Another "Please help me choose what car to buy" thread

[Bopop4]

Hello all, I am currently facing the dilemma on what kind of car I should buy.

Having to get up before 5 every morning to drive your parents to work isn't cutting it anymore, and not having a mode of transportation is becoming a real problem.

I'm looking for something that is going to be dead reliable, and be great on gas. (At least 30mpg, 40+ on the highway would be preferred.) In order of importance:

1. Reliability
2. Fuel Mileage
3. Amenities like a good sound system, heated seats etc

I have my full license, drivers training, and no accidents or tickets, so insurance is good compared to everyone else my age.

(Meaning the $20 I save from going from a Civic to an Accord is going to be easily offset by the gas savings. Which is why I don't want a small truck, too much in gas.)





I need something that isn't a convertible, and has more than 2 seats.
(A shame, because a Miata is cheaper on insurance by $40 compared to a Civic.)

The max that I want to spend is $8,000.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, and thanks for reading.

 

[Tornado]

I still say get a Grand Prix or Avalon from 2000-ish.

 

[Bopop4]

I would like those, but the problem is that they only get about 25mpg. It's going to be a real sting to fill up every time with something like that.

It's also the reason I didn't get that TL, I loved everything about the car, but it falls in the fuel economy department.

 

[LeadFootLiam]

I would get an older Corrola or Camry, those things will last forever. .

 

[GTV0819]

Too bad. The Smart Forfour is not sold in your country. I heard that car does more than 30MPG and it's also a 5-seater hatchback.

 

[RVDNuT374]

2000-2007 Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable-

You can easily pick one up in great condition for around $3-5000. Despite what you may have read, these cars actually handle fairly well for what they are, especially with better tires. Power is adequate with the more common Vulcan V6, plentiful with the higher output but less common Duratec V6. These cars never came with a manual transmission, only a 4-speed automatic which is a bit on the fragile side, so pay close attention to how the transmission shifts if you decide to test drive one. Other trouble spots are the factory coolant tank in the 00-03's develops cracks in it after while; OEM replacements run about $60. Also, change the coolant in the Vulcan engine every 2 years; it is infamous for rust in the cooling system which can lead to very bad things. Finally, watch out if the rear of the car is sagging, that means the struts/springs are shot and replacement is apparently very expensive. If anybody asks why I am a strong supporter of this car, I've been the proud owner of one for seven and a half years with little trouble. 👍 The only non-maintenance items I've had to change out were the fuel pump (very expensive , but I'm fairly confident the Motorcraft replacement unit is not made in China) and the mentioned coolant tank.

 

[Tornado]

If he can't swing a Avalon or Grand Prix or Acura TL because of their fuel mileage not being quite good enough, a Taurus isn't going to be any better.

 

[Danoff]

Get the EX.

1. Reliability - Double check.
2. Fuel Mileage - Check.
3. Amenities - Check minus.

 

[Xavier2342]

What about an '03 (or newer) Mazda Mazdaspeed Protégé or '02 (or newer) Mazda Protege5? Maybe someone else can chime-in in regards to their reliability, but both vehicles should be well within your budget and get great gas mileage. Unfortunately I don't think either vehicle comes with heated seats however, installing an aftermarket seat warmer shouldn't be a difficult task for you.

 

[Doog]

It's a real grandpa car (seeing as my granddad and several of his neighbors had them) but the third gen ('97-'01) Lexus ES300 fulfills the reliability and ammenties categories. From personal experience, it's no Town Car but it's still a pretty quiet, comfortable commuter that gets mid 20s as far as gas mileage go. It's wellbuilt, has good materials throughout and is dead reliable. I routinely see beat to hell 200k mile examples on my local Craigslist.

For gas mileage and reliability, but not so much on the ammenties there's the first gen Honda Civic Hybrid that can be had near the high end of the $8k budget with reasonable miles. It gets over 40 miles per gallon, but you'd have to worry about battery replacement if you keep it around long enough.

One car (or two I guess) that satisfy both gas mileage and ammenties are the Golf and Jetta TDI. Timeless design, well appointed interior and plenty of luxuries available, but let down by the inevitable electrical and quality issues millenial Volkswagens have. If you really want to take the risk, lowish mileage examples seem to exist for the budget, but they're not plentiful.

Of course there's also the Subaru Impreza which I hear is awesome in snow, is reliable and gets good gas mileage. It's tough to find a good one here (where Subarus are rare) with reasonable miles for $8k, but it could be completely different in Canada. The only thing lacking here are the ammenties.

The only car I can think of that effectively satisfies all three requirements that can also be found with reasonable miles within the budget is the Acura EL. The only issue is that there aren't a whole lot to choose from, at least when I looked at Guelph's Craigslist.

