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What car to get...?
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| tatgirl |
Ok, I'm in the market for a new set of wheels, but completely clueless on what to get. I've decided its gotta be Japanese this time, & I wanna buy a demo or slightly used vehicle from a dealership to save on costs.
I want it to be safe (ie: snow), and good on mileage. My dad thinks I should consider the Corolla, Civic or Elantra. Anyone have any experience?
Also lookin at that Prius, tho I know its in another price range altogether. Know anyone who has one, or know how it handles? I'm really not keen on its design (I hate hatchbacks, & like big secure trunks, that u can't access thru a broken window).
Ok car officionados- help me out! |
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| El Kay Dee |
wats ur budget?
how old a car are u willing to buy?
whats ur main need in the car??? interior space/trunkspace/efficiency on gas so on and so forth... |
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| kabelicious |
Althoug it is slightly more expensive than comparable models like the Saturn or the Focus, I would recommend the Honda Civic. I bought mine in 2002 brand new and have but 82000 miles on it to date - the only things I have had to have replaced or fix were new tires, new brakepads, and oil changes.
It gets great mileage - at least 350-400 miles to a full tank on road trips. The 4-door is roomy for passengers but the seat folds for easy moving on stuff. It's comfortable, it handles well in snow, and the engine still sounds new. And it's a low car-theft item because it's a Honda. It also has a feature that has saved my ass many times - you cannot lock the driver's side door from the inside - you have to do it outside the car so I NEVER LOCK MY KEYS IN THE CAR anymore. :)
In regards to the trunk, you can lock the backseat so there is no access through the vehicle and you can also lock the trunk from the driver's side so that it's locked until your main key unlocks it (automatic trunk opener won't work) and the valet key that you get dosen't unlock the trunk either.
When I go to graduate school, I am going to re-finance and keep my Yoda. If I take good care of him, he should last till 150,000 miles or more. |
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| infinity HiGH |
The Civic is low-theft there ??
Isn't the Civic one of the highest stolen cars here in T.O? |
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| kabelicious |
| quote: | Originally posted by infinity HiGH
The Civic is low-theft there ??
Isn't the Civic one of the highest stolen cars here in T.O? |
In Detroit, it's sneered at - they mostly want Focus, Taurus, or Grand Am's here along with the Jeep Cherokees and the Ford Explorers. And most car theft occurs here due to what's IN your vehicle and visible - especially in downtown Detroit.
But on the National level, I just looked and you're right - it's like the number third most stolen vehicle. wow - good to know. :) |
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| Cuzo |
| quote: | Originally posted by kabelicious
In Detroit, it's sneered at - they mostly want Focus, Taurus, or Grand Am's here along with the Jeep Cherokees and the Ford Explorers. All the foreign cars get ignored for theft here.... |
That's interesting Kris, I didn't know in the old school pride "we are in the big three country" ...affects criminals decisions.
...with all the layoff and such, ppl are still loyal to domestics. |
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| kabelicious |
| quote: | Originally posted by Cuzo
That's interesting Kris, I didn't know in the old school pride "we are in the big three country" ...affects criminals decisions.
...with all the layoff and such, ppl are still loyal to domestics. |
lol
it's easier to sell at chop shops? |
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| Moral Hazard |
| I take it things went well with the at fault party's insurer. |
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| VERTiG0 |
The Prius is a joke, don't even bother. VW diesels get better fuel economy for nearly the same money. Too bad the VW will completely fall apart around the driveline though.
I'm going to second the Corolla/Civic sentiment your father gave you, they are 2 of the most reliable cars out there. In fact, if I were to buy a brand new daily driver car now, I'd get a Corolla XRS. Mmm, sleeper. Corolla with a 2ZZ-GE (Celica GT-S and Matrix XRS engine).
BUT anyway, what is your budget, and what exactly are you looking for? 4-cyl, 6-cyl, 2-door, 4-door, sedan, hatchback, FWD, AWD, RWD? A 'city car' perhaps?
If the latter is the case, check out the new Toyota Yaris 3 and 5 door models, and the Honda Fit seems to be one worth waiting for too. Also, the upcoming Nissan Versa. |
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| MarkT |
as much as I hate the cars for being boring and uninspiring as hell...Civic/Corolla is a great suggestion for their reliability and resale value. If you're really on a budget, Integras are reliable as well (same , different branding).
Focus has a really bad rep...well, I owned one for two years and drove it pretty hard, modified it, and had very few problems at all. Handles *exceptionally* well. You'll want snow tires for winter, because the stock all-seasons suck ass and they depreciate quickly vs. other compacts like Civic/Corolla.
If you're able to spend a few bucks...try to find an entry level used AWD Subaru...best AWD system on a car, IMHO, and you'll love it in the winter and poor weather. |
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| VERTiG0 |
Yeah, an '02+ Subaru Impreza 2.5TS is a good suggestion for an entry-level Scooby. Typical Japanese econobox interior but well built, and that outstanding Subaru AWD system as the icing on the cake. Their Achilles heel though is that because of the design of their 50/50 split all-wheel-drive system, fuel economy is less than stellar. Now, don't get me wrong, it isn't terrible, but it's nothing like a Civic or Corolla would get.
Speaking of fuel economy, CanadianDriver recently did a fuel economy test and found that an '05 Civic averaged almost 4.9L/100km (that's 57mpg!).
Read here: http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/pw/50-litre.htm |
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| niveole |
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