Help me choose between these cars...
 

So my Mazda 3 was wrecked late last year when I was rear ended by some dumbass lady in the rain so I've been looking at getting a new car. I'm in no rush as I have a vehicle at the moment to drive but will probably buy in the coming couple months. I drive about 100km a day round trip between Richmond and Pitt Meadows, currently.

I'm more about creature comfort than power so don't bother suggesting that I buy some old Skyline and fix it up, Timpo. I don't have the patience for that sort of shit.

I want gadgets and shit like Bluetooth audio, navigation, and what not. Something around 200HP. I don't need a lot of power but don't want to consider the low end <150HP cars except maybe a TDI VW.

Around $25-30k

I'm looking at...

VW GTI (new or used...2011+)
VW GLI (same)
Ford Focus Titanium
Ford Fusion Titanium
Honda Accord V6 (used...2012)
Acura TL V6 (also 2012)

But in front of all those right now is the 2014 Mazda 3 GT...seriously, it looks great and has pretty much everything I want standard. The only thing going against it really is that I might want to mix it up after 10 years of Mazda 3 GT ownership and the cars above (except the Fords) seem a little better built and more comfortable.

I will not be doing any mods on it short of maybe wheels if I don't like the stock ones.

Advice?

V6 Accord coupe, 6MT
Acura TSX 6MT
2012-13 Genesis Sedan?

Can't go wrong with a 2014 Mazda 3 GT. Doesn't come in MT if that's a deal breaker for you.

Really depends at the end of the day what you would want

personally i could go for a TDI VW mainly for gas mileage (friend of mine gets around 800-900km per tank on 100% city driving - 1200 with highway driving on his mk6 jetta tdi)

having owned a mk7 gti - you can still get pretty damn good mileage of 7-8L/100km and they are quite mod friendly + have decent power and fun

the GLI i can see being a bit slower + less efficient than its gti brother due to increased weight, but damn do they look good

i have driven the new ford focus and found them to be quite sturdy for what they are, but gas mileage isnt as good as the GTI. comfort wise they are about the same.

i have only driven the new TL briefly, but it feels quite nice

if gas mileage doesnt matter, i would def go with the 2012 TL for comfort

If creature comforts = luxury then the TL should be on the top of the list.

notbiasedsrs :whistle:

Gas mileage for the TL on pure highway isnt as bad as it seems. Seems to struggle in the city and low speeds but at higher speeds i've gotten 8L/100km from seattle all the way back.

My vote is for the Accord or TL for reliability.

I have the focus ST. Pretty similar considering the chassis

- right turn a pillar blind spot is aweful. Anyone standing on the corner i cannot see
- trunk is oddly small for a hatch
- on the titanium, the trans is a HUGE FLAW. Multiple people on their 3rd trans in 2 years
- "upgraded" sound system isn't the best.
- the oem HID headlights are a must upgrade
- lots of toys, they work great

:ohgodwhy: what the heck I haven't said anything yet

anyways if you're gonna drive that much, get a hybrid.

Accord Hybrid
Camry Hybrid
Insight
Prius

I think the 07-08 TL would be great for you.. it IS a bit older, but will still have all of the creature comforts you listed

I'm not a fan of the looks of the previous gen TL. And I think I like the look of the Accord more than the TL but it's an option.

I really don't want to drive a hybrid and as Top Gear has proved, if you have a lead foot, you might as well get a real car.

Couple of notes...I really like the extra bit of grunt from the GTI and GLI compared to the Mazda and Fords but the nav screen for controlling everything seems so tiny.

Yes a Prius :badpokerface:

GLI or GTI hands down.
I suggest that you drive all those cars first. The newer VWs feel great, more refined feeling than their Japanese and Korean competitors. and you're looking at a new or slightly used car, so the German reliability or expensive parts are not in question here.

Not to mention the VWs look better than the cars you listed ;)

Want a sporty, practical, refined, versatile dual-clutch auto car that returns decent fuel mileage for $25-30k? Nothing I'd consider over a GTI / Golf R.

TDI

How about the focus st transmission? i heard its great

+1 on avoiding any automatic Focus. The manuals are fine. There's lots of internet postings on the problems with their double clutch transmission. My friend's Focus (auto) is on his third clutch at 60K.

1. TL
2. Tsx
3.GTi
4.Accord
5. Ford

For the record, my mk5 GTi was an amazing car, and they have only gotten better since then.

This type of advice should be against the rules on an automotive forum...

:ban:

I love the GLI. New mazda 3 is also a great choice. Either way OP has a range of great cars picked out above, can't go wrong either way really. Just a matter of finding what gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling, for the right price.

Double Post. My bad

accord hybrid...

-honda reliability
-it feels like it has much more torque over the 2.4L
-once you go side mirror cam, you dont go back.

Mazda 3 is an awesome car, great fuel economy too and the car isn't too big. My only gripe is visibility and the GT is a little pricey. At that price I would consider the Civic SI which comes nicely equipped as well but trades fuel economy for VTAKKK. There's a reason Mazda 3 wins just about every comparison it's in, it appeals to so many different consumers and comes at a wide variety of trim levels/prices. Gets my vote.

The new Kia Forte/Forte 5 looks really nice too, bad on gas but it's insane how many luxury features you can get on it. (obvs would get a little pricey if you opt for all those)

I like the Accord sedan a lot but personally it's a bit too big for me, same with the Mazda 6.

I had a mk6 gti before my Fiesta ST and the Ford has a more refined drivetrain surprisingly. GTI is honestly the perfect size for me, has a very usable back seat but manoeuvrable around town and the square (non-sloping) greenhouse gives decent visibility. DSG is very fun but had a few glitches in my experience, (occasional rough start uphill, one time it just went into neutral by itself while still indicating D) Fuel economy is solid too although it sips premium.

So out of those cars, I've sort of decided to just buying new rather than trying to find something used.

I really like the GLI...in terms of looks, engine, etc, it's exactly what I want. However, the interior is so...plain and the stereo, nav and everything else seem so 2009 while the 2014 Mazda 3 feels more like I'm driving a current car.

I have a feeling I'd buy a 2014 Mazdaspeed 3 if it's existed. So it comes down to whether I want a slightly better looking, slightly faster car or a car that's slightly slower but has much better modern conveniences.

chances of my advice being helpful is gonna be slim, but i remember u like volvos as the first 2 cars u owned were volvos

u wanna get back in to a volvo