Recommendations for new car? Civic or Altima?

[CmdrRiker]

Hi everyone,

Let me preface my question by stating I'm not at all a car guy. All I really look for is something that is good on gas mileage and will last as long as possible - I currently drive about 300-400 miles a week.

I'm looking for a new car and right now my top two contenders are a Honda Civic and a Nissan Altima. My current car is a Honda Civic, but my girlfriend drives a Nissan Altima and I've grown to like that car a lot, as well.

Does anyone have any recommendations between these two cars or maybe something entirely different? As I stated before, gas mileage and longevity are the two biggest factors for me. I'd appreciate any help or suggestions offered. Thank you!

 

[smorizio]

http://www.edmunds.com/sedan/2013/buying-guide.html
http://www.cars.com/nissan/altima/2014/
http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Nissan_Altima/Reliability/
http://vehicles.automobilemag.com/am/99/2013/nissan/altima/base_sedan/341/recalls.html

 

[CmdrRiker]

Thanks for the links smorizio. I guess I was looking for something more along the lines of personal experience - but I didn't make that obvious in my question, sorry. It's just been my experience sometimes that things you read online aren't always the same as when you use them in real life. But perhaps that's just me.

 

[wip99gt]

I'd check out the the Ford Fusion as well. They're all good cars although I'm not fond of the CVT transmission in the altima. I found it to be unresponsive and kind of sluggish. The civic will be better on fuel although the fusion has more space. Both vehicles are pretty dependable and safe. Myself, I prefer the fusions looks over the civic. Now if you are going straight for fuel economy and dependability then it's the civic but I highly recommend at least looking at a fusion, or even a focus as it's the same size as a civic, before buying. Remember if you buy a car then you'll most likely have it for a long time, 1 or 2 mpg is not worth saving on something you don't love. Take your time and research BEFORE going to a dealership and never trust what the sales people say. I've walked out on plenty of them while car shopping.

 

[Tommy154]

Check out the Mazda 3. Spirited engines with great mpgs.

 

[s2000]

I second the Mazda3. The new skyactiv engine is fantastic, and both the manual and transmissions are top notch, you won't get that "rubbery" feel from the shifter like in most economy cars. Also a heads up, the civic recently got a CVT transmission to replace to 5AT. Another car to look at is the new Subaru impreza, (not the WRX or STI). it has all wheel drive which is an advantage, and gets good MPG 27/36 city hwy for the CVT, and also comes in a hatch or sedan. When I went to go see the impreza at the dealer, the interior materials could have been a tad better but I won't complain. The mazda3 interior reminds me of the new 3 series-Out of all the 3, I would pick the Mazda3 hands down.

 

[Tommy154]

I second the Mazda3. The new skyactiv engine is fantastic, and both the manual and transmissions are top notch, you won't get that "rubbery" feel from the shifter like in most economy cars. Also a heads up, the civic recently got a CVT transmission to replace to 5AT. Another car to look at is the new Subaru impreza, (not the WRX or STI). it has all wheel drive which is an advantage, and gets good MPG 27/36 city hwy for the CVT, and also comes in a hatch or sedan. When I went to go see the impreza at the dealer, the interior materials could have been a tad better but I won't complain. The mazda3 interior reminds me of the new 3 series-Out of all the 3, I would pick the Mazda3 hands down.

I agree whole heartedly with the subie. It doesn't sound like he'd need the AWD tho, so I'd recommend the Mazda over it since the interior is a higher standard

 

[EthanPark]

If you're okay with driving an electric car, the electric Ford Focus caters to your requirements. The ride is VERY smooth, you spend less than $10 on driving each month (even cheaper if you set up your own charging in your garage), I think the government still gives you tax breaks for this car, and if you lease it, the gas savings basically negate most of your lease payments without having to worry about maintenance. And that's IF you don't get a tax break, which should make the money you spend on this car very low. You can also feel smug about being environmentally friendly.

 

[Tillo32]

Both the Civic and the Altima are good cars, the civic has better fuel economy than the Altima (depends on the model), the civic is also a more compact car than the Altima and has some of the best safety money can buy! But if you're willing to give up a little bit of fuel economy to get a bit more luxury than the Altima is great choice to! Also Civic's probably have the highest resell price out of any car, so I you plan on keeping it for a while the price still wont drop that much and the have amazing build quality and will still run well with 120 000 mile+ on them. What I would recommend Is go to an area with a lot of car dealerships and just test drive the cars you like the most! Most of the time if you want more time with the car they will let you bring it home for the night and drive it around. Also please' don't buy a new car! Buying a new car is probably the worst thing to do since you lose about %25 percent of the cars value as soon as it's off the lot. You can find tons of used cars that are a year or two old and under 10 000 miles on them. Some other good cars to look at are the Mazda 3, Honda Accord, Ford Focus, Ford Fiesta, Chevrolet Malibu, Chevrolet Cruze, Volkswagen Golf, Mitsubishi Lancer, Subaru Impreza and a few others. Also try to stay away from Dodge and other certain GM cars as they don't have the greatest build quality. But the main thing is it's not my car that I'm buying, but your car, so get what suites your needs the best and what makes you the happiest.

