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Kraftwerk
Aug 13, 2011
i do not have 10,000 bircoins, please stop asking

plushpuffin posted:

I looked at the Mazda 3, but I've seen multiple posts here in this thread and comments on the web saying that its anti-rust coating is atrocious. AFAIK that's true even for the most recent model? Since I'm in Buffalo NY, that kind of ruled it out for me.

I hear its not bad if you wash it regularly.

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Guinness
Sep 15, 2004

Kraftwerk posted:

I hear its not bad if you wash it regularly.

Which, if you are unfortunate enough to have to drive on salted roads, you should be doing anyway.

Seriously, salt destroys ALL cars quickly if you let it.

blueblueblue
Mar 18, 2009

an skeleton posted:

God damnit, I was just about to check this one out:
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/4320004215.html

Now I'm scared to buy any car ever

You should be. The panels on that Civic are not fitting right. It has been in an accident at some point in it's life. This was the first thing that popped out to me. You don't know what you are looking at, or what you are looking for. It really shows. You don't know what things are worth, and the internet can only help you so much.

You are on a budget, get a reliable car first, fun second. Camry/Corolla not fun? A civic is not "fun" either, despite that H badge on the front. I DD a 2002 civic. It is boring and slowish, but it does it's job of getting me from point A to point B. It will never be close to the fun of a Miata/Corvette/whatever.

Honda/Acura might be more reliable, but a dumb previous owner can still kill one easily. Get a good car with a good maintenance history.

kmcormick9
Feb 2, 2004
Magenta Alert

TrinityOfDeath posted:

You should be. The panels on that Civic are not fitting right. It has been in an accident at some point in it's life. This was the first thing that popped out to me. You don't know what you are looking at, or what you are looking for. It really shows. You don't know what things are worth, and the internet can only help you so much.

You are on a budget, get a reliable car first, fun second. Camry/Corolla not fun? A civic is not "fun" either, despite that H badge on the front. I DD a 2002 civic. It is boring and slowish, but it does it's job of getting me from point A to point B. It will never be close to the fun of a Miata/Corvette/whatever.

Honda/Acura might be more reliable, but a dumb previous owner can still kill one easily. Get a good car with a good maintenance history.
It has hit something. The fender is bowed out and pushed into the door. You can see where the door has bent the back edge of the fender and likely won't open all the way.
Aren't E36/46 considered to be pretty reliable aside from the plastic cooling system?

kmcormick9 fucked around with this message at 02:57 on Feb 6, 2014

Tragic Otter
Aug 3, 2000

kmcormick9 posted:

Aren't E36/46 considered to be pretty reliable aside from the plastic cooling system?

Only by people who service their own cars and don't understand why everyone else doesn't do the same. And even then...

kmcormick9
Feb 2, 2004
Magenta Alert
There's a black Pontiac G6 on your Craigslist for 5800. It's not going to be Toyota honda reliable but it will be pretty good. Plus when it does break, it will be cheap and easy to fix.

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."

an skeleton posted:

Any particular year to not get? I'm kind of on a <$7,000 budget

edit: Since this is on the top of the page, I guess I should specify this post is regarding Mazda3's

The newest you can afford.

ZenMastaT
Apr 4, 2005

I dun shot my dick off
Proposed Budget: 15-20k
New or Used: Used
Body Style: Sedan preferred, hatchback, wagon and coupe would all be acceptable though.
How will you be using the car?: No wife, no kids, no pets. Rarely travel with more than 1 other person in the car but I do haul equipment for my job occasionally so some kind of back seat is preferred. My commute varies wildly, sometimes it is ~10mi roundtrip and other times I drive 200 miles in one day. I'm in rush hour traffic quite a bit. I also occasionally use my car as a mobile office, and am sometimes in it for 8 hours or so in a day parked in a parking lot so a comfortable passenger seat with a lot of foot room is nice.
What aspects are most important to you? My current car is an '07 BMW 335i, 6MT. It's great and I love it but maintenance costs are starting to climb. It's going to need a new clutch in the next year or so, most likely, and that is $1800. It's also about 1-2k away from a service inspection. I just spent $2500 on it the last two weeks replacing ignition coils, head light control unit and passenger seat weight sensor, plus other incidentals. I'd like a car that doesn't cost quite so much to maintain but is still fun to drive. Since I spend so much time in my car I like it to be a nice place. I don't need navigation and I now see the strong downside of adaptive self leveling headlamps and other such high tech gizmos but an AUX input and bluetooth for my phone would be nice. Mainly I want something cheaper that won't look so incredibly out of place at a construction site but at the same time won't make me want to kill myself coming from a 335i. In the past two weeks I've driven a Jetta wagon and a 2014 Corolla as rentals and, while they seem like ok cars, they just make a bunch of noise and don't do anything if you stamp on the gas. Plus they roll like ships in a heavy sea compared to the BMW.

