new year, time for a new car?

[Sgratien]

The dealership I work for has a Hyundai franchise. Hyundai is notoriously stingy- they won't pay for anything. So if they are offering to compensate you pending an investigation, squeeze them hard. I'm thinking you had to have some emotional trauma. Haha

 

[jostenmeat]

I plugged my fuel prices into this calculator and went 30% city/70% hwy driving, and the regular gas engines still come out on top (both the skyactiv and civic engine). The Golf TDI is only rated 3 mpg higher on the highway when compared to the mazda 3 or civic, which is not significant enough to account for the differences in fuel prices. 2 mpg higher city:

I look forward to your test drive impressions of all three. I guess it's not uncommon to hear about some very bad experiences with VW, but I'd be hard pressed not to choose that one if I had to blindly (I'd want a stick if available). It looks sportier to me, and the novelty of diesel definitely has its attraction with me, especially with one that isn't nearly as loud/droning. Of course, I'd test drive them all if I were you; I've never driven any of them.

I saw the Ford Focus mentioned at least once here, is there a reason that it's not on the list of candidates? Looks like the "SFE package" nets a rated 40 mpg on highway? I wonder what tires it uses, the package states that it comes with low rolling resistance tires.

When you get your new car, I'd like to see a video, where you say "There's my !#*$& new car!".

 

[its phillip]

Haha. I'll see what I can do about that video

I'm choosing a car mostly from personal experiences in friends' cars as well as motor trend/car and driver/automobile mag/etc reviews I wouldn't buy the super fuel efficient version of the focus (or the civic), because their normal trim levels get pretty good mileage as it is, and I don't want low rolling resistance tires with minimal grip or revised gearing that makes me even slower lol. I think I'll just test drive the 3 and civic and decide from there.

 

[lsiberian]

I saw the Ford Focus mentioned at least once here, is there a reason that it's not on the list of candidates?

I've driven a Ford Focus and Mazda 3 has way better handling IMO. We all know what FORD stands for and it's happened to me twice with Fords.

That said Alex loves his fofo. But I would not even bother with a Ford unless you want a truck.

Be sure to test drive the s just so you can feel the difference.

 

[j_garcia]

R&T (yes, I have a subscription lol) had an article about a month or two ago and it had the Focus ST up against the Mazdaspeed3 and they picked the Focus. Unfortunately, the Focus isn't known for its quality right now since the current one is still a relatively new model. I also personally probably wouldn't buy a Ford unless it was a truck either, but I do kind of like the current Mustang.

I drove a 2009 Mazdaspeed3 and I liked everything about it EXCEPT that it was FWD, and for that reason alone I didn't buy it. Too much power for FWD, and I know why it is a bad thing because I used to have a FWD turbo Eclipse.

Handling out of the box is irrelevant - that can almost always be easily fixed with a few suspension upgrades. For me, one of the things I always check is what suspension parts are available for a car before I buy it Other than my Integra Type R, pretty much every of my last 5-6 cars had upgrades to the suspension and had I had a set of Mugen coilovers coming for the R the same week I wrecked it.

 

[lsiberian]

Handling out of the box is irrelevant - that can almost always be easily fixed with a few suspension upgrades. For me, one of the things I always check is what suspension parts are available for a car before I buy it Other than my Integra Type R, pretty much every of my last 5-6 cars had upgrades to the suspension and had I had a set of Mugen coilovers coming for the R the same week I wrecked it.

If I only had a garage.

 

[jostenmeat]

I've driven a Ford Focus and Mazda 3 has way better handling IMO. We all know what FORD stands for and it's happened to me twice with Fords.

That said Alex loves his fofo. But I would not even bother with a Ford unless you want a truck.

Be sure to test drive the s just so you can feel the difference.

I don't know what FORD stands for, and they probably did suck for a while there back when, but their Focus and Mustang have been out of the ballpark home runs for them in recent years.

Anyway, the OP is apparently not putting handling as anywhere near top priority. Honestly, I think getting good rubber, and actually maintaining ideal PSI on a monthly basis, would be halfway there for 9/10 people already!

I had a long session with my friend's Mazdaspeed 3. While admittedly I found myself at higher revs or lower gear at any given speed compared to some other cars, the drone was a bit too much for me on the highway. For me, that was my least favorite thing, but I've never had a loud car either. A surprisingly nice thing about it were the seats, mostly sporty but with a nice dose of luxury added, they were a combination of leather and what I believe was Alcantara. I'm sure other cars might have that too, but it's the only time I saw seats like that. Quicky, zippy, more space than what one might expect. MPG nothing to write home about, however.

 

[its phillip]

Yeah, handling isn't my priority, unfortunately. Maybe when I'm more established in life I can get something fun

 

[lsiberian]

I don't know what FORD stands for, and they probably did suck for a while there back when, but their Focus and Mustang have been out of the ballpark home runs for them in recent years.

Anyway, the OP is apparently not putting handling as anywhere near top priority. Honestly, I think getting good rubber, and actually maintaining ideal PSI on a monthly basis, would be halfway there for 9/10 people already!

