Thinking about first car....

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socomplayer2

socomplayer2

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New Jersey
Ok, just to satrt off I am a 16 year old who lives in New Jersey. Right there make me start off with $4000 a year of car insurance if I want my own car (not a nice one). I have a job and am looking for a second one ( I'm a hustla:sly: ). When I am ready to get a car I shouldnt have too much money becuase I dont make alot of money. Im looking into mostly low mileage old peoples cars and also fairly new economy cars. Here is my list so far.



Lincoln Towncar 2nd gen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Town_Car
Toyota Yaris Liftback (5 speed) http://www.toyota.com/byt/pub/setStartOptions.do?seriesCategory=6&zipHolder=&modelId=&zipCode=07066
VW Rabbit 2 Door (5 speed)
http://www.vw.com/rabbit/features/en/us/
Ford Crown Victoria 1st gen( Police Interceptor?) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Crown_Victoria
Ford Thunderbird 10th Gen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Thunderbird
Ford Explorer 1st and 2nd gen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Explorer

Please give me feedback and comments on my list and add different ones.


If worst comes to worst I will have to continue to borrow my dads '04 Suzuki XL-7, which doesnt bother me. Its an ok suv for a begginner and has a very nice sterio system.


EDIT: Please dont flame me about there being to many of these forms because I think it is a good idea to have specific "buying car" threads for different people.
 
Well, If you spend time in the New York City area, I would recommend something small and fuel efficient. Maybe a rabbit, Yaris, Versa or Fit might work. My friend has a pretty nice Explorer that he picked up for around $4K. Just look around, I'm sure you will find some great deals out there.
 
If you want a low mileage old persons car you can not go wrong with a Buick or an Oldsmobile. They will be cheap on both price and insurance. And if you want something awesome there is the Aurora which came with a pretty nice V8.
 
My buddy has a 97 Tbird which I have done some work on so if you have any questions I can field them...
 
Out of all of your choices, I would go with the T-Bird. One of my friends has one and I think it would be a very nice first car.
 
Joey D
If you want a low mileage old persons car you can not go wrong with a Buick or an Oldsmobile. They will be cheap on both price and insurance. And if you want something awesome there is the Aurora which came with a pretty nice V8.
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Speaking of oldsmobile I kind of like the Alero Coupe. Its a really sharp car.
Now that all you are giving me this positive fed back on the t-bird I think I am going to take it more seriously.
 
If I were you, I'd maybe lower the standards just a bit price-wise. You don't want to go too far into debt over a car, so I think the newer econoboxes are somewhat out of the question. Its not only more expensive in price, but in theory, is also going to be more expensive with insurance as well. On the same token, the larger 'old-people cars' are going to hit you where it is going to hit people most; Fuel-mileage and other consumption issues. That is not to say that all of the old-folks cars are bad around town, but generally speaking if we were to use a 'classic' GM W-Body (Impala, Grand Prix, Regal/Century) as an example, you could only expect 20/30 MPG respectively.

So what do I suggest?

Look for something fairly cheap in price, and something that will be fairly cheap to insure. Granted, a lot of the 'good' cars are going to be expensive to insure, not to mention to fuel-up as well, so you're going to have to pick-and-choose wisely.

The car list:

- Chevrolet Impala LT: Yes, fuel mileage isn't particularly good in most circumstances, but reliability is top-notch in most cases. A good bet for a quality-car is going to be a used Police vehicle (9C1-chassis code), as they are normally well-maintained, and contain many of the heavy-duty parts that add up to a comfortable ride and bullet-proof quality. Late-model 9C1s, particularly the 2006+ line are among the best Police vehicles made available to forces around the country, and given that the NYC Police have now switched to the Impala as their car of choice, it may be very easy to find a used one...

- Mazda Protoge/5: The previous Protoge and Protoge 5 that lead-up to the release of the Mazda3 are among some of my favorite small-cars in terms of looks and performance. They were wonderful to drive and look at, and at least from what I understand, fairly well-built, and shouldn't be too hard to insure. The problem is, many of the models I would care to buy are a bit more expensive, but that being said, it really isn't too much overall. I'd look for the Protoge5 with a stick, as it is an amazingly awesome car...

...Those were two of the best I can think of off the top of my head right now...

I'll come back later.
 
Here is the problem with the Crown Victoria: They get stolen a lot, and optioned in given fashions, they like to guzzle gasoline. That being said, they should be fairly easy to insure, and again given how close you are to NYC, it should be hard to pick up a used P71 Police Interceptor for a reasonable price...

