best economical new car?

[crunchiespg]

i'm looking for a new car. i drive a lot of highway miles, and will probably be driving 35,000km+ each year at the moment.

so, I'm looking for a car thats great on gas, and comfortable and safe on the highway. has space for ski trips and good for hauling my 3 year old with all her stuff..

so far I've looked at the 2012 golf TDI comfort line with media pack, which seems to tick most boxes.. but ideally id like something cheaper. that will cost me $29,000.. for the last 8 years I've had lots of fancy expensive cars, the last being a $55000 truck.. but my priorities have changed. so i want to spend the minimum amount per month on a car for gas and the actual car.. i want more money for vacations, trips out etc etc..

my only really important feature is a good stereo that allows bluetooth audio streaming and hands free phone operation. also something that won't be a chore to drive on a 100+km morning commute which i do a few times a week. so this kind of rules out the super economy cars i think as they just don't had the power or comfort..
i did consider a honda fit, but 2011 doesn't have bluetooth, and 2012's are made in china which put me right off it..

i'd love to find a car for $5000 and have no monthly payments. but then theres the risk of high maintenance costs should something go wrong. so i think a new car is the way to go even if i will still have monthly payments. but id like them as low as possible. but should i find something like that i would jump at it.. but here in AB $5000 doesn't get you much other than a really old high milage car.. TDI golfs for $5-$8k all have 250000+ mms on them..

so what to chose? i plan on keeping this car quite a long time. I'm done with fancy cars, i just want cheap, safe and reliable, with bluetooth..

thanks for any pointers..

[carniver]

Jetta TDI may be cheaper than Golf TDI and still suit your wants, but if your budget is only $5000 that's still rather hard

[crunchiespg]

Jetta TDI may be cheaper than Golf TDI and still suit your wants, but if your budget is only $5000 that's still rather hard

you misunderstood me.. if i can find a good car for $5000 i would happily buy that.. however that is unlikely, so I'm probably going to buy new...especially as i need a car in the next week or so...

the new golf TDI is $29,000.. but I'm asking what do people recommend that is cheaper but still as good of an all around vehicle.

so my budget is anywhere from $1 to $30,000, but the lower the better..

[googoo]

I'll just throw out the Kia Forte 5 SX, has some of the upscale stuff you're probably used to with the utility you need for your daughter, it's also got a good warranty and 172HP so it'll be getting you around pretty well.

I mention it because I'm looking at the same car but don't want the leather ....having a hard time with that

Brent

[crunchiespg]

I'll just throw out the Kia Forte 5 SX, has some of the upscale stuff you're probably used to with the utility you need for your daughter, it's also got a good warranty and 172HP so it'll be getting you around pretty well.

I mention it because I'm looking at the same car but don't want the leather ....having a hard time with that

Brent

nice car, but doesn't have the fuel economy i need.. the diesel golf will be less than 5l/100km the way i'll use it.. and something like a honda fit or civic will be not much over 5.5L/100km or so.. when doing 40,000kms a year or so that will add up.. hence why I'm getting rid of my truck. (13L/100km)

[Rehan]

my only really important feature is a good stereo that allows bluetooth audio streaming and hands free phone operation. also something that won't be a chore to drive on a 100+km morning commute which i do a few times a week. so this kind of rules out the super economy cars i think as they just don't had the power or comfort..
i did consider a honda fit, but 2011 doesn't have bluetooth, and 2012's are made in china which put me right off it..

The Fit has only 117 hp... I wouldn't want to be driving that on the highway so much. Even my 2012 Civic is noisy at 120 km/h and fuel economy tanks too (~7 L/100km), although it's fine at 100 km/h (under 6 L/100km).

The bluetooth issue is easily solved with a $100 handsfree bluetooth device. I don't think that should be a significant factor in your search, though the built-in ones are a little more convenient.

I'd also be leaning towards a Golf or Jetta diesel if I was in your shoes.

[crunchiespg]

The Fit has only 117 hp... I wouldn't want to be driving that on the highway so much. Even my 2012 Civic does well at 100 km/h (40 mpg), but if I push it to 120 km/h it's noisy and fuel economy drops.

The bluetooth issue is easily solved with a $100 handsfree bluetooth device. I don't think that should be a significant factor in your search, although the built-in ones are a little more convenient.

