I would say the camry also. Very nice car. Or the civic. Both cars very reliable and gas friendly.

 

2006 Civic Si, Mazda3, Corolla XRS...those would probably be your best choices for the criteria you mention. Of the 3, the Civic has the best fit and finish ( but a quirky dashboard ), the Mazda has the best chassis ( it is known as the poor man's BMW ), and the Corolla would probably be the most reliable.....although all three are far above average in reliability.

 

Crap loads of MPG would be like 30, 40? If 30, a Camry would work, if 40, I think it would be a Corolla, Yaris, or Fit

 

If you like a stick the Civic Si has the sweetest 6 speed I've ever shifted.

But is space a consideration for you at all? Moving from a GS to a small sedan or hatch will be a big change.

 

I installed a huge custom stereo that takes up much of my trunk space and the back seat is not that big in the GS. I generally dont need much space, but I do have a kid on the way so I'll need room for a stroller, car seat, daiper bag, etc. I think any of the mentioned above will have enough space for that kind of basic stuff.

I am going to test drive and find out the bottom line cost for the new civic, Mazda3, and corolla. I think the camry is out of my current budget for the econo car. Funny thing is I can totally afford a new GS, I'm just tired of blowing cash on my vehicle.

 

I say Yaris too! The reason being - I had one as a loaner car the other day when I brought my sister's Corolla S in for some service. To tell you the truth, I much prefer driving the Yaris over my sister's Corolla S. The Yaris is quite roomy inside, with the positioning and placement of the windows I feel the Yaris gives you much better visibilty all around when compared to the Corolla. The audio system wasn't too shabby either, I was quite surprised with the way it sounded. Oh and the gas mileage was definitely better with the Yaris than with the Corolla. The Corolla S handles just a bit better due to it's stiffened suspension. As far as which one has a more comfortable ride, I'd say the Yaris. The Yaris isn't no slouch in acceleration either, I don't know what type of engine it has but it has quite a bit of low end zing! So if I had to choose between a Corolla and a Yaris, I'd go with the Yaris....just my 2 cents of course

 

Maybe a lease Toyota Camry SE V6!

 

I test drove the new Civic LS & the new Corrolla LE. The price points are nearly the same, about $17-18k. My opinon of the Corrolla's interior is that it is outdated and older looking. The guages and fake wood paneling look like they belong in a 98 or 99 vehicle. The civic looks more like the new bmw's, fresh and "futurestic" looking. The two tiered dash may take some time to get used to, but its unique and adds some freshness. The civic also gets better gas mileage (by a few mpgs) and is noticeably more powerful and responsive. The thing I dont like about the civic is that you have to upgrade to the EX to get rear disks & a sunroof (+$1800).

Next car to test drive is the Mazda3, the gas mileage is a couple mpgs less of the corolla, even on the 2.0, but the few thousand less of a price point (even after having to add AT, AC, ABS & Airbags as options) will make up for the gas mileage. It also boasts 10 more HP than the civic, I'll see if it's anything to be felt.

 

The Mazda3 is assembled in Japan and while that may not be meaningful to some people, I've always found vehicles manufactured in the home market to be generally of higher quality than those that are not.

Take the Jetta sedan (assembled in Mexico) and the Jetta wagon (Germany) for instance.

M.

 

So what's wrong with wood trim? I understand that people's tastes differ, including mine and yours, but since when is wood trim limited to the late 90's? Not every one of us is addicted to this cheap-looking silver plastic that automakers are splashing all over so many of today's interiors.
And for the new Civic's dash being '' futuistic" looking, I, for one, don't think much of the idea of having to bump your eyes up and down between the speedometer at the base of the windshield and all the other gauges way below and in front of it.

 

If I was downgrading, I would get a Yaris. Looks are subjective ofcourse the Yaris is polarizing like that, but I just love it's shape. In Canada, we can even get the hatchback in 4-doors. That would be my first and only choice.

Oh yes, I would put on 16 or 17 inch wheels and lower it and it would be automotive frugal heaven!

 

Honda Civic, or Camry V6 LE. I got quoted at a dollar below invoice for V6 LE at 20500. Not bad at all. Very nice power.

 

I like wood trim. When it looks like real wood that is...a nice deep walnut burl (like the lex) is great. But when it looks like I printed it myself on my inkjet and stickered it on, it's just cheesey. I agree with the tiered dash, that's why I said it would take some time to get used to.

 

So I just test drove the Mazda3, and to me it was probably the best driving of the civic & corolla. It has a pretty tight suspension, acceleration is far beyond the corolla and I'd say definitely faster than the civic. In my previous post, I said it was cheaper. Well truth be told, they just have a cheaper base model, that features no AC, crank windows, and manual locks. That's not an option for me, I need at least power windows & door locks. The MSRP for power, AC & MT is about $16,500. AT is just under $17,500. Pricing comes pretty close the civic LX at that point, but the Mazda3 comes with rear discs, stereo controls on the steering wheel, and cruise control. The Mazda3's dash is somewhat more conventional with a bit of digital added in, it's a good mix of styling IMO.
Another good thing about the Mazda is the 4yr/50k warranty with roadside assistance, which is a full year and 14k longer than toyota or honda.

Does anyone know what I should submit as an offer to them? I havent decided on getting MT or AT. I have cash and I am not in a hurry to buy. Will they take just the invoice price? Seems like the civics are really hot right now (dealerships dont have many of them) and it would give me more bargaining power with the Mazda.

 

I really liked the new Civic's dash when I drove the Si. While a little 'different' I felt ergonomically it worked.