With my putting thousands of miles on my Malibu a month and with stone chips and parking lot dings everywhere, I'm starting to consider a more cheap and fuel efficient alternative to the Malibu, that will not lose value too much over a four-year span. NOTE: I will not be replacing my Malibu, just something to drive and take its place as my daily beater.

As it stands, I have reviewed the following vehicles:

Chevy Aveo, Ford Focus, Toyota Yaris

I am not a fan of the Fit or other popular compacts so...those are the only three. After looking at Ford's options compared to Toyota and Chevy, I have dropped the Focus (Especially since the Focus starts at 16,000, around the zone of the Cobalt and other small sedans). So, my problem remains:

2009 Toyota Yaris 3-door Liftback optioned 5spd (base) (US14.030)
-36 mpg
-TRD Sway bar, Rear
-Mudguards
-
2009 Chevy Aveo5 5-door Hatch all standard 5spd (LS) (US 12.625)
-34mpg
-OnStar Standard
-TPMS

I know the Aveo will lose its value far more than Toyota's will, but I am enjoying the Chevy line of vehicles at the moment. Also, the Aveo is offered in dark gray metallic, a color I have fallen in love with. The only comparable color for Toyota is "Dark Gray Silver" which is a plain-jane version in my opinion.

OnStar is another major plus, since I drive a lot of back roads with many curves that have very weak looking rails stopping your vehicle from being contemporary art for the local livestock. However, I also am not the worst driver in the world and I doubt a tiny compact will plow through the rails.

So...anyone care to make the decision for me? I am to go test drive a base model Yaris this Wednesday, and from there I will decided to go test the Aveo or not.

To replace the Malibu or be a companion to it?

Wish I would have hung on to my YUGO !!! :D
Don't laugh that little tin can embarrased many a Honey Bee, and Festiva :p

I second beach's question. If the choice is between the Malibu and any of the others, I say stick with the 'bu. A rock-chipped, parking lot dinged, high mileage Malibu getting slightly less fuel economy (okay, could be more than slightly less depending on driving circumstances) still seems like a much better choice than the others, especially when you consider how much you'll give to a dealership to do a tradeout (in other words, the loss you'll take trading will more than make up for the $$ saved on fuel).

On the other hand, if you're trying to add a second vehicle to the stable to cut down on the miles, chips, and dings, I think dropping the Focus is a bad choice. In my opinion, it's the best of the choices you listed. Also, if you really must stick with the Chevy stable (hey, not knockin' that choice- I tend to lean that way too), why aren't you considering a Cobalt XFE? It's far and away better than the Aveo (or the Yuckis, er, Yaris), though I'd still seriously consider the Focus, especially if you get one with Ford's Sync. ;)

It is a driveway buddy. Actually, a watchdog outside the garage to be more exact :D I will not part with my 'bu just yet!

I am not a fan of the Cobalt...it's just a Cavalier with new curves to me and quite frankly I am looking for something more short-term and cheaper.

I dropped the Ford Focus for styling reasons. I do not like the appearance of the newer Focus, nor the reviews on interior quality. I tend to have boots and mud everywhere, as well as hard objects. I can't have a scuffed-up compact like a typical Metro you see flying down the street.

I really like Toyota's track record; with myself and abroad, as well as the Yaris' styling (I am one of the few freaks that like it). It also is one of the cheapest initially, though the options to make it worth my wild put it over the Aveo.

The Aveo does have the standard features the top end Toyotas are just now starting to get, but I might have to do a bit of Focus research more and post some stats about it as well where I compared the two (will be three, now).

EDIT: On top of my problems with the Focus, it is 4,000 dollars more than the Chevy and Toyota counter-parts (though they really are not in the same class). So the Focus is ruled out. I would love to support Ford, but I don't see nearly 17,000 going into another vehicle when a 21,000 Malibu was purchased recently.

My father and sister swear by the Hyundai Accent. Had a Aveo which was a piece of junk. Ford? Major Crap, AVOID! Toyota? I always liked the Corolla ;)

Tough choice.

