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Leperflesh
May 17, 2007

Just to add to what nm posted,

Sub Par posted:

And can we expect anything off of the sticker price if we are paying in cash? Thanks, internet.

No. The opposite, actually - a dealership makes money on financing and would love to push their financing on you.

Which is why, when buying cars, you always negotiate price first, and only after you have a firm number, discuss how you will be paying. If you are going to consider financing, get a quote from your bank (esp. a local credit union) and have that in your pocket when you go to buy your car. After settling on a price, you can raise the issue of financing and see if they offer you something better than your bank did. If they don't, then you can show them your bank's offer and see if they'd like to beat it.

Also keep in mind that the sticker price of a used car at a dealership is virtually always a hilarious mark-up only actually paid by total suckers. If you see a car you like, one of your first questions should be something like "Well, this looks OK, I guess, but would you work with me on this price?" and their answer is almost always going to be "yes."

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reflex
Aug 9, 2009

I'd rather laugh with the mudders than cry with the saints. The mudders are much more fun. Hoorah.
Proposed Budget: $10,000 or under
New or Used: Used
Body Style: Hatchback
How will you be using the car?: Driving to and from work plus socializing. I will be taking whatever I get to go backpacking/camping so something that is hard to break into/can take a gravel road well. It could be abandoned for days at a time.
What aspects are most important to you? Reliability and cheap gas. I just graduated so I'm not making mad money or anything. I also need to be able to sleep in it comfortably (a hatchpack in which I can throw down the back seats and sleep in the back is ideal).
Where?: Edmonton, AB

Phone
Jul 30, 2005

親子丼をほしい。
Honda Fit (magic rear seats)
Mazda3 Hatchback
Mazda Protege5
Ford Focus ZX3 or ZX5 (cheaper end of the spectrum)

Tenacious J
Nov 20, 2002

I'm about to buy my first car and have a few questions - however, here's this first:

Proposed Budget: Around $17,000
New or Used: Prefer new
Body Style: Sedan or SUV
How will you be using the car?: City driving, very rare road trips.
What aspects are most important to you? Comfort (I'm 6'4", and want QoL features that most new cars have.)
Where?: Edmonton, AB

I'm thinking about the 2012 Civic LX, but that is at the top end of what I'm willing to pay. Again, this is my first car. My income is about $3100/month, living expenses are around $2000 for everything. If I need a used car, what would you recommend?

Can you clarify how financing works? In my city, Honda, Ford, Hyundai, and Toyota have a several 0% financing deals happening right now so that seems like a good way to go, but I'm suspicious that 0% isn't the bottom line/a good idea.

If I go with a bank loan, it seems like TD Bank can't offer less than 4% financing (what I saw online). However, does that mean I can arrange bank financing and then go to a dealer to buy a car full out with "cash"? If so, there are some deals to save $2000 or $3000 for cash purchases.

I'm pretty lost with all of this despite the time I've put in researching it. There are lots of ways to go, and dealerships seem to like the confuse the issue. Thanks in advance for your input.

atomicthumbs
Dec 26, 2010


We're in the business of extending man's senses.
I'm looking to buy my first car soon.

Proposed budget: $1-5000
New or Used: used, obviously (from the 90s, or early 2000s if I can find one within budget)
Body style: Coupe or sedan (small to midsized), maybe hatchback or wagon
How I will be using the car: commuting short distances to work, elsewhere; possible long-distance road trips, camping, occasionally driving my family around (4 people total)
Important aspects: Reliability, good handling, high gas mileage, long range before refuel, good wet-weather traction, okay cargo space, not domestic,
Location: north Bay Area, California

Until now, I've been driving a Volvo 960, so I may have been spoiled in respect to the car's handling characteristics, since I can't really afford to maintain a Volvo or fuel something with a 2.9 liter engine in it.

I'm mostly going to be driving to and from work in this; ideally, it would have good handling characteristics (not sure it'd be possible to match the Volvo's in my price range; I don't mind switching to FWD), high gas mileage, and good reliability.

I don't plan to drive it in the snow anytime soon, but I would very much like to have a car that feels sure-footed when driving in a heavy rain storm.

Range is also important to me, since I'm planning on taking some road trips, possibly very long ones (think California to Alaska) sometime in the future. A decent amount of cargo space would be nice, too, for the same reason.

I'd like something with an automatic transmission, preferably one that performs okay, since I don't know how to drive a manual and am not sure how competent I would be in stop-and-go traffic; however, a manual transmission is not by any means a dealbreaker.

