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FORD FOCUS? you won't even be able to get one leg into a ford focus. if those are your choices, then go with the civic.

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"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

hey,
Im a university student as well, and drive 7 hours a week to take 9 hours of classes! I also needed a car that fit all your prereq's, plus leg room cuz I am a larger lady. What We picked: First Car 3 years ago: 1991 Chevy Cavalier, we got it at the auction, it had only 140k on it, and has gone 3 years with only minor repairs and new tires. Our New Car: 2004 Chevy Cavalier. I guess once a chevy owner always a chevy owner. It costs 40 bucks a week to drive 7 hours to school and back and not to mention all the other driving we do. Very Economical, but not quite as much as the 91 Cavalier, but what do you expect, its 30hp more? Anyway, I would highly recommend this car. We picked up a brand new one 2004, with all the options except cruise and power windows (A/C a must in BC summers), and had Nice Mudflaps and a Hidden Hitch installed, and it only cost 14,500 after taxes! That includes the extended warranty as well.
You could easily find a fully loaded Cavalier for under 10 grand. Ford Focus are nice as well, but I found they didnt have the leg room a Cavalier has. We also test drove Pontiac Sunfire (which we probably would have bought now on hindsight more leg room), a Toyota Echo (haha that was funny was like driving a suitcase with wheels, im only 5'9" and my knees were up around my chin), and a Chevy Optra 5 (same problem, too small in the front end for long legs).
Check out Chevy Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire, same car, but with different perks. Lots of legroom in the sunfire.
Good Luck!


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compare that to any american "muscle car." i have spent almost nothing in major repairs on both vehicles in almost 7 years of ownership.

Thats really not that good considering my LS1 (V-8, 320 HP ) gets 22 MPG on the highway, and 18 MPG in town.

my 1997 automatic neon gets 30 mpg, and my 1996 saturn 5 speed gets 38mpg. compare that to any american "muscle car." i have spent almost nothing in major repairs on both vehicles in almost 7 years of ownership.

Done.

Apple: 1969 GTO 400ci big block with a 4bbl: 400 hp, can actually get out of it's own way, looks cool, isnt a neon, ect.

Orange: Neon. Is a neon. Made by dodge. can't spin the tires on a road sprayed with astroglide, ect

Something else to consider-Leasing a car. Given the time frame you are talking about, you are going to be doing major service and likely repairs, if not getting 2 cars. With a lease you start with a new car and the benifits that brings. After the lease is up, you will have a better idea of you needs in transport and you will know the history of the car if you chose to buy it. If not then you can get another without having to go through the hassels of selling a used car.

Buy the Honda Civic as Hondas are very reliable. My dads Accord is more than 13 years old and it's still running Beautifully. Also Hondas (and most 4cylinders) have very good mileage.

bryant- you have to be kidding.

i owned a 69 gto big block 400 with a quadrajet 4bbl. i got 8 miles to the gallon, before regular gas was phased out. 400 stock hp sounds cool until you pay for the gas.

my 1976 transam looked cool, but the gas mileage was pitiful.

my 1997 automatic neon gets 30 mpg, and my 1996 saturn 5 speed gets 38mpg. compare that to any american "muscle car." i have spent almost nothing in major repairs on both vehicles in almost 7 years of ownership.

Get the Honda then, NEVER get a ford.

I would suggest a toyots also, because they last a long time.

Acually, many forign cars last a long time.

If you want to go domestic, get a chevy, or a dodge

BluePhoenix:

Well, speaking from experience, I have never owned a used car that I did not later regret. For the most part, when you buy a used car, you are buying someone else's headaches. Also, you have no idea what the original buyer' driving habits were. There are no 'little old ladies who never drive above 40 mph and only on Sundays' anymore. I commute, and daily, I'm packed in with crazed, raged fanatics who obiviously drank way to much coffee.
I don't know your physique, but from your post, it sounds you are tall with long legs. This, no doubt, limits your choices.
A college car should be:
1. economical to drive (sips gas).
2. inexpensive to insure (only found in "shoebox" sedans)
3. relatively maintenace-free (better start looking for a boyfriend(s) with mechanical skills NOW)
4. fun to drive (why make the sojourn from home to college a boring one?)
5. ample cargo space (a hatchback is top of the list on this one)
6. plenty of room for passengers (for that occasional weekend rally with the girls)

