advice needed about new car...

  • Thread starter Thread starter Boz Mon
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Come November I will be in need of a new car. the reason being i will be 18 and be able to get a loan for one. the problem is i dont see anything i like other than a few that i have been thinking of for quite some time. I wanted some opinions on which car you think would suit me best. i need something respectiably (sp?) fast not like rediculously fast but respectable, reliable very reliable, and kinda different one that you dont see everyday or one that people look at and go hmm..
so with that said here are my choices

dumm dumm dummmmmm....

96-97 Prelude (the only problem is i hardly ever see one for sale in good condition)
96-98 Camaro (that would be cool)
and last but not least a Cadilliac Seville Northstar my parents have one and i really like it

anyone have any other opinions?
 
1995-1996 Volvo 850 Turbo

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It should be every car-loving kid's first car. 222 horsepower, front side airbags. Safety and power in perfect harmony.

It debuted in 1994, but you can probably afford a 1995-1996 given your other choices. Plus, side airbags came out in 1995 and if nothing else they might get you a deduction on your insurance. 1997 versions exist as the T5, but they're needlessly expensive. No sane person would buy a 1997 T5 when the 1998 Volvo S70 GLT exists.
 
Boz Mon
i forgot to mention that it has to look pretty good too

So then why would you have a Camaro on your list?

You're in luck, though, since the 850 Turbo is the best-looking thing ever, voted on by a panel of non-posers who care about performance instead of styling.
 
I like Volvos in general, but not those sedans. The wagons look nice, but the sedans look weird.

You could get a Mk1 MR2, you certainly don't see too many of those around. Other than mine I've seen two in the past month. They are good little daily drivers, but if you are going to need more than two seats, or are going to be carrying more than a few bags of groceries, it won't work.

An Integra sedan would be cool, they're not very common, although the Integra coupes are. They're reliable, and should be fun to drive.
 
Any used Subaru WRX will satisfy you needs. Or a nice Eclipse GSX (if you find one) will do. And I like your choice of the Prelude, very reliable and it strongly holds its value.

-> Do you drive M/T? What is your budget?
 
M5's suggestion of the Volvo is an awfully good one. The only possible downside to it that I can think of is mediocre handling.

Otherwise, a Toyota Supra (late 80s-early 90s model) would be a good choice. Very quick car, great reliability, and it's cheap to buy. I'm not sure about insurance though, since it is a powerful car. That could be an issue, so I'd try and get an idea of what you'd have to pay monthly before buying. An RX-7 from the same model years might be a good alternative too, although I'm not too familiar with it's reliability.
 
get an old car. something that doesnt need to be smogged. something whose insurance will be cheap. use it and save for a decent car ina coupla years time.
 
The Vanishing Boy
Any used Subaru WRX will satisfy you needs. Or a nice Eclipse GSX (if you find one) will do. And I like your choice of the Prelude, very reliable and it strongly holds its value.

-> Do you drive M/T? What is your budget?


yea about the subaru..im not into that kind of thing or the eclipse and yes i drive manual and im not really sure about my budget yet probably around 5 grand(?)
 
Boz Mon
yea about the subaru..im not into that kind of thing or the eclipse and yes i drive manual and im not really sure about my budget yet probably around 5 grand(?)

Oh, 5 grand, hmmm, I still say that mid-'90's Prelude is still a good call. And beside even the 'highly recommended' Volvo 850 Turbo is a little too much for you (price wise) Edmunds TMV states that the 850 T costs around USD$6,700 and the T-5 costs around USD$7,900.

The Prelude (especially with the VTEC) is the easier choice, it holds its value strong, fun to drive, cheaper to maintain (maintaining engines with turbos can be expensive), and no worries of going in-and-out the repair shop (because its very reliable).

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^ I didn't bought the Prelude becauce its too big for me, thats why I bought the 1992 'Teg GS-R.
:)
 
Much as I like motorcycles, they are a great way for a young driver to get killed - or an old driver, for that matter. They're also just not practical as your only means of transportation.
 
^ Although I love the urge of speed, but I'm very afraid of those types of bikes, I rather have high powered scooters instead. But most of all I'll stick to cars instead. :)

My favorite two-wheeler:
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^ Honda Reflex Sport w/ ABS 👍
 
^ looks like someone bit a chunk out of a sports tourer (I'm not a motorbike person).
Why do looks matter so much. Wouldn't you want to pull up alongside some guy in his civic and smoke him? Or atleast show him that your Volvo isn't a complete walk over? (All on a fully liscensed drag strip o'course.)
 
^ Well I'm not after the looks of the vehicle anyway. :)

-> And besides, that scooter on top of you is one of the fastest scooters on the market it can go up to 100mph.
 
^ I don't doubt that, but would you want to on something like that? I would feel a fool in full motorbike gear on one of them.
 
ExigeExcel-> It doesn't look that bad, and if I own one, I'll just use those jackets and a pair of levi's jeans.

Pimp Racer-> What do you mean "second".
 
The Vanishing Boy
ExigeExcel-> It doesn't look that bad, and if I own one, I'll just use those jackets and a pair of levi's jeans.

Pimp Racer-> What do you mean "second".
I mean I agree with M5power about the 850. Its a pretty cool car.
 
Yes, I agree about the 850, I went to a Volvo dealer in the Philippines and I saw the 850 Turbo and the juicy T-5. I know I like the both of them compared to the more recent S70-spec. But for Boz Mon's budget, its a bit too much, and I'm not so sure about the maintenance cost on a European car compared to the Japanese (I haven't owned a Euro car yet).
 
The Vanishing Boy
But for Boz Mon's budget, its a bit too much,

No it's not. Edmunds.com has their head in a tree. A 1994 850 Turbo can be had for $3700-$5200; a 1995 for $4400-$6100; a 1996 for $5900-$7500. The only reason to get a 1995 over a 1994 would be for the side airbags, but since he's also interested in a Camaro and a Prelude, two vehicles which never offered side airbags, I guess he wouldn't need them. So a 1994-1995 850 Turbo offers the same performance as a 95-96, and it's easier to get on a $5000 budget.

Plus - for $5000, there aren't many more cars which have 222 horsepower, leather, ABS, a sunroof, and power memory seats for the driver and passenger.

and I'm not so sure about the maintenance cost on a European car compared to the Japanese (I haven't owned a Euro car yet).

It's not free, but these things hold up damn well. With any car ten years old you don't expect everything to work, but as long as the engine works and nothing else is too major, what's the problem?

get an old car. something that doesnt need to be smogged.

Like six states have smog programs.
 
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