SaintNexus

After reading IronCobra's thread of him buying a Hyundai for his daughters sweet 16 (congrats again), it got me thinking.

What's the best car to get that has an MSRP of around $15k, and has a total price (after all the options you want) no more than $25k?

When looking at a few cars, I couldn't believe with how well the Hyundai Elantra stacked up against the competition.

MSRPs
Toyota Corolla: $15,600
Honda Civic: $15,805
Volkswagen Jetta: $15,995
Mazda 3: $15,800
Hyundai Elantra: $14,830

^These are just with the Base MSRP, but when it comes to getting it fully loaded, there was just no comparison to the Hyundai.

LexFather

Right now I think its as good as it gets for that price. I do wonder how it will hold up after 5-10 years though. Dealer service is also a concern.

I guess maybe I'm being a douche but its hard for me to get excited about it or anything in this realm. I'm glad its making others happy though.

Any Ferrari news?

SaintNexus

Check this out:

Toyota Corolla S (Automatic): $20,470 with Power Tilt/Slide Moonroof.
Honda Civic Si (Manual): $25,155 with Honda Linked Navigation System.
Volkswagen Jetta SEL (Automatic): $23,295 with Leather seats and Navigation.
Mazda 3 sGrand Touring (Automatic): $25,940 with Leather seats, heated front seats, Navigation.
Hyundai Elantra Limited (Automatic): $22,700 with Leather seats, heated front and rear seats, Navigation.

There are more features, I just wanted to do the comparable ones, and I'm blown away with what Hyundai has to offer.

On top of that, they got a lease special. It's $169 a month for 36 months, with $1,699 due at signing. This is for the Hyundai Elantra with an MSRP of $17,800. I'm not sure how much the monthly payments will be to get the Limited Elantra fully loaded for $5k more.

-J-P-L-

I would say the Elantra is easily the biggest bang for the buck in this segment. Few could really argue.

I think the 2nd best car is the all new 2012 Focus. The sedan starts a bit over $16K. The hatch, however starts higher at $18K.

I'd also add the Cruze into the mix. Very big step for GM in compacts. Excellent interior and overall good value.


Come down to the real world.

The sub-compact and compact segment is actually what excites me most.
I just love these cars.

mmarshall

Before I can give you my recommendations, is that what you want.....a four-door sedan/hatchback in the compact-car class? That seems to be what you listed.

SaintNexus

^I want a car that looks nice, is affordable, and has great mileage.

The Elantra is compact, but has a lot of space from what I read, it looks real nice, it has a lot of great features such as nav and front/rear seat heating, leather, gets 28/40 mpg and all this for under $23k.

I want to lease a car within 12 months, and for now, this car is getting my attention. Unless you can think of another car that gives more bang for the buck, and has a great lease special.

When looking at the Corolla Lease Special: $0 Due at Signing, $249 a month for 35 months for the LE, and $259 a month for 35 months for the S.
The Elantra lease special is $1,699 due at signing, and just $169 a month.

Again, the Elantra lease is based on the car at $17,800 msrp, the fully loaded Limited model costs $22,700, and I'm not sure how much the lease on that would be.

IS-SV

lol, trying not to be too douchie (is that even a word), realistically most of us will experience this class of cars via Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, Budget and not via actual ownership. But the level of improvement in all of these cars in recent years is pretty amazing.

<VENOM>

How it holds up in the long run, 2 key things effect that long term reliability, being built well and being properly maintained, now only time will tell.

OC 335d

Not sure if Hyundai was ever on top but they do look pretty darn good for their price.

mmarshall

For a compact-class sedan, yes, you've done your homework.....unless you need the AWD Impreza's extra traction, the Elantra, for the money, is hard to beat, though it is brand-new this year and reliability is untested in the long run.

For something slightly larger (mid-sized sedan), the closest I can come to your 23K limit and the features you want is a new 2011 Kia Optima LX automatic (I assume you want an automatic). It looks nice (IMO), and does 35 MPG on the highway (you could probably get 38 or so with easy-driving). With the LX-Technology Package, which includes NAV, it would list for $24,490....but would not include leather, which is not available on the LX-versions. The new Optima, of course, like the new Elantra, is untested in the long run, but previous versions, according to Consumer Reports, were better-than-average in reliability.

http://www.kia.com/#/optima/build/?page=step1

SaintNexus

^Marshall, you've done your homework just as much. I see many threads here posted by you about reviewing cars, so I know you got experience in the car market.

Put yourself in my shoes for a second. You want to either lease a new car, or buy a used one, but you want your payments to not exceed $350 (that's including tax, license and all the other fees). You're wanting to do this within within 12-18 months, and you still don't have money saved up for a down payment, yet! What would you do?

toy4two

Why not get the Hyundai Sonata? You can lease a GLS for $199 a month with something like $2500 drive off. If you think the Elantra looks good, try out the Sonata. Using the AMEX or Overstock.com car buying certificates you can easily get one for $23000 and Sonata's come with so many standard features.

I almost pulled the trigger on a Turbo SE Sonata but we were about $1000 off on price so I bought a condo instead and will just keep driving my Civic which will never die (12 years still in perfect shape inside and out!).

SaintNexus

For $17k, I'm really diggin' this. Touch Screen navigation standard for all models? Interesting 3-Door design, I love the look of the exhaust. Hyundai is starting to win me over...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8gZe...eature=related

SaintNexus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ-NvXLszpA

^Matte Gray paint is production color? Nice.

bnizzle87

It surely is hard to beat Hyundai's pricing these days. It definitely loads up on amenities and standard features that some manufacturers tack on as options. That being said, I helped my sister get into a Toyota Corolla S, and that thing is huge on the inside. The trunk space is quite spacious and the leg room for rear and front is exceptional. There were some compromises that she had to make to get the car under even $17k, which is what she wanted to spend on, but all in all it is a very well built and great ride as a daily driver.