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What's the best vehicle for my needs?

1145 messages,  Last post on Sep 17, 2009 at 12:59 PM

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#1126 of 1145 Re: 15k sedan new first car, help on buying [sebring95] by jkool56 Sep 15, 2009 (10:33 am)
Replying to: sebring95 (Sep 15, 2009 10:24 am) Well for right now, I need it as a commuting car about 40 miles half highway half city driving. I will also need to travel to interviews which will require longer road trips. in graduate school it will probably be used on a regular basis to go back and forth from school, and then on occasions and holidays to travel long distances to visit family and friends. I think I need a rather versatile car and I don't want a strictly commuter car. While money isn't unlimited I have budgeted around the initial investment of about 15k as well as future gas/insurance/maintenance/repair costs. So I guess, if I have a few supporters, the sentra is a better car, is there anything that is comparable to the sentra that is better?
#1127 of 1145 F150 by tj6968 Sep 15, 2009 (1:41 pm)
To the poster above who asked about trucks... the F150 lasts forever. It might not be as expensive and fancy as some of those others but it will last for 10 years guaranteed, probably much more with a little maintenance and upkeep.
#1128 of 1145 Re: 15k sedan new first car, help on buying [jkool56] by plekto Sep 15, 2009 (3:17 pm)
Replying to: jkool56 (Sep 15, 2009 6:04 am) I'm going to throw a curve ball here and recommend a few you might not have considered:   A used CTS A used G35 A used IS300   All of these can be had in mint condition with under 50K on them for your price range. They are built better, stronger, have more features, more safety equipment, and out-everything a typical econobox. My father for years bought 3-5 year old used semi-luxury cars for new economy prices and the difference was amazing.   An IS300 will last at least 5 years more than a Yaris, so buying "used" isn't a big deal. The CTS is a tank as long as you get the last year or two of the first generation. The G35 sedan is.. Well, there's nothing bad about it that I can find.   Let someone else eat the depreciation.
#1129 of 1145 Check 'Em All Out by sandman_6472 Sep 15, 2009 (3:42 pm)
Check 'em all out back to back so it's fresh in your mind...you'll know within minutes which cars are keepers and which are not a go...trust me you'll know what you want pretty early on.   The Sandman
#1130 of 1145 Great Suggestion by sandman_6472 Sep 15, 2009 (3:47 pm)
Pletko has a great suggestion there...really. You'll get killer features which will put a smile on your face with every drive...a CPO Lexus...killer! Don't limit your choices to new econoboxes, sometimes wish I'd have looked at a used C class or a 325i with the power seat option...much nicer cars than what we all own now. Great idea!!!   The Sandman Replies to this message: suydam (Sep 15, 2009 3:56 pm)
#1131 of 1145 Re: Great Suggestion [sandman_6472] by suydam Sep 15, 2009 (3:56 pm)
Replying to: sandman_6472 (Sep 15, 2009 3:47 pm) I don't think those are good choices for economical, first time car buyers. I think he's in a better ballpark with the Civic, Corolla and Sentra. Much better fuel economy and very cheap when they do need repairs. You can buy them new which will give you better insurance costs too. I am surprised though that you think the Sentra is better than the Versa. I drove the Sentra and was unimpressed, but I loved the Versa CVT. It's so quiet for a small car! You really won't go wrong with any of them. One that is cheaper, though, that you might give a look to, is the Ford Focus.
#1132 of 1145 Versa SL Hatch by sandman_6472 Sep 15, 2009 (4:12 pm)
Kid loves it now but it accelerates from a dead stop painfully slow that I couldn't live with it as a daily driver...no way. We've given this guy so many options now that he'll have to do his homework to decide. All good choices. Good luck!   The Sandman Replies to this message: corvette (Sep 17, 2009 12:43 pm)
#1134 of 1145 15k sedan new first car, help on buying by jkool56 Sep 16, 2009 (6:01 am)
I am very adamant about getting a fuel economy car. So anything that doesn't get 25 city and 35 highway give or take a few mpg, I am very hesitant to buy. Someone said the versa is a better car than the sentra? Can anyone attest to that. The versa starts off much cheaper than the sentra, but after I load it up with the features I want (most of which are standard in the sentra) the price is about equal. The sentra also has nissan's xtronic cvt. I am really thinking the cvt is a great option. It saves on fuel and would eliminate some of the jerk you feel when shifting gears (granted most car enthusiasts would rate this as a con because the shift "feel" is part of the driving experience). Replies to this message: jkool56 (Sep 16, 2009 7:06 am) jeffyscott (Sep 16, 2009 7:43 am) jkool56 (Sep 16, 2009 7:51 am) plekto (Sep 16, 2009 6:02 pm) oregonboy (Sep 17, 2009 2:45 am) suydam (Sep 17, 2009 3:57 am) plekto (Sep 17, 2009 12:05 pm)
#1135 of 1145 Re: 15k sedan new first car, help on buying [jkool56] by jkool56 Sep 16, 2009 (7:06 am)
Replying to: jkool56 (Sep 16, 2009 6:01 am) How about the Scion xD?

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