I dunno. I love Police cars, but there seem to be better options out there...
 
Crown Vics aren't bad, a buddy of mine had one for a while and the thing ran great. We beat the living hell out of it numerous times and it never had a problem. He sold it after it had almost 200,000 miles on it and it was still running fine...until the people he sold it to drove it down the freeway in 2nd gear or something and fried the tranny.

We did this frequently with it...
n38505333_30029971_6171.jpg


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Nothing beats a set of $20 tires, 2 gallons of bleach, and a private road.
 
The 4.6 Tbird gets 20+ mpg if you stay out of it, especially when it doesn't have the chip in it.

I bet the Crown Vic can to the same.
 
Cruising around in that we got 18mpg in the city and almost 25mpg on the freeway and that had the 5.0 in it as well.

**Errr wait sorry I just reread that, I thought you were looking at a 1st gen Town Car, not a 2nd gen.
 
IMO the W-body GMs are great: good mpg, lots of room, good power from the venerable 3.8 (or up the ante with the supercharged version... 280 ft/lbs of torque!) and there are lots of them out there for parts if needed. Plus the Buick Regal GS is the ultimate sleeper!
 
YSSMAN- I hear what you mean about the "econoboxes" but in a year or two I think could be able to (most likely) pick up a used bace Toyota Yaris or something like that for well under 10 grand (6-8 depending on mileage). But about the gas and the old peoples cars, I figured the lower price and lower insurance rates will (hopefully) even out the field when it comes to gas prices. I am happy you thought of these things though.

Joey D- Those crown vics are sick. I like the big V8 tucked under the shell of a unassuming car (Like the lincoln) and its rear wheel drive. But it is also pretty practical with trunk space and room for 6 (I think if you got the one long seat in the front) and sturdy frame.

Again I am thankful you guys are responding with your opinions. Keep it coming.👍 :)
 
socomplayer2
YSSMAN- I hear what you mean about the "econoboxes" but in a year or two I think could be able to (most likely) pick up a used bace Toyota Yaris or something like that for well under 10 grand (6-8 depending on mileage). But about the gas and the old peoples cars, I figured the lower price and lower insurance rates will (hopefully) even out the field when it comes to gas prices. I am happy you thought of these things though.
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I understood what you wanted to do, and trust me, I'm in the same boat. I'd love to get a bigger American car, but my penny-pinching ass is too tight at the moment to spend money on anything. God forbid a new car... Plus, I just found out I need new tires at the end of the summer, so yeah, thats sweet...
 
YSSMAN
I understood what you wanted to do, and trust me, I'm in the same boat. I'd love to get a bigger American car, but my penny-pinching ass is too tight at the moment to spend money on anything. God forbid a new car... Plus, I just found out I need new tires at the end of the summer, so yeah, thats sweet...
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I know what your saying. I bet in a year or whenever i get a car im sure I will be a "penny pincher" too. I wish The old yaris/vitz were over here so there would be cheaper used ones but im screwed there.

Also here is another idea... My dad has a buy-lease Suzuki XL-7 he bought new in sept '04 with all the every option except the 3rd row and in the fall of this year or fall of '08 he can choose to trade it in or pay one more payment and keep it. If I want to I can Pay him a few grand and take it for myself. Its a nice Suv that my dad takes care of and doesnt abuse. It has a nice V6 engine that is "ok" on gas and has "ok" power (for a 16 year old) and as i said before a sweet sterio and speaker system (my dad wont buy a car with out one) and its RWD but you can switch it to 4WD. If it comes down to it I could but this car for a cheap price from my dad and just pay insurance and gas. Please dont laught at this car it really is a nice car for the price ($17,000 [with all options] after alot of haggling and being an as to the dealer).

opinions on this idea anyone?
 
socomplayer2
I know what your saying. I bet in a year or whenever i get a car im sure I will be a "penny pincher" too. I wish The old yaris/vitz were over here so there would be cheaper used ones but im screwed there.

Also here is another idea... My dad has a buy-lease Suzuki XL-7 he bought new in sept '04 with all the every option except the 3rd row and in the fall of this year or fall of '08 he can choose to trade it in or pay one more payment and keep it. If I want to I can Pay him a few grand and take it for myself. Its a nice Suv that my dad takes care of and doesnt abuse. It has a nice V6 engine that is "ok" on gas and has "ok" power (for a 16 year old) and as i said before a sweet sterio and speaker system (my dad wont buy a car with out one) and its RWD but you can switch it to 4WD. If it comes down to it I could but this car for a cheap price from my dad and just pay insurance and gas. Please dont laught at this car it really is a nice car for the price ($17,000 [with all options] after alot of haggling and being an as to the dealer).

opinions on this idea anyone?
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Depends on how much it costs you. I got all of my cars 2nd hand through my parents.
 
