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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:
The Accord is the best in crash safety, it and the Volvo S60 are the only cars on the market that get perfect scores in every single IIHS and NHTSA crash test including small front overlap. It's the only one that offers manual transmissions across the entire line, and I strongly suspect that the V6 with the manual is the fastest FWD car in the loving world (0-60 in 5.6s  ) since the Cobalt SS died.There was a bit of talk recently or so about how Honda has been in a bit of a rough patch in the last few years, with the 2012 Civic CRZ, etc. but the new Accord is a pretty good sign that they are back in the saddle with their A-game.
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Apr 6, 2013 03:27
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I kind of forget about crash safety just because everything is pretty safe at this point, but that's a good point. I also figured that a potential Camry owner wouldn't give one gently caress about a manual transmission.
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Apr 6, 2013 15:37
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Currently living overseas and will be moving to Colorado pretty soon, and I'm having a hell of a time coming up with good ideas for what to drive. Factors under consideration: - How essential is AWD? I've never lived in CO so I don't know. - I'd rather not buy new, and I'd like to keep the price around 20-25. - I think Subarus are ugly. - My last vehicle was an '01 Acura CL that suffered a blown transmission. This was caused by a flaw in the design of the transmission, and it occurred just late enough that I was not covered by the warranty extension granted as a result of a class action lawsuit. The point is, it cost me a shitload of money to fix and I really want to avoid another such incident. AWD makes me nervous because it's more fragile parts that might go boom-boom (in my mind anyway). So far in the AWD camp, I am considering the G37 and IS250. I know there are some 3 series with AWD too, but I don't know poo poo about them. Any other interesting AWD cars I'm missing out on?
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Apr 6, 2013 22:28
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kimbo305 posted:The AI boilerplate about snow is to get snow tires and swap them as the seasons demand.
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Apr 6, 2013 23:35
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Still looking for a car! Budget is about 13k and I just went to a lot and looked at an 08' Focus SES with 70k miles for 11.5k AND a 2006 Passat with 65k miles for 12.3k. Any recommendations on either of these cars? I'm more interested in the Focus right now,or should I wait for a Mazda3?
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Apr 7, 2013 00:30
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My Rhythmic Crotch posted:So far in the AWD camp, I am considering the G37 and IS250. I know there are some 3 series with AWD too, but I don't know poo poo about them. Any other interesting AWD cars I'm missing out on? Loads of AWD cars you are missing which I am sure others will mention, but I thought I would let you know that the IS250 and the G37 are not similar cars. You'd need to get into an IS350 to get the performance of the G37, which blows the doors off the 250. The IS 250 is a sporty looking luxury car, the G is actually a sporty car with a bit of added luxury. Also, you won't get similar performance from a 3 series BMW until you get to the 335, which is, depending on how kitted out, either more, or much more expensive then the G. I drive a G37x in Toronto through the winter and I can tell you it is a solid option on all seasons and unstoppable with snow tires. The bonus is that it performs like few cars at that price point, it is a joy to drive, handles well, is quick as gently caress and super reliable.
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Apr 7, 2013 17:32
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My Rhythmic Crotch posted:- How essential is AWD? I've never lived in CO so I don't know. It isn't. Tons and tons of people drive in every state in the US without AWD/4WD. Having proper snow tires on your car during the winter does more for you than AWD. (Both together is of course great). Driving at an appropriate speed for the conditions is even more important. A good thing to understand is that AWD/4WD helps you get moving on a slippery surface (as do winter tires), but it's the tires that matter when you're trying to stop quickly. In a hard cornering with slippery traction situation, both help as well, but I think the tires are more important there too. Are you moving to an area that will be well-plowed, or are you looking at a cabin in the rockies? Do you anticipate lots of snowy ski trips, or just commuting? I think you can certainly consider AWD options, but I think a good 2WD car will be fine as long as you have snow tires to swap on for the winter and you drive with reasonable caution when there's icy roads.
