Subaru Legacy GT

 

Basically the Milan is nothing more than a ford fusion. Crap car with nicer clothes. Have you looked into the Mazda 6? Starts at 22 or up to 28 for the Speed6. Plus she could get the wagon, base at 24. Looks better than an accord, yet will still be more reliable than the merc (even though mazda is owned by ford as well).

 

+1 My gf had one as a loaner and that thing kicked ***

 

What's up with all the "Merc is crap" stuff? I dare someone to show me some indisputable facts about Milans specifically, not just generic data from days of yore. It looks to me as if it's a fine car. Anyways how about a Hyundai Sonata? 235hp in a $21K package seems to fit her criteria pretty well.

 

Um, days of yore?? Merc is crap. It is a rebadged Ford. That isnt a bad thing, I love Fords (hence the name), but aside from trucks and SUV's mustangs and the now discontinued GT, they really dont have much to offer. I dare you to show me evidence otherwise.

And have you ever driven a Hyundai? They are cheap and quality is WAY up compared to their days of yore, good prices and great warrenty, but they drive like ****.

 

I'm not saying Merc is crap, I'm saying it's for old people (except the Marauder, gawd that is a butch car).

And the styling of the Milan is a bit tosh compared to other cars in it's range. It has to be since the old *** people buying it are generally more conservative.

If I were buying a compact economy sedan, the Volvo S40 would top my list, no doubt about it. Modern, but elegant lines that aren't gaudy, well finished interior (including that pimp-*** "waterfall" console), legendary safety record, still technically buying USA for the zealous patriots and a sporty performance while still being comfy and economical. And I hear they're making an S40 based C70 coupe, which oddly enough is something I might consider as a daily driver if I ever get smacked straight in the face with a Sensibility Mallet.

However, the new Sonata isn't a bad looking car, it's just the badge (and the fact that it's obviously just trying to snake away Accord sales by blatant imitation) that kills it.

 

i like the mercury, i thought it looks pretty good. from what i think i read about it, it is based closely to the mazda 6, same chassis and alot of other parts. The ford engines are pretty good and parts and labor are very cheap. I dont think that your mom has to worry about the reliability as i dont see here pushing the car hard and will prolly do all the maintenence. I might be going on a limb here but i like the styling, first time in history a mercury turned my head. i like the way the lights look. so the mercury has my vote

 

Like I said, my recommendation would be the Sub Legacy GT. Gobs of power, great reliability. Since she keeps cars for a long time, who cares about the resale value. If you're going with the Milan though, you may want to wait a little while until it's available with new 3.5 V6.

 

I don't like modern American cars when compared to cars from German and Japanese companies. It's a look thing and about personal preference. I wasn't trying to start up my own branch of Consumer Reports. [8D]

 

My mom will soon be looking into cars in a simmilar price range, maybe toping out at 30k. Im gonna look at Saabs, Audis and Volvo. (Slightly used)