Suggestions for first car

  • Thread starter Thread starter samurai10001
  • 124 comments
  • 7,242 views
JCE
I'm sorry but as soon as you starting talking about an engine swap that is by far the worst suggestion so far in this thread. The LAST thing a first time driver needs in his or her first car is to waste money on an engine swap for performance or otherwise. "Easy" and "cheap" never go together for stuff like this. If his budget is $2,500 you can forget about it anyway. You cannot even FIND a Celica in good shape for that money regardless of generation. A clean well running example of any first car should be the goal not talking about engine swaps and performance.
Click to expand...

I wasn't suggesting an engine-swap right away... perhaps a few years down the track. Swapping the engine out on your first car straight after you've purchased it would not be a great idea. I wasn't suggesting that. Though I was suggesting a Celica for a first car within that price bracket.

I'm not too familiar with how much a used car costs over in the US... but from when I was there last time the exchange rate was a lot worse then it is at the moment, and I saw a lot of decent cars in good condition which I'd consider a 'bargin'.

I purchased a 4th generation Celica back in 2006 for $2000 AUD, which is approximately $2100 US. They have depreciated even further since then, so I thought it might have been a good affordable first car for Samurai.
 
I feel like I may be flamed for this post, but oh well.

What do you guys feel about an NB Miata as a first car, hypothetically? My dad said he will hand me down his when I turn 16, and with a hand me down, I won't need to spend the money to buy it, and instead use that money for paying for insurance, taxes, and maintaining it. And if it's still running, by the time I'm 24 I could Spec Miata it! :dopey: JK, JK.

No matter what you do though, never do anything to the engine unless it's for keeping it running. It screws with the life and the fuel economy, and it jacks the insurance prices way up. Maybe upgrade the sound system if it has dead speakers. Do things that will make you enjoy your car, which means that maintaining it is #1, because if there's anything that will make you not enjoy your car, it's it not running.

BTW what do you guys feel about an E30 325I? My friend got this for his 16th, and I've never had as much fun as being in the passenger seat when he was driving it like a maniac. (Not exactly legal. :sly:)

I know when I was first learning to drive (same NB my dad wants to give me) I scared him half to death. I just don't really get panicked. I just have fun. I really do like that car.
 
crispychicken49
I feel like I may be flamed for this post, but oh well.

What do you guys feel about an NB Miata as a first car, hypothetically? My dad said he will hand me down his when I turn 16, and with a hand me down, I won't need to spend the money to buy it, and instead use that money for paying for insurance, taxes, and maintaining it. And if it's still running, by the time I'm 24 I could Spec Miata it! :dopey: JK, JK.
Click to expand...

Nothing wrong with its driving characteristics at all and it might get you interested in Autocross and track days. It doesn't have too much power to get yourself killed and it's not big enough to make you feel invincible. I think that every high school student should get a 4 seater though. And you may be mocked for driving a "secretary's car" (Cue argument in 3..2....)

crispychicken49
No matter what you do though, never do anything to the engine unless it's for keeping it running. It screws with the life and the fuel economy, and it jacks the insurance prices way up. Maybe upgrade the sound system if it has dead speakers. Do things that will make you enjoy your car, which means that maintaining it is #1, because if there's anything that will make you not enjoy your car, it's it not running.
Click to expand...

Erm... No, not really. Machines aren't witchcraft. They can be improved.
 
Spokane? Haven't been back that way for a looooong time. My memories center around dandelions, snow and riding the big old carousel at Riverfront park... (wonder if it's still there).

Still have a place out there... would visit to fix up, but paying a couple thousand bucks in airfare just to mow the lawn is a bit too much.

NB Miatas are great. Drive them gently and they will do you no wrong, and they're gentle enough and soft enough at the edge of adhesion that if you have a "moment", you have a better than fifty percent chance of catching it. :lol:

-

If you can stretch your budget for the EK, do so. Infinitely better car in every which way except weight... and even then, they don't weigh that much more.
 