For starters, I would recommend a vehicle with a 4-cylinder (I4) engine. They all are quite economical to drive. Toyotas and Hondas both have good track records maintenance-wise. Still not sure if I'd buy one used, though. I think hatchbacks are the best all-around car. They have good trunkspace for packing stuff around. An important consideration when you're doing the college scene. Not as good as a station wagon but times better than a sedan.
2 vehicles that you might want to consider are the P.T.Cruiser and the Mazda 6. I happen to own a Mazda Miata right now (too small for you) and I believe that Mazda really is a well-built vehicle.
A turbocharger or supercharger will really give your little 4-cylinder some grunt, but this is not really necessary for shuttling around college. Both have fast-moving parts in them. It's the moving parts in cars that give away first, so keep this in mind when out looking.
Out of all the cars I've owned, the ones I've loved the most is my Miata because it is a sheer joy to drive, and the Datsun B210 which was my college car. It was a 4-banger hatchback. Unfortunately, technology wasn't what it is today, and the B210 rusted away. Another hidden value to consider is the Hyundai. They've come a long way from the piece of junk that they originally were. Hyundai's learned a lot over the years and now puts out a pretty good product. Good thing about them is that they have a low resale value (old stigmas die hard), so you'll probably get a good deal on one.
I recommend you check the website http://www.kbb.com for further information on both new and used cars. Rather than looking at the sticker price, look at your monthly costs. It may very well turn out that you could afford a lot more car than you think.
-Wayne

Here is my opinion, and by opinion, what I really mean is "i am right and everybody else is wrong"

first rule of car shopping?? Always buy American. You're in canada and F-bodies were made in canada, so you dont' lose pride or whatever canadians have

Looking for good gas mileage? Get something with forced induction. Despite what treehuggers and car experts say, Superchargers are VERY economical.

It's a good idea to look for cars made before 1971. GM models such as the Pontiac Firebird/Trans Am, Ford Mustang, Pontiac GTO and various mopar-powered monsters should do you fine.

Catalytic converters cause backpressure, and backpressure=less MPG. So definately cut them off and put a code spoof in it's place.

Air bags add weight and suck power. Disconnecting these and removing them will increase your MPG and lower your race weight. It might be good for .002 seconds and .5 mph in the 1/4.



Last edited by bryant at 09-Oct-2004 12:33

Make sure the engine idles correctly(around 100 RPM, give or take).

I believe you are missing a zero, good sir

focus, civic those are tiny cars !

As much as I hate to say it....look @the smaller suvs, toyata's rav4 or hondas crv ...or maybe even the subaru outback....the pirus is nice and big on the inside...*sends blue a prius*

Another idea is to look at a diesel which could be converted to biodiesel...moondog would know more about that....but my understanding is that it's cheaper and more economical...not to mention better .

good luck...first cars are hard....*hugs her prius*

^_^
*Proud member of the Committee for Sig line Restoration*

On the financial side of things. I will be paying "cash", so I'm hoping the cash deal will allow me a little bit more of bargaining power.

Most definately BP, you'll do far better with cash
Not sure how different Canadian Fords and Hondas are to what we get here but the Hondas are definately more reliable BUT as has been said, a little more harder and more expensive than the more common Fords.

Consumer Reports generally rates Honda ove Ford for reliability, but if it does break down, Honda's tend to cost more to fix.
Kelly Blue Book is the industry "bible" for used car values. Don't know about Canada, but in the U.S. it is available at most libraries and many auto parts stores. Even in some repair shops.
Consumer Reports is a great tool for researching and comparing specifics on vehicles. They also offer an in depth vehicle report that covers everything you could want to know about a specific make and model including interior dimentions and line item values for options.
Carfax on line reports will get you the history of a specific car ranging from number of previous owner to any reported accidents.
Was the parents' Cavalier a 2 or 4-door. A coupe will give you more leg room, but cost you more in insurance. Coupes ar designed with more travel in the seat tracks. The underlying theory is coupe drivers are less likely to use the back seats therefore, the designers can sacrifice rear seat room to accomodate a wider range of potential buyers.
Dealers will not give you a break for paying cash. There is more profit for them in financing. They do like large down payments. If a buyer defaults, the dealer gets the car and the buyer's money. Here we have the Better Business Bureau. It is a forum for complaints against companies and how those complaints are dealt with. Don't know if that will be available up in the Great White North.
One more thing-take a note pad to the dealership. While you are looking around, take notes on likes and dislikes about the cars and dealerships. Or look like you are taking notes. It will keep the sales person more on the up and up.

DEFINITLY the Honda, between those choices. Hands down. No competition. Can I make it any clearer?

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They shade the glow of it with their mossy-misty costumes,
They wear masks of silk, porcelain, brass, and silver,
So as not to mislead with their own, ordinary faces.

Hey Everyone.. (Its been a long time since I've been here )

First, I've come to the conclusion that I both hate and love looking for cars.. Salesmen are downright evil. I'm looking to gather some advice on used cars.

