[ast3r3x]

Fact: ast3r3x is going to be buying a car within the next two months.

Fact: ast3r3x will have between 8k-11.5k (maybe 12.5k) to spend.

Fact: ast3r3x would prefer AWD and a car, but it isn't necessary.

Fact ast3r3x wants a reliable car that isn't ass ugly.

Ok, so now that we have that established. I'm trying to do some research into what car I want, I'd like to go with something that is toward the high end of my price range, and have been thinking about A4 Cuattro's, Volvo (S40/S60)s, Subaru Legacy GTs, and some SAAB (I think it was 9-3).

I was wondering if anyone knew of a site where I could maybe get like average miles before the car exploads, or a comparison of how reliable cars by the manufacturer are. I also am curious how much it DOES cost when the inevitable happens and I need to buy parts for the car. Any advice would be appreciated, and if you know of a good site, or a forum that (hopefully isn't biased) could help would be great.

PS - This was done from a PC, so if there are a lot of spelling mistakes, forgive.

[stonyc]

Some questions and comments to clear up some things maybe...

- Are you looking to buy used or new?

- By saying you have 8-11.5k (maybe 12.5k) to spend, do you mean towards a down payment or the total price that you want to pay?

- AWD, what kind of weather do you live in? In most cases, FWD is more than enough.

- There aren't -that- many cars that come with AWD... Subarus being the most notable that do come with AWD. Along the same lines as the Legacy, have you though about the WRX?

[ast3r3x]

They money I have is to spend on a used car. I mean really it could be new, but how many cars are that cheap new?

Like I said AWD isn't necessary, but it would be nice. I normally wouldn't need anything like that, but the 8 or so times it snows each winter it would be nice to have. If someone recommended and SUV or something that had FWD would be fine. I just meant, it would be nice to have something that is less likley to get stuck in the snow. I know it won't really help handeling too much, but getting stuck is the worst.

Edit: I'm not set on AWD or FWD much at all, the Volvos and SAABs I was looking at don't have it, and thats ok with me.

Qustion: I know/heard before that SAABs were expensive to fix, but I know that was older SAABs, are new ones more expensive then other cars too?

[Mac+]

ast3r3x I don't know how old you are ... but I would strongly suggest if this is your first car, scrap the big spending ideals. Save some of your moolah and invest it ... put it away, forget about it and let it work for you. Cars can be a bottomless pit. I'm not saying don't buy a car - but I am saying don't blow all your hard earned on your first car. This philospohy might not appeal to you now, but I'm sure it will when it comes time to sell your first car and you figure out just how much you have spent on it and realise, at the same time, just how much it has depreciated. It is at this point that most folk beign to wonder what they could have had saved up if they invested some of their "car" dollars instead.

I hope that wasn't too preachy - just offering some "cautious" food for thought.

[ast3r3x]

I'm 18...18 and a half

This is the first that that I will own, but not the first car I've driven around. I used to drive an isuzu trooper, but now I pimp a 1988..or 84 (older than me?!) buick regal (actually it's the sexy regal custom...o la la). I also drive my parents explorer around all the time, so it's not like this is my first car that I am most likely going to drive off of a cliff because I don't know how to drive. No accidents yet (knocking several times on the wood podium beside me).

What is funny about your comment is that this car is going to be bought WITH invested money. I put 2500 into apple 3 or 4 years ago, and it's worth...well it will be worth 13000 when apple hits 50. I am probably going to take out 8k or so to help pay for the car. The rest I'll borrow from my parents, but be able to pay off this summer from working. I don't have any real living expenses so it works out.

I was actually that kid who invested car money into stock...well and bought a computer.

[ironlung]

ast3r3x...your best bet is the subaru...very reliable car.. saabs are just expensive... originally a swedish company, and since i lived in norway, everything about them are expensive. Very well made though. Generally you can easily get 200 000 miles out of a subaru with out any problems. But try to get a car with under 100 000 miles on it

[Mac+]

ast3r3x not commenting about your driving ability or potential for accidents - more so the fact that cars can be very draining on your cash flow.

Glad to hear that you have invested and saved wisely. My only caution is not to deplete your account totally - which if I read correctly, I don't think you are going to do anyway. It's always good to have some of your money working for you, that's all.

Good luck with the car purchase - sorry I'm not much help in the actual recommendation of what model to buy.

[ast3r3x]

Yeah, thanks for the advice

I know really I shouldn't even be taking money out at all, but I need a car. Well right now it's a want, in 2 months it will be closer to a need, because nobody knows how long the buick will last, although it only has 98k on it.

fightclub, thanks for the recommendation, I know shit about cars, so I didn't know how reliable subarus are. Most of the subaru's in my price range have between 75k-95k on them.

[thegelding]

where do you live?? why AWD??

i learned to drive in pennsylvania snow...never needed more than front wheel drive...and i have driven in 2 foot snow storms...if you know snow and know how to drive, front wheel drive is much better than not knowing snow and not knowing how to drive in it and having AWD...most cars i see flipped in snow or ice are 4WD or AWD...

of course the worse are rear wheel drive pickups with no back weight


any who....

for 18 to 18 1/2 year old with 10k or so i would go with a 2002 civic or corolla or protege...a reliable, no nonsense car that will get you through college with minimal upkeep

or a new civic or corolla or mazda 3 with minimal payments (will help you with building a credit rating)


g

[ast3r3x]

I live about 45 min away from Harrisburgh. More specifically 20 minutes away from Lancaster/Reading. Or even more specifically, in a town called Ephrata

Like I said, AWD/FWD isn't necessary, but it's nice.

I have heard mazda's were voted the most reliable like 3 years in a row or something like that. I don't remember exactly, I read the article a while ago on a news site.

Edit: Can I assume that any newer car (since around 97/98) will make it to 200k?

[Wrao]

Originally Posted by thegelding or a new civic or corolla or mazda 3 with minimal payments (will help you with building a credit rating)

This is important dustin

[ast3r3x]

Originally Posted by Wrao This is important dustin

It's a little creepy when somebody uses your name with such a short statement that most people don't.

Oh I'll have quite the credit rating while paying for school

Credit rating is good, but I'd like to get something that I can just have. I don't like the idea of paying out more than something is worth. Maybe though, I'll have to talk to my finacial advisor (dad) about it.

[stonyc]

They money I have is to spend on a used car. I mean really it could be new, but how many cars are that cheap new?

Yeah, I just couldn't tell if you intended that money as a down payment towards a new car (and financing the rest) or just paying for a used car all at once (or a cheap new car).

If driving in the snow is a concern, I would recommend at least having FWD... AWD is very nice to have, which is why Subarus are nice. Most (if not all?) of their models come with full-time 4WD, but still have pretty decent gas mileage.

Another thing to consider, most of those cars that you mentioned (Volvo, Saab, Audi) are, like you said, on the high-end and because of that you likely won't find a good used one for ~$15k that doesn't have high miles on it. With that in mind, I would probably echo some of what Mac+ said... don't go too crazy, it is just a car. You just need something that will get you from point A to point B, without as you said, looking ass ugly.

Just to give you an idea of what is out in my area...

'99 Audi A4 Sedan (94k, auto) = $11,900
'02 Audi A4 Sedan (44k, manual) = $19,900
'02 Jeep Libery (26k, 4x4) = $15,995
'02 Volvo S40 (26k, cold weather package) = $16,900
'01 Subaru Outback (59k) = $13,500
'03 Subaru Impreza WRX (34k) = $17,995
(sorry, couldn't find any listings for Legacy GTs)

And since I'm most familiar with Jeeps, particularly Wranglers and Cherokee Sports... you could probably find a Cherokee Sport (4x4) depending on the model year, mileage and options from $6,000-$11,000. Wranglers, perhaps a thousard or so more than the price point of the Cherokee Sports.

[Wrao]

I only mention it's importance because I'm pretty much in the same boat as you, I need a car, AAPL is doing well to afford me one, and I need to start building a credit rating. I personally don't like the concept of credit all that much, I like to pay for things solely with money I actually have, but, you kinda gotta 'play the game' these days I guess.

Yea, that is kinda creepy, Honestly, I don't even know why I chose to write dustin instead of ast3r3x, oh well.

[stonyc]

I have heard mazda's were voted the most reliable like 3 years in a row or something like that. I don't remember exactly, I read the article a while ago on a news site.

I have a soft spot for Mazda's because I'm in love with the RX-8... my fiancee is actually considering a Mazda3 or Mazda6. Unfortunately, since those two models were released within the past 2 years (?), it might be a little harder to find a use one. Mazda6's are a tad expensive, but it sounds like you might fit the 3.

[bassplayinMacFiend]

Originally Posted by ast3r3x Yeah, thanks for the advice I know really I shouldn't even be taking money out at all, but I need a car. Well right now it's a want, in 2 months it will be closer to a need, because nobody knows how long the buick will last, although it only has 98k on it. fightclub, thanks for the recommendation, I know shit about cars, so I didn't know how reliable subarus are. Most of the subaru's in my price range have between 75k-95k on them.

Most GM cars have a built-in time bomb that goes off shortly after 100K. I know, it sounds like a joke now, but I've done work on a few GMs that crapped out between 100 & 115K.

As far as reliability goes (especially since you'll be buying an older car) you might consider an online subscription to www.consumerreports.org . They are supposedly the least biased review/report org around since they buy all their products (they aren't given test models by product manufacturers, they buy stuff off the lot just like you and me).

