Cars, Part n+1

[bertine]

Tonight I decided to start researching cars instead of how to buy cars. It is much more exciting to look at what a car has than how to get a good deal and how cars are a giant waste of money. I realized that my crush on the Mazda3/Mazda6 is just a crush and I might end up getting something that gets better gas mileage and is cheaper.

I came up with a list of cars I want to test drive on Monday:
Jetta
Mazda3/Mazda6
Ford Fusion
Honda Civic

I always thought that Jetta's were about 10k more than they are, which is nice to learn. It is surprising to see that the civic is such a practical car both in price and in options. My midwestern soul likes that.

Comments

[sterlingphoenix.livejournal.com]

There's two different classes of car in there (Jetta and Ford Fusion are bigger/more expensive than Civic/Mazda3). I know for a fact that the Civic has quite a bit of price ranges depending on which model Civic you get, too - pretty sure most of them do that, too. Come to think of it I know Fusion can do that too.

I can see you in a Jetta. Just cause it's kind of a yuppie car and I think you can go a bit more yuppie (:

Definitely make a day out of it. Make a dealership plan and go drive a whole bunch. You can usually find a while buncha dealers on one stretch, except VW tend to be loners.

Most of all, enjoy it. You're just there to TEST DRIVE and see how much you like it. Make sure you research which model you want to test-drive; a Civic DX will be way the hell different than a Civic EX (and definitely a Civic SI!) option-wise. You're not there to buy that day, just see how comfortable the cars are.

You can play Car Salesman Bingo, too. See how often they laugh at your jokes (even ones you know aren't funny), see if you can get them to agree with all your opinions, even when you make contradictory statements, and if they insist on going on the test-drive with you (some will, some won't) see if they try to make an all-right-turn route.

One of the BEST things you can do is come in with knowledge and toss it around. "Hi, uh... I'm looking for a car?" doesn't have as much impact as "I want to test-drive a Honda Civic EX with the nav package."

You can call up dealerships and make an appointment to test-drive a specific car in advance - that'd probably be even better, and they can have a car waiting for you when you get there (none of that "I'll have to check if we have one" crap).

Bring a friend, or at least something to read. They seem intimidated by smartphones, because you can look stuff up on them on the fly.

You can bring a note-taking device (or, uh, notebook) and write down your impressions of each car so they don't blend together.

Enjoy! Car-testing is way fun.

[bertine.livejournal.com]

I am not sure what size of car I need/would feel comfortable with so I decided to try a couple different sizes.

I am looking at test driving the Civic EX (cause it comes with a sun/moonroof). The Si only comes in a manual so while I can drive a manual I don't really want one since I mostly drive in the city.

Yuppie! :P

Your advice is exactly what Zach has been telling me. I just want to go out there and do it. I am starting to get excited about trying out different cars, which is good. I was dreading it so much that it was getting to me.

[sterlingphoenix.livejournal.com]

I don't know if all Civics are line this, but with the hybrid you can't fold down the back seat, which is a BIT ridiculous/dumb/annoying. So definitely check THAT with cars!

The Civic SI is the super-sporty one. But you know, it's still a Civic (;

Good, I'm glad you're going to have fun with it!

[saphirepassion.livejournal.com]

The Honda Civic is well rated for repair record but I am still in favor of the Suburu Outback. It get great gas mileage and the four wheel drive is great for our winter driving in MN.

[scentedwoods.livejournal.com]

Why/how do you have a little smiley face over your LJ head? What is that?

[bertine.livejournal.com]

The Outback isn't a sedan. I like Outbacks but I don't really want to have to try and park that on the city streets or get that through alleys in the winter time. I like the storage/hauling abilities but I have access to my brother's truck so I don't really need that. I suppose it would be nice if we ever had two kids and a dog but if that happens we can look into a new car. For now we don't have any children and aren't getting a dog until we have a yard.

Plus I have no idea what they did to the styling of the outback the last time they updated it but it is ugly. It looks more like a small SUV than a wagon. It also starts at the top of my price range.

[messyjessy.livejournal.com]

The Outback Sport is smaller. I've ridden in a couple and I don't think they were any bigger than a Civic Sedan.

I'm a former Civic owner and big fan. I had an EX Coupe for many years and it was a fantastic car. I'd consider getting another one in the future if I wasn't all about flash over substance.

[scentedwoods.livejournal.com]

I have owned a Civic and now have the Protege (Mazda 3's daddy) and can say that they're both great cars. The Civic definitely feels much much more solid. The Mazda feels much more sporty.

Jetta, oh I love thee VW. The bad news with a Jetta is that all VWs require more maintenance than other kinds of cars. The good news with the Jetta is that my uncle is a solidly reputable VW mechanic that will take care of your VW baby when it needs it.

Good luck!!

[bertine.livejournal.com]

That is why I put both the Civic Ex and the Mazda3 on the list. I am not sure which I would prefer. I am still not convinced the Mazda3 will be large enough and the Mazda6 is giving me the impression that it is going to lose the sportiness while being more expensive that some of the other options.

I love VW also! However, I am not sure I can handle having to go to the shop often. So, we will see if I love driving the 2010 verison.

[scentedwoods.livejournal.com]

Large enough for hauling people or stuff? I can't fit a 4x8 sheet of plywood/drywall/anything into my Protege and it's annoying. I can fit 4 Girl Scouts and all their gear in there just fine.

[bertine.livejournal.com]

People, mostly will it be a good car for carseats. My brother has an old beatup pickup truck that I can use to buy big stuff like that.

[sharya.livejournal.com]

You're not looking at any Dodge, Chevy or Kia products? Not sure what they have that are comparable, but it surprises me they aren't on your list.

[sterlingphoenix.livejournal.com]

I'm not surprised Kia isn't on there. Or Dodge. Or Chevy right now... ok nevermind (:

[bertine.livejournal.com]

I drove a Kia a few years ago as a rental and it was like driving a golf cart. I have a bad impression because of that. However, they do have a good price so if I want more things to try I would go try them out.

[bertine.livejournal.com]

http://www.edmunds.com/kia/forte/2010/review.html

[sterlingphoenix.livejournal.com]

I know Kia/Hyundai get good reviews lately. But you know... I dunno.

I had a Hyundai once. The thing died in a Had To Be Towed To The Dealership four times in one year.

[sterlingphoenix.livejournal.com]

Oh I know. It's just that they had high ratings for the Hyundai Elantra I used to have, too. And that thing kept dying.

[bertine.livejournal.com]

I need to limit the number of options otherwise I am going to be overwhelmed. My 5th option will be the Kia Forte.

It isn't anything against those brands, I don't like the way the Chevy, Dodge or Toyota sedans look.

[seattleforge.livejournal.com]

You should really check out the Jetta diesel sportwagon. It'll get the mileage you're looking for, the room you're looking for and has a pretty nice interior.

[seattleforge.livejournal.com]

Also, the Fusion drives really well. I was rather surprised at how much I liked it as I'm not a huge fan of sedans.

[chelejean.livejournal.com]

Marshall is a HUGE gear head, and would be happy to answer questions for you! Just let us know :)