I've owned a Subaru Legacy GT in the past and, if not for the current style cues, would be strongly considering going back to it. A WRX seems nice as well, although a little primitive. I love the look and idea of the BRZ but I don't know if it's big enough in the trunk to work for my needs. I'm not opposed to American cars but don't know of any that provide all the features I'm looking for (namely, drivability, some measure of power, fairly nice interior, reliability). I can't afford to be stranded or super late to a site - while my BMW has been expensive to maintain it has never actually failed to start, which I appreciate. I'm not married to the idea of sticking with a manual transmission but it would be nice. Mainly I want to know what other options exist now that I should test drive or whether it would be smarter to just stick it out through the next couple thousand in repairs and ride the car until it starts becoming actually unreliable.

Internet Explorer
Jun 1, 2005





I would check out a new WRX before you dismiss it. I like gadgets and it's perfectly spartan for me.

Math You
Oct 27, 2010

So put your faith
in more than steel

ZenMastaT posted:

Proposed Budget: 15-20k
New or Used: Used
Body Style: Sedan preferred, hatchback, wagon and coupe would all be acceptable though.
How will you be using the car?: No wife, no kids, no pets. Rarely travel with more than 1 other person in the car but I do haul equipment for my job occasionally so some kind of back seat is preferred. My commute varies wildly, sometimes it is ~10mi roundtrip and other times I drive 200 miles in one day. I'm in rush hour traffic quite a bit. I also occasionally use my car as a mobile office, and am sometimes in it for 8 hours or so in a day parked in a parking lot so a comfortable passenger seat with a lot of foot room is nice.
What aspects are most important to you? My current car is an '07 BMW 335i, 6MT. It's great and I love it but maintenance costs are starting to climb. It's going to need a new clutch in the next year or so, most likely, and that is $1800. It's also about 1-2k away from a service inspection. I just spent $2500 on it the last two weeks replacing ignition coils, head light control unit and passenger seat weight sensor, plus other incidentals. I'd like a car that doesn't cost quite so much to maintain but is still fun to drive. Since I spend so much time in my car I like it to be a nice place. I don't need navigation and I now see the strong downside of adaptive self leveling headlamps and other such high tech gizmos but an AUX input and bluetooth for my phone would be nice. Mainly I want something cheaper that won't look so incredibly out of place at a construction site but at the same time won't make me want to kill myself coming from a 335i. In the past two weeks I've driven a Jetta wagon and a 2014 Corolla as rentals and, while they seem like ok cars, they just make a bunch of noise and don't do anything if you stamp on the gas. Plus they roll like ships in a heavy sea compared to the BMW.

I've owned a Subaru Legacy GT in the past and, if not for the current style cues, would be strongly considering going back to it. A WRX seems nice as well, although a little primitive. I love the look and idea of the BRZ but I don't know if it's big enough in the trunk to work for my needs. I'm not opposed to American cars but don't know of any that provide all the features I'm looking for (namely, drivability, some measure of power, fairly nice interior, reliability). I can't afford to be stranded or super late to a site - while my BMW has been expensive to maintain it has never actually failed to start, which I appreciate. I'm not married to the idea of sticking with a manual transmission but it would be nice. Mainly I want to know what other options exist now that I should test drive or whether it would be smarter to just stick it out through the next couple thousand in repairs and ride the car until it starts becoming actually unreliable.

