And the verdict is.................
2011 Toyota Camry SE, 4cyl auto
Final 3 came down the Camry, Fusion, and the 2011 Hyundai Sonata.
Went back Wednesday to make another pass at the Ford/Hyundai dealer because I really wanted to drive the Hyundai, and wanted to take another look at the Fusion. Actually got someone to come out of the building this time.
Fusion-- The Fusion is virtually the same price as the Camry in comparable trim levels, and has an interior that is very close to being on par with the Toyota, so much so that some parts of it are a virtual copy of the Camry's interior. Several things remind you that these cars are direct class competitors.
2 things I couldn't get past on the Fusion. #1--I really dislike the front end. Why does it have to look a like the trucks?? Do we only have one person in the Ford styling department?? #2--Compare the resale value to the Toyota and it'll scare the hell out of you. Go to the Nada and Kelly Blue Book websites and pull a price for a similar trim level 2-3 year old Camry and Fusion.
I did numbers for a couple years and trim levels and found a difference of $1500-$2500 in favor of the Camry. Yikes!!
The Fusion is a nice car, just not nice enough in all departments.
Hyundai Sonata-- I really, really, really tried to like this car, and I really did, to a point. I really like the look of the car, though the GLS has really cheezy wheels, alloys are an upgrade. We drove it, and it drove nice, good power, transmission is really smooth,close to a CVT. Seemed to handle OK though the ride was a bit stiff, but I drove there in our Jeep so it wasn't a huge deal initially, and may have been an issue with the tires on the base GLS model. I liked the interior styling better than the Fusion, the "wrap around" look of the dash was appealing to me. The base GLS comes with just about every option that one could want especially in the convenience/electronics, with the exception of the wiz-bang navigation and a couple other "fluff" items.
Issues-- The interior seemed a bit "plastic-y". The monochrome plastic look of all dash, door panels etc seemed cheap. The switches and controls looked flimsy and poorly trimmed out. The plastic is actually 2 colors, but when you put a gray switch in a gray door panel with a gray trim piece it looks cheap. The wife says "what are all those buttons on the wheel for??" Looking at pictures now it really doesn't have any more buttons on the wheel than anything else, but they seemed cluttered and confusing. Plus, between the radio and climate controls on the dash there's even more buttons, including duplicates for some functions.
The seats and carpet etc aren't super nicely trimmed out, this was especially noticeable in the trunk, especially after looking at the Fusion and Camry. The seats were very comfortable, but looked cheap. If you're gonna compete you have to compete on all levels.
Yes, we were in the base GLS model, but from all the info I could come up with I couldn't see where the items that I had issues with would be any different if I jumped up to the SE or Limited models. Unfortunately the GLS is the only model any dealer within 100 miles from me has at this time, no SE's or Limiteds to look at. The SE is about a $1500 upgrade from the GLS, which from what I see only really gets you alloy wheels and slightly dfferent seats in different color choices. The GLS only comes in one interior color which is a light gray, not real good for a couple that are both factory workers. The Limited comes with different alloy wheels, full leather seats and a severly overpriced navigation system.
Again, I TRIED really hard to like this car, and I did, sorta. Hyundai's big thing is that they claim to be an economical alternative in this class of cars.
Problem is, it starts out economical, but if you throw in the minor upgrades it quickly jumps in price. The other problem is that even though the sticker price is cheap, they don't allow the dealer very much profit margin at all, so there's very little wiggle room to deal with. You can get a $25k Camry down to the mid 23's pretty easily, you won't get that kind of price drop in the Hyundai so the competative edge goes away.
Yes, they do a have a 10yr 100,000mi warranty, but in today's world that doesn't mean alot. Hell, our Jeep Liberty will be 10 years old this time next year, has 102,000 miles on the clock today, and the only non-scheduled maintenance item it has had was the replacement of 2 rear axle seals last spring. Show me a 200,000 mile warranty and I might be impressed.
When I first climbed in the Camry and drove it I couldn't believe I hadn't jumped up to the next class of car. This car is NICE. It's like a Lincoln vs a Ford, a Buick or Olds vs a Chevy. It's very close to the Fusion, but a slight step up espcially in it's drive and ride. The dealer's test drive loop took us on a badly maintained sealcoated/blacktop road with more patches than original road. The ride is SMOOTH, yet reasonably responsive. The power steering is a bit overdriven but not so much that you lose all road feel.
Is it a hotrod?? No, but if I wanted a hotrod I wouldn't be shopping on the Toyota lot would I?? If I want a hotrod I'll build it.
Sorry, I'm just impressed with this car.
Yes, I considered the used route again. Problem is, around here everyone wants new price for used cars. $20K for a 2 year old car that I can buy new for $23K?? WTF?? The best I can get is 4% interest on a used car, 0% on a new one, which in this price range gets me $2000 closer to a new car. There are no $15,000 one year old cars around here, at least not right now.
