I need a new car--please help, I'm clueless

[Terri]

My car is about shot--or deserves to be! http://www.christianforums.com/image.php?u=208&type=profile&dateline=1070847169

Could you please give me your opinion on the most practical car--cost, gas mileage, durability wise.

Now, my personality is that I would like to have a small red sports car or a BIG pick-up truck. :eek: But, I need to be practical here.

So please if you want, give me the ideal car fun-wise just for fun, but what I really need is practical. :yawn: Yes, practical is boring! http://www.christianforums.com/image.php?u=208&type=profile&dateline=1070847169

To save money I could certainly take a used car also. So any tips of how to find a good used car would be appreciated also.

What about those hybrid cars?? Is the saving in mpg worth the extra price?

I've actually been thinking about the cooper mini. I am rather tall though and don't know if I would fit. http://www.christianforums.com/image.php?u=208&type=profile&dateline=1070847169

What say you???

[arunma]

Well, here's my $0.02. I'm told that a Toyota Prius is a very efficient car. Whatever car you get, I think that efficiency should be the highest priority. If the Iraq issue goes on much longer, I doubt gas prices will fall any time soon.

[Richard]

I have Dogde Intrepid 98 ES , It gets pretty good gas milage.

[novcncy]

Prius is a good car, and maybe the Civic, hybrid or not. They take a while to get your money back just on gas, but they do give you a tax break, too. The older used civics get GREAT mileage with a little maintenance. I could get technical with you, but those 90's civics are great because there are tons of spare parts, they're easy to work on, so if you DO need something extreme like a new engine, it's comparatively cheap, and easy to find. The hatchbacks from the early nineties can get around fifty miles per gallon. I have a 98 coupe, and drive it far harder than I should, and still get around 30, 40 on the highway.

So as you can tell, I'm a honda guy, but any of the import four cylinders should give you some good gas mileage. There are sportier ones too, like the del Sol, or CRX (although those are harder to find in good condition, and more expensive to maintain). Theres also the Nissan 240, but that may only be a six, I don't know. Also, you didn't mention if you have kids or not. The civic and the sentra and the corolla (that's another great option I forgot to mention) all come in four door models, as well as coupes.

Good luck.

*******EDIT***********
Oh yeah, I forgot to address durability. Those imports, really any of the ones I mentioned, will go forever. They are extremely durable. Check out edmunds.com for car specific info as you narrow down your search. Okay, bye. :)

[Manda_24]

I just bought a 2002 Ford Taurus and I love it, it is a little bigger than my old one(1995 Contour). It gets about 30 mpg country and highway driving and about 16-20 city driving. It's not really the type you are looking for but it's a good car.

[seebs]

I have a 4-year-old Honda Insight.

I just drove to Madison and back; 533 miles, about 8 gallons of gas, give or take. I only had to fill up because I started with about 2/3rds of a tank.

Realistically, even with the AC on and everything, I get around 50mpg.

[novcncy]

I have a 4-year-old Honda Insight.

I just drove to Madison and back; 533 miles, about 8 gallons of gas, give or take. I only had to fill up because I started with about 2/3rds of a tank.

Realistically, even with the AC on and everything, I get around 50mpg.

About the ONLY downsides to an Insight is size, they're sort of small, and they're expensive to have body work done because they have an aluminum body. If everyone drove a similar car, we'd be good to go, because you wouldn't be on the road with Excursions. Of course, if everyone drove one, we wouldn't be in the gas crunch we're in, either. :)

[seebs]

About the ONLY downsides to an Insight is size, they're sort of small, and they're expensive to have body work done because they have an aluminum body. If everyone drove a similar car, we'd be good to go, because you wouldn't be on the road with Excursions. Of course, if everyone drove one, we wouldn't be in the gas crunch we're in, either. :)

Yeah.

I love it. We have an insight and a beat up old station wagon. We use the insight for as much driving as possible, and the station wagon when we need to move heavy things.

[MrJim]

I don't own one yet, but Honda is the way to go. (I'd like to get a 5-6 year old Element some day although every time I mention this to someone they look at me like I'm from Jupiter or something...)

[novcncy]

I don't own one yet, but Honda is the way to go. (I'd like to get a 5-6 year old Element some day although every time I mention this to someone they look at me like I'm from Jupiter or something...)

A five to six year old Honda is perfect. Old enough to know that there's no significant problems with it, and young enough to go another 300K. :thumbsup:

[Onesimus85]

My car is about shot--or deserves to be! http://www.christianforums.com/image.php?u=208&type=profile&dateline=1070847169

Could you please give me your opinion on the most practical car--cost, gas mileage, durability wise.