[thegelding]

as for new vs old....

good points on both sides


as for paying more than the car is worth...some (even toyota, honda and mazda) are doing low rates--once again it depends on your credit rating...
so you may pay very little in interest

on the other hand, buying a 2 to 4 year old car that is reliable is nice because the first 2 years are the worse for depreciation....

but having a new car is nice sometimes (never have to worry about the previous schmuck never changing the oil and such) and you gotta love that new car smell....


i like buying new and then running the car till it dies....so i use to buy a new car every 12 years...now, with the kids, that has changes some as my eldest just got my car after only 5 years....and the new car i just got will likely go to my youngest in a year or two (when i trust that she can actually drive a car for a while without doing too much damage)....

one thing i do recommend if you go new....no extended warrenties or service contracts...drives the payments up with little benefit to you...you are buying a new honda or toyota or mazda because they are reliable...and the service contract they tried to get on me was 1600 bucks that would have probably only ending up being 6 oil changes and 3 tire rotations...and they were surprised when i said no...ha

g

[stonyc]

Oh, and to add on to what bass said... if you go the used car route, get a vehicle history report done (I think Carfax gives you an unlimited number for $24.99). It lets you see a couple inmportant things:

- was the car you're interested in an accident? If so, be careful and you may even want to stay away from it.

- the title changes are listed, so you can tell around what time the dealer (if you buy from a dealer) bought the car... if it's been sitting on the lot for a long while, that can effect the negotiated price quite a bit.

From personal experience, I had a carfax report done on the Cherokee Sport that I ended up buying and I noticed that it had had only 1 owner before (from a lease), no accident reports associated with its VIN number, and also that the Jeep had been sitting on the dealer's lot for aout 6-7 months. I ended up getting that Jeep for about $1000 less because I knew the dealer wanted to get it off its lot finally... haven't a single problem with it since, except for a belt that went bad at around the 50k mark.

[stonyc]

Ahhhh... here's a site that I found pretty helpful when I was buying my Jeep:

http://www.carbuyingtips.com/

[ast3r3x]

I thought about being financed and then just using my money to make sure I can continue paying off the car until I'm out of college and can get a real car. Is this a horrible idea?

I mean I don't know how much car payments are a month either, so maybe it wouldn't even work. I'd guess you have to have money down, and good credit. I'd probably have to use my dad for credit, although I'd need to put money down then, wonder how much that is.

[stonyc]

The more you can put down, the less your payments will be. If you go to most if not all of the major automaker websites, they'll have payment calculators available (may have to dig around a bit). Of course, the prices they have there are MSRP and "may not accurately reflect" real-world prices.

If you go to a dealer to buy a used car, you can get those financed as well... but most times those special rates won't apply. In those cases, you would be better off going to a third-party (ie. your bank, a credit union, look in the newspapers to see if different banks are offering better rates) to finanace your car.

EDIT: I re-read your post... there's absolutely nothing wrong or horrible about financing a car. Is it better to just pay in full for a car? Depends on who you ask, but usually it is... because then you don't have to worry about making payments or interest on the loan. At the same time though, having a car financed and making regular payments (and eventually paying off the car entirely) can help your credit significantly. You seem like a pretty responsible guy, so I would say that both options (financed versus paying in full) are absolutely viable. Ultimately, it is going to depend on how much the car is that you end up getting and like you said, discussing it with your dad would be your best bet.

[Maciej]

If you are buying used, I'd suggest to stay away from the European models. For as soon as the warranty goes out, you might be feeling a large whole in your wallet. Also buying used will not get you as good of rates as buying new, as tonyc touched on.

We own a couple of Bimmers - but when it was time to buy me a car (I'm a little over 18 now) my parents refused to buy used. Especially with the European models you are suggesting, mainly for those two reasons. But basically, with the money you think you are saving, it all comes out to be even in the end...

[billybobsky]

Vovlo's are incrediably expensive to fix...

I got rid of the one my parents gave me, because it was costing about $3000/year to fix and it was only 5 years old. Now, it worked flawlessly for the first 3 years, so if you are going to get a car and then dump it...

[Maciej]

Originally Posted by billybobsky Vovlo's are incrediably expensive to fix... I got rid of the one my parents gave me, because it was costing about $3000/year to fix and it was only 5 years old. Now, it worked flawlessly for the first 3 years, so if you are going to get a car and then dump it...

So are Mercedes, BMWs, Audis, and most likely Saabs.

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by stonyc The more you can put down, the less your payments will be. EDIT: I re-read your post... there's absolutely nothing wrong or horrible about financing a car. Is it better to just pay in full for a car? Depends on who you ask, but usually it is... because then you don't have to worry about making payments or interest on the loan. At the same time though, having a car financed and making regular payments (and eventually paying off the car entirely) can help your credit significantly. You seem like a pretty responsible guy, so I would say that both options (financed versus paying in full) are absolutely viable. Ultimately, it is going to depend on how much the car is that you end up getting and like you said, discussing it with your dad would be your best bet.