So far, I've been looking at Hondas and Acuras, and I have no idea which cars Toyota offers are good. I've also been idly contemplating Saabs, since I love their ergonomics and handling, but hate the poo poo reliability. Subarus seem nice, especially the 4-wheel-drive ones, but I don't know anything about their reliability or other characteristics; same for Mazdas and Nissans.

atomicthumbs fucked around with this message at 02:41 on Jul 27, 2012

Throatwarbler
Nov 17, 2008

by vyelkin

atomicthumbs posted:

I'm looking to buy my first car soon.

Proposed budget: $1-5000
New or Used: used, obviously (from the 90s, or early 2000s if I can find one within budget)
Body style: Coupe or sedan (small to midsized), maybe hatchback or wagon
How I will be using the car: commuting short distances to work, elsewhere; possible long-distance road trips; occasionally driving my family around (4 people total)
Important aspects: Reliability, good handling, high gas mileage, long range before refuel, good wet-weather traction, okay cargo space, not domestic,
Location: north Bay Area, California

Until now, I've been driving a Volvo 960, so I may have been spoiled in respect to the car's handling characteristics, since I can't really afford to maintain a Volvo or fuel something with a 2.9 liter engine in it.

I'm mostly going to be driving to and from work in this; ideally, it would have good handling characteristics (not sure it'd be possible to match the Volvo's in my price range; I don't mind switching to FWD), high gas mileage, and good reliability.

I don't plan to drive it in the snow anytime soon, but I would very much like to have a car that feels sure-footed when driving in a heavy rain storm.

Range is also important to me, since I'm planning on taking some road trips, possibly very long ones (think California to Alaska) sometime in the future. A decent amount of cargo space would be nice, too, for the same reason.

I'd like something with an automatic transmission, preferably one that performs okay, since I don't know how to drive a manual and am not sure how competent I would be in stop-and-go traffic; however, a manual transmission is not by any means a dealbreaker.

So far, I've been looking at Hondas and Acuras, and I have no idea which cars Toyota offers are good. I've also been idly contemplating Saabs, since I love their ergonomics and handling, but hate the poo poo reliability. Subarus seem nice, especially the 4-wheel-drive ones, but I don't know anything about their reliability or other characteristics; same for Mazdas and Nissans.

Well I have a few ideas but they are all domestics and you don't want domestics so since you know more about cars than us why are you here?

atomicthumbs
Dec 26, 2010


We're in the business of extending man's senses.

Throatwarbler posted:

Well I have a few ideas but they are all domestics and you don't want domestics so since you know more about cars than us why are you here?

A lot of the places I've looked say that domestic cars are crap, but I would be happy to hear of any that aren't!

Also it said to put "domestic/import" in the OP if it was something I considered important, so I did. No need to be a dick about it.

reflex
Aug 9, 2009

I'd rather laugh with the mudders than cry with the saints. The mudders are much more fun. Hoorah.
Is there a reason I'm seeing many 2009-2011 Hyundai Accent Hatchbacks with low km (>50000km) on sale for $8000-10,000 CDN? Do these cars not hold value? Is there some kind of problem with recent Accents? A brand new automatic is $17,000+.

saintonan
Dec 7, 2009

Fields of glory shine eternal

Leperflesh posted:

No. The opposite, actually - a dealership makes money on financing and would love to push their financing on you.

Just to pile on a little more, I've paid cash for my last two cars, but I've financed them both to take advantage of various deals and offers. There's absolutely nothing wrong with taking out a loan under whatever interest rate and length the dealer gets a kickback from and then immediately requesting a payoff and sending the finance company a check for that amount. Doing it this way can save you anywhere from $500 to $3000 or more depending on what offers are out there at a given time.

The only two things you need to guarantee are a) there is no prepayment penalty, and b) there is no minimum time the loan needs to be open. As long as those two conditions are met, you're getting a nifty rebate for the cost of a few days interest.

Throatwarbler
Nov 17, 2008

by vyelkin

reflex posted:

Is there a reason I'm seeing many 2009-2011 Hyundai Accent Hatchbacks with low km (>50000km) on sale for $8000-10,000 CDN? Do these cars not hold value? Is there some kind of problem with recent Accents? A brand new automatic is $17,000+.

There was a body style change in 2011 and the 2012 model is significantly improved from the 2006-2011 model.

