Help me buy a new car!

[SodiumSulfate]

Looking for suggestions for buying a new car, being used by my wife for getting to and from school, and just driving around the city (car won't be primarily used for long distance (100km+) driving).

She's not picky, her only conditions are automatic transmission and air conditioning are musts. Comfortable "on-the-road" budget is around $32,000, give or take a couple thousand. We're only looking at Japanese cars, no domestics or Europeans.

So far, we've looked at:
* Subaru Legacy 2.5i/SE
* Subaru Impreza 2.5i
* Honda Accord SE/EX-L/V6-SE
* Mazda3 Sedan GT
* Toyota Corolla
* Toyota Camry

Are there any suggestions? Which ones do you guys favour? We definately don't want a Honda Civic or Fit. They just didn't appeal to us.
Not terribly concerned with gas consumption, an extra litre or two per 100km won't kill us. Definately want reliabilty as we plan to drive it into the ground.

I really liked the Subaru Legacy, but it seems so expensive for what you get (which is enough I might add). Wife could go either way, a car is a car to her. Right now, it's just me and the wife, but we'd prefer a larger car which can accomodate kids in the future.

Any input is greatly welcomed.

Thanks!

[ElvaSoShexai]

i was really close to getting a mazda3 gt sport (had a really good deal on it)... until i decided to test drive the car again on a hot day... that killed the deal... the ac on the mazda 3... REALLY sucked...

the toyota camry was HUGE inside... suspension feels like driving a van and the v6 was kinda sluggish

the accord se v6 is nice. interior has nice materials. it's sooo damn quiet inside too. went up to 180 on the highway and it was incredibly stable.

accord se is nice too if you don't need the extra power from the v6... dealers are willing to lower the price on these quite a bit... probably since they don't sell as well... although i ended up not getting this car.. but that was just cause i don't like big cars... otherwise it's pretty gd

corolla materials quality is nowhere as nice as camry/accord if u'd like a nicer car

[NorthYorker]

If you want some kind of "make a statement" vehicle, look at Subaru Forester. It will show what a caring husband you are buying a Suba with all kind of safety bells and whistles. If you want economic transportation which will go on and on for longer that you'll need it (esp. taking into account that you'll use it as low-mileage city vehicle) you can look at Suzuki Aerio Wagon. You may also get AWD with that. But keep in mind that this probably last year for Aerio. They announced plans to bring new small wagon to us next year.

[MP3_SKY]

Impreza is good with the AWD, so you don't worry that your wife stuck her car in the snow during winter time and for sure it's under 30k. Legacy will be few k over..

Mazda 3 or Corolla will be ok too....lower gas consumption

Accord and Camry are just too big as a second car.....I guess she just drive the car alone most of the time....

Good luck

[SodiumSulfate]

Thanks for all the feedback. My wife is 5' tall, a Californian, and has literally never seen snow, let alone driven in bad weather. The commute to and from York will only be about 20-30 mins each way (about 35 Kms from my house by using back roads), and mainly used to "get around".

Ideally, I wanted a car that I would be happy with, so that when it comes time to buy another second car, we'd be in a better financial position to get a better optioned car, and I could take her car.

I test drove the Honda EX-L (only Accord tester they had on hand) and I liked it, but I think it's a bit too big and bulky. It was a nice drive and all, but i'm not all that knowledgeable about the ins and out of test driving so i'm sure there are things I overlooked. The interior was a little too fancy for my liking, but what to do. I really like the Subaru's interiors, they're plain, but not too plain.

I also tested a V4 Camry a couple of months ago, but I didn't feel anything from the drive. It was like riding in a boat. I'm sure that if I hit something, I wouldn't feel it - which is a good and bad thing. Again, I find the Camry too big and bulky.

I have yet to drive the Mazda3. I've read good things about it, and dollar for dollar, it seems to give the most useable features.

