Best 1st Car

  • Thread starter Thread starter Blix
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Blix
Another thing is, I don't want anybody to say "get a Prius". I heard that if you get on crashed or totaled you can't do urging because they don't know how it may have affected the engine. Just for future reference guys. People that say they are the best first cars are wrong and they don't do that much for the environment. A little off topic. :]
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Apart from being difficult to read, there's so much wrong with this post I'm not sure where to start.

Disliking the Prius is fine. Plenty of people dislike it. However, I've no idea what "u can't do urging" means, though the Prius is really no more difficult to repair than anything else with an engine if you crash it and the electric gubbins certainly don't make the engine any more difficult to inspect or repair. It's a fairly straightforward four-cylinder without any belts or chains to worry about. As engines go it's actually quite simple.

Secondly, I'm not sure - given that you don't own a car and you're asking for advice on your first car - how you've decided it's not an ideal first car either. Whether it is or it isn't, how have you come to such a conclusion with zero experience to base it on?

Finally, don't be sucked in by the "they aren't environmentally friendly" crowd. Again, whether people like the Prius or not, it's still a car that does a fairly easy 50 mpg and will happily do 200k+ miles without any more than basic maintenance. The only real thing keeping it from being an ideal first car is the fact that most people just aren't keen on the image of the things.
 
Blix, why not settle for old turbo cars, you get to learn to maintain it, drive it and there are cheap examples around, Nissan 280ZX for example, they should cost less than 4K, spare some more budget, maybe another 4k for mechanical refresh (engine + manual transplant). They are not fast, but should offer good enjoyment. I got one link for an ad, it's an auto, but it can be converted to manual :D

Used-Nissan-280ZX-Seattle-d1216_L37788#listing=41343016
 
McLaren
That's not why an older vehicle is better. It's because of any damage done won't have as much of an effect as if it was done to a new car.
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If you can afford the newer vehicle you're going to have full coverage. Which means that point is pretty much null and void. If there's a loan on the vehicle, it requires full coverage be carried, at least in my state.

But at this point I think we're splitting hairs. We're on the same side but with different reasons
homeforsummer
Apart from being difficult to read, there's so much wrong with this post I'm not sure where to start.

Disliking the Prius is fine. Plenty of people dislike it. However, I've no idea what "u can't do urging" means, though the Prius is really no more difficult to repair than anything else with an engine if you crash it and the electric gubbins certainly don't make the engine any more difficult to inspect or repair. It's a fairly straightforward four-cylinder without any belts or chains to worry about. As engines go it's actually quite simple.

Secondly, I'm not sure - given that you don't own a car and you're asking for advice on your first car - how you've decided it's not an ideal first car either. Whether it is or it isn't, how have you come to such a conclusion with zero experience to base it on?

Finally, don't be sucked in by the "they aren't environmentally friendly" crowd. Again, whether people like the Prius or not, it's still a car that does a fairly easy 50 mpg and will happily do 200k+ miles without any more than basic maintenance. The only real thing keeping it from being an ideal first car is the fact that most people just aren't keen on the image of the things.
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The battery packs are what the enviroment hates from the car. I can't claim to be reading 100% non biased articles about prius's, but from what I gather the battery pack itself when exhausted, does more damage to the earth in the end than driving a gas guzzler for those 200000 miles.

Can't argue with the mileage though. My gas guzzler was eating me out of house and home, but I took the sport bike route to save gas. Same mileage, less cost of everything. And of course, less practical... 'Cause I have a truck for that kind of thing
 
mustangGT90210
The battery packs are what the enviroment hates from the car. I can't claim to be reading 100% non biased articles about prius's, but from what I gather the battery pack itself when exhausted, does more damage to the earth in the end than driving a gas guzzler for those 200000 miles.
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If you dump the battery in land fill then yes, it's an issue. But they are widely recyclable or at least able to reclaim materials from them.

Can't argue with the mileage though. My gas guzzler was eating me out of house and home, but I took the sport bike route to save gas. Same mileage, less cost of everything. And of course, less practical... 'Cause I have a truck for that kind of thing
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This makes no sense, and is from my knowledge wrong if applied, as you say, to sports bikes.

The mileage, I agree is no better. But less cost of everything? Please. Tyres, far less life and easily far more expensive for one than it is for 2 on an econo car. Servicing, not much different but often required at far smaller intervals for a sports bike. And repairs? A single faring can set you back several hundred when you inevitably drop it/get hit/get knocked over when you're nowhere near.
 
mustangGT90210
The battery packs are what the enviroment hates from the car. I can't claim to be reading 100% non biased articles about prius's, but from what I gather the battery pack itself when exhausted, does more damage to the earth in the end than driving a gas guzzler for those 200000 miles.
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Sadly, you've been misinformed. Just as with many other types of battery, such as lithium-ion and lead-acid, nickel metal hydride packs used in Prius and other hybrids can be recycled and used again. Toyota even buys back packs for $1k+ when they eventually run out - and we're talking packs that themselves last for 200k-300k miles here in most cases.

