Need a new car recommendation <$25k

the 09 and newer Mazda 6's have a pretty big back seat. We just drove from KY to Miami and back with 4 adults and were all comfy the whole way. Plenty of room for all of our luggage for 8 days too. Doing 80mph we got 26-28mpg with the I-4. Personally, I love the way it drives.

 

+1 on the Sonata. That GDI engine is excellent and good on gas. Back seat space is absent on the IS250, forget that.

 

Our Armada stays parked and I drive the 3 everyday. But when the fam goes somewhere, it has to be the Armada which is a gas-sucking pig. I'd rather relegate it to towing and long-trip-only duty.

 

Yeah, I think that is what the Tahoe is going to become. And the track is 2 mi from my new place.

Looks like there is a decent lease deal on the Elantra, just need to know if the carseat will fit.

 

Wife has a 10 model Sonata for a company car. It is pleasantly surprising, and priced pretty good. Can't go wrong with it in that price range. She already has 26k on the clock with 0 issues so far.

 

i would be looking mazda, honda or toyota, granted they all have there issues, but i used to work for a kia subaru dealer and unless kia found some magic quality beans in there new models i wouldnt go for one

 

Hyundai or Kia..

 

they did when Hyundai bought them and they started selling the Hyundai's with kia badges

 

New Malibu? I think it has a slightly bigger backseat area then the Sonata for legroom anyway.

If you don't care as much about gas mileage.. I would pickup a used Pontiac G8 GT. Shit ton of room in that thing... and it has a real actual like V8 in it.

 

G8's supposed to be comin' back as a Chevy model soon, last I heard.

 

+1

 

there quality was no where close to mazda or honda when hyundai bought them, we sold mazda too and the dealer i worked for before that we sold honda/acura hyundai, mb lexus, toyota, gm, volvo, mitsu, dodge, chrysler, jeep so i got to see alot of what to buy and what not to buy

not to mention a run in the factory paint on a hyundai was "acceptable" to the company, even though it was like 4 inches long in the middle of the quarter panel

 

It's too bad you can't get the Hyundai Sonata interior with the Kia Optima exterior, and also the Kia's heated/cooled seats.

 

we called kia once on a intermitant tire pressure monitor light that would go on at times, we replaced the sensor that kept coming up, then they said replace the module, ohm tested the wiring that was good, then they said there was nothing else they could do and technical assistance reccomend the people dont drive near any telephone poles or power lines (great plan!) it was a 2010 sportage

 

If you are looking to get a kid in and out of the back seat, the Scion XB is worth taking a look at. The shape of the door frame/roof makes it much easier to get things (or kids) in and out of the back seat. Plus as the kid gets older they will still have plenty of room. I hav had a 6'5" person in the front seat and a 6'2" person in the back seat on the passenger side and they both had head and leg room to spare. In 45k miles i have changed my oil every 5k, spark plugs at 30k, and put a set of tires on it. Other than that 0 maintenance and ~30-32 mpg mixed city/highway/stop and go.

 

If I was worried about one-off problems, I'd be rich cuz I'd never buy a damn thing!

 

kia and hyundai - far from one off problems

 

Confirmation bias.
Show me actual statistics of problems reported per vehicles sold. Maybe Kia and Hyundai have higher % of incidents than the Japanese, but I'm guessing it's still statistically insignificant.

Not that I don't believe what you experienced, but your sample size is, what, maybe 20 cars? Even if it was 200, you're still talking about an insignificant number vs. number sold. Maybe you saw more Kias because their warranty is 3x as long as the Japanese.... and Japanese owners probably take their cars elsewhere after the warranty expires.

 

Id buy a pre owned accord
We just bought a 2010 v6 and its a great car. Gets good gas mileage, has 270 hp, and has honda build quality/fit and finish.
We payed a little more than 25k but it only had like 3k miles on it.

All the other japanese car companies strive to build a car like the accord or camry. Id just buy one of those instead of another companies attempt at the same vehicle

 

I have a WRX and the back seat isn't that bad