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simmyb
Sep 29, 2005

Hello goons, I've just moved to Connecticut from Australia for 2 years and need to buy a car in the next week or two.

Proposed Budget: $6000-7000 out the door. Can stretch this but don't want to. No finance.
New or Used: Used
Body Style: 4-door. Mid-size or compact if its a hatch/wagon or has fold down rear seats.
How will you be using the car?: 20-mile each way commuted 3-4 days week. Occasional 100-150 mile round trip to bike races etc.
What aspects are most important to you? Reliability. Relatively easy for a scrub to drive in snow when needed. Enough room to get a road bike in the back (with the front wheel off).

There is a lot of brands/models here that I'm not familiar with, so I'm leaning towards Subaru/Mazda/Toyota/Honda. I'm drawn to the Subaru's a bit, but not for any concrete reason.
From what I can see in ads, cars around here have a lot of miles for their age, so it'd be good to know what other people see as "too much", and if the winters are harsh enough that buying a 9-10 year old car is becoming a bit of a gamble.

Also, it seems like trying to buy a car from a private seller in this state is a real shitshow, so probably from a dealer.

simmyb fucked around with this message at 23:40 on Jan 25, 2016

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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."
Fyi, I can get a 61 road bike in the hatch of my Mazda 2 with the front wheel off, so I'm guessing basically any hatch would work.

Buy a prius and snow tires, seriously. Also, I can very easily get a bike in the back of a prius.

Edit: don't buy from a dealer, esp at your price range.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22

EAB posted:

Proposed Budget: $4k
New or Used: Used
Body Style: SUV
How will you be using the car?: off-road, camping trips, overland
What aspects are most important to you? Reliability, being smallish/nimble, agile, but not a death trap [samurai], maybe just big enough to sleep inside? Something that can maybe be cheaply lifted [an inch or two] I don't know much about off-roading, I can drive stick but is a stick required for serious off-roading or can automatics do the job? Honestly clueless.

I had a 92 Toyota 4runner that did decent offroad, hit a deer and totaled it, and mostly not sure if I want to pay the used toyota tax again. Plus for a V6, it was gutless, felt more like an I4.

Is the size of the 4runnner OK? You could also look at the Pathfinder, might be able to get an older Xterra. The Bronco and Blazer are both OK. You basically want a beater SUV with a bit of off road capability. The specific flavor doesn't matter all that much.

RabbitMage
Nov 20, 2008
A specific question:

A classmate of mine is thinking of selling her Prius. It's a 2005 but has 196,000 miles on it (she frequently drives between Northern California, Southern California, and Utah). She said it's developed a problem with the instrument panel not lighting up, which after a little Googling sounds like a common problem with the combination meter?

I really want a more versatile car with better gas mileage than the one I have now (which is a 2001 Taurus, only 61,000 miles) but don't have a huge budget--basically what I'd get for the Taurus. If it only lasts 3-5 more years that's fine, I'll hopefully be well-settled into a 'real' job by then and ready for an upgrade.

She offered it to me for $2000. Best idea? Worst idea?

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."
If the battery is fine (and it very well might be), $2k isn't terrible at all unless that is an extremely expensive fix.

antiga
Jan 16, 2013

simmyb posted:

Hello goons, I've just moved to Connecticut from Australia for 2 years and need to buy a car in the next week or two.

Proposed Budget: $6000-7000 out the door. Can stretch this but don't want to. No finance.
New or Used: Used
Body Style: 4-door. Mid-size or compact if its a hatch/wagon or has fold down rear seats.
How will you be using the car?: 20-mile each way commuted 3-4 days week. Occasional 100-150 mile round trip to bike races etc.
What aspects are most important to you? Reliability. Relatively easy for a scrub to drive in snow when needed. Enough room to get a road bike in the back (with the front wheel off).

There is a lot of brands/models here that I'm not familiar with, so I'm leaning towards Subaru/Mazda/Toyota/Honda. I'm drawn to the Subaru's a bit, but not for any concrete reason.
From what I can see in ads, cars around here have a lot of miles for their age, so it'd be good to know what other people see as "too much", and if the winters are harsh enough that buying a 9-10 year old car is becoming a bit of a gamble.

Also, it seems like trying to buy a car from a private seller in this state is a real shitshow, so probably from a dealer.

