Car shopping, Toyota vs Hyundai

[BookstoreEscapee]

I have a Sonata. Great car.

My parents have a Sonata. It's a few years old and they seem happy with it. I've driven it a handful of times, and it's nice but it's a little bigger than I'm used to. I'm more comfortable with the Elantra (which is the same size as the Prizm...which my parents also have).

And when they bought it I got $200 from the dealer for "referring" them

[evilhomer]

So I went with a Toyota. I wound up with a Corolla. To my surprise, the Matrix was too small. I went to the dealership for a final test with all going in that will be going in and the stroller took up just about all of the full rear hatch. With the seats folded down it was great, but that does me no good with the baby. The Corolla had the same interior seating, but the trunk worked better. I made the decision on the spot to go with it.

I'm actually full of buyer's remorse right now. I didn't do my research on the comparables. There's a 0% promotion on now that ends Friday @ 6:00 (it actually will probably be extended, but also, it could be gone forever). I imagine I would have come to the same conclusion, but I just like to analyze everything, then over-analyze it. I didn't have that chance.

Plus, Toyotas look boring. They're about a sharp looking as a toaster.

Meh, I'm a family guy now, looks aren't as important I wound up with the S version, so it's a little sportier.

[sarasquirrel]

So I went with a Toyota. I wound up with a Corolla. To my surprise, the Matrix was too small. I went to the dealership for a final test with all going in that will be going in and the stroller took up just about all of the full rear hatch. With the seats folded down it was great, but that does me no good with the baby. The Corolla had the same interior seating, but the trunk worked better. I made the decision on the spot to go with it.

I'm actually full of buyer's remorse right now. I didn't do my research on the comparables. There's a 0% promotion on now that ends Friday @ 6:00 (it actually will probably be extended, but also, it could be gone forever). I imagine I would have come to the same conclusion, but I just like to analyze everything, then over-analyze it. I didn't have that chance.


Meh, I'm a family guy now, looks aren't as important I wound up with the S version, so it's a little sportier.

i have a corolla but its an 01, so it aint cool looking.

i do rather enjoy the new models. especially the S model

[AdminAssistant]

I think the Corollas are snazzy. I would love to trade in my slightly leaky Golden Granny ('98 Camry) for a new Corolla. *sigh*

[trailerparkmedic]

My fiance has a Corolla. It's a 2007? Something around that time, and the trunk is HUGE. It wasn't a selling point for him but it's come in very handy. He's had 0 problems with it, even though it's 3 years old and already has 60,000 miles on it.

[evilhomer]

He's had 0 problems with it, even though it's 3 years old and already has 60,000 miles on it.

Thanks, that's what I wanted to hear. I spent more than I wanted to in order to get a Toyota because I wanted a car I can depend on. Hearing things like this puts me at ease over the extra money.

[trailerparkmedic]

If you want dependable stories, both of fiance's previous Toyotas got to 130k and 150k with terrible maintenance after he purchased them. He was in college and poor and so he didn't keep up with things like regular oil changes. The 150k one was only done in by his apartment complex's crazy big speed bumps banging it to death, not any actual mechanical problems.

[Jester]

I know you already bought the car, but I figured I'd chime in anyway.

My parents have been buying Toyotas since 1985. (Well, my mom since 1985...my stepfather since he got together with Mom shortly thereafter.) They have had less problems with all of the Toyotas combined they have had than I have had with my two Chevys....which I have loved and have had very few problems with. (The two Chevys combined account for the last 12 years of my vehicular history.)

That being said, my parents are always talking up Subarus, especially the Forester, as they are avid readers of Consumer Reports, and were pushing the Forester when I was looking to replace the first Chevy. (Why they didn't get a Subaru for themselves, I do not know.)

I have never heard bad things about Hyundais, but then, you never know.

The Corolla had the same interior seating, but the trunk worked better.

I still remember my Mom's first Corolla, brand new in 1985. Silver four door model. And while it was a compact economy car, the trunk was deceptively huge. The deceptive part being that from the outside you wouldn't think it had that much space, but inside it was rather impressive.

I would not be surprised if that was a standard feature in Toyotas in general.

[protege]

My fiance has a Corolla. It's a 2007? Something around that time, and the trunk is HUGE. It wasn't a selling point for him but it's come in very handy. He's had 0 problems with it, even though it's 3 years old and already has 60,000 miles on it.

Hehe I have an '07 Corolla as well. It'll be 3 years old in June and after 40,000 miles, I've had no problems with it. With that said, I know that a Billy bookcase from IKEA will fit in there with the seats down. So will my 1959 Radio-Flyer When I bought it, I went for the CE model with a five-speed manual. It doesn't have the "zoom-zoom" factor my now-gone Mazda did, but it's handling and 40mpg isn't anything to sneeze at either.

If you want a Corolla, don't bother with the S and LE models. Other than the bodykit on the S and the "woodgrain" trim on the LE (and a few optional toys), they're the same car. You don't get a bigger engine or different suspension when going up the ladder

If anyone is wondering, I bought that car new. To me, depreciation (about 15% is normal once you leave the lot) really didn't factor into it. I hold onto my vehicles--by the time I get rid of a car, it's been run into the ground. After 10 years or so and 100,000+ miles, I've gotten my money's worth