Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
BTW, the EPA fuel economy rating of the 2004 GTO with MT is only 19 mpg combined (16/26).
That is like saying the IS is a fancied up Corolla. :mad:
The reason is that the 6th gear is a really high overdrive. 65mph is close to 1700-1800rpm. If you are patient and slowly let rev up and down in 6th, you'll get very good MPG. Well, relatively speaking, that is.
The IS300 gets about the same MPG combined.
Let me know the next time you see a GTO driver "slowly let rev up and down".
Thanks.
Under low traction conditions, FWD will pull the car along, sometimes spinning the tire(s) because the weight is shifting away from the wheels with power, while RWD pushes and occassionally tries to force the rear of the car to pass the front of it.
Under racing conditions, a FWD setup forces the front tires to perform both turning duties and powering duties, thereby limiting traction in either capacity. With RWD, the fronts and rears are doing their own thing and you can usually use the throttle to aid in steering the car, but it also means you can't get on the gas as soon as you can FWD.
So they both have their pluses and minuses, as you can see. Most enthusiasts prefer RWD for the added fun factor.
Of course, each car is different and each person has their own anecdotal experiences, but I think what I've stated is a fair assessment for the general question.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
FWD vs RWD
Do hybrid repair costs really make that big of a difference? Are the changes in 1 year to another a big difference? Enough to make me choose the 2010? Are the features in the SL class really worth it? Opinions and other thoughts? I don't know that much since this is my first car.
I'm also looking at a Toyota Camry and trying to weigh the options. I like the Altima the best, but I don't know if reliability wise and such if it would be the way to go. Thanks for your help!
Get a regular Altima - about 3 years old with low miles - that should last you another 8 years without any major work needing to be done.
I am thinking on trekking out to Asheville to pick up a used car ( Ford Focus), but I am unsure if the extra money is worth it for the newer model.
http://www.siskford.com/102/2011-Ford-Focus.html
http://www.siskford.com/67/2010-Ford-Focus.html
I am no expert in this area so any advice would be appreciated. I don't have much of a clue when it comes to buying cars.
However, who knows where you'd be after negotiations. The typical spread I see going from one year to the next is 15k miles and $2500 difference.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Stay away from Hybrid vehicles! ---- I own two non-hybrid vehicles, (a 2007 Toyota Camry XLE V6 and a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu 4 cylinder LTZ.) -------- When I purchased the Camry new, I looked at the Toyota Hybrid. ----- Before I made the purchase, --- I did some research about Hybrid vehicles, and found that there was some concerns about "HIGH EMF in the passenger compartment," (similar to living under power lines on land.) ----- While the manufacturers do not admit that there is a problem, some owners claim that they get sick when driving in their vehicles. ----- I am NOT a fan of Nissan vehicles because they have a CVT transmission. I prefer a 5 or 6 speed transmission. -------- Whatever vehicle you purchase, be sure to put a "factory top of the line extended warranty" on the vehicle. ------ If you purchase a Nissan purchase it from a Nissan dealer. ---- If you purchase a Toyota purchase it from a Toyota dealer. ---- If you purchase a Honda purchase it from a Honda dealer. --- This will allow you to purchase a manufacturer's extended warranty and get factory service if problems arise. ----- (DO NOT PURCHASE AFTER MARKET WARRANTIES!) ----- The quality of the dealer is a major concern. When I shop for a vehicle, I look at the dealer first, then I look at the vehicle. I ask the sales person to show me the service department BEFORE I talk about a vehicle! If I DO NOT like what I see in the service department, I politely walk! ------------- Best regards. ---- Dwayne :shades:
After reading your posting, ----- I would rate the Used Vehicle in the following order:
1.) Honda
2.) Toyota
3.) Malibu
I am not a big fan of Nissan Vehicles!
Purchase a used Honda from a Honda dealer, a used Toyota from a Toyota dealer, and a used Malibu from a Chevrolet dealer. ---- Reason; ---- you can then put a maximum factory extended warranty on the vehicle to cover yourself for big repairs! ----- Best regards. ----------- Dwayne :shades:
If you can wait until the new year/models in September, you can get one for about 15-16K.
It's unwise to ever buy a car in the middle of summer. You always wait until the end of the model year.
And it is a great car. I especially love the premium radio in it (not the nav model, mind you). By far the best factory radio I've ever used.
The optimal "car" is actually a small pickup truck or similar. Well, at least in theory. That is to say, you want something that is dead simple to fix, cheap to operate, and costs maybe 8K, at most. Expect it to get dinged, bashed, and in several accidents as well. Bonus points if it's tough enough to survive all of this and still keep running.