I need a car to commute to school everyday. The school I go to is downtown and I live in the suburbs. The bus takes about an hour and 20 minutes one way with one transfer. This may not seem like too much, but I'm at school from 9 until 5 and am fed up with our transit system.

I'm looking for a car that:

- Will get me from A to B for the next 4-8 years (School)
- Is Reliable, won't breakdown and cost on repairs.
- Is good on gas (Student Budget.. meaning no income)
- **I will fit into** : Leg room (and to a lesser extent, head room) are key. Those that know me know what I mean Cars like Corollas are completely off the list
- Is relatively cheap to buy. Line of Credit will be paying for this, so I can't splurge on a brand new car. Having said that, I don't want a beater. I'm hoping to hit the 8-10K range (Canadian, keep in mind)

- looks relatively nice. I really like the european design of hatchbacks.

I'm hoping to garner advice on what sort of things I should specifically be looking for when buying a used car. Tricks of the trade from people who have gone through the process. Strategies to deal with the salesmen and bartering.

I'd also be interested in stories from people who have been happy or disappointed with their own purchase. Things you wish you would have done or known.
Cars you wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole, etc.

Thanks for all the help,

Marc

Last edited by BluePhoenix at 06-Oct-2004 13:27

hmmm, yeah banks like vet students too... I wish I was still considering the whole vet school thing. ATM it's not likely anyway...

Just think of all the tank-hauling you can do with a truck! Well, assuming it won't break...

And in a state like Indiana, where it's legal to have passengers in the bed, it's quite fun

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Thanks everyone for the input.

I'm 6'10", so there really isn't going to be many cars out there that will "comfortably" fit (especially when I don't have the budget for larger cars). Having said that the car I most often drive is my parents Cavalier. This is the car I took my road test in, so I'm used to the little bit of crampness that comes along with it.. enough so that I don't even realize its small.

So, from that, I'm looking for a car that will fit just as well, or better, than the cavalier.

So far, the main two cars I'm considering are:

-Ford Focus
-Honda Civic

Although, from everything I've gathered, I should only be looking as far back as '02 for the Focus.

Does anyone one a Ford Focus?... I'd like to hear experiences with them.

As for the Corolla, it was the first car I was interested in after research... It sounded great. I went to a dealership and sat in a few and they are incredibly small!!! There's just not enough leg room in them. Great cars though .

The Camrys and Accords are out of my price range I believe (they're closer to 13-15 thousand).

I'm 21, so I'm not going to be getting a minivan ... not just yet anyways. And I hate trucks, waste of space IMO, if you aren't going to be using them.

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A lot of the advice given has been great and I give thanks. A lot of it coincides with what I've read. I think it's a must to have the car checked by an independant mechanic before purchasing. Some of tidbits about things to actually look for while at the dealership I didnt know so, it's good to know some secrets.

Some of the references to publications to check pricing, etc. I am not sure of. I wonder if some of them are relevant to me being in Canada. What is the "Kelly Blue Book" and where can I find it?

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On the financial side of things. I will be paying "cash", so I'm hoping the cash deal will allow me a little bit more of bargaining power.
I'm a first year Med Student, so basically have no budget.. Everything's in the red. The source of income for the car will be my Professional Student Line of Credit (banks like Med Students)..

Thanks again everyone for you're help and keep brainstorming! It's really helping.

Marc

We got a pickup truck because my brother is quite tall and he needs his space too. There's more than enough for him and he's about 6'4". So that's probably a good idea for you too. It was also a lot less expensive than SUVs of the same vintage. Make sure you get a warranty on it from a dealer - my truck had transmission problems and they replaced the transmission for free because they had a 60-day warranty that if anything was wrong with it in that time they'd fix it.

Also, ask around with friends about dealers. I know there is one dealer in my home area that used glue in repairs, which voided the manufacturer's warranty and needless to say didn't work very well... Since we'd heard about that before we went car shopping, we avoided their dealership.

On the flip side of that we actually bought the truck from a dealer we knew. He and his family went to our church and other people we knew had bought vehicles through him so, on top of knowing what most trucks like it were going for from the bluebook and looking at them online, we knew he was going to be honest with us.

*sigh* I really wish I had my truck with me at school now...

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I second getting a saturn. I bought my 1999 SC1 coupe with the 3rd door on the drivers side! Comes in handy when I have to go do my laundry! The car is excellent in getting gas mileage! For example.. i can drive from the SE corner of Minnesota to the twin cities on just a hair over the 1/4 tank mark! Not to shabby in my Op. The car cost me just a bit over $6K, and it had 62,xxx miles on it. Go test a saturn at a Saturn dealership! They are wonderful and you can eat free food in their display rooms! haha! ne way! check it out! you may like it!

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