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Buying a car
Richy
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So I'm thinking about buying a new car. But I don't know shit about cars.
So what I think I need, first of all, is buyer's guides that compare the different cars so that I have objective data. Can you make me some recommendations?
The statistics that I believe would be most important are safety rating and gas mileage. Any other important statistics I should look at?
So what I think I need, first of all, is buyer's guides that compare the different cars so that I have objective data. Can you make me some recommendations?
The statistics that I believe would be most important are safety rating and gas mileage. Any other important statistics I should look at?
Richy on
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also, http://www.fueleconomy.gov/ for easy to compare fuel economies
for safety information safercar.gov
edit: all that being said, what are you looking for? coupe, sedan, SUV?
Also, think about what you use your car for and tailor you're search appropriately. If you never haul any cargo or a big family or group of passengers around, you don't need an SUV, for example.
That's not absolute advice. If you're buying a car and intend on keeping it for quite some time then it makes sense to buy new.
Or if you're buying a new car that will stave off initial depreciation.
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Or if you want to buy a new car because FUCK YEAH THIS IS MINE AND MINE ALONE etc.
I know as soon as I finish up my long schooling and get my job job, it's going to be time to hunt down a good condition '68 mustang for that sexy full bodied roar
Indeed, I intend to keep this car for a long time.
As for the type, I'm thinking a 4-door coupe.
Wow you weren't joking when you said you didn't know shit about cars. A 4-door coupe does not exist. The term coupe implies that the car has but two doors. A sedan or saloon car has four doors. There are cars called 4-door coupes but they are still sedan/saloon cars. Examples are the merc CLS or jaguar XJ. Also the problem with those cars is that headroom in the back seats is virtually nil. It kills me because you shell out so much for a car like the CLS or XJ and there's loads of space in the backseat except for your head.
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Anyone owns one? Are they good?
Yeah, I really wasn't joking there.
So, the 4-door sedan is what I want.
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From what I'm reading right now, it seems diesel gives more mpg and is more ecofriendly. And it seems cheaper than gas. So what's the downside? Otherwise, why aren't all cars diesel?
Well diesel cars last longer, sound manlier, but don't typically have the same "punch" of a gasoline engine unless they're a finely tuned supercharged engine like the one in the Golf TDI. The top gear guys were pretty dead on when they said it's the best runabout car in the world for its price right now. I've driven one of the new ones and it really does feel like it should cost 20,000 more then it does.
For the acual purchase, follow as many forums about saving money and buying cars as possible. The manufacturers and dealerships have tons of tricks for making cars look more expensive. The cleverest I've heard is that some dealerships buy a gigantic order from the manufacturer, but get a refund on most of the order for more that was paid for that part of the order (to simplify: a dealership order 100 cars, cancels on 50, and gets back 70% of the original order price).
Part of the reason is because here in america we are very used to our petrol. A diesel engine does not use spark plugs for example so for american cars to work with diesel we'd have to manufacture multiple iterations of multiple models. Different manufacturing and much, much different to work on. A diesel engine is tuned and geared differently. They usually have lower-end torque because they are used for larger-scale machinery and they are usually controlled by electronic governors to keep them from stalling or bogging down. Also since 2007 America switched to ULSD which is ultra low sulfur diesel. This is a good change for the environment but it required a lot of changes in infrastructure to refine and get it the pumps.
Also diesel fuel's price is different from that of normal petrol. Diesel might be cheap now, but come winter its price will climb steadily as it is refined the same way heating oil is. As the weather cools refineries have to produce heating oil as well and so they cut production on diesel. Finally your location says very, very north. Assuming that is correct you should know that diesel can and will seize up in extremely cold temperatures. Usually we're talking 5 degrees F to about -3 degrees F. I don't know how cold it gets where you are, but its something to consider if you choose diesel.
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Also, what kind of weather are you going to be driving in? If you're expecting a ton of snow/ice maybe something with all wheel drive is worth checking out?
People drive diesels in Ottawa, despite it going down to -40 C regularly in the winter there.
EDIT to elaborate, the fuel has an additive in it so it won't gel (you won't be lighting a fire under it like the Germans did to their tanks in WWII), and if you want your car to start without a fuss you either keep it in a heated garage, you plug in the block heater overnight, or you have a super fuck-off battery that can turn over the engine until it starts.
