Carro Nuevo

[Akimichi Choji]

Afternon ya'll, I got some advice I needs a given. I'm starting to save up for my first car and am wondering, what car should I get? I don't have too much cash so it's basically a used $3,000 under. It'll be a half birthday/my money car so I can't let it be too expensive. Anywho to the point of this all, I need some advice on what to get. I want something with good turning radius and speed, since I don't drive a shift I need an automatic transmission. I would like it to look nice but ya know, if I need to sacrifice look for cash I will. Color doesn't bother me none, it could be primer striped with pink for all I care(that may in fact actually be the only color I wouldn't get). So what are some of your guy's and gal's opinions? I would love ot know about the cars you drive or the cars you know about. So please, enlighten poor old ignorant me.

PS: year doesn't matter either...

[Griveton]

Well, for $3000, you shouldn't be too picky. Frankly, you won't get too much that's fast, manouverable, decently pretty and in good condition.

Your best bet is to get the Kelley Blue Book and (http://www.kbb.com)browse the used car prices.

If you care about performance, you could get a decent price on an 80's car, if you don't mind driving a shoebox. Just make sure it's in good condition, and the owner treated it well. Anything newer, you'll have to settle for early 90 compacts like a Mazda Protege or a Geo Metro.


You could also search for a motorbike :p

[Akimichi Choji]

Lmao, me in a motorbike, you'd catch me one a motor skooter before that ever happens. And I do like the protege, but only ones in newspaper for sale are quite badly damaged, plus I'm not really looking for a compact(parents want big car so I can be safe ya know?).
And I just hate the geo metro, it was my driving instructer's car, tiny piece o' crap in my opinion. And I mean, I know I don't have much leeway with a 3k price limit, but I know theres got to be some old car out there thats right for me.

[Roark]

Lmao, me in a motorbike, you'd catch me one a motor skooter before that ever happens. And I do like the protege, but only ones in newspaper for sale are quite badly damaged, plus I'm not really looking for a compact(parents want big car so I can be safe ya know?).
And I just hate the geo metro, it was my driving instructer's car, tiny piece o' crap in my opinion. And I mean, I know I don't have much leeway with a 3k price limit, but I know theres got to be some old car out there thats right for me.
I feel it my duty to defend the honor of the Geo Metro!

Really, it's not a bad little thing. It's very low maintenance, teaches a valuable skill (driving stick), gets an insane number of highway miles per gallon, and is one of the most duable things out there. Change the oil and get regular maintenance, it's not surprising to see the things in the 200-300k miles range.

As far as everything else, you really don't have much leeway. A big car isn't really any safer than a small car. You're a young driver, so your safety is low anyhow. Almost any car is safe if you follow basic defensive driving techniques. Plus, small cars are a lot easier to drive than boats.

Honestly, I'd take what you can get. That includes looking into motorscooters: they're small, fuel efficient, and get you from point A to point B.

[Akimichi Choji]

I feel it my duty to defend the honor of the Geo Metro!

Really, it's not a bad little thing. It's very low maintenance, teaches a valuable skill (driving stick), gets an insane number of highway miles per gallon, and is one of the most duable things out there. Change the oil and get regular maintenance, it's not surprising to see the things in the 200-300k miles range.

As far as everything else, you really don't have much leeway. A big car isn't really any safer than a small car. You're a young driver, so your safety is low anyhow. Almost any car is safe if you follow basic defensive driving techniques. Plus, small cars are a lot easier to drive than boats.

Honestly, I'd take what you can get. That includes looking into motorscooters: they're small, fuel efficient, and get you from point A to point B.
Well Roark you make a point I didn't know of, if a geo metro has good mileage maybe Ishould look at it. Lord knows I can't afford the gas prices today.
Any other suggestions are still wanted though ^.^

[Griveton]

I should say, a boat is not necessarily safer. In many circumstances, it's less safe. You see, the only thing that harms you is the amount of energy per unit time sent to your body when you crash. Not only will a huge car have much more energy than a small car, usually old, big monsters are stiffer, which means in the event of a crash, most of the energy will be sent directly to you. Small cars, however, are usually are damaged extensibly, absorbing the energy of the crash. Have you seen those pictures of old renaults that look like they were put through a compactor, with the owners getting out with just scratches? These differences are the differences between trying to break a fall into a concrete floor with a steel plate or a spring.

As for a car, again, for $3000 you really are in no position to be picky. Browse the newspaper for a car that doesn't have a million miles, is in decent condition (don't expect good to excellent condition, not in this price range).

I'd stay away from old V8s, those engines will burn gas like there's no tomorrow. Old eighters weren't particularly efficient, even compared to today's engines of similar displacement.

A pre-1994 Nissan Sentra could be an option. Not a particularly pretty car, but with simple, reliable mechanics, and good fuel efficiency. Also from nissan, if you're lucky, you can find a 1980's 240SX for around that price.

A Pre-1996 Chevrolet Cavalier could help you, too. I know tons of people who have driven these things without much trouble.

A pre-1997 Hyundai Accent is also an option. While driving a hyundai won't give you much status, these cars are though, efficient, and the engine is ridiculously easy and cheap to give mainteinance to (seriously, if you pop the hood, you'll see an engine exactly like the ones shown in textbooks). We have one of these at the company I work with as an utility vehicle, and it works like a charm.

If you're into classier stuff, a pre-1987 BMW series 3 can be your choice. Blocky, yeah, but a beemer, and a quality one. In Costa Rica, old BMWs seem to be the heart of the private transportation sector. Seriously.

Oh, and if you don't mind the jokes, an old Volvo is a safe choice. Not only are volvo cars some of the safest vehicles in the world (seriously, if you check a car security features checklist it's basically a volvo-innovation checklist), but you only need gas, a bit of oil, and a hammer to get the rust out in order to make these cars run indefinitely (The guinness world record for highest mileage is a 1966 Volvo, with about a 1.75 million miles). You can get a 1980's 240 for $2500.

[Akimichi Choji]

They made Cavilier's in the 90's? I should really look at that, Ive always been a Chevy fan, and a Ford plan as well though.

[Griveton]

Um, the Chevrolet Cavalier was introduced in the early '80s. I think the original was the '82 Cavalier, but I might be mistaken.

BTW, it's not very safe in crashes, especially the later models. You should take that into consideration. Also, the Isuzu transmission used on the late 90's models isn't particularly good, though durable, and the electrical system ain't perfect. Still, the engine is top-notch quality.

IF you wish for a Ford, you could go with the Escort line (pre-1997), pre-1994 probe, and a whaler of a pre-1993 Crown Victoria, which is actually quite a safe car.

[Akimichi Choji]

Yeah I was looking at the Crown Victoria's. They have great safety ratings, and they get fairly good mileage. But the cheapest used in the newspaper is $4 and its only 4 years old and thats a little too steap for me.

[Mana]

I dunno, I'd say $4.00 is a pretty good deal for a car.

Also, just so you know, people expect you to bargain when you go to buy a new car; same goes for a house. If someone's asking $4,000 for a car (which I assume is what you meant), I don't think you'll be able to talk them down to $3k, but you could probably get them down to 3.5k or less, especially if it's an individual and not a used car place (they haggle too, but they're stricter).

[Griveton]

I dunno, I'd say $4.00 is a pretty good deal for a car.

For a Ford?

:p

Seriously though, Mana's right: Whatever price you see in a listing, you can, with the slightest bit of haggling skill, get for at least 10% less, especially if you're ready to close the deal right then and there.

You can lose nothing by trying, after all, you're not gonna purchase the car if you don't try, so if negotiations go sour, you're where you were.