I've been driving my 99 chevy malibu for quite a few years now, and it's time to upgrade. My mom is buying my car from me b/c she's sending hers back to the dealer. In the end I should have about $4500 to put down on a new car. I don't know what I want though. I really like the Ford Fusion. It's going for around $18,000. I think I should go lower being that I am really trying to save for a house. Any suggestions? I am buying new, looking for payments around $200 or lower/month. I don't need or want anything fancy. Just a sedan 2 or 4 doors, good gas milage, plain and simple.
Honda Fit Sport. There is nothing else. :thumb:
Toyota Corolla. Not fancy, but shockingly roomy and has a good ride. We get 39.x on long highway trips with AC running and about 35 in the city.
Plus it's a Toyota -dependable.
Quote from: john on June 10, 2006, 09:23:29 AM
Toyota Corolla. Not fancy, but shockingly roomy and has a good ride. We get 39.x on long highway trips with AC running and about 35 in the city.
Plus it's a Toyota -dependable.
:thumb:
Are you sure you want to buy new? Econo-cars depreciate pretty quickly. I'd only buy new if you are going to get something that will really hold value. But having said that, and you still want new and have payments under $200, try looking into these:
* Chevy Cobalt (good on gas, sporty looking, way cooler looking than the Fit haha)
* Honda Civic (reliable, good on gas, tons of aftermarket support..)
* Hyundai Accent (reliable, good on gas)
* Toyota Yaris (I can totally picture you in this..haha)
I have an '02 Hyundai Accent, I bought it used and am pretty happy with it. Just a basic car. Nothing fancy. Take a bunch of them for a spin, and don't SETTLE for something you do not absolutely love.
I dunno about that Ford Fusion. I am always skeptical of Fords anyway, especially since it is the Taurus replacement. Would you have bought a Taurus? The Fusion doesn't really impress me. Might as well keep your malibu. :flipoff:
TOYOTA YARIS??!? :flipoff:
Honestly, I think you are a Cobalt kind of girl. Go take one for a test drive and see what you think.
I'm researching now...and I'm liking the Toyota family. Plus, they're cheaper than most other cars I was looking at.
Mazda 3 and Toyota Corolla would be on my short list if I was shopping for a new smallish car
Umm, Honda Fit!
I'm sorry...I think it looks like a miniature mini-van. Not my style. Do you work for Honda? lol
Umm, Honda Fit +! :thumb:
OK then, Honda Civic LX. If you want an appliance, buy a toyota or hyundai. If you like a responsive driver's car, get a VW Jetta, a Mazda 3 or a Civic.
I do like the mazda 3. I want a V6, I'm going to check them out.
Honda Jazz :)
Remember to check out what owner's of whatever car you are looking into think:
http://www.carsurvey.org
While i really love the way the new Mazda's look (especially the 3 wagon/5-door)...i would be wary buying anything owned by Ford.
What's wrong with the Yaris??? :dunno_white:
And +1 for VWs! :thumb:
If you like the ford fusion then check out the mazda 6 ,the fusion is built off the mazda platform so basicly the same car but fords warranty is 3 year 36000 mile while mazda is 60000 mile
BMW all the way! Go used. You can get a BADASS E46 3-series for under 20K and a mint E36 M3 for less.
It's down to the Mazda3 or 6 and Toyota carolla. I took a walk this evening around my neighborhood and saw lots of toyotas. They are really nice in real life. But who knows, it could all change at the dealer. Thanks for all these suggestions guys.
Umm.. I know you said you've got it narrowed down.. but how bout a scion tC? Also a toyota.. but you can get a BRAND SPANKIN NEW one for $16K.. then there's the xA or xB for around $11 or $13, respectively... Also toyotas, so very dependable.. plus there's finally starting to be an aftermarket for the tC.. can we say turbo'd sleeper?
We just bought a Mazda3 5-door (hatchback) for my wife in October. It's a 2004 and has the 2.3L engine and a 5 speed. Very peppy for a four cylinder. I don't think my Maxima V6 is any quicker (it's an automatic, though). Downside on the Mazda is that the A/C is marginal - we're having 100F weather here and it's almost not enough A/C. However, it is sporty and handles well. Another small issue is the cost of tires. It has 205/50-17 tires and that size is ONLY available in high performance ($$$) tires.
My "fatherly" advice is to buy a used car - let someone else take the initial depreciation hit. Personally, I always buy a Maxima that's about 8 years old. I paid $4800 cash for the one I have now and it still looks good and drives great. Gas mileage is just as good as the Mazda3. It is not as sporty, but it's stone-cold reliable and I have no payment on it!
If you can find one - Get a used Suzuki Aerio 5 speed. Quick, cheap, reliable, good mileage, lots of standard features, and it's a Suzuki :thumb: :icon_mrgreen: I used to sell Suzuki's... I love em. That's why I stopped selling em. Freakin car salesmen suck.
Quote from: SuZuki10 on June 10, 2006, 07:45:20 PM
It's down to the Mazda3 or 6 and Toyota carolla.
