Need help in purchasing a new car.

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humbo

humbo

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So my family's finally getting rid of our old 2000 323ci, but the new car has to be a four door. Reason is my grandmother is going to fund up to 30 grand CAD so then I can drive her to wherever she needs to go.

So far my sister and I have picked out four cars, which are the following in no particular order:

Subaru WRX STi
Volvo S40 AWD
Chrysler 300C
Dodge Magnum R/T

Insight on the cars listed above as well as other suggestions are welcome. Keep in mind that we are looking at cars under $50000 CAD, or $39626 USD.
 
What/who is the car for? I dont know much about the volvo, but the 300 and the Magnum are way bigger than the Impreza, which is actualy smaller than a BMW 3 series. Judjing by the fact that you say it must be a four door, then i would guess this car is going to be the family haul-er and I doubt they want to go smaller than what they have allready. The Volvo may verry well be the best choice, but as I know nothing about it I cant say. on the other hand, the 300 and magnum are pretty much one in the same. between the two it would come down to which canopy style they like/is most usefull for them.
 
You aren't going to get much of a 300C since the base on em is $34,000. You can get a better equipt Magnum R/T since there base is $31,000. I think the STI starts at $32,000. And I don't know about the Volvo. But none of those get great mileage and be the ideal car for hauling grandma.

My best suggestion is the Volvo mainly due to the fact the safety owns.

*A fully loaded S40 with AWD, and I mean fully loaded, will run you $33,00 which is far nicer the what you can get with the other cars.
 
So out of the four the one with the best fuel economy would probably be the Volvo, right?

I went onto the Chrysler website and I built a 300C with the options I wanted (come to think of it the only thing I added was the wood trim) and it came out to 44-45 grand, so it's still within the price range. Does the cylinder shut off technology work well in saving fuel?

I know the insurance for the STi is going to be killer, but what about the others?
 
The cylinder shut off thing does work but not all that well, plus if you're going to buy a car with a 5.7L V8, you will end up using it.

I still say the Volvo, but you might want to ask M5.
 
Well the main use of it won't be transporting her around, that probably happens once a week or so. I think the main reason she's giving me the money for a new car is that I have a cousin that's the same age as I am and she got a new car. So it's only fair, heh heh heh.
 
Personally I would go with either the Subaru or the Volvo. Both are very nice cars.
 
Wait how old are you? This would give me a better idea of what car you should have.
 
Ok for a 17 year old kid, you don't need a big V8 so the 300C and the Magnum are out, and you don't need something that goes almost as fast as those V8's so the STi is out. That leaves the Volvo which will protect you when you DO get in a accident since most new drivers will.
 
Yeah I guess I was just attracted to the power because it's cool. Personally I never drive aggressively, though it seems every kid my age does so, even the girls!

I'm still kind of iffy on the styling of the S40 right now, I've seen some regular ones on the road but never the T5 AWD version, which might look better. Gotta go on some test drives.
 
Well here you go, fully loaded with everything except the kids seats.

https://www.designyourvolvo.com/dyv...tType=&selectPartDesc=&selectMode=&scrollPos=

s40_Ext_604x314_2.jpg
 
Another car to consider might be the Cadillac CTS. Starts at under $40,000.

The Volvo would be a great choice, decent power, plenty of features, excellent safety, and it won't be as bad on insurance.

But, seeing how you're a new driver, be ready to pay a lot for insurance. I'm also 17, and I was quoted at $10,000 a year for a '96 Sebring JXI convertible (I ended up selling the car). So, you might want to consider some cheaper cars or some used cars, since insurance is always more costly on new cars.

Other cars you might want to have a look at may be the VW Jetta ($33,000 CAD fully loaded), Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V (Well under $30,000), and there are plenty of used cars to check out too.

*edit* and if possible, get a manual transmission. You save between $1000-$2000 off the purchase of the car (unless it's standard equipment), and you end up saving on fuel (more gear ratios normally, and the car is a bit lighter too).
 
Actually for a VDubs you could look at the Passat with 4Motion, almost but not quite entirely like the Volvo.
 
2000-2004 Audi A6 4.2.