And those scary shots of nickel mines in places like Canada, apparently all thanks to the Prius, have always been misleading - those mines have been open since the '60s, often even earlier (Sudbury, a popular one for Prius-bashing, was opened in the 1800s...), and Toyota buys an fairly small percentage of the nickel produced there. And with regards manufacturing costs, the average Prius, even one that needs shipping half way around the world to some countries, tends to make up for its extra CO2 (if that's your poison) after 4-5 years (took me ages to search for that naffing post...), simply by using less gas once it's on the road.
 
How about a cheap Lexus LS or an Infiniti G35?
 
homeforsummer
And those scary shots of nickel mines in places like Canada, apparently all thanks to the Prius, have always been misleading - those mines have been open since the '60s, often even earlier (Sudbury, a popular one for Prius-bashing, was opened in the 1800s...), and Toyota buys an fairly small percentage of the nickel produced there. And with regards manufacturing costs, the average Prius, even one that needs shipping half way around the world to some countries, tends to make up for its extra CO2 (if that's your poison) after 4-5 years (took me ages to search for that naffing post...), simply by using less gas once it's on the road.
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On a personal note, my dad was the Warehouse and Shipping manager at the South Wales refinery that produced all the Nickel foam for the Prius batteries until the Japanese finally accepted the Chinese made stuff.

He was in part responsible for the shipping of ore from Sudbury, Canada to Clydach, Wales and then onto Japan. It was a bit of a local running joke of how inefficient this was.
 
Everyone blame Evan's dad for the Prius! :sly:
 
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Take your pick.

I really don't see why this is hard, all you want is an A to B vehicle. Not some WRX or BMW, you want something like a Honda Civic or Tercel.
 
Anyone considered...the Volkswagen Golf GTI Mark V?
 
Bopop4
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Take your pick.

I really don't see why this is hard, all you want is an A to B vehicle. Not some WRX or BMW, you want something like a Honda Civic or Tercel.
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Not necessarily. For some buying a beat up crappy car might be a good option just to learn on, but personally, I'd buy something that I actually like as a first vehicle. That way it would stay maintained, it'd more than likely be driven more carefully and I think the driver would become an overall better and safer driver. If you don't give two hoots about your car you're much more likely to skip out on maintenance and drive it like a maniac because you don't care if it breaks or not. That's just my personal opinion though.
 
The thing is, from what everyone is gathering, Blix doesn't really know anything about cars at all. Nor has expressed much interest in the actual driving part.
 
Azuremen
The thing is, from what everyone is gathering, Blix doesn't really know anything about cars at all. Nor has expressed much interest in the actual driving part.
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You know, you are totaly right! i mean, i started a thread called "stick or automatic" because i had no interest in driving cars, whatsoever! I mean seriosly, its a forum! either help someone out or dont bother posting at all!! 👎
 
All i really want is a car that is cheap, easy to maintain, looks good, and is not that difficult to drive.
 
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Just get this and be done with it.

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Blix
You know, you are totaly right! i mean, i started a thread called "stick or automatic" because i had no interest in driving cars, whatsoever! I mean seriosly, its a forum! either help someone out or dont bother posting at all!! 👎
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Many people have asked you questions to better understand what it is you want out of a car and your understanding of cars. You've pretty much ignored all of them, and instead have posted mostly nonsensical bits up, such as the Prius rant that made little sense. Several reasonable suggestions have been made, yet you've continued to ignore all but a handful and those haven't been the best suggestions for a first car.

As for your Automatic vs Manual thread, you didn't really add much to it besides "what is good/worth my time" which is so beyond vague it isn't really helpful. Which is clearly shown by the direction the thread has taken.

Though really, it doesn't seem like you are terribly interested in a driver's car given this follow-up double post from you...

Blix
All i really want is a car that is cheap, easy to maintain, looks good, and is not that difficult to drive.
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Much of this is very subjective and relative.

It really seems like you don't know anything about cars besides they have wheels and move. And it doesn't seem like you want much more than an A to B car.

alexlam24
V-TEC ftw
:)
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That is a non Si Civic, so the V-TEC isn't really ftw in that at all, just there for economy.
 
Azuremen
Many people have asked you questions to better understand what it is you want out of a car and your understanding of cars. You've pretty much ignored all of them. Several reasonable suggestions have been made, yet you've continued to ignore all but a handful and those haven't been the best suggestions for a first car.
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I feel like im posting to much and cant answer EVERY question. I do admit that the prius thing was a bit off topic tho. I'll try and answer every single question from now on.
 