Those are both good cars and you wont go wrong with either of them. For the price you're looking to spend, you need to take a serious look at the Honda Fit. In the last 7 years, I've been able to test drive close to 3700 different vehicles. The knowledge I have in terms of vehicle specifications from model year 1999+ is bordering on clinically insane. I have to tell ya, it's a mind boggling car for $14k.
Since you're on the right path with the vehicles you've narrowed down to, I'll let ya know what you can stay far away from. VW/Audi is very first on the list, followed by Volvo and BMW. Those cars may do well in initial quality ratings but always end up on the bad side of the long-term quality ratings. The Toyota Yaris is nice for the price, but it's a new and unproven vehicle. I'm sure it will be fine, but the interior is very cheap compared to its competitors (Fit, xA, Aero, Aveo). :thumb:
Quote from: roguegeek on June 11, 2006, 12:46:34 AM
...and BMW. Those cars may do well in initial quality ratings but always end up on the bad side of the long-term quality ratings.
I'd like to see something backing that up. I'm a BMW fan by proven reliabillity alone. The only issues my 1996 328i has had in nearly 180,000 miles is a coolant leak (draws air in and pushes coolant out from somewhere on the radiator, but I can't find the leak) and my climate control final stage unit has failed ($54 fix). My 325iS had close to 300k and needed a new water pump...oh my God. I'd like to see you point me in the direction of another cheap, compact car with more interior room than most import mid-size sedans, ample seating for four realistic and non-humorous people, rear wheel drive, 5spd, disc brakes at all corners, standard power everything, gets 30~35+ mpg with a 200+ hp enginge and handles anywhere near as well. The come with a full size spare, too...
When you said Ford Fusion I became interested because my Mum has just bought one........and she is 65! Then I thought this dont sound right. Maybe the Fusion in the USA is different to the Fusion we have in the UK. I was right, this is our fusion......the motoring press continualy poke fun at it and its one of the most laughed at cars available here. It looks like a pumped up 4x4 but its 2wd, tiny and wouldnt pull you out of bed on a cold morning!
http://www.ford.co.uk/ie/currentpromotions/fus_promotions/fus_cpromo_main/-/-/-/3
Quote from: john on June 10, 2006, 09:23:29 AM
Toyota Corolla. Not fancy, but shockingly roomy and has a good ride. We get 39.x on long highway trips with AC running and about 35 in the city.
Plus it's a Toyota -dependable.
+1. Check into the Toyota Matrix. That's what I drive. 36MPG mixed driving, and it has tons of toom, especially when you throw the back seats down. I've fit a fill-sized office filing cabinet in mine :o
Its funny, you pay half the prices for petrol as we do here in europe so you settle for crappy mpg on your car. Petrol over here is so expensive that nearly all cars which obviously arn't outrageous supercars are capable of 50mph. We don't buy anything which does any less. And we usually buy diesel
Quote from: roguegeek on June 11, 2006, 12:46:34 AM
The knowledge I have in terms of vehicle specifications from model year 1999+ is bordering on clinically insane...
...The Toyota Yaris is nice for the price, but it's a new and unproven vehicle...
Just so you can add a little more to your clinically insane knowlege of vehicles from 1999 and up, the Yaris was actually released by Toyota in 1999 (not in the US...big surprise). So it is hardly new or unproven. :thumb:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaris
yeah,
the US buying public is pretty fucjing stupid
we had a car in the US in 1990 that got 59 mpg
yeah they quit importing them in 94
but hey we got a new hummer this year....another fucjing turd that gets....9 mpg
they basically took the diesels away from us in the mid 80's thank you GM for building a hella turdV8 diesel
about the only diesels we have come from VW and MB
every where else gets some really KEWL diesels
there are very few smart cars in the US....snuck across the border from canada
hell, our own vehicles are exported with a diesel option
G caravan come with a diesel in germany
central america gets a diesel liberty
I found a super rare....1994 geo metro with 009700 miles under a tree
it is a turd...yes
but it is averaging 46 MPG
rant of the stupid americans......over for now
94 metro with 9700 miles ... isn't that a smaller motor than the GS ... or less power ... or both ... O0 ... The high gas mileage is cos its easier to push it up the hills ... :thumb: ...
They made those in a convt too ... KEWL ...
Cool.
Srinath.
We need big powerful cars and trucks to make us feel strong, safe, and important. :icon_rolleyes:
oh reccomendation.....
get what ever you want....
stay away from the low end US cars
half of the low end foreign cars are actually made in the US.....first digit in the VIN...1= US BUILT
and are better quality due to higher build standards
a car is an expensive consumeable item
you will loose $ on 99% of all cars
it just depends on how much you want to loose
Quote from: seshadri_srinath on June 11, 2006, 08:23:46 PM
94 metro with 9700 miles ... isn't that a smaller motor than the GS ... or less power ... or both ... O0 ... The high gas mileage is cos its easier to push it up the hills ... :thumb: ...
