I recently got in an accident and had to buy a new car

[dsc]

sadly my fault so my insurance will be quite high deservedly. On the plus side both me and the other person were OK. All of that said. I got a Hyundai Elantra Hybrid. So far I love the car. I gave up a little size (Kia K5 was prior car) but the car is very comfy and gets great mileage with decent acceleration when needed. I had literally no American made cars to consider except the Malibu, of which 5000 were made in 2025. It would have been stripped down vs all of the tech my car has and would have been similar cost but not a hybrid. It would have been bigger to be fair but inferior in all other aspects. I paid under 30k for a car that has 8 years of free oil changes and tire rotations, 5 years 60k bumper to bumper, 10 years 100k power train, I think 6 years rust (not a huge thing in NC), and has android auto (wired only), navigation, sirius radio, EPA of 50mpg, with nice styling and comfortable front seats with OK back ones.

With yesterday's announcement we will go back to the 1980s when our car industry couldn't sell product because they were making products people didn't want. Gas is going to go up in price, that is what happens to finite things. People will want cars that are reasonable to operate. I am nearly 58, meaning I have driven for 40 years, and until my Kia K5 I have never owned a foreign car. I am pretty sure I will never own an American one again. They don't want my business apparently. And now the government is saying they shouldn't want it.

[GreatGazoo]

1. "yesterday's announcement " ?

For those of us living under a rock, please.

[dsc]

2. relaxation of fuel standards

so that we will be producing gas guzzlers well into the future.

[CousinIT]

32. SHitler wiped out fuel efficiency standards to please and serve his fossil fuel buddies.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220843934

[kacekwl]

35. Question was asked here why gas prices are going down.

Favor for favor and trumpy looks good to the rubes.

[Johnny2X2X]

3. We bought a lightly used (6000 miles) Subaru this Fall

Yeah, the features it has for the price is beyond what we saw for domestic brands. And the safety and quality is just top notch.

But I do think there are some really nice American models right now, just not everything we wanted in this vehicle.

[OldBaldy1701E]

4. Rust is an issue if one lives out on the Banks.

Moving to Minnesota and seeing all of the rusted out vehicles due to salt and other road cleaners was the first thing that made me feel more at home here.

Despite the current regime's desire to stop advancements in transportation, we are already switching to electric vehicles and it will not be long before the older ones will be too expensive to maintain. Just as the computer makers often stop supporting their older models, the gas vehicles will fall before the electric ones, especially once they make the next major breakthrough in power storage.

When a vehicle can run a month without a recharge, even a big rig hauler, all the gas ones will stop being useful in every way.

(Hey MCE! Imagine jumping into that K-whopper and driving away without really hearing a noise at all! Just the gravel crunch and maybe some motor whining if the load is really heavy. Wild, eh? I used to be able to tell you the temp of a diesel engine just from listening to it. (More so farm tractors and trucks, but we had one semi there.) I know you still can. Imagine not having to worry about any of that. The wake created from the vehicle would be louder than the vehicle.)

I hear you about what happened. They really have no idea what they are doing and their lunacy, created while pining for a bygone era, is going to destroy a lot.

[homegirl]

5. Happy Prius

2005 owner here. Fantastic mileage, reliable and a pleasure to drive. Bought it in 2005 when I had to wait months for delivery, well worth the wait. I'm a senior who doesn't commute, so mileage is very low-ready to hit 70K...

Trump surely gets big donations from the oil industry!!!

[Jughead]

6. Parts

Any mechanic will tell you the older the car the harder and more expensive the part. Manufacturers don’t produce as many space parts as they did 20 years ago. It’s easier to get NOS parts for a 1950 Mercury that a 2020 KIA

[live love laugh]

7. Inferiority is a feature of fascism.

Trade conflicts and tariffs; de-education; anti-unionist and isolationist anti-diplomacy policies all lead to inferiority domestically and internationally.

[kimbutgar]

8. I have a Hyundai Sonata hybrid and fully love it but paid $40,000 for it and plan to keep it for a long time

I also have a 2016 Buick encore which I love because it’s small enough to find parking in the city I live in. I looked at the new ones and they were over $30,000 so I guess I’ll drive my current one a long time. And buying a new car now will not happen in the next 4 years until the stupid orange piggy is gone and our country returns to some normalcy.

[hurple]

9. I hit a deer about 8 months ago...

And insurance totalled my 2013 Ford C-Max hybrid. It was tip top of the line for its day. My favorite car ever.

I replaced it with a 2023 Ford Escape hybrid. Also the tip top of the line, every option available. Beautiful car. But, even 10 years newer it has fewer bells and whistles than the 2103. The ONLY thing that's "better" is that the Escape is larger but gets almost 10 mpg better mileage. Other than that, the 2013 blows it away in amenities.

