Help choosing a new car to buy.

[MonsieurFish]

Alright... so I'm thinking of buying a new car. Nothing too fancy, just something reliable that should last me a while with good fuel economy etc...

My budget is about 5000$ - 8000$, generally looking for cars between the years of about 2000 and 2005. Right now, the main car I'm looking at is a 2002 honda civic. Fits right in my price and year ranges, and is apparently one of the more reliable cars out there, but I just want to see what other suggestions anyone has.

Thanks

[Sliver]

That's a very good choice. There should be a lot to choose from, they're economical, look half decent, reliable, etc.

You might get bored with how slow they are if you like to drive fast/boot it off the line, but overall you can't really go wrong.

[Flashpoint]

You know how to fix cars? If not, I recommend leasing a new car. You don't worry about mechanical issues (it's under warantee), you can put down a couple grand (depending on your credit), and then a few hundred bucks a month for 3 years. At the end of the term you can buy it if you want, or get a new one.

Anyhoo - that's what I did. I had an 07 Mazda 3 and drove it from Texas to NY and back last summer, and it never did me wrong. Just got my 2010 model and love it. But I hear good things about the Civic too.

[HammeR_]

Originally Posted by Flashpoint

You know how to fix cars? If not, I recommend leasing a new car. You don't worry about mechanical issues (it's under warantee), you can put down a couple grand (depending on your credit), and then a few hundred bucks a month for 3 years. At the end of the term you can buy it if you want, or get a new one.

Anyhoo - that's what I did. I had an 07 Mazda 3 and drove it from Texas to NY and back last summer, and it never did me wrong. Just got my 2010 model and love it. But I hear good things about the Civic too.

I leased a Dodge Caliber back in '08 with essentially the same mind set. I was going to school and I didnt want to have the stress of my old beater constantly breaking down and finding time to fix it.

Now I really wish I had financed the car or bought an older one. Dont get me wrong, warranty is comforting.....but I am putting on waaaayy too many km's and im worried I will be over the limit when the lease is up.

The worst thing is when I want to go for a road trip and I have to think twice about how far the drive is.

I will never lease another car again.

[MikeN]

Well Hammer, here is the trick, TRADE IT IN before you have to give it back. You might eat..ok you will eat some cost on it but look at it and see if it is cheaper to do that or pay the KM price.

Also Honda makes great cars, but when gos wrong it is very far from cheap. But then agian i have seen a 93 Honda Accord with 985,000km on it and it did not even burn oil.

[tvp2003]

^^^ That was my thought -- isn't there a limit on km's when you lease?

In any event, a Honda Civic is a pretty solid choice if you're looking for reliability and fuel economy in that price range. I was in the same position as you last year and ended up getting a 2005 Ford Focus because it came in a wagon model, which I liked. Consumer reviews were also good. It won't wow you with performance, but we went on a 7,000 km road trip last year and it ran like a champ

P.S. For $5-8k, you should be able to get a decent used car and not have to worry about doing a ton of repairs on a old "beater"

P.P.S. Thread title is a little misleading!

[Fozzie_DeBear]

You can't go wrong with a civic...you may consider a Mazda5 protoge (2002 vintage)...toyot(yawn)a corolla...Nissan sentra

Check out carsurvey.org and drive them all to see which you like the best...

Another option is looking at leasebusters.com...you can find someone wanting to get out of their lease and drive away with a bargain
http://www.leasebusters.com/en/details.asp?ID=95826

[puffnstuff]

Do not put money down on a lease is my advice. Think of it as buying a payment, 0 down $XXX per month for 36/48 months, find something with a good residual value, something hopefully you can sell for more then the buyout at lease end (I've done it a few times now) To do this I have found a shorter lease is better then a longer term.
And yes, mileage is a concern...worrying about how far a trip is really takes away from enjoying the trip. If you drive a lot of K do not lease.

Just my 2 cents

[Cactus Jack]

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=86518

More than you said you're willing to spend, but...

[Knalus]

Take a good look at a Hyundai. I have an 03 Tiburon, and have had minimal trouble with it - only things like Tires and Batteries. Car looks good, has some decent go to it, and costs pretty well the price range you are looking at. And I don't end up spending much on fuel, either. You'll get more for your money going that route than a Honda.

[GreenLantern]

I am in a similar boat, I want to do a mini upgrade to something a bit nicer for the next few years but don't want to put myself super huge in debt when trying to qualify for a mortgage.

5-8k would allow me to sell my current vehicle and only go a few thousand in debt as a result.. I have been taking a long hard look at 02/03 Civic's in my area and they seem to be reasonably priced.

