First car-need suggestions!

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

tekhna

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2009
Messages
58
Reaction score
0
So, I'm moving to Santa Cruz in September to start grad school, and I need to buy a car. I live in NYC at the moment, so obviously I don't have a car. I'd like to spend less than 8000, which rules out new (unless Honda offers 0% financing or something crazy and I stretch my budget).
I don't know a damn thing about cars, but my three most important criteria are reliability, fuel economy and comfort (I'm 6'4").
My thinking is it's gonna be hard to go wrong with a 2002 Civic or something like that, but I'm open for suggestions. I'd love to buy a Honda Fit, but I think it's out of my price range. GM seems like a steal these days new, but I don't think I want any of their cars.
 
Honda Civic is a great choice IMHO...although I'm a bit biased since I just bought one :D. I was able to pick up a 2003 in perfect condition with a recently replaced transmission for $7800. If your total budget for a car is $8000, including registration and taxes I think a 2002 would be perfect.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/cto/1123713629.html

At your size, an Accord might be a better fit...but you would have to settle for something a bit older.
 
I have a Civic. It's small, but they hold their value like crazy and we've had no issues in four years. Toyota Corollas, too, you might find one a wee bit cheaper and that's a car I'd have zero problems buying used, too.
 
Honda Civic is a great choice IMHO...although I'm a bit biased since I just bought one :D. I was able to pick up a 2003 in perfect condition with a recently replaced transmission for $7800. If your total budget for a car is $8000, including registration and taxes I think a 2002 would be perfect.

(Displaying my ignorance here..) what does registration and taxes usually end up running? Obviously it varies by state.
I also see you're in CA, so maybe you know something about this. A friend of mine who almost took a job in CA was told by the HR department at this company that if you purchase a car, and then move to California within a year of the purchase, they have to pay California taxes on it. Seems a little impossible to enforce, and sort of illegal.

Edit: As for my height, maybe an Accord would be better. Oddly enough one of the most comfortable cars for guys my size is a Ford Focus. Any thoughts on them?
 
I've got a 2003 Civic Si (hatchback) and my wife has 2008 Civic Si (4dr). The hatchback is actually much more comfortable. My in-laws have a 2004 Accord, and I still think the hatchback fits better. If you're going for just the normal 2dr, for comparison sake, I've been in a few RSX (acura version of civic) and they seem to be only slightly smaller than the hatchback as far as my comfort.

Hope that helps.
 
Buy AMERICAN. Not to be an @ss but this economy needs as much help as it can get. I am an avid Ford driver so I can't recommend anything but a Fusion or a Focus or something along those lines.
 
(Displaying my ignorance here..) what does registration and taxes usually end up running? Obviously it varies by state.
I also see you're in CA, so maybe you know something about this. A friend of mine who almost took a job in CA was told by the HR department at this company that if you purchase a car, and then move to California within a year of the purchase, they have to pay California taxes on it. Seems a little impossible to enforce, and sort of illegal.

Edit: As for my height, maybe an Accord would be better. Oddly enough one of the most comfortable cars for guys my size is a Ford Focus. Any thoughts on them?

Not sure about your registration, it will depend on the vehicle. But taxes are 8.25% of whatever the purchase price was. If you can find someone cool, then they can write in something a bit lower. That's illegal, but unenforceable for the most part. As far as a focus goes, I've heard they are good cars with decent performance. I personally don't go by where the car is made, but what the quality and reputation of the manufacturer. Honda and Toyota are kings in this department IMHO, so that's who gets my money. Styling is also an issue, and early 2000's Focus is butt ugly IMHO. The Fusion is not too bad I suppose. But again, the Civic isn't much of a looker...but she gets the job done!

If I was going to spend a few grand more I'd get a VW Golf GTI, a Civic si, or an Accord Coupe V6.
 
Buy AMERICAN. Not to be an @ss but this economy needs as much help as it can get. I am an avid Ford driver so I can't recommend anything but a Fusion or a Focus or something along those lines.

Well he said he's going used so it really doesn't matter if he buys american or not as the money isn't going to an auto maker.

