In conjunction with the new promotion at work, I am going to be in need of a reliable, new-ish car. Needs to be less than 10 years old, preferably a hatchback, and manual transmission. What do you all think of the current crop of Subaru hatchbacks (non outback suv etc.)?
IIRC the first few model years had teething issues with the FB-series engines (rod bearings?) but after that they are pretty solid.
The lack of decent tech/options and the MPG is the killer for me. People love them but its a dedicated following.
Can't get cooled seats - straight up can't get em, on anything but the Ascent, and there are better vehicles in that class than the Subaru. Thats for Mrs Subaru Fanboi. Hyundai Sonata is a nicer place to spend time.
In reply to 93gsxturbo :
What's your opinion on the Veloster?
Recon1342 said:In reply to 93gsxturbo :
What's your opinion on the Veloster?
Do you want a hatchback for utility purposes?
Do you have any kids in carseats?
I have a '19 Veloster Turbo but I am considering trading for a Mazda 3 hatch.
In reply to ProDarwin :
Styling, primarily. Youngest is 5 years old. Family Toaster is a 2013 Honda Odyssey. This one will be for work. I just got a promotion to Safety Manager when the company created the position. Part of the job is dealing with workman's comp appointments, so I need something reliable that gets decent mileage, but it's got to be fun to drive. It'd be nice if I could toss a bike or kayak on top as well, but roof rack is not a deal breaker.
ETA- cool colors are nice, I like bright things!
Ah, yeah, the best combination of MPG and fun available in that class is definitely the Mazda 3. The Civic Sport Hatch is also a good contender there.
Imprezas are decent if AWD is an absolute necessity but they are somewhat agricultural compared to the competition.
Love: shifter. Hate: clutch. The clutch is way too light and has zero feel. It feels like they forgot to hook up the master cylinder and instead just suspended it with a bungee cord.
Recon1342 said:In reply to ProDarwin :
Styling, primarily. Youngest is 5 years old. Family Toaster is a 2013 Honda Odyssey. This one will be for work. I just got a promotion to Safety Manager when the company created the position. Part of the job is dealing with workman's comp appointments, so I need something reliable that gets decent mileage, but it's got to be fun to drive. It'd be nice if I could toss a bike or kayak on top as well, but roof rack is not a deal breaker.
ETA- cool colors are nice, I like bright things!
Yeah, roof rack is not the veloster strong suit. No rear door on drivers side = real short rack attachment zone. You can do bike trays, but its a bit goofy and I doubt you could do anything bigger. The Mazda 3 would be a better choice here. Also, at least the older ones have a real size hatch.
I like them, interiors and fit/finish are much nicer then the previous generation were. They are a bit underpowered and not overly sporty but they offere a lot of interior room, and good size back seats.
In the 5 door market I like the Elantra GT Sport (N line now I guess). I have a 2018 6MT with 51K miles on it. It's holding up well, gets 32-33 MPG and is drives very nice with the Turbo Engine.
The Mazda 3 I did not like, small rear seats (I have 2 kids) the center stack in the dash compromises right leg room, and it just felt heavy to me. Very nice interior materials though if that sort of thing rings your bell (This was the previous generation of 3, not the newest one with the turbo coming, though these complaints have been consistent with the 3 for me for all generations)
The Civic Sport was my #2 choice. Price was the same as the Elantra GT which offered more features and looks less.. . Busy. A little less sporty then the Elantra but felt lighter/livelier then the 3. Largest rear seats and the cargo area was very big with the best access due to the slanted rear glass. MPG is the best as well.
I really wanted to be able to justify a GTI but even with Cloth seats It was 5K more then the Elantra. I would say it was only a bit more dynamic/faster then the Elantra for 25-40% more cost.
In reply to nocones :
This guy. I'd look for either an elantra 5 door or the forte5 sx. Same basic car. Both fun.
The 1.6T (Hyundai) in these cars is not my favorite. I have notchy synchros/resistance in my trans and the dealer "cannot replicate the problem". I need to make another trip back to try again, but berkeley! I thought having a vehicle under warranty would be easy.
The throttle mapping/programming suuuuucks. It feels like the boost has various steps in it, which is also annoying. If I had an older one, I'd drop the $ to flash the ECU immediately. But, that's something you need to factor into the price.
Also, super annoying: the drain plug is on the front of the oil pan, so if you put the car on ramps to change the oil, you can't drain all the oil out. And the oil will run along the bottom of the pan and then drip on top of the splash shield instead of going into your bucket.
My car doesn't have a central rear jackpoint so I actually have to get onto jackstands from each side, which makes an oil change take quite a bit longer than it would otherwise.
The 2019 and 2020 Corolla hatchbacks look pretty good, too...
It's a good time to be a hatchback fan...
Not sure what your budget is, but the previous gen Mazda 3 that my father has is really excellent. It’s the auto, but I’ve heard great things about the MT. Engine is great, handling is great, MPGs are good with the 2.5, and the available 2.0 is even a little better. Someone on here has one and gets into the 40s. The only thing I don’t like is the seat bottom feels a little hard to me, but I’m tall and am the only one who complains about it. The car also looks good inside and out, unlike some of the other cars in the class. My dad’s is 5 years old and hasn’t had a single issue.
The MT in Subarus never did much for me, they aren’t fun to drive, the MPGs suck, and I don’t need AWD.
If you can get away with no awd, how about a 13-16.5 Mazda cx-5? You can get it with a stick shift, good mpg and decent room inside.
In reply to dxman92 :
I don't really need a mini minivan... that's what the mega minivan is for. I could honestly get away with a coupe quite easily. I prefer hatchbacks because they tend to have a bit more room for tall folks like me.
The FB and FA engines in the newer Subaru's get significantly better mileage that the EJ-series engines.
I had a loaner Crosstrek and I was getting 45 mpg (Imperial) on a highway run with the CVT. Most EJ's would struggle to get 30 mpg. Damn think only had 132 km on it when I picked it up, so mileage was bound to get better
I'd be looking at Mazda 3 and Corolla. Both available as 5-door models with manual shifters.
I love how y'all are like " The older ones get crappy mileage".
My current daily is a '90 Ramcharger. Comparatively speaking, I get yards per gallon. And, it's got less HP/lb of body weight to boot. The reliable daily is for 1), my job; and 2) so I can begin the restoration of the Ramcharger.
You guys, as usual, have delivered much good information and given me some awesome options!
Off to research more wagonish stuff!
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