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Sorry, guys, I didn't even see you had asked.
Today we test drove 3 cars: 2012 Hyundai Elantra, 2012 Mazda3, and a 2012 Nissan Sentra.
The Elantra was the first up. $15,873 with 14,550-ish miles. I went into it slightly hesitant because of the price-vs-miles, but otherwise no expectations. I liked how it handled, although the acceleration and steering were a little touchy. Of course, I'm also used to driving a tank, so that could account for that. Good stereo/speakers(as Nathan said, "stereo's got some ass to it."), nice sized mirrors, iPod jack in an easily accessible place and two or three 12V plugs(forgot to look in the back). There were a couple of small interior cosmetic issues, but nothing that would be a dealbreaker.
There's also a 2011 Elantra with about 2,000 more miles for roughly the same price that we didn't test, but that is also in the running.
Next was the Mazda3, $15,987 with 2,060 miles on it. I went into this test thinking that this would be the clear winner because of price-vs-miles. Smooth handling, not as touchy as the Elantra, slightly smaller body. Loved the color. Back seat was beyond tight, it was cramped, even with my seat moved all the way up to where I need it. The stereo/speakers were not good. There was no iPod jack and only one 12V plug. The seats were hard and uncomfortable. And the road noise was atrocious. We stayed on surface streets and it was that bad? I'd hate to hear it at highway speeds.
Last was the Sentra, $14,777 with 8,830 miles. I like the color, the interior is nice and roomy. The trunk is quite spacious. The backseat is the most comfortable of the three we looked at. Speaker/stereo is good. There's something about the console that rubs me the wrong way. It does have a iPod jack, but it's inside the armrest, which is a bit of a pain in the ass if you want to change songs. The seats are comfortable. The gear shift was a little awkward. Again, there was another Sentra for a few hundred more but less miles that we didn't drive. Oh, that was the other thing: this was the only one that the dude went with us on the drive, which I did not like.
So, for me, the Mazda is out. It's down to the Elantra(my #1) and the Sentra and just depends on what kind of deal the chick at Hyundai can get me. If I don't like it, I'll go for the Nissan. If I don't like what they've got, it's back to square one. As much as I need a new car, I'm not afraid to walk away.
Today we test drove 3 cars: 2012 Hyundai Elantra, 2012 Mazda3, and a 2012 Nissan Sentra.
The Elantra was the first up. $15,873 with 14,550-ish miles. I went into it slightly hesitant because of the price-vs-miles, but otherwise no expectations. I liked how it handled, although the acceleration and steering were a little touchy. Of course, I'm also used to driving a tank, so that could account for that. Good stereo/speakers(as Nathan said, "stereo's got some ass to it."), nice sized mirrors, iPod jack in an easily accessible place and two or three 12V plugs(forgot to look in the back). There were a couple of small interior cosmetic issues, but nothing that would be a dealbreaker.
There's also a 2011 Elantra with about 2,000 more miles for roughly the same price that we didn't test, but that is also in the running.
Next was the Mazda3, $15,987 with 2,060 miles on it. I went into this test thinking that this would be the clear winner because of price-vs-miles. Smooth handling, not as touchy as the Elantra, slightly smaller body. Loved the color. Back seat was beyond tight, it was cramped, even with my seat moved all the way up to where I need it. The stereo/speakers were not good. There was no iPod jack and only one 12V plug. The seats were hard and uncomfortable. And the road noise was atrocious. We stayed on surface streets and it was that bad? I'd hate to hear it at highway speeds.
Last was the Sentra, $14,777 with 8,830 miles. I like the color, the interior is nice and roomy. The trunk is quite spacious. The backseat is the most comfortable of the three we looked at. Speaker/stereo is good. There's something about the console that rubs me the wrong way. It does have a iPod jack, but it's inside the armrest, which is a bit of a pain in the ass if you want to change songs. The seats are comfortable. The gear shift was a little awkward. Again, there was another Sentra for a few hundred more but less miles that we didn't drive. Oh, that was the other thing: this was the only one that the dude went with us on the drive, which I did not like.
So, for me, the Mazda is out. It's down to the Elantra(my #1) and the Sentra and just depends on what kind of deal the chick at Hyundai can get me. If I don't like it, I'll go for the Nissan. If I don't like what they've got, it's back to square one. As much as I need a new car, I'm not afraid to walk away.
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