But to the OP's worries about being taxed twice...I can't speak for CA, but when I moved to LA from OH, I had to "import" my car and thus pay taxes on the value of the car. It's sorta strange, but at least there is some reciprocity between some states (OH was included for me) so you get a credit and don't have to pay full taxes. As for your concern about enforceability...lol...that my friend will be enforced when you go to the DMV to register your car.

One other word of advice that is purely from a negotiation perspective. Factor in the cost of any upcoming major repairs/service that may be due on the car according to mileage as well as remaining tread on tires, also note wear on all 4 as uneven wear can reveal other potential mechanical problems. You can use those to obtain a better price on the car.

Good luck and enjoy CA!
 
Look around for an early '90s Civic wagon. Plenty of head and leg room for my 6'3" friend. Donated my '89 at 204,000 miles. It never broke down. Never even had a flat tire and got a solid 35 mpg, sometimes as high as 43.
 
I am currently rolling in a used Mazda Protege 5. My dad is 6'3" and doesn't seem to have a problem with it. Besides, you can never go wrong with the wagon.
 
cant go wrong with a nice jeep, it covers the reliability and comfort pretty well but about the gas mileage...., what i'm using right now for my DD is an 02 vw jetta i got for 10k, but i wouldn't recommend it. parts and labor are $$$$$$. if i were you i'd go with a cobalt by chevy, a ford focus, nice little town goers, or as said before a civic. i think a cobalt looks the best and there realiabilty is right up there with the best of them, not sure on prices tho.
 
But to the OP's worries about being taxed twice...I can't speak for CA, but when I moved to LA from OH, I had to "import" my car and thus pay taxes on the value of the car. ... As for your concern about enforceability...lol...that my friend will be enforced when you go to the DMV to register your car.

Texas too. That was a bit of a shock. It wasn't in the thousands but as I recall it was quite a few hundred $$.
 
If you're not affected by mileage on a car, look for an early 2000's lexus ES/IS/GS. Great reliability and comfortable as hell. You can easily find one within that range as well. Highway my lexus gets 24-26mpg.
 
I like using New Cars, Used Cars, Car Reviews and Pricing - Edmunds.com to research car purchases. I took the liberty of posting a few links below to cars I would suggest based on your post. I've owned Hondas, Toyotas and now Subarus and they are all great cars. I love my WRX (I wouldn't want it if I was 6'-4" though) and my wife loves her Forester. My dad has a 1995 Toyota Avalon that has 500,000 miles on it and is still going strong with only routine maintenance (tires, brakes, oil, filters, timing belt, fluids, etc.). That car seems to be bullet proof and is very roomy. Based on my quick research, it seems like for Japanese imports that the 2002 model year fits into your price range.

2002 Honda Accord Pricing and Information

2002 Toyota Camry Pricing and Information

2002 Subaru Legacy Pricing and Information

2002 Subaru Forester Pricing and Information
 
Buy AMERICAN. Not to be an @ss but this economy needs as much help as it can get. I am an avid Ford driver so I can't recommend anything but a Fusion or a Focus or something along those lines.


I have news for you, though you ought to know this by now. Your Ford has more foreign-made parts in it than domestic-made. Just buy a car-it doesn't matter any more.

To the OP- whatever you wind up buying, make sure you have
it checked out thoroughly buy a trustworthy mechanic. Check the Carfax report, and see what Consumer Reports and Kelly's Blue Book have to say about the car before you buy. And don't fall in love with a certain car. It's just a car- something to get you from A to B and back again. Good luck.
 
I don't know a damn thing about cars, but my three most important criteria are reliability, fuel economy and comfort (I'm 6'4").

I love my '99 New Beetle TDI. I'm 6'7" and never had a car with so much head room (it's the arched roof line, and seats that adjust up/down). They aren't currently being made so you'd have to find a used one. VW just reintroduced the TDI in the Jetta after a 2 year sabitical, to modify the engine for the new fuel formula.