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Apr 7, 2013 19:16
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Leperflesh posted:It isn't. Tons and tons of people drive in every state in the US without AWD/4WD. Having proper snow tires on your car during the winter does more for you than AWD. (Both together is of course great). Driving at an appropriate speed for the conditions is even more important. A good thing to understand is that AWD/4WD helps you get moving on a slippery surface (as do winter tires), but it's the tires that matter when you're trying to stop quickly. In a hard cornering with slippery traction situation, both help as well, but I think the tires are more important there too. The main value of AWD is that most mountain states will not require you to chain up if you have snow tires, while with 2wd, you will, even with the best tires. Chains suck. Also awd makes winter fun if you're into it. That said, if you tire correctly, live in a city, and don't really need to get to work when feet of snow drop (IE er doc, emt, fire, etc), you don't need awd. The danger of awd as leperflesh alluded to is that it can give you a false sense of security. Awd gives you much more traction for going straight -- this will mask the true road conditions until you need to stop or turn. Awd will not help you stop at all. It can kind of help you turn, but only in ways really useful on a rally circuit, not a crowded highway. nm fucked around with this message at 22:10 on Apr 7, 2013 |
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Apr 7, 2013 22:07
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marsisol posted:Still looking for a car! Avoid the Passat.
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Apr 7, 2013 23:55
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Well that price seems really high on the Passat, even for a fully loaded VR6 4motion. You could go and offer them like $9k which is probably closer to what its actually worth. Other than that, I think most of the problems on that generation were mfg and design defects that were later fixed with TSBs and recalls. You have to figure that there's some survivorship bias here and think that if it's still running now, surely most of the poo poo that breaks has already broken and been fixed? How bad could it be?
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Apr 8, 2013 00:15
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What do you all think of the Ford Fusion Hybrid SE? I'm considering waiting for the 2014 models to come out and picking a 2013 up off the used market.
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Apr 8, 2013 00:52
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nm posted:The main value of AWD is that most mountain states will not require you to chain up if you have snow tires, while with 2wd, you will, even with the best tires. I'm from Oklahoma originally, and the winter months were extremely dangerous because we would get black ice that happened so quickly it could 'catch' you while you were out somewhere. Winter tires are unheard of in OK as well. Many times I saw RWD cars just suddenly spin off the highway because they hit ice. That kind of scenario is what I was worried about, much more than driving in snow, but I am glad you guys pointed out the ups and downs of AWD. The G37x looks awesome, I can't wait to get back and start test driving 
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Apr 8, 2013 11:31
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I am in the market for a car. I can spend like 10-12k. I don't necessarily want to, and in fact, would prefer to spend around 3-5k. I loving love 70's Celica GTs and see one up for 6k with factory paint super low miles and its won a bunch of crap. I don't know anything about them other than they are super collectible and all cost a boatload (2-6k depending on condition/miles). I am not a car guy and would farm out work to a killer toyota guy I know. Is this a bad idea? Its a late 70's liftback. Other, more reasonable purchase ideas: used volvo, subaru.
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Apr 8, 2013 20:25
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Not an Anthem posted:I am not a car guy and would farm out work to a killer toyota guy I know. What is this car for? Is this a daily driver / commuter? There's a ton of reasons not to use a 70s car for that, but if this is a second car of any sort that would be an awesome car to get. You haven't said what exactly you want. If you want as cheap as possible a commuter, you could look at Hundai Elantras when they got decent or a Ford Focus or Mazda 3. If you want something sporty and cheap your budget would get you into a really nice 2003-2005 Miata.
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Apr 8, 2013 20:29
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It'd be my primary car, although I take the train to work. I've driven a friends MazdaSpeed and I don't particularly like Miatas. What are the downsides of a 70's car for this? I'm in Chicago, our weather/city hates cars. Just a nut for the styling of both import and japanese celicas from the 70s. How I see using this: weekdays occasionally driving like 5 miles after work. Weekends: 30-60 miles, sometimes in traffic on highway. I would cruise the poo poo out of this car because its a beauty.