They made those in a convt too ... KEWL ...
Cool.
Srinath.
yeah 3 cylinder 1000cc 5speed
and the convert has a better final drive.....50-55 MPG
Quote from: Phaedrus on June 11, 2006, 08:28:16 PM
We need big powerful cars and trucks to make us feel strong, safe, and important. :icon_rolleyes:
to compensate for your little.......... :icon_mrgreen:
Yeah. If we're not comphensating for one thing, we're comphensating for something else. We need SOME way to extend how great we are. I drive a hyundai accent hatchback and a gs500 to comphensate for my big.. :o
And I don't agree that all low end American cars are junk - have you ever driven a mid 80's - early 90's mopar 4 banger kcars? Those things go and go and go and go for like ever. But I don't want to turn Amanda's thread into a domestic vs. foreign car debate. :thumb:
yeah, that was then....this is now
the mid 80's 4 banger saved dodge.....and now they make a HEMI again....
isn't the gas guzzlin V8 what almost killed dodge in the early 80's.........
heck a friend just bought a sweet E320 M-B 4 yrs old and 90k
beautiful car....still a box with wheels on it
just like my metro....just bigger payments....mine was the one easy payment plan
Quote from: werase643 on June 11, 2006, 08:19:26 PM
central america gets a diesel liberty
We do get that in the US... but yeah we really need a better selection of cool diesels
honda civic or ford focus (I'm the first to say ford sucks, but the focus is an exception).
Mind the 2000's, though (focus). Half were awesome...half were shitty. My sister and I had identicle Focuses...'00 white/grey ZX3's. In 45,000 miles mine had developed a problem with the cooling fan relay. In 35,000 miles my sister's caught the nasty tank liner peeling, fuel switch glitch, back seat glitch and an intermittent ignition problem. They drove theirs like cooters, though...mine I drove governed out the entire time. Not sure if that had an effect.
Never had any problems at all with any of my Suzukis...
While I was up in the mountains my g/f got a black Honda Fit sport. I'm pissed she didnt get a manual but it does have a manushift mode, so its all good. She wasnt wild about it but she said its much roomier and has more pep then she thought it would.
-ash
My mom is selling her Focus... you couldn't pay me to sell it to you... that car has cost more in repairs then she paid for the thing... and having worked on it many times, I'd say the thing was designed by monkeys
+192948 on VW, for the same price you pay for a new Accord can get a new GTI/GLI and you get SOOO much more car. You would be happy with any German car, they have great fit and finish, leading edge technology, and are made for people who like to drive.
I'd also suggest the Cobalt. I had one for a loaner for a month and I really liked it. It was comfortable and roomy, got good gas mileage, and drove nicely. I do like the sporty looks of the coupe and would have to say GM may have done something right for once.
I can't help but be biased against most Japanese cars because they're too small; outside of the higher end models, most are very uncomfortable for us tall people
Oh and the reason why we have bigger cars in the US is because we depend more on them for transportation then people do in Europe. Most Europeans have access to public transportation and live fairly close to where they work, while here in the US public transportation just isn't possible because everything is far more spread out and with the average morning comute of 45 minutes... you spend more time in your car, you want a more comfortable car
You are over 6'0 I am 5'3...room is not an issue for me. I'm going in a couple hour to the Toyota dealer first...then I'll see from there!! Wish me luck. I'm so excited!!!
yeah shorty, I'm 6'6" :laugh:
good luck on finding a car :thumb:, and absolutely horrible luck at selling your GS :o
Quote from: manofthefield on June 11, 2006, 10:06:39 PM
Quote from: werase643 on June 11, 2006, 08:19:26 PM
central america gets a diesel liberty
We do get that in the US... but yeah we really need a better selection of cool diesels
I'm in Canada - I have the diesel Liberty - it's awesome! Enough power to pull a trailer but doesn't bankrupt me to fill it. I don't understand why there aren't more diesels on the market.
So...after 4 hours in the dealership with a salesman that ended up going to highschool with my boyfriend 8 years ago, and who's girlfriend I went to college with (found all this out on the test drive), I finally have my new car.
"WELL WHAT DID YOU GET????"
I ended up with a 2006 charcoal gray Toyota Carolla S. I leased it for 3 years since it's such a small car, I figure I might be starting a family within the next 5 years, so I would need to upgrade anyway. I am in love with this car though. It's very sporty looking (hence the S).
Mine is a darker gray than this. I got the moonroof as well.
(http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b46/amandamk10/mycarolla.jpg)
Congrats! Small world huh!
Congrats! The Corrolla S would be fun to drive.
Hey, I've got some 18 inch Racing Hart Evolution 5's (wheels)with Perelli P-Zero Nero's (tires) on them I'd sell you for $500. That is an $1800 wheel and tire package for $500. They would bolt right on to your car and look awsome. Plus you'd save the factory tires for when you turn it back in. Let me know if you want pics.
Purdy new car!! :thumb: