Buying a second vehicle ... any opinions on these?

[HunterBoo]

Hello DH had a fender bender when another driver ran a stop sign and as a result our old 1999 Mazda Protege is no longer an insurable car on the road ... so we have been car shopping ... this is a second vehicle - more an around town kind of car ... wondered what opinions were on the following choices we have looked at .....................

Ford Focus hatchback
Toyota Matrix
Mazda 3 hatchback
Hyundai Elantra hatchback

All pretty close in monthly pricing ... Mazda being the cheapest of the three. But worried maybe cheapest quality wise too? Favourite would be the Focus. Felt the best driving wise, although I also liked the Elantra roominess wise for the kids in the back. But this is mainly a get hubby to work, run for groceries, etc kind of car ... not long trip, comfy seats kind of car.

Now we also tested a Hyundai Tucson as I like a vehicle a bit higher up and I liked it a lot ... but we just aren't sure we need a car of that size for the above needs. All of the above fit hockey bags quite nicely surprisingly!

Decisions, decisions ... would LOVE some feedback on our choices!!!!!

 

[damo]

My son's girlfriend bought a Mazda 3 last spring and absolutely adores it.

 

[caisland]

Have had 3 Corollas over the last 19 years. Same base as Matrix.
Good cheap transport.

 

[Maleficent53]

My sister bought a Ford Focus a few years ago and they love it - get about 40 miles/gallon. They liked it so much they have since purchased 2 more, one for her husband (who is 6'5" and never wanted a "small" car!) and one for their college aged daughter.

No experience with the others.....

 

[ottawamom]

We have looked at all of those vehicles also. We had a Matrix which needed replacing. The thing I don't like about the new Matrix is the blind spot when changing lanes. Our older Matrix had a window there. Really liked the Matrix though, was great for carting stuff around etc.

Really liked the Mazda, our vehicle two before the Matrix was a Mazda. I have three really tall boys and height was a bit of an issue. Mazda is a good reliable vehicle.

The Elantra was another solid choice a little cheaper than the first two. The Tucson has the same blind spot issue that the Matrix had. For me it was enough of an issue to cross it off the list.

We looked at the Ford early on in our search. I think for us it was a height of the boys issue that ruled it out. It certainly has had good reviews.

Hope some of this helps.

 

[lizzyb]

I would go with the Toyota or Mazda.

 

[MikeyNS]

Google "Mazda 3 rust". I don't think there is a bad choice on your list, but have heard about rust issues with many recent model year mazda's.

 

[jeepwreck]

i used to drive a 2004 mazda 3 but i upgraded to a mazda tribute for more room.

i was very happy with my mazda 3 and i am sure that the quality has only got better through the years.

 

[mkmommy]

Have you thought about the Mazda 2?

Had a Protege and loved it, moved up to a Mazda 5, and when it got totalled by a red light runner decided to go with a Mazda 2. It is a great car, small but good on gas.

Looked at the Mazda 3 but really not that much difference size wise and the incentives on the Mazda 2 were much better.

 

[dis_guy]

We have a Toyota Yaris. Over 200000 km with nothing but regular servicing. I'd buy another Toyota in a heartbeat.

 

[Disney Daniel]

I have a 2012 Elantra Sedan (GL) and I am quite pleased with it. I traded in my 2004 Malibu when I purchased it and while it does not have the same interior space as the Malibu did it has several additional features (such as heated front seats) and is considerably more fuel efficient. No complaints here.

 

[ImDMous]

I have a Mazda 3 hatchback and love it. It's got plenty of zip and drives like a sports car. It's 7 years old with no major issues yet.

We also have a 5 year old Hyundai Santa Fe. I love that one also. Hyundais have come a long way from the late 80's when they were the joke of the road. The warranty is fabulous if you ever need to use it, we've had a few minor things wear that were completely covered. This by far had the most comfortable back seat of all the small SUVs we tested.

 

[HunterBoo]

Thank you for all of your input! We ended up going with a Mazda 3 hatchback. DH is very happy with his choice and we got a good deal on it! We will turn in our old Protege (month shy of thirteen years on the road!) on Monday and it will be "discarded" My very first car ... kind of sad lol (not that I drive it anymore!)

 

[maryliz]

We just went through this in the past 6 weeks. DH is 6'3", I'm 5'6" and the kids are teens that are both almost taller than me. We found the Focus to be very small inside, and the Elantra, while we loved a lot of things about it, was waaaay to short in the back for anyone over 5'4"... MY hair was touching the roof.

We ended up buying a new Kia Forte, and we absolutely LOVE it.

Happy Shopping!

 

[Disney_Mama]

I just bought the Honda Fit. I did test drive all of the cars on your list and once I sat in the Honda all the others fell to the side. Can't wait to get it and drive it to Disney end of August. Good luck with your choice. It can make your head spin.

Let us know what you decide on.