so i have to buy a new car...which sucks...cause i d0n't really wnt the car PAYMENT that goes with it...

but what's a good affordable car?just some recommendations...

i really wnat a jetta!

i have a honda and i really like it. its cozy and has good gas mileage. my 2 best friends both have jettas. i think they're kind of pricey though.

i have a toyota echo and i'm really happy with it. i haven't had a single mechanical problem with it in the three years i've had it. plus it's extremely easy on gas. but some people think it's ugly...too bubble-like. mine's been nick-named the space-ship. still, it's a car to be considered if you're in the market for a new car that's relatively inexpensive.

I love Jettas and think that's what you should get (a black one too!). If, however, you really can't afford one, you should go for an Accord or something similar. Have you thought about buying used?

A bike.

Mechanically speaking, newer VW's are pieces of shit, and if you're going economy to midsize, don't buy american. However, I would suggest buying used (you lose a couple thousand dollars resale value as soon as you pull out of the parking lot when buying new), going through your bank to get the loan, not the car dealer (lower interest rates)...and umm good luck.

Actually the newer VW's are quite good mechanically. We have a 2001 VW Turbo Beetle that has never given us a problem. Its the finish items that kinda annoy me. The center console button has broken several times. As has the power window buttons. We have had a recall notice on the turbo engine coil. But VW has paid for everything, even out of warranty. In fact, for the first 25,000 miles we didn't even pay for oil changes.

With that said our next car's gonna be a Subaru or an Audi wagon (Ms. Frog's been chattering about laying eggs)

I have a '91 Toyota that has never given me one ounce of trouble, sans replacing the water pump at about 60k. That car just hums along like its singing See You Thru.

You can never go wrong with a good 3 year old Honda either. Autoweek rates the Hyundai's very high as well. They have the longest warranty on the market and are relatively cheap.

I could go on and on, I'm a certified gear head. I'll thumb thru some Autoweeks in beween renders this morning. What are you looking to spend?

American cars suck. You can't go wrong with Honda. I would recommend a Civic if you can't afford an Accord (I make mad phat money, so I can afford the Accord). I've been told that it's ridiculously hard to get replacement parts for Jettas.

I have nothing to back this up.

Ahh....hmm ok. You may be the lucky one.

i LOVE my honda accord. yes, it's a 1991, so it's starting to cost me some money to fix some things, but it has hardly ever given me problems. it is definitely NOT three years old, but it gets great mileage and i really like the shape, especially compared to the newer ones. it's not as spaceship-y. i really have been thinking about getting a jetta or this used audi that is for sale, but alas, i think i may see how many miles i can get out of my honda. i love it too much.

see, one of my best friends at work just bought a new echo...and like cheap.

ultimately i think that's what i'm gonna get...even though i don't r4eally like the way they look either...but i dont' even really care about that much.

Maybe we are, but, since 2000 all VW's share the same parts as Audi and few Porsche. The only problem that has cropped up was the heating coil on the 1.8L turbo, both VW and Audi. VW just has a bit of a stereotype hanging over it from the extremely shitty cars they made from 1980-96

The VW Pasat is an Audi A6 inside and out. Just a different body, the new VW Tourag will be a rebadged Porsche Cayenne.

I'm not trying to sound like an evangelist here (that's my Mac platform) but I would, and do recommend VW to friends.

My '85 got my mom and me a combined 212k before I sold it (in pretty good shape). My '93 is up to about 104k (20k of which I put on it).

what do you reccomend to enemies?

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The ideal car is the Lexus SC 430. It takes all of the features you love from BMW and Mercedes, and combines them into one incredible package. Plus, it has numerous drink holders where you can place your sunflower seed spittin' cups.

I've had no trouble with the larger sized Ford's (two trucks and an Econoline van.) All over 150,000 and one truck well over 200,000 miles with little problems.

yeah, my '91 has 185k on it, and it's still going pretty strong. the only thing that has gone wrong so far is that i had to get a new fuel injection filter cause i was getting no gas to my engine. now though, my axle is bad, and i don't know whether to replace it or get a new car. blah.

To enemies I'd recomend the Yugo Screwyoself.

ehh our 94 explorer is always gettin repaired

i was thinking jetta before you even said it. but if they are too expensive then id go honda civic. similar but cheaper. get red.

I've got a 96 Honda Civic. I love it. It gets great gas mileage, and that's something that is a MUST for my car since I drive to middle TN so much. That's just my recommendation.
Oh, and get a black car, no matter what.

yes...very cheap. and suprisingly roomy on the inside...it's like a black hole. it can fit seven people comfortably (that's with two in the trunk). the only thing i can think of to complain about is that, because it's so small, it doesn't handle high winds or the whole hydroplane thing very well. but i make do. happy decision-making!