You're going to get screwed by a dealer in that price range. Connecticut has several active Craigslist sites depending on your location: new London, Hartford, Fairfield (part of CL NYC), new Haven, northwest ct plus a few I'm surely forgetting.

It is definitely a shitshow because you have to illegally drive to the DMV to get plates or leave the car wherever you bought it. I took the risk, YMMV.

Subaru will have a premium price because they're popular here. I'd buy the best civic or corolla you can find, if that won't fit the bike I'm sure the thread answer will be Prius.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22
If you've just bought the car like, that day, and are on the way to the RMV, the police are usually pretty lenient if you do get pulled over without tags.

powderific
May 13, 2004

Grimey Drawer
Depending on the state it may be legal to drive without plates for a bit on private party sales anyway. Here in Nebraska you have a month to get plates and you just carry your purchase paperwork with out. Obviously you're more likely to get pulled over with no plates, but you wouldn't get a ticket.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





In other states it's illegal to drive without tags no matter what, but there will usually be some form of temp tag you can get very quickly. Here in AZ you can print out 3-day or 30-day tags from home. The 3-day costs a buck and is specifically limited to travel for emissions / registration reasons. 30-day is general-use, but costs $15 and you can only do it once per year on a vehicle.

Shwqa
Feb 13, 2012

Neveda is a temporary tag law as well. You get a 10 day tag for $2.

antiga
Jan 16, 2013

I completely agree with all of that, but I was made to understand by the CT DMV that I was driving 'at risk'. They laughed when I suggested that there ought to be an option to buy a temp tag. Shrug.

Nevertheless, if the OP is looking for a Toyota/Honda he shouldn't have to drive very far to register it.

E: somewhat ironically I probably could have gone to NY or something and bought a temp tag legally but I decided not to bother.

antiga fucked around with this message at 19:36 on Jan 26, 2016

aldantefax
Oct 10, 2007

ALWAYS BE MECHFISHIN'
I'll fill out a form! I'm moving from north California to Austin, TX and I'll need to get a replacement car for the one I'm leaving behind. For context below, I work from home full time, so I don't really need a commuter, but I also don't want a money pit either. Previously, I drove a 2002 VW Passat wagon GLX.

I'll also have plenty of time to sit on and think about buying a car, so it is not an emergency replacement. I'd like to get one in the next 3 to 4 months (I'll be moving in February).

Proposed Budget: $3000 or less for a used car from a private owner up front; financing for up to $20k from a dealer
New or Used: Used, but I'm open to new if it is financially feasible
Body Style: (e.g. 2 door? 4 door? Compact/Midsize/Fullsize Sedan? Truck? SUV?) Any sedan size, possibly would consider up to a minivan. Will also consider 2-door as well.
How will you be using the car?: Light use (1-2 times a week on average), recreational purposes, road trips, groceries, transporting a dog. Would be a plus if it has enough space to permit transporting furniture as well.
What aspects are most important to you? (e.g. reliability, cost of ownership/maintenance, import/domestic, MPG, size, style) Reliability, ease of maintenance, comfort, enjoyment of driving. Don't care too much about MPG or looks.

People have been recommending to me cars like the Honda Fit, Accord, Ford Fiesta already - I'm definitely open to suggestions. I'd like to learn manual, since I've only ever driven automatic, and I have the time and inclination to start learning!

tater_salad
Sep 15, 2007


Fit or Fiesta fits perfectly with your desires
You can finance your car from private seller with a bank/credit union loan.
You should also do this at dealer.

aldantefax
Oct 10, 2007

ALWAYS BE MECHFISHIN'

tater_salad posted:

Fit or Fiesta fits perfectly with your desires
You can finance your car from private seller with a bank/credit union loan.
You should also do this at dealer.

I understand that the Fit has a couple of generations - gen 2 started in around 2009, and gen 3 started in 2015 model year. I'm not too sure on the Fiesta's revisions so I'll need to do some more research on that too. I never considered doing a financing thing for a private seller, I always viewed that as a dealer-only type of thing.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22
First gen Fits are notoriously not watertight. Avoid. Anything after 2009 is fine, though.

edit: if you buy a Fiesta, only get the manual. The DCT is a bad transmission.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR fucked around with this message at 23:08 on Jan 26, 2016

tater_salad
Sep 15, 2007


aldantefax posted:

I understand that the Fit has a couple of generations - gen 2 started in around 2009, and gen 3 started in 2015 model year. I'm not too sure on the Fiesta's revisions so I'll need to do some more research on that too. I never considered doing a financing thing for a private seller, I always viewed that as a dealer-only type of thing.