I said Aveo because it's a Chevy...it does have a lot of things going for it though. The Aveo sedan is actually a very nice car for the price.

And I think the yaris looks like what I find in the cats' litter boxes at work...:eek:

I don't know what's odder...a Yaris compared to poo or a cat in the workplace >.>

I personally like the Yaris style wise, but hate that it lacks as many standard features as the Aveo has, and does not have very good crash test ratings.

However, it is the best fuel wise and it is a Toyota, so it'll run for about 150k before it needs its first oil change :p


EDIT:

After further research, the Toyota Warranty that comes with all new vehicles is only for 36 months or 30,000 miles for the bumper-to-bumper and 60 months or 60,000 miles for the power train.. This is unacceptable.

EDIT II:

I should be a math major :p Ends up it's 6 year 60,000 miles :D Slightly better than GM's. I think I am edging towards the Yaris, despite it lacking OnStar and many standard features I find neat.

I don't know what's odder...a Yaris compared to poo or a cat in the workplace >.>


I work at a veterinary clinic. We have four cats...and more litter boxes than you can count. :D

I have seen yarises (yarisi?) before, and they just do not appeal to me at all, especially the 3 door. Not saying the Aveo with the massive fishmouth grille is any better though...:mad: The Aveo sedan is the only subcompact that looks halfway decent IMO.

I should be a math major Ends up it's 6 year 60,000 miles Slightly better than GM's. I think I am edging towards the Yaris, despite it lacking OnStar and many standard features I find neat.

You sure about that?
http://www.chevrolet.com/warranty/

Also, think of all the money you will save not having to pay a yearly subscription to OnStar lol.


*edit - I seem to contradict myself in this post. Think what I was meaning is it sux to have to pay that OnStar subscription every year.

I don't know what's odder...a Yaris compared to poo or a cat in the workplace >.>

I personally like the Yaris style wise, but hate that it lacks as many standard features as the Aveo has, and does not have very good crash test ratings.

However, it is the best fuel wise and it is a Toyota, so it'll run for about 150k before it needs its first oil change :p


EDIT:

After further research, the Toyota Warranty that comes with all new vehicles is only for 36 months or 30,000 miles for the bumper-to-bumper and 60 months or 60,000 miles for the power train.. This is unacceptable.

EDIT II:

I should be a math major :p Ends up it's 6 year 60,000 miles :D Slightly better than GM's. I think I am edging towards the Yaris, despite it lacking OnStar and many standard features I find neat.

Uh, I'm fairly sure GM's powertrain warranty is 100k on everything now.

5 year 100,000 mile? I could have sworn my Malibu's warranty was 5 year 50,000 mile...

Oh well, still, I do not think the Aveo is running very high in my book now >.>

I am looking into the Rio5 though (Kia).

I do know where a 07 Aveo is with 16k for 6 grand. Rebuilt w/Salvaged Title though. Could probably get it for 5 grand.


*edit - take that back, it's an 06

5 year 100,000 mile? I could have sworn my Malibu's warranty was 5 year 50,000 mile...


GM Powertrain Warranty is 5 years/100,000 miles. Bumper to bumper is 3 years/??? miles.

Gotcha. So, here's a story for Toyota Customer Service:

I went into the Toyota Dealership today for my test-drive and what-not. They jacked up the pricing on the Yaris I chose (a bright yellow 5spd 3-door 2008 with power options) and they gave me a cheaper "alternative" (2009 Yaris, 5-door without power option and still 5spd). Gave me a bogus pitch of how it'll retain value and is more convenient some find with the extra set of doors (I told them that most find automatics convenient but obviously that was not the case here). I pushed for the 2008 but at the original MSRP that was on the sticker (it had been removed, but they said the price had gone up some how...possibly by how earlier this week I seemed determined to have it).

