What Do You Think

[Porkchop]

Been shopping around for a new car. The only day I can buy in the next 8 days or so is wednesday. I've tested about 11 cars and hated something about all but 3.

I like the Chevy Cruze, very impressed with the new Hyundai elantra, and am intrigued by the Kia soul. I will probably buy all 3 in manual form.

Any experience with any of these 3?

[Corey]

I've had a Hyundai Elantra rental before. They're solid cars that have come a long way from the old Hyundai fall apart specials of the 90's- early 00's. Very solid, not too bad in the looks department, and get some really solid write-ups. If I were in the market, I would potentially put my money down for one.

I haven't driven the Soul personally, but I know quite a few people at school who own them and they've got a kind of cultish (in a positive way) attitude towards the thing. It's a quirky looking car, but it's growing on me, just from seeing them so much. Take that for what it's worth.

No experience with the Cruze. Looks like a nice design, but I've only seen about one or two around town, so can't speak more than the looks.

[AquaPython]

Hyundai has been making some really nice stuff in the last few years.

I am considering one for my next.

My mom has the Genesis and loves it more than her last two Lexi.

[derf]

The kia soul is a cool concept, looks good... until I got up close. The car feels cheap. The Chevy Cruz is downright disappointing, its a poor excuse for a car, i would relate it to the Hyundai's of the 90s, it just feels that bad. The Hyundai Elantra is the only one of the 3 I haven't driven but I would recommend it over the other 2 in a heart beat

[Particle Man]

I've driven all 3. The Hyundai
Is the best of the 3. The Soul does have a cheap feel to it. I thought the chevy did as well. The hyundai seemed to have the best all around quality and seemed to be evenly powered size to hp. The manual model is a fun drive.

[Rangerscott]

I'm diggin the Kia Forte Koup and Hyundai Genesis Coupe.

[racedoll]

Any differences (significant) on insurance for these 3? That might help make your decision.

[Porkchop]

The Elantra shocked me. It wasnt even in my original list to test drive. The dealer sat me down in one, and I'm like "oh here we go, he sits me down in a loaded out car thats out of my price range." Until I found out it was the base GLS with the preferred package. Has the alloys, mirror signals, a schmexy little spoiler that makes the car so much more sporty, auto dimming mirror, cruise control, bluetooth, and heated front and back seats. I like the red with the two tone interior..

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lJv8VwHhflo/TOWBAG5B3nI/AAAAAAAAD7U/XI-mqZuRmH4/s1600/15-2011-hyundai-elantra.jpg

http://dualpartner.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/2011-Hyundai-Elantra-Interior-View.jpg

[Porkchop]

Sorry for the big pictures peeps. What happened to picture resizing?

The kia soul is a cool concept, looks good... until I got up close. The car feels cheap. The Chevy Cruz is downright disappointing, its a poor excuse for a car, i would relate it to the Hyundai's of the 90s, it just feels that bad. The Hyundai Elantra is the only one of the 3 I haven't driven but I would recommend it over the other 2 in a heart beat

What didn't you like about the the Cruze? I kinda liked how the seats and parts of the dash had that meshy black running shoe look. Liked the guage package. Plenty of leg and body room for my fat ass. THe only reason the Soul was thrown into the equation is they remembered I said I may want a manual and since they had no manual Elantras in stock they thought they would give it a shot. And the thing is super cheap. Like almost into the 15's cheap.

I've driven all 3. The Hyundai
Is the best of the 3. The Soul does have a cheap feel to it. I thought the chevy did as well. The hyundai seemed to have the best all around quality and seemed to be evenly powered size to hp. The manual model is a fun drive.

