My wife and I have never had a problem selecting and purchasing a new car... until this past year. It's normally been a fairly quick and painless process in the past to determine the right type and class of vehicle, and select the car to finally purchase. Excluding the car enthusiast vehicle I had owned for about 4.5 years (a 1989 Nissan S-Cargo), which was actually a 3rd car in our driveway, we've always kept each new vehicle for over 10 years, so we've never really "settled" on a car... they've always fit our needs and our lifestyles for a long time.
So what's different this time around that's giving us such a problem? I had mentioned it briefly in part 1... My wife and I got caught up around the idea of going greener with a hybrid vehicle. We were willing to pay the premium of going green, and we had the finances to do it. But at the same time, we also seemed to be willing to settle on not having certain features and functionality that the Ford Taurus wagon had provided us for over 11 years, and could/would probably still need. We were essentially blinded by (green) science (a little reference to a Thomas Dolby tune), which could easily have turned into something we would have regretted.
Early this summer, we unexpectedly had to replace the shingles on our roof; an expense that was not in our budget this year, and an expense that dipped deeply into the finances we had set aside for a new hybrid car. This forced us to put our car purchase on hold (again) so we could re-evaluate our finances once all our repairs and renovations were complete. And now that our repairs and renovations are complete, we've had a chance to re-evaluate our finances and vehicle plans for the next 4 years.
Unfortunately, we can't afford a hybrid vehicle this year, but could afford one next year. But we've already been holding off on purchasing a car for over a year, and we're really tired of dealing with the uncertainty of "that Ford", especially through the winter. We also discovered that the year 2013 is apparently the year where the auto industry will finally have a huge selection of hybrids, EV's, and possibly other alternatives... that's only 3-4 years away (actual year or model year... who knows with the auto industry). My current daily driver, a 2003 Infiniti G35 sedan, will be approaching 10 years of age in 2013. Well, that seems to be a couple of things that click together nicely... We can re-evaluate our interest in purchasing a hybrid, EV, or whatever around the year 2013.
So what do we purchase now to replace "that Ford"?
This time, my wife and I had to sit down and figure out some specific requirements to help us determine the type and class of vehicle we need for the next several years (hopefully 10+ years), which we can afford now. Here's what we came up with...
Our New Vehicle Requirements
- Good Fuel Economy.
Although hybrid technology is out of the picture for us right now, we can still be a little greener with the right engine selection. My current daily commuter (Infiniti G35) is a 3.5-litre sport sedan, so it guzzles a fair bit of gasoline in rush hour traffic. When I owned a Nissan NX2000, the 2.0-litre engine had really good fuel economy (when driven conservatively, of course). So we tried to restrict our initial selection to vehicles with an engine between 1.8-litres and 2.2-litres. If our selection is too limited, we can then consider including between 1.5-litres and 2.5-litres.
- Smaller Vehicle.
Although we're not replacing the G35, it makes sense to turn that into our 2nd vehicle - used occasionally and for road trips - and the new car would become my daily commuter. This requirement kind of works in tandem with the good fuel economy since the smaller engines are used in smaller cars. But the smaller size also makes it much better for parking and daily commutes in rush hour.
- Useful Cargo Space.
We're getting rid of a wagon, and we frequently still carry bigger stuff. We will still have garden supplies and home renovation supplies to carry over the next several years, so that requirement is not going to disappear for a while. This requirement focuses our selection on hatchback (or the new hatchbox) style of vehicles. I'm hoping the term hatchbox will catch on since I've heard that the Nissan cube is registered as an SUV, which depicts a non-economical pricey image.
- Lots of Headroom (front and rear seats).
My wife is almost 5'11", my son is over 6'1" (and still growing), and my son's friends are taller. If my son (and his friends) can't sit comfortably and safely in the back seat, it's a show stopper.
- 5-Door hatchback/wagon.
We definitely want 4 passenger doors - tall people getting in/out of a 2-door is not practical and the rear seats will be occupied by people (short and tall) more often than not. A sedan-style small vehicle definitely won't provide the useful cargo space we require, so that pushes the requirement into a hatchback/wagon-style of vehicle.
- Good Audio System with iPod or Auxiliary Input.
I gotta have my music, and it's all on my iPod. I also do some hobby music production, so I definitely want to be able to test my productions on a decent car audio system.
- Purchase Price Less Than $25,000.
This is the maximum price our budget will allow this year. Nothing else to say.
- Good/Interesting Styling (subjective and negotiable).
