Ok Du'ers.. i need advice on cars

[Ava]

My 16th Birthday is a few monthes away so my Mom and I have been looking to different cars. I want to know what cars have the best gas mileage and are afforable. Any advice?

[LeftyMom]

1. What's the budget? nt

[Ava]

2. no discussed budget

that I know of, however my mom and step-dad i'm sure have a certain budget. i've got a saving account with a bit of money in it that going to contribute to the cost of the car. there was a used jeep we were looking into, but gas is so high now that i need to get a car that doesn't use up so much.

[JVS]

3. Get a used ford taurus or camry if it can be found at a decent price

If buying new, I'd suggest a honda but people want waaaay too much money for used ones. If a car is 6 years old, I refuse to pay 2/3 of the original price, and that seems to be what people want. Anyway get a used car that's cheap and a commonly made model so that there are lots of parts out there and so that you don't stick out when driving around performing your teenage shenanigans.

[RebelOne]

17. Definitely a Ford Taurus.

They are a very reliable car. I am on my second one and when I'm in the market for a car again, it will be another Taurus. And the gas mileage is not bad at all. I travel 30 miles round-trip to work every day and then shopping on the weekend and only have to fill up once a week and the car still has 1/4 of a tank when I do fill it.

[LeftyMom]

10. Okay, I say nearly the same thing every car thread, but

1. Go get a consumer reports used car buying guide. They go back 6 years. If you're looking at cars a bit older than that, get an edition a couple of years back from the library.

2. I'm madly in love with Saturns as far as used car value goes. They're cheap, safe, efficient, reliable and did I mention cheap? But my favorite thing about them is that they have dent resistant panels, which is pretty cool if you're a new driver and a bit more likely than the average person to do something goofy in a parking lot.

3. The typical advice is to go with an import. When I was shopping I found that it cost at least twice as much for an import as a comparable American vehicle, so it was a better bet in my mind to get the newer American car. Any loss in reliability for domestics was made up by being newer and lower milage. So far my car's really reliable so I think I was right on that one.

4. Don't get a jeep. They eat gas and they're absolute death traps in a wreck. The only real advantage they have is that they hold thier value well.

5. Get your car inspected before you buy. If the mechanic finds any minor issues use them to negotiate the price down. If the mechanic finds big issues you just saved yourself a lot of money and trouble.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

12. I've owned and driven a bunch of cars.

Hondas are really good.
Scions are FUCKING RETARDED INSIDE.
Ford and Mercury's SUCK. I could never emphasize the SUCK enough. Seriously, they SUCK!!!! A Mercury is just a pricier Ford and Ford stands for "Fix or Repair Daily."
Toyotas are good except for the deathtrap that is the Echo, but you're down south, so it'd be much less of a deathtrap. A used Corolla might be good.
Saturns are really good.
Used saabs are good and they just plain fucking rock.
Jeeps are pretty much indestructible but SUCK on gas. My Grand Cherokee runs like it's new and it has 140,000 miles, but it burns gas.

[Whoa_Nelly]

32. Stay away from Jeeps, sweet Ava

The wheel base is high, and has a high incidence of rollover.

Maybe consider that whatever car you do get, it should be one that gets good mileage, has a good power train warranty, (or a one-time owner assumable warranty that you can get an extended warranty for), and has low repair needs over the long-term as this should be a car you can use reliably for the next several years. It could be important to you (and your folks) that the car has side curtain airbags, too.

Toyotas and Hyundais would be high on my list for you.

Use http://www.edmunds.com to check out cars, new and used, that are available in your area. You can even be specific in some of the extras you may want, as well as the color. The site also shows other vehicles to consider at the bottom of each page that are similar to the one you're checking out.

Good luck and happy shopping! :hi:

Example:
Hyundai Elantra

[HEyHEY]

4. Toyota - that's all you need to know

You can get a cheap, used tercel or camry at a good price... keep changing the oil and it will run forever.

[LynneSin]

7. I'd go with a Corolla

Camrys are bigger and use more gas

[JVS]

8. What are the prices like for used ones?

If Toyota owners demand as much as Honda owners, it's not worth it

[Whoa_Nelly]

34. Here's one of the best sites to check out new and used cars in your area

http://www.edmunds.com

Check out my post up-thread re: Jeeps and other recommendations :loveya:

[LeftyMom]

27. Just make sure it has side curtain airbags, if possible

They make a huge difference in safety with compact cars.

