Car Questions

  • Thread starter babygirl05
  • 39 comments
  • 1,096 views
B

babygirl05

2
I'm currently looking for a car to be my first car, I'll be 16 soon. The car I want the most is a Mitsubishi Eclipse, but my dad's mind is set on buying me a Honda Civic. To sum it up, he's basically convinced they're the perfect cars.

He's got a bad view about the Eclipses because one of his friends owned one and it gave him a problem or two with the transmission. Anyways, one of his MAIN factors in the car thing, is the insurance cost, he says that since an Eclipse is considered a sports car or something, the insurance costs are alot higher then that of a Civic. Is this true? Which one would cost more to insure, a Civic or Eclipse? Also, which one is an all around better car?

Please help me and give me your opinions, I would really appreciate it if somebody could just compare the two cars and tell me honestly which one is all around better. Thank you so much!!!
 
Hey babygirl. Ok first you should post this in the automotive forum, but thats ok for now just try to do it next time. Anyways, yes the insurance will be more on the eclipse. Why its considered a sports car i dont know... obvously im not a ricer fan.. but everyones got there own taste! Good luck on getting what you want!
 
I think an Eclipse would cost more because it is a sports car. Be Thankful you're a girl baecause girls don't pay as much as boys have to.

btw, I have my mind set on a civic.:guilty:
 
Welcome BabyGirl.
First of all is price an object in the purchase of your car?
If your dad is buying, be happy with whatever he brings home, as long as it isn't a POS that breaks down every other minute.
One of my cars in my teen years was a little British runabout, that became something of a pet, as it needed me as much or more than I needed it. My two Fords were great as it was never a "surprise" to get where I was going without some sort of mechanical issue.
My Austin America however was an exercise in keeping one's fingers crossed.

As for the Civic, If your dad gets a new or nearly new one, you will have a car that you will be able to rely on long past the time you are ready to buy your own car.
As you are a new driver, If you have a say in the car, stay away from red, and the Hot Rod Si model. That will also keep your insurance costs down. It may also keep you on this side of the grass.

As I grew up with access to two very fast, powerful cars, my sons have cars that are fairly reliable, and fairly slow as their transportation. They also are responsible for paying their own insurance, as an incentive to be safer drivers.

The Mitsu is a cool machine, however, I have a friend that I work with who has had serious recall issues with hers.
She has had the rear wheel and axle part company with the car TWICE. In the hands of a less experienced driver, that could be more than a "minor" recall issue. If at speed it could cause you to get the "paint side" down and the "rubber side" up. In my book that would be a pretty bad scene.

I guess that mostly I'm saying be happy that your dad is able and willing to buy you a nice, reliable car to drive, regardless of the make and model. At least it isn't a 1975 Buick Le Sabre 4-door.:D
 
What year eclipse are you pondering? Same question regarding the civic.

I have heard some bad things about gst's. And i do not think hte eclipse was ever really designed to handle the extra power provided by the turbo in earlier years. If you want a good idea about a car, and just the facts rather than peoples opinions, go to ad just the facts...

go here for the civic
http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/new/index.cfm/act/make/divisionid/1604.htm
(new)
http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/used/index.cfm/act/make/divisionid/1604.htm
(older ones)

and here for the eclipse
http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/new/index.cfm/act/make/divisionid/1617.htm
^new models
http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/used/reviews/full/index.cfm/id/2074.htm
^90-94 models
http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/used/index.cfm/act/make/divisionid/1617.htm
(i think all eclipses are here)

As the sight says, the eclipse is a sporty coupe, and the civic is a subcompact car ( both hatch and compact car are considered the same thing) hence its insurance will be lower... by how much i do not know...

Just incase you forgot about this one... it has some good sugestions.
https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=27135

Why are you so focused on only these two vehicles? I would suggest looking at some competitors and searching for them on the site i gave you. LIke the mazda 6, nissan altima/maxima/sentra, toyota corolla/camry (i never get the cheap one of those right so i put both). If i was looking into a new ff car under 20k i would quickly pick up a mazda 6...:D

well good luck
 
Originally posted by Codename 47
Hey babygirl. Ok first you should post this in the automotive forum, but thats ok for now just try to do it next time. Anyways, yes the insurance will be more on the eclipse. Why its considered a sports car i dont know... obvously im not a ricer fan.. but everyones got there own taste! Good luck on getting what you want!
Click to expand...

