Elantra, Civic, or Focus

[fielderLS3]

Between the three, I'd vote Focus. What's the point of buying a Honda to save on gas when half of what you save eventually goes toward timing belts?

[Mr. Wyndham]

If you can't stomach the Cruze - Go Focus. It's a really nice car - both are far and away better than the others, imho.

[newmoon]

Well went and looked over the Civic and Elantra last night and they are both out. Could not squeeze a baby seat and my two boys in the back. While this would only have to be used for all of us on rare occassions, they have to fit. I doubt the Cruze or Focus are any bigger.

So I would need to bump up in size to the Camry, Accord, or Sonata, which the mpg drop is substancial unless you go hybrid.

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by newmoon

Well went and looked over the Civic and Elantra last night and they are both out. Could not squeeze a baby seat and my two boys in the back. While this would only have to be used for all of us on rare occassions, they have to fit. I doubt the Cruze or Focus are any bigger.

So I would need to bump up in size to the Camry, Accord, or Sonata, which the mpg drop is substancial unless you go hybrid.

Um...






Camry and Accord are pathetic compared to the other midsizers out there now.

[Brokinarrow]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

Um...






Camry and Accord are pathetic compared to the other midsizers out there now.

[IBM]

Malibu Ecos are out now.. my local dealer has 3 of them, test drove one with my brother and they're really nice. Great mileage and value..

[newmoon]

Originally Posted by IBM

Malibu Ecos are out now.. my local dealer has 3 of them, test drove one with my brother and they're really nice. Great mileage and value..

Ecos look great and I would like to have one but they are priced about 4k higher than I want to spend.

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by newmoon

Ecos look great and I would like to have one but they are priced about 4k higher than I want to spend.

The cheaper 2.5L model should be available by summer.

[Stew]

Here is a few midsizers I drove.

2011 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ vs 2011 Dodge Avenger Heat

Hello all. Got a little bored Saturday so decided to go try out some sedans (in my never ending quest to replace my Jeep and not being able to make up my mind haha). Anyways here is a basic breakdown of the cars I drove.

1. 2011 Dodge Avenger Mainstreet with the heat package.
price around 24,700.

Pentastar V6/6 speed auto, nice allow wheels, fog lamps, spoiler, power seat, touch screen infotainment.

2. Chevy Malibu LTZ (only V6 they had on the lot). Fully loaded, price around 32k.

How about some comparisons? I will try to keep this as accurate as possible considering the differences in trim levels.

Engines/transmissions

Avenger: The engine felt really smooth, although power seemed to live in the upper rpm range. The transmission was almost maddening in it's workings. It wanted to hold onto high gears even when shifting manually and when it did finally downshift it was slow to do so and when letting it shift on it's own, there was a delay between putting the pedal down and getting any reaction from it. Now this did seem a lot like the computer was intervening for break-in and I know with my Jeep did this quite a bit with the engine until about 2500 miles. I really want to get into one that has been broken in and really feel the Pentastar in action because when the computer did set it free, it easily pushed you into the seat.

Malibu: The engine and transmission here proved to be an excellent combination. The engine was very torquey (I was rather surprised when i pulled out and gave it the spurs and the tires starting spinning). It easily had more than enough power when I needed it and the transmission responded decently quickly and it did a pretty good job in manual mode, though it was still a little slower than I liked when calling up a downshift. Ultimately the engine and transmission worked pretty damned good together!

Advantage: Malibu


Exterior.

Avenger: Pictures do not do the 2011 Avenger justice. The refined front and rear fascias with the flared fenders and clean sides give it a really mean and menacing look. The wheel choices are very stylish and fit perfectly with the body design. Basically it is a very sporty design, with a touch of aggression. Even the new split/cross hair grill is a major improvement. This is the Sporty one.

Malibu: In LTZ trim this is a really striking car. There is a tasteful use of chrome accents, handsome wheels, and it carries a very luxury oriented and refined look. In my opinion, even in it's fourth year, the design is not getting old.

Advantage: TIE, do you prefer sporty or sophisticated?

Interior

Avenger: The new interior is pretty striking and a huge step up from previous years . The materials are good and the new steering wheel has a much sportier look and a very high quality feel. The optional touch screen interface is amazingly intuitive, fun, and easy to use. It provides a bright display and easy to understand controls for the stereo and entertainment systems. The EVIC, which shows different info including mpg info, tire pressure, and giving the ability to reset different options (ex: door lock settings, remote settings, etc) was really nice. It also had a really nice and clear sounding stereo system that incuded a 1 yr free Sirius radio subscription . The place where it is lacking is in room. Now I am just judging front seat room with my 6 ft tall leggy frame, so take it as you will. The driver's seat itself is comfortable with plenty of room to move around. Kneeroom, though, was lacking, of course I have this issue with about everything I drive. Also the driver's side power seat controls were a pain to get to because the driver's door armrest was too large The tilt and telescoping steering wheel was really helpful in finding a comfortable driving position. Overall the interior did come off as really nice and high quality. It is a huge step in the right direction, there are just a few more small things that need to be worked out.