This is how it works with all cars. When they first come out they largely sell for MSRP and the used prices stay high. After a while the product becomes stale and the car maker has to do something to move it. If you are a lovely company like GM then you don't do anything and as the product becomes less competitive you are forced to cut prices through incentives or big sales to rental fleets, which then forces prices down on the used market. So in the last years of the 2006-11 Accent, the car that MSRPed for about $14k or whatever starts getting actual transaction prices closer to $11-$12k at best which turns into $9k-$10k in 1-2 years.

Grumpwagon
May 6, 2007
I am a giant assfuck who needs to harden the fuck up.

saintonan posted:

The only two things you need to guarantee are a) there is no prepayment penalty, and b) there is no minimum time the loan needs to be open. As long as those two conditions are met, you're getting a nifty rebate for the cost of a few days interest.

I agree with this, but I'd add a 3rd thing: Make sure you're not passing up on dealer cash back worth more than the financing incentives.

saintonan
Dec 7, 2009

Fields of glory shine eternal

Grumpwagon posted:

I agree with this, but I'd add a 3rd thing: Make sure you're not passing up on dealer cash back worth more than the financing incentives.

I'm sure this varies a lot, but the only time I've seen this conflict is with "special" financing (the 0% for 48 months or whatever low interest thing they have going). If you finance at their "regular" finance rate, you can get both the dealer cash and the financing rebate.

Leperflesh
May 17, 2007

atomicthumbs posted:

I'm looking to buy my first car soon.

Proposed budget: $1-5000...
Important aspects: Reliability, good handling, high gas mileage,
...
Location: north Bay Area, California

I think you are going to be hard-pressed to get all of these things. Your best bet is probably a decrepit (in terms of paint, interior condition, trim, etc.) but reliable old honda or toyota, in terms of budget and reliability, but you're not going to also get great handling in a early-to-mid-90s econobox with 200k on the clock. And at this price it's going to have a fuckton of miles on it, so "reliable" only refers to the engine and (manual) transmission, assuming you take care of timing belt changes on time and the previous owner's have been reasonably frequent with the oil changes.

The real issue is that, here in the bay area especially but all over the country generally, a car that gets good mileage, and is reliable, is worth $5k+ to everyone. The economy has been bad so people have been competing on the used market for these gems, driving their prices up. There's loads of $3k cars out there, tons and tons of them... but most of them are not that reliable any more, and/or get like 22mpg.

I don't want to totally discourage you of course: but I think you'll have to compromise, at least on the "reliability" end of things. A sub-$5k car is going to need regular maintenance, it's going to have parts and systems that are at or near the end of their servicable life, and to keep it running you will need to fix or replace these things. The really expensive ones are engine and transmission; cars known for highly reliable engines and transmissions include (manual) hondas and civics, which carry a premium on the used market.

If you are flexible on exterior condition, cleanliness, and can afford to spend a lot of time checking out cars on Craigslist, it's perhaps doable. I'd expect to have to look at 20-30 cars before I find something ideal, and also expect to need to be the first or second guy to look at it and have cash in hand ready to buy when it comes around.

You get a lot more options in much better condition if you can stretch your budget up to the $6-7k area, though. Is it possible for you to stick with your volvo for a few more months, and save up some more money?

e. Or, you could get something like
this, which I'd say is a very reliable car, except it's had an engine swapped, so who knows?

Or this, which given the price I assume has 200k+ on the clock...

Or this, which claims a clean title and "new paint job" (which is probably terrible), and I'd assume also has 200k+ on the clock...

Or perhaps this, which only has 146k (not bad for a camry), but it's an automatic, so assume it'll need a new transmission in the next 25k unless the owner can prove it's recently had one.

On all of these cars you should assume, unless the owner has proof otherwise, that it's time for a major service (timing belt, etc.) and you'll need to put in $1k immediately to keep it in good running condition.

If this is the sort of car you're looking for, then yeah, you've got options. They're economy cars though, not sports cars.

Leperflesh fucked around with this message at 22:04 on Jul 27, 2012

Falcon2001
Oct 10, 2004

Eat your hamburgers, Apollo.
Pillbug

nm posted:

I would agree with this. I've never been impressed by any turbo on a standard slushbox. (Perhaps excluding some expensive cars I've never driven).


I'd note i'm not recommending the mini or VW because I'm not sure of their reliability.