Ford Focus/Fusion. Mazda 3/6.
The Fords can both be had with 270hp and a load of torque. The Focus would be Focus st in this spec which is a legitimate sports car, the Fusion much more subtle but with some get up and go.
Neither of the Mazdas have fast specs so far this generation, but are a blast to drive. If I were an idiot who favoured sedans over hatches I would probably have a 6 right now myself.

All four can be had with somewhat luxurious interiors.. For the price point.

Throatwarbler
Nov 17, 2008

by vyelkin
Can you really get a Focus ST for $15-$20k? Not sure I would want to sit in one for 8 hours a day either.

A G8 GT is getting down there in terms of prices. A V8 Charger/300 is also worth a look, not as sporty but probably cheaper. Hyundai Genesis, Taurus SHO maybe if you can find one cheap enough.

gwrtheyrn
Oct 21, 2010

AYYYE DEEEEE DUBBALYOO DA-NYAAAAAH!

Throatwarbler posted:

Can you really get a Focus ST for $15-$20k? Not sure I would want to sit in one for 8 hours a day either.

A G8 GT is getting down there in terms of prices. A V8 Charger/300 is also worth a look, not as sporty but probably cheaper. Hyundai Genesis, Taurus SHO maybe if you can find one cheap enough.

Maybe, some people in the hot hatch thread have been getting pretty huge chunks off of the ST2/ST3s, so if you find a dealer who really wants to get rid of a 2013 ST, you might be able to get one near the top of your budget

an skeleton
Apr 23, 2012

scowls @ u

TrinityOfDeath posted:

You should be. The panels on that Civic are not fitting right. It has been in an accident at some point in it's life. This was the first thing that popped out to me. You don't know what you are looking at, or what you are looking for. It really shows. You don't know what things are worth, and the internet can only help you so much.

You are on a budget, get a reliable car first, fun second. Camry/Corolla not fun? A civic is not "fun" either, despite that H badge on the front. I DD a 2002 civic. It is boring and slowish, but it does it's job of getting me from point A to point B. It will never be close to the fun of a Miata/Corvette/whatever.

Honda/Acura might be more reliable, but a dumb previous owner can still kill one easily. Get a good car with a good maintenance history.

Yeah its just crazy that even when I narrow it down to a car that should be "safe" like a 2002 Civic, someone pops out of the woodwork to tell me their transmissions are bad, which seems like a really awful problem that goes against the whole "they are the most reliable car ever" spiel. Also, no I don't know everything about shopping for cars, which is why I am on here, and you don't have to be a dick about it. I know that my posts may be annoying you but I actually have learned quite a bit during this process (which actually did include things other than posting on this forum, believe it or not) and I think I may be ready to bite the bullet and purchase a car within the next week. Obviously I should get a good car with a good maintenance history-- its pretty freakin' hard to find one from what I've experienced thus far.

ZenMastaT
Apr 4, 2005

I dun shot my dick off

Throatwarbler posted:

Can you really get a Focus ST for $15-$20k? Not sure I would want to sit in one for 8 hours a day either.

A G8 GT is getting down there in terms of prices. A V8 Charger/300 is also worth a look, not as sporty but probably cheaper. Hyundai Genesis, Taurus SHO maybe if you can find one cheap enough.

The G8 was in contention when I first picked up this 335i, don't know why I forgot it for this round, good idea. I was also looking at Infiniti G35/37s at that time as well - I'm guessing that as a similar luxury mark they'll have the same issue as my BMW of being expensive to maintain though? Interesting idea on the Focus ST - I had thought I would be stuck in pre-2011 for sure so if I could get a newer car than that a look, that would be tempting. I think I'll give the WRX another shot as well.

Of course in a week maybe I'll have forgiven my car its transgressions!

Emasculatrix
Nov 30, 2004


Tell Me You Love Me.

IOwnCalculus posted:

If you don't mind the soul-sucking boredom (or actually enjoy making the MPG number go up), you can't go wrong with a Prius of pretty much any vintage.


