(yet another) New Car thread!

MindLib

So, my price range is 12,000 - 15,000. I'd like something fairly sporty, under 40k mileage. Something that isn't horrible on gas. Mazda 6 / maybe Altima is what I'm shooting for? Or maybe an economy-sport (is that a thing?) Yeah, I'm a bit clueless.

Bendery It Like Beckham

Manual or Automatic? I've found that even in bigger engine cars, you don't feel as sporty without a manual.

Also when you say sporty do you mean quick and nimble or raw power?

For example the Honda Fit is a small little car that feels sporty as hell, but it doesn't have much power and has good gas mileage.

Or older Civic SIs ... you might be looking at 2004 era if you want under 40k miles are a bit bigger and have bigger engines, worse gas economy but is quick and nimble.

MindLib

More quick and nimble. I don't need a muscle car. I actually prefer an automatic. Was lookin' at the Mazda I Sport, looks pretty groovy, any thoughts?

Edit: Another Q, what's a good review site for cars?

Reiten

Edmunds.com

Bendery It Like Beckham

at 148 hp you're not going to be doing very much sport, especially not in an automatic that is as heavy as the I sport.


You'd probably get more of what you want out of a used mazda protege 3 if you're wanting to go mazda. However they generally run more expensive for your bang. How active of a driver are you? The type of person that loves to drive? Just wants a day to day runner with some power for getting on the freeway?

Do you want to laugh at rice burners as they eat your dust?

MindLib

I definitely want to be able to zip through traffic - I'm moving to Arizona where the state maximum speed limit is 85mph. There's a lot of wide open spaces to zoom around too, so I definitely want a fast and zippy vehicle, but I'm also going to experience a lot of traffic when going into the city, so I want a vehicle that is also decent on gas, as well as automatic (fuck shifting in bumper to bumper traffic) with some decent speakers and mp3 hookup. So basically in all in oner I guess, but I don't need to haul gear or require a lot of trunk space or anything, it can be a two seater.

What about a 2006 Miata?

Bendery It Like Beckham

Well, you could, but in the end you're driving a Miata, in my opinion the only good thing about Mazda is the rotary engine. So unless you're rocking an RX7 or 8 you should just drive something else. But then again if you're going automatic just get something that is comfortable to ride in that you will enjoy.

Good automatics I suppose you have the Lancer from Mitsubishi, WRX from Subaru (wee turbo) and a Celica might be up your ally.

I'm really more of a fan of sports cars/tuning so I'm not too keen on things that come in automatic.

Honda's RSX comes with an automatic option, as do Integras, my buddy just decked out his automatic teg to a fun 180ish horsepower but it's not stock.

Stuck on mazda for any reason?

for the record I've never driven any automatic under 6 cylinders except the rental car (2009 malibu) that i got stuck with when i was rear ended in my 2006 sonata (automatic but i loved the thing).

I absolutely hated the lack of power in the malibu, thing was a pos.

MindLib

The WRX is a little out of my price range. The Celica, do they not make em anymore? Couldn't find a good one available. I like the Lancer, but WTH is a CVT transmission? I took a glance at the Malibu, meh. There's always the Honda Si, yeah. I took a look at the Solstice, G5, and G6. The RX8 is out. What about the Tiburon?

So right now I think I like:
Lancer
Honda Si
Mazda 3
Mazda Miata

Bendery It Like Beckham

MindLib wrote: »

The WRX is a little out of my price range. The Celica, do they not make em anymore? Couldn't find a good one available. I like the Lancer, but WTH is a CVT transmission? I took a glance at the Malibu, meh. There's always the Honda Si, yeah. I took a look at the Solstice, G5, and G6. The RX8 is out. What about the Tiburon?

So right now I think I like:
Lancer
Honda Si
Mazda 3
Mazda Miata

A continuously variable transmission (CVT) is a transmission which can change steplessly through an infinite number of effective gear ratios between maximum and minimum values. This contrasts with other mechanical transmissions that only allow a few different distinct gear ratios to be selected. The flexibility of a CVT allows the driving shaft to maintain a constant angular velocity over a range of output velocities. This can provide better fuel economy than other transmissions by enabling the engine to run at its most efficient revolutions per minute (RPM) for a range of vehicle speeds. Alternatively it can be used to maximize the performance of a vehicle by allowing the engine to turn at the RPM at which it produces peak power. This is typically higher than the RPM that achieves peak efficiency

The tiburon is turning in to a relic compared to the Genesis. I'd kill for a 2.0 t genesis.