A lot of people do this and what you don't know is it's totally legal for the dealer to say "guess what you've been approved for a 6% loan from donkey punch bank" but the bank is actually willing to do 4% and thr dealer scrapes the other 2%. You will see this more with used than new, but secure outside financing for used is usually solid advice.

aldantefax
Oct 10, 2007

ALWAYS BE MECHFISHIN'

tater_salad posted:

A lot of people do this and what you don't know is it's totally legal for the dealer to say "guess what you've been approved for a 6% loan from donkey punch bank" but the bank is actually willing to do 4% and thr dealer scrapes the other 2%. You will see this more with used than new, but secure outside financing for used is usually solid advice.

Does this mean I can get a quoted price for (as an example) a 2016 Honda Fit new, get to the financing portion, see what the dealership has to offer (and from who), then say "You know what, I'm gonna sleep on it" and then go talk to the banks directly? Or is it a matter of knowing what bank the dealership would use to secure financing before getting to that point?

KillHour
Oct 28, 2007


aldantefax posted:

Does this mean I can get a quoted price for (as an example) a 2016 Honda Fit new, get to the financing portion, see what the dealership has to offer (and from who), then say "You know what, I'm gonna sleep on it" and then go talk to the banks directly? Or is it a matter of knowing what bank the dealership would use to secure financing before getting to that point?

You get preapproved by your bank of choice for [amount], then you negotiate price with dealer for less than [amount]. Once the dealer agrees, you let them know that you have your own financing.

If you have good credit, I recommend credit unions. My credit union regularly goes as low as 0.99% on new cars. I once saw 0.49%.

FebrezeNinja
Nov 22, 2007

I bought a Honda Fit last year with financing. I came with approval from a local credit union for 2.2%. When it came time to talk to the financing guy, he gave me two bank estimates for ~4.4%. Then I asked him to check the Honda financing and got a 2% from them, which I took. He was somewhat surprised to see fast approval on a Sunday or something.



vvv Yeah probably. Still, ask for it.

FebrezeNinja fucked around with this message at 07:59 on Jan 27, 2016

Literally Lewis Hamilton
Feb 22, 2005



FebrezeNinja posted:

I bought a Honda Fit last year with financing. I came with approval from a local credit union for 2.2%. When it came time to talk to the financing guy, he gave me two bank estimates for ~4.4%. Then I asked him to check the Honda financing and got a 2% from them, which I took. He was somewhat surprised to see fast approval on a Sunday or something.

I doubt he was. He was just getting more back from those banks so he didn't present Honda's financing arm.

H110Hawk
Dec 28, 2006

FebrezeNinja posted:

He was not at all surprised to see fast approval based on entirely computer processed criteria.

tater_salad
Sep 15, 2007


Bovril Delight posted:

I doubt he was. He was just getting more back from those banks so he didn't present Honda's financing arm.

^^^
Again have your own financing secured, and if the dealer can give you a better rate super awesome, if they can't.. you have your loan already and don't need to wait more days for the car.

Wowporn
May 31, 2012

HarumphHarumphHarumph
I have a 2000 Accord I wanted to keep running until I could afford the payments on something nice and recent (was at 232k and running strong) but I got hit by a schoolbus so now I'm looking for something maybe just a little nicer than it was. The insurance process is slow as poo poo and I'd like to know exactly what I want before I need to go buy it.

~$3k budget
Need it for commuting and hauling one other person plus a sedan trunk's worth of equipment, would like to keep the same footprint of a sedan or a compact. Also live in Minnesota so hellacious cold and pounds of road salt will be flung at it.

I would like something reliable and not ungodly ugly. At the moment I'm looking at 4 cars that are a decade old and are in good physical shape but have very high mileage, including an 06 Pontiac Grand Prix GT, an 06 Buick Lucerne, an 06 Chevy Cobalt, and an 07 Chevy Impala. The Buick has the least miles at 138k and the rest are 170-200k. Is it bad to look at cars with so many miles, rather than something older with less miles? My car already had 133,000 miles on it when i got it and it lasted nearly a decade/100k miles more but I realize that probably isn't common and could be giving me bad judgement.

