If you had $20K to spend on a new car, what would you get?

[ZaZ]

I'll just say I'm not interested in any used cars at this time. Is the Fit really that bad? I guess I'll have to go test drive one myself. CR seemed to think the Golf was above average reliability wise, though I'm not sure on that one. The Fit is very reliable. I like the Impreza, but it's more expensive and it's new, which means they'll be working the kinks out.

[MidnightSun]

I'll just say I'm not interested in any used cars at this time. Is the Fit really that bad? I guess I'll have to go test drive one myself. CR seemed to think the Golf was above average reliability wise, though I'm not sure on that one. The Fit is very reliable. I like the Impreza, but it's more expensive and it's new, which means they'll be working the kinks out.

I've never driven the Fit, but I've ridden in it a few times, and one time on a 4 hour drive in the back seat (that was not fun at all). The front passenger's seat wasn't so bad, though.

[ZaZ]

People in the back seat are on their own.

[flipfire]

I drive an '03 Fit Sport (1st gen). Super reliable, fuel efficient. I drive it to work everyday and hasnt let me down. The foldable seating arrangements is very convenient, managed to fit my 4ft fish tank + stand in the car.

It could use more horses and a sunroof but i cant really complain.

No Toyotas in the list?

[ZaZ]

I want a hatchback and I don't want a Yaris while the Matrix is more expensive than the Impreza, but doesn't offer four wheel.

[Star Forge]

I'd say Impreza. It has a good ride quality since it is Symmetrical AWD and furthermore the space fit is more convenient than the boxy Fit. Furthermore the engine is very huge on power for its price and size. Just make sure to service it on its scheduled times as the repair cost of a Boxer Engine is way more than an In-Line. However if you keep your car in good condition, the Boxer won't fail at all.

Coming from a 1998 Subaru Forester S (Impreza but more SUV-ish) and now to a 2008 Subaru Forester X PZEV.

[booboo12]

If your serious about the Impreza and can wait, do so. The new one will finally have an interior that is competitive with the latest cars in the segment in terms of interior quality, likely being on par with the Focus (Focus admittedly skimps on soft-touch trim on the doors in non Titanium trim, unlike Impreza) if not the Golf. If you want something that's a bit tidier than the Impreza in terms of size, look at a Suzuki SX-4 Crossover hatch.

The Golf's a very nice car but you're right, the options bundling on the current model year makes it a bit of a challenge to find the one you want. The 2.5 also isn't particularly fuel efficient either, although it's a pretty reliable engine.

This is out of left field, but if a Suzuki dealer's near by, how about a Kizashi? It drives very well, has a great interior, and its competitively priced. It's kinda where the Jetta is in terms of size (a compact mid-sizer) but it's something to consider.

I personally wouldn't get the Fit. To me the interior isn't attractive and the current gen car looks a bit bloated compared to its trim looking predecessor. It does drive very well though, I'll give it that.

Sonic and Cruze share uplevel engine options (the 1.4 liter turbo) but aren't on the same platform. Cruze rides on the same Delta platform as Vauxhall/Opel/Saturn Astra. If you consider Cruze, the one you want is the Eco, even if its a teeny bit more expensive than a base trim: It drives the best out of the Cruze models available. The Sonic looks nice, but I agree on the instrument cluster: it's tacky and out of place. The outgoing post-refresh Aveo had a classier, more mature, set of gauges.

I'd definetly avoid the Versa Sedan. (it's a mere shadow of it's former self)

I would, however, consider the hatch. In SL trim, is very nicely appointed inside with soft-touch materials. IMO it invented the idea of a premium subcompact in the US + it is very roomy. It's also nearing the end of it's production run for this generation, and you mentioned that was something you preferred.

Skip Forte. (about to get a major redesign/refresh that'll return it to competitiveness)

[ZaZ]

I am serious about Impreza and the '12 model looks nice, but Subaru is the same as the Golf and Sonic. To get the sunroof you have to add the all weather package and 17" alloy wheels = $2,500. If I go for the base premium model it's about $3K more than the Fit or $5K if configure it like I want, but it looks a bit nicer. I'm really looking for a reliable roomy econobox that I can drive for the next 10 years and I think the Fit is the closest to it. I don't care about the design on the Fit for the same reason I buy ThinkPads, they work. I don't think it's that bad anyway.

Suzuki is too far afield and I'd be concerned about reliability with it. I'm not sure on the Versa. It's either bare for $14,000 or $19,000 for the well equipped model, but nothing in between. Thanks for the reply.

[Qing Dao]

The Honda Fit feels like a cheap piece of crap. Major regret. And yes, a manual Fit "sport" if they can call it that.

[saturnotaku]

I don't know if the Fit is due soon for a facelift as there really hasn't been one since its debut.

Fit was introduced in the US for the 2006 model year and was reskinned for 2009. The current design will probably continue until MY 2013.

Alot of reports to CR show that alot of new Fords aren't as reliable as they are touted to be, not saying they are bad but it is the risk on rolling the dice on a new model.

The hit to Ford's reliability stemmed from their godawful MyFordTouch system. It's worse than 1st or 2nd-generation iDrive.

The Impreza is a fine choice. Very reliable, though fuel economy has always been its main low point, but it earns high remarks everywhere else. Hopefully you get an Impreza which engine doesn't blow, I helped my friend repair one, major pain in the behind fixing a boxer engine.

The 2012 Impreza gets a huge boost in its fuel-economy rating, which should translate into a real-world increase.

If the OP is considering the Subaru, be warned that there's going to be very little negotiation on price. Supply is tight, and demand is high as the brand is still experiencing record growth/sales. If you can wait it out a few months, that might be the way to go. Otherwise, you might have to spend a bit more money than you want in order to get the Impreza.

I was looking at the Chevy Cruze, which I think the Sonic is based on. CR said the reliability for the Cruze isn't good and it's only a year old.

I looked at Hyundai and Kia. They weren't much cheaper than the others configured the way I want. I think the Elantra is CRs top small car, but I'm ambivalent to it.

Sonic isn't based on Cruze. The latter is a larger platform. The powertrains are the same, though.

Have you considered the Hyundai Veloster? It's a 2-door (3-door, actually) hatchback, and you can get a sunroof with a manual transmission and be right at your $20,000 budget.

My wife's daily driver is a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe. My in-laws purchased two 2011 Sonatas, and my parents just bought a 2011 Santa Fe. Everyone likes these vehicles' quietness and interior appointments, as well as Hyundai's outstanding warranty. You can't beat 5-year/60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper, 10/100,000 powertrain, and 5/unlimited roadside assistance. My wife's Santa Fe has had only one unscheduled repair in 41,000 miles, which was a brake sensor that failed at 38,000. If we had a car with a standard 3/36,000 warranty, that repair would have come out of our pockets. Thanks to Hyundai, it only cost us the time to have the dealer install the part.

If you want something that's a bit tidier than the Impreza in terms of size, look at a Suzuki SX-4 Crossover hatch.

The SX4 is a very good car as well. Tons of features for the money, including available all-wheel drive. It's built very well. I worked out a short-term lease of one when it came out in 2007, an AWD manual-transmission model. Absolutely no issues whatsoever in terms of things breaking. The only thing that makes me hesitant to recommend it is that the car has a tiny gas tank. Its realistic driving range is less than 300 miles per tank. That's fine if you're an urban dweller, not so much if you do more highway driving.