Ford has certainly stepped up their game in recent year. I test drove the top focus and mazda 3 in 2008. I picked the Mazda 3 because it really fits my driving style with it's much tighter steering and balance. I'm sure many folks would enjoy the Focus which was on the loose side of things. When it comes to handling it often depends on the driver's preference. The difference was so large to me in 08 that I definitely recommend test driving both. My advice is to test drive as many cars as you can. I don't own a mazdaspeed 3 just a 3s. Honestly the old moniker for breakdowns comes from a different time when Ford didn't have their act together like they do now. If you buy from Bankston their service center takes a little longer, but they always do a great job with my car.

 

[STRONGBADF1]

We own a 2008 Mazda 3 and the two things people should know is that it sucks in the snow (usually not a concern in TX) and the A/C is pretty weak (usually a concern in TX) compared to other cars. If you go with the Mazda make sure the A/C works well enough for you. Other than those we have really like this car. We test drove the focus at the same tine and I chose the Mazda. My wife liked the focus a little more but that was because it came with more gadgets.

 

[lsiberian]

We own a 2008 Mazda 3 and the two things people should know is that it sucks in the snow (usually not a concern in TX) and the A/C is pretty weak (usually a concern in TX) compared to other cars. If you go with the Mazda make sure the A/C works well enough for you. Other than those we have really like this car. We test drove the focus at the same tine and I chose the Mazda. My wife liked the focus a little more but that was because it came with more gadgets.

I did have an AC component go out during the warranty period so make sure you check on that. The AC is definitely not as strong as the Ford AC units.

 

[its phillip]

I bought a 2013 Civic EX yesterday. I was going to buy an EX-L, but the leather felt so cheap I decided to save money and go with the EX. The cloth is nice and soft

 

[STRONGBADF1]

Looks nice. Congrats!

 

[psbfan9]

Nice! Congratulations. Looks like you get to drive it in snow today.

 

[lsiberian]

Nice car. In a neighborhood of Minivans, SUVs and trucks you are standing out among the crowd.

 

[its phillip]

Yeah, it was annoying how it snowed and was all nasty the day after I bought it, but the dealership gives me free washes whenever I want

Here are some more pictures of my old car from the auction yard:
https://www.iaai.com/Vehicles/VehicleDetails.aspx?auctionID=0&itemID=13935353&RowNumber=21#

What it's supposed to look like:

 

[hizzaah]

I'm so indecisive. I'm really looking at the 2013 Civic EX now lol. Got word from my insurance company today - the car is totaled (obviously). Getting a decent settlement - over the KBB private party value.

Was also contacted by Hyundai, and they want to do an investigation. I gave them contact info for my insurance so they can go inspect the car. They said the process will take several weeks though. Asked me what sort of compensation I was looking for and I didn't really know how to answer that because I don't know what's reasonable :/

Compensation is difficult to come up with on your own.. include any time you missed from work, any time you had rent a car, etc. Basically any time you've been inconvenienced. You got a new car so maybe include all/part of your down payment. If you want to come up with a good number, I would contact a lawyer to assess your situation. I would avoid consulting the insurance company as that may affect what they're going to do for you.

 

[its phillip]

I already got a settlement from my insurance company. I didn't put anything down on the car, since I used the settlement money to pay my high interest credit card debt. I think asking them for the actual cash value of the car would be a fair and reasonable number.

 

[agarwalro]

FS: Great deal! Minor overheating problems...

 

[KEW]

I already got a settlement from my insurance company. I didn't put anything down on the car, since I used the settlement money to pay my high interest credit card debt. I think asking them for the actual cash value of the car would be a fair and reasonable number.

As for Hyundai, your insurer may try to recover all or part of the cost of the claim with the manufacturer. If so the only benefit you would see from a Hyundai pay-out would be to the extent it exceeds what your insurance company paid.
I would get on the CarMax database and find a car close to the one that got torched and use that as a minimum.Sure, you could find it cheaper from a private party, but then you should be asking for the time you spend looking at cars, etc as part of the cost of replacing your car with an "identical" replacement. I bet they won't bat an eye at CarMax pricing.
I think with the manufacturer you would reasonably be compensated for the time you've spent looking for a replacement and dealing with your insurance company. Also consider that your premiums will probably go up (even though it is not your fault), Hyundai should compensate you for that. Don't forget any accessories that you bought for the car, cd's etc. Full tank of gas? It adds up quicker than you realize.
They should pay out at a higher standard than your insurance company.
It'll be interesting to see if Hyundai requires you to remove your videos of the car burning as a condition of settlement (gag order).
The best rule is this is very much a sliding scale so don't underestimate the cost and degree of inconvenience of such an event. If you go overboard, let them tell you that, don't short yourself.

I can't help but think of the irony that you went to an allergist and got to breathe burning plastic/rubber on your way. I hope you haven't had any respiratory effects. Ideally the fumes stayed out of the car during your getting off of the road.