I don't know about Nissan's - their styling doesn't appeal to us. I went to a dealership to check out the Sentras/Maximas. The display cars (the ones that are parked in the showroom/outside the showroom) had rust bubbles on their A and B pillars. Not a good thing to have on display, let alone on brand new cars. Not just one car, but I saw it on at least 3 cars: there was what looked like a pencil tip sized nick in the paint, and it had started to rust and the surrounding paint had started to bubble. :(

I lost my interest in Nissan after seeing that.

Anymore tips or advice? Does anyone have a Subaru Legacy 2.5i SE, a Mazda3 GT or Honda Accord and who's willing to give their $0.02?

Thanks!

[mon1]

Stay away from the Mazda - just got ride of my M3 - due to the endless problems.

[SodiumSulfate]

Stay away from the Mazda - just got ride of my M3 - due to the endless problems.

That's sad...I was actually warming up to the Mazda.

Do you mind telling me what problems you had with the Mazda?

[mon1]

That's sad...I was actually warming up to the Mazda.

Do you mind telling me what problems you had with the Mazda?

Well I had a list of 20 problems two of which included: car stalling while driving and a power surge where the car took off without putting your foot on the gas. If you go onto www.edmunds.com - you can read a lot of people complaining about the same issues. The air conditioning is really bad on the Mazda as well.

In my experience, Mazda Canada wasn't supportive of any of my problems and their customer service department was lacking big time.

[lasallejai]

SodiumSulfate:



I just went through all the things for getting a car for my wife, and our situation is very much like yours, except we have a 1 year old son, but the car is for the sole purpose of letting my wife to do errands in the city, and she is a new driver in Canada even though she has had her driver's licence in Hong Kong for almost 10 years.

I have done thorough research on a few cars I was considering and they were, Mazda 3 Touring Edition, Mazda 6 Touring Edition, Subaru Legacy i SE, Subaru Impreza i sedan, Hyundai Sonata GL with the ABS/sunroof pacakge.

Due to the fact that we need more interior space at theback for a car seat I eliminated the Mazda 3 and Impreza very quickly after checking them out at the respective dealer. The Legacy is indeed nice inside and out, but it is a bit pricey due to the AWD system on board. If money is not a constraint for me I would have gone with the Legacy for sure. Automobile insurance costs an arm and a leg for us since my wife has never been insured in Canada and she just got her G licence last year. I owned a 1994 Legacy Li before and then I passed it on to my Mom in 1999 and she is still driving it without any major problems--one problem in 2000 when the odometer broke and she had to replace it and that was all in the last 12 years.

Reliability wise you cannot go wrong with an Honda or a Toyota, even though once in a while people do run into a lemons made by them, but it is really once in a blue moon--I find it happens most when people actually abuse their cars, or they do not really maintain their cars. I owned a Toyota before and it was troublefree for 8 years before I traded it in for the Legacy in 1995--the only thing I replaced was the alternator. As to Mazda, well, I have been driving a Mazda for over 13 years and I have only replaced the condensor of the A/C system so far, and the rest were all due to normal wear and tear like brake pads, rotors and spark wires. I wont say Mazda's are as reliable as the Honda's and the Toyota's though. If you do go with a Corolla I think very likely you will have many trouble free years before you actually have to put some money into it. My brother owned a Corolla and he replaced it after 12 years not becuase the car died on him but because he really needed a larger car for his growing family of 4 so he has gone with an Acura MDX. If you pay attention to what driving instructors mostly use it should imply the Corolla's must be quite durable. I have known a few instructors myself who have their Corolla's over the 300,000 KM mark and still going strong. My brother still owns a 10 years old Camry and no problems at all according to him and he is being tempted to trade it in for the 2007 Camry.