What about a good first car thats RWD or 4WD?
 
alvin23a
What about a good first car thats RWD or 4WD?
Click to expand...

With RWD, anything that isn't powerful enough to get you into trouble, with 4WD it really depends. On a new car-type budget there are unlikely to be any performance machines with AWD for the taking (which again, given the new driver thing is probably a good thing) but if you were looking at actual off-road 4WDs then there's probably plenty available.
 
crispychicken49
? My friend got this for his 16th, and I've never had as much fun as being in the passenger seat when he was driving it like a maniac. (Not exactly legal. :sly:)
car.
Click to expand...

That right there is why you don't spend a lot on an overpowered first car.



If your going to post a what about X for my first car then post your price range you want.

For example if your looking for an AWD for your first car okay well great but for less than 3000 there really isn't much.
 
The guy that said cars are money pits was spot on. My dad kept saying don't bother buying one until you need one. I never really understood why he was being such a kill joy, until I started driving. How naive I was....

These days I spend nearly a third of my income keeping my car on the road. I drive a diesel car that manages around 55.5 UK MPG, has normal tyres, long service intervals and is relatively low insurance group. I do a lot of miles and live in a rural area though. This cost is only going to go up over time.

You just don't realise how much cars cost until you pay for it all yourself.

Even if you don't use it much, it just sits there costing money. A relative of mine (19 years old) spends £2 per mile on his car because of the running costs.

Yes, the US is cheaper, but the same still applies: it is a money pit.
 
Nah... it ain't that bad.

I mean, you'll only spend about what the car is worth in gasoline every 25,000 miles... :lol: (given the threadstarter's $2.5k budget and current US gasoline prices.)

-

Every time I start to calculate my fuel and maintenance expenses, I have to stop halfway... I've spent enough in the past ten years to buy myself another house... and I don't even have to drive to work... Still, somehow, I've managed to rack up around 200,000 kilometers in that time... :ouch:
 
niky
Nah... it ain't that bad.

I mean, you'll only spend about what the car is worth in gasoline every 25,000 miles... :lol: (given the threadstarter's $2.5k budget and current US gasoline prices.)

-

Every time I start to calculate my fuel and maintenance expenses, I have to stop halfway... I've spent enough in the past ten years to buy myself another house... and I don't even have to drive to work... Still, somehow, I've managed to rack up around 200,000 kilometers in that time... :ouch:
Click to expand...

I know.... It hurts so much thinking about the cost. If would be better of working locally for £5k less per year and I get paid a high rate for my business miles. Stupid, isn't it?

Petrol is currently £1.35 per litre here, one day soon the US prices will hit that too.....
 
JCE
Let's not forget the first time anyone drives a pickup truck in the rain they will truly understand oversteer and its demonic brother snap-oversteer. First time I ever drove a pickup truck was a late 90's Ford Ranger with the 4cyl engine. Let's just say making the first turn on to the frontage road was about a 270º spin without warning--this was while it was raining a good amount. Something with a higher power to weight ratio such as that Dodge Ram will not be any better. A Civic, Corolla, Focus or Cavalier would be perfect first cars. Do you see a pattern with those? Small, cheap, slow and reliable forms of transport.
Click to expand...

Truth here. I've never had the understeer problem, except on gummed up clay roads until my tires clean the lugs out, and in the mud. But demonic snap oversteer, I know that too well. Did a 270 on a simple turn into a neighborhood at less than 25mph. Had a small crest in the middle of it where the crown of the road was, and around I went. Next time was just stupididty, wanted to get a sideways, so just floored it at a stop sign turning left onto a county road around here. Needless to see I was very quickly looking back at where I started :lol:


To the OP, get something with 140 or less horsepower, get a manual, and just about everything you can find like that handles well enough to have fun stock. I've got a good bit of experience in a diesel mkV Jetta, and it's got decent enough speed, but it holds the road like it's glued. And gets 45-50 mpg to boot! And then my parents cars, '04 Mustang V6, '06 Escape 2.3 5 speed and now a '10 Escape 2.5 with an auto. Hate that thing...