I told them I was heading off to Toyota Knoxville (100mi drive) instead, as they have a 2009 5-door bright yellow 5spd with power options for the same price they now wanted the 2008 for. They then dropped the price on the 2008 back to our original agreement (13,500-some odd). I am still considering driving to Toyota Knoxville just to pay the extra 1,800 as a slap in the face to Cumberland Toyota (my local dealership).

On the brighter side, their service department is top-notch. My dad has had his xB serviced there since 2005 and we have had no complaints; always have been timely and courteous. But this really angered me :mad: On the brighter side, though, I did enjoy the drive of the 2008 Yaris, it was peppy for the 1.5 I4 they have (probably because I weight more than the car itself) and it was not far from my previous car (its predecessor), the Toyota ECHO.

In all, I give the initial driving experience, as well as the ride, a 7/10. Malibu gets a 9.5/10, and a Focus I test drove a month ago would get a 5/10. Anyone else want me to go on joy rides and review other cars? xD

How about a Saturn Astra? Not exactly the subcompact you were looking for, but Astra owners seem to really love their cars. The only complaint is that it takes a little while to get used to the switchgear and such.

I said Aveo because it's a Chevy...

FH65, while we can tell from your sig that you are a big Chevy supporter, it is odd that your choice of those three is a Korean made Daewoo...

I say go with the Toyota, it is a more known quantity than the Aveo, IMHO.

Yeah, the Aveo is a Daewoo. Another downfall >.>

FH65, while we can tell from your sig that you are a big Chevy supporter, it is odd that your choice of those three is a Korean made Daewoo...

I say go with the Toyota, it is a more known quantity than the Aveo, IMHO.

Daewoo...owned by GM.

The Saturn Vue is a rebadged Opel Antara...the Saturn Astra is a rebadged Opel Astra...the Pontiac G8 is a rebadged Holden Commodore...the Pontiac GTO was a rebadged Holden Monaro...still all GM vehicles.

Yeah, but GM really is losing money by rebadging...all it does is create melancholy results (Unless model name is not familiar, like Opel trying to sell a car in the US). That is one reason why Mercury is going downhill for Ford, they just keep swapping Ford models over and changing two or three things.

Then again, I did like the S15 over the S10 >.>

here is an idea i would look at a used TDI. why you get up to 50mpg on the highway and a diesel engine has less moving parts and will go for about 500K miles no sweat. plus they retain their value. a new TDI is like 22K probably out of your price range but you can find used ones at better prices now that the new tdi IS OUT. The accent is around 10.3K and the elantra is around 13.2K both are good and great prices . i would add them to the list. the festiva returns next year to the usa and is really good looking and gets high mileage. also if you can find a used mini from 2007 up.... the just a cooper will get you 40mpg and they hold value also. a new one base is 18550. look at used as well as new. you might find one someone wanted and then thought was too small after buying. my dad bought a car with 75 miles on it for a great price. guy bought it and then decided it was too small and bought the biggest one trading it back in. his loss was our buy.

i forgot to mention the mazda3. you can find it for 13K to 14K now . the new 3 is due out in the spring so they are discounting the current ones to get them off the lots. mazda also has low financing like 3.9%.

Well, I walked into the Toyota dealership and told the sales manager that I would pay 12,000 in cash for a yellow Yaris 3-door liftback (for the record, I am only look at hatchbacks with fold-down seats for utility purposes...so I don't have to utilize that Cargo Liner I bought for the Malibu :p) automatic with all the options and mud flaps (I'm a sucker for mud flaps. Seriously, if my girlfriend wore mud flaps on her legs she'd, well, there are minors on this board :eek:). It is MSRP'd at 16,070. They tried talking me up to 15,800 and I told them that I had only 12,00 to spend and I could go to the Kia dealership down the road and get the same options, plus a warranty that lasted nearly twice as long as their own.

I then gave them a lecture of how I value Toyotas over Kia (both are foreign pieces of-) and that is why I was there. I then re-instated that I only had 12,000, in cash, to give. The Sales manager finally said "Well then, lets put in an order and we can have it on the lot in two weeks." He went to shake my hand and I told him we'd make formalities once I saw the car :D

Love my negotiating skills.

