I want to buy new car -sedan. At my age,at plus 70 probably my last. A 4 with some zip, or 6. Turbo vs regular engine. Honda vs Toyota. Small vs midsize . Example Civic vs Accord, Corolla vs Camry, Regular vs Hybrid. 75% of my driving is city. I'm more interested more about quality and longevity than I am in cost. What is your opinion? Thank you for any advice, Tom
Scotty has said that if he'd buy a new car it'd be a Toyota Corolla hatchback - but sadly neither it nor the Corolla Cross have arrived on the US market in their hybrid configurations.
Turbo vs regular engine
Regular engines last longer and nowadays they have similar zip,
As far as the driving experience, Toyota's 2.0 NA is similar to Honda's 1.5T (10 horsepower difference).
Small vs midsize
The price difference is usually under $6k new, but midsize cars offer a much better experience.
Regular vs Hybrid
Hybrid cars offer powertrain durability and reliability in the short run - but complex electronics and batteries fail after roughly 10-15 years of use.
Regular cars, on the other hand, tend to last longer but have less bulletproof powertrains.
75% of my driving is city
It's best to avoid a regular CVT, eCVT and AT are probably the way to go.
I'm more interested more about quality and longevity than I am in cost
I think that the best option is either a Camry or a Camry hybrid.
The main difference being that Camry hybrids, like all hybrids, last only 10-15 years, after which the battery fails.
Additionally, a Corolla Hybrid also might be a decent choice - they're well built compact cars.
Additionally, you might want to consider a RAV4 or a Corolla Cross, they are not sedans, but they offer a roomier more comfortable body design.
nor the Corolla Cross have arrived on the US market in their hybrid configurations.
The 2023 Corolla Cross will be available in hybrid version too:
https://www.toyota.com/upcoming-vehicles/corollacrosshybrid/
I know, hence "have not arrived" and not "are not available" - but it's not worth waiting for, since it's rated at under 40 mpg
https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/corolla-cross-goes-hybrid-for-2023-gets-37-mpg.html
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It's a disaster compared to the 54 mpg that the 1.8L hybrid Corolla Cross available in other regions.
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Sadly that seems to be also true of the new 2023 Prius which also will have the 2.0L M20A-FXS instead of the old reliable 1.8L 2ZR-FXE (on the US market), although in that case Toyota does claim that it will average over 50 mpg, so maybe it's not that bad after all.
I just was trying to say that it is coming in case OP wants to wait to buy a Corolla Cross hybrid; that's all.
If you want quality and longevity, you are better off going with Toyota over Honda. The Toyota’s you listed are all good choices. Test drive them all and see which you like. How many miles a year will you put on it? Since you do a lot of city driving, a Toyota hybrid can also make sense.
Well it really boils down to what you need. If a small sedan works well for you then go with a Corolla or Civic. If bigger sedan then Accord or Camry. If longevity and quality then I would say avoid cars with turbocharged engines.
Those who do a lot of city driving like Uber drivers do buy hybrid which makes sense, but even though 75 percent of your driving is city driving how much do you drive? Is it enough to justify hybrid? Because with a hybrid it's going to cost more to buy, but also more to break down, along with definitely at some point having to change the battery.
So given all of this I would say go with a not turbocharged gasoline only Toyota or Honda.
Turbo vs regular engine: As much as possible, get one with a regular engine Turbo’s used to be for the zippy cars. But these days turbo’s are used to meet fuel consumption and emissions requirements.
Honda vs Toyota: Both great. Edge goes to Toyota for longevity and total cost of ownership overall. My personal preference is Honda, because I like their interior, user interface, and styling better than Toyota on most models, while still pretty reliable.
Small vs midsize. (Civic vs Accord, Corolla vs Camry): Size is really a personal preference thing. I used to prefer the Accord/Camry over the Civic/Corolla. But todays cars have grown in size, where a Civic/Corolla of today is practically the size of an Accord/Camry of 20 years ago.
Regular vs Hybrid: If you do choose hybrid, Toyota had the bigger edge in terms of time tested hybrid reliability. Honda’s could be great too, but it is such a new technology, that we don’t know. If you mainly do city driving, a hybrid could serve you well. At the same time, if you want to keep your car forever, a gas is less complex to maintain.