Oh, and I'm 18, do I sound like an old guy? :lol:
 
niky
Personally, I'd prefer a B13 Sentra SE-R. That's a light car with a punchy 2.0, a well sorted but comfortable suspension (except for the tiny matter of bottoming out waaaay too easily) and an LSD to help it hook up for an excellent 7 second 0-60 time..
Click to expand...

This is a good suggestion. Just watch out for the 5th gear pop-out issue.
 
5th... 3rd... and, eventually, if you turbocharge it, look forward to cracking the transmission bellhousing... :lol: ...the B14 gears are much stronger... but that's a much safer, much more refined, much more boring car. :lol:
 
Another issue of manual transmission Sentra's/200SX's is the synchros are notorious for being rubbish. My 98 SE-R had the 2nd gear synchro go out at less than 110,000 miles. I was PISSED because the rest of the car was in cherry shape and well taken care of! I miss that car.
 
samurai10001
Wow dudes, there are no ek's what so ever in or around Spokane
Click to expand...

You'll quickly learn being very specific with what car you want when your looking under $2500 will become very frusterating. Even if you find one who's to say it will run well.
 
CMvan46
That right there is why you don't spend a lot on an overpowered first car.



If your going to post a what about X for my first car then post your price range you want.

For example if your looking for an AWD for your first car okay well great but for less than 3000 there really isn't much.
Click to expand...

Don't worry. He spent like 1000 grand on the thing. It was fairly cheap with about 135 HP. The previous owner screwed the car over.
 
crispychicken49
Don't worry. He spent like 1000 grand on the thing. It was fairly cheap with about 135 HP. The previous owner screwed the car over.
Click to expand...

[pedantic]1000 grand?

$1,000 x "grand" = $1,000,000

That's one expensive beater. :lol:[/pedantic]
 
crispychicken49
Don't worry. He spent like 1000 grand on the thing. It was fairly cheap with about 135 HP. The previous owner screwed the car over.
Click to expand...

No.... I'm stating the fact that you thought was "cool" he drives like a maniac....
 
Hey guys. I recently turned 15 and I am now on the search for a first car. I was just wondering what some cars are that look like civics (I like the 94 4 doors and the ones like the newer preludes). Also, they need to have a 4 cyl motor. Priced reasonably (around $2000), not hard to find (looking on Craigslist) basically first car material
Thanks in advance!
 
Last edited:
Try cars.com, you'll find more options and more reliable options than craigslist.com
As far as I know, a '94 4 door Civic looks the most like a '94 4 door Civic. Good luck!
 
And old Geo Prism GSi could be a nice find, seeing how it is basically an AE92 Corolla in sedan form, complete with disc brakes all around and the 4A-GE. Would be a bit more exciting than a 4 door Civic from that era. And probably cheaper to pick up.
 
Camry, Sentra, late-90s Cavalier... just fill in the 'price max' box with $2500 or whatever your budget is. Japanese is probably the best way to go for reliability and cheapness of repairs though.
 
Acura EL/CSX. :sly:

If you plan on getting a used car for less than $2000, I'd go for a Japanese car. Personally, my first choice is also a Civic, but I'd also look in to the Corolla.
 
Lots of good Sentras under $2000.

If you don't mind rust.
 
My car doesn't like Civics, it hates all hatchbacks.
 
Hmm, with that criteria why not just buy a Civic? It looks like a Civic, it's under $2,000, and there's more of those then flu viruses. I found some within 50 miles of my area, one exactly how you want, and another a DX Coupe.
 
MatskiMonk
My car doesn't like Civics, it hates all hatchbacks.
Click to expand...

I'm going to assume he is in North America based on the currency character, and most Civics here aren't hatches, since we seem to hate the damn things.

So its all good!
 
Back