(Edited by HaveSomeSoma at 4:25 pm on Mar. 17, 2003)

will have say get a Honda as well, I have a Honda Accord EX and I haven't had many problems with it at all.

well, here i go promoting ford as much as i dislike most ford cars, i got a mercury cougar and love it! i've had mine for almost a year now and have had no problems whatsoever. the only bad thing is that it only comfortably sits 2 people. the front two seats are extremely roomy, but the back two are made for either 5yr olds or midgets.

but hondas are also nice

When you say axle, do you mean CV joints? Is there a popping? It'll cost you 2-3 hundred bucks, and they're pretty easy to fix.

I must join in in the praise of the Honda Accord. I've had mine for 1.5 years and it hasn't given me any trouble. Of course, I have given it trouble by running up on curbs and getting a flat tire, as well as running stop lights and signs, and going 30 in my neighborhood (which apparently is too fast for the neighbors). But overall, a very good car.

I still haven't named it though. After losing my beloved Elsa (a Toyota Camry named after a line in the Oasis song "Supersonic) to a Halloween night accident (where I was dressed up as Nightcrawler), I've been afraid to get too close to another car.

I just bought an '03 Civic back in January. I got 1.9% financing and only payed 50 bucks over invoice. I'm very happy with it.

When I was shopping I checked out the Ford Focus, Dodge Neon, VW Golf, and a couple of Hyundias. The Focus was a big disappointment, and the Hyundias were not very exciting. I liked the VW a lot, but couldn't justify spending an extra 2k. The dodge was nice, but didn't have the Honda's resale value, gas milage, or performance record.

If The Man payed me more, I would have bought a MINI.

You should check out http://www.edmunds.com/ before you head to a dealership. Lots of good info.

(Edited by ely at 5:23 pm on Mar. 17, 2003)

To join in on the usual chorus of agreement that perhaps plagues our board, I'm on my 3rd Honda Accord, and I have been very pleased with all of them. (wrecks are the reason I've had so many)

I agree. Me, too. I'll second that.

I agree, too.

Ditto.

took the words right out of my mouth.

You're all wrong.

I totally agree, we were all wrong.

i dont know about that, digsy......

I echo all sentiments of both agreement and disagreement.

see, i don't know. i just got my CV boot (that's right, right?) replaced in august, but when my fuel injection filter went bad, i took it to a guy and he said i was gonna have to replace my axle soon and so i shouldn't drive too far on it. (like home to virginia) i thought maybe he just meant the joints. i don't know. it's not what he said. there's definitely a popping. almost all the time when i turn.

bitch, i told you to get a volvo.

or a jag.

Don't buy a new car, Rhinestone, unless you have some price disount connections or you can get an incredibly great financing deal. You will get raped by the financiers, my friend; that's how they make all of their money! Plus, that bitch loses a third of its value when you drive it off the lot, lot.

My advice? Put the $$$ that you would be spending on car payment (plus maybe some extra, if you want) into a money market account, and save for a couple of years. Then pay cash for a HQ used car. You'll get a lot more car for your money than if you bought a new car on credit. If you need a car NOW, pay cash for a piece of shit $500 clunker. Then start saving your cash in the MM account.

I think Dave Ramsey took over Jamie Carrol's account... if he says "I'm doing better than I deserve" I'm calling for an investigation....

great advice, though, JC.

I really like Dave Ramsey. I've found his advice to be quite practical and insightful. I've converted over to a cash-only system, and it's helped reduce my frivilous spending.

My favorite part of his show is when he starts yelling at people for doing dumb stuff.

I can't say that I've listened to Dave Ramsey, but I know about what he teaches. I've never used a credit card before and really don't even like using checks. I just got a check card and us it sparingly. There's something about going inside a bank and depositing a check and always knowing how much money I'm spending that makes me feel comfortable.

Okay, so I am buying my first new car tomorrow: a 2003 VW Passat. Despite JC and Dave Ramsey's sensible advice, I have decided to take advantage of a good deal, low interest rates, and my insurance check and buy new...because I want to...and I can afford it...and I think this car is just fantastic. It's beautiful. This was such an agonizing decision, and now that I've made it I am so excited that I just had to share.

By the way, Rhinestone Cowboy, did you end up getting a Jetta or a Focus? Just curious.

I like Passats. They are very cute. Just like a bigger, more adult-y Jetta, I think.

