First Car Buyer. Advice Me!

UnscathedFlyingObject · Mon Sep 01, 2008 5:06 pm

Work says I have to get a car, so I'll have to get a car now. Here's my needs:

- Drive to and from customer locations not reachable by public transportation. However, I won't be driving through forests and shit. Probably just highway/local driving.

- Space for a couple friends and/or visiting parents.

- Low maintenance and gas consumption. I don't want the side costs to start eating me alive.

Budget:

- About 10K-15K. Could be more since I like doing things right the first time. Also please give me an idea of how much insurance would be.

Lordstar · Post by **Lordstar** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 5:10 pm

theres lots of new american "mico" cars that are being introduced which are good for the miles per gallon (or whatever you guys use to measure your Gas) Your automotive industry needs all the help it can get so be a hero buy american. If your going 2nd hand I dunno

sven666 · Post by **sven666** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 5:24 pm

very simple, a Toyota in whatever size you need.

cheapest and easiest car to own from just about any viewpoint.

gennss · Post by **gennss** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 5:37 pm

yaris is cheap new.

CMoon · Post by **CMoon** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 6:02 pm

10K-15K gives you a very nice range that will let you pick up about any car you are interested in short of a hybrid.

The big question is new or used. I tend to always go used because you save a bundle off the initial cost (money you'll never get back if you buy new), plus you tend to save on insurance and taxes. If you can manage to buy the car outright, you don't have to do comprehensive insurance coverage and can save a bundle there. Of course, you may want comprehensive insurance coverage anyway for your shiny new toy.

Having just moved out to LA, I picked up a slightly used car from Car Max that was everything I wanted in a small, gas-thrifty hatchback. I agree with Toyota, but many companies out there are pretty competitive. I ended up going with a 2002 Ford Focus with only 30K on it, and am pretty happy.

Good luck!

UnscathedFlyingObject · Mon Sep 01, 2008 6:20 pm

On one hand, I'm wary of used stuff and on the other, I'm cheap. I hear used cars tend to be hit or miss. I'm leaning towards used because of the savings, but if I end up paying a lot for repairs, it might be better to just do it right by paying more. What's everyone's experience with used cars?

I'm substance over style when it comes to this kind of thing. I just need something that will perform its function and won't give me headaches.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 6:39 pm

I know that there are "reliability" ratings out there for vehicles, so whether you're buying new or (especially) used you'd probably want to look into those, though in the latter's case there's always the issue of how the previous owner treated it. Of course, you could use Carfax to look up accident history and that sort of thing.

jp · Post by jp » Mon Sep 01, 2008 6:44 pm

I got a 2007 Elantra for $14K or so.

The gas mileage is awesome (36 mpg I think) and... its a damn nice little car. Hyundai rocks.

TLDragoon · Post by **TLDragoon** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 6:48 pm

I'm currently driving my used 1996 Toyota Corolla that was purchased in 1997. It just topped 200,000 miles.

Personally, I wouldn't buy a new car unless you've just got money to throw around (i.e. save up enough to buy it outright). Cars go down in value and aren't good investments, so you're usually putting money into something that you'll never get back out of it.

UnscathedFlyingObject · Mon Sep 01, 2008 6:59 pm

Say I get a Toyota. What model, year, mileage should I look for? Anything else I should keep an eye on? How are older cars on the gas?

Lordstar · Post by **Lordstar** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:00 pm

TLDragoon wrote:I'm currently driving my used 1996 Toyota Corolla that was purchased in 1997. It just topped 200,000 miles.

Personally, I wouldn't buy a new car unless you've just got money to throw around (i.e. save up enough to buy it outright). Cars go down in value and aren't good investments, so you're usually putting money into something that you'll never get back out of it.

good point! and from reading your first post you dont seem all that stoaked about having to buy a car. Seems like its somehting you have to do. So maybe a Secondhand would be the way to go

CMoon · Post by **CMoon** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:14 pm

Whether you have to service your car a lot or not is a crap shoot other than looking for automotive reports. A brand new car right off the lot could turn out to be a lemon and need lots of servicing. A well-loved but dependable car may go on ticking for a lot of miles. The risk IMO equals out and you're left with the economics and the auto-reports.

In the bigger picture I think new cars are NEVER worth it, but that's IMO.

