Jbird's car quest

Jbird

Jbird

Kick Henry Jackassowski
I'm looking to buy a newer vehicle.

There is a 2013 Kia Forte SX hatchback near me, low miles (7k), all the bells & whistles. People are telling me to stay away from Kia though. Any thoughts?
http://www.vicksburgchryslerdodgeje...sburg-mi-f096ddf20a0a00de63116195bf756743.htm

2013 Ford C-Max SEL hybrid, all the bells & whistles, they are asking $19,990. That's the best price I've seen anywhere on the web close to me for the options it has and the mileage, 13k. Being a hybrid, and given that 90% of my driving is 55mph highway, I probably wouldn't be getting any hyper-mileage out of it though. Probably around the 37 mpg highway it is rated at
http://www.koolsturgis.com/VehicleD...C_Max_Hybrid-5dr_HB_SEL-Sturgis-MI/2433323563

2103 Honda Fit sport, 15k miles. Doesn't have all the nav, leather and backup camera stuff the other 2 have. But it's more inexpensive
http://www.battlecreekhonda.com/certified/Honda/2013-Honda-Fit-be7b73db0a0a00de46d9972514477d6f.htm

Further afield, a 2014 Chevy Cruze diesel, less than 2k on the odometer, only $19k (new it's around $26-27k)
46 mpg highway, but it's a GM diesel…
http://www.subaruofannarbor.com/use...et-Cruze-9088c9810a0a00646468d74ffc832482.htm

Thoughts? Keep looking?

I kinda wanted to stay with a hatchback-style car, they are very convenient for getting larger stuff into them.
 
Thoughts...

Kia and Hyundai share powertrains and have been improving steadily over the past few years...plus you can't ignore a 10/100K powertrain warranty...

You are in the range where a hybrid makes good economical sense...

Honda is Honda...never a bad bet...

Just say no to Chevy Cruze...hell no to diesel...fuck no to the combination of the two...

One other thought...buying a used car from a dealership not affiliated with that car's manufacturer can be problematic if major repairs become necessary...my shop specializes in used car prep and service and we do struggle with major, hard to diag issues and often have to sublet a car to it's proper dealership which can cause delays in the repair...

YMMV...
 
The diesel engine in those Cruze's were developed over in Europe though. I drove a new Peugeot diesel van when I went to England last year and it got great mileage, was quiet, and had gobs of torque. Since GM didn't design the engine, I'm more apt to trust it :grin:
 
Lerxst said:
Is your current focus dying on you?
Click to expand...

No, but the fuel pump is, again :mad:

I just had it replaced 2 years ago. Now it's going again. It won't hold fuel in the line if the car just sits there for 6-8 hours+. So basically to start the car I have to turn the key half-way about 3 times (to where the engine lights, etc. come on) and that pumps fuel up to the engine, then it fires right up.

I'm also getting many rattles everywhere. Heck, the other day I hit a very bumpy road seam and my hatch became unlatched. Not to where it would fly open, but to the point where the latches themselves were still holding, but it was 'open', if you get my meaning.

Not sure how to multi-quote so I'll answer Tele's question too. I commute about 13.2 miles one way to work, and my drive up into the city is about 12.7 miles if I want to do shopping, go out to eat, etc.

So basically a 26 mile round trip on 55 mph roads is my main driving commute.

What I really want is another, 'new' Ford Focus hatch. But since I don't drive a stick, I'm stuck with the dual-clutch auto-manual if I was to get one. I'm sure many of them are fine, Ford sells what, 300,ooo of them a year? But all the horror stories I've read on the web about the bad ones have kinda put me off getting one.

That C-Max is built on the Ford Focus chassis, it just has the mini mini-van style body on it, plus the Atkinson 2.0L engine and electric motor hybrid set-up. Same engine & elec. motor that the Fusion Hybrid has. The only negatives I've read about them is that when initially released, Ford claimed a 47/47 MPG out of them. They don't get near that from what I gather, maybe mid-30's highway and low 40's city. I could live with that as I wouldn't really be buying it to go all Prius hyper-mileage, I just kinda like the way the C-Max looks, in a quirky-but-cute kinda car look. (plus the Focus chassis is still being said is the best in the small car segement by some experts, even better than the new Mazda3). My big concern about getting a C-Max is how that drive train will hold up long-term. Are those new CVT's any good and will they hold up? Ford's old CVT was a bad tranny from all accounts, though this one is a whole new design.