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

Wowporn posted:

I have a 2000 Accord I wanted to keep running until I could afford the payments on something nice and recent (was at 232k and running strong) but I got hit by a schoolbus so now I'm looking for something maybe just a little nicer than it was. The insurance process is slow as poo poo and I'd like to know exactly what I want before I need to go buy it.

~$3k budget
Need it for commuting and hauling one other person plus a sedan trunk's worth of equipment, would like to keep the same footprint of a sedan or a compact. Also live in Minnesota so hellacious cold and pounds of road salt will be flung at it.

I would like something reliable and not ungodly ugly. At the moment I'm looking at 4 cars that are a decade old and are in good physical shape but have very high mileage, including an 06 Pontiac Grand Prix GT, an 06 Buick Lucerne, an 06 Chevy Cobalt, and an 07 Chevy Impala. The Buick has the least miles at 138k and the rest are 170-200k. Is it bad to look at cars with so many miles, rather than something older with less miles? My car already had 133,000 miles on it when i got it and it lasted nearly a decade/100k miles more but I realize that probably isn't common and could be giving me bad judgement.

Look for Focuses as well. They're everywhere, so they're cheap, reasonably reliable, and parts are cheap for when something does break (which, with a $3k car, will happen). Just make sure you get one with a DOHC engine, not a SOHC.

As long as you're aware of the increased maintenance requirements for a higher mileage car (and clearly you are, given your accord), it'll be good. If you can find one with maintenance records, all the better, and DEFINITELY get it checked out by a mechanic before buying.

I bought a 2003 Focus with 110k miles for $3k 5 years ago. I've had to do a decent amount of maintenance on it, but nothing catastrophic. It's a good car to learn how to wrench on too, if you are so inclined (and don't know how to already). We bought it (thanks to advice from this thread) with the intention of driving it until we were done with school then dump it for something nicer, but we like it enough that we've kept it another 3 years since we've both been out of school.

Grumpwagon fucked around with this message at 02:53 on Jan 28, 2016

tater_salad
Sep 15, 2007


If you want that kind of reliability buy another 2000 accord or upgrade to a bit newer civic.
Argue with your insurance Co about what they paid you, a 2001 civic with close to 200k nets 3000-4000 according to car gurus, an accord would net you more. (I just looked because I am looking at selling mine)
Go find some for sale at your local market like Craigs or autotrader and say see that 3k you gave me ain't poo poo.
A 10 year old gm is asking for poo poo to break, especially because they start breaking at year 4. Look at toyota and honda if buying 10 year old heaps be prepared to do timing belts and poo poo.

Edit:seriously don't buy a 10 year old gm unless you have some savings / can save for repairs. Also ask if the timing belt has been done..probably not, budget 1k for that job ask a shop.

tater_salad fucked around with this message at 02:37 on Jan 28, 2016

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

tater_salad posted:

If you want that kind of reliability buy another 2000 accord or upgrade to a bit newer civic.
Argue with your insurance Co about what they paid you, a 2001 civic with close to 200k nets 3000-4000 according to car gurus, an accord would net you more. (I just looked because I am looking at selling mine)
Go find some for sale at your local market like Craigs or autotrader and say see that 3k you gave me ain't poo poo.
A 10 year old gm is asking for poo poo to break, especially because they start breaking at year 4. Look at toyota and honda if buying 10 year old heaps be prepared to do timing belts and poo poo.

The problem with this is you're paying the Toyota/Honda tax. Everyone looks for a civic/accord/corolla/camry. They're probably a bit more reliable, but when you're talking about a 15 year old car with 150k++ miles, you're looking for the vehicle in best shape and current maintenance, not the maker with the best reputation. The Focus is a step down, reliability wise, but it's a small step, and they're a lot cheaper, so you can get a newer/lower mileage one for your budget, which means less repairs. You'll likely end up with a lower total cost of ownership.

EDIT: Obviously, I wouldn't just buy any old car, but a well maintained focus (and I'm sure people will come by with other similar suggestions) will do well. That's not to say the usual Toyotas/Hondas are bad. If you can find a cheap one that has been maintained well, by all means buy it.