Now, my personality is that I would like to have a small red sports car or a BIG pick-up truck. :eek: But, I need to be practical here.

So please if you want, give me the ideal car fun-wise just for fun, but what I really need is practical. :yawn: Yes, practical is boring! http://www.christianforums.com/image.php?u=208&type=profile&dateline=1070847169

To save money I could certainly take a used car also. So any tips of how to find a good used car would be appreciated also.

What about those hybrid cars?? Is the saving in mpg worth the extra price?

I've actually been thinking about the cooper mini. I am rather tall though and don't know if I would fit. http://www.christianforums.com/image.php?u=208&type=profile&dateline=1070847169

What say you???


If you are looking to save money I would go with a used car. My mom has a 93 Mazda 626 and she gets 34 mpg, my sister bought a Toyota Echo w/o cruise and no power steering for under $8000 and she gets 44mpg. Her car was weird at first, but it is ok once you are use to it.

[Onesimus85]

Here are some other good cars:
Mazda Miata
Dodge Neon SXT

[Terri]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I really appreciate them and will be googling them all and studying them.

I'm sorry it took me so long to reply. My internet service went out. I couldn't even make a phone call as it kept telling me "all of the circuits are busy." I'm in Baton Rouge and we are still having alot of hurricane related problems. But, of course nothing compared to New Orleans, Gulfport, and Biloxi.

Novcncy I don't have any children--it would be a car for one. I do really like hatchbacks. I have a hatchback now and it would be hard to go back to a little trunk.

The Hondas sound really good! Sounds like they might have everything I need.

Onesimus85 I would love to have a Mazda Miata. I'm having a real battle with myself between what I would love to have and what I should buy for practical reasons. http://www.christianforums.com/image.php?u=208&type=profile&dateline=1070847169

Again, I really appreciate the input. It's always alot better to get real opinions from real people rather than just looking on the internet which is what I had been doing.

[novcncy]

If you are looking to save money I would go with a used car. My mom has a 93 Mazda 626 and she gets 34 mpg, my sister bought a Toyota Echo w/o cruise and no power steering for under $8000 and she gets 44mpg. Her car was weird at first, but it is ok once you are use to it.

Good call on the Echo. They are weird at first, but they get great mileage....

I don't know about the Neon SXT. You pay for a lot of fluff with it, it's definitely not the best for mileage, and if you're going to lay out for it, you might as well get a real sports car.

[Wolfman66]

I'd find a good used Chevy Silverado 4X4 with Skyjacker lifts and dual exhaust. A CB antenna is a must even if you dont have a CB. Now these dont come in 4 cylinders or hybrids but you cant go wrong when the muddy season hits, plus its hard to listen to country music in a Sentra with spinner rims.

[JPPT1974]

BTW, if you could afford it, what would your dream car be?
I would love to have a red Dodge Viper.

[ZiSunka]

We just saw the Chevy Cobalt at the fair and it looks like a very nice car for the money. Decent mileage, too. Might want to check it out at a dealer near you.

[BigNorsk]

Hi,

If you buy used, one big concern right now in your area will be whether the car was submerged or partially submerged and got damaged from the hurricane.

Sometimes it isn't any big deal, but things like the fluids in the differentials and transmissions for example should be changed.

You didn't say what your budget is so it's really difficult to give much in the way of a recommendation.

You should also really consider your current car. Part of what wears us down is the seemily constant stream of things going wrong.

Maybe if you have it seriously gone through and fixed you could avoid that by spending a bit now maybe a couple of thousand.

If you are fixing constantly, that is also a sign that you are being negligent on maintenance. Buying new and trading repeatedly just moves you ahead of when the problems tend to show up, but it is still poor behavior to spend thousands on a car and then neglect it so that it requires much more repairs than it should. It is poor stewardship.

One good idea when shopping is to take someone with you who isn't infected with new car fever. Give them veto power on any deal. It can save you some cash, or from getting the car that is a poor fit for you.

Marv

[Stinker]

I love how those Mazda Miata's look! But one has to be practicle nowadays. I'd look into the what Toyota has to offer. I own both a Toyota and a Mazda, and the Toyota is far better in mpg than the Mazda, even though the Toyota has a much bigger engine!

[JPPT1974]

Buy a car that seems good and fitting for your budget. As well as doesn't give your insurance company a big and huge fit. Like if you buy an expensive car that you can't afford, they might feel as though they want to jump off a roof.