Possible 3 purchase...

[-pixy-]

So anyway... my husbands car has well exceded the 200k mile mark and we are begining to question its reliability. He drives 60+ miles to work (each way) and needs a car thats going to cruise along during rush hour at 80 mph. I am looking for some feedback from owners on how the car handles a highway commute. He is looking at the 4 door s Touring, with the 5 speed auto. The other cars he is looking at are the Hyundai Elantra Limited, Scion TC and Ford Fusion. Both the TC and the elantra have a 4 speed auto, so I am assuming they will be about as responsive at highway speeds as my wimpy protege. The Fusion seems a little pricey in comparison to the 3...

What other cars did 3 owners concider?

His basic essentials are minimum 30 MPG highway, side airbags, abs, and AT

The things he wants (but can skip) are 6CD+mp3 and iPod connections, alloy wheels and Moonroof.

I think the 3 is his best option, but a little feedback from owners would help.

Thanks

 

[dread]

Go with the 3 its more practical, fun to drive, handles great and is very good on the highway. I wouldn't buy a hyundai because koreans make bad cars. The tc is only 2 doors, but could be fun. The fusion might be nice, but I am not into american cars because they are unreliable and poorly built. Its a nice looking car though.

 

[ZoomZoomH]

can he tolerate a smaller car for far superior gas mileage? because I'm thinking Toyota Yaris 4-door...

 

[mhrebin]

CX-10 sounds like the winner here. all the man tools he would need. if he doesnt mind paying 1k for a fill up.lmao

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123671174

 

[-pixy-]

can he tolerate a smaller car for far superior gas mileage? because I'm thinking Toyota Yaris 4-door...

I have made that suggestion, he didn't put much thought into it because it's 'ugly'

 

[jred321]

corolla then? almost the same as the yaris but not quite as ugly

also the aforementioned jetta

the 3 is still a good choice, just giving other things to consider and test drive before pulling the trigger

 

[iLisa]

I have made that suggestion, he didn't put much thought into it because it's 'ugly'

agreed.

has he ruled out Civic?

 

[ZoomZoomH]

just a thought, for gas saving purpose, the 3i w/ its 2.0 engine will give you about 2-3mpg better gas mileage compared to the 2.3 in teh 3s

 

[Vixen]

Everyone that I know that has a 3 loves it. I was actually looking at the Mercury Milan before I found out about the MS3. I drove a Milan as a rental and it was very smooth. I'm sure it costs more than the 3 though.

 

[-pixy-]

corolla then? almost the same as the yaris but not quite as ugly

also the aforementioned jetta

the 3 is still a good choice, just giving other things to consider and test drive before pulling the trigger

I was thinking of the corolla also, I have been accumulating a list of cars to check out, his car is due for inspection in July, so we have plenty of time to test everything

I like the 3 the best so far but I am biased.

 

[Mocoso]

The Scion is overpriced for what you are getting... the whole Americans build poor cars and Korean cars are even worse are outdated and simplistic views of where car manufacturers are today... you really need to look at WHO the manufacturer is and the exact model and look at the reliability for that car...is it a 1st year model run, how many components does it share with other platforms, etc....

Not arguing that quality and craftmanship is all the same only that they arent sufficiently different to completely exclude certain manuf. because of where they are from..

Theres the Nissan versa as well, Toyota Corolla, etc... but out of all the best looking car is the Mazda !

 

[-pixy-]

agreed.

has he ruled out Civic?

ruled out, he hates that car for whatever reason

 

[iLisa]

Carmax is a good place to go look because they have a lot of different makes/models if you arent sure what you want..

 

[J.J.]

I don't know where you live, but if you live in snowy climate, the Ford fussion AWD- V6 would be great. I'm not a Ford fan personally but my mother loves Fords and had a 89' T-bird and still has a 99' Taurus. The T-bird died at 169K and the Tarus is still punchy at 152K so as far as reliability goes, Ford has never done my mother wrong.