The Mazda 3 and the Impreza are both made in Japan and I like the build quality very much. Too bad they are just too small for my family. They are good on gas too, but the Impreza is a bit more thirsty of course due to the AWD system but you have better traction on the road when it snows and rains. I have been driving an AWD car and a RWD car since 1995 and it is hard for me to go back to a two wheel drive. The new car is a front wheel drive one and it is for my wife to get around town, so I will still be driving my AWD one until some day I am sick and tired of standard transmission. : )


To conclude, I would go for the Legacy if money is not a concern for you. My second choice would be the Impreza if rear seat room is not a concern for you. My third choice would be the Mazda 3, because it is really well built for the money you spent, not to mention the intrior features of the car.

I joined the Automobile Protection Association for the sake of getting the invoice prices of the cars I was considering and let me tell you it is worth the $70 for the membership fee. If you do decide to go with an APA pre-negotiated dealer representative you will also need to pay APA a referral fee of $65. Nevertheless, it saved me time at the dealership with no hassles at all and I saved close to $2,500 after the APA membership fee and the APA referral fee. They allow you 5 free quotes so narrow it down to 5 cars you would like to consider and get the invoice prices from APA. Suddenly the Legacy i SE is not that expensive after all.

[lasallejai]

SodiumSulfate:


I just read up at Edmunds.com as Mon1 suggested and found out that according to the Editor's Most Wanted Choice Mazda 3 is ranked #1 in the under $15,000US category: http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/mostwanted/2006/107709/article.html ; in the under $25,000 category Legacy is the honorable mention: http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/mostwanted/2006/107711/article.html

[superdeals]

SodiumSulfate:


I just read up at Edmunds.com as Mon1 suggested and found out that according to the Editor's Most Wanted Choice Mazda 3 is ranked #1 in the under $15,000US category: http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/mostwanted/2006/107709/article.html ; in the under $25,000 category Legacy is the honorable mention: http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/mostwanted/2006/107711/article.html

And I just read in the Canadiandriver.com a nice article on VW Rabbit 2007. :cheesygri

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/pw/07rabbit.htm

I think you can get one with 'all options' + tax and everything for less than $30K. It has "In combination with the standard ABS, electronic brake force distribution and traction control, this is a formidable suite of traction and stability aids that are is not found in any other vehicle in this class."
Seems very nice!! (though I am not a big fan of VW)

[SodiumSulfate]

To conclude, I would go for the Legacy if money is not a concern for you. My second choice would be the Impreza if rear seat room is not a concern for you. My third choice would be the Mazda 3, because it is really well built for the money you spent, not to mention the intrior features of the car.

I joined the Automobile Protection Association for the sake of getting the invoice prices of the cars I was considering and let me tell you it is worth the $70 for the membership fee. If you do decide to go with an APA pre-negotiated dealer representative you will also need to pay APA a referral fee of $65. Nevertheless, it saved me time at the dealership with no hassles at all and I saved close to $2,500 after the APA membership fee and the APA referral fee. They allow you 5 free quotes so narrow it down to 5 cars you would like to consider and get the invoice prices from APA. Suddenly the Legacy i SE is not that expensive after all.

lasallejai,

Thanks for that impressive write-up! My extended family typically buys Japanese cars, so i'm with you with regards to reliability. I haven't physically driven a new Legacy, just the Impreza and I really enjoyed the drive. I'd imagine the Legacy would be much the same, but i'll have to take it out for a test drive before I decide what to buy. Our previous family car was a 92 Mazda 323, and I loved that little guy. It was dependable and it took such a beating and kept on ticking.

My current budget is around $32,000 but I can stretch it by a couple of grand either way and I won't be overextending myself. Ideally, I'd like to keep below $30,000 so we'll see what happens. This will be our first car, so I don't feel so bad if I don't get the Legacy. There will be others in the future!

The styling of the Mazda3 is okay - I still prefer the styling of the Legacy. It just looks all that much more masculine. I find the Mazda3's styling to be too "girlie". My wife doesn't car, she just wants a car that she can drive to and from, and listen to her CD's.

When I was testing the Impreza, the AWD didn't feel any different than any other FWD car i've driven. Granted it was a hot summer day, but I was expecting it to drive differently somehow. How is the drive different in an AWD than a FWD in the sense that do you drive it differently?