I'm not stuck on having another Ford by any means. Heck, I've even been looking at the new Toyota Corollas. I could get the new S Plus model for under $20k.
 
Jbird said:
The diesel engine in those Cruze's were developed over in Europe though. I drove a new Peugeot diesel van when I went to England last year and it got great mileage, was quiet, and had gobs of torque. Since GM didn't design the engine, I'm more apt to trust it :grin:
Click to expand...
GM europe is Opel.

Just no, diesels are loud and turbo-laggy from Opel usually. regular gas engines are usually ok.
 
Hate to say it but maybe a golf tdi?

I pretty much hate VW but if you want a hatchback with good mileage and better than ford quality that'd be my suggestion.
 
I guess I don't have the GM hate most of you do. I'd certainly consider a Cruze, especially in the 2LT and LTZ trims. Very good gas mileage, a quiet ride according to most every reviewer, and not bad-looking (imo). I'd take one over the Dodge Dart, to be honest. Though I'd buy one of those too if the price was right :embarrassed:

If I got a Mazda3 I'd want the 2014+, and they just haven't come down in price yet on the lightly used market. Could i afford a new one? Sure, though I still think a lightly used car is better price-wise.

I was going to look at that C-Max today, but the blowing snow and drifting roads kept me home all day :( Where I work is about half-way in between my house and that dealership, so maybe Monday morning when I get out of work I'll head down there, eat breakfast, then head over to the dealership. If I'm not too tired. Monday mornings are the worst for that, coming off the weekend.

Or this Focus:
http://www.lakeviewfordlincoln.com/...&index=3&count=4&offset=2&limit=1&match=exact
 
Well crap, the carfax for that C-Max says they replaced the battery already. Not sure if that means a 'regular' car battery or the hybrid batteries. Either way that seems kinda odd, as the vehicle only had 11,000 miles when it was replaced.

It says the Ford dealer there in Sturgis did the work, I guess I could stop in and ask them.


Found a really good price on a local low-miles 2012 Honda Civic coupe EX, too. The only thing I'm wondering about on those is did they have a usb port on the head unit in 2012? I can't see any looking at the pics. I guess I'll have to go check it out.
 
Something to keep in mind w/r/t battery replacements on hybrids is that some dealers may not diag and repair battery systems....if there is a fault in the system realted to the battery, they just replace the battery. So a battery replacement might not be the indication of serious issues with the vehicle. Online research is great but consider how authoritative your source is; depending on where you get your information, it is likely not a representative sample of reality.
 
Trust me @Jbird.... what you perceive as Chevy hatred is my ass still burning from GM products that have self-destructed into worthless doorstops. I've owned a lot of different makes of cars and the Cadillac and Chevy that I owned were without a doubt the biggest rolling turds I've ever had the misfortune of owning.

Most recently my daughter bought a GM product built on an Opel platform and after pouring a few thousand dollars into it to try and keep it running, she finally sold it at a loss just to staunch the bleeding. Had to buy her a much older Honda with more miles on it just to get her from place to place, and even though it isn't pretty, it runs like a fucking watch.
 
I don't have GM hate either. Suburbans are like the national car up here. The similar fords don't seem that much better. Trannys go in both 'Burbs and Exloders, etc. A turbo diesel suburban could be cool. But they don't make one that I am aware of.

WRT the original question, I have no particular knowledge, but think that diesel cruze looks darned interesting.
 
Jbird said:
How about this one?
Click to expand...

I think you should 1) figure out your budget 2) determine your must have features 3) determine your 'want' list then get out and drive a bunch of cars that check the most boxes. Develop your preference among the candidates then work out the best deal you can on that car.

Just throwing random used cars into this thread probably isn't going to be productive
 
I've really been liking the Subaru Crosstrek lately.

Subaru-XV_Crosstrek_2013_1024x768_wallpaper_07.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tig
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top