Who would you say makes the most well rounded cars right now? By well rounded, i mean a consistent combination of style, reliability, features, and bang for your buck.
I’ll throw in a vote for Mazda. I’ve had a 6 and a 3 and enjoyed both. Very, very few real problems. They’re a little zippier than average Toyotas/Hondas with a little cooler styling, in my opinion, while not being extravagantly expensive.
I’ve got a Mazda3 hatch (2022, carbon edition) and it’s one of my favorite things. The interior and exterior both are stylish and feel very upscale; imo more so than comparable Toyotas and Hondas (my girlfriend bought a Camry the same year I bought my car so I’ve got a good point of comparison).
Nice, I used to not really like hatchbacks, but I’m driving the sedan and catch myself eyeing the hatchback version every time I see one. It’s got great curves.
It’s got a large booty, whether you think that looks good or not isn’t on me. I personally think it flows really nicely! And it fits a surprising amount of stuff in it
I do enjoy a nice large booty, guilty.
100% agree on the Mazda 3. I have a 2016 3 sport and I’m still in love with it. My next car will probably be the 2023 or 2024 Mazda 3 turbo depending on the type of deal I can get with a used one. In the entire time I’ve owned this car it has given me less problems than even the 2008 Toyota Yaris I had before it did, and I still thought that little guy was reliable. I’ll stan Mazda all day now. If I didn’t live in the north east, I’d get a MX-5 today… and hell I’m still tempted even though it would not be a “great” idea.
Mazda’s really pulled themselves our of their rut in recent years. I’ve continuisly heard the CX-5 be recommended as one of the best valued cars on the market right now. Toyota is a given, even if they’re now priced in a higher bracket than they were 15 or 20 years ago.
I’d avoid anything domestic or Euro if you’re looking for a good, economic, new car
Mazda was really good, Ford got involved and screwed things up for a while, now Ford is out, old Mazda is back.
I’m a little biased because I own one, but Subaru. They choose to build on what’s proven, so they are slow to make changes on new generations of models but in exchange you get familiar tech that is reliable. Well rounded as well in the sense that they make great “outdoorsy” cars yet are comfy and efficient as daily commuters as well. Bang for buck because they’re at the mid price range in their segments and have the best AWD tech in the market.
I’d also say Mazda like the other comments. Toyota is a given.
Do the current Subarus still use the encased CVT? Have heard horror stories.
Japanese: Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Subaru are in my OK to own list.
I’ve seen some ancient Subaru legacys and Honda Civics.
I like working on Subarus for that reason, but they are still statistically more expensive for maintenance and repairs than Toyotas on average. (Not for me though, I do everything but bodywork on my cars).
That said, the new Prius and GR cars from Toyota (who also has a big stake in Subaru) are really attractive. Also, the E-CVTs in Toyota and Subaru hybrids are really nice and low wear designs. The non-e Subaru CVTs haunt my nightmares. I have a crosstrek CVT with 133k miles on it and tightly crossed fingers…
no contest: the little tykes car.
they get passed down for decades and wildly abused with zero maintenance.
except of course the stickers.
Mazda. Reliable, reasonably priced, good performance, an option for every type of driver (from RWD roadster to full sized SUV), gorgeous design language. I think people are going to look back on the current Mazdas and think they aged like fine wine. They’re also one of the only brands I can think of that have a truly unified design language across all models (besides maybe Audi and Mercedes)
Purchased my first new car four years ago, and did at least a year of research on this subject because of a limited budget
The answer, hands down and by a long way, is Hyundai/Kia
Excellent value and ultra reliable, even their poverty-spec cars have A/C, Bluetooth, anti-rollback, stop-start etc
In four+ years I’ve needed new brake pads and wiper blades, after 70,000 Km not one single fault
Americans, before replying, remember you’re only 3% of the planet and have some of the world’s worst consumer protection laws. Of course Hyundai and Kia sell you cheap shite lol
They’re bulletproof elsewhere
Myself and others in my family have owned Hyundai and Toyotas and they did well or seem to be doing well. I had a Hyundai Tiburon that yeah I had to do some repairs around 200k (I think I had to replace the alternator and something else) but last I heard it was still going strong. I did have essentially redo all of the suspension because the salt mix that was use locally slowly destroyed it.
Recently I’ve come to know some people who have Chevrolet SUVs from the 2010s and they seem to do alright at least to the 150k mark.
I would love to own another Hyundai myself.
There is no answer for that kind of question, is there? It all depends what you want and what you like.
Let me give you an example. I have a very cheap small Nissan. It has zero features. Well, it has A/C and power windows, which were considered “features” half a century ago. It doesn’t look stylish, but you could say that it’s cute if you’re feeling sympathetic. It’s flimsy enough that you wouldn’t want to wreck in it. It has great gas mileage, and it fits my needs perfectly.
But is this car good for you? Probably not, because you have different needs. A small car with no safety features would be terrible for a large family. Do you need cruise control for your long commune? If so, you don’t want my car. Do you drive in snowy mountains? This isn’t the vehicle for that. What is “stylish” to you? Do you mean “cute” or “strong” or “smooth” or “futuristic”, or something else?
Nissan makes all kinds of cars. Even if the above car sound suitable or unsuitable for you, that wouldn’t give you much information about the Nissan lineup as a whole. They make all kinds of cars with all kinds of characteristics.
In other words, if you can provide more details of your situation (within reason, of course), that would be helpful. Have fun shopping!
BYD, honestly. But, if you’re in a country that can’t get them, I’m still a fan of Toyota. Hear good things about modern Hyundai too, but I can’t say anything from personal experience.
Taste is subjective. What works for you, works for you. What works for me, is a renaultsport megane rs. Doesn’t work for others.