I haven't had a chance to check out the Mazda3 in person yet, so I want to reserve judgement until then. I was looking at a parked Sonata on the street. It's a sharp looking car, and it looks pretty roomy too!

[SodiumSulfate]

And I just read in the Canadiandriver.com a nice article on VW Rabbit 2007. :cheesygri

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/pw/07rabbit.htm

I think you can get one with 'all options' + tax and everything for less than $30K. It has "In combination with the standard ABS, electronic brake force distribution and traction control, this is a formidable suite of traction and stability aids that are is not found in any other vehicle in this class."
Seems very nice!! (though I am not a big fan of VW)

Sigh, it looks like a very nice car, not to mention very well equipped, but I've sworn off of two things: first year product runs and european cars that are made in Mexico. Is it made in Mexico?

As an aside, I don't like round tail-lights for some reason. Seems like that's the common trend these days, I guess everyone loves round tail lights. Here I go bucking the trend yet again!

[charliebrown]

When I was testing the Impreza, the AWD didn't feel any different than any other FWD car i've driven. Granted it was a hot summer day, but I was expecting it to drive differently somehow. How is the drive different in an AWD than a FWD in the sense that do you drive it differently?

I haven't had a chance to check out the Mazda3 in person yet, so I want to reserve judgement until then. I was looking at a parked Sonata on the street. It's a sharp looking car, and it looks pretty roomy too!

Went to test drive the legacy 2.5i Ltd about 3 wks ago and got a pretty enthusiastic sales rep. You should be able to feel the AWD car wanting to hold onto the road more than ur typical car. We took the car on some side streets northwest of Finch & Yonge. Sales rep told us to keep the car above 60 while going through a slight s-turn -- and honestly, the car didnt swing side to side (now i havent taken an accord/camry down that same street, so cant comment about them)

(now, for those that want to try, i'm referring to talbot rd/hilda ave, just before drewry ave underneath the hydro wires)

How much space do u need? funny thing was that we took a manager's car for the testdrive and he/she had a carseat in the rear. It's a bit cramped in the back w/ that carseat...so i dont think 5 adults would find the legacy comfortable

Also, the rear seats do not fold down on the legacy sedan; just a centre pass thru for skis (this may have been the biggest factor for us NOT buying the legacy)

Good luck with the new car!

[bembol]

Nice to see Subaru on the list...I've test driven all of them and would take the Subaru Legacy


Handling, Power and Finish 2.5i

IMO Toyota is BORING...even the Celica...I would the Mazda 3 GT

[SodiumSulfate]

How much space do u need? funny thing was that we took a manager's car for the testdrive and he/she had a carseat in the rear. It's a bit cramped in the back w/ that carseat...so i dont think 5 adults would find the legacy comfortable


Well, for now it's just me and my wife. My wife will have it 99% of the time. We already have 2 big family cars available to us from my parents, so my wife wants something smaller. Still, the Legacy is big for our purposes, but I don't want something too small as our family grows. I think my wife as well as my mom will end up driving it, just because it's a smaller car which would be easier for them to drive (they're both less than 5' 1").


Good luck with the new car!

Thanks! I need it! YGPM btw :)

[superdsi]

Add it to the mix. I just bought a Hyundai Elantra 2003 used. Very happy with it. I think the Sonata is a great car for the money.

[MrDisco]

Add it to the mix. I just bought a Hyundai Elantra 2003 used. Very happy with it. I think the Sonata is a great car for the money.

Glad someone mentioned it, however the op does not want a 1st year production car. he'ld have to wait till sept. time frame for the 07 model (which incidently is listed on the US Hyundai website - nothing dramatic. Inifiniti speaker option, 2 new colour choices, and (my fav.) a black leather option with red stitching.

If he the op wants the 07 I think its worth the wait.