Bringing this quote back up, as I actually was heavily considering a Veloster Turbo or a Cooper S recently, but I live in Seattle (which is very, very hilly) and drive in traffic a lot, so I'm not too inclined to pick up a manual. However, I had been told that getting a small engine with a turbo on it was a fantastic way of solving the 'fuel efficiency with power when you need it' problem. (I have a very short merge onto the freeway, my biggest problem back when I was driving my '93 civic) Is that just a hopeless dream and should I just go with one of the various 120-hp econocars?

KilroyWasHere
Oct 22, 2005

Falcon2001 posted:

Bringing this quote back up, as I actually was heavily considering a Veloster Turbo or a Cooper S recently, but I live in Seattle (which is very, very hilly) and drive in traffic a lot, so I'm not too inclined to pick up a manual. However, I had been told that getting a small engine with a turbo on it was a fantastic way of solving the 'fuel efficiency with power when you need it' problem. (I have a very short merge onto the freeway, my biggest problem back when I was driving my '93 civic) Is that just a hopeless dream and should I just go with one of the various 120-hp econocars?

If you're willing to resign yourself to having to baby your car a bit and fix things that'll break, you're pretty much describing the VW Golf TDI. You'll get amazing highway mileage and it does short on-ramps like a champ. The downside is it won't get the city mileage of a hybrid, and it's not really compact-cheap.

Michael Scott
Jan 3, 2010

by zen death robot

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

Gravel roads you can drive anything on. I drive a 2011 BMW 128 on gravel roads.

Ouch! It would take a lot of convincing for me to drive something that nice on abrasive, loose gravel.

nm
Jan 28, 2008

"I saw Minos the Space Judge holding a golden sceptre and passing sentence upon the Martians. There he presided, and around him the noble Space Prosecutors sought the firm justice of space law."

Falcon2001 posted:

Bringing this quote back up, as I actually was heavily considering a Veloster Turbo or a Cooper S recently, but I live in Seattle (which is very, very hilly) and drive in traffic a lot, so I'm not too inclined to pick up a manual. However, I had been told that getting a small engine with a turbo on it was a fantastic way of solving the 'fuel efficiency with power when you need it' problem. (I have a very short merge onto the freeway, my biggest problem back when I was driving my '93 civic) Is that just a hopeless dream and should I just go with one of the various 120-hp econocars?
You can try it, but I find that a transmission randomly shifting doesn't work well with a turbo.

Manuals in hills and/or traffic isn't the problem people would have you believe. I smoked my clutch a few times in SF early on, but I have it down now and my clutch still has quite a bit of life.

BoutrosBoutros
Dec 6, 2010

Michael Scott posted:

Ouch! It would take a lot of convincing for me to drive something that nice on abrasive, loose gravel.

As long as you go reasonably slow and keep plenty of room between yourself and other cars there really isn't anything to be worried about. The biggest problem is the dust that gets kicked up, but that won't damage your paint on its own.

Falcon2001
Oct 10, 2004

Eat your hamburgers, Apollo.
Pillbug

KilroyWasHere posted:

If you're willing to resign yourself to having to baby your car a bit and fix things that'll break, you're pretty much describing the VW Golf TDI. You'll get amazing highway mileage and it does short on-ramps like a champ. The downside is it won't get the city mileage of a hybrid, and it's not really compact-cheap.

Yeah, the TDI is a little spendy (Why is the navigation part of the tier 2 package and not the tier 3? WTF VW)and I'm pretty disappointed it doesn't get the style of the GTI and just looks so...plain I guess. It's definitely on the list though now that I'm more into the 28k range with the veloster turbo and the Cooper S. Also, it's really not as well equipped as I'd like.

I was expecting to like it a lot more when I went looking originally, as I've grown up around Golfs and Rabbits and small VWs have always been something I've liked.

nm posted:

You can try it, but I find that a transmission randomly shifting doesn't work well with a turbo.

Manuals in hills and/or traffic isn't the problem people would have you believe. I smoked my clutch a few times in SF early on, but I have it down now and my clutch still has quite a bit of life.

I'll see. Part of this is that while I'm happy to learn to drive stick, my girlfriend isn't, and we've only got the one car between the two of us. I'll consider it though.

teardrop
Dec 20, 2004

by Pragmatica
Proposed Budget: 8000
New or Used: Used, likely off Craigslist
Body Style: Compact, 2-door preferred somewhat
How will you be using the car?: Only vehicle, 800 miles a month, half highway
What aspects are most important to you? Reliable, Low cost of ownership
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Aiming for 2005 and not too far past 100k miles I guess.

a) Any coupes that are known for reliability and low cost of ownership, aside from Civics?

b) In my price range, am I going to be able to get a much better car for the money if I go with a 4-door?

c) If so, suggest me some good cars after civics and corollas.