My wife and I have different tastes in vehicle styles, which was quite evident when I had purchased the Nissan S-Cargo as a little hobby car for myself, and was also evident when I was engaged in the Nissan Hypercube contest to try to win a Nissan cube. She made it quite clear to me that she didn't like the styling of the S-Cargo nor the cube. But I also know my wife is very pragmatic, so the correct combination of features and price could (possibly) persuade her to compromise on the style.
- We Won't Support Manufacturers Who Begged for Money.
My wife and I feel strongly about not giving our money to the manufactures who flew down to meet the government on private jets and stepped out onto the tarmac with a tin cup in their hand, essentially asking Joe Public to pay for their stupidity.
Our Short List (in order of test drive)
Nissan Versa
We had actually taken the Versa for a test drive when we first took the Nissan Altima for a test drive last year. Both of us were astounded by the headroom in the front and rear seats, and my wife loved the smooth drive that the CVT transmission offered. It has a decent styling -- one that my wife really likes and one that I can live with. It's also available in a nice blue that both of us really like. The interior finishes and upholstery are also very nice for a vehicle in this class. When we re-evaluated our finances and criteria this last time, this one was definitely the standard to compare to in my wife's book (after all, I was hooked on the cube, right?!).
Kia Soul
When we started selecting vehicles to review with the new criteria, I mentioned the Kia Soul to my wife. She basically denounced Kia on the spot. I, on the other hand, kept an open mind and forced her to review it on-line one Saturday afternoon. Within an hour, we were headed out to test drive a Kia Soul. Both of us were quite impressed with the Soul. It's a very solid car, good handling (for that class of course), and has many features that you wouldn't normally see in this class and price range. The headroom, legroom, and cargo space is definitely plentiful in this little sporty box. Although Kia's warranty is better than Toyota, Nissan, and many others, we still have that little birdie nagging in the back of our heads concerned about the condition of the vehicle after 5 years... but that's still 2 additional years of comprehensive warranty coverage compared to Nissan.
Nissan cube
As we left the Kia dealership, I told my wife to humor me as we should go to the nearby Nissan dealership and test drive a cube for comparison. Hesitantly, she agreed, and before you could bat an eyelash, we were at a Nissan dealership checking out a cube. If you recall from part 1, I mentioned that the cube did not appeal to my wife... but I failed to mention that she really had had enough of that cube contest and all my cube talk. Yet, she set aside all that distaste and agreed to look at a Nissan cube.
Would you believe that she was really impressed with the cube?! She loves the smoothness of the CVT transmission, the same thing she fell in love with on the Versa. And there's even more headroom in the cube than the Soul. She also loves the reclining rear seats, and especially likes the intelligent key push button ignition and passive keyless entry. Suddenly, the cube is a serious contender... but my wife still thinks it's ugly.
Y'know, I remember telling my wife all about the Nissan cube a few months ago... all the nifty features... the headroom... the cargo space... I guess that contest had some far-reaching side affects.
Additional Consideration
Toyota Matrix
Although the Matrix is available with a 1.8-litre engine, that model does not come with a premium audio system. Also, the one feature that caught our eye -- the front passenger seat folds down so you can carry something really long in the car -- is not available in the 1.8-litre model. We'd have to move to the low-end 2.4-litre model with the 6-speaker audio (but not premium audio). With the current $750 rebate, we'd be just barely squeaking into our price limit, and we'd be looking at upgrading the audio with an aftermarket solution sometime next year. With Toyota quality & reputation, enough headroom front and rear, interesting & useful cargo space configuration, sporty demeanor, and decent fuel economy for the 2.4-litre engine size, this one is worth consideration.
Our test drive of a Matrix XR was basically what we were expecting... a solid sporty drive that one would expect from a Toyota. One thing that my wife and I found annoying was the stepped gearshift... this was the same annoyance we found about the Toyota Camry. Also, unlike the Versa, Soul, and cube, we didn't experience any "wow" factor from this vehicle.
The Rejected & Ignored (alphabetical order)
Chevrolet, Dodge, GM, Pontiac, Saturn, etc.
These were quite easy to ignore/reject. To re-iterate our last requirement... We won't support manufacturers who begged for money.
Ford Focus 5-door
Essentially, Ford is the only North American manufacture we'd consider purchasing a vehicle because they didn't swindle Joe Public out of tons of money during the recession. Unfortunately, due to our years of continuously bad experience with Ford "quality" and "service", we won't be buying a Ford for a very long time. Besides that, for some reason, Ford is no longer offering the 5-door Focus at a time where people are looking for smaller yet utilitarian vehicles like hatchbacks/hatchboxes and small crossovers. Unless, of course, they're hoping people will go buy their Ford-filled Mazda 3 instead.