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Apr 8, 2013 20:38
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Saltin posted:Loads of AWD cars you are missing which I am sure others will mention, but I thought I would let you know that the IS250 and the G37 are not similar cars. You'd need to get into an IS350 to get the performance of the G37, which blows the doors off the 250. The IS 250 is a sporty looking luxury car, the G is actually a sporty car with a bit of added luxury. I've been on the fence about getting a G37xS Coupe and I think you just sold me on it.
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Apr 8, 2013 20:56
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Not an Anthem posted:It'd be my primary car, although I take the train to work. If you drive a clean 70s Celica in chicago winter it will become rust so quick it will make your head spin. I will also hunt you down. Old japanese cars basically where designed to rust.
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Apr 8, 2013 21:18
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I've got a buddy whose car crapped out on him, and he's basically looking at at least 1k in repairs on a car that would probably be worth 2k and maybe some change after those. After asking around he found out he can get 1k for a trade-in towards a car, and has about 3500 put away. He's a live-at-home student who works on the side, and is looking to buy a car somewhere in the 8-10k range, but I was trying to talk him down the 6-8k range so he doesn't have to worry about paying it off for 3-5 years. Here's the rest of the questionnaire from the OP, but neither of us know about cars enough to know what to look for, and what that extra two grand is really adding and if it's going to be worth it. New or Used: Used Body Style: Mid-size car How will you be using the car?: Primarily driving to and from work and school, not usually more than 10-15 minutes in any direction so it's just a day to day kinda thing. What aspects are most important to you: Longevity/reliability and gas mileage. He's convinced he wants to spend more on a newer car just so he can know it's going to be more reliable, but again neither of us know enough about the market to know if the difference between the 10k and 6k price ranges are significant enough to make it a better option than opting for the cheaper car and trading up a few years down the road. My girlfriend is also looking for a car, and pretty much all the same things apply except she's looking in the 4-5k range (5k CU loan, I'm assuming she'll want/need to have a little extra set aside for repairs) She's looking for a smaller car, and she drives around more so a better mileage is more important. Thanks in advance for any help, just poking around the thread has definitely been a learning experience!
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Apr 8, 2013 22:08
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Not an Anthem posted:I am in the market for a car. I can spend like 10-12k. I don't necessarily want to, and in fact, would prefer to spend around 3-5k. If you have that 2-6k figure typed correctly, that's nothing for a classic car. Keeping a nice one in nice shape will cost you. Not maintaining it will have it rusting away and breaking fast.
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Apr 9, 2013 00:09
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If you buy a 70s Celica and park it on the street in Chicago, I will do to you what some folks are gonna do to your car.
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Apr 9, 2013 01:27
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Proposed Budget: $7,000-$15,000 (if I'm in love with the car..I'm okay to spend 15k on it; that's why the high variability). New or Used: I'm not sure. Leaning towards getting a new car car (it would be my first new car). Body Style: Compact Car with 60/40 split How will you be using the car? Regular commuting vehicle, but I work with events, so often times I'll have to haul a folded up table / a few boxes in the backseat. I also see myself making longer road trips (1,000mi+) with a few people or using the car to go on a camping trip somewhere, so it would be nice to have space for 2-3 larger hiking backpacks. Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos? Not necessarily, but a luxury car would be fun..as long as it's as sexy as its brand has people believe it to be. What aspects are most important to you? (e.g. reliability, cost of ownership/maintenance, import/domestic, MPG, size, style) Reliability, MPG, Lower cost of ownership. I've been thinking a Mazda2 or Toyota Yaris. Any opinions on that given the parameters above? EDIT: I don't know how to drive manual, although I would LOVE to have a manual car and learn. Do I learn first? How would that work? 