Crazy!

But I still miss my C-Max.

(I was looking at Toyota Rav-4s but found the Esacpe by accident and it was a unicorn. $25,000 for a vehicle that sold for $60,000 new. It was even less than a nearby Ford lot had a 2021 Escape of a lower tier amenities package. And we are Ford people. My oldest daughter was the manager of our local Ford dealer for a decade or more.)

[Katinfl]

19. We traded in our 2013 Ford C Max Hybrid this spring.

We loved it. had over 130,000 miles, pristine condition. Dealer gave us 5K for it, then put it online for 7K and it was gone in no time. The only reason we traded it in was because my husband felt the transmission was slipping. And sure enough, the dealer questioned us on it as soon as he took it out but turned around and put it on the lot anyway. Loved that car. We got a 2025 Kia Niro……….still getting used to it. We are seniors and don’t take the car trips we used to so this will be fine. Must say though, the electronics are way more than the C Max and that was loaded.

[BurnDoubt]

22. We LOVE our CMax.

We’re on our third. First one (2014) we sold to our son who drives it halfway down California every week working as an Electrician Trainee.
Our second, a 2018 was destroyed when our large Elm tree twisted-off the top half and dropped down through the windshield and severed the steering column completely off. Remarkably, it still started and ran like a top.
My lovely wife applied her amazing shopping skills and found us another 2018, nearly the same color, less mileage and the exact same payment.
We used CarMax for both of those transactions, and it all went very smoothly and stress-free.
I’ll be 75 in a couple of weeks, and I’m hoping this will be the last car we have to buy. So-far-so-good.

[JI7]

10. Quality matters the most

[multigraincracker]

11. Worked 30 year at an American car company.

Found that quality was about marketing, not engineering. Also have a few mechanics as friends.
Just bought a new Honda made in the USA.

[Zackzzzz]

17. I have a 2005 Subaru Outback

It was made in Indiana.
It was made to order because I wanted what I wanted and I was willing to wait.

First car was a Volvo, was called the rust bucket and had it for 20 yrs, 7 water pumps.
Trucks would pass me going up hill on I-5.

My Subaru is just now starting to rust.
I can drive twisty roads and I can turn on a dime.

[twodogsbarking]

12. I really like my 2003 hatchback Mercedes. Paid peanuts for it 9 yrs ago. Has 63k miles now.

Black everywhere except the windshield. Craigslist, locally. Go figure. Bet your car doesn't have a cassette player.

[Rob H.]

13. Just recently got a new car, too

after my ex-girlfriend's stalker sabotaged my Jeep Wrangler by putting sandblasting sand in the front and rear differentials and the transmission; my insurance agency totaled it, unfortunately.

The new ride is a 2025 VW Jetta (sorry, not a hybrid) and it was a very nice surprise to switch back to a vehicle that actually gets good gas mileage. I'm getting about 30 MPG around town and on the 3-hour drive back from where I bought it I averaged 46.7 MPG at 70mph. I've seen YouTube videos of them averaging 55 MPG at 65 MPH, which is insane to me for a non-hybrid. I'll never buy a gas-guzzler again.

[twodogsbarking]

16. Enjoy your ride. VW never gives up improving their cars.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

14. My problem with buying a replacement car

is that no one wants to make one with standard transmissions any more. I've never driven an automatic, other than very reluctantly when I rent a car, and I don't intend to start, even at the age of 77.

Plus, I generally don't bother to lock my car. It's a Honda Civic -- who in the world would steal one of them? -- and as noted, a stick.

[tinrobot]

15. I drive an EV, never ever going back to gas.

Those fuel economy standards are now meaningless to me.

[dsc]

20. I need better range

than a purely electric car can deliver. I live over 500 miles from my brother and his wife and need to know I can make that trip in one day if I need to. A hybrid is a good compromise for me, very good mileage and range. Also I didn't want to pay to install a plug at my house.

[tinrobot]

30. A 500 mile trip is pretty easy in an EV these days.

Most EVs these days have 300-ish mile ranges and can charge in about 30 minutes. Plus fast charging is now very common. It is quite easy to do 500 miles in most parts of the country.

I just did a 1000+ mile trip up the west coast in mine. Chargers were very easy to find/use.

[PCB66]

26. My son bought a Telsa Model Y

about four years ago when that model first came out . He lives in Atlanta and thought it would be a good commuter vehicle. He got rid of it earlier this year. He said he would never have another EV. Limited range, very difficult to repair if something goes wrong and he lost a lot of money on as a trade in.

[tinrobot]

31. That's too bad. But not my experience

I got my first EV in 2011. I ditched gas and went EV-only in 2021 when range and charging speeds were finally good.

Over that time. I have had very little problems with reliability and service, though I've never owned a Tesla. Can't speak to that brand.