The celica is the Scion TC as of late.

Also i wasn't suggesting a malibu, stay the hell away from it.

I've been in a tiburon... never driven one. I honestly wasn't too impressed. Give it a spin though, you might like it.

Tejs

I'd really suggest going to autotrader.com, and then just inputting your criteria into a search. The unfortunate thing is, most of the 'sporty' cars are just above your price range. The used sports car market really shines at the 15,000 to 20,000 range. However, you can find deals in your desired range, but it's going to be harder.

I know that you can find Miata's and RX8's in your desired range. The RX-8 sounds a lot like something you might like, however it will have fairly bad gas mileage. On the other hand, the engine, when maintained properly, is fairly bulletproof, due to only have a few moving parts. The miata is an all around great vehicle, but despite being the most raced car in the world, people think it's a 'chick' car.

Have you also considered just normal sedan's? In today's market, most 4 door sedans come with large horsepower engines, decent gas mileage, and luxury appointments.

A Bear

I've never been wild about Lancers, they always sort of seemed poorly put together to me.

You probably can't go wrong with a Honda Civic Si, as Honda makes some pretty solid cars--between the Si and the VW GTI auto reviewers are pretty split as to which is the better sport compact between two fantastic cars.

The Mazda 3 gets good reviews for being one of the most sporty feeling car in its class, but unless you are getting the Mazdaspeed 3 (which is a BEAST) you are getting a car that is a zippy small car, but not so much a dedicated sport car like an Si. This might be exactly what you are looking for if you want something practical yet fun, and not totally dedicated to acting like a racecar.

Finally, if you are looking at getting an MX-5 Miata--I'd say this is your best pick for pure driving enjoyment. At the very least take one out on a test drive. Auto reviewers have praised the Miata for years and years as one of the best cars to have fun in. While its probably the least practical car of your whole bunch, its not totally impractical and actually have some surprising space. Also, convertibles are incredibly fun to drive in nice weather.

US News is another pretty good ranking site, it brings a lot of other info and reviews together: http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/rankings/

Jealous Deva

From the vehicles you mentioned, I'd assume your don't have kids or any real cargo requirements, if that is true and you don't think you need more than a 2-seater the Miata is probably going to be far and away the most enjoyable car of the ones you mentioned.

Edit: Also you mentioned a solstice, again probably not as great as the Miata in base trim but if you can find a GXP with the 250 HP turbo for cheap, which you should be able to, it's an awesome car. The Saturn Sky Red Line is the same thing but with different syling.


Edit 2: And again as mentioned the Hyundai Genesis or even a 2011 Mustang are great cars and faily light and zippy for 'muscle' cars. They may be a bit on the upper end of your pricerange, though.

MindLib

Jealous Deva wrote: »

From the vehicles you mentioned, I'd assume your don't have kids or any real cargo requirements, if that is true and you don't think you need more than a 2-seater the Miata is probably going to be far and away the most enjoyable car of the ones you mentioned.

Edit: Also you mentioned a solstice, again probably not as great as the Miata in base trim but if you can find a GXP with the 250 HP turbo for cheap, which you should be able to, it's an awesome car. The Saturn Sky Red Line is the same thing but with different syling.


Edit 2: And again as mentioned the Hyundai Genesis or even a 2011 Mustang are great cars and faily light and zippy for 'muscle' cars. They may be a bit on the upper end of your pricerange, though.

Thanks Jealous,

The Mustang/Genesis are indeed outside of my price range. I looked at a fair bit of reviews and it seems that the Miata > Solstice. Then again I couldn't find a GXP. You're right, no kids, no cargo reqs. I think right now the Miata is gonna be my deal.

Bendery It Like Beckham

the most important thing is that you like the car. Test drive what you think you will enjoy, and if you do enjoy it, try something else as well. You might like one over the other.