They had no manuals in stock so I only drove the auto Hyundai. I liked how the Chevy has a stubby little stick shift. I mean it is no short throw or anything, but it looks much shorter than the Elantra's. On the auto version of the Chevy, since it has a 6 speed auto, it felt like the thing was shifting all the fucking time. Literally it seems like it shifted into second gear the second after I hit the pedal. I would 100% most definitely by the manual Cruze if I would go that direction. The really funny thing is Hyundai had no manuals in stock, but Chevy could only find 1 auto in a sea of manual Cruzes. :lol:

I'm diggin the Kia Forte Koup and Hyundai Genesis Coupe.

Genesis is way out of my price range... but a nice ass car. Tried the Forte and Forte Koup. A copy cat of the civic famiy line. It reminded me of the Soul, very cheap looking on the inside uness you step up to the expensive top of the line model. Tons of bland grey plastic.

Any differences (significant) on insurance for these 3? That might help make your decision.

Checked between Progressive and Geico. Im with Nationwide currently, but my agent hasnt called me back. All of the cars in my original top 5 were between $108-$120 every 2 months and in the $600 a year for full coverage. Far away the cheapest was the Soul at $96 every two months and $518 a year for full coverage. The most expensive was the Forte Koup.

[101lifts2]

I spent a full week with a Chevy Cruze. I loved the steering, brakes, chassis, interior and exterior, but HATED the auto transmission.

I also rented a Kia Soul...pretty nice car, but kinda boring and a weak chassis and funky fueling.

Did you look at a VW Golf, Mazda 3 or Ford Fiesta?

The thing I don't like about the Kia/Hyundia vehicles is their lack of chassis/suspension refinement. I don't know about the Elantra, but the Sonata's suspension is kinda harsh and the vehicle doesn't handle all that well. They are more focused on looks then the driving excitement. Also, the Elantra was tested and only returned a real world 29mpg...a far cry from the 40 claimed.

[Porkchop]

I spent a full week with a Chevy Cruze. I loved the steering, brakes, chassis, interior and exterior, but HATED the auto transmission.

I also rented a Kia Soul...pretty nice car, but kinda boring and a weak chassis and funky fueling.

Did you look at a VW Golf, Mazda 3 or Ford Fiesta?

The thing I don't like about the Kia/Hyundia vehicles is their lack of chassis/suspension refinement. I don't know about the Elantra, but the Sonata's suspension is kinda harsh and the vehicle doesn't handle all that well. They are more focused on looks then the driving excitement. Also, the Elantra was tested and only returned a real world 29mpg...a far cry from the 40 claimed.

Oh yea. I hated that 6 speed auto with a passion. I ran out of time before work, but I'm going back Wednesday morning to get a nice long test with the 6 speed manual Cruze.

Like I said earlier, I really had no intention of testing the Soul. The dealer was trying to push it because of the price point, and because one was a manual. I also like the fantastic ins rates on the thing. But I've all but eliminated it unless I dont have the upfront money to get the other two.

Cars I tested.

VW Jetta - Hated the dumbed down, cheapened feel of the new model. A youtube tester likened the interior to a "black plastic coffin". I get that statement after driving it.
Mazda 3- It was my second favorite before I tested the Cruze this morning. It was eliminated because I felt really cramped in it, especially in the knees and calf area. On long trips I NEED leg room or i get fidgety and antsy.
Ford Focus- Did not test the Fiesta, but I tested the new Focus. I felt like I was sitting in a cave. The dash and the sills were so high I felt so disconnected from the road. Also with all the problems with my Taurus, I felt like I need to take a break from Ford and try something else.
Nissan Sentra- Liked the sporty drive, but the interior was just plain garbo. Felt like a retal.
Mitsu Lancer - Tons of road noise, and to get the features I wanted I had to step up to a higher level.
And then the other 4 I went into depth above....

As far as supension, are you talking about the muted "thud" that the Hyundai's give when hitting big bumps???

[Particle Man]

My sister has that same Elantra. She loves it.

She also has a new Sonata that she thinks is awesome.

[101lifts2]

Oh yea. I hated that 6 speed auto with a passion. I ran out of time before work, but I'm going back Wednesday morning to get a nice long test with the 6 speed manual Cruze....

