Newer car shopping...
 

Hello greekchatters...

I am looking at getting a newer car... some where between 2003 to 2005. My hubby wants me to get a toyota, nissan, or honda... I just want something that is four door yet fun.

So I am taking suggestions... do you drive one of these types of cars and what do you like or dislike about your car?

Thanks for the help in advance.

2004 Mazda 3 - great car, realiable, good on gas, 4-door, sporty. If you get 17inch alloy rims, be sure to get a tire with a treadlife warranty. My wifes tires are bald at 25,000 miles. Then again, they did stick 185 mph tires on there (pointless), and the car hugs corners like an Indy Car (pointless again). Other than that, the car is great.

http://www.autoafrica.co.za/content/.../resize/33.jpg

My 2005 Ford Focus is "four door yet fun" - I wouldn't go with one older than a 2005, but they are definitely affordable and I haven't had any problems with my little car even though I've put on 21,000 miles in the 18 months I've had it.

Fix
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I had a Ford Escort for 7 years & it was great until about the 5th year at which point it began breaking down all the time. The Service Engine Soon light came on at least once a month & sometimes for really no reason at all. The car was nickel & diming me to death for 2 years! The transmission was failing by the time I finally traded it in. I'm so glad to be rid of that car. For the longest time I thought it might be a problem with just my Ford Escort, until my best friend got a Ford Focus (2005) and has been having similar problems. Luckily hers is still under factory warranty so she has somewhere to turn.

I'm not going to say that all Ford cars will have the exact same set of problems, but you run the risk that they may. I have this personal theory that all brands of cars have something wrong with them, its just a matter of which types of problems you can deal with best! Good luck!

I used to have a Honda Civic EX and I loved that car. Hondas are so reliable and it was a cute little thing that got good gas mileage.

I had looked at the Ford Focus this summer and was about to buy one when I found a fantastic deal on a 2003 Ford Escape that was fully loaded and was more within my price range. I'd always heard horrible things about Fords in the past, but they've gotten much better recently. Everyone I know with the Focus loves it, and my Escape is a lot of fun.

the GM girl has to post
 

I like the new Pontiac G6 a lot. Really cute car and good gas mileage. My brother had one as a rental at Christmas and I test drove it and really liked it. We only get GM cars in my family, so I'm biased toward the Grand Am too.

Do you wear high heels when you drive it?

-Rudey
--I'm kidding homie :)

I have a 1999 Honda Civic. I love it. I get 36 miles per gallon still, even with 5-10 minutes of warming the car in the winter. I haven't had to put any work other than routine maintenance into it.

I once drove a Toyota Camry rental for a week and it was a wonderful car too. Much bigger than my Civic. It got 35+ miles per gallon as well.

Hope that is helpful.

Dude - 6'5" tall - I don't fit in it. With my heels, I'm pushing 7' - so no, I can't drive it. haha :)

I'm looking at Toyotas and Nissans myself. I preferred the newer Nissans because I'm short and have issues seeing out the back window. A Nissan Sentra had a lower beltline when I test drove it and it was a comfy car. It has a little more power and torque than a Corolla, but Corollas get killer gas milage.

I have a 95 corolla now and I'm running it into the ground. They last a long time.

I'm trying to stay away from American made cars. I rented a Ford Focus one and it sounded like something was going to fall off of it every time I went over a speed bump.

However, I'm intrigued with the new Kias. The brand new ones. Consumer Reports keep saying they are the best new car or something to that affect. I've always heard they were crap. Anyone know anything about Kias?

ETA: Depending on where you live, I wouldn't get a Honda. Hondas here are the number one car to get broken into, vandalized or stolen all together. And EVERYONE and their mom has one here. But it could be a different story where you live.

Thanks... keep it coming!
 

My first car was an 88 Ford Escort... only reason I wanted to get something different was because it was just basic with no a/c. Other than that I had a good time with it... no major issues. (This with an engine that filled once (that I know of)... I didn't get my Sunfire until 2002.) So I am all for Fords... good cars. I've even looked at the Focus.

My current car started having issues 6 days after I drove it off the lot, and I didn't have a warranty on it. I put over $600 in it before we finally found the issue. So I was glad that I still had my escort... it was my ride saver. It is a Sunfire... so I am staying away from GM and Pontiac's.

My hubby and all his family have Toyota's.

I have to have a wheelbase no larger than 110 and length no longer than 190, to say in the garage at home.

Love all you guys are giving!

I had a Nissan Maxima as a rental recently and was surprised how much I liked it. It was a 2006 and was brand new. It is quite spacious inside (we chose to drive it to Palm Springs over my dad's BMW 7 series -- enough room and we'd rather put miles on the rental). My sister (5'11") sat in back the whole way to the desert and back and was totaly comfortable.

ETA: I just looked and the wheel base is 111.2 and the length is 193.5 -- bummer

I had a '99 Ford Escort ZX2 up until July. I had both the tape deck and air conditioning go out twice. These aren't major mechanical failures but still problems nonetheless. Especially since the tape deck broke within 7 months of owning the car.

Right before I got my new car, my Ford stalled on me when I was in a parking lot. I had been looking into a new car for a while but it was then that I decided I would buy a new one that weekend...while my Ford was still working and worth something.

My friend had the same exact car as me. The transmission died on her last month at 70,000. The transmission shouldn't have gone out at 70,000. My boyfriend's Camry has close to 100K on it and it's still going strong!

And the ZX2 was supposed to be one of the better Ford cars in terms of mechanical issues since it was essentially the same car as the Mazda MX6.

I bought a '05 Honda CRV and I absolutely love it. No complaints here. It's big so I feel safer when I'm on the road but it's a small SUV so I still get great gas mileage. Plus, it's a Honda so I know it will last forever. It's very spacious and I was easily able to fit 4 of my very tall friends into it last night.

Stay away from the Kias!!!:P I drive a 96 Kia, and I have had sooooo much trouble with it!!! It's a love hate thing I guess, lol. At first I thought well maybe it was just because my car is old, but I've known a few people who have gotten the newer ones-One of my friend's Dad's actually bought her a brand new Kia, and not even a year later her car was falling apart(I think it was an 04-but not sure). Lots of electrical problems :rolleyes: In the amount of money we've spent on my car this past year, we probably could've just saved up a bit longer and bought a brand new Scion, lol.