:odd: how the hell is a stock eclipse considered ricer? a ricer is a car that trys to look fast but isn't......

anyway GET THE HONDA

I've known tons of people with eclipses and yes they're considered sports cars so the insurance will be higher. There are also many mechanical issues with the cars. Lots of recalls and lots of parts go bad really fast, the whole engine is really crap after 60,000 miles. The civic will last you a very long time and be less of a pain than the eclipse. So please learn from my friends mistakes and buy the honda. ;)

P.S. If you are willing to spend slightly more money I suggest the Accord over the civic. Mainly because the accord is bigger, more comfortable, has better options like leather etc.,faster,better looking. I suggest a 1995 Honda Accord EX special edition (the one with the gold emblems) I bought one for 7000 with leather, sunroof,premium rims,wood panel dash, sunroof etc. (basically all of the options) with a 2.2L VTEC engine (vs the 1.7 liter civic engine) I really didn't like the accord but in the end I am so glad I bought it over the civic. It's a great all around car and will last you a VERY long time. A stock automatic 4 door one will beat every single manual civic, except the SI, not bad for a family sedan ;)
 
welcome8.GIF


Personally, I would go with the Civic if I had to pick between that and the Eclipse. Civics are really reliable, get great gas mileage, and insurance should be pretty low.

If you're looking for a NEW car, I probably wouldn't get either one. I'd go with what bengee said and get a Mazda 6 or a new Accord Coupe.
 
I'd go with the Civic just because it is better looking, gets better gas mileage, and a four-door model is available.

If you're set on the Eclipse you could always buy it yourself. Personally I'd be happy with any car as a gift.

Alternatively, you could get a '86 Toyota MR2. Maybe even a VW Corrado VR6. Both fine choices.
 
hey babygirl be with with whatever you get. don't be pick-e. its your 1st car. not your only car. trust me there'll be others. im almost 18(2 months:D ) and have been through 4 cars. 2 broke. one was my fault. it was an 86 celica st. it had an oil leak and i didn't check it enough. it ran out and spun a bearing. 2nd was a 74 beetle (trust me there not cool at all!) it had a bad crank seal. 3td was a 93 chevy cargo van. it got about 5 miles per gallon. and 4th is my 95 kia. its not the best looking but its on got 85k miles on it but this pic of it should make you feel better about getting a civic.

and your lucky your parents are buying you a car. my 1st car celica was pulled out of my dads friends back yard, the beetle was abandon. my dad picked it and had it sittin around so when the celica died he let me drive it. he bought the van for $300, and i bought my kia for $900.
 

Attachments

  • my pictures0013.jpg
    my pictures0013.jpg
    44.7 KB · Views: 105
I still suggest you look at more of the civic/eclipse competitors. Well you and your dad. You should put reliability as your first priority, becuase it is the biggest pain in the ass to own a car that after two or three years is a POS (especially if you bought new). If you are looking into used cars, what i would suggest is to look into as many cars as possible and read many consumer guides and check blue book values before you ever consider purchasing. Also be sure to check it out at a mechanic and such... you do not want to be stuck with some one elses POS.
 
Yes, definately have it checked by a technition to make sure everything is in order. It can cost $150 (less and more) but its worth it. Getting a car with great gas milage, low insurance, and great reliablility can save you lots of money. You might be able to save up for something bigger you want in the future too. When you get your car, I reccomend getting a small air compresser and a tire puncture fix kit. We have one in the Van and it has saved us alot of times. The front right tire had gotton low at a rest stop after running over a nail. We took out the nail and repaired the whole and was able to fill the tire back up again and keep moving :).

Personally I'd go with the Civic. Reliable, low insurance, good gas milage, and it doesnt look too bad either. I would look at other choices too. Neon's are good (at least for my mom it has been). She had it for 5 years and didnt have any problems.......well, problems not caused by her. She was hit from behind in it. There wasnt any damage, just the bumper was mis-aligned by about 2 cm. And like Skyline_GTR said, an accord is nice too :)...
 
