what would you buy. (2 years or newer) honda civic sedan/coupe honda accord sedan scion tC toyota corolla S chevy cobalt SS mistubishi lancer GTS vw Jetta i wont race with it most likely, i just like how they look and most of them seem reliable, and its within price range. if you got any other suggestions, be sure to list, trying to keep under $19,000 USD.
How about Mazda 3 or Mazda 6? Out of those you listed, I would take one of the Hondas. But you probably can't go wrong with that list, unless you choose the Chevy. Man does Chevy suck for cars.
Toyota. From my experience with them over the past 15 years they are very, very reliable and prices seem reasonable.
I bought a 2007 Scion tC earlier this year. Best investment, by far. The car not only has a slick design but the drive is extremely smooth. If I'm not mistaken, the tC has a Toyota Camry engine in it. The tC also has a sun AND sky roof in it. So, if you're sitting in the backseat and you're looking up, you get a nice view of the sky. I highly recommend it.
I have a 08 Mitsubishi Lancer ES. I wish I had bought the GTS with about 2000 more dollars though. It's a pretty ok car so far, too early to judge.
none of the above I got my car for under 19K and it was right at two years old....maybe just a little over. but since I dont have an infatuation with foreign cars (BWM/VW/etc) or little ricers(honda/toy/etc) I bought a Chevy. very well put together, very fast only had a couple of minor problems and it has >100K
In terms most luxury for your money, go with the VW. If you're a long-term owner and want more size/bang for your buck, go with the Accord (existing model; you can save lots of cash by going with the outgoing model). If you're a long-term owner and want reliability/strong resale value, go with the Civic sedan.
i've been basically going though a similar list for a while and have been test driving like crazy for about 2 months. out of your choices, i'd easily pick the civic, though i suggest you test drive a mazda 3. they have a little more horsepower but the additional torque makes a big difference. the accord is a nice car but imo, it's boring looking. the civic is a quick car if you drive a manual, don't even think about the automatic if you want something with a little pep. i had narrowed it down to the civic and mazda, but right now, i'm really digging the 08 nissan altima. it's got more room then the other two, good reliability, and it's sporty despite being a sedan. it also had a real smooth feel on the road. i test drove the lancer gts and it's definitely the best looking car of your choices, but it feels way sluggish next to the mazda, and the resale of a mitsubishi just doesn't seem good. didn't LOVE my jetta test-drive but it's not a bad car. i think the altima is better at a similar price. i also didn't like the the aux input in the glove compartment when all the other cars have easy access to it.
From that list, I would get the Civic... but you could probably get a great deal on a '07 Accord right now since they are rolling out the brand new '08's. If I were buying a car though, I would go for the Hyundai Elantra fully loaded for 18k.
