I posted last week or so mentioning that my wife (no pics) and I were going to replace her Nissan Murano with another CUV/SUV about the same size. We had a frank discussion and she realized that she doesn't need a CUV/SUV and instead would focus on a sedan. I'm happy because it'll save us some money but now... what to look for?

Initially, it was a Subaru Forester. Then a Chevy Malibu. I mentioned she can get an Impala for almost the same price (used) as a Malibu or a Taurus for a bit more...

So, who here has a 2014 Impala LTZ that they can give me their experiences on? I'd rather she get an Impala over a Malibu because we drove one to Tennessee for a week a few years ago and the passenger seat was lower than the driver's seat. It felt like the passenger was a tiny child compared to the driver.

And for you Ford fans, the Taurus might be a contender. Anyone have a 2014 Taurus limited they can share experiences with?

Must have items:

Leather
Heated seats

Thanks

Mazda 6.  Best vehicle in its class.  Top safety pick from the IIHS, highly recommended by consumer reports, on  car and drivers 10 best list (and comparison winner), and can get up to 40mpg.  What's not to like?

The taurus is getting a re-design for 2016, just something to keep in mind.

That being said, the NA 3.5L is a great motor.  Surprisingly quick, no issues that have cropped up.

The car itself is pretty stout.  Lots of them out in the police world that are holding up far better than the chargers.  Ours have been great and they have over 60k HARD miles on them, but since we have the AWD, ours have the lincoln 3.7L in them (very similar to the 3.5).

Very comfortable car.  Shifts like butter, rides very well.

The interior though is small for the size of the car.  

Try and track down a SHO and you can have a low 13 second rocket

We rented a 14 Taurus Limited for a trip a while back. The wife and I LOVED it. Very nice ride. Plush interior and a lot more stomp that I expected. If we were looking for a sedan it would be on a very short list. Never had cooled seats before. Those were pretty sweet in the heat of the summer.

On what planet are these numbers considered quick?

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2013-ford-taurus-sel-awd-instrumented-test-review

There are cars with lower output 4 cylinder engines that are as fast or faster than the current taurus with the 3.5L V6.

On the planet that it lives in, being a 4000+ durable commuter tank that can take a beating with awd and a relatively small engine with decent fuel economy.  Motor also has a nice usable powerband with torque in the right spot and appropriate gearing in the trans.  When you need power, it has it at the right time.

Quick for again....what.  It.  Is.

Just buy a Certified Used 12/13 Lexus IS250 for 25k.  AWD, great trans, heated/cooled seats, attractive...  Seriously.

I bought a 2006 Impala brand new with 15 miles on it.

In 5 years.
Both head gaskets failed
drivers side window motor died
heater had issues multiple times due to air bubbles in the lines causing it to blow cold unless I was accelerating
rear defrost solder failed
leaks under the driver and passenger mirrors
battery replaced 3 times
if the batter died you have no way to access the trunk, where do you keep your jumper cables?

There are more issues if I can remember them all.

Thanks for the responses. And they bring new questions:

Is the Mazda 6 in the same class size wise as the Malibu or the Taurus and Impala?

While the thought of picking up a Taurus SHO is nice, and having a 13 second rocket is appealing, I've got my 2011 Taurus (which replaced a 2006 Maxima that I loved) and I like the Taurus more... but when the car for my wife (no pics) is paid off I'm getting a corvette.

I'd like to look at the IS250 but isn't that the same size as the Corolla or is it a separate platform that Lexus has that Toyota doesn't? Serious question because I don't know and my wife (no pics) already said she doesn't want anything like an Accord or Camry size wise.

And we'd like to keep the price closer to $20k instead of $25 and she said she wants a 2014 model so I think that eliminates the Lexus. Unfortunately.


Vengarr, thank you for your input. I realize that Chevy doesn't have the best track record when it comes to their vehicles but supposedly they've stepped up their game some. I've had imports mostly since the 1990's. Mazda Protégé with no issues, Toyota Celica with issues that I ignored but they weren't enough to stop it, Nissan Maxima had a cracked radiator (covered by warranty), Titan (warranty fixed issues), Altima (water pump quit, radiator cracked but the car is old), Mercury Villager with no issues, Chevy S10 blazer alternator died, VW Passat with no issues until it was wrecked, Ford Taurus with 1 warranty fix.

From my research, the Impala that debuted in 2014 (not the fleet model) shouldn't even be considered as the same car as previous Impalas... and with it being a new model it has its share of recalls but no more than any other model on average I think. I haven't done a deep dive on that info and crunched any numbers yet because we're still casting about for her car finding what she likes and doesn't like.

IS250 is its own thing.  Similar in size to a 3 series BMW.  So smaller than a Taurus.

Certified warranty for Lexus is 3yr/100kmi, which is why I like them for a used car.

Mazda 6 is similar to the malibu, but smaller than the taurus/impala. (though the taurus is barely larger than mazda 6)  The toyota avalon is the only other major competitor in that size range.

Also I don't see how you will get a new 2014 taurus/impala for around ~20k.  Base price is in the upper 20's and you do not want a base impala with the 4 cylinder engine.  Only the mazda comes close to that pricepoint new.

Go test drive a Passat.

The 2014 Impala is an odd year as they made both body styles at the same time.

The new body style car is dam nice. I would get one over anything else in a split second if I had to get a mid size car.  

Lucky for me, I get to drive full size SUVs and avoid the car market altogether.

I've been very happy with my Accord Sport.

You'll have to move up trim levels to the EX-L for leather and heated seats, but the Accord is a very good car for the money.

Eh, care to explain this discrepancy?

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2014-mercedes-benz-e350-4matic-sedan-test-review

Yeah, I made the mistake of looking just at '14 Impalas. There wasn't a photo of the car. The '14 Impala Limited Fleet which were the ones I was seeing are the old body style with its uninspired and anemic suspension and gutless engine. Those are running $18k or so. The '14 Impala LTZ with the v-6 runs around $26k where I was looking. That's the one I'm liking. Nicely styled and reports say its worthy of the Impala name. It's up to my wife of course.

She's going to be driving it so she has to like the car. I'll add the Mazda to the list. It's in the price range.

Thanks for the input

No Subaru Legacy? The 6 cylinder version is quite fun to drive.
Other than that, I'd seriously consider the Mazda 6.

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