The last thing that you want to do is to get a 15K sedan. A small SUV is probably your best bet. I'd recommend something like a RAV-4 or similar. Small, and works. Most of these SUVs also have part-time 4wd, which is a bonus in bad weather. They can haul stuff and most of them are powered by 4 cylinder Japanese engines which are bulletproof.
If you can get one with manual, do it. Why? It's a good skill to learn, but it also lowers the repair bills. It also requires far more concentration, so they are less likely to get into trouble or accidents. ie - you can't really shift gears and text at the same time. Or eat a burger. And it gets better gas mileage.
I'd recommend a 2001-2005 Rav4 with manual and 4WD. The 2004 model has a better engine and features, though, but at $12-15K, it's still too expensive. A 2001 would be best, as it's 4K less, and that buys a lot of repairs.
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp?tracktype=usedcc&csDlId=&csDgId=&listin- - gId=68920699
Don't worry about the mileage. The engine is good for 200-250K before needing major work.
Expect to put about $1300 or so into repairs and upkeep and so on when you buy it, but it should be fine for several years. For 8K, you can save a lot of money, and it's a win-win for your child. It can handle snow and bad weather, hauls everything they need, and gets over 30mpg highway.
He/she didn't ask about a truck or SUV.
For students going a few hundred miles away to college, they may spend more time on the highway than driving around town... unless they live way off campus and have to drive every day. If living in a dorm or Greek house, they may not be driving much at all.
Of course, that still doesn't mean the OP is making a "terrible choice".
A 2004 Camry I4, for example, is EPA rated 11% better on the highway than a 2004 RAV-4 2WD (both with sticks). With gas prices as they are, that can be significant for a college student. But if there were an RAV-4 available for a lot less money than a Camry of the same year, that might be a good bet.
According to Consumer Reports the safest/most reliable are Toyotas, Hondas, and Nissans. My dad has an Accord and for some reason I can't stand the car. That's why that's not included. Thus the Altima and Camry are two cars that last.
I was wondering if there is any government aid for a student buying a car? I would love to cut down my expenses on the front end because I'm making about 70k less than I would when I start my job.
Yes, I think the program is called Obamacar.
Or maybe I'm confusing it with something else...
They love cars like the Camry because they are the best Vanilla you can get. But the thing is, both the Camry and the Altima are less than perfect lately and there are better options that cost far less money. Remember, that the years you are looking at for the Camry are exactly when the whole acceleration issue was affecting them. Also, the Altima is.. Well, I've never seen one that's 5 years old that isn't squeaking or rattling from a half dozen places. It feels like a giant version of a Sentra. I'd rate the Altima overall to be nearly identical in driving and interior quality to the Hyundai Sonata. Not bad, mind you, but a far cry from a better car.
If you want cheap to fix and reliable, and good value for your money, that means you need something like a Civic with a manual gearbox. I'd say the Fit, but it's too small, really. The optimal choice, then, is the Toyota Matrix. But, you don't want one as it's too expensive. The smart person saves 2K and gets the same vehicle with the Pontiac badge on it.(same assembly line, different badges and exterior trim)
You can get a used Pontiac Vibe for very little money, and it'll be a better choice by far than either of those two. Because you WILL need to haul furniture you find or some friend's amp to a gig or a keg or whatever and you'll fall in love with a usable cargo area really quickly. I also like that the Vibe/Matrix also have a perfectly flat cargo floor that's a lot larger and more usable than the Fit. It also can be had with AWD if that matters.
Also, the Matrix/Vibe appears to be unaffected by the Toyota issues as well, since it was a joint GM/Toyota venture and a lot of parts are U.S. sourced.
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=c&car_id=302110505
Here's a perfect example. It'll make it to 200K miles, no problem. And, yes, you want manual as it's at least 2 seconds faster than the automatic in normal driving.
If you've never had a vehicle with real cargo space before, you'll quickly realize how fast you get addicted to it.
Shoot, not having to bring a U-Haul is worth it. All of my stuff in college would have fit into my old 4Runner.
It's just that the current Matrix/Vibe are POS cars, perfect examples of how Toyota's quality is declining. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone, unless I dislike them intensely. I'd take an early-2000s RAV-4 over one of those any day.
If I had to do it again, I would have gotten them a Corolla, with gas at almost $4 gallon I would go for the economy. Cheap, reliable and sips gas. I don't care if it's not cool, if I'm paying for it it's my choice.
For someone living in LA you clearly have a very good theoretical view of 4wd/awd systems. It's the practical aspect that has be uh, strengthened.