Giraffe Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 ...and you suddenly found yourself in the market for a new (or almost new) one. Immediately. This weekend - today if possible. Would you prefer the Hyundai Elantra, the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, or Toyota Yaris? This would be used primarily for an 80 mile round trip commute 5 days/week mostly on the highway. Need A/C, auto transmission, a decent stereo (since DH is on the road over 2 hours a day and will go insane without it). Occasionally we will trade and I will drive it with DD 3yo around town. So it does need a decent backseat and to fit a car seat. Any preferences? DH is at the dealers now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Goldwater Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 ...and you suddenly found yourself in the market for a new (or almost new) one. Immediately. This weekend - today if possible. Would you prefer the Hyundai Elantra, the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, or Toyota Yaris? This would be used primarily for an 80 mile round trip commute 5 days/week mostly on the highway. Need A/C, auto transmission, a decent stereo (since DH is on the road over 2 hours a day and will go insane without it). Occasionally we will trade and I will drive it with DD 3yo around town. So it does need a decent backseat and to fit a car seat. Any preferences? DH is at the dealers now. FWIW a family member has had GREAT luck with their used Hyundai Elantra... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigitte Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 Since I think they are all likely reliable cars, I would go with the one that has the best safety rating and the cheapest price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mysticamethyst Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 Hubby has a Fit and loves it. You can get an ipod hook up so he can listen to his books or whatever music is striking his fancy. Great gas milage and honestly they have a lot of space for how small they are. If we didn't need a van I would be getting one for my next car. Happy car shopping.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted December 4, 2010 Author Share Posted December 4, 2010 Good to know - thanks Tammy and Barry! Does anyone have experience with the Versa or Yaris? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotia Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 My DH just got a fit and loves it for very similar daily use. His dad has a Yaris and loves it as well. We went for the Honda because it is larger inside - but having driven both, the Yaris seems to be a bit more peppy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 I've heard great things about the Fit from my uncle, a car freak (he buys and sells them on ebay and really is my go-to guy for cars). That said, we own a Hyundai Santa Fe and have been very happy with it. I would go with gas mileage as a MAJOR factor. That's the only aspect of the Santa Fe that I am unhappy with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missesd Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 My husband has an Elantra for work before we married. He commuted a lot because he was a field technician. So he was all over Austin, and went down to San Antonio a lot. It held up well, had a lot of pep... he LOVED that car!! The only thing is he got into a 30mph collision with a non-moving car and it totaled his car :( He was fine though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 We recently bought the Fit ( our first new car ever!). The hatchback lets us fit a good bit in. It goes over 200 miles before needing a fill up and it takes under 10 gallons :) We've only put about 3500 miles on it, but I'm happy with it so far. Although I had to scrape ice off and the windshield is HIGH compared to our Accord. (I like Hondas). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*lifeoftheparty* Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in AL Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 We have a 2011 Hyundai Sonata and it's the 1st car I LOVE. I would probably like the Elantra as well. So far great gas mileage, reliability and I LOVE the sporty style and interior. They told us the new Elantra hd similar styiling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 People around me are quite happy with their Fit and/or their Yaris. I don't know anyone with the other cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 We recently bought the Fit ( our first new car ever!).The hatchback lets us fit a good bit in. It goes over 200 miles before needing a fill up and it takes under 10 gallons :) We've only put about 3500 miles on it, but I'm happy with it so far. Although I had to scrape ice off and the windshield is HIGH compared to our Accord. (I like Hondas). Are you sure about that gas mileage, that is only about 20mpg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 Are you sure about that gas mileage, that is only about 20mpg. I fill up at different times. Sometimes after 200 miles, sometimes closer to 250? I'm still not exactly sure when I have to fill up :001_smile: I get about 29 mpg if mileage is poor. I don't think I've gotten above 34 mpg. Generally 30-32. I'm still adjusting to having the first automatic since I was 16. I haven't shifted yet, but I do try to. It is nice in traffic though! I have sat there wondering why the key won't come out of the ignition and then realized it needs to be in Park. :lol: It's fun for me to drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clementine Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 My dad has the Yaris & loves it!! The gas mileage is about 40mpg - he would (and has!) highly recommend it! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 Dh wants a Honda Fit for his next car. But we won't need to put a car seat in it, just booster seats, and it'll be primarily for his work commute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 My dh bought a Honda Fit after his 15yo pickup got pelted with baseball-sized hail while he was driving home. The car is a lot of fun to drive and is so nimble that you can turn it around in the middle of a neighborhood street without having to do a 3-point turn. The only issues I have with the car are: (1) The headrest is right where my ponytail sits. If I'm going to be driving for more than 20 minutes, I have to pull out my ponytail and that annoys me. (2) I prefer for the gear shift to be on the steering wheel instead of between the seats. (3) It's comfortable for 4 people, not 5. The 5th person has to sit on the hump in the backseat and is also smashed between the other two people back there. It gets great gas mileage. I can drive to Dallas and back on about 13-14 gallons (about 400 miles for the round trip). In my van it takes about 35 gallons. There are only two different models for the Honda Fit. The base model (the one my dh got) doesn't have a door clicker thingy or cruise control. The other model has all the bells and whistles (cruise control, GPS, clicker, ...). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 We're an all Toyota family so I'm biased :-) No matter what you decide, do know that you can do your negotiations via email. We negotiated with several dealers on a new car once we knew exactly what we wanted. We also had the detailed Consumer Report info on the car beforehand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 So.... what did you get???? I hope you LOVE IT! Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margo out of lurking Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 While it's not on your list of cars, I bought a Prius a year and a half ago. The biggest attraction is that it was a Toyota. We've had several, and it's become our standard. I average 56 mpg, highway or city. I'm thrilled with that, and I love, love, love my Toyota. For a small car, it has a very spacious backseat, plenty of headroom, and it's become our family car over our minivan. The only negative, imo, is that I am about as far removed from a stereotypical Prius driver than one can be. FUN to be getting a new car!! And we're waiting to hear what you chose! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mktkcb Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 Did a quick net search, and found this great article. Fit wins. Check it out. http://reviews.carreview.com/blog/honda-fit-toyota-yaris-and-nissan-versa-comparison-the-new-big-3s-little-3/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 I have a Hyundai Sonata and really like it though I will probably be giving it to my middle child for college. We can reasonably drive around in it with five adults and it is fine. Like another poster said, this was the one car (and we did try both Honda and Toyota) that accommodated both my husband at basically 6 ft. and myself with my arthritis problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted December 5, 2010 Share Posted December 5, 2010 What did you get? We don't have a Yaris, but we love our Toyota. I would love a Prius! FWIW: Our old Saturns get about the same mileage as the Fit and Yaris, which surprises me. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted December 6, 2010 Author Share Posted December 6, 2010 What did you get? We don't have a Yaris, but we love our Toyota. I would love a Prius! FWIW: Our old Saturns get about the same mileage as the Fit and Yaris, which surprises me. Dawn DH, who likes to shop for cars about as much as getting teeth pulled without anesthesia, got mad and came home, muttering about car dealers. We've rented a car for the week and he'll try again next weekend. Car dealers are closed by law on Sundays in Texas. He liked the Elantra and Sonata, hated the Accent (knew he would). By the time he got to the Honda dealer it was closing and they wanted him to come back Monday. We didn't know dealers were closed on Sundays here - in Virginia they're open so we just assumed.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary in VA Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 (edited) Haven't read the other replies because I had to rush to say, "WE LOVE OUR FIT!!!" Our second car died last May and we lived with only one for a month while we researched it. We narrowed it down to the Fit, Yaris and Kia Rio. The Fit had the best ratings overall from the reviews we read. It had top crash test ratings. We also got a great deal on a new one. We usually buy used and it was the first new car we've bought in the 22 years of our marriage. I get to drive it every day and it is so fun to drive! To me it doesn't have a small car feel in the interior. We got the base model with the hatchback. The back seats fold down OR up! You can fold them up so you can place tall things behind the driver's seat. I have been able to haul lots of stuff. I do tend to lose it in parking lots because it gets hidden behind vans and trucks :001_smile: We got 40 mpg on a highway trip we took this summer. If it is combined highway/local it gets in mid 30's and just local around 30. The only thing I don't like is that with the base model you don't get the key remote and only the driver's lock button can open the other doors. It gets inconvenient at times. So I obviously recommend the Fit :001_smile: Drives like a small car but doesn't feel like a small car inside, gets great gas mileage and has a fantastic safety rating! Mary Edited December 6, 2010 by Mary in VA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in AL Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 Hopscotch, one thing about the Sonata, which I must say again, that I love, is that it has a lot of room, but the car sits very low, like a sports car and it might be hard to get kids out of car seats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted December 6, 2010 Author Share Posted December 6, 2010 Thank you everyone for your replies. I had to jump off quickly when I responded earlier and didn't get a chance to say thank you. (Oh the joys of a preschooler!) Hopefully we'll have time to test drive and evaluate this week and buy something this weekend. Michelle in AL - thank you so much for that info about the car sitting low. I have a fused spine and WILL have trouble getting kids out of car seats if it's too low. Thanks again, Hope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 At least you have some time to do some online research about the cars you're considering. You can read road test reviews, crash test ratings, and pricing info, so you'll be well-prepared by next weekend. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted December 6, 2010 Share Posted December 6, 2010 for your dh, who doesn't like car shopping... my dh now has an "MO" that works well for that. find car you want. test drive it. do not buy it. go home. send email thru costco ... they will send your requirements to the dealers near you. they will get back to you within 24 hours with a price, which is often below list. sometimes, you get to pick the color - we did when we bought the toyota corolla a few years back. it is a no-haggle price BUT the last time we called our nearest dealership and gave them the quote from the one 40 minutes away, and they matched it : ). time at dealership: 40 minutes for test drive, 40 minutes for car payment and pickup. happy dh. hth, ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted December 6, 2010 Author Share Posted December 6, 2010 for your dh, who doesn't like car shopping... my dh now has an "MO" that works well for that. find car you want. test drive it. do not buy it. go home. send email thru costco ... they will send your requirements to the dealers near you. they will get back to you within 24 hours with a price, which is often below list. sometimes, you get to pick the color - we did when we bought the toyota corolla a few years back. it is a no-haggle price BUT the last time we called our nearest dealership and gave them the quote from the one 40 minutes away, and they matched it : ). time at dealership: 40 minutes for test drive, 40 minutes for car payment and pickup. happy dh. hth, ann Cool! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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