What car looks cool (semi-sporty, sleek) but not too expensive? This will be my first car
I like the Honda Civic Is, but that only comes in manual transmission, and it is a little too sporty looking. Are there any sedans (I'm hesitant for a coupe, but if you know of one, please list it.
Added (1). *Honda Civic Si, not "Is".
Also I think the rear of the SI is too sporty, not the body
Appearance is not an issue for a first car; it is all about what is available at a price you can afford. It is crazy to finance a first car, you have to save up and pay cash. Since there's an even chance you will wreck it in the first year, 80% in the first three years, a first car must be something disposable. Mine (back in 1970) was my mother's 1964 Dodge Coronet. It had been a New York taxi for a year and had 100K miles on it when she bought it. It would go 0-60 in a few minutes and had brackets for advertising on the front bumper. I bent it a bit but my brother totaled it the first time he drove alone. Nobody cried when it was towed away. It was a perfect first car.
Car loans are not like any other kind of loan - they are a gateway to a dark place where cold winds howl. For example, take a new car loan for a $15,000 car. With fees and taxes it becomes an $18,000 car. With visions of driving a shiny new car you sign a contract for six years, paying $250 of the principle each month. A buyer with really good credit can get a rate around 5%, with a payment of $344/month. A loan with poor or no established credit can be 19%, which raises the monthly payment to $473… Almost twice what a no interest, no tax, no fee payment would be. Then the nightmare begins: not having an insurance quote yet, the buyer finds the mandatory full coverage will be $200 per month for an experienced driver, or $390 for a new driver. (Insurance prices vary widely - these are examples.) The monthly commitment is now $544 per month for the established adult, or $863 for a new driver. For the first 2/3 to 3/4 of the contract term the car is not worth what is owed (called being "upside down" or "underwater") so the buyer can't sell the car without paying a lot to do it. Heck, if he had the money in the first place he probably wouldn't be wanting to sell it! If the borrower loses his job anytime in that six year contract, the car is likely to be repossessed and things go much worse. The borrower still owes the loan (but at least now doesn't have to insure it) plus repo fees, but he has no car. His credit score drops like a stone. When the car is sold at auction the amount it fetches is deducted from the loan balance but it is never what the car was worth - the buyer still has to repay thousands. It all sounds too horrible to be true but we see it here all the time. The sources are examples.
So… Look around to see what used cars become available with the money you have saved up. For each one, my checklist applies:
1) Research the car. I use carcomplaints.com to look for common defects in the car I'm interested in, and carsurvey.org to see what random owners say.
2) Get an insurance quote (not a guess). Insurance often sinks new drivers.
3) If the car is interesting, verify the title is clear and made out to the guy selling it. You would be amazed at how many people sell stolen cars - one of them here was a rental car! Beware craigslist and other marketplaces because fraud is so common. If it sounds too good to be true… You know.
4) Have your own mechanic do a pre-purchase inspection. It will cost you about $100 but often saves you thousands.
Mitsubishi Lancer, Kia Forte (recommend only with the 147 hp engine, stay away from others, less reliable), Hyundai Elantra (recommend only with the 147 hp engine, stay away from others, less reliable).
- How many years from the year the motorcycle was built should you hold onto it before the parts become too expensive For example I was interested in buying a 2006 Honda CBR600f4i until I looked up the price of the fairing pieces. Just a small piece of the fairing was over $600. Of course they charge that price because they want you to buy a new motorcycle.
- Cracked top of Honda engine block. Looks repaired but how long will this last? Bought a used car 1 year ago. It runs fine and no problems. Took the car it for an oil change and mechanic noticed a leak. He took off the oil pan and found this. Oh the joys of buying a used car… Looks repaired but how long will this last? Honda quoted me $6000 to repair it… Can I keep running the car like this? Thanks Dan! This is a photo taken from the top. Timing chain to the right
- What type of cool decent not too expensive cars do you recommend for a college freshman? I want a cheap decent car but to be cool and have a weird some unique style, even if it's old model. I can get a honda or toyota 4cylinder but they are too plain and everywhere. I want something cool yet economic and cheap but I don't know A lot of models. I don't mind an old pontiac or buick coupe but I don't know which model and they are not economic right. I don't know ahh probably a stupid civic is all I got.
- Sporty cars for under or maybe a tiny but over 5000 dollars? I'm gonna have 5000 dollars and maybe a little more and want a unique sporty car like I don't want a common car like a honda civic and cars common like that I want one that will catch peoples eyes because it's unique and I know I won't find one like this at a car dealership so assume it's like craigslist or something