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Apr 11, 2013 02:08
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ABlix- posted:EDIT: I don't know how to drive manual, although I would LOVE to have a manual car and learn. Do I learn first? How would that work? It is pretty easy to learn.
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Apr 11, 2013 02:12
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ABlix- posted:Proposed Budget: $7,000-$15,000 (if I'm in love with the car..I'm okay to spend 15k on it; that's why the high variability). Matrix/Vibe/used Mazda3 Hatch/Focus ZX5 or ZTW are all going to meet your needs better than a 2 or a Yaris in terms of usable space. Note all those options are used. Are you particularly attached to a new car, and if so, why? If I were looking new, I'd try to shoehorn a Chevy Spark in to the budget over a 2 or Yaris.
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Apr 11, 2013 02:15
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Matrix/Vibe/used Mazda3 Hatch/Focus ZX5 or ZTW are all going to meet your needs better than a 2 or a Yaris in terms of usable space. Note all those options are used. Are you particularly attached to a new car, and if so, why? Thanks for the input. Not particularly attached to a new car, a used is fine as long as it's a great deal. Why would you prefer the Chevy Spark vs a Mazda2? The Mazda2 looks really sexy to me and seems to be pretty practical with my spacing needs..if I put the seats down, I'm sure I could fit in my gear (and I'm usually the only one driving). I'm able to do it pretty well with my '96 Toyota Corolla DX right now and I'm sure a Mazda2 would only be able to offer more space. The Hatch/Matrix look really nice and seem like better cars for the camping / backpacking aspect, but a lot more expensive. I imagine I can fit one or two larger hiking backpacks w/a Mazda2 and just not take a lot of people in my car.
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Apr 11, 2013 02:39
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You don't seem like the kind of person who cares about handling over everything, and that's basically what the Mazda2 is. If you're an enthusiast and you like handling and are going to buy the car with a stick, the 2 is a decent choice. The 4-speed auto is a transmission from 1995, and makes the car pretty terribly underpowered. I also wouldn't want to drive a Mazda2 on a thousand-mile road trip but I'm spoiled as I usually get mainly new bigger cars as rentals for long road trips. Also, I meant Sonic and not Spark. loving Chevy and their new names.
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Apr 11, 2013 12:17
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Bit of a question here - I have an 06 Lexus IS250 AWD. Has around 77k miles. I bought it cash for like, 17.5k around a year and a half ago. At the time I had plenty of money saved up, but money is getting a little tighter. We are planning a wedding and I would love to be able to feel a little freer there. The car runs fine and has no issues. The gas mileage is crap, though. I'm consider selling it, and have gotten a few Craigslist bites around 15-16k. I'd like something with better gas mileage and more cash in my bank account. If I sold it, I would either get a cheap(er), old Subaru or likely lease something for around 200/300/mo. The financial part comes in like this - I'm a resident and have almost 200k in debt. Fiance about 160k. In 2 years, she'll be working for real, and in 3 years I will. So the financials will significantly improve then. Question is - does this make sense? I feel like I'd be giving myself a lot more financial freedom now overall, when I probably will upgrade the car in 3 years whether I lease or buy something used. Having 15k in the bank right now minus either ~8-10k for a used car or 300/mo for 2-3 years seems a lot smarter. Dropping that much cash in retrospect wasn't the best move. Thoughts? edit - Not exactly looking for a car rec or anything, just some thoughts on this. Also, I don't put many miles on my car (only about 5k in a year and a half)
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Apr 11, 2013 16:20
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The general advice here is that its really difficult to make up in gas money what you spend in the buying/selling process. It usually only makes sense if you've got a really old car that gets very bad gas mileage (imagine 80's suburban). If you've got the car paid off, I would def not recommend leasing something else and I would imagine any buying/selling will either be a marginal gain for a lot of hustling or a loss. If you aren't driving it very much, its in good shape and its paid off, I would argue just keep it. Also you might be experiencing something like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunk_costs#Loss_aversion_and_the_sunk_cost_fallacy you overpaid (in retrospect) so you want to fix it, but that money is spent and doing more isn't going to help. I'm not an expert though, someone may have a better argument and say sell. Xguard86 fucked around with this message at 16:35 on Apr 11, 2013 |
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Apr 11, 2013 16:32
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Xguard86 posted:The general advice here is that its really difficult to make up in gas money what you spend in the buying/selling process. It usually only makes sense if you've got a really old car that gets very bad gas mileage (imagine 80's suburban). I think that's fair - my main point is I can get actually most of what I spent back, and put out less money over the next 2-3 years even if I lease, and have more spending money now. My salary in 3 years will go up by at least 5 times, so that's kind of why I'm leaning towards doing this, I won't have to worry about it then.
