But what about the SVX?
Here’s my method of whittling down the list (Updated):
My brain says:
First out is the Focus. My parents hate it. I personally see nothing wrong with it, but if it’s under $4,000, it’s probably not going to be any good. The Golf can be expensive, since it’s a Volkswagen. Same story with the Subaru. I’d immediately go for the Aztek, if it wasn’t so hideous, so that’s that out. The Cavalier is too unreliable, as is the Grand Prix. The Cadillac… I don’t think anyone could see me in a Cadillac. The Dakota is just a too little boring looking. Same with the Camry. The Taurus would be a good car, but seriously, the one I’m looking at is the '99. That one gets a bad reputation. So what we have left is the Nissan and the Olds. The Nissan is an incredibly great car. It’s fast, reasonably priced, and basically without fault. But I’ve always thought it a little bit… plain. So by that basis, the Oldsmobile is the unlikely winner! (In my mind.) Call me Grandpa, but it’s luxurious, good looking, fast, and cheap. Why not?
My heart says:
A Cavalier? Really? Where’s the prestige in that? That’s out right away! So’s the Olds… What am I, 80? The Aztek is butt-ugly, and that Subaru’s an accident waiting to happen. At this point, I have to tell you a secret. In my opinion, the best car in the world is the Toyota Camry. But where’s the fun in that? Where would I go if I play it safe all the time? Same thing with the Nissan. The Taurus, now that’s awesome. A Taurus, but a Taurus that can compete with an M3. I’m also sold on the Golf. The Golf is the epitome of cool, teenager cars. James May agrees. For that reason, it’s out. (I’m not being completely serious.) The Focus is stylish, and cool. But it kind of lacks the get up and go that I’d want in a car. So what we have left is: the Pickup, the Taurus, the Grand Prix, and the Caddy. The only Taurus SHO near me that I’d even consider buying looks like it needs quite a few repairs. The Eldorado looks brand new, despite being almost 20 years old, so it’s not out yet. Neither is the Grand Prix - I found one that is in mint condition, and at a great price! (I know you people say that the 90’s one is a nightmare, but I’m still going with it. I haven’t heard any horror stories yet.) Finally, we come to the Dakota. What can I say? It’s got a HEMI! It’s the winner!
The final list: 12 means no, 1 means YES!!!
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Camry
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Taurus
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Subaru
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Cavalier
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Golf
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Oldsmobile
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Cadillac
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Nissan
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Ford
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Grand Prix
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Dakota
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Azte-- Woah, woah woah. Hold the phone. HOLD. THE. PHONE. An Aztek? Really? I can hear the Automation community collectively groaning. But let me finish, and then you can tell me if I’m right or not. The Aztec is regarded by many people as the worst car in the world. Why? Why do so many people think it’s so bad? Is it the reliability? No… Is it the practicality? No, certainly not… In fact, it’s safe to say that it’s more practical than most vans. Is it the dull performance? Kinda. It’s not slow, it’s just not fast. It’s average. So what is it then, that makes it “such a bad car?” It’s the styling! There’s no denying that this is a very ugly car, but why would that put many potential buyers off? I mean, it’s a head-turner! Not necessarily for the right reasons, but it DOES turn heads rather well! Everyone’s saying: It’s not the looks, it’s the personality that counts. If loads of people agree with that, then why do they hate the Aztek? Let’s not forget that this car came with a drink cooler in the center console (GENIUS), its own tent! (I don’t like camping much, but I’d definitely camp in that!) It also has many other options, like a package for cycling. I do own a bicycle, and ride it frequently, so I could find some use for that. All around, I think it’s the perfect first car. Let the internet war begin!
I don’t know but IIRC the Alero is not known for it’s quality.
Like a few said many times, why not a Civic/Corolla?
The Olds Aurora will probably end up being being very expensive to maintain. If you’re looking for a decent sedan with a bit luxury, what about a Lexus ES? It’s pretty much all the reliability of the Camry in a slightly more attractive looking shell.
What is more important for you, luxury/comfort, or fun to drive? If latter, I’d suggest something smaller.
What about a Mazda Protege5? The early-model Mazda6 and Mazda3’s are also going for pretty cheap these days. Watch out for rust, though.
I’d avoid the aurora, they were good cars but all those computers don’t age well, plus both the engines are based off the north star and will suffer the same head gasket problems.
You want a 4 door Japanese sedan. If you want some sport look for the 04-05 corolla xrs, matrix xrs or Pontiac vibe gt all come with a 2zz 1.8 and a 6speed. Any lx or ex civic will have vtec and be plenty fun for a first car. 01-03 sentra ser or ser spec-v would be lots of fun. If you really want a domestic car try and score a 2003 ford zx2, they were way better then the early focus.if you really want a Grand Prix make sure it’s at least a 2004 or newer, the 3800 series 2 had a bunch of issues. One more not on your list is a Volvo s40, they were pretty solid cars for cheap, 02-03 should be in your price range.