Grumpwagon fucked around with this message at 02:42 on Jan 28, 2016

tater_salad
Sep 15, 2007


I owned a 2000 focus and a 2001 civic the reliability issues are night and day

Repairs to my civic: (owned from year 10-15) evap solenoid, stabilizer end link made noise so I replace becaue it got annoying) owned from year 10-x

Repairs to my focus(owned from year 4-10). Fuel pump, door latches (recall), broken springs (recall but only once they broke so that was fun having no car and paying for the tow), cold idle return hose, leaking exhaust manifold gasket, more door latches (recall), rear wheel bearings heater resister X2, cell was on when I sold it.

I'm also saying that becsuse used Hondas and toyotas have a tax the insurance Co should reimburse. A long while ago My buddy crashed a Bonneville ssei and the insurance Co offered him poo poo becsuse it was an old bonnie, the he said here's what I costs to replace this thing, and they upped his payout.

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

tater_salad posted:

I owned a 2000 focus and a 2001 civic the reliability issues are night and day

Repairs to my civic: (owned from year 10-15) evap solenoid, stabilizer end link made noise so I replace becaue it got annoying) owned from year 10-x

Repairs to my focus(owned from year 4-10). Fuel pump, door latches (recall), broken springs (recall but only once they broke so that was fun having no car and paying for the tow), cold idle return hose, leaking exhaust manifold gasket, more door latches (recall), rear wheel bearings heater resister X2, cell was on when I sold it.

I'm also saying that becsuse used Hondas and toyotas have a tax the insurance Co should reimburse. A long while ago My buddy crashed a Bonneville ssei and the insurance Co offered him poo poo becsuse it was an old bonnie, the he said here's what I costs to replace this thing, and they upped his payout.

Sorry, I should have said, 2000 was the first model year here and there were still kinks to be worked out. Don't get a 2000.

I agree with you that the insurance company should consider the tax.

Wowporn
May 31, 2012

HarumphHarumphHarumph

Grumpwagon posted:

Look for Focuses as well. They're cheap, reasonably reliable, and parts are cheap for when something does break (which, with a $3k car, will happen).

As long as you're aware of the increased maintenance requirements for a higher mileage car (and clearly you are, given your accord), it'll be good. If you can find one with maintenance records, all the better, and DEFINITELY get it checked out by a mechanic before buying.

I bought a 2003 Focus with 110k miles for $3k 5 years ago. I've had to do a decent amount of maintenance on it, but nothing catastrophic. It's a good car to learn how to wrench on too, if you are so inclined (and don't know how to already). We bought it (thanks to advice from this thread) with the intention of driving it until we were done with school then dump it for something nicer, but we like it enough that we've kept it another 3 years since we've both been out of school.

For whatever reason I was under the impression focuses were poo poo, so that's good to know. There are a few '01s in my area for ~1500, and that's about it; is it worth considering?


tater_salad posted:

If you want that kind of reliability buy another 2000 accord or upgrade to a bit newer civic.
Argue with your insurance Co about what they paid you, a 2001 civic with close to 200k nets 3000-4000 according to car gurus, an accord would net you more. (I just looked because I am looking at selling mine)
Go find some for sale at your local market like Craigs or autotrader and say see that 3k you gave me ain't poo poo.
A 10 year old gm is asking for poo poo to break, especially because they start breaking at year 4. Look at toyota and honda if buying 10 year old heaps be prepared to do timing belts and poo poo.

Edit:seriously don't buy a 10 year old gm unless you have some savings / can save for repairs. Also ask if the timing belt has been done..probably not, budget 1k for that job ask a shop.

Good to know, I'll avoid GM. Any thoughts on the Pontiac? I don't really know poo poo about them.

Grumpwagon posted:

The problem with this is you're paying the Toyota/Honda tax. Everyone looks for a civic/accord/corolla/camry. They're probably a bit more reliable, but when you're talking about a 15 year old car with 150k++ miles, you're looking for the vehicle in best shape and current maintenance, not the maker with the best reputation. The Focus is a step down, reliability wise, but it's a small step, and they're a lot cheaper, so you can get a newer/lower mileage one for your budget, which means less repairs. You'll likely end up with a lower total cost of ownership.