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Apr 11, 2013 16:58
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:You don't seem like the kind of person who cares about handling over everything, and that's basically what the Mazda2 is. If you're an enthusiast and you like handling and are going to buy the car with a stick, the 2 is a decent choice. The 4-speed auto is a transmission from 1995, and makes the car pretty terribly underpowered. I see. Yeah, I'd really have to see how it feels in regards to the Mazda2. I called the dealership and asked about it and they wanted to set up an appointment and said they would be happy to teach me how to drive stick to get it out. I like the Mazda, Toyota, Honda brand..the Chevy you suggested scares me a little bit, since I have a friend who recently bought a GM car and had a lot of problems with it. Any other suggestions for about $15,000 for a new car? Or would you all suggest I find a kick rear end used car for that $?
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Apr 11, 2013 17:46
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I have a 2012 Mazda2, and it seems to be right up your alley. The clutch is a bit weird, at low speeds; however, it's nowhere as bad as a Subaru drivetrain. I suggest you drive the 2 and a 3 back to back to really get a feel for both cars. I have taken my 2 on several road trips and it's been a pleasant experience each time. Other options in that range have been covered by other posters, and you should check them out. In the subcompact category, the only real contenders are the Fit and the 2.
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Apr 11, 2013 21:30
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Cozmosis posted:I think that's fair - my main point is I can get actually most of what I spent back, and put out less money over the next 2-3 years even if I lease, and have more spending money now. Given the staggering size of your debt, I'm very much in favor of you downsizing your car to something more affordable. You can get a decent reliable car for $5k to $8k in most US markets, and that would free up some cash for you to not spend on stuff but instead save for your emergency fund, or put against your massive pile of debt, or I guess help pay for your (hopefully very inexpensive) wedding. I'd definitely say not to lease in your situation. You can buy a reasonable car outright, be paid off, and have a better month-to-month cashflow. If you only need the replacement car to last you three years, you should have lots of options in the $5k+ ish range which have reasonable miles (say, 80k to 120k or so?), are in reasonably nice condition, and with no major mechanical defects. Especially if you don't care for your Lexus. What don't you like about it? What would you look for in the replacement car?
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Apr 11, 2013 21:33
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Phone posted:I have a 2012 Mazda2, and it seems to be right up your alley. The clutch is a bit weird, at low speeds; however, it's nowhere as bad as a Subaru drivetrain. I took a Mazda2 for a test drive today and it seemed pretty cool, but I stalled it...and then the battery died and the car wouldn't start up again. Hah. I'm honestly leaning more towards now getting a used car. For 5-9k, I could probably track down something real nice. I'll take a look at the above suggestions on guidance on where to start.
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Apr 12, 2013 01:00
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If you're looking at used cars and want the space, I can't see a reason why a 2000ish Mazda Protege5 wouldn't be on the top of the list. Other options could be a Scion xB or something like an Integra liftback.