[lasallejai]

SodiumSulfate:


"I'd imagine the Legacy would be much the same"

Yes and No! It really depends on whether you are going to go with the standard transmission or not, because if you go with the automatic transmission, then Legacy is a much better choice. The Impreza is an extremely good car to drive in adverse conditions if you go with the stick shift route. The Impreza, like the Legacy sedan, also does not have fold down rear seats unless you go with the sportswagon model, which I do not prefer. It is a criteria for us so that was also one of the reasons why I dropped the idea of getting an Impreza right away, beside it is too small for us with a car seat at the back. Even the Legacy does not seat 5 adults comfortably because it is only a mid-size car. Out of all the cars I looked at for sure the Hyundai Sonata has the most shoulder and leg room and features for the price tag. You won't belive it if I told you the APA member price for a loaded Sonata GL with ABS, Moonroof, 16 inch alloy wheels and fog lights. it is just rediculously cheap for the standard features it offers. The warrenty is the best among all the cars' I checked out too.

It is hard to explain the road manner differences between a FWD and a AWD cars. I have owned 2 RWD, 2 FWD, 2 AWD and soon another brand new FWD cars in the last 23 years. Frankly speaking, for normal everyday driving condition the difference is not that significant, but whenever I drive through icey, wet, sandy, muddy, uneven paved, and snow covered roads, well major difference felt right away, and you will feel it, I guarantee you. With true AWD system like Subaru's I do feel the constant rubber contact of my driving wheel(s). Never in a moment I feel tires slipping on the road and car starts to fishtail--it is even more apparent with a standard transmission. Wait for a rainy day then go test drive the Impreza and the Legacy; even better if it snows. : )

[MrDisco]

Out of all the cars I looked at for sure the Hyundai Sonata has the most shoulder and leg room and features for the price tag. You won't belive it if I told you the APA member price for a loaded Sonata GL with ABS, Moonroof, 16 inch alloy wheels and fog lights. it is just rediculously cheap for the standard features it offers. The warrenty is the best among all the cars' I checked out too.

Yup. the GLS/GLS Premium is also a bargain compared to the japanese competition.

The warrenty is 5year/100km (comprehensive and powertrain). I believe in this class only the Galant has a longer powertrain warrenty 10year/160km (comprehensive is the same).

It also scored 5 star ratings for frontal and side impact collisions.

[magical]

i was really close to getting a mazda3 gt sport (had a really good deal on it)... until i decided to test drive the car again on a hot day... that killed the deal... the ac on the mazda 3... REALLY sucked...

the toyota camry was HUGE inside... suspension feels like driving a van and the v6 was kinda sluggish

the accord se v6 is nice. interior has nice materials. it's sooo damn quiet inside too. went up to 180 on the highway and it was incredibly stable.

accord se is nice too if you don't need the extra power from the v6... dealers are willing to lower the price on these quite a bit... probably since they don't sell as well... although i ended up not getting this car.. but that was just cause i don't like big cars... otherwise it's pretty gd

corolla materials quality is nowhere as nice as camry/accord if u'd like a nicer car

v6 toyota camry sluggish? was this a 07 model with the 268hp engine?

[airodus]

My parents have a 2002 Subaru Legacy and a 2004 Honda Accord (my best friend has a 2004 Camry). Legacy wins hands down as far as driving is concerned. It is even more important for your wife since she is not experienced with driving in the snow. AWD will definately be an advantage, it makes driving easy.

In the dry, you really have to drive hard to appreciate AWD (you can take turns faster, accelerate sooner and get good jump off the line). In bad conditions, AWD is also pretty subtle. Only the perceptive driver will realize that he/she is driving like normal while everyone around them is slipping all over the place. I deep snow I can drive the Legacy like I do all the time, with the Accord I don't even bother to try (gets stuck, slips and doesn't have the bad weather handling to avoid accidents). The Legacy also has a cool boxer engine and unique drivetrain which lowers the center of gravity of the car. It's pretty apparent when you corner hard, because body roll is minimal and stability is very high.