Honda Fit
At 1.5-litres, the engine on this little puppy is a little too small, and similarly, the front end of this thing is quite small. Despite its acclamations for roominess, it's a little on the small side for the SUV/Truck-laden near-highway-speeds roadways of Calgary. Basically, we don't want to get run over by a Hummer that has mistaken this car for a speed bump.
Hyundai Accent Hatchback
The hatchback model is only available as a 3-door, making entry to the back seats more than tedious for my tall family. The smaller 1.6-litre is also not desirable.
Mazda 3 Sport
To get into the model with the stereo system we'd want, we have to move to a 2.5-litre engine. But the real reason why it's being rejected is due to the fact that there's too much Ford in a Mazda, and there's been service bulletins posted about the Mazda 3 related to electrical issues. We don't want to repeat history with the new car.
Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback
The engine size is outside our initial requirements, sitting at 2.4-litres. Plus, adding the only available package to get the audio system pushes the price beyond our limit. If there was more headroom in the back for taller people, it might have made it as an additional consideration.
Subaru Impreza 2.5i 5-door
The engine size is well beyond our requirements at 2.5-litres, and consequently, the fuel economy is one of the worst out of this class of vehicles. Also, the trim level that includes the premium audio pushes the price beyond our limit.
Suzuki SX4
For a vehicle that looks bigger than most of the others in this class, it sure lacks rear seat/headroom space. The city fuel economy for this 2.0-litre engine is quite poor at 9.2 L/100km... a rating that's typically seen with the 2.4-litre engine vehicles in this class.
VW Golf City
This one was a bit disappointing... a 2.0-litre engine that's underpowered since its horsepower is low enough that it could have been a 1.8-litre, yet the city fuel economy is bad enough to be a 2.4-litre. That's one confused engine. It also has the smallest cargo area (both seats up and seats down) than the other vehicles in its class. On top of that, we know a few people who've had significant mechanical problems with their new VW within the first couple of years of ownership. And if that wasn't bad enough, those people had service issues to get those repairs done. We certainly don't have enough confidence in this brand, nor their service, to warrant serious consideration.
In part 3, I'll discuss the pros and cons between the cars we've selected for serious purchase consideration. I'm not sure what else will be included in part 3 as this article has caught up with our actual selection process. The end is near, and perhaps so is an actual purchase.
2 comments:
I have a Hyundai Accent SE 3-door, and absolutely love it......but we have no kids. I also looked at some of the same cars, and was most impressed with the Soul. It has enough room for the kids, lots of standard features, it's cheeky-cute, and has the same great warranty as Hyundai. It was the last car standing before I chose my Hyundai. Honestly, does the idea of having to pay for car repairs, while still making car payments, appeal to anyone? And then there is the rental car....also out-of-pocket if the car is past warranty. A situation like that can strain the bank account. I refuse to purchase any vehicle that won't provide a warranty that covers the payment schedule...period. Look closely at Hyundai Elantra
Touring and Kia Soul.
That certainly is a good reason to pick the Hyundai. But when you review the warranties in detail, you'll find the only difference is the extra 2 years on the comprehensive warranty. The warranty on all the expensive parts (powertrain, emission control, corrosion/perforation) are the same number of years of coverage for Nissan and Hyundai.
I've owned a few different Nissan vehicles since 1988, so I have the experience and history with their products. Nissan vehicles hold up very well past their warranty period with very little repairs needed over the course of 10 years.
For the most part, car owners shouldn't be worried about warranty issues during the warranty period... they should be worried about the types and costs of repairs after the warranty period. That's where the true quality of the vehicle really starts to show.
When I sold my 1991 NX 2000 when it was 11-years-old, the person buying it had me take it to a shop and get a thorough inspection. The shop performed a compression test on the engine and he said it was as good as new (and I drove that little car pretty hard). I'm not sure the same could be said about an 11-year-old Hyundai.
If you're buying a new car every 5 years (when the warranty ends on the old one), then it certainly makes sense to ensure your whole vehicle is covered for the 5 years.
But you're not saving any money turning over cars every 5 years. Amortizing the cost of a vehicle and repairs over 10 years is cheaper per year of ownership than buying every 5 years... with a car that has the quality to make it through 10 years without having major costs, that is.
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