Ok, how about a 2004 prius package #9 with a clean title and 180k miles for $7,000? Would the added maintenance and shorter life span be so bad as to warrant spending more on a newer prius? In complete honesty, I've never managed to keep a car intact for more than a few years. And while I'd like to buy a fancy new car in good faith of my ability to change, it might be smarter to buy a cheaper used one for now.
edit: link to details http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto/4317953644.html

The Dipshit
Dec 21, 2005

by FactsAreUseless

an skeleton posted:

God damnit, I was just about to check this one out:
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/4320004215.html

Now I'm scared to buy any car ever

Honestly, those are the only two years that are all that bad, and since your budget is 7k or less, you can find a pretty reliable car for fairly cheap on that kind of budget. I'm in the DFW area, and I spent a month of my free time on looking up civics and other boring reliable cars since I'm ~40 miles away from my lab, send me a PM and I'll try to help you out as I can. I mean, one way of looking at it is to look at 5k cars, and set aside up to 2k for whatever the mechanic finds and you'll have a good car for a while. If you want a good mechanic for the Richardson/Garland area, the Arlington area, Dallas downtown, or Rockwall, I know the better garages who can do a very thorough inspection. A good maintenance record is solid gold, but I gave up on that, since people don't seem to put their records in the glove box like God intended.

EDIT: Don't be afraid of driving a stick shift, it takes a weekend to learn how to drive one. It makes even boring civics fun-ish.

The Dipshit fucked around with this message at 18:49 on Feb 6, 2014

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





Emasculatrix posted:

Ok, how about a 2004 prius package #9 with a clean title and 180k miles for $7,000? Would the added maintenance and shorter life span be so bad as to warrant spending more on a newer prius? In complete honesty, I've never managed to keep a car intact for more than a few years. And while I'd like to buy a fancy new car in good faith of my ability to change, it might be smarter to buy a cheaper used one for now.
edit: link to details http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto/4317953644.html

I was going to say that price seemed high (KBB claims $4kish) but holy hell that's just what those things seem to go for out there. Same here in Phoenix, even.

Claverjoe posted:

Honestly, those are the only two years that are all that bad

To expand on this - every car company that has been at it long enough, has produced at least one model / year of car that has something significant that is royally hosed up. Don't write it off as OMG I CAN NEVER BUY A CAR, it's just a good example of why it pays to try and be educated about the second-largest purchase most people will ever make.

devmd01
Mar 7, 2006

Elektronik
Supersonik

IOwnCalculus posted:

To expand on this - every car company that has been at it long enough, has produced at least one model / year of car that has something significant that is royally hosed up. Don't write it off as OMG I CAN NEVER BUY A CAR, it's just a good example of why it pays to try and be educated about the second-largest purchase most people will ever make.

This is why i'm paying very close attention to various 2012-2014 models over the next few years, I plan to replace my Jetta in three years with something a lot nicer and less miles than the Jetta when I purchased it.

Tragic Otter
Aug 3, 2000

ZenMastaT posted:

Proposed Budget: 15-20k
New or Used: Used
Body Style: Sedan preferred, hatchback, wagon and coupe would all be acceptable though.

I just was in the market with needs similar to yours, minus the mobile office. I drove a lot of cars you might look at, so here are my impressions. Note that I never drove a WRX because there's something about the look that seriously turns me off.

Focus ST: Will fit your price range if you buy used or get a screaming deal on a new base model. It's a very quiet car with lots of torque. But the interior feels much tighter than you'd expect. Too new for reliability to be certain.

Mazdaspeed3, 2010 or newer: Affordable, spacious, lots of room in the back, reliable. It's a bit of hooligan, though, and also rather loud on the freeway.

Ford Mustang, 2011 or newer: The V6 is as fast or faster than anything else listed here but offers decent economy (it'll beat the Mazdaspeed, at least), and the V8 is a monster. Both cars are quiet inside and extremely spacious for the driver and front passenger. Both are reliable. The trunk and rear seats are tight. The V6s are very affordable used, and a brand new base model will fit in your budget.

Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ: Surprisingly comfortable and good fuel economy, but there's not a lot of space in the seats or the trunk. Can be very loud on the highway. Fast in the curves, but a bit ho-hum in day-to-day traffic. Reliability is not certain, but there seem to be a lot of small problems so far.

GTI: Feels quick all the time, decent space, quiet on the highway, interior is great, fuel economy is good. But this is one of the more expensive options, and there are reliability concerns (water pump, coil packs) that are likely to leave you on the side of the road.