However, I feel that Subaru put all their time and money into the engine, drivetrain, suspension, etc.... and nothing into the interior et all. Although I like the exterior styling a lot, and find the interior quite practical. Neither of them really wow me. The Subaru also came with craptastic tires (Bridgestone Ponteza RE92) but that might be different now. The 2005 redesign has a very nice exterior and an improved interior (too much silver for me). It should compare more favorably than before.

To me:

If you want safe, all weather, fun and a driver's car: go Legacy
If you want reliable, practical and pretty fun: go Accord
If you want reliable, everything good, but not great: go Camry

I personally drive an A4 quattro and I think the Legacy has a superior ride.

[feet_]

couple more suggestions..

1. acura tsx
2. acura csx
3. honda crv
4. honda element

5 subaru STI :twisted:

[br0pbr0p]

When I was testing the Impreza, the AWD didn't feel any different than any other FWD car i've driven. Granted it was a hot summer day, but I was expecting it to drive differently somehow. How is the drive different in an AWD than a FWD in the sense that do you drive it differently?


You will see the difference in the winter. Especially since you mentioned that your wife has never seen snow, I stronger suggest you get a Subaru with AWD. There basically two automakers with "true" AWD's, Subaru and Audi. All the others just aren't as good, but I have to say I am impressed with the new BWM X-drive too but that's another topic.

Anyways, Subaru are great cars, quality is good and I view them as slightly better than Honda and Toyota even. I am not that family with the pricing but I am sure you can find a few choices around $30,000.

One side-effect of driving an AWD, you can't go back to driving two-wheel in the winter. :P

Also, I would stay away from Mazda or Hyundai from a safety point of view. It's quite simple, you get what you pay for. Mazda and Hyundai just aren't as "strong" as say Honda, Toyota or Subaru. Now, this is purely my own opinion, I don't drive Japanese cars anymore.

If you want a car that is good for winter driving, especially for your wife who probably has never driven in snow before, AWD is the way to go. Subaru would be my choice based on your needs. Also, I do believe they have decent resell values too.

[SodiumSulfate]

couple more suggestions..

1. acura tsx
2. acura csx
3. honda crv
4. honda element

5 subaru STI :twisted:

Thanks for those suggestions, I looked at the CSX (within my price range) but it's too much like the Honda Civic in the sense that it's shape is weird looking (to my wife and I) and it felt like I was driving a Civic, whose drive I didn't like all that much to begin with.

The TSX is out of my price range, the price I was quoted put me on the road for $40,000. I didn't like the salesman either, he said that the dealership usually has a $2,000 markup on it, but he wouldn't give me a discount on it because it's a hot seller.

The other Honda's didn't appeal to us much, and the STI is just far too expensive, but I image it'd be fun to drive. I hate the idea of only buying premium fuel tho >:(

[SodiumSulfate]

Also, I would stay away from Mazda or Hyundai from a safety point of view. It's quite simple, you get what you pay for. Mazda and Hyundai just aren't as "strong" as say Honda, Toyota or Subaru. Now, this is purely my own opinion, I don't drive Japanese cars anymore.

If you want a car that is good for winter driving, especially for your wife who probably has never driven in snow before, AWD is the way to go. Subaru would be my choice based on your needs. Also, I do believe they have decent resell values too.

I'm strongly considering a Legacy after all this discussion. We used to have a '92 Mazda Protege 323, and that thing was a tank. It would take abuse like no ones business and keep on chugging. Even after being sideswiped on the left hand side, it kept on going. We would have fixed it, but the bodywork required would have cost more than the car was worth.

I think it was made before Ford took over Mazda - i'm not sure how much Mazda has suffered since then. The new ones are sharp looking I must say. Side Seat and Curtain airbags are standard equipment on all 2007 Mazda3 models now.