EDIT: Obviously, I wouldn't just buy any old car, but a well maintained focus (and I'm sure people will come by with other similar suggestions) will do well. That's not to say the usual Toyotas/Hondas are bad. If you can find a cheap one that has been maintained well, by all means buy it.

Yeah, what grump said, there aint poo poo for used accords/civics/camrys here because everyone is still driving them. They're all either from the mid 90's and asking for a lot more than seems reasonable or relatively new and way out of my price range. The only one I could really find that matches what I want is an 04 accord with 207,000 miles on it for about three thousand, does that seem reasonable?

That being said I can't say it was a flawless run with my Accord, the transmission failed, I replaced it completely, and that one failed two months outside of the three year warranty. I also just spent $675 replacing the entire power steering system that went out suddenly over the summer, and had to replace the struts twice midway through its lifetime.

lament.cfg
Dec 28, 2006

we have such posts
to show you




Thoughts on an '04 Mazda3 s Hatchback @ 114k mi from a reliability/maintenance standpoint?

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

a worthy uhh posted:

Thoughts on an '04 Mazda3 s Hatchback @ 114k mi from a reliability/maintenance standpoint?

They're good. Pretty marginal gas mileage (still good, just not great), but fun to drive and pretty reliable.

Tahm Bwady
Aug 7, 2008

Its 1 thing to jump and be able to land on 2 feet but I had no idea I was landing in Heaven.Hope all is well on this good Friday

Wowporn posted:

Good to know, I'll avoid GM. Any thoughts on the Pontiac? I don't really know poo poo about them.

Pontiac is GM build quality with more EXCITEMENT

Wowporn
May 31, 2012

HarumphHarumphHarumph

Tahm Bwady posted:

Pontiac is GM build quality with more EXCITEMENT

Sweet sounds good.

Sorry if this is an annoying way to do it but I've scoured the local places with the new info and I've got a small handful to choose from:
-'05 Honda civic lx 188k miles $3,500
-'06 Ford Taurus 134k mles $3,000
-'04 Ford Crown Vic 138k miles $2,000 (I don't THINK it's a retired cop car, but I don't actually remember if there were any of those that weren't)
-'05 Ford Focus zx4 Sedan 147k miles $3,500
-'05 Ford Focus zx3 Hatchback 110k miles $4,000 (This one is really stretching my budget, but has the lowest miles and the hatchback would be really useful)

I realize there's no perfect answer here but, like, which one would a smart car person pick?

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."

Tahm Bwady posted:

Pontiac is GM build quality with more EXCITEMENT

Well which pontiac?
If it is a vibe, it is literally just a toyota matrix (made at the same factory) with a pontiac badge.
It will be very well built and reliable.

tater_salad
Sep 15, 2007


I'd look at the civic and the zx3 focus.
Look for a sticker somewhere in thr engine bay that says the timing belt has been done usually on or near the timing cover itself.. absent that ask for a receipt that shows it was done.
A timing belt/water pump will cost you 1k and in your mileage range they are on borrowed time, engines are not kind if the belt lets go.
If it hasn't been done and you buy one.. you should collect that 1k asap and do it.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





Wowporn posted:

Sweet sounds good.

Sorry if this is an annoying way to do it but I've scoured the local places with the new info and I've got a small handful to choose from:

When you say local places, you don't mean dealerships, do you? They still want to make the same profit they do with more expensive cars, so they are really loving expensive for cheap cars.

At any rate, at the low end of the market like you're shopping at, condition of the specific used car you are actually buying is very important. A Civic that has been thrashed and poorly maintained for 11 years might actually cost you more to run than a Ford that has been meticulously repaired since new.

funeral home DJ
Apr 21, 2003


Pillbug
Hey so I've been out of cars for a while and bought a Mazda3 with an automatic transmission that I have grown to hate!

Proposed Budget: 13k
New or Used: Used
Body Style: Wagon, Hatchback, Sedan, just no SUV or Cute-Ute/Crossover
How will you be using the car?: Commuting, occasional trip and possible dirt bike/broken Italian motorcycle hauler like once every other month
What aspects are most important to you?: Manual transmission, ability to tow < 1,500 lbs.