Couple things to remember, try and get the last few years of a model generation, they tend to have less problems, have any car you like checked out by a independent mechanic unless you buy from a reliable dealership. Expect to flush all fluids after buying to be safe, transmission, coolant, brakes, and oil.
The only Volvo I’d go near is one with an “R” badge, but I’ll look into it.
Get some regular car.
Black Honda Fit
[quote=“Spitfire599”]
The only Volvo I’d go near is one with an “R” badge, but I’ll look into it.[/quote]
Well there no S40R but there was a T5 AWD in 04-08, and T5 is another badge you should look at in volvos.
I recommend you to get a Honda Civic…
Civics are good, but my dad already has one. Any thoughts on a Celica?
Which year?
All are pretty competent cars, the Gen7 is one of the best FWD cars of it’s time. Depending on year, same thing I said about the Corolla, over there at that price range I guess you will be looking more at the GT than a GT-S? The two engines fitted are very very different beasts.
01-02 Infiniti g20t, about 3k for a good one, 145hp sr20de and a limited slip diff with a pretty strong gearbox.
If you want a Corolla without being a Toyota, there’s always the Geo/Chevy Prizm… which is a Corolla. With a bowtie. Literally.
To whoever said the Lexus ES earlier – my first reaction was “because any one you can get for under $4k in the US is going to be thrashed to utter hell”.
There’s a point at which reliable cars with high resale value end up being worth much less than the market value dictates.
Honestly as butt-ugly as it is, the Aztek makes a certain kind of sense. The worst part about their reliability was the intake manifold gaskets on those V6’s, but even that can be mitigated through proper maintenance.
Another performance-ish sedan I haven’t seen on this list is the Contour SVT. A little bit of a sleeper, and they can be picked up cheap. Though they’re a bear to service.
Of course, I’m a fan of post-merger Hyundais and Kias (2004+). Their reliability quickly rose around that time, but their resale value remains low. Low mileage, maintained examples are still a huge bang for the buck.
[quote=“VicVictory”]If you want a Corolla without being a Toyota, there’s always the Geo/Chevy Prizm… which is a Corolla. With a bowtie. Literally.
To whoever said the Lexus ES earlier – my first reaction was “because any one you can get for under $4k in the US is going to be thrashed to utter hell”.
There’s a point at which reliable cars with high resale value end up being worth much less than the market value dictates.
Honestly as butt-ugly as it is, the Aztek makes a certain kind of sense. The worst part about their reliability was the intake manifold gaskets on those V6’s, but even that can be mitigated through proper maintenance.
Another performance-ish sedan I haven’t seen on this list is the Contour SVT. A little bit of a sleeper, and they can be picked up cheap. Though they’re a bear to service.
Of course, I’m a fan of post-merger Hyundais and Kias (2004+). Their reliability quickly rose around that time, but their resale value remains low. Low mileage, maintained examples are still a huge bang for the buck.[/quote]
First off, that thing about the Prizm - Besides the Aveo, that’s the only Chevy I WOULDN’T buy. It’s just too… plain. And plus, once you slap the bowtie on there, the reliability drops by about half.
I totally agree with you about the Lexus. No way. Plus, insurance costs are going to be pretty high for that thing.
The Aztek makes a “Certain kind of sense?” It makes complete sense! If you’re willing to get past the ugliness, it’s a decent car.
I can’t find a Contour SVT, not in my budget or in my area.
Let me tell you why I will never buy a Hyundai or a Kia. About a year ago, my grandmother, who is 90 years old, suffered a 10 mile an hour crash in her 2009 Hyundai Sonata. She crashed into a small house, and while the house was largely undamaged, the car was totaled. After a ten mph impact. I’m sorry, but I really don’t want a car as flimsy as that one.
Also, what’s your opinion on this?
cargurus.com/Cars/inventoryl … =106685342
My opinion: Ricer much?
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Your First Car
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Then either your insurance adjuster was a jack*** or she hit the house in a very VERY bizarre manner. Or it was more than 10 MPH. We had an '05 Tucson that my wife rear-ended a guy on the freeway at about a 30 MPH speed differential, shoving his pickup into another pickup in front of them. The sandwiched pickup (a Nissan Frontier) was totaled. The other truck (also, oddly enough, a Nissan Fronter) suffered minor damage. Our car was pretty jacked up in the front and had to be towed from the scene due to a cracked radiator, yet cost wise was only half of the threshold necessary to total it, thus it was repaired and soldiered on for many more trouble-free years (before we had to trade it in on a minivan)
But I digress, to each their own.
You ask of the Celica. I think Celicas are a fine vehicle. That said, I would take THAT particular Celica to a mechanic for an inspection before even considering it. See that lovely 2-tone paint job? (or maybe it’s vinyl, I can’t tell.) 99% chance that was owned by a tuner. Which means it’s been flogged. So those 145k miles are probably closer to 300k on a normal car.
Yeah, that’s terrible.
I’m not a Mustang guy per se, but this would likely be one of the cooler rides in your school parking lot. Looks fairly clean, too.
Okay, maybe I should elaborate a little. My 4000 budget INCLUDES insurance costs, so I’m essentially cutting my budget for a car in half.