 4 wheel drive is pretty pointless and eats up gas.

My family are Nissan and Subaru people! I would go for the Altima, it might not be real sporty, but it is VERY reliable and I don't know....i'm just partial to nissans b/c I have a sentra! lol.

I can't say anything bad about the Subaru (except for the price..lol). My dad had a 1993 Subaru legacy, and that car saved our lives when we got into an accident my senior year (in 2003). B/c the car is sooo heavy (it weighs about the same as my mom's Nissan Pathfinder) it slowed us down (and the car that hit us) so that no one else was in the accident & so that all we sustained were bumps and bruises and really nothing major.

So after lots and lots of research, and now that I've been officially hired, i'm going to go buy the RSX tonight and will hopefully have it in about a week. The Altima was cool, but I don't think i'm ready for a 4-door sedan yet, lol.

Congrats on being hired and picking out a car! Hope you enjoy it.

Are you getting the Type S or just standard? I have the RSX Type-S (2002 model) and I love the car to death! I just hit 50,000 miles and I haven't had any problems with it. I get about 30 miles to the gallon (highway) and it handles beautifully. My dealership is the best in the world....the guys there don't try to pull a fast one on me because I'm a girl. They respect me and explain things when needed.

What color are you getting? I have the Artic Blue Pearl. Acura's never seem to die. My boyfriend has a 93 Integra and it's in GREAT condition!

Good luck with your new baby. She will get you far!

I'm just getting the base model. I don't drive stick, and honestly the extra power and leather seats, etc. don't mean that much to me for the money. I'm getting silver, I would've liked the blue but they're hard to get ahold of. Actually, it's hard to get any automatics, the dealers in my area don't have many.

I liked the way I was treated there so far, and I appreciated that they didn't call me every day like the Nissan dealerships.

I'm definitely excited! ETA is Nov. 7, so just about 2 more weeks until i get it.

I just purchased a car two weeks ago. I wanted a VW Jetta at first but I ended up going back to my original choice which is a Nissan Altima. I gotta 2003 2.5S for a pretty good deal.

But the car that I will eventually have (post MBA of course) is a Cadillac STS. Its just something about that car. :)

My brother and roommate both have had tiburons. After 80k miles both had to have new transmissions- my brothers made it to 115 then it died so he popped out 2500 to get it fixed. Also, in the rain it is dangerous.
Just my opinion.
Another friend has a jetta and he couldnt be happier.

i just got a 2006 jetta tdi and love it. i have had it for about 1.5 months. the gas (diesel) mileage is incredible.
I had a Sentra for 5 years and had no problems out of it.

I also looked at the Acura TSX and almost got one, but the gas mileage was a deciding factor.

Got a call today- my car came in early! It was due in on Monday, and thought it might be late, instead it's early. YAY! Going to get it tonight!