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Selecting and Buying My First Car

764 messages,  Last post on Aug 17, 2009 at 12:29 PM

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#5 of 764 Ah...pluto... by isellhondas Nov 01, 2003 (6:14 am)
I think he said "reliable"   A ten year old BMW ?
#6 of 764 I would add Mercedes by allhorizon Nov 01, 2003 (5:49 pm)
Lexus, Acura, Mercedes. Shoot for the lowest mileage you can find, mostly high-way miles, if possible (I'd stay well under 120,000). Only buy if it has a complete service record. Make sure timing belt and water pump have been replaced when called for. Battery, tires, shocks, springs, bushings, control arms, oil leaks? Leave ~$3000 in your bank account for repairs over the next 18 months or so.   - D.
#7 of 764 No Hyundai's? by themanx Nov 01, 2003 (10:03 pm)
Terry, why no Hyundai's?   Since they lose resale fast, wouldn't that mean you could get them at better than reasonable prices?   Curious...   ElantraStan
#8 of 764 Themanx .. by rroyce10 Nov 01, 2003 (10:22 pm)
....... Of course the horrible resale value comes into play .. but add that with the reliability of a plastic chainsaw and you have two losers ...                        Terry
#9 of 764 Get an Altima by bobst Nov 02, 2003 (4:25 am)
I think a Nissan Altima would be a good choice. Our 1994 Altima has been a great car, and our son still loves to drive it. I think Nissans depreciate faster than Toyotas and Hondas, so you may be able to get a good Altima for $8K.   Keep it for several years and save up enough money so you can pay cash for your next car.
#10 of 764 Re: Searching For My First Car by Car_man HOST Nov 02, 2003 (7:19 am)
Hi partyboye1. It's always exciting to purchase one's first vehicle. I remember when I bought my first ride many moons ago. In your post you mentioned that you are in the market for a used vehicle with a price tag of less than $8,000. Here is a small list of vehicles that I would personally consider if I was in the market for a a used car below $8K: a Chevrolet Prizm, a late-90's Honda Civic, a late-90's Acura Integra, a late-90's Nissan Altima, and a late-90's Nissan Sentra to name a few. These all should be less than $8,000 and prove to be very reliable. I personally would rather buy a vehicle that was originally less expensive and has lower mileage than an older more expensive vehicle with high mileage.   Edmunds.com has a couple of articles that I believe you will find very helpful in your search for a new vehicle. Definitely make sure to check out these: 10 Steps to Buying a Used Car and How to Get a Used Car Bargain - Part One: Identifying Your Target Cars & Arranging Financing, How to Get a Used Car Bargain Part Two - Part Two: Locating and Test-Driving Your Target Cars, and How to Get a Used Car Bargain - Part Three: Negotiating and Closing the Deal.   Car_man Host Smart Shoppers / FWI Message Boards
#11 of 764 Spacious, nice interior.... by prodigalsun Nov 02, 2003 (7:39 am)
Hmmm...I'd go with a mid 90's acura Vigor. Legend to, but you should find some bargains on the Vigor.
#12 of 764 chevy prizm, its the way I'm heading by mn_pat Nov 03, 2003 (2:54 pm)
As a replacement for my recently crashed Legacy, I'm looking at the Chevy Prizm. The Prizm is a rebadged Toyota Corolla. Is cheap buy, cheap to run, cheap maintain.   I've see several examples for with 35-45k priced from $6k to $7K
#13 of 764 original poster's statement by allhorizon Nov 03, 2003 (3:52 pm)
I think a Corolla / Prizm as well as a Civic or Impreza would be good suggestions for a first, used car except they certainly don't satify the OP's cars that look good, that are spacious, have excellent interiors by a long shot.   I wouldn't count an Altima in there either. Perhaps a 626.   - D.
#14 of 764 mn_pat: consider the prizm carefully by asafonov Nov 04, 2003 (8:39 am)
Yes, the ubiqitous Prizm is probably still the best used-car bargain (had a 96, now drive a 02 manual). Mathias mentions it in his excellent car buying guide - I'll let him repost the URL if he wishes. But make sure you like it before you buy since you may be stuck with it for a long time. My 02, while bought inexpensively, reasonably peppy, ok on wet roads, and very economical fuelwise, has very cheap looking and feeling interior with annoying squeaks, and a substandard stereo (the latter can be replaced, of course). Its that interior of the 98-02 generation that's bugging me more than I expected it would. To be fair, the Corollas of that vintage are no better. Also, the insurance on the Prizm turned out to be unexpectedly high - more than on a 03 Accord!   In retrospect, after driving in friends' cars, I realized I should have shelled an extra X thousand and bought a new or almost-new Protege . Also high insurance, parts and repair costs are greater than on a Prizm/Corolla, lower fuel economy, but a nicer car to drive, and hopefully (almost) as reliable as the Primrolla.   Watched a private seller eBay auction recently for a 02 Pro5 with 25k that sold for 8.5k; I was very tempted to bid on it and try to sell the Prizm, but was able to restrain myself, as car trading is usually a very expensive hobby for an individual.

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