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

[Star Forge]

Am I the only one that would easily go with the Impreza? I might just be partial to tuner-looking cars, idk. If you had more like 30,000 I would say Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

I said that the Impreza was a good choice too. Also ZaZ if you are lucky, most dealers should have some Impreza from 2011 still available at good prices. The 2012 just came out but there should be still some 2011's left...

[booboo12]

I said that the Impreza was a good choice too. Also ZaZ if you are lucky, most dealers should have some Impreza from 2011 still available at good prices. The 2012 just came out but there should be still some 2011's left...

Yeah but the 2011 is so behind in terms of competitiveness (4 speed auto/craptastic interior anyone?) ...you'd basically buy it only for the all wheel drive and nothing more.

[ZaZ]

I agree. If I'm going to spend the extra for an Impreza, I'm getting the '12 model.

I tested five cars today - Fit, Golf, Sonic Fiesta and Mazda3. I stopped by the Subaru dealership, but the had no '12 Imprezas. They said maybe January.

From a purely like factor, money aside, I think the Golf was my favorite. Very refined. Engine wasn't coarse at all. Nice shifter and it's not much more than the Fit if I forgo the sunroof. The HVAC controls were a bit cheapy. You can't get side molding on the two door and it's got the lame 15" wheels. I could upgrade, but that'll cost. I'm concerned about the reliability too. I live in a rural area, which makes me wonder about it service down the road. Consumer Reports seems to think it's above average reliability wise, but if you look at their stats, the older ones scored poorly.

My next favorite was the Fit. It was more basic, but well put together. It's got a nice stick too and it's roomy. The question for me is do I care enough about the better features on the Golf to pay the extra? It's a very reliable commuter, which is what I want.

I liked the Sonic. It's got a nice ride and I like the look. You also get more for your money. There's a Chevy dealer right in town, which is nice for service. I'm also concerned about reliability. Chevy's track record with the Cruze isn't great and the speedometer/tach area is just so lame.

The Mazda3 was nice and reliability is good. They only had an auto, but it's a lot more expensive. I think if I spend that kind of money, I'll get the Impreza.

Fiesta was OK, nothing great.

That's it for now. I'm hoping I can test an Impreza soon. Then I'll have a better idea of where I stand.

[masterchef341]

Does it have to be brand new off the dealership lot? You can have a broader range of choices if you get something 2-3 years old, or even more choices if you just limit yourself to cars with about 40k miles or less (3 years worth of driving).

[ZaZ]

I'm going new.

[booboo12]

I agree. If I'm going to spend the extra for an Impreza, I'm getting the '12 model.

I tested five cars today - Fit, Golf, Sonic Fiesta and Mazda3. I stopped by the Subaru dealership, but the had no '12 Imprezas. They said maybe January.

From a purely like factor, money aside, I think the Golf was my favorite. Very refined. Engine wasn't coarse at all. Nice shifter and it's not much more than the Fit if I forgo the sunroof. The HVAC controls were a bit cheapy. You can't get side molding on the two door and it's got the lame 15" wheels. I could upgrade, but that'll cost. I'm concerned about the reliability too. I live in a rural area, which makes me wonder about it service down the road. Consumer Reports seems to think it's above average reliability wise, but if you look at their stats, the older ones scored poorly.

My next favorite was the Fit. It was more basic, but well put together. It's got a nice stick too and it's roomy. The question for me is do I care enough about the better features on the Golf to pay the extra? It's a very reliable commuter, which is what I want.

I liked the Sonic. It's got a nice ride and I like the look. You also get more for your money. There's a Chevy dealer right in town, which is nice for service. I'm also concerned about reliability. Chevy's track record with the Cruze isn't great and the speedometer/tach area is just so lame.

The Mazda3 was nice and reliability is good. They only had an auto, but it's a lot more expensive. I think if I spend that kind of money, I'll get the Impreza.

Fiesta was OK, nothing great.

That's it for now. I'm hoping I can test an Impreza soon. Then I'll have a better idea of where I stand.

Just to clarify, you drove the 3 and not the 2? The 3's not bad and if you get a mid-range SkyActiv model you'll get something that's both enjoyable to drive and fuel efficient. The 2 shares a platform with the Fiesta, but drives loads better as Ford softened the Fiesta's suspension tune for the US market: It drives like a bigger car but doesn't handle as well as the 2 or the Euro market Fiesta.

