I'm buying a smaller car. Need advice.

[alwynsw]

I like the looks of the KIA Amante. It seems to have enough room for my fat butt and comfortable enough for the road trips Mrs. alwynsw and I take a couple of times a year. We're also considering another mini-van. We had a Caravan and liked it well enough, but it had a little trouble with power in the mountains.

Does anyone have any information about this car? It's the first model year for it, so all I can find are auto reviews. I want the dirt.

I'd also be interested in hearing about similar cars that might fit the bill. We currently drive Cadillacs: a DeVille for her, an Escalade for me. We be bigger than average folks and I have bad knees, so the extra leg room is a must for stretching. The power in the Escalade is a must of we take the trailer - unless we want to plod along at 40 and get stopped completely by a mild headwind. The heavier vehicle is a definite advantage when crosswinds hit a 32' travel trailer.

I really don't want to pour 50 grand into a new car. The KIA is about 28 grand completely loaded. (I likes my gadgets.)

[mouse7]

1. Buy quality

Look for the Hot Wheels logo. Accept no substitutes.

[Maddy McCall]

2. Friend of mine is a car salesman...

another friend was going to trade in her Jeep for a Kia Sportage. He told her NEVER BUY A KIA. Said they don't hold up and you get what you pay for.

He advised her to keep the Jeep, she did, and she is still driving it.

[Maddy McCall]

3. Let me add, he was a KIA salesman.

[alwynsw]

5. Thanks. Good to know.

I drove a friend's Sportage once. I swear I thought I was gonna have to get out to push it over speed bumps. It's likely the most underpowered vehilce I ever drove.

[Jack_Dawson]

4. Dude, what are you thinking?

For a few thousand more, you could get Car and Driver's 2003 "Car of the Year" in either the Infiniti G35 or Infiniti G35 Coupe.

Bad-ass car, killer warranty, phenomenal get-up-and-go. I can't say enough. And yes I own one. Base: $29,200.

[alwynsw]

6. Thanks for the tip.

That's why I'm asking.

I figure if I'm gonna write a check for 30 grand, give or take, I should get something that won't disappoint.

[Maddy McCall]

7. Get a Kia and in five years, counting repair bills, you will have paid

30,000.

[alwynsw]

9. The KIA is losing ground.

Input. Need more input. (props to Mumber 5)

[BlackVelvetElvis]

13. I thought the Kia had a 10 year/100,000 mile warranty

am I wrong?

[LynneSin]

17. yes, to cover for the fact that their cars are crappy

:shrug:

[Jack_Dawson]

8. Seriously, don't skimp

For $30K, you could get a GREAT car.

[Indiana_Dem]

10. Get the Honda Prius hybrid $20,510

I was just looking at it! lol

[arcos]

11. Prius is Toyota...

I think Honda is making a hybrid car now... don't know how it is called.

[jmowreader]

20. Honda makes the Civic as a hybrid

And they're readying an Accord hybrid, which will do very well.

On edit: I went to Honda's website. They want almost $21,000 for the Civic hybrid with Continuously Variable Transmission; compare that with around $18,000 for the Civic EX with automatic. Three thousand upcharge for the hybrid stuff isn't that bad; you get a $2000 tax deduction for buying a hybrid car and you'll probably save $1000 the first year on gas, so it's a break-even situation. The only problem I see, and it's minor, is that they don't treat the Civic hybrid as a full-fledged Civic as far as accessories and paint go. It only comes in four colors--white, a kind of beige, a bluish gray and a gray. Gas-only Civics also come in black, red and blue. Honda has an MP3 player you can't get in the hybrid. A lot of the little trim crap you can get for the gas-only Civic supposedly can't be had for the hybrid, but if the interior's fairly close (and the exterior is the same as the sedan), you can just go to the dealer's parts counter and buy that kind of stuff off the shelf; most Honda accessories are dealer-installed. The satellite nav system on the fancier Accords is an exception because it weaves its way throughout the car.

But it's all immaterial for the purposes of this discussion; the car the original poster was asking about is built to compete with the Buick Le Sabre, not the Honda Civic. It's a big car.

[LynneSin]

16. Toyota makes the Prius

But Honda and now Ford also have Hybrids

[alwynsw]

12. Kick for more input

[LynneSin]

14. I would go with a certified pre-own car, preferably Toyota or Honda!!!

Seriously, or a Honda.

But here's the scoop: DON'T BUY IT BRAND NEW OFF THE LOT!!!

I had about 10k to spend on a car and I wanted something realitively new with a good warranty and that would be reliable through what I felt was an upcoming recession thanks to that newly selected Bush.

I went to my local Toyota Dealership and I bought a certified program car: A Toyota that was a year old, had low miles on it and this phenom warranty on it. I bought the car in 2001 and the warranty is still good on it (I only do about 10k miles per year).

As soon as you drive a brand new car off the lot it loses 15% of it's value, why not buy one of these program cars through the dealership that can get you a really fabulous, reliable car for a much more affordable price. I know all the car dealers have them and it's so much of a better route. Plus I once bought a car that had a brand new engine and believe me - I was in the shop getting that engine fixed all the time. Better for the model to be out a few years before you bring it home.

[GOPisEvil]

15. If you like gadgets, and want quality, get an Acura.

Made by Honda, so they're reliable as hell. But, they're fancy, too. I drive a 10 year old Infiniti, and I can vouch for them being nice too (built by Nissan).

[jmowreader]

18. Have you looked at the Accord LX?

The interior dimensions of the Accord LX are within an inch of the Amante, Accords are loaded with gadgets (most disgusting gadget: the satellite navigation system. It includes a DVD player; when the car is stopped, you can watch DVD movies on the nav system's display.), they're reliable as hell, they're a little cheaper than the Amante, and they're made in America with more American-made parts than any other car.

Our secretary had a Kia. At 35,000 miles it needed a new engine. I'd buy a Hyundai before I bought a Kia. Hmm...actually, I would buy a Hyundai based on experience with the brand; my unit in Korea had forty of them, we drove the hell out of them and the only thing we ever had to do with them was change the oil and the tires.

But Hyundai makes smaller cars than you need. The Accord should do you fine.

[Burma Jones]

19. If you like your gadgets

Get an Acura. They have the best.

[AngryAmish]

21. New GTO

http://www.pontiac.com/gto/index.jsp?brand=home&pagename=home#*

350 HP.