Car Choice Help!

[NewlyCarCrazy]

I just got the "nod" from my father to start looking for my first car! That said, there are some limitations:

1. Under 18,000$ (the less the better)
2. Good Cargo capacity (Hatchback)
3. Not an SUV
4. Not underpowered
5. Good reliability
6. LEGROOM for driver at least (I am 6 feet 2 inches tall)

So far, I have looked at:

1. Honda Civic Coupe (probably very reliable, but boring)
2. Toyota Corolla (same as Civic)
3. Toyota Matrix (funky design, affordable model underpowered)
4. Mazda3 Hatchback (my first choice, cool design, excellent power and handling, but $$$)
5. Accord Coupe (VERY reliable, but expensive and not very "youthful")

Help Please!

[Chris Nemlich]

I would definitely have to vote for the Accord. Extremely safe car, slightly bigger than a Civic, and Honda is always a good choice!



Chris

[Chris Nemlich]

Not sure if this is what you are looking for, but maybe a Scion xA or Scion tC. They are kind of cool because you can customize them somewhat straight from the factory. Plus they are very affordable.

Chris

[Tim Lingor]

Hey,

Have you looked at the Newest Toyota Corolla Sport XRS?? It has plenty of power, grade braking in the transmisson, and according to my local dealer, each engine is x-rayed at the factory for flaws in the casting. Whether that last one is true or not, I do not know. But I do know that it has Ultra low emissions, and much longer oil change intervals.

Tim

[SolarA853]

I know of one car that meets all of your needs; 2004 or 2005 Honda Civic Si. I know the MSRP is $19,500 but any Honda dealer worth their salt will sell it at or below invoice. (which is $17,999) Neat car, hatchback, 160hp and will hold its value over time as well as anything.

I sell Honda's for a living. If you need help locating a salesperson who is not a slimeball, let me know.

Mike H in Tucson

[NewlyCarCrazy]

Thanks guys for the replies.

Chris: I have looked into the tC and was impressed with the looks and the options availiable. The only problem was the front legroom. I had to awkwardly slide my knees under the steering wheel to get in even when the seat was all the way back. When I first researched the tC, I thought it was the car for me, but sadly it wasn't. My family owns an 2002 accord sedan and my father (an ex-ford "patriot") will only buy Japanese now!

2hotford: I also looked into the Corolla, however, I did not see any sport models on the lot. The legroom was still an issue on the base (SE?) model though.

Solar: Nice to hear that legitimate dealerships exist lol. If I could get that price for an Si, it would seriously be in the running.

Thanks for the info.

[Lt1Corvette]

Are you looking for a new car or are two year olds still under consideration? If so I might check out a couple year old wrx. Those are pretty fun cars. I would also recommend a Volkswagen Gti. I drove one of the vr6's that was slightly tuned a few days ago and that was a fun car with the best reliability and good storage.

[SolarA853]

Newly- If you go the Honda route, shop through their Internet Department. Most Honda dealers mark their cars up a few hundred dollars over invoice for Internet pricing. Civic Si's aren't really hot right now, and believe me when I tell you we have to "give" them away to sell them. Keep us posted on what happens.

[Carrera]

I would choose the Mazda 3. It has gotten very good reviews all over. I suggest you do the following:

1) Buy various magazines with the test drives of all these cars.
2) Go and test drive all these cars and choose what you like.

If I were you, for USD 18 K I would get a used BMW 3 series. First have the fun factor (rear wheel drive), and fit and finish of the car. If you have the time to look around you can find a nice car

[NewlyCarCrazy]

Again, thanks for the replies! So many good ideas.

I was going to go the used route, but my father has an inate fear of used cars. He drove a used Alfa Romeo coupe when he was my age. He loved it, but the car just died every 2-3 weeks! The college (Embry Riddle) I plan on going to is in AZ, so he really fears that I will be stranded in the middle of nowhere. He is the one with the money lol.

Oh, and thanks for the heads up on the Si! I have always liked them and I will be sure to put the squeeze on the dealers. They seem very "niche" marketed. I have honestly only seen 2 or 3 on the road since they were released. The fact that they are only manual can be to my advantage.

Solar: Is it just in So. Cal that 95% of all cars on dealer lots are autos? I know most normal (non car crazy) people drive them, but where has the sport gone? I am one of two seniors in my HS that drive can drive a stick. I learned on the accord sedan.

[SolarA853]

Newly- Don't get me on my soapbox about manual transmissions. There's nothing worse than looking in the window of a late-model Corvette and seeing a slush-box handle. What a waste of a wonderful car!

I'm not sure about dealers in your area, but we try to keep at least a few 5-speed Civic's and Accord's on our lot at all times.

Carrera had some good advise; Pick a few cars and take the time to look at them and drive them. If you're on the younger side, you may encounter salespeople who think you're just wasting their time. Let them know up-front your Dad has the money and you're a serious buyer. If they still give you attitude, do the following:

Turn around, say nothing, get in your car and leave.

The Internet Department idea may help you here too. Internet Managers usually turn leads to their best (read- nicest/most helpful) sales people.

Hope this helps.

[NewlyCarCrazy]

Thankfully I look about 5 years older than I am (17 but look 22). I could get into R movies when I was 14. That is a blessing and a curse. The local slimewads leech onto me very quickly and the younger ones try to use their "hip" vocabulary to get me to "relate", which is just annoying. One salesman handed me a pamphlet and said," Check out those speculations for the engine." I usually know more actual numbers than the guy selling the car to me. Luckily my dad is great with these guys. He is the only guy I have seen that can browse cars on a lot without the "help" of a salesman.

[Teak]

Re: Car Choice Help!

Originally posted by NewlyCarCrazy
I just got the "nod" from my father to start looking for my first car! That said, there are some limitations:

1. Under 18,000$ (the less the better)
2. Good Cargo capacity (Hatchback)
3. Not an SUV
4. Not underpowered
5. Good reliability
6. LEGROOM for driver at least (I am 6 feet 2 inches tall)

So far, I have looked at:

1. Honda Civic Coupe (probably very reliable, but boring)
2. Toyota Corolla (same as Civic)
3. Toyota Matrix (funky design, affordable model underpowered)
4. Mazda3 Hatchback (my first choice, cool design, excellent power and handling, but $$$)
5. Accord Coupe (VERY reliable, but expensive and not very "youthful")

Help Please!

Good list of choices.
Some alternatives to consider:
1. Pontiac Vibe (Same as Matrix, but with lower MSRP and resale value will sink faster than the Titanic)
2. Ford Focus (2005 model is basically the same as the Mazda 3) (In 2004 there Ford made an SVT model. There may be a new one still available and would probably have many incentives available)
3. Subaru Impreza RS Wagon or Sedan (Not WRX)
4. Hyundai Elantra (hatchback)
5. Hyundai Tiburon
6. VW Jetta, Golf or Beetle
7. Toyota Celica
8. New Mini
9. 9-2x (Same as WRX, but they did sell well and can be had for well below invoice).
10. PT Cruiser
Eric