05 Altima 3.5SE vs. 06/07 Sonata V6 vs. 05/06 Malibu V6 vs. 05/06 Pontiac G6 V6

[Sinman4491]

I am planning to buy a used midsize car within the next couple of years. My first consideration was the 05 Nissan Altima 3.5SE. It looks great and is very powerful, but I read that it has some reliability problems. My second choice was the 06/07 Hyundai Sonata because I heard it is great value for money and it's quality and reliability is up to par with the Accord and Camry, but the styling is a bit bland and boring. My third choices are the 05/06 Chevy Malibu and Pontiac G6. The only think that attracted me to them is that they get better gas mileage for their 200HP V6s than the competitors.

I was considering the Accord and Camry, but they are too expensive and, I think very boring and overrated.

So, which one should I consider most?

The Altima looks the best and performs the best, but it uses premium fuel and it's quality and long-term reliability worries me.

The Sonata is less powerful and boring looking compared to the Altima, but it doesn't need premium fuel, it is more spacious, and it has good ratings of quality and reliability.

I am only considering the Malibu and G6 for their fuel economy, but I think the Malibu is hideous (new one is pretty nice) and both aren't known for quality and reliability so It is very unlikely that I'll be getting one of these.

Also worth mentioning is that I am planning to keep my next car for at least 5-10 years. Which one would be best in the long run?

I thing the Sonata is the sensible choice, but the Altima would be more fun, but more expensive.

Which one would you choose?

Thanks.

[DinanM3_S2]

Best for the long run is still going to be the Accord and Camry. There is a very good reason why they are so popular. If I were looking to buy this sort of car, I wouldn't care much at all about the performance and styling is secondary to price and reliability.

I personally think it is rediculous that you would need premium for a family sedan like the Altima and I'm not a fan of Nissans in general.

Short term reliability for the Sonata might be good, but Hyundai isn't known for long term reliability, Honda and Toyota are.

Honestly, I would give the Accord a second chance. It is the best combination of reliability, practicality, with decent performance if it really does matter. I would say the extra cost would be worth it. It might also make sense to go down to the 4 cylinder version for the better fuel economy, although it won't perform as well.

Another often overlooked sedan in this segment is the Subaru Legacy. Its reliable, looks good, has a good interior, AWD, and good power if you go for the 2.5GT Turbo version.

[Sinman4491]

Yes I know the Accord is a better car than the Altima and Sonata and I would consider it ( I wouldn't say the same about the Camry because it's styling would bore me to death), but it's just too expensive, and Accord DO break down once in a while and when it does parts are really expensive (Toyota too) compared to Nissan and Hyundai.

I found a 2007 Hyundai Sonata 4-cyl, 44598 KM for $12995 (2006 6-cyl for #13995). For the same price I can have a 2003 Honda Accord 4-cyl, 157000 KM. If I were to get a similarily-speced Accord as that Sonata, It would be this:

2006 Honda Accord 4-cyl, 51474 KM for $21888.

[Moppie]

If you have no passion what so ever for driving, then the Sonata is a very good car. Its cheap, its simple, and its reliable.
Its also as boring as the Camry.

If you are passionate abour driving, even a little bit, then either buy an old Honda, spend more on one, or save longer. They really are a much, much better car, and are far more enjoyable to drive than the Camry.

Beware pre-Renault Nissan's.
Nissan start losing money at the end of the 80s, and was in so much trouble by the end of the 90s Renault were able to take a controlling share.
As a result of the trouble they go into Nissan cut all sorts of corners where every they could. Anything pre-Renault is a bit of a crap shoot as to how reliable it will be, and how well built it will be.
Post Renault they of course made some good cars, like the new Skyline/G35 and the 350Z. They also carried over some bad designs, like the Primerra and the Maxima (altima etc).
As these floor pans are getting out dated and replaced by Renault financed replacements, they should start to find their place again.

[VR43000GT]

I agree with Dinan on most parts. However, I would want a car to look decient if I am spending over $10k on it as there are plenty of options for good looking cars around that area. Honda Accord or Subaru Legacy gets my vote. The accord looks nice and has some decient performance. The Legacy GT is quicker and handles very well for a sedan from my experiences, and of course comes with AWD standard.

[Moppie]

Unless you live an area that gets regular snow, or you do a lot of gravel road driving, then who really cares about the AWD?
All it means is more tire wear, and more fuel, and extra set of C.Vs etc to fail.

[VR43000GT]

Originally Posted by Moppie

Unless you live an area that gets regular snow, or you do a lot of gravel road driving, then who really cares about the AWD?
All it means is more tire wear, and more fuel, and extra set of C.Vs etc to fail.

Yes, but judgin by the fact that Sinman4491 is from Toronto, Canada, I think it is a safe bet that the vehicle will be driven on snow and ice.