A couple of years ago, we were given a 1977 Hyundai Pony with 30,000kms (original kms) on it as a gift. That car was awesome. It had a choke engine, and I could never start that car for the life of me. My dad always had to get it going. It's bottom rocker panels were all rusted out, we just took duct tape and covered over the rust, and you couldn't even tell a difference (what was left of the car was silver coloured). The instrumentation panel's lighting was broken, so, if you were driving at night you had to hold a flashlight with the steering wheel to see how fast you were going, or how much gas you had left. And if you were going over 80km/h the passenger compartment would start smelling like gasoline. Good times.

Too bad the brakes failed one day as my dad was driving it and he had to drive it into a snowbank to make it stop. What a POS lol.

[charliebrown]

Thanks for those suggestions, I looked at the CSX (within my price range) but it's too much like the Honda Civic in the sense that it's shape is weird looking (to my wife and I) and it felt like I was driving a Civic, whose drive I didn't like all that much to begin with.

The TSX is out of my price range, the price I was quoted put me on the road for $40,000. I didn't like the salesman either, he said that the dealership usually has a $2,000 markup on it, but he wouldn't give me a discount on it because it's a hot seller.

The other Honda's didn't appeal to us much, and the STI is just far too expensive, but I image it'd be fun to drive. I hate the idea of only buying premium fuel tho >:(

One of my friends is looking into a TSX; and since it's coming close to end of model year, he was getting a discount + decent lease rate (2.3%) from a dealer in the west-end of toronto

although i believe the TSX requires premium gas as well (it wasnt on our shortlist -- so cant tell u about test drive)

[MrDisco]

Also, I would stay away from Mazda or Hyundai from a safety point of view. It's quite simple, you get what you pay for.


That's an odd statement. The Sonata has dual 5 star ratings, ABS with brake force distribution, active head restraints (i.e. anti-whiplash headrests), 6 airbags, speed sensitive wipers, available stability+traction control, and 3yr roadside assistance. If anyone doesn't feel safe with those features then quite frankly shouldn't be on the road.

edit: as an aside, a short clip on how the Sonata is made
http://www.historychannel.com/modernmarvels/?page=video

[lasallejai]

"A couple of years ago, we were given a 1977 Hyundai Pony with 30,000kms (original kms) on it as a gift. That car was awesome. It had a choke engine, and I could never start that car for the life of me. My dad always had to get it going. It's bottom rocker panels were all rusted out, we just took duct tape and covered over the rust, and you couldn't even tell a difference (what was left of the car was silver coloured). The instrumentation panel's lighting was broken, so, if you were driving at night you had to hold a flashlight with the steering wheel to see how fast you were going, or how much gas you had left. And if you were going over 80km/h the passenger compartment would start smelling like gasoline. Good times"

I hear you. I was given a 1974 Datsun 710 with a 1.8L engine RWD as my very first car. Well, the car itself ran very good, but then both the driver's and passenger's floor had a rusted out hugh hole covered by a tiny floor mat. When my friends accidentally moved the tiny floor mat they could see the road moving underneath the car, and on rainy days they would actually get wet. The boot cover for the standard stick shift was all torn up so it was wrapped by a garbage bag to keep the heat coming up. The bottom panel of all four doors were pretty much rusted out also so they were like natural air vent when the car was moving--not very nice in the winter time though. Too much road noise from all the open holes when I brought the car up to 100KM on the highways so we could not talk much like driving a convertible with the top down, but the engine was very willing with a four speed transmission. Looking back, those were the good old days.

[airodus]

Well, for now it's just me and my wife. My wife will have it 99% of the time. We already have 2 big family cars available to us from my parents, so my wife wants something smaller. Still, the Legacy is big for our purposes, but I don't want something too small as our family grows. I think my wife as well as my mom will end up driving it, just because it's a smaller car which would be easier for them to drive (they're both less than 5' 1").


I didn't even see this comment. The Legacy is a VERY small car. Although it is classified as a midsize, it is much smaller than a Camry or Accord. In fact, I parked by parents 2002 Legacy beside a new Corolla and the Corolla *looked* bigger. I would definately check out the dimensions of the Legacy, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

[lasallejai]

"In fact, I parked by parents 2002 Legacy beside a new Corolla and the Corolla *looked* bigger."