Honda Civic SI: Reliable, good fuel economy, plenty of space, okay on the highway. Feels fast when you get into it, but slow when you're just driving normally. Resell value holds up well, but that also means a late model will be towards the top of your budget.

I bought the Mustang. Admittedly I've always liked them anyway, so I was prone to enjoying it. But I recommend giving it a go, as you may be surprised by how quite and spacious the car is relative to the compact competitors.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22

ZenMastaT posted:

Proposed Budget: 15-20k
New or Used: Used
Body Style: Sedan preferred, hatchback, wagon and coupe would all be acceptable though.
How will you be using the car?: No wife, no kids, no pets. Rarely travel with more than 1 other person in the car but I do haul equipment for my job occasionally so some kind of back seat is preferred. My commute varies wildly, sometimes it is ~10mi roundtrip and other times I drive 200 miles in one day. I'm in rush hour traffic quite a bit. I also occasionally use my car as a mobile office, and am sometimes in it for 8 hours or so in a day parked in a parking lot so a comfortable passenger seat with a lot of foot room is nice.
What aspects are most important to you? My current car is an '07 BMW 335i, 6MT. It's great and I love it but maintenance costs are starting to climb. It's going to need a new clutch in the next year or so, most likely, and that is $1800. It's also about 1-2k away from a service inspection. I just spent $2500 on it the last two weeks replacing ignition coils, head light control unit and passenger seat weight sensor, plus other incidentals. I'd like a car that doesn't cost quite so much to maintain but is still fun to drive. Since I spend so much time in my car I like it to be a nice place. I don't need navigation and I now see the strong downside of adaptive self leveling headlamps and other such high tech gizmos but an AUX input and bluetooth for my phone would be nice. Mainly I want something cheaper that won't look so incredibly out of place at a construction site but at the same time won't make me want to kill myself coming from a 335i. In the past two weeks I've driven a Jetta wagon and a 2014 Corolla as rentals and, while they seem like ok cars, they just make a bunch of noise and don't do anything if you stamp on the gas. Plus they roll like ships in a heavy sea compared to the BMW.

I've owned a Subaru Legacy GT in the past and, if not for the current style cues, would be strongly considering going back to it. A WRX seems nice as well, although a little primitive. I love the look and idea of the BRZ but I don't know if it's big enough in the trunk to work for my needs. I'm not opposed to American cars but don't know of any that provide all the features I'm looking for (namely, drivability, some measure of power, fairly nice interior, reliability). I can't afford to be stranded or super late to a site - while my BMW has been expensive to maintain it has never actually failed to start, which I appreciate. I'm not married to the idea of sticking with a manual transmission but it would be nice. Mainly I want to know what other options exist now that I should test drive or whether it would be smarter to just stick it out through the next couple thousand in repairs and ride the car until it starts becoming actually unreliable.

There's no way that a clutch job should be eighteen hundred dollars even with BMW tax. You can do a clutch for a Class 8 truck for that money.

Edit: If you're already doing major maintenance, it tends to come in waves. So if you do the clutch, you're probably good to go for another couple years at least.

If you really have to be mobile officing and you want something that looks OK at a construction site, I'd suggest the Chrysler 300, Toyota Avalon, Nissan Maxima or one of the big Hyundais (Azera?). Comfortable, decent power, good tech features.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR fucked around with this message at 22:09 on Feb 6, 2014

joepinetree
Apr 5, 2012
Proposed Budget: ideally 12-14k, but can go up to 16 or 17k if the upgrade is substantial

New or Used: either, but if used we'd like to keep it under 50k miles, since my wife and I are the "one car a decade" type.

Body Style: doesn't really matter, as long as it has a decent hip point height (see below).

How will you be using the car? It is for my wife, who will be mostly using it to commute to work and drive around town.