Thank you very much!

Literally Lewis Hamilton
Feb 22, 2005



Falcon2001 posted:

Yeah, the TDI is a little spendy (Why is the navigation part of the tier 2 package and not the tier 3? WTF VW)and I'm pretty disappointed it doesn't get the style of the GTI and just looks so...plain I guess. It's definitely on the list though now that I'm more into the 28k range with the veloster turbo and the Cooper S. Also, it's really not as well equipped as I'd like.

I was expecting to like it a lot more when I went looking originally, as I've grown up around Golfs and Rabbits and small VWs have always been something I've liked.


I'll see. Part of this is that while I'm happy to learn to drive stick, my girlfriend isn't, and we've only got the one car between the two of us. I'll consider it though.

If you are wanting to go used, the 2011 models for the Golf TDI had everything as an option, no packages (besides the cold weather package of heated seats and wiper nozzles) to be seen. I picked up a 2011 because I wanted everything but the Nav.

Applebees Appetizer
Jan 23, 2006

teardrop posted:

Proposed Budget: 8000
New or Used: Used, likely off Craigslist
Body Style: Compact, 2-door preferred somewhat
How will you be using the car?: Only vehicle, 800 miles a month, half highway
What aspects are most important to you? Reliable, Low cost of ownership
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Aiming for 2005 and not too far past 100k miles I guess.

a) Any coupes that are known for reliability and low cost of ownership, aside from Civics?

b) In my price range, am I going to be able to get a much better car for the money if I go with a 4-door?

c) If so, suggest me some good cars after civics and corollas.

Thank you very much!

As far as coupes go, you could probably get a nice Mustang in your budget. Personally I would just get a Corolla or Camry which are probably the king of low cost and reliable ownership.

Prof.Snugglesworth
Feb 9, 2009

Ooo...you make me live now honey.
Proposed Budget: Up to ~$18,000 AUD
New or Used: Used
Body Style: Mid-sized/Full-sized sedan
How will you be using the car? Most likely for the next 10-ish years.
Have a super long commute?
Nope. My commute to work is expected to be short for the most part but I do on occasion travel down the coast (a bit over 100km return - highway driving)
How are you going to use this vehicle? More or less daily.
What aspects are most important to you?
- reliability
- low ongoing maintenance costs
Location: Queensland, Australia

I'm fairly certain that what I'll be looking for is a 2-3 year old Toyota Aurion or Toyota Camry with low-ish (<50,000) kilometers. I was also considering a Honda Civic but I hear that the maintenance service fees for Hondas tend to be a fair bit more expensive than Toyotas? If anyone has any other suggestions that would be great.

When inspecting used cars, where is it a problem if you find rust? I know that if there is rust in the engine cavity then that's a serious thing, but what about places like the exhaust/muffler or on bolts on other parts of the car body?

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22

Michael Scott posted:

Ouch! It would take a lot of convincing for me to drive something that nice on abrasive, loose gravel.

You don't kick gravel in to your own car unless you get really aggressive, and most dirt roads are so sparsely traveled that you won't get damage from other vehicles.

Necc0
Jun 30, 2005

by exmarx
Broken Cake

Necc0 posted:

Proposed Budget: ~$30k
New or Used: New, preferably, but I'm not opposed to buying a used car that's only a few years old
Body Style: 2 door
How will you be using the car?: Very light commuting, as in every other week and only 2 or 3 days on the weeks that I do. Just getting around town besides that.
What aspects are most important to you?: Just got out of college and landed a very well-paying job. I'm looking for something sporty that can still act as a commute car in DC traffic occasionally. Gas mileage isn't too important as long as the car isn't a guzzler. Reliability is fairly important, as well as an ease of being able to work on the engine myself. Any passengers beyond the first can deal with being cramped or find another ride.

I was originally looking at the Accord until my friend recommended a Mustang and ever since the more I've thought about it the more I've been pulled toward it.

Any insights or things I should be aware of for both cars? Other cars that I should look at? I'd be much more comfortable buying the Accord used, as it seems the only used Mustangs I can find are ex-fleet cars, which I don't trust. I'm also in no hurry to replace my current car just yet, but it's definitely showing its age. I plan on saving up money for a massive downpayment until either my current car finally dies or I feel like it's time to put her down.

