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Buying my first car

T

Tomato

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Rear Admiral
Hi All,

Well I think it is time that I bought my own car. I have held out for 26 years without owning a car. I used the transit, car pool, bum rides, crashed on couches, rented cars, for way too long and decided it was time to take the plunge. Actually the real reason is that work is heating up and I can't wasted 3 hours of my day riding the subway.

So anybody have any tips? Cars to buy, cars not to buy. I'm looking for a reliable car first, something not wimpy looking (looking at you Yaris) and cheap!!! because I am a cheap guy. I was thinking of the Hyundai Elantra (they are 12G's) or a Saturn / Opel Astra (loved driving this car in europe). I was also hoping to spend somewhere between 15G's to 20G's tax and everything all in.

Anybody have any experiences with those cars? Or does anybody feel the discounts are going to get even more richer later? :)
 
Why do you care about it being wimpy looking? People who judge you on how kewl your car is are pathetic wastes of your time.
 
You need to be a little more specific. What sort of fuel economy/power balance would suit you best? A manual-shift small car would be more likely to give you the best of both worlds, if you can learn how; it's also more fun.

Few new cars sold in the U.S. have very good outward visibility from the driver's seat, which I consider crucial. Most have higher beltlines, higher cowl heights, and smaller windows than their predecessors. When you test-drive cars, give visibility lots of attention. You should be able to look in any direction at a glance and see whether trouble is coming.

Accident avoidance ability (not just visibility but also quick maneuverability) is a lot more valuable than passive safety features. Keep in mind that factory-equipment tires on new cars won't necessarily give you the best grip; you'll want to replace them within the year.

In your price range, the Hyundai Elantra might well be a good choice from what I've read. Or, if you need and/or enjoy all-wheel drive, a current or previous-generation Subaru Impreza. The Saturn (Opel) Astra has poor fuel economy for its size and is priced too high to compete.

While you're checking out Hyundai (pronounced "Hyun-dye," by the way, not "Hunday" as its U.S. advertising would have you say it), also look at Kia, which is part of the same company.
 
Tomato said:
Hi All,

Well I think it is time that I bought my own car. I have held out for 26 years without owning a car. I used the transit, car pool, bum rides, crashed on couches, rented cars, for way too long and decided it was time to take the plunge. Actually the real reason is that work is heating up and I can't wasted 3 hours of my day riding the subway.

So anybody have any tips? Cars to buy, cars not to buy. I'm looking for a reliable car first, something not wimpy looking (looking at you Yaris) and cheap!!! because I am a cheap guy. I was thinking of the Hyundai Elantra (they are 12G's) or a Saturn / Opel Astra (loved driving this car in europe). I was also hoping to spend somewhere between 15G's to 20G's tax and everything all in.

Anybody have any experiences with those cars? Or does anybody feel the discounts are going to get even more richer later? :)
Click to expand...

I have a 1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo LS that I purchased for $4500. It gets approximately 30 miles per gallon, and looks great! A used car may be the best way to go.

J.
 
I have an 04 Nissan Sentra. I love it. She gets 32 MPG, was 10K, i've had it for over a year now and no major problems. You really can't go wrong with a Japanese car.
 
1. Buy used.

The depreciation on a new car is such that the cars value drops by $2000 or more in driving it off the lot.

2. Buy as much car as you can pay for in cash. Car payments are like having a noose around your neck, always having to worry about when the next payment is due. Likewise, on a $10000 car loan, you're likely to pay $14000 to $15000 after paying the interest and fees.

3. Go to Borders or Barnes and Noble and pick up the Consumer Reports April issue as soon as it comes out (about a month from now). This is a special auto issue that lists every car available with notes as to how they compared to other cars in their class and (more importantly) how they hold up over time. They also publish a list of reliable older model cars that you should look for, as well as models to avoid.

4. If you are looking for a brand new car, decide which models you are interested in and then rent them for a week or two. Dealer test drives are designed to sell you the car and never last long enough for you to really see what it would be like to live with that car. Renting one for a week gives you the opportunity to do so.
 
Also, figure out *where* you will be driving the car most of the time. If it's in a very hilly neighborhood, you may want a 4WD car. That's why I got mine (a Honda CR-V).

Then again, you could always try the Chameleon XLE... ;)
 
Well I'm a GM fanboy, and the Astra is a relative of the Saab 9-3 which in turn is a the brother of my current car, the Saab 9-5 (a car that I love to bits)... So I say go for the Astra if you like it :)
 
Okay so I'm driving to work (city boy). Lot of highways stop and start

Wimpy looking is the the Yaris / Fit type cars can't stand them.

mpg is going to be the best I can get. My mom will be driving this so manual is a no go. :( As will be used. I think. My family hates buying used. Don't know why but if it is my cash I might just go used.

To be honest I think in the end it might be a corrolla. Family loves toyotas and I have a feeling they might pitch in.

Oh and I will be buying cash. The economy is in the shitter right now and cash is king! And will get me mad negotiating power.

Great tips on consumer reports
 
can't go wrong with a corolla
I had one for 5 years and the only major work I needed to do on it was brakes
it got about 26 mpg
 
I owned two Corollas before buying the Honda Accord I currently own. They're reliable cars, for sure. They are a bit on the boring side, though - very bland. Plain. Vanilla. You could by an "S" model to try to make it look a little cooler, but it's still a Corolla. The car should last you a long time, though.

I'd also consider looking at the Honda Civic and Mazda3.
 
I can't recommend the Hyundai Elantra enough. I got an 09 Automatic Transmission GLS (with popular equip package) last month for $15,800 and it was worth every penny. It has all the features of a Honda but for a lot less.

Plus not every third car on the road looks the same as yours (PT Cruiser) so that's a plus. It's been great so far with about 29.5 MPG average gas mileage so far.
 
^

I read some reviews on the astra seems like reliabliity isn't great. I rented the Elantra once and I fell in love with it. I just got an inssurance quote is ~2G's for an annual premium a good price for someone who is 26 and owning their first car?
 
Well I'm 19 and am paying ~$1500 a year so I guess that's not too bad considering I have four years of safe driving under my belt. I never knew experience factored into premiums more than age though. Nice to know! :)
 
Nissan Versa is one to look at..Strange but not "Wimpy" and can seat ADULTS comfortably in the rear seat..(has more interior space than an Altima BTW)

Hyundai Accent/Kia Rio would also be a good buy.


Corolla's are still fetching rather high prices compared to it's direct competition.
 
There's a lot of variables that are still flying around I think my family will help me out on my car purchase so we will see where that takes me. First step is telling my dad. He is practically against me spending money is general. But the time is now. This car pooling thing just ain't working.
 
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