I drive an Integra.
Ideally, my next car has:
- 5 doors, a hatch is fine
- safe, does not easily overturn
- reliable
- gas saver
- some degree of luxury
Any recommendations?
VW GTI sedan.
Or SAAB.
Chevy Impala. Doesn’t have a hatchback, but has enough trunk space to store a couple spare Smart cars. Plus, it costs less than either the VW or SAAB.
A loaded Mazda 3 or Mazda 6 hatchback(4cyl) are the likely most reliable choices. Not sure what some degree of luxury is, however coming from an Integra both will feel luxurious.
People who like hatchbacks/wagons like the open storage space available to move bulky things with ease. Impala or even Ford Crown Vic will cut it due to low trunk height in sedans.
I am huge fan of fun to drive hatchbacks.
Subaru Impreza or Legacy wagons
BMW 328i wagon
Audi A3 or A4 wagon
If you can wait a bit you could try the Mini Cooper Clubman.
http://www.jdpower.com/articles/article.aspx?ID=299
The Malibu MAXX has tons of space as a hatchback. It has a good rating and is cheap to buy. Parts and service are easy and inexpensive. The 4 cylinder is a little rough, but the V6 is well proven.
Lots of thoughts, VW, SAAB, Malibu MAAX, Mazda 3/6, Subaru, BMW, Audi
My Concerns:
- how reliable are these? VW - I was told not good till 2005 models
- Gas mileage ? The new Subaru Impreza gas mileage is poor in Car & Driver mag.
Honda or Toyota means that both of the above issues are Not there - not sure how close are the newer models on above cars are to Toyo or Honda?
If you want reliable and good fuel mileage the answer is Honda. They get about the best fuel mileage out of their engines of any car maker. They also have a well deserved reputation for building reliable cars. All the European brands have fallen behind on reliability in that last 10 years or so. I don’t know if they have actually gone down, or just not gotten better as others passed them by, but either way if you want reliable you want non-Euro. I don’t follow GM cars, so can’t comment on the Malibu. Of the cars you list, I like the Mazdas and Hondas. OK, I like BMWs, but I think they are overpriced to buy and expensive to maintain once out of warranty.
“If you want reliable and good fuel mileage the answer is Honda. They get about the best fuel mileage out of their engines of any car maker. They also have a well deserved reputation for building reliable cars.”
This is debatable…
Toyota Matrix or Pontiac Vibe. Both manufactured at same plant. Good reliability, etc.
Scions are supposed to be good too; owned by Toyota.
They are built in different plants. The Vibe is assembled at the NUMMI plant in Fremont, CA and the Matrix is assembled in a Toyota plant near Toronto, Canada.
BTW, the Corolla and Tacoma are also assembled at the NUMMI plant.
mazda 3 or mazda speed 3 depending how much you want to save on gas. Both of them are very reliable cars and will run for a long time.