I rented the Hyundai Sonata last week to drive to Darlington. The outside I like. The inside was ok, however the driver seat was rather uncomfortable. The engine I loved. It would fly. The fuel tank capacity was around 400 miles and I averaged 24-25 mpg at 80 mi/hr, so this car does not meet his criteria, and for that matter, I don't think any V6 will get 30 mpgs at 80 mph; hell, I'm pretty sure the 2.3 mZ3 will not get 30 mpg either.

So, he's will likely end-up with a 4-cylinder with around 115-125 horsepower if he is adament about the criteria above. This leaves:

Honda Civic DX, LX, EX
Nissan Sentra, Versa, etc.
Mazda 3 2.0 sedan
VW rabbit, jetta
Toyota Yaris, Camry (4- cylinder version)

 

[assman]

its funny to see mazda guys knock the fusion when its pretty much the same car as the mazda6!

The fusion/mazda6 are a great choice but since it seems all hes doing is driving lots to and from work, go with the cheapest car possible and upgrade the little things he wants. The warrenty will be out in no timea as well. I say go base model 3 and get an aftermarket stereo that he wants.

 

[Smooth1]

I have a '07 3 grand touring. It has the 7 speaker Bose 6 disk system,leather,moonroof and auxilary hookup for your Ipod in the center console. I love it. Handles great. Take one on a test drive.

 

[Micah]

can he tolerate a smaller car for far superior gas mileage? because I'm thinking Toyota Yaris 4-door...

+1

Toyota Corolla - 41mpg hwy $15k

 

[Donas64]

Go with the 3 its more practical, fun to drive, handles great and is very good on the highway. I wouldn't buy a hyundai because koreans make bad cars. The tc is only 2 doors, but could be fun. The fusion might be nice, but I am not into american cars because they are unreliable and poorly built. Its a nice looking car though.

That right there is just an ignorant statment and patently false. Hyundai make VERY good cars.

If he's considering a fusion, why not get a 6 instead. Same car, 10x better looking.

Overall you can't go wrong with the 3 though. Style and substance packaged in a small frame.

My sister has a Yaris hatch and its the cutest little thing on 4 wheels, excellent mileage, good fit and finish, but the motor could use 15 more hp though. Likely to be annoying at highway speeds.

 

[utopia]

i almost got the VW Rabbit

 

[jbiird317]

my sister went through this same debate last year (except she wanted MTX). She lives in the city (philly) but commutes out often so needed something that could work for both city and highway driving while still getting good gas mileage.

She really wanted the scion TC, but my dad and I talked her into driving the Civic, 3i, Corolla, Versa, the cobalt, and Hyundai elantra.

She hated the cobalt and the elantra, not sure why, but didnt like it from the second we sat down in it. She also didn't care for the corolla, said it felt too "generic." I'm not totally sure what she meant here, but i think i understand...and whatever its her money, shes gotta be happy.

The versa was next on the list. She liked the way it drove, but didn't like the mini-van qualities of the exterior. As a tall person, I didnt care for the back seat of the versa as there was not much leg room.

The TC was third in this little comparison. It was plenty peppy and comfortable (even for me in the backseat), but the gas mileage was not as good as the civic or the 3i and it was slightly overpriced.

We were at a tie for the civic or the 3i. Both of these were comfortable rides in the city and on the highway, both got good gas mileage (civic slightly better), and both had comparable prices. She ended up choosing the 3i over the civic because of the overall quality of the car. She and I agreed that the civic felt cheaper than the 3 (ex1: slamming the door of the civic sounded flimsy, were the 3 felt heavy and strong....ex2:the cheap plastic on the inside of the civic was extremely noticable, with the 3 there seemed to be slightly higher quality craftsmanship).

In the end, she bought the 3i. She has had it for a year and has had no problems with it at all. I think she made the right choice, but probly couldn't have gone horribly wrong with any of her choices. I wish you luck in your decision, it won't be easy, but when u get in and drive the cars, you will know which one suits u best.