Hi Ast3r3x.

Here's what I'd do. I'd check out the most recent car ratings (in Consumer Reports magazine or something similar).

Then I'd pick a *new* Honda Civic, or something along those lines - reliable with good re-sale value. I'd check on getting a pre-approved loan from your bank or credit union; but I'd also see what the dealer has to offer. If your parent would co-sign, that might get you the best deal.

Then, use a fairly decent chunk of the cash you have available to make a down-payment. Put down as much as you can, to get the payments in a range that seems comfortable for you. But leave as much money as you can in your stocks, because that will counterbalance the interest you'll be paying, and will keep growing.

Whatever you do, I don't think you should sell most of your stock to buy a *used* car. Ugh. I hate the idea of used cars. You'd be buying someone else's problems. Just my opinion. The exception might be if you actually *knew* someone who was selling a used Honda Civic - some middle-aged responsible person (who was intending to buy a *new* Civic - haha). Honda also has that CRV, or whatever it's called; but it's probably more expensive.

Down the road, if your stocks continue to do well, or if you earn money by working in the summer, you could just pay off the loan. Then you'd have the best of all worlds: no more car payments with interest; you'd have established a good credit rating; *and* you'd still have a fair amount of stock left.

But *used* cars? Ick. If you knew how to work on cars yourself, that option might be okay. But otherwise, I don't think so. Of course, I'm speaking as a female, interested in a vehicle with the best possible chance of NOT breaking down in the middle of nowhere.

[MCQ]

I'm with the last 3-4 posters.... I'm pretty sure that those Euro models are $$$ to fix if something happens to go wrong.

Something like a used Civic I think would be a good fit for the price range... I think they have pretty high reliability ratings.

As far as financing... financing a new one could be a good route for you (i.e. put $8500 in, finance $6000-$6500 @ 3-4% APR financing). Interest rates are still fairly low despite the few bumps in the last year, so I'd imagine that you could still get a fairly low interest rate, though I'm not sure if you'd qualify for the lowest APR possible. Probably would be a way to build your credit as well.

[Windswept]

Yeah, and that suggestion up above about checking the car history is a great idea. If you could get a one-owner, never-wrecked Honda, that would be ideal; because the original buyer of a new Honda is usually smart, careful, particular, and very attentive to the care and maintenance of the car.

[Maciej]

I'm sorta curious tho, what exactly do you need a car for? If you are my age I assume you are a college student, like me, but I do fine w/o a car?

[stonyc]

Originally Posted by Carol Yeah, and that suggestion up above about checking the car history is a great idea. If you could get a one-owner, never-wrecked Honda, that would be ideal; because the original buyer of a new Honda is usually smart, careful, particular, and very attentive to the care and maintenance of the car.

Have a Civic, Carol?

Just my opinion, but there are definite advantages and disadvantages to buying new OR used. True, buying new you eliminate that one other person driving the car before you... but new cars also depreciate horribly. Buying used has the disadvantage of you having to put more research into checking out the car's history and if possible, the previous driver's history. Buying used however can also be advantageous if you can't afford a brand new car and it also allows you to afford a higher "class" of a car than you could afford if it were this year's model.

Either way, you will need to do research and even with new cars there is no guarantee that they won't be without problems either. When automakers do recalls, those apply to all of the affected cars... not just the used ones.

Also, I would concur with others have said... try to stay away from the European cars (if you're buying used). Since they're imports, parts will be more expensive should something go wrong. Why doesn't that apply to a Japanese car so much? I kind of liken Japanese automakers to beloved Apple... they upgrade very slowly and are not so much slaves to the whims of the market, rather they have a vision of where they would like to be in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years and stick to that plan... as a result, Japanese-made cars tend to be more reliable (of course there exceptions).

Bottom line is there a TON of things to think about when buying a used or new car... do some research and you'll increase the chances that you'll be happy with whatever you end up buying.

[bassplayinMacFiend]

stonyc,

Great idea on the carfax report. I forgot about that.

I just bought my first brand new car ever in 2003, a PT Cruiser Turbo in Deep Cranberry. I bought new a) because I'd never had a new car before, b) I know no one has had the chance to screw it up (well, it did have 27 miles on it when I got it ) & c) the 3/36 bumper to bumper & 7/70 kinda bumper to bumper warranty (not the ones you pay extra for, the ones included with the purchase).

Whatever car you do end up purchasing remember one thing, regular oil changes are vital. Nothing will blow an engine faster than not doing regular oil & filter changes.