Skip navigation

 Login or Register | Member Centre

Bigger is not always best

MICHAEL VAUGHAN AND JEREMY CATO

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 11:11 AM EDT 06/05/08

Cato and Vaughan help a reader pick the best little car on the market today. ...Read the full article

This conversation is semi-moderated What is moderation? | How do I report a comment?

  1. Gardiner Westbound from Canada writes:
    "Vaughan: To begin with, Jim, your salesman is being misleading."

    Car salesmen lie! Who knew?
  2. Paul Sallmen from Burnaby, BC, writes: Another piece of advice: Avoid the new car. The biggest depreciation happens in those first couple of years. Why not buy any of those Yaris, Golf or Fit, but one that is about 3 years old? Don't forget to do a Carfax report though. Any of those vehicles, with proper maintenance can last you 300 000 km (or more). So a 3 year old car still has lots of life in it.
  3. Sissy Schuss from Canada writes: Canada's answer to click and clack without the head slap!
  4. D K from Canada writes: What no Versa? The car is almost as big as a Matrix yet priced like a Yaris. Starts at $14, 598. I don't believe people actually write to these guys.
  5. Johnny Canuck from Canada writes: Don't be fooled by these $14 or $15 thousand dollar cars you see dealers advertising. Many people are paying $21 thousand for them by the time the dealers get through closing the deal and they are just cheap econo boxes. A person would be better off buying a low milage car, still under warrenty, in the used car market.
  6. Sissy Schuss from Canada writes: D K from Canada writes: What no Versa? The car is almost as big as a Matrix yet priced like a Yaris. Starts at $14, 598. I don't believe people actually write to these guys.

    I recently had an opportunity to rent and drive both a Versa and an Aveo. Both were driven about 1500 miles on holidays in the States. You know what and I was surprised by this - I liked the Aveo better. The Versa did not handle well and and although just a tad roomier (but not as wide) its seating and controls were not as well laid out as the Aveo's - and the Aveo seemed peppier too (though the Versa has a bigger engine). I got about 45 mpg highway with both.

    The Aveo is cheaper I think and worth a look.
  7. D K from Canada writes: Agreed with the Aveo, but unfortunately it does not fare well in crash tests. For small cars that is a red flag.
  8. Sissy Schuss from Canada writes: fortunately did not put that to the test - I think the Aveo has just the front air bags whereas the Versa has options on side, top and front

    Its a bit of trade off though - a better handling car may get you out of trouble - and its still cheaper to boot. The Versa felt like it was all over the highway at speeds over 100kmh.
  9. foo bar from Canada writes: If you want to buy, a lease is still sometimes the better way to go. What you need to do is compare the buy payment versus the lease payment. Take the difference, and see if saving the difference ( interest) for the term of the lease is enough to pay the residual. With some of the lease rates being what they are, this can be cheaper than straight financing. Make sure to also check total financing costs at the end!
  10. Dave Carter from Ottawa, Canada writes: Leasing has never been for me, however with sky rocketing fuel prices and uknown future, trading in for new technology or perhaps a different class of vehicle in 3 or 4 years is worth considering.
  11. L T from Canada writes:
    Cato & Vaughn:

    You have given us your opinion, nothing more. Readers expect more than opinion from expert consultants. Back it up. (Sheesh. The way the G&M throws money around and doesn't get what they paid for.)

    Compare a lease deal and a four year payment plan on a new Yaris. Or Honda. Or Volkswagen. I don't care which, but show us, don't tell us. Let's have a chart for that. The chart here with the story, anyone can do by taking info off the dealer pamphlets.

    But the lease and buying comparison? No, I can't. So Do it, and give us something we don't already know. Earn your fee here willya? Show us, don't tell us.
  12. Dick Noble from Ladysmith, Canada writes: Vaughan & Cato:
    Thanks for this = an interesting and enlightening article. It is easy to see that buying is better. I've run the comparitive numbers many times and I feel that buying is more economical and is far more intelligent for other important reasons, than leasing ... for any priced vehicle ... not just for a small car.
  13. L T from Canada writes: P.S.

    I wish the G&M would quit hiring these wanna be's who think a G&M column is their chance to be a writer or a humourist, of which they ain't either.
  14. S N from Canada writes: At least you could open the comparison chart.

    Thanks, respondents. I actually found the advice/info shared here much more helpful than what was in the article, all told. Much appreciated!
  15. Rafael Parodi from Toronto, Canada writes: Don't forget that with interest rates dropping some new cars can be financed with 0% interest rates. If that is the case, then pay cash only if you are geeting a very good deal, otherwise dont loose your capital when you dont need to.
    Note, I always bought my cars on the used car market and unfortuantely financing there is never cheap so I pay cash.
    Also with the lease try to get the lowest downpayment since if anything happens, that money is gone!
  16. Cowtown boy from Canada writes: "Its a bit of trade off though - a better handling car may get you out of trouble - and its still cheaper to boot. The Versa felt like it was all over the highway at speeds over 100kmh. "

    That could simply be a result of cheap or bad tires. This happens quite frequently these days and it doesn't take much to have belt seperation, or just a bad tire. Always make sure you buy a quality tire. They are whats keeping you on the road.

Join the Conversation, Leave a Comment

This conversation is semi-moderated What is moderation? | How do I report a comment?

You must be logged-in to submit a comment — login now!

Not registered with globeandmail.com? Register now. It is quick and free.

close

Alert us about this comment

Please let us know if this reader’s comment breaks the editor's rules and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.

Do not use this to complain about comments that don’t break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.

Back to top