 

[BobbyBRAKEaNek]

Honda Civic or Acura TSX.

You can close the thread now. ;-)

 

[Bopop4]

I'm not too keen on getting an early 00's American car, especially when you compare them to the Japanese equivalents.

Get the EX.

1. Reliability - Double check.
2. Fuel Mileage - Check.
3. Amenities - Check minus.

I'm liking the idea of a 4 cylinder Accord, (Because I liked the TL.) but looking up the fuel mileage I see it hovering at around 24-28mpg, while a Civic is about 30-35.

Would you say that this is accurate?

And how does the reliability of the Civic compare with the Accord?
Also, what year Accord would I be looking at, for the best in reliability?

Mazda Protege5?


Unfortunately I don't think either vehicle comes with heated seats however, installing an aftermarket seat warmer shouldn't be a difficult task for you.

It's ok that it doesn't have nice features, that would only if I've found several cars that fit the first 2 criteria, and then I'd go by how nice it is.

Thanks for the help so far everyone.


Edit:

Lexus ES300
Honda Civic Hybrid
Jetta TDI
Subaru Impreza

Yep, I've been looking for weeks now, and all of those cars listed have their own respective problems, even if they are really nice in certain areas.

(And the Subaru is hard no insurance because of all those damn teens. *Shakes fist*.)

Acura EL.

I never even thought of the EL, thanks!

There's a lot within driving distance of me too.
What year models would I be looking at for the best reliability? Or is it awesome all across the board?

 

[Bopop4]

Doublepost

 

[Doog]

What year models would I be looking at for the best reliability? Or is it awesome all across the board?

Apparently the automatic transmission in a great deal of Hondas from around '98-'02 isn't the best and doesn't hold up as well as it should. Newer ELs seem to be available within the budget though.

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

How about Volvos?

 

[Xavier2342]

I'm just throwing these out as an idea. I just did a search on Autotrader and found some cars I thought you might be interested in.

• '06 Mazda MAZDA3 Sport GT

• '07 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5

• '06 Volvo S40

• '04 Infiniti G35 (Sedan)

• '05 Toyota Camry

• '06 Hyundai Sonata

• '08 Nissan Sentra s Sport

 

[Beeblebrox237]

I'd say that a Civic or accord, as well as an Acura would be your best bet for what you want. Hondas are very reliable, and get good fuel mileage. American cars aren't quite as good in either respect, and they aren't as well packaged as Hondas.

 

[Slash]

20-25mpg isn't really all that bad. That would open up a little more in the way of choices.

 

[Beeblebrox237]

Very true, but fun to drive and good looking are not his top priorities.

 

[Slash]

Very true, but fun to drive and good looking are not his top priorities.

Even still, there are plenty of cars that don't fall into either of those categories.

 

[Bopop4]

Apparently the automatic transmission in a great deal of Hondas from around '98-'02 isn't the best and doesn't hold up as well as it should. Newer ELs seem to be available within the budget though.

Yeah, there were some nice 05 models nearby.

How about Volvos?

They're a bit expensive, but some of them are great on gas.
I'll have to do some more research on 'em.
👍

20-25mpg isn't really all that bad. That would open up a little more in the way of choices.

It's pretty bad if you want to save as much money as possible.

Very true, but fun to drive and good looking are not his top priorities.

Exactly, I don't care how it looks or how it drives.

I just need cheap, basic transportation that will run for years.

(Although more luxurious versions of a car are nice.)

 

[Tornado]

If he would accept 25 I would just annoy him until he bought an Avalon.

 

[Bopop4]

If I would accept 25 then there would be a dark blue 05 TL sitting in the driveway.

 

[Crash]

20-25mpg isn't really all that bad. That would open up a little more in the way of choices.

The difference between 20 mpg and 30 mpg is quite significant if you're driving it for many miles every day.

I don't blame you for wanting 30mpg.

 

[oopssorryy]

The difference between 20 mpg and 30 mpg is quite significant if you're driving it for many miles every day.

Agreed. I spend 40 dollars on gas every two weeks, my roommate, who works at the same location spends 70 dollars every two weeks. If our shifts weren't opposite of eachother we would car pull, but the planets didn't line up properly.

I would go for a early to mid 2000's Civic, while a Corolla could do the same mpg, the Civic will be a bit more fun to drive at any equivalent trim level. As long as you stay away from the modded ones reliability shouldn't be an issue. I would aim to spend 7k, get the car and then change all fluids and filters, maybe some belts if need be.

 

[Rotary Junkie]

Civic, D-series, manual.

Done.

Edit: Side note, 1997-2000 Acura ELs were based on a Civic that the US did not get.