What aspects are most important to you? My wife and I are thinking about replacing her old corolla. We don't have any kids, and would continue using my car for any road trips. So far, one of the most important items of the list of features is a higher hip point than in my altima. My wife is a runner, and has been having problems with her knees lately, so a car that is more comfortable to get into/out of would be important. The reason I mention this first is because I've been looking online and haven't found a single resource listing hip point ranges. Leg room is also a plus (I'm 6'3), but not a deal breaker since this will be used mostly by her, in town. We've been looking and so far our favorite seems to be the Kia Soul: easy to get into and out of for her, relatively feature rich and right within our preferred budget if we look at used ones. We've also looked at CR-Vs and Rav4s, since the 07 or 08 used ones fall within our budget. But it seems to be overkill for what we need, as we don't really need that much space or power. Are there any other vehicles we should be looking into?

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

joepinetree posted:

as long as it has a decent hip point height (see below).

Are you talking about the h-point? If so: no, you won't find any resources on this at a consumer level - this is what test driving cars is for. But generally sports car = low h-point, sedans are in the middle, mini vans and CUVs a bit higher, and SUVs and trucks the highest. For full on ridiculously highest h-point in a passenger vehicle you're looking at Land Rovers (for a reason - you can see around the vehicle better when off road).

If you're talking about seating height (and step-in height) the AARP and similar oldster publications usually include that in their mentions/recommendations.

Nairbo
Jan 2, 2005
Proposed Budget: 20-25k. I'll have only 1-2k for a down payment aside from the value of my current car so I don't want to go too crazy.
New or Used: Used, probably. Thinking 2008ish-2011
Body Style: Either mid sized sedan or CUV. Not much interest in a hatchback and I have zero interest in a wagon.
How will you be using the car?: Daily driver, I drive a fair bit for work, both in-town and on the highway. I'm in Saskatchewan so there are very few [none] windy roads or mountains, but winter is pretty long and rough which makes RWD virtually a non-option. Because of this I'm looking at possibly getting AWD. Lot of very flat and boring highway mileage so a decent music/entertainment system is appealing. I do drive co-workers and business clients around on occasion so passenger/backseat comfort isn't absolutely dire, but sort of important. I don't have kids or a dog, just an SO.

What aspects are most important to you? Reliability/repair-ability, comfort, tech features, exterior look ["sporty" I suppose], then depreciation in that order. Employer pays for gas regardless of regular/premium so mileage isn't a concern.

I've been driving a standard 2003 Honda Civic couple for a while but my employer gives me a car allowance of about 7k a year, I feel like I should be using it on something nicer and with 4 doors. The Civic is paid off this month so I'll be looking sometime later in Feb or early March.

Whatever I purchase, I'll likely keep for about 5 years. Probably looking at 60 month financing and selling/upgrading after.

Right now, the options I'm considering:
- 2009ish Acura TL, preferably with the tech package and SH-AWD. The sound system seems compelling, as does the A2DP Bluetooth streaming for music/podcasts. AWD model being apparently powerful sounds nice for highway.
- 2009ish Acura TSX. Edited this in because it looks nice, and is priced well.
- Used Subaru Forester, no idea what year. Only reservations about this are that most benefits seemingly are related to climbing hills for AWD, there are no hills here. Also seemingly limited tech options in non-brand-new models?
- 2014 Civic. I really like the tech features on this, and I've had 2 Civic in a row that have treated me well. I don't also really need AWD but I haven't had it before so maybe I'm missing out and this is a bad option? A new car is appealing but I'm less enthusiastic about this option the more I think. Definitely not mid-sized but I could make do with it.
- 2008ish Mercedes ML350. Definitely not a mid-sized sedan or CUV, but my mother has one and I really enjoyed how well it drives and the comfort/seats. Reliability would be a glaring concern here, though.
- Acura RDX. Haven't looked into this much admittedly. I originally wanted an MDX until I saw how expensive they are.
- Honda CRV. I originally wanted to buy a 2014 CR-V when I started my car hunt, then realized the EXL trim I wanted was going to cost a fair bit. Open to the idea of used ones since they seem to hold up well, just not familiar with anything older than a new one.
- Ford Edge. This list is getting long, but I like the look and tech; especially of the 2011 face-lifted models.
- Honda Accord [V6]. I'm not sure which year these things stopped looking loving hideous but I saw a newer one today, did a double take, and said "is that an Accord? Wait, what?".

