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[SlickWilly223]

Sorry to waste valuable internet bandwidth on this tired topic, but...

I finally have the opportunity to purchase a new car! For commuting purposes, I would like it to be a reliable 2011/2012/2013 model. I would like to keep it under $32,000. 4-Cylinder or 6-Cylinder is also preferred. But I'm 6-foot 5-inches tall so I can't really jump on an economical Civic, unfortunately... they're very uncomfortable. But don't rule out small cars completely because I'm obviously going to test drive the car I buy. I just need to head in the right direction first. Fuel Economy is very important, obviously.

I'm in the market for a four-door-sedan or sedan-coupe (unless there's another type of car I should consider?). Since I'm spending a large sum of money, I would like just one specific feature in the car: manual transmission. I've grown up driving standard, it's fun and I would just prefer it. Doesn't mean I can't be swayed, but for now.. that's what I'm looking for.

Just curious what the best bang-for-your-buck is? Seems like Volkwagen and Ford have the most affordable options lately. Really leaning toward the Passat TDI

Also, I'm having a hard time finding a reliable resource for car reviews. There are a lot of conflicting reports. For Christmas, I was given a print subscription to ConsumerReports but I haven't gotten my first issue yet. Is it worth getting the online subscription that is specifically geared towards buying a new car? It's about $40, annually (but I mean, I'm only making one car purchase)

But I'm not in a rush. The purchase will realistically take place right after the last snow storm of the year. Is there something I should be waiting for??

 

[Double D]

Check out the New Beetle. That new body style is kind of awesome, and I owned a 1998 model when they first came out and it had a ridiculous amount of headroom.

 

[Keylime]

Not sure if capacity is of any concern for you, because something like a Mini would easily fit you, able to be obtained under that price range and have incredible gas mileage.

...obviously not a car for everyone due to the restrictive cabin space for passengers or storage...but it does meet the criteria you do mention.

 

[Runus]

I use edmunds.com for car reviews. I doubt you will find better gas mileage than a Pasat TDI in that size of car. Hard to beat the Diesel.

 

[Blablurn]

Check out the New Beetle. That new body style is kind of awesome, and I owned a 1998 model when they first came out and it had a ridiculous amount of headroom.

i support this opinion!

 

[otake]

I would consider the vw's.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Check out the New Beetle. That new body style is kind of awesome, and I owned a 1998 model when they first came out and it had a ridiculous amount of headroom.

I don't like how they stretched it for the sake of stretching it. I haven't seen it in person though so I'm curious how long it is in comparison to the cabrio I had.

 

[MisterNoisy]

If you're just looking for practical transportation with a manual transmission option, the Honda Fit would probably be a good choice. Reliable and well made, with a ton of space for people and cargo relative to the size of the car.

Great fuel economy and low overall cost of operation. The enthusiast places generally like it, and Consumer Reports has had it as their 'best value' pick for some time now. Not going to blow your hair back with it's performance, but it's a great car. If you want something a bit sportier, Mini and Golf (the latter, particularly) would be good picks. If you want to go even sportier, the WRX, mayhaps?

 

[Wark]

Check out the New Beetle. That new body style is kind of awesome, and I owned a 1998 model when they first came out and it had a ridiculous amount of headroom.

Nice. I wasn't even aware that there was a new body style on the New Beetle. To be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of the previous designs, but I have to say the 2012 Beetle looks a lot classier.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Nice. I wasn't even aware that there was a new body style on the New Beetle. To be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of the previous designs, but I have to say the 2012 Beetle looks a lot classier.

The curves give it that classic look which looks really nice. It's essentially what the cabrio should have been when the relaunched it instead of what they made that pretty much bombed.

If you're just looking for practical transportation with a manual transmission option, the Honda Fit would probably be a good choice. Reliable and well made, with a ton of space for people and cargo relative to the size of the car.

Great fuel economy and low overall cost of operation. The enthusiast places generally like it, and Consumer Reports has had it as their 'best value' pick for some time now. Not going to blow your hair back with it's performance, but it's a great car. If you want something a bit sportier, Mini and Golf (the latter, particularly) would be good picks. If you want to go even sportier, the WRX, mayhaps?

Does it have decent power when you have cargo in it or does it kind of die with the little engine it has?