Just tell a salesman that you are considering x-car and want to drive it's competition. they will find something in the same class for you.

Dhalphir

Best thing to do is head down to a few used car dealers and see what you can find. Test driving costs nothing and will be far better at figuring out exactly what you want.

You may throw some or all of your requirements right out the door. When I was younger (I'm only 21 so not that long ago) I bought my first car as a 4cylinder and I was certain I would stick with 4cylinder cars due to fuel consumption but then I drove a V6 for the first time ever and fell in love with the low-end torque and power of larger engines. I've driven plenty of V8s too and only don't own one because my current V6 still has three years of lease left.

I don't know what the point of this post was. I guess just be prepared to compromise on some things like the transmission because it would be silly to throw away a car that is perfect for your needs except one factor.

1ddqd

Also, buying new is better than buying used (in many cases) - buying in both cases is better than leasing. Unless you always want to have a monthly car payment.

If you're thinking of laying down cash and 15k is the limit, performance-oriented cars will be older (2003) than a non-performance version of the same car.

Performance/"Sporty" Cars:
Mazdaspeed 3
Chevy Cobalt SS
VW GTI
Mini Cooper S
Impreza WRX (STI for another level up)
Lancer Ralli-art (anything with another word after Lancer, really)

If you're comfortable with laying down the 15k as a down payment and financing the rest, you'd be better off picking any of these new (2010 or around August in 2011 skins).

At that point, I'd point to the V6 Mustang as another viable alternative. Of course, you can get a 2008-09 Mustang GT for around 23-25k, so that's not too bad a deal, either.

Casually Hardcore

Buying used is MUCH better then buying new. You buy new, you're the one taking the depreciation hit. Car loses something like 30% of its value as soon as you drive off the lot.

Be smart, buy used.

Now, what is your opinion on waiting a few years. Cause the new Ford Focus with ecoboost is a 90% sure thing

http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1031747_next-gen-ford-focus-could-feature-ecoboost-powerplant-43mpg

Trust me, ecoboost is some sexy technology. Or, there's always the Fiesta with an ecoboost that should be coming out soon too.

kaliyama

ethugs4life wrote: »

Buying used is MUCH better then buying new. You buy new, you're the one taking the depreciation hit. Car loses something like 30% of its value as soon as you drive off the lot.

Be smart, buy used.

Now, what is your opinion on waiting a few years. Cause the new Ford Focus with ecoboost is a 90% sure thing

http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1031747_next-gen-ford-focus-could-feature-ecoboost-powerplant-43mpg

Trust me, ecoboost is some sexy technology. Or, there's always the Fiesta with an ecoboost that should be coming out soon too.

For me, the decision to buy used was a financing one. The deals out there mean that I got zero percent financing on a new car, which I couldn't on a used car.

Tejs

The depreciation on the car is only a valid argument when you plan to flip the car at some point in the future. If you want to drive the car until it falls apart, buying new can't be beat.

3lwap0

MindLib wrote: »

So, my price range is 12,000 - 15,000. I'd like something fairly sporty, under 40k mileage. Something that isn't horrible on gas. Mazda 6 / maybe Altima is what I'm shooting for? Or maybe an economy-sport (is that a thing?) Yeah, I'm a bit clueless.

You might be putting the cart before the horse sir. Have you checked your credit? Do you have any financing available? Before your shop for cars, it might behoove you too make sure those things are in order.

Casually Hardcore

Tejs wrote: »

The depreciation on the car is only a valid argument when you plan to flip the car at some point in the future. If you want to drive the car until it falls apart, buying new can't be beat.

Yes it can be beat. Because buying a new car, with dealer markup, is a waste of money when you can buy the previous year at lower price with little mileage. Unless you have a thing for VOC's, there is really no point in buying new.

Nova_C

ethugs4life wrote: »

Tejs wrote: »

The depreciation on the car is only a valid argument when you plan to flip the car at some point in the future. If you want to drive the car until it falls apart, buying new can't be beat.

Yes it can be beat. Because buying a new car, with dealer markup, is a waste of money when you can buy the previous year at lower price with little mileage. Unless you have a thing for VOC's, there is really no point in buying new.