The Acura TL is definitely my #1 consideration for now, but I'm open to thoughts or suggestions. I've test drove a total of zero cars so far.

tl;dr version: 26 year old guy person with no kids and a company gas card needs a mid-sized sedan or SUV at 20-25k that is reliable and has at least decent tech.

Nairbo fucked around with this message at 16:38 on Feb 8, 2014

Saltin
Aug 20, 2003
Don't touch

ZenMastaT posted:

The G8 was in contention when I first picked up this 335i, don't know why I forgot it for this round, good idea. I was also looking at Infiniti G35/37s at that time as well - I'm guessing that as a similar luxury mark they'll have the same issue as my BMW of being expensive to maintain though? Interesting idea on the Focus ST - I had thought I would be stuck in pre-2011 for sure so if I could get a newer car than that a look, that would be tempting. I think I'll give the WRX another shot as well.

Of course in a week maybe I'll have forgiven my car its transgressions!

The g37 will cost as much to repair, in general, when things go wrong as a 335, but they will go wrong a lot less often. The G is a very reliable car.

Emasculatrix
Nov 30, 2004


Tell Me You Love Me.
Looking for used Priuses is discouraging. 80% of them are salvage titles. I emailed someone on CL selling a 2006 (which was 8 years ago) with over 130,000 miles asking if he'd be willing to sell at KBB/edmunds' true market value...and got a pretty rude response.

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."

Saltin posted:

The g37 will cost as much to repair, in general, when things go wrong as a 335, but they will go wrong a lot less often. The G is a very reliable car.

I actually doubt that it will cost as much for some things. Upfront, it is just a VQ engine after all.

The Dipshit
Dec 21, 2005

by FactsAreUseless

Emasculatrix posted:

Looking for used Priuses is discouraging. 80% of them are salvage titles. I emailed someone on CL selling a 2006 (which was 8 years ago) with over 130,000 miles asking if he'd be willing to sell at KBB/edmunds' true market value...and got a pretty rude response.

I feel you. It took me a month to find a non-poo poo car.

Friar Zucchini
Aug 6, 2010

Emasculatrix posted:

Looking for used Priuses is discouraging. 80% of them are salvage titles. I emailed someone on CL selling a 2006 (which was 8 years ago) with over 130,000 miles asking if he'd be willing to sell at KBB/edmunds' true market value...and got a pretty rude response.
I guess that's what happens when Toyota accidentally makes the most reliable car ever. People just don't get rid of them.

Shame Boy
Mar 2, 2010

Don't the batteries break down after a few years? Wouldn't one from 8 years ago have absolutely poo poo battery life and need it replaced?

Emasculatrix
Nov 30, 2004


Tell Me You Love Me.

Parallel Paraplegic posted:

Don't the batteries break down after a few years? Wouldn't one from 8 years ago have absolutely poo poo battery life and need it replaced?

This particular one had the battery replaced last year.

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."

Parallel Paraplegic posted:

Don't the batteries break down after a few years? Wouldn't one from 8 years ago have absolutely poo poo battery life and need it replaced?

Not really. Also, a 8 year old prius is still under battery warranty.

Shame Boy
Mar 2, 2010

nm posted:

Not really. Also, a 8 year old prius is still under battery warranty.

I see! For some reason I thought the early Priuses (Prii?) had problems with battery lifetime.

Friar Zucchini
Aug 6, 2010

Parallel Paraplegic posted:

I see! For some reason I thought the early Priuses (Prii?) had problems with battery lifetime.
That's what Toyota was afraid of when they were designing it. So they put a ton of effort into minimizing that problem, just trying to have it not be as miserable as they expected it, and ended up with the most reliable car around.

Most cars would be pretty tired after 200K+ miles...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9CsEEk30q4

Friar Zucchini fucked around with this message at 03:18 on Feb 9, 2014

Nairbo
Jan 2, 2005
Went with the 09 Acura SH-AWD TL with tech package.

Man this thing is a nice upgrade from my 03 Civic!

Saltin
Aug 20, 2003
Don't touch

nm posted:

I actually doubt that it will cost as much for some things. Upfront, it is just a VQ engine after all.

