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I also looked at a new Scion xA. The one I drove, which didn't have cruise or a radio was over 16k because of a body kit and special hub caps (but still crummy stock tires). I can think of many ways I would rather spend 16k.
Two weeks in a Prius made me appreciate my 15 year old Accord. I bought the muffler patching stuff and we will try to get to spring on what I have now.
Here are some of the one's that I've found:
Saab
Ford
Audi
VW
BMW
Subaru
Lancer
What are your thoughts? :confuse:
And BMWs, Sudi, Saab ... too high maintenace.
The potential repair bills on the Euro makes are frightening, and in all likelihood, the WRX and Lancer have most likely been ridden too hard and put away wet. The Focus is just too little to be carting a kid around in, imo.
Gun to my head, I'd take the Saab, if only because of the safety record. I wouldn't take the Audi if you gave it to me for free.
The saab might be ok as the 9-5 from that year is much better then the 9-3.
Ford hatchback is bad with a baby seat but a 5 door hatch or wagon would be pretty good if you can find one.
VW ehhh too hit and miss from a reliablity standpoint. If you can find a good one with records you might be ok.
BMW same as the VW with some records and a good inspection by a BMW specialist might make it ok.
Subaru if it wasn't beat on could be ok as 100,000 something miles on a subbie boxer motor isn't anything except for the turbo so want to have that looked at.
Lancer ehhh I would pass just cause it looks like the guy who owned wanted to have a EVO but couldn't afford it so it probably kind wailed on.
Mitsubishis are totally worthless from a resale point of view and offer a lot of value. A base motor Lancer with an auto trans is not the stuff dreams are made of.
The VW with the base engine is pretty (relative) reliable, has ABS standard I believe, and is kind of fun to drive (handles good, not so fast off the line though).
For 11k, you should be able to find a reasonably low mileage '02-'03 Civic sedan stick (EX has sunroof and ABS) and I would encourage you to go with something like that. If you want a Focus, get a 4 or 5 door. You should be able to get real close to new for 11k.
So far I'm hearing Civic, Forrester, or Focus ZX5.
Is there anything else that you might recommend?
BTW, I only threw the Focus in there because it was my old car and I found it while browsing.
how old is the kid? A rear-facing car seat won't fit comfortably in a compact sedan, unless you and the spouse are quite short (meaning your seats would be way forward).
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
It's about as safe a car as you can get at its size/weight -- five star crash ratings across the board, IIHS gold pick, etc. The back seat is smallish for big people, but you'll have plenty of room for a rear-facing carseat, and the flexibility of a wagon-style cargo area.
Subaru was offering $1500 cash back on the base 07 model in December, which indicates you can get them for cheap. They haven't announced January incentives yet, though. In any case, with a little looking around you could probably land one w/a manual for 18.5 or 19 plus tax and fees. The base model comes pretty nicely equipped, too.
I wouldn't be as enthusiastic about buying one used, though, just because they really aren't a bargain that way. I just traded in my 04 Forester for an 07 Legacy. The dealer listed the Forester at 15.9 and it was gone in 48 hours (I don't know what the actual transaction cost was). It had low-ish miles for the year (33K) and was in good shape, but when you can get a brand-new one for 3-4K more, that's the way to go, imo.
You'd probably have to go back to a 2000-2002 Forester to get into the 11K range, and while those are nice vehicles, they did have a wide-spread head gasket problem.
Hope this helps.
If you're on a budget and looking to control costs, you are MUCH more likely to do so with the above choices than any on your original list.
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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What do you think about them?
I really appreciate all of your feedback!!
Mazda1
Mazda2 (little pricy)
in that order..
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Mazda 3 & 4 are both Protege5, but one is too spendy after reading the description.
by the way, the focus says automatic, but it is a stick in the pic.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I'm really liking Mazda 1 and Focus 1, but the Toyota's look nice too. I just wish they had more HP. I'm leaning away from Mazda 3 & 4 because they kinda look like wagons, but a lot of people seem to like them. Mazda 4 does seem enticing. I like the new Mazda3 hatchbacks better. I'm also surprised that none of my original "finds" got many positive comments. I'm really glad that I checked here first!!
Thanks for everyone's help and I hope to see some more comments. I could use as many suggestions as possible.
If anyone wants to attempt to find me a "Hot Deal" for less than $11k close to zip code 32837, I would more than appreciate it.
How bout this Benz?
The LS is a nice car (although the v8 is decidedly more "fun")
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Relative to the other cars (Mazda/Honda/Focus), yes.
The LS is on the same rough platform as the Thunderbird and Jaguar -type. Its a relatively large car.
You might want to have some other limitations on what you are looking for, either by mileage or age. My rough boundaries are usually less that 5 years old less than 60k (or 50k) miles. If you are financing, there are often restrictions on the model year of the car. You might also want to see how the vehicle will affect your insurance rates.
It sucks to buy something and then have to deal with reliability issues, especially if you will be having work done by a mechanic.
BUT, it is quite a bit below your pricepoint, so you can afford the maintenance.
