Yo Asher, you used to quote all the time from this site about cars (THE CAR THREAD)

[Az]

Here's the deal. I am buying a car. A used car. Ever since ever, I've been driving a 91' Subaru Legacy. This **** has to stop. I want a new(er) car.

3 Requirements:
-Reliable
-Leg Room
-Cool and by that I mean hot and by that I mean that it should be somewhat awesome and not-bland as ****.

Price range: I can babble all day about the money I have in my pocket, or my current earning ability but the Israeli car market is screwed up so this would make no sense to 98% of the posters.

Just pretend I have the money that's needed to buy an Auto-gear 2006 Corolla with a 1.6l engine. Calculate its cost in wherever the hell you are - and think that this is the money I got. Let's imagine that this method will get us close enough.


Sooooooo..... what should I buy?

I've been actually considering the corolla 2006, but I have this dealership chain where I have plenty of perks due to this buyers' club I am a member of, and they seemed to run out of them.

[Japher]

Get a SMART car with a lift:

[Wiglaf]

There's got to be a funny joke about a Jew buying a used car but thirty seconds of googling hasn't found one yet.

[Az]

hey man thanks for posting that gtfo

[Kontiki]

Just your luck, it looks like this one just became available:

http://www.apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?t=184552

[Arrian]

Toyota (and Honda) have the reliable thing down, but I doubt either the Corolla or the Civic qualify as cool as in hot... notwithstanding what some folks here do with those cars.

I think the site you're talking about, Az, is Edmunds.com.

-Arrian

[snoopy369]

Actually, I like some models of Civic. Some are boring, but sometimes they do a decent job (for a car that is, admittedly, an economy/compact). Not a huge fan of the Corolla, though.

[Asher]

Toyota (and Honda) have the reliable thing down, but I doubt either the Corolla or the Civic qualify as cool as in hot... notwithstanding what some folks here do with those cars.

I think the site you're talking about, Az, is Edmunds.com.

-Arrian

Yep, Toyota and Honda are really tops in reliability in the real world.

VW and Chrysler/GM are near the bottom.

I hear Ford is actually decent in Europe, not sure about third world countries such as Israel.

But I had the same problem. I test-drove the Toyotas and Hondas in the Corolla/Civic or smaller class, and I hated the feeling. Kind of floaty and unresponsive. Acceleration was lacking. Standard features were very lacking for the price (things like ABS were not standard in '04 when I bought, which is a big deal in Canada).

I strongly recommend testdriving all ones you consider. I'd have purchased a Corolla if I didn't, and I'd probably end up hating it. I ended up with my Mazda 3, which isn't as reliable as Honda or Toyota but certainly more fun to drive with better standard features. I really like it still, it's fun to drive and hasn't given me any problems (only issue I had was the brakes needed work a bit sooner that expected, but that's just maintenance stuff).

The American cars were a joke. They felt cheap, their torque curve was amazingly uneven, their resale value sucks, their styling was bland, and fuel efficiency was awful (at least in 04).

[Arrian]

Heh... floaty is a decent description of how my 2002 Accord handles (though it has decent power)... my 2004 Civic handles well, at least by comparison (but does lack power). With Hondas, it's usually best to just buy an "EX" model, because they just come with all the features you probably want. When you're buying used, you don't get ripped off on options the way you do with a new car.

Az - definitely test-drive first. Heck, it can be as simple as not finding the driver's seat comfortable. That's a deal-breaker right there.

I too have heard that Ford is well respected in Europe (well, the UK, anyway). Maybe check out whatever the Focus is called over there?

-Arrian

[snoopy369]

The only American car I've been happy driving was a Pontiac G6 (2007 model I believe). That handled well and had great responsiveness. Other than that, not so much on the American car front. Accords, I think, are where I am most happy driving - more power than a civic, more room, but still reliable and reasonably gas-efficient.

What are peoples' opinion on used/new for the moment? Assuming a budget that's not real high, either way making payments, maybe $400/mo or so, which means around $20k max before interest (depending on the rate). I'll probably be buying sometime this year or early next. I had been assuming it would be a used car, but the way auto makers are going these days, does it perhaps make more sense to buy new right now, assuming I have flexibility on timing? Particularly since I'd like a Honda or Toyota (as above), and those seem almost overpriced when new...

[Patroklos]

I have had a VW since 2001 with no problems, though I hear others do have trouble with them.

I have heard very good things about the Mazda 3s as well.

[Asher]

Don't you risk your life for driving a Ferrener car in SC?

[Patroklos]

Considering we have rather large Honda and BMW plants here, I doubt it

[Dinner]

The only American car I've been happy driving was a Pontiac G6 (2007 model I believe).

One of the managers at my employer recently bought a Buick Lucerne Super. He gave me a ride in it and I have to say it seemed like a very well put together car with nice fit and finish. I thought the suspension was to soft and the seats were to cushy without enough lateral support but even with the optional V-8 he got it for only $36,000 after the rebate plus he says he gets 26 mpg which isn't bad for a full sized car with a 4.6L V-8.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123750302634389581.html

[Asher]

Buick! You have to be kidding me.

2 years ago I rented a car and got stuck with a Buick. Hilariously bad. I was driving at 110km/h on the 401 in a rainstorm. The car wasn't even a year old and the wipers were leaving huge streaks. The acceleration was inconsistent (again, torque curve issues). The pedals were mushy. The steering felt imprecise if not slightly laggy. When a big gust of wind hit, the car was blown heavily to the side and the car ROCKED to an extreme degree I've never felt in a car before (due to the old-man floaty suspension, I'm sure). When I cornered at high speeds it almost felt like it'd bottom out on one of the sides. The faux-wood paneling was awesome too.

And for **** sakes, how many times must we go over how useless the JD Powers & Associates reports are. The fact that they say Buick is #1 is telling.

and 26mpg! IN A CAR? Jesus christ! It's 2009! Holy ****.