I lived in Europe for about a year and some change and just short of a year ago I came back to the US and had to buy a car for a job, pronto. I took a deal on a '14 automatic Mazda3 and realized over the last half year that I really dislike the car. I have been driving manual cars for almost 15 years and thought I could get away with an auto, but no dice. Also, the Mazda3 isn't allowed to tow poo poo in the US thanks to everyone pushing useless SUV sales, so that's 0 out of 2 things I want it to be able to do.

I don't like Cute-Ute SUVs like the Rav4 and CRV, actual SUVs are too big for what I'm looking for and trucks are useless for the very few times I'll have to actually tow stuff, so I'm looking for any ideas you folks may have on a car that can check those two boxes. I thought about an earlier Subaru Forester (the newest generation Foresters are too big and manuals are hard to come by) and the VW Jetta Sportwagen (VW folks are basically saying "prepare for thousands in repairs at your price range"). I haven't found a Ford, Chevrolet or Fiat/Chrysler product that is allowed to tow that isn't also a huge body-on-frame abomination that weighs 3 tons and is 21 feet long. Anyone have any other ideas? I'd be willing to consider a mild crossover even, as long as it stays heavy on the "car" side and not full-blown "SUV" side.

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

tater_salad posted:

I'd look at the civic and the zx3 focus.
Look for a sticker somewhere in thr engine bay that says the timing belt has been done usually on or near the timing cover itself.. absent that ask for a receipt that shows it was done.
A timing belt/water pump will cost you 1k and in your mileage range they are on borrowed time, engines are not kind if the belt lets go.
If it hasn't been done and you buy one.. you should collect that 1k asap and do it.

I totally agree with all of this, but just wanted to add one more thing. The Focus is a non interference engine, so it'll suck less if it lets go, but it's still an expensive repair.

powderific
May 13, 2004

Grimey Drawer

Ripoff posted:

I don't like Cute-Ute SUVs like the Rav4 and CRV, actual SUVs are too big for what I'm looking for and trucks are useless for the very few times I'll have to actually tow stuff, so I'm looking for any ideas you folks may have on a car that can check those two boxes. I thought about an earlier Subaru Forester (the newest generation Foresters are too big and manuals are hard to come by) and the VW Jetta Sportwagen (VW folks are basically saying "prepare for thousands in repairs at your price range"). I haven't found a Ford, Chevrolet or Fiat/Chrysler product that is allowed to tow that isn't also a huge body-on-frame abomination that weighs 3 tons and is 21 feet long. Anyone have any other ideas? I'd be willing to consider a mild crossover even, as long as it stays heavy on the "car" side and not full-blown "SUV" side.

Impreza's and Crosstreks are both rated to tow stuff, not sure what the weight limits are but I'd think a motorcycle hauler under 1500lbs would be OK. The Crosstrek is rated higher, I think, but it's the same car with a lift, body cladding, and slightly bigger brake/rear chassis. You could also just buy a hitch for the Mazda3 and tow anyway.

edit: looks like the new impreza's don't have a tow rating listed, but I know they used to. In your price range you might be looking for an old enough used one that it'd have the rating. Also, I believe the Vibe/Matrix were rated to tow around 1500lbs and they're very good cars.

powderific fucked around with this message at 16:42 on Jan 28, 2016

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funeral home DJ
Apr 21, 2003


Pillbug

powderific posted:

Impreza's and Crosstreks are both rated to tow stuff, not sure what the weight limits are but I'd think a motorcycle hauler under 1500lbs would be OK. The Crosstrek is rated higher, I think, but it's the same car with a lift, body cladding, and slightly bigger brake/rear chassis. You could also just buy a hitch for the Mazda3 and tow anyway.

What's kind of funny is that I'm hearing sharply divided responses from two different groups on this - half say that if your car doesn't specify that it is capable of towing in your owner's manual and you get into an accident, the insurance company will not cover anything. The other half say that's completely wrong, else businesses like Uhaul wouldn't offer hitches and wiring kits for those cars. It's bizarre but I don't want to tempt fate as I live in an area with notoriously bad drivers that often times don't carry insurance themselves, and the last thing I want to do is give my insurance company an "out" if some drunk guy plasters the side of my car while I'm dragging back 200 lbs of mulch in a utility trailer.

The Crosstrek is a great suggestion though, thanks!

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