For the record, the Mazda3 (hatchback version...whichever it is...Mazda3-5? I don't know...) was my first overall choice (Ford product, after all) but I lost interest when I noticed how quickly their prices rose for options.

I would get a Golf-Diesel used but they're expensive for my taste.

There's something about toyota dealers...

2 years ago, my dad's Saturn SW2 died on us, and we desperately needed to find a replacement. My mom, for whatever cosmic unknown reason somehow tricked me into going to a toyota dealership to look at a corolla. Not only was this the most horribly built thing I have seen in my life, the random charges and fees tacked onto the MSRP made the car cost even more than the Malibu. There was supposedly a "rebate" available that ended up adding a thousand dollars onto the final price. Needless to say, I refused to even consider the car after that and located our '07 Malibu the very next day.

I don't know, I've never had an experience like that at a GM dealership. As long as I can remember, I walk in, point at the car I want, test drive it, inspect it, figure out what GMS pricing will be, and then pay that price. They never tacked any odd fees or charges on.

I'm a sucker for mud flaps. Seriously, if my girlfriend wore mud flaps on her legs she'd, well, there are minors on this board

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!

Seriously, for me mud guards had that kind of "I'm serious (and formal), but I'm ready to party" If you see a mid-sized sedan flying down the interstate with mud guards, one could only assume A) Grandma's pissed or B) Party time.

I will elect for the latter :p

Well, I had a terrible experiance at a Kia Dealership as well, similar to your Toyota one. I also discovered that the power train warranty Kia offers does not include a lot of the parts in the transmission and engine, such as seals, lines, and other "Never thought of until they need replaced" parts. My mother's '05 Grand Caravan also had these warranty issues when the power window motor went out.

Anyone know if GM's warranty is picky like theirs? I would hope not, it may anger a few "loyal" customers. My mom (Owned...Challenger, Dakota, Ram 2500, Neon, Avenger, Magnum [Just sold], now Grand Caravan) vows never to buy Dodge again.

Aveo just because its chevy, but here is a thought.
well you are wanting better gas milage, something just to put miles on and you love your malibu. um, get an older malibu like an 05-07. get good gas milage ( get 34 on the hwy with mine) and still have a malibu i know that you can get an 06 for about 12,000.

Let get this strait, are we talking new or used here. I've also got a Saturn Sc1 with over 150k on it and it's still running like new. overall it's in good shape and would consider replacing it's engine when it goes. I use it as my daily driver, it's paid for and gets over 30 mpg.

Well, I've decided to throw the money in the bank and let it build up. With college tuition possibly rising again I would like the buffer :D

For the record, I found a used 2007 Scion tC which had a 100,000mi unlimited year powertrain guarantee from Toyota Knoxville for 14,500 which was a killer deal (had been wrecked, not on title, everything Toyota repaired and authorized, I could not even notice any previous damage until I got under it and noticed a pair of new bolts compared to old bolts). But I have decided to keep the money :D

Who knows, I may turn around and buy a Festiva when they come out :cool:

I answered this poll just for the fun of it. I would not replace my Bu with any of these cars. If you were looking for a companion to get good gas mileage and lots of highway miles while being able to carry alot of junk while your nice Bu statayed parked in the temperature controlled garage...

Ok I'm rambling, but for a small car like the ones in the poll (I picked other) I would choose something like a new Pontiac Vibe. My mom and her fiancee got one so she wouldn't put so many mile on her Monte Carlo SS and so they wouldn't have to drive the Yukon with the high gas prices (um...the high prices like in June...no the $1.89 I paid the other day :D )

The new 08's are pretty nice little cars...they are made along side the Toyota Matrix, but my family supports GM all the way so they got the Vibe. There is a ton of room inside when you fold the seats down and its is a good little car to drive the s*#t out of on the highway.