Help my mom pick out a new car!

[Joel]

Well, my parents are in the process of buying a new car for mom, and she's not quite sure. Originally they were looking into a 2012 VW Passat, but the dealer won't have those for quite a while and they're wanting to order a car within the next week. Right now she's driving an '03 Corolla, and they're looking for something a little bigger.

At the VW dealer they also test drove a CC, but that's a tad outside the price range right now. Mom drove a 2011 Golf, and very much enjoyed it, but they're also certainly considering other makes as well. The logical step forward from a Corolla would be a new Camry, but I think she's tired of the boring Corolla and wants to get something sportier and leave me to drive the Corolla

She wants something fuel efficient, relatively sporty, reliable, and probably under $30K CAD. Absolutely no way she'd consider a manual either. I think the Golf TDI (w/ DSG) would be the perfect option for her, but that's just me. She's looking for a mid size (Camry/Passat size), or a hatchback like the Golf.

Any other suggestions?

 

[SuperShouden]

She should check out Kia. There's a lot of good, reliable cars there for VERY cheap and they're all loaded. My parents got a Kia Rio5 and they love it.

 

[Joel]

She should check out Kia. There's a lot of good, reliable cars there for VERY cheap and they're all loaded. My parents got a Kia Rio5 and they love it.

She's expressed interest in a 5 door Kia Forte, but I think the Rio is a tad small for what she wants. She's coming out of a Corolla, and doesn't really want another compact car.

 

[ranhammerR34]

Ford Fusion would be a good choice.

 

[Smart_Roadster]

I'll try and get three American cars, three German and three Japanese, hopefully that can give her some choice. Here we go:

Japanese
Nissan Altima Coupé - link here

Mitsubishi Lancer -link here

Subaru Impreza - link here

German
Volkswagen Golf GTI - link here

Audi A3 - link here

Volkswagen Jetta - link here

American
Chevrolet Camaro - link here

Dodge Avenger - link here

Ford Focus - link here

Hopefully, I can sit in this little English coastal town knowing I've helped somebody choose a new car. 👍

Edit: Here's a few more:

Any variant of MINI - link here

Smart ForTwo - link here

Kia Forte Koup - link here

Hyundai Genesis Coupé - link here

 

[Joey D]

2012 Ford Focus, it's one of the best small cars I've ever driven (even though it's not that small). I would highly recommend it and would ever consider buying one myself .

 

[poolhaas]

How about the new Lexus CT200H, it looks nice but I don't know the price.

 

[Cano]

?

just sayin'

 

[Joel]

2012 Ford Focus, it's one of the best small cars I've ever driven (even though it's not that small). I would highly recommend it and would ever consider buying one myself .

That's exactly what she wants actually. I think they were talking about going to the Ford dealer some time this week, I could certainly see my mom buying a Focus.

Ford.ca is saying $26K CAD for an basic Focus SE (hatch) with a 6 speed Automatic, and heated front seats and exterior mirrors. Sounds pretty good to me I guess.

 

[Sniffs]

I hope they got Sync up there standard.

there doesn't seem to be much offering in new in the smaller midsizers, anymore, from what I can tell. course, I'm currently driving the newest vehicle I've ever owned, and its 12 years old

 

[Joey D]

That's exactly what she wants actually. I think they were talking about going to the Ford dealer some time this week, I could certainly see my mom buying a Focus.

Ford.ca is saying $26K CAD for an basic Focus SE (hatch) with a 6 speed Automatic, and heated front seats and exterior mirrors. Sounds pretty good to me I guess.

Damn you guys get screwed on car prices! A fully loaded SEL 5-door here in the states is out the door at $24,000 and some change.

 

[Joel]

Damn you guys get screwed on car prices! A fully loaded SEL 5-door here in the states is out the door at $24,000 and some change.

That's nuts. I just made up a hypothetical Focus on the Ford USA site and it's frustrating. It's not like shipping costs are an excuse either, the plant is an hour and a half away in Oakville (Toronto suburb).

EDIT: Nevermind, Oakville plant makes the Edge, Flex, and Lincoln Crossovers. Still though, prices are insane considering the Canadian dollar is at par.

 

[C-ZETA]

One word describes what everyone should say when they need a new car...

Golf. In this case, any Golf that's available.

 

[Joey D]

That's nuts. I just made up a hypothetical Focus on the Ford USA site and it's frustrating. It's not like shipping costs are an excuse either, the plant is an hour and a half away in Oakville (Toronto suburb).

EDIT: Nevermind, Oakville plant makes the Edge, Flex, and Lincoln Crossovers. Still though, prices are insane considering the Canadian dollar is at par.

Yup they are made in Wayne, MI, just right down the road from where I live. But still shipping shouldn't be that much, nor should import duty and it's not like the Canadian dollar and the US dollar are really all that different anymore.