Just for the heck of it I have use the Globe Auto Comparison chart to see interior differences between the two cars--2002 Legacy L Vs 2006 Corolla LE and find the following interior dimension differences:


2002 Subaru Legacy L
Hip Room (rr, mm): 146 more
Interior Volume (L): 31 more
Leg Room (fr, mm): 52 more
Shoulder Room (fr, mm): 18 more
Shoulder Room (rr, mm): 3 more

2006 Toyota Corolla LE 4AT
Cargo Volume (L): 34 more
Head Room (fr, mm): 11 more
Head Room (rr, mm): 13 more
Hip Room (fr, mm): 16 more
Leg Room (rr, mm): 30 more


It seems to me the Legacy has much more hip room at the back.

Now, let me compare a 2006 Corolla to a 2006 Legacy 2.5i now:


2006 Toyota Corolla LE 4AT
Head Room (rr, mm): 8 more
Hip Room (fr, mm): 23 more
Leg Room (rr, mm): 38 more

2006 Subaru Legacy 2.5I
Cargo Volume (L): 48 more
Head Room (fr, mm): 5 more
Hip Room (rr, mm): 162 more
Interior Volume (L): 78 more
Leg Room (fr, mm): 70 more
Shoulder Room (fr, mm): 32 more
Shoulder Room (rr, mm): 6 more


I believe the 2006 Legacy has finally become a true mid-size car now. : )

[br0pbr0p]

That's an odd statement. The Sonata has dual 5 star ratings, ABS with brake force distribution, active head restraints (i.e. anti-whiplash headrests), 6 airbags, speed sensitive wipers, available stability+traction control, and 3yr roadside assistance. If anyone doesn't feel safe with those features then quite frankly shouldn't be on the road.

edit: as an aside, a short clip on how the Sonata is made
http://www.historychannel.com/modernmarvels/?page=video

Like I said, it's purely my own opinion. I don't really care what ratings they get, I trust that my Audi is safer than it. On a more comparative note, I would still trust the Accord or Camry or Legacy over a Sonata. It doesn't really matter anyways, just giving the OP my opinions, not like I am going buy any of those.

[airodus]

"In fact, I parked by parents 2002 Legacy beside a new Corolla and the Corolla *looked* bigger."


Just for the heck of it I have use the Globe Auto Comparison chart to see interior differences between the two cars--2002 Legacy L Vs 2006 Corolla LE and find the following interior dimension differences:


2002 Subaru Legacy L
Hip Room (rr, mm): 146 more
Interior Volume (L): 31 more
Leg Room (fr, mm): 52 more
Shoulder Room (fr, mm): 18 more
Shoulder Room (rr, mm): 3 more

2006 Toyota Corolla LE 4AT
Cargo Volume (L): 34 more
Head Room (fr, mm): 11 more
Head Room (rr, mm): 13 more
Hip Room (fr, mm): 16 more
Leg Room (rr, mm): 30 more


It seems to me the Legacy has much more hip room at the back.

Now, let me compare a 2006 Corolla to a 2006 Legacy 2.5i now:


2006 Toyota Corolla LE 4AT
Head Room (rr, mm): 8 more
Hip Room (fr, mm): 23 more
Leg Room (rr, mm): 38 more

2006 Subaru Legacy 2.5I
Cargo Volume (L): 48 more
Head Room (fr, mm): 5 more
Hip Room (rr, mm): 162 more
Interior Volume (L): 78 more
Leg Room (fr, mm): 70 more
Shoulder Room (fr, mm): 32 more
Shoulder Room (rr, mm): 6 more


I believe the 2006 Legacy has finally become a true mid-size car now. : )

lol, nice research. i was actually referring to the exterior dimensions (*looked* bigger), but the interior dimensions are also important. it's nice to see that the new legacy is larger, since it genuinely seperates it from the impreza.