I've owned both, the standard service costs are similar. Never owned one out of warranty so cannot speak to repairs, however the part and labor costs for both cars are in the same ballpark as well. No question the 335 is more expensive to own, it's more expensive to start with. The whole value prop of the G is that it performs like a 335 but is significantly cheaper.

I'm also Canadian, so keep in mind things are generally more expensive here to begin with and that is the perspective I'm coming from. A not too fancy new G37 with all wheel drive would set you back over 50k after taxes if you paid MSRP (not that anyone would).

Saltin fucked around with this message at 16:37 on Feb 9, 2014

InternetJunky
May 25, 2002

Proposed Budget: ~$60k max
New or Used: New
Body Style: SUV
How will you be using the car?: Just for my wife and I, but we carry a ridiculous amount of photography and outdoor gear. Lots of driving on rough/icy/muddy back roads. Roof rack to handle two kayaks is required. I also want to be able to haul one of these http://www.forestriverinc.com/rpod/
What aspects are most important to you? I want an SUV that doesn't look like a boring box on wheels. It should look and be rugged. Unlike most SUV owners, I will actually be taking mine to the wilderness.

The only vehicles I've found that come even close to what I'm after are the Toyota YJ, Jeep Wrangler 4-door, or Nissan xTerra. I don't know how well these would haul the small trailer I plan to buy. I also wish they were bigger (a 4 door YJ would be my choice if it existed). I'm interested in all opinions/options.

[edit] I'm in Canada

worstrobot
Nov 28, 2004

boop.
Proposed Budget: $14-$17K
New or Used: Used
Body Style: Sedan or a hatchback. Either will work.
How will you be using the car?: Primarily commuting, it's not a super long commute and I'll be hauling a couple of tool boxes around. Nothing too major. Longer road trips in the spring and summertime, so decent fuel economy is a must.
What aspects are most important to you?: I like to keep my cars for a long time, so reliability is pretty high up on the list for me. I'm about 6'2" so nothing too squeezed and awkward would be nice as well. I've been looking at the Mazda 3 I live in Ontario so we get a lot of salt in the winter time and I'm concerned about rust. A lot of the older 3's I see have a ton of rust around the rear wheel well, is this an issue with the newer models?

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

worstrobot posted:

Proposed Budget: $14-$17K
New or Used: Used
Body Style: Sedan or a hatchback. Either will work.
How will you be using the car?: Primarily commuting, it's not a super long commute and I'll be hauling a couple of tool boxes around. Nothing too major. Longer road trips in the spring and summertime, so decent fuel economy is a must.
What aspects are most important to you?: I like to keep my cars for a long time, so reliability is pretty high up on the list for me. I'm about 6'2" so nothing too squeezed and awkward would be nice as well. I've been looking at the Mazda 3 I live in Ontario so we get a lot of salt in the winter time and I'm concerned about rust. A lot of the older 3's I see have a ton of rust around the rear wheel well, is this an issue with the newer models?

You'll probably want to narrow it down a bit more. You have a ton of options. To start a test drive list: Ford Focus/Fiesta, Mazda 2/3/6 (I believe rust is still an issue, but chime in), Honda Accord (I don't think the current Civic was received very well), Toyota Prius. I don't know anything about GM/Chrysler, but I think people like the Sonic/Cruze. I'm sure someone else will chime in with more about that.

Out of those, I'd get a Mazda3 if rust isn't a concern, or a Focus, but that's just my biases/preferences showing. AFAIK any car on that list will serve your needs well.

Waroduce
Aug 5, 2008
Proposed Budget: $14k-20k, 9000 down in cash
New or Used: New
Body Style: 2 or 4 door, compact or sedan. Leaning heavily toward 2014 Civic/Corolla. Not going to add anything extra to the care. Basic model.
How will you be using the car?: As long as possible, no desire to replace/upgrade ever.
What aspects are most important to you?: Apparently the 2014 Civic hasn't been well received? I'd like to know if there are any issues, but I've never looked to purchase a car before. I know nothing about them. Googling hasn't been very kind.

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blueblueblue
Mar 18, 2009
The 2012 Civic was not well received, the 13/14 was redesigned and is a fine car for what it is. I would buy it over the Corolla, but I am biased as my wife drives a 13 Civic.

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