What new car would you get for $20k ?

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I'd get the new impreza. I have an 07 and I love it. It's almost impossible to lose traction in the rain. It handles great and it's pretty quick.




By that you mean you don't spin the wheels on the take off or something else? how about driving on high speeds in rain? does it feel stable than average FWD car? I don't have any experience driving awd cars so if somebody spill more light on it I woul really appreciate it.
 
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why nobody suggesting impreza ???!! why nobody seem to care about that car?




AWD would be nice up here for the winter, but the test drive ruled it out for me. After driving the Mazda3, the Impreza's suspension and handling just didn't feel that great. I didn't find the seats to be as comfortable, and it had armrests that were too low to be useful. That particular item is pretty much a deal-breaker for me. They also didn't have any standards to drive, but I don't think it would have made a difference at that point.

That was back in '04 though.




I had exactly opposite experience. I found Mazda's3 seat and seating position, awfull. handling isn't that great and impreza was a lot better inside.
 
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By that you mean you don't spin the wheels on the take off or something else? how about driving on high speeds in rain? does it feel stable than average FWD car? I don't have any experience driving awd cars so if somebody spill more light on it I woul really appreciate it.




AWD is only going to make a difference in acceleration; when two wheels would normally spin, four will hook up. How stable a car feels will depend on vehicle dynamics: suspension, weight distribution, center of gravity (height), downforce/lift, etc. How well it resists hydroplaning will depend on tires.
 
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If I could put the tail end of a Milan on a Fusion, it'd be perfect. Those chrome taillights are *****. But..I like the Fusion's nose much better.

It shouldn't be too surprising that an AWD car can outhandle a couple of front drivers. But..can a FWD fusion outhandle them? Maybe the Camry...doubtful on the Accord.




I despise those taillights also. I wonder if the Mercury's wouldn't fit since it's the same car?
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I'd really consider waiting until sometime after April 1st. IF all goes according to plan , its probably going to be a real buyers market and you are probably going to feel real different about how you want to spend 20 large . You may have other , more important things to do .
 
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I'd get an impreza RS. Great looking cars. For under 20k you can get one with a 6 speaker stereo system, moonroof, foglamps, 173 HP engine with AWD, and it gets 22/29 mpg, which is pretty decent for a full time AWD car. I consider it to be at the top tier of economy cars.




I was just gonna say but you were first. how come nobody mentioning this car???!! It's a steal with all this bang for the buck. As for others sugessting camrys, accords, impalas and legacys-don't these cars cost more than 20 thousand dollars? Cars sure gotten pricey now days. I'm leaning towards Civic vs Mazda3 vs Impreza 2.5i - drove them all and I think Impreza is the best one of them all. Civic got ugly inside and outside and Mazda seat and driving position is hard to get comfortable.


I'm in the same boat looking for a good 4 cylinder economy car around 20 K. I to was considering a Impreza. But from what have seen on the WWW it seems the 2.5 Subaru has a well known history of head gasket failures. Its supposed to be fixed now starting with 2003 and later. But I'm skeptical of this clam after talking with a coworker with a 2003 2.5 that has already had head gasket issues.
 
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The new four door, VW GTI, with the 200 Hp/207 ft-lb, 2.0L turbo and the six speed manual. Check out the doors on this thing, it's built like a tank w/ cold forged hinges. Excellent cloth covered sport seats, 225/45/17 tires, nice tight suspension and plenty of room. With some luck, you can even convince the wife it's an economy car (25 city/32 hwy).
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The Japanese cars in this price range are as reliable as a toaster - and almost as much fun to drive...;)

TD




Too bad the rest of the door is glued together.
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$24K for a 4-door Golf? Is the sludge-o-matic engine extra?
 
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The new four door, VW GTI, with the 200 Hp/207 ft-lb, 2.0L turbo and the six speed manual. Check out the doors on this thing, it's built like a tank w/ cold forged hinges. Excellent cloth covered sport seats, 225/45/17 tires, nice tight suspension and plenty of room. With some luck, you can even convince the wife it's an economy car (25 city/32 hwy).
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Too bad the rest of the door is glued together.
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$24K for a 4-door Golf? Is the sludge-o-matic engine extra?



Glued together? 200k+ miles on my Golf and no rattles. I agree with the "built like a tank" comment.

The 1.8T engine in the Passat had sludge problems because of the design of the oil pan, I've heard -- mounting the engine longitudinally instead of transversely led to some compromises. But that same engine in the GTI or the Jetta has been just fine. And from what I've heard the 2.0T engine currently being mounted in the GTI, Jetta GLI, and certain Audi models is one of the very best engines made by any company, anywhere.

It's true that $24k seems expensive... but you have to look at exactly what you're getting -- for that price you're probably getting the leather interior and other goodies. And that would just about everything you can possibly want in a car. For the typical driver, he can get 90% of what he wants with a base Rabbit listing for $14,999 (a price so low that VW is probably losing a couple thousand $$$ on each one it sells).
 
G20ooh,
OK I'll bite, what's supposed to happen in April?
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"I'd really consider waiting until sometime after April 1st. IF all goes according to plan "
 
He is either making an April Fools Day joke, or is speaking of the likelihood of a recession in the near term. In the event of a serious recession, basic BMWs and Benzes will likely be available for around 20K.
I think that the current trend in oil prices will stave off a recession for at least another year. It should also be remembered that OPEC has never been able to act collectively to prevent a broad decline in crude oil prices.
 
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It's true that $24k seems expensive... but you have to look at exactly what you're getting -- for that price you're probably getting the leather interior and other goodies. And that would just about everything you can possibly want in a car. For the typical driver, he can get 90% of what he wants with a base Rabbit listing for $14,999 (a price so low that VW is probably losing a couple thousand $$$ on each one it sells).




No...that is the real issue here...many other larger cars are much better equipped for less money.

The mention of glue was just to watch the gears in Ted's head spin. I owned a VW Golf for 16 years so I'm quite familar with them.
 
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