I'd also be leaning towards a Golf or Jetta diesel if I was in your shoes.

the bluetooth is for the audio more so than the hands free phone.. i listen to internet radio on my iPhone and have it stream to the car stereo.. with the amount of hours i spend driving, this is one piece of equipment i really can't live without..
yes i could use an AUX input, but from past experience using one of them at the same time as a bluetooth earpiece or sun visor hands free kit gets a bit screwy. the phone doesn't know which source to use and i end up with the phone going through the AUX and its terrible.. this really is a big deal for me as i use the phone a lot while driving..

[Rehan]

the bluetooth is for the audio more so than the hands free phone.. i listen to internet radio on my iPhone and have it stream to the car stereo.. with the amount of hours i spend driving, this is one piece of equipment i really can't live without..
yes i could use an AUX input, but from past experience using one of them at the same time as a bluetooth earpiece or sun visor hands free kit gets a bit screwy. the phone doesn't know which source to use and i end up with the phone going through the AUX and its terrible.. this really is a big deal for me as i use the phone a lot while driving..

You could use something like http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Bluetoo...dp/B004CLYJ2I/ that combines BT and aux input. Then everything (i.e., both phone calls and internet radio) would go through the BT device and there wouldn't be source confusion. Alternatively, there are several BT handsfree devices with FM transmitters, if you don't have aux input.

[crunchiespg]

You could use something like http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Bluetoo...dp/B004CLYJ2I/ that combines BT and aux input. Then everything (i.e., both phone calls and internet radio) would go through the BT device and there wouldn't be source confusion. Alternatively, there are several BT handsfree devices with FM transmitters, if you don't have aux input.

that thing basically just makes the AUX input wireless. which when the phone rings means the phone is running through the aux, which just doesn't work, as you have to still use the phones own microphone to speak into and you get terrible feedback and the phone is too far from your mouth.. its no different to just plugging into the AUX, just wire free..

a true hands free kit has an external microphone mounted up high, so it doesn't get feedback from the stereo.

[sandikosh]

Hyundai Accent hatchback or a Kia Soul. May not have the efficiency of the TDI, but the $10,000 or so you save on the purchase can buy you a lifetime of gas.

[fieldhousehandyman]

MAZDA 3, used or new... Everytime I borrow my mother in laws, I feel like I am sitting in a BMW. Hers is 5 years old with 90,000km, looks and drives like brand new, in and out.

I just dropped her and my son off at the airport with two skibags, three suitcases (father in law decided he had to miss the flight and go one day later) with no room issues whatsoever.

Now stop looking.

[crunchiespg]

Hyundai Accent hatchback or a Kia Soul. May not have the efficiency of the TDI, but the $10,000 or so you save on the purchase can buy you a lifetime of gas.

I don't think either of them would be suitable as an only car. I have two friends with accents as second cars and they both say they would hate it to be their only car. Struggle to get up hills and suffer at higher highway speeds. I think it would be too laboured on long journeys.

The soul seems a great city car. And I certainly don't live in the city.

[googoo]

I'd also be leaning towards a Golf or Jetta diesel if I was in your shoes.

I would look at those too, I just wonder whether the ghost of bad electrical are still present!

The Fit has only 117 hp... I wouldn't want to be driving that on the highway so much. Even my 2012 Civic is noisy at 120 km/h and fuel economy tanks too (~7 L/100km), although it's fine at 100 km/h (under 6 L/100km).

I never had a problem with enough power in my 115HP Civic or gas mileage, at 115KPH I averaged almost 49MPG(5.8litre/100KM) on my last trip, and you aren't expecting coffin like silence in economy cars anyways ....just saying!

Brent

[SoroSuub1]

Solve power problems by getting a manual?

If you think the Golf TDI is too small, take a look at the Golf Wagon TDI. Somehow, they both get the same fuel consumption even though the Golf Wagon has twice the cargo capacity behind the rear seats.

[crunchiespg]

Solve power problems by getting a manual?

If you think the Golf TDI is too small, take a look at the Golf Wagon TDI. Somehow, they both get the same fuel consumption even though the Golf Wagon has twice the cargo capacity behind the rear seats.

whatever i buy will definitely be manual. in fact thats a deal breaker for me, if not available in manual its not the car for me, i hate autos.


and the golf TDI would be perfect. the only downside is the price. hence checking if anyone has any suggestions that would do the same job at a lower price.