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Apr 12, 2013 05:33
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My old 1996 Accord's exhaust system ended up with another hole in it yesterday. It's riding at 175k miles and I'm sick of throwing $200 of life support at it every few months, so it's new car time. I've been planning for this since it I drove out of grandma's garage 2 1/2 years ago, so I've got about 10k cash on hand to put down, and I'm pre-approved for a ~3.0% loan from Wells Fargo for up to 20k, if I end up lending with them. Body Type: Sedan Budget: 20-30k, but probably should keep it under 25. I'm essentially looking for a replacement commuter car, there's no reason to spring for extra power I'm not using. On the other hand, I'm perfectly ok with springing for convenience extras like heated seats or remote start if they're not too much more. From checking other posts, I'm going to try and check out the 2013 Accord and Focus, is there anything else I should be looking at?
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Apr 12, 2013 06:09
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Blorange posted:I'm essentially looking for a replacement commuter car, there's no reason to spring for extra power I'm not using. On the other hand, I'm perfectly ok with springing for convenience extras like heated seats or remote start if they're not too much more. From checking other posts, I'm going to try and check out the 2013 Accord and Focus, is there anything else I should be looking at? These midsize commuter cars are essentially interchangeable, you should test drive them all and see which one matches your personal preference best: Honda Accord Toyota Camry Nissan Altima Ford Fusion Hyundai Sonata Volkswagen Passat Also see Chevy Malibu, Mazda 6, and Kia Optima. There are very few absolute stinkers in the generic midsize commuter segment these days.
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Apr 12, 2013 15:49
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Just remember that compared to 96 Accord these new cars are quite a bit bigger. Civic etc. are probably a more comparable size.
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Apr 12, 2013 15:57
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Proposed Budget: 5-8k New or Used: Used Body Style: 4 door, preferably midsize, but possibly compact How will you be using the car?: I currently live in Nova Scotia, this fall I'll be driving across the country to BC. From then on, it will be for commuting/weekend trips on Vancouver Island. What aspects are most important to you? I don't know much at all about cars. I want some reasonably reliable, with reasonable gas consumption. I'm a pretty tall guy, so I want something with enough space, too. I've been looking around at used cars. How many kms should I be aiming for at this price range? And approximately how old should the car be?
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Apr 12, 2013 16:47
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I'm closing in on a new Audi S5. Dealer is ok with 56.3k. Invoice (from KBB and other sites) is 55.9k (he showed me his invoice saying it was 57k - not sure what's driving the discrepancy). MSRP is 60.5k. 56.3k is a little under the "fair" prices from those same websites. Out-the-door is 61k, which is driven by the high tax here. I just want to make sure that I'm not missing anything, like I'm supposed to be comparing the out-the-door numbers with the KBB/website numbers, even though those numbers are pre-tax.
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Apr 12, 2013 17:32
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Mr Gentleman posted:I'm closing in on a new Audi S5. Dealer is ok with 56.3k. Invoice (from KBB and other sites) is 55.9k (he showed me his invoice saying it was 57k - not sure what's driving the discrepancy). MSRP is 60.5k. 56.3k is a little under the "fair" prices from those same websites. Out-the-door is 61k, which is driven by the high tax here. I just want to make sure that I'm not missing anything, like I'm supposed to be comparing the out-the-door numbers with the KBB/website numbers, even though those numbers are pre-tax. If you really want to squeeze every last cent, call some other Audi dealers nearby, ask to speak to their sales manager, and ask them if they can get you an S5 like that one or with more options for under $56.3. It sounds like you're getting a good price, though.
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Apr 12, 2013 17:45
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I'm curious about the invoice discrepancy too. A few years back I bought a Mazda 3 at the dealer and the sales manager claimed that the price I was purchasing the vehicle for was less than his invoice. He showed me the line item and sure enough it was higher. It didn't affect negotiations because I flat out didn't believe him anyways, but I'm wondering what's going on there. edit: the invoice he showed was about 1K above what Edmunds showed for the dealer invoice price.
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Apr 12, 2013 18:29
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