Family vehicle 5 car comparison

[Talonz51]

I have a 94 mx6 and although I love the car, it is simply too small for my growing family! (2 kids and 1 small dog) I need a new car! Minivans are great for space but..they're a minivan! Some econobox like a mazda3 or civic are good for price/mileage/reliability but bore me, they lack guts. So my preference is for a mid size sedan v6. Something that can carry everybody in relative comfort but still have a bit of oomph to them.

Please see this comparison for details and then comment;

http://autos.msn.com/research/compar...9741&v=t102071

The mazda 5 is simply awesome for space and still small enough for my wife to feel comfortable (she's 5'2). Civic is cheap. I can get a new 2005 sebring cheap. Then we have the performance sedans, in my order of preference G6, mazda6, altima. I really like the G6 of this bunch.

I have perused lemon aid, jd power ratings, and msn auto ratings. Civic and the M5 are consistently good and the M6 mostly above average, while the other 3 sedans are all over the place.

[del]

you have a minivan to a compact sedan (civic), to a convertible to a 250hp midsize family sedan (altima). kind of a wide variety there. if room is your highest priority and you can deal with driving a minivan, then the minivan will work for you just fine. the altima will be roomier than a civic or the sebring. the civic may score very high in most categories and they're about as roomy as a car that size can get. but compared to the altima, for example, you'll feel cramped. i'd go for either the 6 or altima which i'd lean more towards the altima- relatively sporty sedans, cooler than a minivan, roomier than the civic and sebring.

what's your price range? there's other cars that are higher priced yet more than competitively priced you can take a look at too - a G35 or TL would be a couple of them

[Talonz51]

Originally Posted by del

you have a minivan to a compact sedan (civic), to a convertible to a 250hp midsize family sedan (altima). kind of a wide variety there.

Right. The microvan and the compact are there as the extremes, based on space/price/reliability. The mid size sedans are there to try and compromise on both while providing performance.

The convertible isn't really, not sure why that pic is showing. I'd be buying a hardtop.

what's your price range? there's other cars that are higher priced yet more than competitively priced you can take a look at too - a G35 or TL would be a couple of them

18-22k canadian, preferably lower than higher. Which means the altima/m6/g6 would be probably 1-3 years old.

[DinanM3_S2]

You seem to have left off the two most obvious choices in this category- Camry and Accord. I would definitely check both of those out as they are and have been the leaders in this class for a long time.

[Jimster]

Why on Earth a Civic DX? For the money the others are commanding, you could get a Civic EX with Satnav...


Have a look at the 2006 VW Passat 2.0T, it may be the base model, but it's a much better car than the others when you consider everything.

[2ltGTT]

umm what about a wagon?

[Broke_as_****]

Originally Posted by 2ltGTT

umm what about a wagon?

+



=

GOOD TO GO!

[2ltGTT]

hehehe yea something like that :P

[blakscorpion21]

i would choose an accord v6 or an altima/maxima. then there is always something like an impala ss.

[drunken monkey]

did you guys in the states ever get the ford mondeo?
the last gen is a solidly built gem that is just as good as the new accord and in ST220 mode is hard to beat.
most tend to have been thrashed though...

[Talonz51]

Test drove the G6 yesterday. Didn't like it as much as I hoped I would. Found the steering very light (as expected from reviews) but also found the seating position uncomfortable. It was a decent ride but slipping back into my mx6 was so much better! That car really fits me like a glove (being 5'8)...it just doesn't fit the rest of my family.

Looking at used accords and maximas...the camry bores me. Looking seriouslly at the altima as my top choice right now. Anybody have an 01-05 that they'd like to give an owner review on?

[del]

Originally Posted by Talonz51

Test drove the G6 yesterday. Didn't like it as much as I hoped I would. Found the steering very light (as expected from reviews) but also found the seating position uncomfortable. It was a decent ride but slipping back into my mx6 was so much better! That car really fits me like a glove (being 5'8)...it just doesn't fit the rest of my family.

Looking at used accords and maximas...the camry bores me. Looking seriouslly at the altima as my top choice right now. Anybody have an 01-05 that they'd like to give an owner review on?

i can give you a brief review on an 04 accord cpe V6 with the 6 speed in my month that i've had it.

Pluses: very quick, power comes and continues to pull all the way to redline. typical honda motor where most power is in higher rpms but more than enough power for around town. comfortable ride - seats are supportive. ride isn't bone jarring. packed with features if you opt for the loaded one like i did - leather, 6 disc changer, nav system, satellite radio, power all. the 6 speed tranny feels solid. though the gearbox ain't as precise and video game-like as other hondas like the S2000 or RSX-s, it's fairly short and direct. gas mileage betters or equals that of my previous car with a 4 cylinder. the anticipated reliability of a honda. not the ugliest car on the road

Minuses - suspension is "sporty" according to honda but IMO still too soft and the stance rides way too high. honda also made a poor choice for the stock tire IMO. they break loose too easily and topped with a soft suspension, this car doesn't handle as well as i'd like it to. not the prettiest car on the road.

overall, it's a car i would certainly recommend as one of your choices. i have the coupe but i'm sure the sedan would meet my same reviews. i needed a car that was reliable with some fun factor involved, you can put cheap 87 octane generic gas in and some relative luxury. the accord coupe V6 6-speed with nav fits that perfectly. i know you asked for a review on the altima, but thought this would help since they're in the same class.

[Talonz51]

Thanks Del. I actually looked at a 2003 v6 accord today. I liked it from the outside but thought the interior was boring. And at 24,9 it seemed very pricy to me.

So I walked down to metro toyota and they have a 2002 3.5se altima v6. Took that for a spin. Awesome car! Great handling, incredible power, nice options (power everything, climate control, even side airbags) and the interior was both appealing/sporty and yet lots of space to be functional. I really really like the car.

Will discuss numbers thurs morning with the sales rep, see how much he can come down and how much I could get for a trade in.

One issue: I just noticed this car requires premium gas?! Whats that about? I have never had a vehicle that needed anything other than regular, even the sport bike I used to have! That makes me suddenly leer of the gast cost to own this car...up until then I was perfectly happy with it, had no concerns whatsoever...everything I wanted in a sedan really. ergh.

[Broke_as_****]

How do you think you get the power that you liked from a rather humble 3.5 V6? Increase the compression ratio, advance the timing, etc...which is going to need a better grade of gas at some point. I think the VQ runs 10.3:1 or something like that.

[Talonz51]

Well I bought the nissan altima se 3.5. Wife and I both love it. Not as responsive or stiff as my old mx6, but actually more powerful of course. And simply more practical, as well as smooth.