It is very economical. The diesel engine with the 5-spd tranny gets me 45 daily and 50 highway mpg. Diesel is a bit more expensive but well worth the extra mpg. Besides it's fun to get looks from the big-rig drivers when I pull into up to fuel island. If I can ever find a reliable steady source for waste vegetable oil I will convert to bio-diesel.

As far as reliablity, I have 230K miles on it and can see it easily doing that many more, and I am not gentle with my cars. I have nick-name it Timex "takes a licking and keeps on ticking". I have hit 4-deer and been through a couple of corn fields and many construction sites nothing seems to phase it.

Best of luck - the first car always holds a special place in your heart.
 
I will second Bernie here, my Dad and Grandpa LOVE Yukon's, they buy a new ones every other year. And they go around dissing everyone who buys anything "non American", until one employee here who bought a civic showed them at least his "Honda" was built in the US giving jobs to auto workers unlike my grandpas Yukon. (Mexico) That shut him up real quick.

Not even gonna touch the "parts" issue but that's also VERY true.
 
Buy AMERICAN. Not to be an @ss but this economy needs as much help as it can get. I am an avid Ford driver so I can't recommend anything but a Fusion or a Focus or something along those lines.

Hondas are assembled in America. And they import their parts just like the Macro motor co's.

Furthermore, Hondas are typically more "off the shelf" than most of the domestics. that equates to less expensive repairs since the parts are shared across multiple model vehicles.
 
Forget the American/import thing. best bet is find a car in your price range, do a littel searching on the internet for common problems/issues. i've owned both import/american and no car has been perfect and i say the worse i've owened was a 1989 Chevy Beretta GT...but i was 16 (in 1998 so it was 9 years old) and i always felt the need to jsut floor it at every stop sign/light and just being a typical dumb 16 year old. but since then, i've had a toyota truck, chevy cobalt and now i drive a Ford mustang and just got a steal on a very used Chevy S10. i think its all about finding the deal, doing some checking online on that car in question (carfax) and i'd say most cars have their own forums and you can usually do a search and see what kind of problems pop up for that car.
 
I realize that this is a global economy and that a lot of parts are manufactured elsewhere. But WOW. I never thought I would get such opposition for asking a fellow American to buy and American vehicle.
 
I'll sell you a 2005 WRX with only 50k miles on the odometer.

wonderful gas mileage
never ever even once broke down on me. ;)
chicks dig it.


actually none of those are true. . . but I'll give you a good deal! I'll even drive it up to Santa Cruz for you.
 
I love my '99 New Beetle TDI. I'm 6'7" and never had a car with so much head room (it's the arched roof line, and seats that adjust up/down). They aren't currently being made so you'd have to find a used one. VW just reintroduced the TDI in the Jetta after a 2 year sabitical, to modify the engine for the new fuel formula.

It is very economical. The diesel engine with the 5-spd tranny gets me 45 daily and 50 highway mpg. Diesel is a bit more expensive but well worth the extra mpg. Besides it's fun to get looks from the big-rig drivers when I pull into up to fuel island. If I can ever find a reliable steady source for waste vegetable oil I will convert to bio-diesel.

As far as reliablity, I have 230K miles on it and can see it easily doing that many more, and I am not gentle with my cars. I have nick-name it Timex "takes a licking and keeps on ticking". I have hit 4-deer and been through a couple of corn fields and many construction sites nothing seems to phase it.

Best of luck - the first car always holds a special place in your heart.

I'll second the VW diesels. They run and run and run. Wouldn't think twice about putting 500k on one, and they get great gas mileage. Usually at least the 40's.
 
If you want economy, how does averaging 107 miles per imperial gallon sound.... Check out the Honda Insight. Not the new one just hitting the streets, but the old 2000-2006 model.