If you're not financing, yes. If you are financing, depends. Dude, not everyone has $20K sitting around doing nothing.

I saved a shit ton of money buying new because nobody offered less than 8% interest on a used car. I am paying a total of $500 over 5 years in interest on my Impreza because I got it new, instead of buying a used one (That was offered) and making the exact same goddamn payments and paying $4K in interest over five years.

Sometimes buying new is cheaper than buying used. Sometimes not. Coming into this thread and saying never buy new? You obviously haven't really investigated the costs involved in buying a car, not really.

1ddqd

The other part to that argument is that buying new means standard (in many cases 3 years or 36k) warranty, plus not used. That's the way to do it if you can make it low (or 0%) financing.

Here, here's a good article for anyone that needs to find what situation fits them. /thread

Dhalphir

I don't know what they're called in the US but Mitsubishi V6 Magnas are awesome fun to drive if you get a manual version. the gear ratios make it damn quick off the line and very fast when downshifting and accelerating.

I picked up a 2005 Magna VRX in 2008 for $15,000 AUD.

MindLib

Dhalphir wrote: »

I don't know what they're called in the US but Mitsubishi V6 Magnas are awesome fun to drive if you get a manual version. the gear ratios make it damn quick off the line and very fast when downshifting and accelerating.

I picked up a 2005 Magna VRX in 2008 for $15,000 AUD.

lol, only made in australia dude.

Dhalphir

Wait, really?

Why would a Japanese company make a car specifically for Australia? It might be called something different but I don't see why that would be the case.

Donovan Puppyfucker

The Galant is similar in the U.S., or at least it used to be.

Also, Dhalphir, Mitsubishi Motors Australia (MMA) is a seperate entity under the "umbrella" of Mitsubishi, like Holden under GM and Ford Motor Company Australia (FoMoCo) under Ford U.S.

To the o.p.

If I were you, I would be all over an MX-5 (Miata) like white on rice.
People may try and tell you it's a girls car or whatever, that's because they have no idea what the fuck they are talking about.

Get the newest one you afford, and drive the wheels off it along each and every twisty road you can find. There is no better roadster for driving 'feel' and 'connection with the car' until you start spending money on cars with Porsche badges on them...

MindLib

g...girl car? Who thinks that? I think you just succeeded in the opposite of what you wanted.

Ryna

MindLib wrote: »

g...girl car? Who thinks that? I think you just succeeded in the opposite of what you wanted.

It's a common car for the '40 yr old house wife / single gal who are going through a male midlife crisis' crowd. Forget about that shit. Just don't apply your make up at red lights and you'll be fine.

Djeet

The miata is by far the funnest car I've ever driven, if that makes it girly then I like girly cars.

1ddqd

My girlfriend said the same thing to me; I wanted a mid 90s Miata to set up for track days but the plans were put on hold. When I told her how I felt about it being put on hold, she let loose about how Miatas, Jettas, Civics, and Eclipses are all chick cars.

Donovan Puppyfucker

As far as I know, douchebags and rednecks in America think the Miata is a "girly" car because it is small and is only a four cylinder. Real men drive saloons and trucks with at least 6 litres of V8, don'tcha know?

See how they like it when you drift around the outside of them them in corners at your local race circuit...

Dhalphir

To be fair I would rather have a V8 than almost any other car but I don't put down other amazing cars due to lack of engine size.

A Subaru WRX is only 4cylinders and remains one of the most fun cars I've ever driven.

webguy20

My friend has a turbo 2002 miata and man is that thing fun. Sticks to the road like glue and has no end to the amount of go. When they say a joy to drive they aren't kidding.

wmelon

If that's girly then, I also like girly cars

Nova_C

Miata's are cool, I just don't think I could ever fit in one. So tiny. They remind me of those power wheel things for kids whenever I walk past one in a parking lot. :P

Donovan Puppyfucker

I'm 6'1" and I fit with room to spare.

Nova_C

chrishallett83 wrote: »

I'm 6'1" and I fit with room to spare.

Hmm, I should visit a Mazda dealer and test drive one.