I'd still take a look at the Focus though, I'm sure your mom would love it. It is a lot nicer then the Golf is and feels way more solid. Plus you won't have to deal with the reliability niggles VW's are famous for.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Ford Fusion would be a good choice.

First thing that popped into my head.

 

[Dan_]

Ford Fusion would be a good choice.

This man speaks the truth.

The Fusion is quiet, poised, comfortable and big enough to move about inside.

Make sure to order the Sport version, packing the excellent 3.5 liter V6 and AWD, good enough for 265 horses and a similar amount of torques.

 

[Joel]

Yup they are made in Wayne, MI, just right down the road from where I live. But still shipping shouldn't be that much, nor should import duty and it's not like the Canadian dollar and the US dollar are really all that different anymore.

I'd still take a look at the Focus though, I'm sure your mom would love it. It is a lot nicer then the Golf is and feels way more solid. Plus you won't have to deal with the reliability niggles VW's are famous for.

Personally, there's something about the Ford's of the last few years I've really liked. I've only been driving for about 7 months, but I've driven some new Fords (Fusions) and I really liked them.

I talked to her about what they're considering, and they're heavily considering a Golf Wagon. I'm kinda hoping I can talk them into at least test driving the Focus, because I'm sure they'll love it. If they stick with the Golf, I'm going to try and talk them into at least a 5 door because I'll want to drive it too

They seem really sold on the VW though. I think they're going to go with VW just because they seem to trust the brand. I don't know, I honestly would feel more secure in my purchase with a new Ford than a VW, as I've heard nasty things about the reliability. But Dad had a few Ford minivans in the late 90's/early 2000's, and absolutely hated them (company cars). I think that experience with Ford could perhaps have shattered his opinion of the brand, and my mom didn't like the old Windstar's much either.


I'm surprised they haven't checked out the Buick dealer though, the new Lacrosse looks great and Dad loves his Enclave, would seem like the natural next step to me.

 

[Joey D]

Having just drive similarly spec'ed Fusions and Focus back to back, I can safely say you get way more car for the money with the Focus. The Fusion is a great car and my parent's love their Fusion Hybrid, but I don't really see the benefit of a Fusion over a Focus. There isn't that much more in the room department.

The Fusion is a bigger car on the outside and probably has more cargo room, but it feels slower and heavier (with the 4 cylinder). The interior isn't as nice either, even though it still is quality.

 

[Joel]

^ Considering a big factor of their purchase will be fuel economy (the Golf TDI diesel engine is a big draw for them), I can't see them getting a Fusion. The V6 would be more power than my mom would want, and would also be too inefficient. They want something with a little more zip than the Corolla, but my mom doesn't want more than 200 horse power.

 

[BrutherSuperior]

^ Considering a big factor of their purchase will be fuel economy (the Golf TDI diesel engine is a big draw for them), I can't see them getting a Fusion. The V6 would be more power than my mom would want, and would also be too inefficient. They want something with a little more zip than the Corolla, but my mom doesn't want more than 200 horse power.

Diesel fuel does not like cold weather...especially biodiesel. Unless your mother is prepared to plug in a block heater on a nightly basis, I'd pass on anything diesel.

MPG is hype. It's how you drive that makes a difference. Accelerating a 3000lb mass to 60mph in 10 seconds requires the same amount of energy regardless of fuel type. A small eco-weenie car will struggle to reach that mark and will huff & puff. A large displacement engine will do this with ease and still burn about the same amount of fuel. Smaller engines are no more efficient than larger ones. It's just that the larger ones can do much more work and sling around much more weight without being flat out 100% of the time.

I don't know how they figure out MPGs for Canada, but in the US they do not measure fuel...they measure CO2 emissions. Furthermore, their 'test cycle' isn't exactly real world. I've owned cars that were rated at 19mpg and would see 25mpg at the very worst and well over 30mpg at the very best.

Best bet would be to read owner reviews instead of window stickers.

As mentioned above, the Ford Fusion is a great car. I'd also recommend anything with a Mazda badge on it just b/c they're so reliable. Forget a new VW. They're pretty, but dealer service is piss poor on a worldwide scale and if they do not have any of the model you want in stock - no way you're getting any sort of deal on it. If you're going to go the German route, a CPO Audi is the better buy. Similar price, similar financing, better warranty, and Audi is usually overstocked with CPOs as few people buy them outright and instead choose to lease. An A6 with AWD would be pretty sweet.

 

[Joel]

I think I'm going to have trouble talking them out of the VW though to be honest, they seem set on the VW and I don't know there's much I can do to change their minds. Ultimately it doesn't really matter that much for me because either way I end up with an '03 Corolla, but I'd certainly like my mom to have a nicer car that I can drive every now and then too.

 

[Jondot]

Diesel fuel does not like cold weather...especially biodiesel. Unless your mother is prepared to plug in a block heater on a nightly basis, I'd pass on anything diesel.