I would personally buy the Cruze IF you like the manual. I loved the car, but the auto trans was God awful...and GM usually has the best shifting autos.

...As far as supension, are you talking about the muted "thud" that the Hyundai's give when hitting big bumps???

Start pushing the Elantra and you notice the lackluster chassis setup. Also, I've heard the Sonata has the thud thud over bumps issue, but I have not read anything on the Elantra yet. The Elantra on the exterior is real sharp, but I don't like swoopy dashboards on the inside.

My sister has that same Elantra. She loves it.

She also has a new Sonata that she thinks is awesome.

Well they drive like...um...women. redflip

[Particle Man]

The thump over bumps is the front link pins. At about 70k they needed to be replaced.

[Porkchop]

Ok peeps, money may have made the decision for me. I had today off and did my final round of testing, and brought a friend along for second opinion. Went back to Kia and tested the automatic Forte (no manuals) and the manual Soul. Went and tested the Chevy in manual trim this time. And then went to retest the Elantra and ask about the possibility of finding a manual on that.

I'll start with the Elantra. Retested it on the dealer's test track. The thing performed awesome. The stearing was heavier and more direct than I remembered. Not a ton of body roll. The suspension was compliant and quiet. And the engine felt surprisingly strong for a 1.8 L. The bad news is they only have 2 left. One with the Preferred package which bumps it to 19,6 and one with the Limited package which pushes 24. I asked about finding a manual and they said 0% chance. Basically 96-98% of the Elantras shipped this year came with autos. So we ran some numbers on the Preferred package and with $2000 down the monthly payments would be $240. Thats $40 more than the very high end cap I wanted to put on my spending. So unfortunatley my favorite car is out of the running.

Moving to the Chevy, I finally got into the manual version. The fuckers put me in a POWDER BABY BLUE car. :wtf: This was the basic LS trim. Initial reactions were that the clutch was just buttery smooth with nice short shifts. Engine was a tad anemic. Apparently the meshy interior I liked so much on the auto I tested is only in the LT and up. My LS came with ugly 2 tone plastic. Chevy wanted $2450 down and $182 a month. Sticking to my $2000 down limit would mean the monthly payments would go up $10 to $192. That is $200 for a car that doesnt even have electric side mirrors or alloy rims, and is the most cramped.

Finally tested the Forte 4 door and it was nothing to write home about. Nice heavy steering feel and a pretty planted suspension feel. Engine was somewhere between the Hyundai and Chevy. Because they have no manuals in stock I couldnt test one, it has steel wheels with hub caps, and it would be much more than the Soul, I threw it out.

The Soul seems to fit the most for my current situation. They have plenty of manuals in stock in many color options. At the price of $16,300 you get all the necessities plus things like alloy wheels, ipod hook up, cruise control, key fob, etc. It has the most leg and head room. It is by far the cheapest in insurance too. They are offering $159 a month with $2000 down. I could take $500 off of that down payment and roll $10 in the payment a month too. I might actually do that. And the salesman told me if I wanted the upgrade to 15k miles a year lease he could do it for free.

I'm still mulling it over, but I might bring home a new Soul by Monday....

[Cutty72]

Get all your hamster friends ready!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VutSJIKsixc&feature=related

[Homeslice]

All 3 of those will probably have poor resale, just because of the brand name.

2 of them are great cars. The third (the Soul) is OK but it's very stiff-riding, and the interior is OK but basic. Also I'm not a fan of SUV-style without SUV capability.

[shmike]

All 3 of those will probably have poor resale, just because of the brand name.

2 of them are great cars. The third (the Soul) is OK but it's very stiff-riding, and the interior is OK but basic. Also I'm not a fan of SUV-style without SUV capability.

He is leasing.

His only concern with resale is how much it affects the residual.

[Homeslice]

VW Jetta - Hated the dumbed down, cheapened feel of the new model.