Since we're posting our final outcomes:


:toot:

What's crazy about this is that I new standard transmissions were unpopular but I had no clue that they were THAT unpopular. Using Ford's website I filtered out all the coupe v6 standards and only got a very small handful of cars. Finally found one that both had the options I was looking for in the color I wanted. Got roughly $4k off the sticker. If they'd known how hard I was looking for this car I doubt they would have given me that deal.

Titan Coeus
Jul 30, 2007

check out my horn
Proposed Budget: 10k +/-2k
New or Used: Used
Body Style: Hatchback, 2/4 door is fine
How will you be using the car?: Driving 10 minutes to class in the snow, making daily 30 minute commutes in a year or so.
What aspects are most important to you?:
A low total cost of ownership, I won't have a steady income when I go back to school in a month. Handling reasonably in the snow is important. Automatic is ideal.

Applebees Appetizer
Jan 23, 2006

Titan Coeus posted:

Proposed Budget: 10k +/-2k
New or Used: Used
Body Style: Hatchback, 2/4 door is fine
How will you be using the car?: Driving 10 minutes to class in the snow, making daily 30 minute commutes in a year or so.
What aspects are most important to you?:
A low total cost of ownership, I won't have a steady income when I go back to school in a month. Handling reasonably in the snow is important. Automatic is ideal.


I've got an '06 Chevy HHR (more wagon than hatch) and the only parts I've had replaced are end links and the front brakes (pads and rotors) which are normal wear parts. other than that just routine maintenance. It did great in the snow with a set of Blizzacks and never let me down once. Great economy (30mpg hwy) and utility at the same time which is kinda rare, I fit a whole bedroom set from Ikea in it once. Some people hate them because of the styling and/or interior.

And just so you don't think I'm too biased, it is pretty gutless especially with an automatic, but most economy cars are anyway.

Also consider the Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe(rebadged Matrix) and Mazda3.

Applebees Appetizer fucked around with this message at 07:15 on Aug 6, 2012

Jam2
Jan 15, 2008

With Energy For Mayhem
Budget: Dunno. Depends on payment structure. I don't want anything luxurious or even faux-luxurious. Let's set a hard cap at $45,000.

New probably

Where: Mostly around the Bay Area. Initially, I will drive cross-country from Boston to CA. Some trips to LA, Vegas, perhaps Tahoe sometimes. Sometimes to go camping. There's a toughmudder event in Diablo Grande (Norcal) in September. I'd like to drive there with friends. I hear it's good to have a compact car to park in SF. It's gotta be fun to drive.

Stereo is really important to me. I like to plug in my mp3 players (iPhone/shuffle/etc) and listen to music. I'd like a sound system that sounds about as good as the BMW 5 series (my only reference point).

Some sort of pseudomanual configuration would be ideal (clutchless manual?). I don't mind driving a stick, but I hear that's not a great idea in SF.

Speed isn't terribly important, but I'd like it to be somewhat responsive and sturdy.

I like hatchbacks (5-door).

Fuel economy is somewhat important, but I don't want to trade too much power. I think hybrid might be out of the question.

So far, I'm considering the STi 5-door. I like that its interior isn't too fancy/pretentious and is AWD. Any other suggestions?

time is a wastin
Sep 11, 2011
Proposed Budget: 22-25k
New or Used: New
Body Style: one of those compact hatchback things
How will you be using the car?: Work commute (60 miles/day), occasionally moving equipment for work
What aspects are most important to you? MPG, handling, space efficiency

I'm thinking something like a Honda Fot, VW golf, or maybe a Mini Cooper? The Cooper is probably what I'd want most, based on how it looks, the cargo space design, and how well it seems to handle (from the times Ive ridden in one). The base model is pretty much at my maximum tho. Mostly just not sure about reliability and cost of ownership. Handling is A big deal for me too, cause I drive on a pretty wild and twisty parkway on my daily commute.

Also, anyone know anything about getting a dealership to buy out a current lease? Is that just a pretty standard thing, or is it hard to negotiate? I leased a Honda and only have one month left, but I guess the idea would be to get them to pay any of the extra fees that come when you terminate.

Oh and also should I bother looking into hybrids for a 66 mile/day highway (60-75mph) commute?