-> I'd take the XL-7, since you live in Jersey it would be practical on the winter seasons. Plus you can haul stuff pretty decent, plus if your dad will hook you up, I won't pass up that opportunity. And it won't gobble up too much space on the parking lot and tight roads like most full-size sedans like the W-body and Crown Vic/Grand Marq. (:

BTW-> Is that XL-7 have AWD? If so, thats a plus. (to go outdoor and stuff)

(:
 
XL-7s are very nice IMO... not great gas mileage, but a ladder frame SUV with real off-road capabilities 👍 Plus you know exactly what you're getting... I bought my car from my parents too (let them get hit with the initial depreciation!).
 
^ I kinda made a typo there I know that the XL-7 has low range 4WD to get into the rougher stuff. (:

-> If thats the case, I wont pass it up. Since the previous owner was your dad, you can rest assured if the SUV has been battered or not. And you can't get second guesses like other used cars out there. I think the XL-7 is the best buy on your list.

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(:
 
The Vanishing Boy
^ I kinda made a typo there I know that the XL-7 has low range 4WD to get into the rougher stuff. (:

-> If thats the case, I wont pass it up. Since the previous owner was your dad, you can rest assured if the SUV has been battered or not. And you can't get second guesses like other used cars out there. I think the XL-7 is the best buy on your list.

171679.1-lg.jpg


(:
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Ive been think that too. And btw that is the exact XL-7 my dad has, color wheels ect... ill try and put a picture later.
 

Me and my friend on my first day with my permit a few months ago. I am the one in the pajama pants and the brown t-shirt. As you can see the Suzuki in the background
 
^ Well I'll be damned! What a coinsidence! :eek:

~> You look dignified on that pic. :lol:

-> But seriously, that XL-7 looks clean. I don't see any reason why you're still thinking about it. :confused:
 
Of the group you have chosen, the Crown Vic is probably the toughest car out of the group.
They take a great deal of abuse, and keep on ticking.
As for an Alero. They are pretty. But check out the reliability ratings on them, and then make a decision.
One of the girls that works for me had one, and it developed a lot of little "gremlins" at about 75,000 miles. I did some research on the net, and Aleros have very mixed reviews. Reliability being chief among the issues.

Another choice is the 4 or 6 cylinder Olds 98's of the late 80s early 90's or mid-90's Bonnevilles. Going for cheap and some of those 98's get about 30 MPG if driven prudently.
 
The Vanishing Boy
^ Well I'll be damned! What a coinsidence! :eek:

~> You look dignified on that pic. :lol:

-> But seriously, that XL-7 looks clean. I don't see any reason why you're still thinking about it. :confused:
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Well it is a good deal but my dad wants about $5,000 for it + insurance, Thats at least $9,000. Im not sure I can do that on an Dairy Queen (dont laugh) budget.

Gil
Of the group you have chosen, the Crown Vic is probably the toughest car out of the group.
They take a great deal of abuse, and keep on ticking.
As for an Alero. They are pretty. But check out the reliability ratings on them, and then make a decision.
One of the s that works for me had one, and it developed a lot of little "gremlins" at about 75,000 miles. I did some research on the net, and Aleros have very mixed reviews. Reliability being chief among the issues.

Another choice is the 4 or 6 cylinder Olds 98's of the late 80s early 90's or mid-90's Bonnevilles. Going for cheap and some of those 98's get about 30 MPG if driven prudently.
Click to expand...

My grandparents swear by the Bonnevilles. In my life time they have had 3 and they do take a beating. Every year the migrate form Florida to New Jersey with no problems And only need to fill up 2 or 3 times. If I were to get one I would want to buy one from them but its going to be hard because they live in Florida. Its really a shame they dont make them any more. And yes, I have tried to convince them about the new pontiacs but I think they'll take their bonneville to the grave with them.
 
You want a Volvo 240. You know it to be true.

Steer away from ANYTHING with a 305.
 
Old school Golf/Rabbits whatever they were called are awesome, I regret though I don't know very much about them. Maybe YSSSMAN does.
 

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