Neon · Post by **Neon** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:02 pm

Don't spend over $1500

The Volvo 240 series is God's gift to drivers

innerpattern · Post by **innerpattern** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:55 pm

I'll sell you my 03 Toyota Matrix for $10K, just come to AK and pick it up!

my advice: if you have steady income you can afford to get a super cheap car and maybe make a few surprise repairs here and there. I would go for the cheapest, best mileage car you can possibly get, and cheapest full coverage insurance you can get.

If you don't have a (good) credit history expect to get raped by insurance and auto-loans. If that's the case try to buy the car outright and get one that is cheap (under $100 monthly is pretty good) to insure.

JoshF · Post by **JoshF** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 9:17 pm

buy amurkin

The n00b · Post by **The n00b** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 10:34 pm

A used Honda Accord LX. The V6 version is pretty good on gas performance but there's also a 4 liter out there if you are feeling extra thrifty.

These cars almost never break down and they have tons of space for your friends.

kozo · Post by **kozo** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 9:57 am

Like others said, Toyota is a good bet, and so is Honda. My 1991 Civic was very abused by it's previous owners, but I have taken care of it since I got it, and it runs great. Good mileage!

Post by **system11** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 12:00 pm

Buy 'just used' from a main dealer. They're incredibly common in the UK - you're talking cars from half a year to two years old here. Initial teething problems are usually gone, initial depreciation has already been and gone, and they're new enough that it's actually quite hard to find one with any serious issues.

Buying brand new is a rich persons game, and there's no reason to do so unless you're bleeding cash and absolutely must have a new car.

MR_Soren · Post by **MR_Soren** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 12:53 pm

Definitely buy used.

Toyota seems to be the thing to buy these days, but my 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier has been good to me if you're interested in buying American.

30-35 highway mpg, ~$450 every 6 months to insure.

Diabollokus · Post by **Diabollokus** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 4:09 pm

I'll be buying my first car soon, could really car about appearance, insurance for first timers here is rarely under £1000 for your own policy.

I'd probably go for a toyota myself, starlet or a yaris. Could be tempted to go for a 94 Mr2 but insurance group is just not worth it. I just don't see the point of buying a new car unless you've got the money to burn.

Koa Zo · Post by **Koa Zo** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 5:14 pm

My best used car pick is the 3-cylinder GEO-Metro hatchback.
Are couple years ago, it wasn't uncommon to find perfectly drivable ones for $500-1000. Now that gas economy is actually a concern of the American driver, people are looking out for these old economy cars and I've seen people asking $2000-$3000 for the same type of Metro that would have only fetched $1000 3 years ago.

The Metro is cheap and easy to maintain, and they are known to survive well over 200,000 miles. The first one I owned I paid $350? (iirc) and it got 46-48 mpg and I put nearly 30,000 miles on it before rust claimed its life.

I now have a 4-door Metro (4-cylinder) and it gets 40+ mpg. Though I paid nearly $3000 for it, it has taken me from coast to coast, through LA, NYC and all points in between. Great little car.

Later model Metros are branded as Chevy, and not Geo, btw.

Lordstar · Post by **Lordstar** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 5:19 pm

bloodflowers wrote:Buy 'just used' from a main dealer. They're incredibly common in the UK - you're talking cars from half a year to two years old here. Initial teething problems are usually gone, initial depreciation has already been and gone, and they're new enough that it's actually quite hard to find one with any serious issues.

Buying brand new is a rich persons game, and there's no reason to do so unless you're bleeding cash and absolutely must have a new car.

yeah you have to love ex company cars most the time they are on the road for 6 to 12 months and thats how I got my 306

UnscathedFlyingObject · Wed Sep 03, 2008 10:09 pm

Ok, so I'll have to get people to go with me looking for cars now. Let's see if I can get someone for the weekend. I'll be going for an used one.

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

UnscathedFlyingObject · Wed Sep 03, 2008 10:21 pm

Can anyone tell me about hybrid cars? What are the pros/cons?

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 11:58 pm

The extra money you save on gasoline will not the savings you get from buying beater old used car in all the time you will own it. It's more for the environment, I guess.

I'd go with bloodflowers' advice.

Davey · Post by **Davey** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 12:24 am

If you decide to follow the advice here and go with a Toyota, keep in mind that the Pontiac Vibe and Chevy Prizm are really Toyotas in disguise (Vibe = Matrix, Prizm = Corolla). Despite being essentially the same car, I think they depreciate a little faster, so you might be able to get a better deal. Although they stopped making Prizms several years ago.