Zuph
Jul 24, 2003
Zupht0r 6000 Turbo Type-R

Rap Game Forum Mod posted:

Proposed Budget: 22-25k
New or Used: New
Body Style: one of those compact hatchback things
How will you be using the car?: Work commute (60 miles/day), occasionally moving equipment for work
What aspects are most important to you? MPG, handling, space efficiency

I'm thinking something like a Honda Fot, VW golf, or maybe a Mini Cooper? The Cooper is probably what I'd want most, based on how it looks, the cargo space design, and how well it seems to handle (from the times Ive ridden in one). The base model is pretty much at my maximum tho. Mostly just not sure about reliability and cost of ownership. Handling is A big deal for me too, cause I drive on a pretty wild and twisty parkway on my daily commute.

Also, anyone know anything about getting a dealership to buy out a current lease? Is that just a pretty standard thing, or is it hard to negotiate? I leased a Honda and only have one month left, but I guess the idea would be to get them to pay any of the extra fees that come when you terminate.

Oh and also should I bother looking into hybrids for a 66 mile/day highway (60-75mph) commute?

Take a look at the Chevy Sonic, seriously. Test drive the 1.4l turbocharged model. I bought one 3 months ago, and I couldn't be happier. Handles great, and gets good gas mileage. I get almost exactly the EPA estimates. I never saw myself buying an American car, but I've been floored by this one.

sandoz
Jan 29, 2009


Proposed Budget: $10k
New or Used: Used
Body Style: Compact
How will you be using the car?: Commuting to work, 40 mi/day
What aspects are most important to you? Reliability, MPG, somewhat more power than the average econobox

So I'm at the point right now where my Mk. IV GTI is going to cost more to fix than it's currently worth. I'm still not 100% sold on replacing rather than repairing it, because my budget frankly isn't quite enough to get something newer that is as powerful and comfortable.

I'm not really interested in another VW at this point, so I've been looking at the Impreza 2.5RS for example. However they are pretty rare in New England and I am honestly at a loss as far as what other cars to consider. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Throatwarbler
Nov 17, 2008

by vyelkin

Jam2 posted:

Budget: Dunno. Depends on payment structure. I don't want anything luxurious or even faux-luxurious. Let's set a hard cap at $45,000.

New probably

Where: Mostly around the Bay Area. Initially, I will drive cross-country from Boston to CA. Some trips to LA, Vegas, perhaps Tahoe sometimes. Sometimes to go camping. There's a toughmudder event in Diablo Grande (Norcal) in September. I'd like to drive there with friends. I hear it's good to have a compact car to park in SF. It's gotta be fun to drive.

Stereo is really important to me. I like to plug in my mp3 players (iPhone/shuffle/etc) and listen to music. I'd like a sound system that sounds about as good as the BMW 5 series (my only reference point).

Some sort of pseudomanual configuration would be ideal (clutchless manual?). I don't mind driving a stick, but I hear that's not a great idea in SF.

Speed isn't terribly important, but I'd like it to be somewhat responsive and sturdy.

I like hatchbacks (5-door).

Fuel economy is somewhat important, but I don't want to trade too much power. I think hybrid might be out of the question.

So far, I'm considering the STi 5-door. I like that its interior isn't too fancy/pretentious and is AWD. Any other suggestions?

I dunno, the list of small, non-lux cars that also have premium stereos seem pretty small to me? Audis have an optional B&O stereo that's supposed to be really good, it's like a $10,000 option, is that the kind of "good" stereo you're looking for?

If you like listening to music on long road trips I doubt you'll like the STi all that much, since on all you are going to hear is wind noise and engine roar while the suspension kicks you in the kidneys. Those kind of cars are really for people who must have their adjustable center differentials and intercooler sprays, if you have to ask in this thread then you're not them.

You could look into an Acura TSX wagon, it will do what you need without being too pretentious or gas guzzling, but it's a lot of money for a FWD 4 cylinder that isn't all that powerful. You should think hard about whether you really need a wagon, the fact of the matter is that wagons aren't popular in the US and you're going to be very limited in your choices if you insist on it.

Jam2
Jan 15, 2008

With Energy For Mayhem

Throatwarbler posted:

I dunno, the list of small, non-lux cars that also have premium stereos seem pretty small to me? Audis have an optional B&O stereo that's supposed to be really good, it's like a $10,000 option, is that the kind of "good" stereo you're looking for?

If you like listening to music on long road trips I doubt you'll like the STi all that much, since on all you are going to hear is wind noise and engine roar while the suspension kicks you in the kidneys. Those kind of cars are really for people who must have their adjustable center differentials and intercooler sprays, if you have to ask in this thread then you're not them.

