Topic: Toyota Corolla iM, CH-R and Hyundai Elantra GT

[stodge]

Post content deleted at request of original poster.

[me_2]

I'll keep this brief:

 - Wife said "no, don't like it, don't need to look at it anymore"

  what else now, Kona EV ? https://www.autos.ca/forum/index.php?topic=100620.msg1356066#msg1356066
A/A YT https://youtu.be/DQ4opp_3ivk

Hyundai KONA electric test drive and acceleration 0-163 km/h
https://youtu.be/x50iCzOaYj4

[G.Bombay]

It's a shame the ergos in the iM are so horrible. Can you wait till the new Corolla Hatchback is available this year?

I'd lean towards Golf or Mazda 3 sport.

[pi314]

If you want rear seat room have you considered the Honda Fit? It's noisy but there's LOADS of rear seat room. Way better than my golf wagon for that.
Prius V was also pretty decent. Not sure about the civic hatch's rear seat room

Did you look at the Kia Niro?

How about the Prius V?

[quadzilla]

Assuming the Impreza is the same size inside as the Crosstrek (which it should be) it has more rear legroom than my GTI.

[sszoomzoom]

Have a look at the Chevy Cruze Hatch. It also comes with a Diesel engine. I really like them.

[rrocket]

Prius C is surprisingly roomy.....35"of rear legroom too (31.7" for the CH-R, 32.6" for the IM).

[conwelpic]

I don't think most of those will fit in our budget. I haven't looked at the Fit yet.

I will take a look at Honda's HR-V (though the interest rate is quite high) and the Impreza hatch. The Impreza is perhaps a bit bigger than she wants but it's in budget and should give a bit more legroom in the back, if I've done my homework properly.

may I suggest:
good legroom in a small package = the Kia Soul.  You can easily sit four 6'+ people in this vehicle in comfort.  Longer standard warranty than many of the competition.  A direct competitor to the C-HR.

[Solstice2006]

I don't think most of those will fit in our budget. I haven't looked at the Fit yet.

I will take a look at Honda's HR-V (though the interest rate is quite high) and the Impreza hatch. The Impreza is perhaps a bit bigger than she wants but it's in budget and should give a bit more legroom in the back, if I've done my homework properly.

Not exactly sure what the budget is.  Or what the needs are. How far your driving. Fit is a great car.  And I was considering a commuter car for my wife, but it's revs quite high on the highway, and it's pretty noisy (not that I care too much about noise, but this was noticeable) 

We took the Nissan Versa Note for two test drives, and liked it more (for the subcompact category).  38" of rear legroom.  They have been out for awhile, so finding a deal should be easy.  The new Cruze I haven't tried yet. 

[Solstice2006]

The Versa Note is the obvious choice to replace the, er, Versa. But we want to avoid Nissan this time so I've been avoiding it. 

Oops, didn't even realize it.  Issues with the Versa?  Or just change?

[dkaz]

Can you wait for the new 169 HP Corolla hatchback?

[tortoise]

Too bad your wife doesn't like the Golf.  It's such a nice car to live with.

[Solstice2006]

I accept that the Versa is a very cheap car but the quality hasn't been that great. I'd like to get something a little more solid and better built if we can afford it.

The drivetrain is awful, as is anything that has a CVT with a tiny engine. The Corolla iM gets a thumbs down for this too though I think its CVT is probably a better example. I do like CVTs in slower driving because it avoids the constant gear changes and can be smooth. But anything more than that and it's like scraping your nails down a blackboard!

We've been waiting 6 months for the part for the airbag recall. Finally, it took months and months and far too much effort to get refunded for the independent repairs we paid for when the coil spring broke, before the recall was announced for it.

Guess it depends on the priorities.  I would probably consider the Versa or Accent for a cheap lease.  As they are so cheap.  And have the wife commute with that.  But since we are probably inheriting an older Sentra in the summer that will be ok.  Save up for a Golf wagon or something like that. 

[Noto]

I thought about the Cruze hatch but I wasn't sure if it was a good car or not. I need to read some reviews. I think it certainly fits the size and budget requirements. I just wasn't sure if it still suffered from GM's age old problem of bean counters.

I haven't driven the hatch, but quite liked the sedan:

http://www.autotrader.ca/expert/20170629/test-drive-2017-chevrolet-cruze-lt/

Fuel economy is outstanding from my real world tests (I also rented one in Ottawa the first weekend of Feb 2018, and even in the snow, got in the low 5L/100km range.  Unreal).

[pi314]

Too bad your wife doesn't like the Golf.  It's such a nice car to live with.

Yeah it does seem to be a decent car. I'll approach it again - perhaps she'll change her mind.

Definitely at least try and convince her to test drive one. She might change her mind once inside. You might not be happy with the rear seat room though. The fit is much better as I mentioned previously

[dkaz]

Is the Golf small? I sat in the back seat of a Rabbit before and it felt like a midsize.

[pi314]

I read up on the Fit and it looks promising. My only completely irrational thought is that's an awfully small car to drive around in. There are so many SUVs, trucks and minivans on the roads that it seems..... irrationally.... too small? Does that make any sense? Perhaps I'm just getting paranoid about their safety as I get older.

I had one for about a year (until it got flooded  ). Try driving it. My mom has an Odyssey and she was surprised at how large it drove. It doesn't feel as small as it is. The HRV is the step up but I don't know there's a real advantage unless you go for the AWD model.

There's always the Civic Hatch though it's pricey