Economical Sedan Opinions
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BucknutBob
New member
It's hard to go wrong with your desired Nissan, or similar-sized Hondas or Toyotas. All are proven players, with reliability, economy, comfort, good handling, etc.. I'm a Honda guy where cars are concerned, so I would lean toward an Accord in your situation (Acura is also Honda, although likely more expensive).
OzarkRunner
New member
I've found that Altimas are very nice, and are a little more engaging than their Toyota or Honda counterparts. I would, however, stay away from the V6 with the 4 or 5 speed auto (non-CVT); there's a known issue on the V6 / auto with the transaxle getting stuck in high gear.
OHP
New member
Thanks for the info and opinions. I went yesterday and drove a 2005 Altima 2.5 that a local lot had. I'm sad to say that I was not at all impressed with the car. Drive and acceleration was fine for a 4 cylinder, but the interior finish and material quality was very poor in my opinion. I have also driven a 2007 Altima 2.5 which is the newer body style, it's quality seemed to be much better. However, 2007 and up starts getting past my budget.
I really like the TL as mentioned above but pre 2005 TL's were prone to transmission failure. Not the greatest MPG's either.
The Mazda 6 looks good but I have never seen one up close nor do I have any experience with them. Anybody have an opinion about them?
I really like the TL as mentioned above but pre 2005 TL's were prone to transmission failure. Not the greatest MPG's either.
The Mazda 6 looks good but I have never seen one up close nor do I have any experience with them. Anybody have an opinion about them?
IanB
New member
RandyDaytona
New member
+1 on the TDI's. My wife has a 2005 Passat and it regularly gets over 45 MPG. And despite the outward appearance, it's extremely roomy inside.
One04FourRrunner
New member
I just got my wife a 2013 passat tdi. She gets 48 average mpg. Car is awesome I don't know why we never owned a vw before .
ndcent
New member
My father in law had a Altima 3.5 sedan with a manual and I thought it was fun as hell to drive. I was actually impressed with the finish of them as well compared to Toyota/Honda.
My neighbor has a Honda Accord that is older, near 2000 me thinks that I think is very attractive. Black, leather, nice alloy wheels, I'd push one of those around.
My neighbor has a Honda Accord that is older, near 2000 me thinks that I think is very attractive. Black, leather, nice alloy wheels, I'd push one of those around.
helo-mech
Member
Could not agree more. I am Honda all the way when it comes to cars. I am currently driving a 1994 Accord that I bought for $500 and my wife is driving a 2002 4 door V6 Auto with leather that we picked up with 92k miles for 7,000.
We looked at the Altima and the Maxima back in the day but the interiors always felt a little cheap to us. We have always had the same thoughts about the Toyota interiors.
OHP
New member
Thanks to everyone for their input. As a former BMW owner I thought I would consider an older 3 series. So I did a bunch of research and of course there are a couple of huge forums that have tons of information about the 99-06 3 series. I educated myself about what to look for when buying one and known issues. A couple of days ago I drove a 2003 325i 5 speed with 89,000 miles. Very fun to drive and 29mpg on the interstate. The car is for sale by the original owner and BMW serviced for the first 7 years of its life. It is in prestine condition. I think we have settled on $7800, waiting to hear back from him.
Any of you guys have any experience or opinions regarding BMW 3 series?
Any of you guys have any experience or opinions regarding BMW 3 series?
Thai
Elite Member
How about repair bills? That will negate any MPG gains.
x2. Easy to repair and/or find a shop to repair.
Personally, i would stay away from any bimmer past warranty. (Yes, i am a former BMW owner.) You will be in for a world of hurt financially. For someone who is trying to stay within budget, i am not sure that BMW is a good choice.
coconutpete
New member
I've had 3 of them. They are not a bad choice, they are fun cars. Not sure I would put them at the top of the list if your priorities are "economic" and "easy/cheap to maintain" though.
Th e46 is a great platform, one of the last truly DIY-friendly BMW's. It does have some achilles heels, such as the cooling system but when you care for them they are sweet machines that are fun to drive. Nowhere near as "smart" of a choice as say a Honda Accord, but far from awful.
You said 325i right? Not CI? The only gripe I had with the coupe I owned is that the doors on the E46 coupes weigh 433465432432 lbs.
3 guys I work with bought Altima's for commuters. Funny, they all say the same thing:
- it's a foreign car, so reliability is good
- holds resale well
- ugly so nobody messes with it
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OHP
New member
coconutpete,
It is an i, not ci. Gotta have 4 doors because of kids. I did read about the weekness of the cooling system but that doesn't really bother me much because for me that's an easy DIY. Window regulators are another issue, but also something I can fix myself. I know from experience that the 2.5L is a solid motor and being a 5 speed I should only have to worry about a clutch at some point. Another selling point for me is that the one I'm trying to buy is bare bones. So much less electronic stuff to break.
I realize a 325i is not the most economical or fuel efficient sedan out there. But for a guy that really doesn't want to drive a sedan in the first place, at least it will provide some fun.:lookout:
Thanks for the comments. If the deal goes through I'll post up a picture.
It is an i, not ci. Gotta have 4 doors because of kids. I did read about the weekness of the cooling system but that doesn't really bother me much because for me that's an easy DIY. Window regulators are another issue, but also something I can fix myself. I know from experience that the 2.5L is a solid motor and being a 5 speed I should only have to worry about a clutch at some point. Another selling point for me is that the one I'm trying to buy is bare bones. So much less electronic stuff to break.
I realize a 325i is not the most economical or fuel efficient sedan out there. But for a guy that really doesn't want to drive a sedan in the first place, at least it will provide some fun.:lookout:
Thanks for the comments. If the deal goes through I'll post up a picture.
coconutpete
New member
Both true. I did the water pump on my first one at 50K and I did other maintenance, but had not touched the cooling system any further when I sold it at 110K. I never did have a problem with the window regulators in that car either. My coupe was also problem-free in that area, but I think it's mainly a Sedan problem.
Manual trans = big plus. The other weak links are certain models of the auto ones.
I never had a 325, only 328/330's, but they all are equally fun in the twisties.
If you buy the car and all of a sudden wonder where the crayon smell comes from - fear not. It's something in the material used to insulate the rear shock towers. Also ... use old socks/shirts if you get the rear-deck rattle.
HEY! I have an idea. You should sell me your 4Runner, keep the Tahoe and buy my 2006 3 Series!!
OHP
New member
Unfortunately there are trade off's for everything. :shrug:
It shouldn't be that bad though. Little less MPG's, little more maintenance, but way more fun and stylish.