 

[Nolan Middlemas]

Hi everyone,

Let me preface my question by stating I'm not at all a car guy. All I really look for is something that is good on gas mileage and will last as long as possible - I currently drive about 300-400 miles a week.

I'm looking for a new car and right now my top two contenders are a Honda Civic and a Nissan Altima. My current car is a Honda Civic, but my girlfriend drives a Nissan Altima and I've grown to like that car a lot, as well.

Does anyone have any recommendations between these two cars or maybe something entirely different? As I stated before, gas mileage and longevity are the two biggest factors for me. I'd appreciate any help or suggestions offered. Thank you!

Altima if you want get up and go

 

[jimmythekid1]

As another poster stated the altima has a CVT, they are considered consumable. They tend to go out before 100k, an have no available parts and can only be replaced as an expensive unit.

I don't have any wrong or against Honda civics. They are decent cars, I'm not sure where you live but in my area parts are a little more expensive.

The ford fusion is a pretty good mid sized car too. Its the same car as a Mazda 6. The madza 3 is the same car as the for focus as well.

I personal like the Kia Optima. The dollar the feature price is nice and they have a good warranty. As a technician I can personal say they are reliable too.

 

[Nolan Middlemas]

As another poster stated the altima has a CVT, they are considered consumable. They tend to go out before 100k, an have no available parts and can only be replaced as an expensive unit.

I don't have any wrong or against Honda civics. They are decent cars, I'm not sure where you live but in my area parts are a little more expensive.

The ford fusion is a pretty good mid sized car too. Its the same car as a Mazda 6. The madza 3 is the same car as the for focus as well.

I personal like the Kia Optima. The dollar the feature price is nice and they have a good warranty. As a technician I can personal say they are reliable too.

The altima and Civic are cheaper than 100k.

 

[jimmythekid1]

100k miles, not dollars. If that's what your getting at. Lol

 

[Nolan Middlemas]

100k miles, not dollars. If that's what your getting at. Lol

I sure do hope its in miles. I would not want to pay 100 k for a Civic or Altima.

 

[imsharon]

I prefer CIVIC

 

[CmdrRiker]

Thank you for all the answers everyone! I ended up going with the Civic - am very happy with it!!

Thank you so much for your feedback!!

 

[peterorl]

Civic. Japaneese cars are less vulenrable for failures and crashes.

 

[md1032]

Disappointed to see that you didn't go for the Mazda3 with the 2.0 L engine. The Mazda is way more advanced than the Civic and just as well engineered, but oh well, you could have chosen worse.

It's always temping to go for the midsize like the Altima, but in my opinion staying with a compact is the way to go. The midsize cars with their high curb weights (the Fusion weighs upwards of 3700 pounds) and thirsty higher-displacement engines burn gas a lot faster and don't provide much tangible benefit unless you use the extra room they offer frequently or are obsessed with the more luxurious ride they offer.

 

[jeffredo]

The Altima is a larger, more substantial car with a more powerful engine. Its mileage is just as good as a Civic (27/38 vs 28/36) and Nissan has been very aggressive about the pricing of the Altima lately. You can most likely get one for the same price as the smaller Civic. As far as transmissions go both cars use a CVT now (so that's not a factor). And as far as CVTs go if you properly they should last fine:

"In J.D. Power’s latest Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS), which goes back three model years (2011, in this case), CVT vehicles had the lowest rate of engine/transmission problems."

"There’s no reason to believe that a CVT will be any less reliable than a conventional automatic, or have fewer trouble-free miles overall. That's confirmed through Consumer Reports reliability data, which is based on on detailed responses from subscriber experiences with 1.1 million vehicles."

"Longevity is another myth; with the exception of some early V-6/CVT combinations, which we shall refrain from mentioning here, there are no indications that CVTs have a shorter life cycle."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/cars/your-next-vehicle-is-more-likely-to-have-a-cvt-heres-why/2014/05/27/76abd984-e5b4-11e3-a70e-ea1863229397_story.html