It is an ALL aluminum chassis, two seater, 0-60 at 10 seconds, 112 mph and it is brilliant. My best door to door 40 mile trip to work is 119 mpg (UK imperial)

Check out Insight Central: Honda Insight Forum
 
A civic or corola is probably to small. However, a used 4 cylinder Toyota Camry or Honda Accord is still fairly economical and will give you the room you need. I have owned 3 Accords, 2 of which were still going strong with over 200,000 miles, one of which is still on the road with over 220,000, the other was sold for parts at 255,000 miles. While i drive a new Toyota Tacoma, my wife has a V6 Camry with 187,000 miles, the dealer just did the timing belt and water pump and proclaimed the car to still be in excellent shape. This is depite the fact we drive down 10 miles of dirt road iin the desert(we live 75 miles south of Phoenix AZ in the middle of nowhere). BTW, Our Camry was built in Georgia....Diesel maintainance can be expensive and hard to locate. Accords and Camrys require very little maintanance, have good resale value, and if you have or are planning on a family, they can fit a carseat reasonable well.
 
I realize that this is a global economy and that a lot of parts are manufactured elsewhere. But WOW. I never thought I would get such opposition for asking a fellow American to buy and American vehicle.


It's not opposition. You just need to realize that your "Buy American" mantra is 30 years out of date, at least within the auto industry. There is no such thing as an American-made car anymore. As stated in other posts, Hondas and Toyotas are assembles here, the "big three" have most of their parts outsourced, etc. I'm not opposed to the idea of "buying American". but within the auto industry, it just doesn't matter. Buy what you want. Personally, I have a Chevy truck and a Dodge car. But I'm not going to scold someone that drives a Toyota, because it just doesn't matter. Buy what you like.
 
First car, eh? You have my profound sympathy.....and you're buying used, to boot. This is a subject that has no bottom, and over which oceans of tears have been shed.
I don't care what used car you buy, unless you're buying something with an extended manufacturer's warranty, you're buying someone else's trouble. I am generally impressed by how badly other people treat their cars.....which does not bode well for those of us buying used.
We leased a couple of cars, but then I took a look at what it was costing, and just couldn't do it again. We bought a three year old car as a manufacturer's "certified pre-owned" trade. It carried half the new sticker price, and the remainder of the GM 6/100 warranty, which gave us a reasonably priced like-new car (only had 21K on it), and a manufacturer's 3/79K warranty. I don't see how we could have done better than that. Also, a clean Carfax (if you don't know what Carfax is, find out and be sure you have the report on any car you intend to buy- no Carfax, no buy!)
 
First car, eh? You have my profound sympathy.....and you're buying used, to boot. This is a subject that has no bottom, and over which oceans of tears have been shed.
I don't care what used car you buy, unless you're buying something with an extended manufacturer's warranty, you're buying someone else's trouble. I am generally impressed by how badly other people treat their cars.....which does not bode well for those of us buying used....

Don't let him scare you. I have not bought a new car since 1988, all of mine have had between 60k-120k miles on them when we bought. Some have been rougher than others, but the total cost of repairs over the next 3 years (average that we keep them) and 100k additional miles is far far less than the cost of a new car.

Buy a good used 7-8 yr old car with 50k and you'll spend $3,000-$8,000 depending on the model/mileage etc. You could put $5k worth of repairs into it and still be well ahead of the game on the cost of ownership versus a new car. Not to mention reduced insurance for an older model and/or get rid of collision coverage altogether if its not financed. And I don't feel to bad if something does happen to it. Additionally if you can pay cash and don't finance you'll save a ton on interest and some times get the car cheaper for green money.
 
OK, here's the deal..... buy the Honda. And if you tell my SWMBO I said that I'm comin after you!

She has owned Honda's since we have been together (I think she's on number 4 now) and I have always inherited her leftovers as my runaround car when we get her a new (used) one. I complain and B&M, but they really are awesome little cars. They will run forever, and the maintenance is pretty low.

I always joke with her whenever her car has an issue that its gonna be 500 bucks to fix. I believe this to be true with Hondas, but they don't break down often so the overall maintenance is very inexpensive.

I would look for an accord though, they are a little bigger and you will still get decent mileage.

I am not a fan of the Subaru's. They run great, they handle great, and they also last a long time but all of them that I have driven have been extremely uncomfortable on long trips. I used to drive one for work, and I travel a lot.

And I say buy used. Why take on the immediete depreciation. If you look around you can usually find a decent buy on a honda that is 3-5 years old, and they do hold their value pretty well if you take care of them.
 
Back
Top