My only concern is that I have heard Honda's are quite expensive to fix.. I am not a fan of back yard mechanics, I like to have a paper trail with my repairs so I know where to go back when it breaks again 6 months down the road.

[Sliver]

Don't lease unless you like wasting a ton of money every month with nothing to show for it.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

I am in a similar boat, I want to do a mini upgrade to something a bit nicer for the next few years but don't want to put myself super huge in debt when trying to qualify for a mortgage.

5-8k would allow me to sell my current vehicle and only go a few thousand in debt as a result.. I have been taking a long hard look at 02/03 Civic's in my area and they seem to be reasonably priced.

My only concern is that I have heard Honda's are quite expensive to fix.. I am not a fan of back yard mechanics, I like to have a paper trail with my repairs so I know where to go back when it breaks again 6 months down the road.

They are more reliable than domestics and are not more expensive to maintain in my experience.

VWs on the other hand...if you get one of those be prepared to get bent over any time anything goes wrong. And it will. All the time. I loved my Passat but I finally got fed up with the atrocious cost of maintenance, poor reliability and the crap customer service (at Southcentre Fine Cars).

[cKy]

I have a 2003 Protege 5, and it is a great little car. We havent had any issues with it besides the standard stuff you expect (brakes, tires, etc).

It is really decent on gas and fun to drive. The hatch can surprisingly carry a lot of things with the back seats folded down.

[Grunt]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Don't lease unless you like wasting a ton of money every month with nothing to show for it.

Except for getting to drive a new car, of course.

[BloodFetish]

Originally Posted by MonsieurFish

Right now, the main car I'm looking at is a 2002 honda civic.Thanks

If you've short-listed the Civic, also take a look at the Acura EL. Basically it's a Civic Si, but with some added refinements: more soundproofing, stiffer suspension to give it a sportier driving feel, etc. I think the audio system is upgraded, and also you'll find some options that are not available in the Civic, like leather seats, seat warmers, heated side mirrors.

Not as many available on the used market so some patience is required. I've bought a `98 EL in 2005 and have only had to replace tires and battery.

[3 Justin 3]

Originally Posted by Knalus

Take a good look at a Hyundai. I have an 03 Tiburon, and have had minimal trouble with it - only things like Tires and Batteries. Car looks good, has some decent go to it, and costs pretty well the price range you are looking at. And I don't end up spending much on fuel, either. You'll get more for your money going that route than a Honda.

Please don't listen to this guy. Hyundai's are atrocious. Apart from the NEW Tibueron's, everything they make is god awful. Only recently are they starting to make semi-decent cars. Anything old is just bad.

They are dirt cheap for a reason.

Also avoid Kia.

My suggestion would be the Civic.

[GrrlGoalie33]

Originally Posted by 3 Justin 3

Please don't listen to this guy. Hyundai's are atrocious. Apart from the NEW Tibueron's, everything they make is god awful. Only recently are they starting to make semi-decent cars. Anything old is just bad.

They are dirt cheap for a reason.

Also avoid Kia.

My suggestion would be the Civic.

What's your issue with Hyundai and Kia. I own a Kia and friends have a Hyundai. Neither one of us has ever had issue with our vehicles. Theirs is a 2008 Santa Fe and mine is a 2009 Rio5.

The Rio5 is a great little car. Reasonably inexpensive, great on gas, good feature package for the price.

I am selling my Rio5, only because I upgraded to a truck so I can pull my travel trailer.

[3 Justin 3]

Originally Posted by Frankster

What's your issue with Hyundai and Kia. I own a Kia and friends have a Hyundai. Neither one of us has ever had issue with our vehicles. Theirs is a 2008 Santa Fe and mine is a 2009 Rio5.

The Rio5 is a great little car. Reasonably inexpensive, great on gas, good feature package for the price.

I am selling my Rio5, only because I upgraded to a truck so I can pull my travel trailer.

Hyundai and more specifically Kia, are terrible terrible brands and have the most drear, un-cool, ridiculously ugly, poor performing cars. Why anyone would buy a Kia is beyond me.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by 3 Justin 3

Hyundai and more specifically Kia, are terrible terrible brands and have the most drear, un-cool, ridiculously ugly, poor performing cars. Why anyone would buy a Kia is beyond me.

Hyundai is making good cars and has narrowed the quality gap big time over the last few years/decade. In fact, they make some cool cars like the Genesis. I also think the Kia Soul is the best looking of all the boxy econo cars out there.

I don't think you know what you're talking about anyway. You say you like the new Tiburons but there is no such thing as that model was retired and replaced by the rwd Genesis last year I believe.

I'd take a Hyundai over a Chev in a lot of cases.