Malibu: The drivers side area seemed quite a bit roomier here. I loved the seat and the gauges. The look, like the outside, was pretty classy. The main demerits here lie in 2 places. The cover over the upholders wanted to stick and was a pain. Also the center stack was simply riddled with too many buttons and was not nearly as intuitive as the Avengers touchscreen.

Advantage: tie: tech savvy or totally classy.

Suspension:

Avenger: This is a nicely buttoned down car. The steering was heavy, but very linear and the work ithat Dodge has put into the suspension has paid pretty good dividends. The ride is a bit firm though and some bumps can protrude into the cabin, but nothing bad and it was surprisingly zippy.

Malibu: Great handling/ride balance. Does a feel a little heavier, but more buttoned down at the same time. The ride seem a bit more supple. I was really impressed at the solid feel.

Advantage: Malibu

Winner: Malibu: I have to give it to the Malibu. This is a well sorted car that is roomy, sophisticated and actually fun to drive. The tuning and communication between the engine and transmission are excellent.

2nd: Avenger: This car is truly deserving of attention, it is a greatly improved package in need of a little more fine-tuning.

2010 Ford Fusion SEL V6

So, I stopped at the local Mazda store just to see what they had and ran across a used 2010 Fusion SEL model. It was decently loaded. It had leather, a sunroof, the 3.0 V6, 6 speed auto, etc. The salesperson went with me so didn't get to do the usually battery of acceleration tests lol.

Exterior: In my opinion, how the 2010 and newer Fusions look, depends heavily on the color. Fortunatly this one was a nice gray color that worked well with the Chrome wheels that are included in the SEL package. It also was equipped with a rear spoiler that helped the sportiness aspect of the car.

Interior: I really liked the interior more than I thought I would. Like the Malibu, it had Electroluminescent guages which were really sharp and easy to see. The center stack fell into reach well enough, but like the Malibu was loaded with lots of buttons. Interior room was excellent. Even with a sunroof, I had loads o headroom and the front seats provided plenty of knee, leg, and elbow room. The seats were very comfortable with plenty of room. One quibble I had was with the steering wheel. The ones found in both the Avenger and Malibu had a much sportier look with more compact center sections that looked tons better IMHO. I also prefer a good 3 spoke design over a 4 spoke wheel any day. Of course it had features like bluetooth, Sync, etc that are nice to have..

Driving: Here is where I wish I could have gotten a better crack at it. The car is very smooth going down the highway with a very smooth ride and a quiet cabin. the engine and transmission worked in harmony at normal speeds and on normal takeoff. The transmission seemed programmed more for smoothness and gas mileage, than spirited driving as it seemed to be in a race with itself to get to top gear. I didn't get to get on it or get a feel for speed, although as down as it is on power compared to the Malibu and Avenger, it should be a bit slower (The sport with the 3.5 V6 would be a better comparison). It was simply a comfortable everyday car. At 29 MPG the 3.0 V6 ties the Avenger for highway fuel mileage (but gives up 43 HP) and 3 MPG ahead of the Malibu V6. I will hopefully get a better drive in one soon and hopefully get to go around in a Sport model.

Conclusion. It seems to be the most comfortable when comparing it to the 11 Malibu and 11 Avenger. Pricing for a similar 11 model is right at 29k. This puts puts the price right in the middle of the Avenger Heat and Malibu LTZ that I drove. Basically it has the entertainment options of the Avenger, with the room and classiness of the Malibu. I am not going to rank it against those 2 as I really need to get a better feel for the powertrain. Stay tuned!

2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS

Okay, I wasn't even expecting to drive one of these, but decided to see what was available in the used market. I went to one of the local dealerships that sells only used cars. It just happened that they had a nice 2011 Sonata GLS. It was a more basic basic model. instead of Allow wheels, it had steel wheels and covers, but had plenty of features, such as voice controlled bluetooth. They wanted 21900 which is basically what this car would cost new. Anyways, on to the review.

Basics: 2011 Sonata GLS, 35MPG, 12000 miles


Exterior. I have such mixed feelings about the styling on this car. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't. I actually thought it looked pretty good in white, but seriously needed a nicer set of wheels. Again, as with the Elantra, it is a love it/hate it design. I will say the Limited and SE models with the nicer and larger wheels and dual exhaust seem to have a better look all around.

[newmoon]

Stew,

Thank you for your great detailed reviews. I was wondering what is your clear cut favorite? In the mid sized sedan realm. I think I am leaning more towards the Fusion if I do decide to make the move.