also, shit’s really hitting the fan in the states right now for corolla / matrix sales so i know TMS (us sales office) is desperate to push any of these. maybe if you have a link in the states you can negotiate something with a dealer down there. i’m almost certain you could save a lot more this way. canadian sales are apparently still strong.
but then again…maybe you want to wait until '10/'11 for the cvt tranny option.
Isn’t it true that if you buy a NEW vehicle in the states, you basically have to pay the difference of what it would cost in Canada when you hit the boarder?
This way Canadian Auto Sales are protected or else every Canadian would drive an hour over the boarder to the nearest dealer and pick up a car there.
not sure about that. if it’s some recent law then i wouldn’t be surprised but samson, i know sang (from loo) was looking into getting an '07 (i think) wrx from the states last year and his main reason was because everything on paper was so much cheaper in the end. i’m pretty sure he would’ve encountered this problem at some point since the deal was pretty much done and he didn’t mention anything about paying a difference. the wrx he was getting was brand new too not used.
kimmmerkaze: :bowdown: Thanks for the detailed info.
The alignment issue I can deal with; I just don’t want the rear suspension taking a dump as it has on the Contour. As a matter of fact, I don’t want any suspension piece taking a dump as I can imagine it being a costly repair.
Volvo C30? :ugh: That’s like 2x over my budget bro.
Going to go start hitting up dealers this weekend and see how things are. Definitely some good info here boys. 
For now I’m still convinced on the Corolla and haven’t changed my mind to anything else (which I guess is good)
np, i’d say you’re not risking much at all by going with the corolla but for benchmarking purposes take a civic sedan out for a spin too if you haven’t already. if you’re going to be doing some spirited driving once in awhile with this car, try to feel out the differences in footwork between the civic and corolla i think you might find the corolla has some more roll and isn’t quite as tight as the civic…which may give you the perception of harsher ride quality in the civic (but i think it’s at a pretty good level for a dd).
also, i don’t know if the new civic manuals are solid link, but if they are and you’re set on a std i wouldn’t even consider the corolla’s cable link as i mentioned before.
gonad let me know what you think of the corolla if you take it out for a spin i wouldn’t mind seeing what you think could be improved or changed. in my field it’s always a plus to get an idea of different customer perception levels. if you have any other questions about the car i’ll try my best to find something.
and samson my bad, i think sang’s subie he found actually had a few km’s on it…just really really little so it was used after all.
good link on people buying new in the states and saving more than just a couple hundred dollars. check it out, it will most likely be worth it.
Ok, so today I decided to go see some dealers, since they’re having these “Civic Holiday” specials.
First up, Honda Civic DX.
Test drove the 08 Civic DX Auto (A/C). For the price was given (like $19K+tax+stuff), there was nothing; no keyless entry, power lock, MP3 playback, and weird of all, no armrest; wtf :ugh:
The car drove real nice, very smooth, and overall it was very comfortable.
Room wise, it was pretty good as driver/passenger; the rears were ok, nothing amazing.
But for some reason for the price, I felt the car was pretty watered down, unless you spent like $3000+ or whatever on the next level up.
Next up, Nissan Versa SL.
Nissan wasn’t even my choice but my bro had driven a Versa and really loved it so I figured why not; plus it was pretty affordable.
My first impression after climbing in one in the showroom: :eek3: Holy wow, talk about legroom, and comfort. I could sit in the back, with the front seat all the way back, and I could cross my leg. The seats were really nice and it just felt really comfortable being in one.
Took it for a drive, and it drove real nice, even for a 1.8L 122hp/128lbft car. Pickup was smooth and surprisingly quick. Visibility was really good as well; I was impressed.
Talked some numbers and financing wise, it was a little better then the Civic; but with more features.
Last up, Toyota CE.
I walk in, and first thing, I decide to check the car out in the showroom. Holy wow, talk about cramped. There was VERY LITTLE legroom in the back and climbing in and out was rather awkward for me (6ft)
I want something that can be entered easily, because my mom has leg condition that makes her hard to get in and out of a car. Clearly the Toyota didn’t offer that.
After experiencing the Versa, I didn’t even felt like wasting my time test-driving the Corolla. Sure it would have been a nicer drive or whatever, but it didn’t offer comfort and would have been a bit more costly than the Versa.
Overall, I’m very impressed with the Versa and I think it’s what I’ve decided to get.
I’m going to test drive and check it out some more before finalizing.
Any Nissan sales people in Mississauga/Brampton want my business? :naughty:
Gonad you should also check out the Honda Fit, looks small but their is plenty of leg room in the front and back.