My wife recently totaled her 05 Focus and we are looking for a comparable replacement. We have looked at the Sentra, Civic and Caliber. I want her to get a Civic but she doesn't like the long dash. Tomorrow we are going to check out the Madza 3 and maybe the Corolla. It will probably come down to the 07 Sentra S and the Madza3 S. Threw a poll in just for kicks. Any suggestions/opinions.

 

I was driving a few new cars in that range - have you tried an Impreza? I didn't even drive the WRX, just the standard non-turbo model, and was pretty impressed.

It's not as fancy as the others as far as the interiors and such go, but it's way more of a driver's car, with great ergonomics and handling.

 

I can't say enough about the Mazda3, love the five door hatch. The Focus and Corolla platforms are older than Hugh Hefner. The Caliber will have the residual value of a used tampon and the Sentra is meh.

I'd go with the Civic or Mazda.

 

civic will hold its value the best.

 

Mazda3, just because I like the hatchback too. If you're going sedan, then I'd choose the Civic.

 

Well I'm not sure what's important for you. If you don't really care about having a sporty ride, the Corolla gets my vote. The others such as the 3 and Calliber are, in my opinion, for a younger crowd. In terms of resale, I disagree with LEEDOG - i think Corolla will hold value best. Let me know what you choose.... dish out just a little more and go for an Acura CSX (oops, you guys don't have those in the US, right?)

 

I voted for the Mazda since you said your wife didn't like the dash on the Civic...

 

You know that the redesigned Corolla is coming out right ??

Resale value on the last gen is gonna drop quicker then a prom queens dress...

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...hlight=corolla

 

Mazda3.... I really really really really love my Girlfriend's car. With the exception of the gearbox, horsepower, and driver's seats I prefer it in every way over my CL-S 6-speed.

 

I voted Mazda3 as well, my brother in law has one and it's always impressed me for the price.

 

Civic or Mazda 3 get my vote. Voted for Civic because of reliability and resale, but I like the exterior of the 3 better. Haven't been inside a new Civic so I can't compare interiors. The interior of the 3 was fine for an economy car, I just don't care for the all the bright red lighting - it hurts my eyes.

 

Rabbit

 

I voted for the Civic, but I also really like the new Sentra SE-R. I saw one at the dealer last week and it was pretty darn sharp.

 

With the exception of the Audi A3 and BMW E90, the Mazda3 is the most likeable compact car I have driven to date.

My son tried out the new Civic Si sedan and that is an awesome ride but that dashboard is just NOT pretty. (I really do not blame your wife.)

I had a chance to drive my wife's aunt's Dodge Caliber and it had to be the cheapest piece of crap that I have ever driven.....and I am the former owner of a 1987 Hyundai Excel.

 

Garnet, you seem to be a committed Nissan person!!

 

Time will be the biggest factor. Right now she is in a rental that we will have to start paying out of pocket soon. I have not looked at the WRX. The Corolla is not a bad car. We rented one last week. I like the redesign but I can't wait for it to hit the streets. The 07 Sentra has alot of options for the price. She likes the CVT because she seems to be getting tired of my manual. Hopefully the ride is liveable. I am leaning more towards the Mazda3. What I am looking for is the best mix of ride comfort, options and better brakes than the Focus.

Car and Driver Comparison

 

Yeah, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a Nissan fan........however I did vote for the Civic. :wink:

My top three choices in the cars listed in the poll would be 1. Civic 2. Mazda3 3. Sentra.

 

i voted for the 3, but the sentra se-r would be a front runner

 

Price can be a biug difference. And if the Focus is still 15% cheaper overall (txs to financing) than a Civic or Mazda3, then it is not a bad buy. It will be redone next fall though.

For her, I suggest a new Civic if she appreciated the roominess of the Focus. For me it would be a Mazda3s.

 

I've been looking for a new car the past few months and even though I was exclusively looking at mid-sized sedans, I found myself really liking the compact Mazda 3. It's now among my top 3 picks, even though it wasn't what I was looking for to begin with. I've driven a Civic too, but wouldn't want one for myself. I'd take the 3 over the Civic any day. I hate the new Civic exterior and really didn't like the digital speedo/heads-up display. Another bonus for the Mazda 3 -- it's built in Japan!

 

I like the Civic's look the best.

 

I'd go with the Mazda. The combination of (IMO) nice interior/exterior styling and a sporty ride definately puts it at the top. I don't like the Civic's styling, and the corrola is the most boring car, only 2nd to the ford. I would have to take a look at the Sentra though.

 

mazda 3 FTW!

 

the hyundai elantra was just redesigned..and i heard good reviews about them on the magazines..

 

Our family has a Civic. I hate the exterior and interior.
Mazda3 then Sentra. The rest are blah.

 

+1

 

Braved the weather to go have a look at the Madza3 sedan. Too much snow for a test drive. I like the interior much more than the Sentra. Although the trunk was smaller and the opening is way small. It has come down to the Sentra and the 3. We are going to test drive them next week. I've read that the Sentra is noisy and rides a little rough on anything other than smooth blacktop.

 

My girlfriend has the last gen Sentra, and it is loud. Also made in Mexico. It'll get you there but it's not much fun.

The 3 is slick, made in Japan, seems to have more options available.

 

I just test drove a co-worker's Mazda 3 last Friday, and I have to say I was quite impressed. It had a decent amount of power (I drove a MT), and it was quite easy to toss into turns.

I will say that it didn't feel nearly as roomy as the Civic I drove a few months back, so that might also be something to consider...

 

also voted for the mazda3.

 

Mazda 3

 

We went to test the Sentra and the Madza3 tonight. We drive the 2.0s with the CVT transmission, bluetooth and intelli key. The ride was okay. My wife likes the transmission and the intelli key. The transmission was strange. The only way you can tell anything is happening is by looking at the rpms. Another thing that we noticed is that the front pillars are large and creates a blind spots. The dealer gave us a price of 17.5k before taxes. We walked away from the deal to go testdrive the Mazda. The interior was much better in the 3. It felt like more than just plastic and buttons. The Sentra felt cheap inside but the seats were better. We drove the Sport Touring model of the 3. The ride was bumpier than I expected. It handles better but there was a weird whining noise coming from the engine. I also didn't really like the red interior lighting. Overall the Mazda impressed us a little but the price was too much. The dealer wanted 20.8k with the moonroof and 6cd changer before taxes. He would only take $600 dollars off from that. So we left and said we'll call. My wife’s only comment was the Sentra has more functional options and the Mazda had a nicer interior and more flash.

 

That IS the engine! I wrote the same thing when I test drove it. But upon hard acceleration, that's what you hear instead of a deep growl, that you're probably more used to. It sounds a little high-pitched, kind of tin-ny.

 

It sounded like a siren in the distance. But it makes sense now.

 

I hear you about the lighting. The BMW I drove had that and it turned me off.

I test drove a G35 sedan (2002 model, I think) at night, and the yellow interior lighting honestly just creeped me out.

Really that was the best handling car I drove when I was rest driving, but I totally crossed it off my list after that. I really need green or blue.

 

I had a Mazda 3 hatchback rental for a few weeks after my TSX was totalled. It's a really fun car to whip around. But I really couldn't stand the retina burning red guages even when I turned them down a bit. I like the new civic, but not enough because of the interior/digital speedo. My brother has an 03 Corolla and it's been very reliable. I'll probably go with the Corolla.