Golf VS. Fit: I'd basically bring the decision down to 2 vs 4 doors and whether you'll be able to live with not having them. Also consider how important those extra refinements in the Golf are to you and whether you'd be able to drive the Fit w/out regretting those. Don't want to buy a car only to wonder "what if..."

At least you're going out there and trying stuff. I'm trying to help a friend look for a car and he dismisses every suggestion I have for one reason or the other and he just won't get out there and drive them.

[ZaZ]

Yes, I drove the Mazda3. Now that I look back on it, I kind of wish I did the Mazda2. It's more in line with what I'm looking for. I wish they made a 2 door hatchback version of it. Kind of like the old Civic hatchback. That's what I want or if Honda made a two door version of the Fit.

Looking at the Golf there's a local dealer selling the two door with a convenience package, manual, and sunroof for $19.5K. I think that includes the destination, but let's say it does. I'd forgo the sunroof, but the local dealers price for just the convenience package is only a few hundred less. So I'm at $19.5k plus $1.3K for the alloy wheels, $400 for the mud flaps. I can pick the floor mats up on eBay for under $100. That puts me at $21K plus tax and title, which means around $22-23K. If I figure I can get $750 for my old car, which may be generous, that puts me around $21K. That's a little more than I want to spend. I think if I could get it for under $20 I might do it, but do they have room to maneuver to give me that price? Consumer Reports said the willingness of the dealers to negotiate on the Fit and the Golf is pretty low.

With the Fit I can definitely get out the door considerably under $20K. I'm probably going to hold off until I can drive an Impreza too. I would be remiss if I didn't take a took at it. I got a call about insurance for the other vehicles. They quoted me $475 for the Fit, which is about 2.5 times what I'm paying now.

[booboo12]

Yes, I drove the Mazda3. Now that I look back on it, I kind of wish I did the Mazda2. It's more in line with what I'm looking for. I wish they made a 2 door hatchback version of it. Kind of like the old Civic hatchback. That's what I want or if Honda made a two door version of the Fit.

Looking at the Golf there's a local dealer selling the two door with a convenience package, manual, and sunroof for $19.5K. I think that includes the destination, but let's say it does. I'd forgo the sunroof, but the local dealers price for just the convenience package is only a few hundred less. So I'm at $19.5k plus $1.3K for the alloy wheels, $400 for the mud flaps. I can pick the floor mats up on eBay for under $100. That puts me at $21K plus tax and title, which means around $22-23K. If I figure I can get $750 for my old car, which may be generous, that puts me around $21K. That's a little more than I want to spend. I think if I could get it for under $20 I might do it, but do they have room to maneuver to give me that price? Consumer Reports said the willingness of the dealers to negotiate on the Fit and the Golf is pretty low.

With the Fit I can definitely get out the door considerably under $20K. I'm probably going to hold off until I can drive an Impreza too. I would be remiss if I didn't take a took at it. I got a call about insurance for the other vehicles. They quoted me $475 for the Fit, which is about 2.5 times what I'm paying now.

I'd look up what others are paying on truecar.com. they're pretty good at giving you a average transaction price. I'm honestly not sure how much wiggle room they'd give you for negotiation on the Golf, and I'm pretty sure that negotiation might not be easy on the Fit: subcompacts don't really have a ton of profit attached to begin with, then there's gas prices and the fit's also not exactly hurting for buyers.

Being under that 20k "barrier" is always a nice feeling for sure, if you can with a golf...great. if not, the fit's a excellent runner up.

I'm a bit shocked that there isn't even demonstrator vehicles for the impreza yet...the subaru configurator is up and running.

They do make a 2 door mazda 2, but sadly its not offered here.

You gotta love how expensive insurance is haha, especially when buying new. i'd compare more if you're up to it, just to see if you could do better somewhere else.

[ZaZ]

Yeah, that is a shame you can't get the Mazda2 two door here. It's looks like a more shapely '93 Honda Civic and with a 100HP engine, it may be the '93 Civic re-incarnated.

From what I could tell from Truecar.com, there wasn't much wiggle room for either the Golf or the Fit.

I should probably call the insurance agent tomorrow to see what the numbers are. If the Golf or Impreza are significantly more, that may rule them out.

[usapatriot]

Ford Focus? You can get a 2012 SE Sedan w/ Sport Package for about $20k. I've seen a few on the road and they look really nice. Supposed to drive quite well as well.