At least the Lincoln has really low miles, so it should be good to you for quite some time. The LS is actually a mid-sizer. I traded mine in for an Accord to get more backseat room, so that should give you some indication.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
who was it? driftracer who went through lemon law to get his PT GT bought back? anyone remember?
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
you never did say how old your child is. Is he/she still in a rear-facing carseat? For how much longer?
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
As for the Caliber, I am trying hard to rent one. I am supposed to be in Detroit for the Auto Show and to tour the Chrysler facility in Auburn Hills. At this point, I have only seen a half dozen on the road and they look pretty impressive.
IMHO, Chrysler wins the style award PERIOD. They also build very comfortable cars - for all passengers. (And you can sense a "BUT" coming...) Nearly 75% of my drivers have chosen Chryslers as their fleet car and surprisingly, we have had few problems in the 50-70k miles we hold on to them.
However, until they prove to me that all the electronics won't go out around 70-80k miles, I will pass on them for my personal drive. (My brother has about 10 Chrysler 300s on his street and the joke is that at 70k, one power window in each seems to fail.) Also, I am somewhat suspicious of any model coming out of Belvidere, IL, where all the Neons USED to be built.
My crystal ball is on hiatus for 2007. The Caliber has NOT made the Black Book as of now. I know that Chrysler does not seem to be pushing them as hard to fleets as they are the other vehicles. That might be a function of waiting until they have filled the pipeline. When I was driving through Belvidere three weeks ago, there were thousands of them out there.
Those who are patient get the best deals (and a car with more of the initial "bugs" worked out).
The Protege is also a sedan, like the Mazda3 sedan and sport wagon thing.
I would say go drive a few of these and see if any strike your fancy.
Typically, component failures do occur at random times but are distributed. There is something called the "Mean Time Between Failures" (MTBF) which is a rough measure of when you can expect a component to fail. Because time correlates pretty well with distance driven, you will see a correlation between failure rates and distance driven as well.
"Distributed" means that a failure is unlikely to occur early in the lifecycle of a component but, given time, a component will almost certainly fail. In between, there is a period of maximum likelihood of failure and, yes, it can be graphed!
tidester, host
Depending on your and/or your wife's sizes (i'm 6'5"), you may not be able to drive a compact with a rear-facing carseat at all. But, of course, also keep in mind that you've only got maybe 9 months before that seat turns around and changes everything.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
The reasoning for this is pretty simple -- the overwhelming majority of accidents are either frontal or side impact, and these tend to involve far greater forces than the less-frequent rear-end accidents. Front and side impacts put a ton of strain on the neck of a toddler. When riding backward, the head and neck are cushioned by the seat in such accidents.
Food for thought and something to consider when purchasing your vehicle. The kid may be facing rearward for much longer than a year.
I can't imagine kids riding backwards till they are 5 or 6 unless they have some special seat that I've never seen before.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I would agree with you and add one point. On most Toyota Corollas of recent vintage, the "asking" and the "getting" price are generally pretty close. In the case of many Fords, there is more negotiating room.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I know its a bit more than you wanted to spend, but maybe the lower financing rates that come with a new car would help bring it close to what you wanted to pay.
you could be looking at ~$15k for a specV
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
2006 Malibu Maxx-15,400 miles on it, 3.6 liter V6, Sunroof, XM radio. Priced at $16,995 3.9% financing on Malibus
2006 Chevrolet Impala-13,200 miles, 3.9 liter V6, Sunroof, Leather, Power Seats, XM, Priced at $18,900 5.9% on Impalas
Both seem mechanically sound, but the Malibu has some obvious scratches on the plastic around the arm rest on the door. The Impala seems fairly spotless.
I'm leaning towards the Impala. I really like the leather seats. But I'm fairly certain I could get a better deal on the Maxx, since it has been sitting on their lot since November. The Impala has only been there since 12/20.
I'm hoping to get some input into this. Which would you purchase and why? Or would you look for something else?
Jeanne
At your price point I'd be shopping for something new (there are some very fine cars available for 20K or less).
The really good used cars (e.g., Honda Accord) tend to be overpriced because they hold their value well.
Personally, I like the 2006 Impalas. You can get about 28-32 mpg and they are generally very solid. However, I would offer $16.5 for the vehicle with the hops of landing it for $17-17.5. Do remember that the Impala was redesigned for the 2007MY so you are getting an OLDER model. I prefer the older model; my wife prefers the 2007 model. My wife has had three Impala LS as her company cars in the past seven years and has had very few problems. You will have very few problems IF YOU MAINTAIN the car per the owner's manual.
As for the Honda Accord, I do not believe that you can pick up a new one WITH THE SAME PACKAGE of the Impala for anything close to $17.5.
Before you fall in love with ANY used car, there are two things you need to do that will save you money and heartaches. First, take the vehicle to your local mechanic to take a look at it. While it will cost you $75, it may uncover some serious problem Previous damage and the like). Second, there are thousands of used Impalas out there at any given time. If you don't get your price, be ready to walk. NEVER overpay.
The nice thing is that my old car is still in good condition, so I am in the driver's seat (so to speak) and really don't have to make a move until the price and time seems right.
Thank you again for the advice. Both comments helped me to think more before I make a decision I might regret.
Jeanne