Oh stop being silly. It's a 2011 diesel, not a steam train. Unless it's minus 22 outside (in which case you probably don't want to be driving a Golf), it'll start.

 

[BrutherSuperior]

Oh stop being silly. It's a 2011 diesel, not a steam train. Unless it's minus 22 outside (in which case you probably don't want to be driving a Golf), it'll start.

UK diesel is different than NA diesel...specifically the amount of sulfur. And yes, even though it is 2011 Canada will still get pretty damn cold come wintertime.

 

[Sniffs]

plus, I believe, all Canadian DM cars come with a block heater, anyway?
(we coulda used them even down here during the previous winter)

someone forgot that the fuels over here are a different grade, again

 

[Sniffs]

Yup they are made in Wayne, MI, just right down the road from where I live. But still shipping shouldn't be that much, nor should import duty and it's not like the Canadian dollar and the US dollar are really all that different anymore.

I'd still take a look at the Focus though, I'm sure your mom would love it. It is a lot nicer then the Golf is and feels way more solid. Plus you won't have to deal with the reliability niggles VW's are famous for.

just spotted this. don't Canadians have VAT to put up with? (20% tax, rounded up, on everything)

 

[Jondot]

UK diesel is different than NA diesel...specifically the amount of sulfur. And yes, even though it is 2011 Canada will still get pretty damn cold come wintertime.

Surely the US & Canada are on ultra low sulphur diesel by now, though. According to ever delightful Wikipedia, diesel with no more than 15 parts per million of sulphur has been around for nearly 5 years - that can't be that different from our 10ppm limit, can it? Even if it was (unscientific point coming up), we've had diesels in our family for the last 19 years and we've never had a problem with starting them in the cold as far as I can recall - and that's going back to a time when presumably we had fairly rubbish sulphur levels too.

 

[homeforsummer]

Smaller engines are no more efficient than larger ones. It's just that the larger ones can do much more work and sling around much more weight without being flat out 100% of the time.

Per unit of capacity perhaps, but since bigger engines burn more fuel, small ones are inherently more efficient.

You're making the mistake of assuming that people who drive small cars always do their best to keep up with larger ones. If you're driving around town, then you don't need the extra capacity glugging through all that extra fuel. If you're not racing bigger cars all the time, a small car will be more efficient - dependant on weight too, of course, as a small engine in a big car will need to work harder - one of the reasons the 1.8 Prius is a more efficient car than the old 1.5 one.

My last three cars though, most recent first, have been a 1.4 Fiat Panda, a 1.6 Miata and a 1.3 Ford Fiesta. The Panda averages 35mpg, the Miata managed 28mpg and the Fiesta 38mpg, all U.S. figures. I reckon it'd be a very small handful of larger-engined cars sold today that could do better than the Fiesta and Panda (and I'm not talking highway, I'm talking average). All those figures are U.S. mpg. And for perspective, the only gasoline engine that used less fuel in the Fiesta range at the time was a smaller one. I also have the thirstiest engine in the Panda range, and guess what? It's the biggest.

Unless Noob616's parents are going to be in a hurry all the time or hauling loads of stuff, they'll more than likely save more money by selecting a slightly smaller engine.

 

[SuperShouden]

I'll try and get three American cars, three German and three Japanese, hopefully that can give her some choice. Here we go:

Japanese
Nissan Altima Coupé - link here

Mitsubishi Lancer -link here

Subaru Impreza - link here

German
Volkswagen Golf GTI - link here

Audi A3 - link here

Volkswagen Jetta - link here

American
Chevrolet Camaro - link here

Dodge Avenger - link here

Ford Focus - link here

Hopefully, I can sit in this little English coastal town knowing I've helped somebody choose a new car. 👍

Edit: Here's a few more:

Any variant of MINI - link here

Smart ForTwo - link here

Kia Forte Koup - link here

Hyundai Genesis Coupé - link here

Really? You suggested the Camaro and the Avenger? the Challenger is about the same price as the Camaro, and in actual road tests, gets better gas milage than the Camaro....so...but, in all honest, if she's comin' from a Camary, a Camaro or Challenger probably isn't the best choice. I would suggest the Impala for Chevy or the Caliber for Dodge.

 

[Smart_Roadster]

Really? You suggested the Camaro and the Avenger? the Challenger is about the same price as the Camaro, and in actual road tests, gets better gas milage than the Camaro....so...but, in all honest, if she's comin' from a Camary, a Camaro or Challenger probably isn't the best choice. I would suggest the Impala for Chevy or the Caliber for Dodge.

Well, I checked out the websites and they were both under $30k... but I guess I forgot about the fuel economy. thanks for the suggestions though!

 

[Cale]

Did the dealer say when she'll be able to order a new Passat? A Passat TDI sounds perfect....