You could look into an Acura TSX wagon, it will do what you need without being too pretentious or gas guzzling, but it's a lot of money for a FWD 4 cylinder that isn't all that powerful. You should think hard about whether you really need a wagon, the fact of the matter is that wagons aren't popular in the US and you're going to be very limited in your choices if you insist on it.

I definitely don't care about the car-porn aspects of the STi.

Okay. How about a sedan with premium stereo? Something nimble, solid, sporty, relatively powerful, not flashy.

Ugh. The A3 appeals to me. It's a bit flashy (imo), but I like the engine options.

TDI good idea? AWD with reg gas better choice?

B&O site shows the A3 can take the audio system. I don't see it in the configurator though http://www.bang-olufsen.com/en/car-audio/car-models/~/media/75E56F03C5C34A20B759266947E2523B.ashx

Jam2 fucked around with this message at 18:31 on Aug 6, 2012

Thwomp
Apr 10, 2003

BA-DUHHH

Grimey Drawer

Necc0 posted:

Since we're posting our final outcomes:


:toot:

What's crazy about this is that I new standard transmissions were unpopular but I had no clue that they were THAT unpopular. Using Ford's website I filtered out all the coupe v6 standards and only got a very small handful of cars. Finally found one that both had the options I was looking for in the color I wanted. Got roughly $4k off the sticker. If they'd known how hard I was looking for this car I doubt they would have given me that deal.

I'm pretty sure the take rate on most high volume/popular models is something like 90-95% automatics.

camgirl fangirl
Jan 17, 2008
EAT MORE
Proposed Budget: 5000 +/- 1000
New or Used: used
Body Style: Compact, coupe
How will you be using the car?: Commuting to/from work/school (~20km each way), occasional ~3 hr highway drives to another city
What aspects are most important to you?: Something that is ok at driving in the winter
Where: Edmonton

Hey y'all I wanna buy a car, I know nothing about cars, please help me.

Throatwarbler
Nov 17, 2008

by vyelkin

Jam2 posted:

I definitely don't care about the car-porn aspects of the STi.

Okay. How about a sedan with premium stereo? Something nimble, solid, sporty, relatively powerful, not flashy.

Ugh. The A3 appeals to me. It's a bit flashy (imo), but I like the engine options.

TDI good idea? AWD with reg gas better choice?

B&O site shows the A3 can take the audio system. I don't see it in the configurator though http://www.bang-olufsen.com/en/car-audio/car-models/~/media/75E56F03C5C34A20B759266947E2523B.ashx

I think the B&O is an option in the European market A3, audi.uk has it but in the US you need to step up to the top level A6 or A8 to get it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk_pszUKimw

I imagine it must sound like Ke$ha is right there in the passenger seat beside you.

You realize the A3 is a subcompact, right? It's really small, if that's all you need, maybe look into a Range Rover Evoque? It could just squeak under your price limit. Is Meridian a good brand?

Dameius
Apr 3, 2006
Proposed Budget: ~$5k
New or Used: Used
Body Style: Anything that isn't a SUV, full size truck, or other large vehicle.
How will you be using the car?: Light city driving, generally less than 3k miles every six months.
What aspects are most important to you? Reliability, driving experience

I am the second owner of a 96 Tacoma that will die about a hundred years after the nuclear apocalypse because I keep up the standard wear and tear maintenance and don't abuse it. It isn't fun to drive at all though.

Basically just wondering if there is a car, preferably on the smaller size but open to anything that has the staying power of my truck mechanically but a bit (lot) more fun to drive. Also if you know something a little over the budget go ahead and list it. I'm just kind of poking around at this point.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





It's become the comedy option in AI for a reason - if you can deal with a convertible and only two seats, you've described a Mazda Miata. They're reliable by means of simplicity, much like your Toyota, except actually fun to drive.

Dameius
Apr 3, 2006
How easily does a not fat 6'2" guy fit in one of those? I've considered them before but never got in one and do you off hand know how hard it is to find in manual? I've only ever driven manual and don't plan on changing now.

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The Sock
Dec 28, 2006
Proposed Budget: ~12-15k, the cheaper the better.
New or Used: Used
Body Style: Small-mid size sedan, 4 door, automatic
How will you be using the car?: To and from work ~10-20 minutes each way. I'm trying to help my girlfriend find a car that's more reliable than her Saturn. She only needs it to go to and from work.
What aspects are most important to you? Reliability/Durability, Gas milage

She liked the Nissan Altima, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Hyundai Elanta, Sonata, and Sentra, all around 2009-2011ish if possible, with less miles the better.

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