Thanks for all that info Klayfish! I’ll throw the Jetta off my list. It was a last minute addition to my consideration list because the new Jetta seemed to have a lot going for it, but at this point I want reliability. I’m actually relieved to hear that the Spark is as bad as I’ve been thinking it is. It’s such a cute car and I’ve been reluctant to part with it, but it’s started just giving out when at stoplights (have to turn off/on the car) and the shop can’t find anything wrong with it. Ugh.
I’ll add Mazda to my list and focus on Honda and Kia. Also- is the Malibu a reliable car? I swore off Chevy (and American cars) after this Spark but I know they have some good deals going on and my dealership may work with me.
Great to know about the highway driving too. My commute just jumped from suburban streets to a lot of 80+ highway, and gas mileage is now a big concern. I don’t know why but my Spark seems to chug gas for such a tiny car.
Remember, the Spark isn't an "American" car anyway. It's Korean, and from a company that has a very poor quality reputation. GM owns Daewoo, but has never addressed the quality issues, they're terrible cars overall. They've been selling cars here as Chevy and Pontiacs for many years, and all have been garbage.
The concept of "American" cars or "Japanese" cars is sort of blurry anyway now, it's a very global market. Chrysler is owned by Fiat, all Honda Accords sold in the USA are built here and specific to the US market, on and on.... But generally speaking, the American nameplates are inferior to the Asian nameplates (with the exception of Daewoo). The Malibu isn't a bad car per se, it's just not quite as good as the Accord, Camry, Altima. It'll be decently reliable, not as good as a Honda, but far better than the Spark. The reason I mentioned it is that you can get them cheaper than the Accord. If you need A to B transportation, they aren't bad.
Your Spark has to work hard to keep up highway speeds, hence fuel mileage isn't as good as you'd like.
If you're doing a lot of highway driving, I'd really suggest looking at a somewhat larger car that's more comfortable on the highway. The only one on your list that won't seem a bit buzzy will be the Soul. I'd recommend a lightly used Civic, Corolla, Elantra, Mazda3. Or one size bigger, like the Accord, Camry, Mazda6, Malibu, Sonata/Optima. Here's an example of a low mileage CPO Accord that costs less than a brand new Soul.
https://www.breakawayhonda.com/used-Greenville-2016-Honda-Accord-LX-1HGCR2F37GA041425 I don't know your budget or location, but this was just an example.
You won't go wrong with the Yaris, Soul or Fit. They're all
really good cars. But for lots of highway duty, I'd go a bit bigger. My commute is 60 miles each way, mostly highway. I wouldn't do it in a Fit, even though I love the car (used to own one). From early 2016 to early 2018 I had a '13 Hyundai Elantra as my commuter. Plenty comfortable on the highway, very reliable and easily got 35-36mpg. I have automotive ADHD, I don't keep cars more than 12-24 months
, so I got something nicer last year. I'd put the Elantra in the same recommended class as the Corolla, Civic.
It's crazy. Never thought I could love a car so much and, being a Japanese auto buyer/cheerleader, it scared me to death!!!