[AirmensMom]

5. Get a subscription to Consumer Reports online.

www.consumerreports.org

They have all kinds of information about cars, new and used. We used their info to buy our last car and really saved a bundle ... and we got a reliable car.

[Midlodemocrat]

6. We're looking for a car for my 15year old as well. She will be 16

Saturday. I would love to get her a Camry or a Honda Accord, but the problem is they are so small, I think they are too dangerous with all the behemoths on the road.

We are probably looking at Rav4, Honda CRV, along that line. Good reliability, decent mileage and higher up for better visibility.

[TheMightyFavog]

9. Manual or Automatic?

End of Line?

If you can afford one, a Prius or Insight would be cool.

[tinfoil tiaras]

11. When I get my intermediate (next summer-yeah baby!

..if I take the test on my b-day...i better) I'm getting my mom's gold (er..champagne is the correct name) honda accord. The milage on that's okay (actually, it was better than the old hybrid we had (a 2004 one) that broke down like all the time) and it has leather interior (or at least the 2002 one we have does...some may not). An overall nice car. I reccomend it.

Good luck with your search! =)

[dpbrown]

13. Toyota Prius and Honda Insight have highest MPG

The Insight is a two-door, two-seater and purists would say it's not really a "hybrid" and the Prius is the highest rated four-door in the United States.

We have two Priuses (Prii?) and we're never going back.

[flvegan]

14. You could always

get one of these:


Okay, so it's not really good on gas, but think about it...you'll always have ice cream.

[jobycom]

16. And hot dogs!!

We gonna have to have an intervention, flvegen?

[flvegan]

18. I was thinking of one for Ava

not for me. If it were mine, it'd be Soy Delicious ice cream and tofu dogs.

Of course, knowing Ava, she'd probably tear all that crap out and put big tv screens in the windows playing her many masterpieces in a continuous loop. Rabblerouser.

[Ava]

22. nah...

i'd "pimp my ride" :rofl:

[flvegan]

28. Like this?

Those are 24's.

[jobycom]

23. LOL! Yeah, that might be ideal. Or one of those billboard trucks.nt

[tinfoil tiaras]

25. I wish I was an Oscar-Meyer wiener...

:P :P

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

21. My father always aspired to be a hot dog man.

Other than that oddity, he was a really cool guy.

[ZombieNixon]

15. H2 Limo.

:hide:

[LSK]

19. get a used civic

The less miles the better.

[JVS]

24. You might as well buy new with a civic

The resale value is so high that you really don't do much better by buying used. People are insane. I see ads asking as much for 3 year old civics as new bare-bones models cost

[Deep13]

20. Honda Civic

Not only excellent mileage, but very reliable and very safe too.

[Tyler Durden]

26. Saturn SL1, SOHC, 1.9L, MANUAL trans, 1995-1998

I got mine for about $800, put in about $250 on tires and $60 on front brakes. Gets 40 mpg and goes like a bat.

[ceile]

29. Honda Civic or Chevy Cavalier or Toyota Yaris

My first car was an 82 Civic (in 1992), drove it into the ground and I swear it could have kept going.
Right now I drive a 95 Cavalier and it gets great gas mileage and is very low maintenance.
My fiance just traded in his Elantra for a Yaris, and we absolutely love it. The gas mileage is phenomenal. And it's relatively inexpensive.

[JVS]

30. Get a scooter or motorcycle instead. For just $3099, you could have...

a brand new one of these


Or if you go the scooter route, one of these for $1849

[radwriter0555]

31. Scion Xa. $13,000K out the door, fully loaded, auto, air, cd, power, 5 yr

bumper to bumper, free oil changes, GREAT mileage, HUGE inside, totally comfortable, 1000000000% reliable and VERY cool.

]


http://www.edmunds.com/new/2006/scion/xa/index.html

[WritingIsMyReligion]

33. You are not allowed to turn 16, young lady.

If I cannot turn 16 yet, you can't.

:P :P

[RagingInMiami]

35. Get a Honda Civic

And not only will you save on gas, you'll never have to worry about it breaking down you.