search for my next car

Status
Not open for further replies.
A

asiancivicmaniac

Joined
Jan 12, 2005
Messages
4,352
Location
FL
Hi all. Hope you guys had a great Christmas.

If some of you remember I got into an accident two weeks ago. At first the insurance was going to pay $6200 to fix the car, but the body shop found frame damage and Allstate decided to declare the car a total lost. They're giving me about $8000 for the car plus tax title minus my deductible.

So my car search begins and I am hoping you guys could help me with your wealth of knowledge. As much as I like(d) my Civic I see this as an opportunity to try something different. Criteria for now is mid-size or compact, min. mpg mid 20s city/low 30s highway,
Compact:
short list:
Mazda 3
Civic

will consider:
Corolla
Cobalt
Focus
Elantra
Jetta
Golf
Impreza
Infiniti G20
Matrix/Vibe

blacklist:
Sentra
Lancer
Accent
Rio
Ion
Yaris (no cars that look like Pokemon characters)

Mid-size:
short list:
Accord
Camry
Mazda 6
Altima

will consider:
G6
Saab 9-3
Sonata
Fusion (might be out of price range)
Passat
Maxima
Subaru sedans and wagons
Taurus (if it is dirt cheap)

blacklist:
Malibu
Saturn L series
Grand Am and its clones

Easy maintenance will be a plus. If you guys could give me your opinions and experiences I would really appreciate it.
 
Oh, how well does carfax work and what should I look for in a used car that is normally overlooked? Thanks
 
look at a 06 fusion se with higher miles. i have the 2.4L with a 5 speed auto I love this car they should sell in your price range down there. Too bad she will be gone Monday, time for an 09 fusion still going with the 2.4L 5 speed auto.

brakes were easy to work on, oil changes easy (cartridge type), drain plug for auto trans pan. After 95,000km i have no major issues to report and got an average of 7.8 L/100km gas mileage 50/50 city highway, 6.9 L/100km 90% highway

I would stay as far away from the matrix/vibe as possible, my brother-in-law is a GM mechanic and when i told him i was look at them he went nuts..."those cars are garbage!!!!!" "i have seen them in the shop more than any other car or truck in this area!"
 
If I were to buy a used car,it would be a 350Z hands down! But if it were to be a brand new car,nothing other than a 370Z.
 
You really can't go wrong with a Mazda 3. They are the best small car available IMO. There are three in my family. The oldest, a 2006, had an issue with the clock resetting itself, but other than that they have had no problems. They are great little cars, and in general I don't like small cars.

The Fusion or 6 would not be a bad choice either if you can find a nice one in your price range.

A Taurus would not be bad either if you are not concerned about style. The 3.0 is bulletproof, save for the cam synchronizer. It is a cheap and easy fix, but if you ignore it it will take your engine out (it runs the oil pump). You will get plenty of warning from the loud chirping noise. If the cam synchonzier is replaced every 100K miles or so, the car will last a very long time.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
If I were to buy a used car,it would be a 350Z hands down! But if it were to be a brand new car,nothing other than a 370Z.


If I could afford it, the gas, a second practical car, and the insurance then I would too.
 
My favorite from your list is anything Honda or Acura. I have owned Honda, Toyota, Nissan and Suzuki and Honda is my favorite by far. Crisp handling, more fun to drive and more reliable than the others.

The Mazda 3 is highly rated by the car magazines.

Or you could get more adventurous and buy something like this:

http://miami.craigslist.org/pbc/ctd/970147652.html

But be prepared to do more repairs than you are used to with a Honda.
 
Originally Posted By: mva
My favorite from your list is anything Honda or Acura. I have owned Honda, Toyota, Nissan and Suzuki and Honda is my favorite by far. Crisp handling, more fun to drive and more reliable than the others.

The Mazda 3 is highly rated by the car magazines.

Or you could get more adventurous and buy something like this:

http://miami.craigslist.org/pbc/ctd/970147652.html

But be prepared to do more repairs than you are used to with a Honda.


The BMW 3 series is one of my favorite cars but I probably wouldn't be able to afford the maintenance.
 
My wife and I just bought a Z3M this past summer. Totally impractical, not that reliable, but lots of fun. The drivetrain is similar to the 325.

Parts are expensive but it is fairly easy to work on if you do your own repairs. There is lots of info available on the internet regarding known problem areas and fixes.

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/
 
If you could get a 4 cyl stick camry or accord with 60k for your settlment check run for it!

I'd skip used subarus, the ones available and not loved by their previous owners probably have substantial issues.
 
Quote:
Yaris (no cars that look like Pokemon characters)

Funny you mention that cause I have always thought the 2 door Yaris looked like Pikachu. LOL
55.gif


I am a tiny bit biased towards the Civic cause they are inexpensive, get great gas mileage and the maintenance is so cheap. Why not buy another 2004/2005 Civic ?
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
If you could get a 4 cyl stick camry or accord with 60k for your settlment check run for it!

I'd skip used subarus, the ones available and not loved by their previous owners probably have substantial issues.


I would really like a stick car, but I need to learn how to drive one first. It could be a possibility.
 
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette

I am a tiny bit biased towards the Civic cause they are inexpensive, get great gas mileage and the maintenance is so cheap. Why not buy another 2004/2005 Civic ?



I like cars and I also get bored of the same thing after a while so I figured get something new to me so I can try something different. I like Civics, but maybe if I need to buy another car in the distant future. Right now in the compact segment I really like the 3.
 
Originally Posted By: asiancivicmaniac
Originally Posted By: eljefino
If you could get a 4 cyl stick camry or accord with 60k for your settlment check run for it!

I'd skip used subarus, the ones available and not loved by their previous owners probably have substantial issues.


I would really like a stick car, but I need to learn how to drive one first. It could be a possibility.

Being a BITOG member, you'll have it down in a week or less.

My first vehicle was a Ranger with a manual trans. When I got it, my dad drove it to a parking lot, then told me to drive it home. It took some trial and error, but before long I had it down. I'd definitely go for an MT car if you can.
 
I might take the Fusion off my list. I knew it was made in Mexico but I didn't realize 40% of the parts are also made in Mexico.
 
Mazda3 and Civic will probably be your safest bets from a reliability standpoint. They won't be the most fun to drive, but then again, that was not one of your requirements. But if you get one with a stick, it'll be more fun than otherwise.

Me, I'd probably look at a Golf/Jetta, although the mpg will most likely not be as good.
 
Last edited:
What about the new Hyundai Genesis coupe???? Very low price, and great performance!!!
300 Horse Power V6!!!! Wait to 2010 to get a new car, just get a beater to wait!!! LOL
*
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Delta
Dealer Parts Dept. Rant
2 3
Replies
53
Views
2K
HowAboutThis
Propflux01
LX-25 VS Scorpion AS3+
2
Replies
39
Views
3K
TiGeo
H
Glitter or Bubbles?
Replies
9
Views
492
Marcozi
Don_M
Yvan Larcoix came to MY house yesterday!!!
Replies
11
Views
858
Don_M
S
Walmart for oil change?
2 3
Replies
59
Views
2K
D60
Back
Top Bottom