That's why you get the previous gen, on the Certified Pre-Owned program.

I'd recommend a 2009 Jetta GLI turbo........You could get one for $18-19K.

2009 is better than 2008 because they upgraded the engine to a timing chain instead of a timing belt.

[Homeslice]

He is leasing.

His only concern with resale is how much it affects the residual.

In that case, find out how much the residual will be, and decide for yourself whether you think the true market value on that date will be more or less than that. If it's equal or less, leasing's an OK idea.

I would never lease a really popular or rare speicalty car, though......The market value would be a lot higher than what the factory maggots set the residual at.

[racedoll]

If you are leasing, why not consider a Honda or Subaru? They have some of the best re-sell values.

[derf]

How about a Honda Civic or a Honda Fit

[Porkchop]

All 3 of those will probably have poor resale, just because of the brand name.

2 of them are great cars. The third (the Soul) is OK but it's very stiff-riding, and the interior is OK but basic. Also I'm not a fan of SUV-style without SUV capability.

Which 2 are you saying are great cars? As far as the small SUV segment, my younger brother has my dad's Saturn Vue Redline edition. While the Vue has double the cargo space behind the back seat over the Soul (and a powerful motor with sport tuned suspension), I have always loved the space that small SUV segment offers in the passenger side.

That's why you get the previous gen, on the Certified Pre-Owned program.

I'd recommend a 2009 Jetta GLI turbo........You could get one for $18-19K.

2009 is better than 2008 because they upgraded the engine to a timing chain instead of a timing belt.

I do like the previous generating. I also have been a fan of these. Way out of my price range though...

http://allworldcars.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/vw-eos-gt-1.jpg

If you are leasing, why not consider a Honda or Subaru? They have some of the best re-sell values.

How about a Honda Civic or a Honda Fit

Honda is expensive. They basic Civic 4 door is $2600 down and $189 a month.

Subaru on the other hand is $1169 down and $199 a month on the basic Impreza. That is one vehicle I had not tested. That isn't half bad though. Maybe I'll go test one tomorrow before work.

[racedoll]

Honda is expensive. They basic Civic 4 door is $2600 down and $189 a month.

Subaru on the other hand is $1169 down and $199 a month on the basic Impreza. That is one vehicle I had not tested. That isn't half bad though. Maybe I'll go test one tomorrow before work.

Then what about the Fit? It's a nice little car and fun to drive.

The only thing I'll say about the Impreza, it might be a bit more money but you do live in OH so the AWD might be nice.

[Particle Man]

The Impreza is a blast to drive. AWD makes for great cornering.

:whistle:

[racedoll]

The Impreza is a blast to drive. AWD makes for great cornering.

:whistle:

We aren't biased... are we :whistle:

[Particle Man]

We aren't biased... are we :whistle:

Nope. Not at all. :D

(My Legacy just got new shoes at 60k and corners even better now :rockwoot:)

[101lifts2]

Go drive a Mazda 3 and Ford Fiesta. I think the Mazda is 995 down and 199 a month. Not sure if Ford is giving any lease deals out.

I'd take the Subaru over that Soul any day of the week....though the manual Impreza's are usuallly hard to find.

[Porkchop]

Go drive a Mazda 3 and Ford Fiesta. I think the Mazda is 995 down and 199 a month. Not sure if Ford is giving any lease deals out.

I'd take the Subaru over that Soul any day of the week....though the manual Impreza's are usuallly hard to find.

No Ford. I've driven the Maz a ton, my friend owns one. They are $1550 down and $169 a month around here. It was originally my second favorite, but i feel a bit too cramped in it.

I ended up getting tomorrow off and am going to do another long day of testing and may end up taking something home.

[racedoll]

I'd take the Subaru over that Soul any day of the week....though the manual Impreza's are usuallly hard to find.

True, but it does seem like Subaru does a better job of having manuals available than other manufacturers.

Good luck on your search Porkchop!