IMG_0005.JPG


More stuff and quicker than anything mentioned and more powerful than all but the 300C and Magnum. Not to mention a smoother ride than all and better handling than all but the WRX STi. 15mpg in mostly city driving, 19.5mpg with more highway driving. 0-60 in 6.9sec. $49700 US ($62500 CAD) new. Not sure where you live in Canada, but Quattro all-wheel drive is standard. It's truly a superb car for the price.

Best car under $30k. Prices should range from $21000 US ($26500 CAD) for an average '00 to $38000 US ($47900 CAD) for a nice '04. You'd be stupid not to... 👍

PS - I'd also check out the new Audi A4, or possible the 02-04 model. I'm not some Audi freak - I promise! - but given the price constraints you can't go wrong looking at those two vehicles.
 
The A6 is too expensive, but I was looking at the new A4 avant and it was pretty much perfect, but my dad's friend had a daughter who got into a fatal accident in an A4 years ago, so my dad doesn't want to get an Audi period.

I live in Toronto so snow is still an issue, I have driven the 323ci in the snow and it wasn't bad, so I can handle not having AWD, as long as I have snow tires.

As for used cars, once again my dad is against it because you never know what problems are going to arise.
 
Audi's are very safe cars and I don't understand the logic behind that. The Vovo's probably the safest and the best pick so far but theres nothing unsafe about an A4, if someone gets killed in one they would more than likely be killed no matter what the car was. I would offer some help but over here in the UK the prices are very different and some models we get you don't so my input might not be too beneicial. My advice, don't go for something too powerful yet, it will only get you into trouble. You say you drive carefully and safely, so the lack of a 300Bhp+ engine won't be a problem then. Get a sensible car that you can get good insurance for and when your older go for your dream.
 
That Subaru is an accident waiting to happen. It's by far the quickest of the bunch. It weighs the least, gets to 60 the fastest, and the AWD inspires over-confidence galore. It's also less sheet metal, less rigorous safety equipment (than the Volvo for sure), etc., etc. It'd be dead last on my list of cars for you, bud. I'm sure you're a decent driver for your age, but it's really hard to control yourself sometimes. It's hard for me, and I'm, um, well over a decade older than you. :)

An A4 2.0T might be a good bet...if the powers-that-be can get past the illogical fear of Audis. They happen to be as safe as any car of the bunch you mentioned.

They have plenty of zip, but not so much that you find yourself in a ditch. And the safety equipment is pretty darn extensive.

Another possibility would be a lower-end BMW 3 Series (though I'm unsure of how that works out on the currency conversion scale).

If you've ever considered going the used route, there are a ton of cars out there you could get with low miles that'd be fun, not deadly, and serve the functions you need. BMWs, Jaguars, Audis, VWs, etc., etc., etc.

G'luck with it, regardless of what you get. And be careful out there...

-E
 
humbo
The A6 is too expensive, but I was looking at the new A4 avant and it was pretty much perfect, but my dad's friend had a daughter who got into a fatal accident in an A4 years ago, so my dad doesn't want to get an Audi period.
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Used A6 is NOT too expensive - I went through pricing.

Meh - no sense recommending anything else. If you can't get the best and second-best car for the price, why even get anything?
 
The thing with Audi is not a fear of us dying in one, it's just because it would be uncomfortable for my dad's friend to see us owning one, I guess.

As for used cars, we aren't close with any mechanics, though I am going to training to become one later this year. But my dad's trying to develop an inferiority complex in me so whatever I say I want to learn he says that I won't be able to do it. Hell he's even against owning a car with a manual transmission just because I haven't driven one yet and therefore I'll never learn.

As for the new 3 series it would be a good choice except my sister doesn't like the styling, and frankly we're bored of driving a 3 series even if it is going to be a new one.
 
humbo
The thing with Audi is not a fear of us dying in one, it's just because it would be uncomfortable for my dad's friend to see us owning one, I guess.

As for the new 3 series it would be a good choice except my sister doesn't like the styling, and frankly we're bored of driving a 3 series even if it is going to be a new one.
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I still don't see the logic, I know people and the families of people who've died in car accidents and they don't have prblems with anyone else owning that make or model car.

Anyway, the new 3 series I would guess is as overrated as the last, sure it will be fantastic to drive but it will lack space and extras for your money compared to class rivals. I still say go with the Volvo.
 
The new concept is the IS330, theres an IS200 and an IS300 and there was an IS430 concept but not IS350.
 

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