Blix
All i really want is a car that is cheap, easy to maintain, looks good, and is not that difficult to drive.
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MKIII Volkswagen Jetta GLX VR6

Reasonably fast, fun to drive, easiest of the modern Jettas to work on. Only problem is that parts are occasionally expensive, and insurance isn't exactly cheap in some states.

It'll teach you a lot about keeping a good car running, and if you wrap it around a tree, you won't be out a ton of cash.
 
YSSMAN
MKIII Volkswagen Jetta GLX VR6

Reasonably fast, fun to drive, easiest of the modern Jettas to work on. Only problem is that parts are occasionally expensive, and insurance isn't exactly cheap in some states.

It'll teach you a lot about keeping a good car running, and if you wrap it around a tree, you won't be out a ton of cash.
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That has everything, other than style. :P

I love old VWs; but I don't think it's a particularly good looking at all. It's just a basic three box with lots of simple geometric shapes - a bit meh.

VW Golf GTI Mark V anyone? Yes I'm still going to put my idea across even though its been ignored three times now (woop).
 
Actually the MkV GTI isn't the worst thought in the world. It's not fast enough to be an insane choice and it's practical, especially the 5-dr, and not particularly tricky to drive.

Personally, the suggestion I'd make is to ask the parents if they'll get you a cheap beater and then in a year get you a nicer car. Buy a '90s Civic or something and the amount of money saved on insurance in your first year of driving will make up for the cost of the car. Everybody messes up their first car, even if it's just stupid minor crap like parking lot bumps and curb scrapes, etc, and it's way better to do that in a car you don't care much about then a brand new car you're gonna have to pay a ton to repair.
 
Blix
All i really want is a car that is cheap, easy to maintain, looks good, and is not that difficult to drive.
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His point is the same I wrote twice: If you like cars then you have preferences and know what you want in a car, so you should go for those instead of generic advice. The very least is knowing the body type.
If you don't have preferences it means you don't like cars, same as not knowing how to use a manual transmission (I agree that's more of a car enthusiast thing instead of just liking them, but anyway).

For the rest, remember it has to be an automatic (as he said on the other thread) so don't suggest a wrx wagon but the regular version. And with the new info (that he can't drive) I think it can't be rwd.
 
avens
For the rest, remember it has to be an automatic (as he said on the other thread) so don't suggest a wrx wagon but the regular version.
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Honestly, in going with an automatic, I'd avoid any Subaru then. Their automatics are all complete garbage in my experience, even the nicer ones with "manual" shift are slow much of the time. Plus the power delivery on the turbo motors just doesn't pair up nicely with their automatics either.
 
Blix
All i really want is a car that is cheap, easy to maintain, looks good, and is not that difficult to drive.
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After reading this, and the direction the thread is heading, i'm going to retract my original suggestion and offer up a Hyundai. Any will do. 3 out of 4 isn't a bad compromise.
 
I'm still saying Volvo 240/740/940, as they came with turbo and automatic, they're durable and easy to work on, not to mention extremely spacious and practical. If luxury is needed, there's always S90 with 204bhp straight six.
 
Azuremen
Honestly, in going with an automatic, I'd avoid any Subaru then. Their automatics are all complete garbage in my experience, even the nicer ones with "manual" shift are slow much of the time. Plus the power delivery on the turbo motors just doesn't pair up nicely with their automatics either.
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I'm glad I've had a much better experience than you. My '02 Impreza Outback Sport has right at 200k miles on it and the tranny is perfect. It shifts nice and smooth, doesn't hesitate, stays in gear instead of constantly shifting on hills and every time I have changed the fluid it's looked perfect. I also know many other people with Subaru's who have had extremely good luck with them as well which is actually the reason I bought one in the first place. Of course, I'm not talking about WRX's, just the regular Impreza and Outbacks. I'm not calling you a liar either, I'm genuinely glad I haven't had any trouble with my (wife's) car. 👍

When buying a car one should look over everything. If you don't know how to do it, find a mechanic who does. Every vehicle I, my family, or friends buy, gets looked over by me. Put up on our lift and examined, fluids are checked, we drop the tranny pan and look for metal shavings, look at the color of the fluid, check compression, and many other things. Obviously a lot of people don't do that but personally when buying used, I think it should be done every time. A Carfax can't tell you everything (especially if they go to s a shop that doesn't report to them) and if you get it inspected yourself before a purchase you can generally tell if you're getting a good car or not.
 
Get a Camry and turn it into this:
 
Azuremen
Honestly, in going with an automatic, I'd avoid any Subaru then. Their automatics are all complete garbage in my experience, even the nicer ones with "manual" shift are slow much of the time. Plus the power delivery on the turbo motors just doesn't pair up nicely with their automatics either.
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Yep, 4-speed autos in 2012. :crazy:
 
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