I want a Mini so bad. A bright red one.
I have a year to make $30,000 and I can't get a job at TCBY. Wish me luck..

Mini's rock. Especially red ones.

That must have been so funny to see. Not the wreck, but the post-wreck with you cursing and looking at your car and what not in a Nightcrawler costume.

My dream car is a Mini Cooper with either a red body with a white top or a blue body with a white top. Of course, if I really wanted to attract the ladies in droves, I would have a blue body and a Union Jack custom painted on the roof like Nigel Powers in "Goldmember." Ahhh...


It was a hilarious sight indeed, and looking back on it, I realize this. Of course at the time I was bleeding from the head a little...much like Nightcrawler would if he was given the surprise attack by Sabretooth or Wendigo...

I've been in a red or blue debate with myself for quite a while. I finally decided with red. It's more.. me.

They actually weren't as expensive as they thought they would be, even though BMW owns them or something. I "made" a pimped out one on the website and I remember it being a lot lower then I expected.

I do that far too often on the apple website. With interest rates being as low as they are, I may take out an extra student loan and actually go through with it and buy a new phatty mac in the next year, along with a camera so I can have my own means to make movies when the school's equipment eludes me.

Random and off topic, to be sure, but it's just been that kinda day.

Will

Why didn't you teleport out of the car before the wreck could hurt you?

(Edited by richarddawson at 6:46 pm on May. 24, 2003)

I'm just not a fan of the mini's for some reason. They do catch my eye when I see one thouhg.. but I wouldn't want one myself.. I think I would feel like I was driving a golf cart or something for a while.

I'm a little disappointed. I did not come home with a new car today. There are still a few kinks to be worked out. It's good not to rush into anything, though. I keep telling myself that consumers have the power. I hope I'm right about that.

no, he woke up from his dream and realized that after his $80 pair of jeans and the 3 cds a day he buys, he didn't have any money.

You really should consider getting a year old used car of whatever it is you're wanting to get. You'll get it the car for 4-6K less than the new car sticker and the depreciation from that point further isn't as great as the price drop that occurs the moment you drive a new car off the lot. Granted the car will have been driven by someone else and it won't have that new car smell, but it's still a much better way of spending money on a product that consistently loses value. My dad just bought a year old used car that's $6,000 off the sticker price of a brand new one, it only had 10,000 miles on it plus he got the full length of the warranty thrown in and it smells nice inside (thankfully it wasn't a smoker's car). Pretty damn good deal.

Amen, BrianW. Everyone should read The Millionaire Next Door.

Yes, that was the plan, but no one seems to be getting rid of Passats. There are very few 1-3 yr. old ones around. This is encouraging, I think, because it means that people are generally happy with them and don't want to get rid of them.

The Passat we have been looking at has about 5,000 miles on it but is still a 2003. It has been used as a "service" car by the dealership. They are discounting it about 3,000 or so off the MSRP, but we are still trying to get them to lower the price by another $500 bucks or so.

My friend got a new car. It was a '96 Firebird. It's pretty damn awesome. He got it from his grandparents, so he didn't have to pay for it, but the insurance is about 175 a month.

I tend to like driving cars that sit higher up such as vans, trucks, or my favorites, SUVs.

I am the same way, which makes sense considering that we both drive trucks. My love for taller vehicles is great, but does not extend to SUVs, because I cannot see behind me as well. I can switch lanes and pass more people in a single cab vehicle.

I would agree 100%. They are so freakin small. For me I have to have a car that's large and in charge. My first car was a ghetto sled that weighed almost 5000 lbs and drove like a boat. It was absolutely wonderful. The bigger the better in my opinion
.

Sha

Speaking of big cars, I think it's best to learn how to drive in a big car like a caddie or something like I did. That way u have learn to have complete control over the car. An your more observant about how far away/ how close you are to curbs, other cars etc. Then if u get your first car an it's really small u feel like your driving a go cart An it's much easier to drive a the small car than the boat u learned how to drive.

But there are definitely people who this would not work for.. all of those teens who just can't plain drive like my little siser.. she's learning and she's horrible.

Paulfreaksmeout u sound like my cousin Eric he has to have a BIG car!

I was taught to drive by an old model VW Beetle, and I can't imagine learning in anything else. Making the transition to larger cars was a little tricky, and they're just not as much fun.

My mama let my little sister do a few spins around a quiet neighborhood and she was just driving around the same few streets and there were kids that were playing in their yards kind of near the edge but not to close in the street.. but when she came around the second time the kids moved closer to the middle of the yard it was so funny! I was ok ok your scaring the kids stop.