[beaglelover]

33. I went EV as well in 2000. Will NEVER go back to an ICE car. I had back to back Tesla Model 3

but earlier this year ended my Model 3 lease early and leased a Cadillac Lyriq. It is hands down the best car I have ever had. It's the 4 wheel drive model and the acceleration is crazy fast! And the ride is super smooth. The passengers I've had in it love it too.

[Martin Eden]

18. I bought a new KIA Niro Hybrid EX last December

Last edited Thu Dec 4, 2025, 03:54 PM - Edit history (1)

Very practical, comfy, and spacious for a hatchback only 174" long. MPG is upper 40's; not the EPA rated 53, but still quite good. Excellent warranty.

I bought it partly because fuel economy was high on my list, and anything much longer than 174" becomes a constant squeeze to pass behind going from kitchen to garage. My previous cars were a 2016 VW Golf and a 2007 Honda Fit. All my cars since 1980 had 4 cylinders with 5 speed manual transmissions. I always preferred rowing my own gears, so this has been quite a change for me.

I considered getting an EV but my wife was against it, and EV is not ideal for my long road trips to hiking destinations -- longer and more frequent now that I'm retired.

Another reason I decided on the Niro:
There is room for a full size spare under the hatch floor. So many cars these days (especially hybrids & EVs) don't even have a temporary service spare -- just a can of pressurized goop that may or may not repair tire damage long enough to reach a service station.

Some trailheads I drive to are on gravel roads, remote from any large town. So I bought a full size rim & tire same as the other four, and get a 5-tire rotation every 4k miles. This is a good insurance policy against being stranded, and eliminates the necessity of buying at least two tires if one is destroyed and the others have more than 20k miles on them. With today's sensor tech, you shouldn't have a wide disparity in tread wear. On AWD vehicles, you might have to replace all four.

[appleannie1]

21. Hyundai honors their warrantees.

My car is a 2011 Sonata. I recently threw a rod bearing. I had over 100,013 miles on the car and they gave me a new motor simply because I had kept up with all the oil changes and taken it in for inspection for all the recalls. Years ago there had been a recall on the motor spinning rod bearings and I had taken it in and it checked out ok. When they were ready to put the new motor in, they called me to ask if I wanted all new wiring and belts while they had the car apart. I asked how much it would cost me. Less than $650. I told them to go ahead and replace them. I now have a brand new 2011 car for $650. My advice to you is to take it in routinely for all servicing and keep all the records and receipts.

[dsc]

24. I intend to

did that with my Kia too.

[malaise]

23. Very popular here

Rec

[PCB66]

25. My wife wanted a new car this year

so I bought her a new Acura RDX. Nice vehicle for running around town. Meanwhile I am still driving my 2013 Tundra that I bough after retiring.

We only buy Honda and Toyota vehicles.

[GoodRaisin]

27. I replaced a crappy Chevrolet Trail Blazer with a new Hyundai Santa Fe in 2020.

I love it, I have never had to take it back once to the dealer for warranty repairs. I have also bought a new Toyota Corolla in the past, and I never had to take it back for warranty repairs.

I had to take that Trail Blazer back for warranty repair 5 times during the warranty period for electrical wiring problems. It never stayed fixed. Every single American made car I have ever bought new, required multiple trips to the dealer during the warranty period. That include GMs and Fords, during the 80s, 90s, and 00s. Every time I took these cars back was a pain in the ass to have to leave at the dealer, arrange for pick up and return, etc., which I hate. I will not have another one.

Just about every time I pass a vehicle with one headlight out it is a GM car. At least 90% of the time.

[dsc]

29. I had back to back Ford Focuses prior to the Kia

and they did OK. I had to do a couple of things but nothing huge. I would have bought another but they had been discontinued by 2021. At that time the Chrysler 300, the Chevy Malibu were the only American entries in the midsize sedan market. I decided Kia was better than either. This time, sedans from America are basically gone so I was choosing between Kia, Hyundai, Toyota, and Honda. I liked the warranty and price point of Kia/Hyundai better and the Elantra Hybrid blew me away frankly. I was going to get a gas Sonata but the 2025 had the maintenance and the car rode so nice despite being a compact.

[CousinIT]

34. I have one of those. Ford lost my business now though. I do NOT want an SUV

Would rather buy American but fuck them. They decided to only make SUVs and trucks.

Next car will be a Subaru or Corolla.

[sinkingfeeling]

28. My son bought a 2019 Ionic hybird and loves it.

[MichMan]

36. Hopefully Hyundai and Kia have finally addressed their engine issues

Seen and heard so many horror stories the last several years.

[ananda]

37. I really like my Honda hybrid.

I didn't go electric because of no ability
to charge.

But this vehicle gets 35-40 mpg in the city,
so that's fine with me.