Or get a Minivan. They get good gas milage, you can haul alot, very comfortable, drive like a car, and there is no way in hell they can be listed under "Sports Car" (unless you put a modified Chevy LS1 engine in the back and make it rear wheel drive :lol: )...
 
The eclipse itself is not a sports car. It is only a sport compact. To be a sports car i am fairly sure you need rear or 4wd... ff is made for safety.
 
Dodge SRT4, Integra Type-R, Civic Type-R, Renaultsport Clio 172 Cup, Mini Cooper S...

Need I go on? :D

It's worth a point that the Civic Type-R has been shown to outlap an S2000, with both cars stock and driven by professional racing drivers.
 
i always thought it was more with faster cars but i checked with an insurance company here and they told me it didnt matter.
 
Originally posted by Famine
Dodge SRT4, Integra Type-R, Civic Type-R, Renaultsport Clio 172 Cup, Mini Cooper S...

Need I go on? :D

It's worth a point that the Civic Type-R has been shown to outlap an S2000, with both cars stock and driven by professional racing drivers.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the SRT4 is a great car. Its gets great gas milage for when your going around town or on the highway (I got 28 MPGon the highway) and it has great performance (though when you drive hard, race track hard, you get around 13 MPG).
 
Originally posted by SS69
i always thought it was more with faster cars but i checked with an insurance company here and they told me it didnt matter.
Click to expand...

Thats becasue they dont base it on speed. They base it on body style, saftey features, engine size, and theft rates.
 
I think it was Accords and camrys that are #1 stollen in the USA......The reason honda's are stolen is becasue for the most part honda and acura parts are pretty easily swapped among other hondas and acuras.
 
mitsu as well as dodge has been known for their lack of reliability. i would much rather get the civic then the spyder if i was in your position. Insurance would be alot easier on your parents.

on a side note i can't believe some of you clowns are telling this 16 year old GIRL to get CTR.. ITR.. and let alone SRT4 as her first car.
 
Why? I'd like a nice car as my first car. You just have to be responsible. I'm a responsible driver, I'm 17, and I wouldn't mind getting a Civic Type-R as my first car. Though, I'd never buy it.

It isn't the car that gets you in trouble, it's you that gets you in trouble.
 
Originally posted by Klostrophobic
Why? I'd like a nice car as my first car. You just have to be responsible. I'm a responsible driver, I'm 17, and I wouldn't mind getting a Civic Type-R as my first car. Though, I'd never buy it.

It isn't the car that gets you in trouble, it's you that gets you in trouble.
Click to expand...

First of all, unless you and the girl live in UK or Japan, dont even consider the CTR. Civic type R wont be released in the US for awhile and even if it does you're better of spending that 25k on something more worth while.

Most importantly, your insurance rate will be pretty high driving a convertable coupe in comparsion to driving something like a civic. If I had a kid, i sure wouldn't hell spoil him / her with a sports car tuned for performance.
 
Originally posted by JDMcelica
First of all, unless you and the girl live in UK or Japan, dont even consider the CTR. Civic type R wont be released in the US for awhile and even if it does you're better of spending that 25k on something more worth while.

Most importantly, your insurance rate will be pretty high driving a convertable coupe in comparsion to driving something like a civic. If I had a kid, i sure wouldn't hell spoil him / her with a sports car tuned for performance.
Click to expand...

If I had a kid and could afford it I'd get him/her a nice car if they proved themself trustworthy. I mean within reason of course.

I wouldn't consider a Civic Type R unless someone gave it to me.
 

Similar threads

SkylineObsession
Exhaust/extractor heat wrap questions
Replies
2
Views
959
SkylineObsession
SkylineObsession
Sertsa
They totaled my car for a dented fender, hood, bumper, and broken headlight.
Replies
5
Views
3K
wfooshee
wfooshee
Famine
Jann Mardenborough Takes On Ex-Top Gear Host in Fast Car Slow Driver vs Slow Car Fast Driver
Replies
5
Views
2K
the Interceptor
the Interceptor
M
General questions about features
Replies
10
Views
1K
Masanijey
M
Tornado
The Battle to be Ayek- Ryoko II!?
Replies
21
Views
2K
Eunos_Cosmo
Eunos_Cosmo

Latest Posts

Back