At $15,000, the Golf TDI and Elantra are good choices as mentioned, as is the Mazda3, though the new Ford Fusion set to come later this year is basically the same car but better. The current Ford Fusion is a pile, though. The Honda Fit is good, the upcoming Ford Fiesta is good. I've heard some good things about the Kia Forte. Corolla, Yaris are decent but there are much better cars out there, so avoid. Aveo is crap, so avoid. Stay away from anything Dodge or Chrysler. Haven't heard much good or bad about the Sentra or Versa.
Drive at least 5 cars before buying, especially in crowded categories like the compact segment.
Consider a hatch.
Edit: Apparently the regular Golf is in the price range you're looking at, but the TDI costs minimum $21,000, so just a heads up on that.
The 2010 fusion is the current ford fusion. car models are released the summer before the year of their model number (and built before even that). thats why I'm driving a 2010 milan that I bought almost a year ago.
I think what you mean is the focus which comes out with a 2011 model later this year.
Yeah, sorry, I meant the Focus, bit of a brain fart there with the similar names. The Fusion is by all accounts pretty good.
An AWD would be great for winter weather, but I think that is out of the OP's price range.
Subaru has some pretty great base model stuff don't they?
A subaru impreza is AWD and within his price range. they don't have the best maintainability but they are fairly tough cars.
Rule of thumb: if it's a Chevy and drives with the front wheels don't buy it.
I think that the cheaper Imprezza's are all standard shift, so I wasn't going to throw those out there.
He's not even that far north, really.
If you do go with a diesel, Richy, you will want to ensure you always plug it in during the cold weather.
Yep, that was mine. You can get a good deal on a new car right now. I went new over used because I got zero percent financing. What's your budget?
I will never buy another German car as long as I live. I had a VW Golf brand new in '01, by 30,000 miles I had to have the motor swapped out 3 times, 5 tranny's and a handful of other parts... thank god for warranties because all those parts cost over $50,000. Anyway, I got it Lemon law'd out and sold the replacement without ever driving it. I'm not saying all German cars are crap, but I'm scarred for life... just had to share that.
They sound like an asthmatic tractor
I'd say get a car that is about 2-3 years old if you can, you'll save a fortune for a car that is just as good
there is an automatic imprezza for 18500 or so which is within his range. they are redesigning the impreza this year I think so you might want to wait.
the fusion is probably going to be out of it because you won't find a 'standard' model in the dealership and the sun+synch packages all add about 1500 to the price. I would say focus but they're redesigning it this year so you may want to wait if you want to try that.
mazda 3 you might be able to get a lower end model in your range and it is a nice car.
nissan sentra is also decent and in your price range.
A diesel does not 'seize up' in cold weather. The fuel gels up because there is a waxy substance that thickens up at lower temperatures in regular diesel. However, in cold climates service stations supply a different grade of diesel with inhibitors in it that reduce this problem significantly.
Dealerships do not order a job lot of cars and then request a refund for a portion of them. That is pure crapola. Why? Because the dealership pays for the shipping costs of getting the cars to the showroom floor, not the manufacturer. Even if you could somehow convince the manufacturer to give you back more money than you paid for the stock (fat chance buddy, try paying $10 into a new bank account and then asking to close the account and withdraw $100), you would still lose money.
The Golf TDI starts at $22,354 according to vw.com
Diesels have torque out the asshole, but don't rev like a petrol engine. You'll beat a guy off the mark, but at the first gear change he'll whiz past you.
There is no such thing as a car that will 'beat' depreciation. A car that has excellent resale value will be worth about 60% of it's original purchase price in three years in Australia. A car with terrible resale value will be worth 40% in three years (in Australia). As far as I know, it's worse in America (don't quote me on that, I couldn't be bothered looking up figures).
Golfs have excellent resale in Australia, but this is for a good reason. They are built real solid, have a lovely interior, and are very pleasant to drive.
If you can pick up a low mileage 1-2 year old TDI Golf with a stamped logbook for a good price, do it. You will not regret it.
Oh yeah, mileage.
With me driving, my girlfriend's Golf GT TDI averages 35mpg. On a 'country' trip (40 miles to my parents house on the highway), I get around 45 mpg. That's cruising up and down hills at 75mph with the aircon on max...