New Car....What to get.

nickman

nickman

Member
Aight so here are my circumstances. Im a senior in highschool. We (my family) has 2 cars, a ford tarus, and some old piece of shit that just broke....so we need a new car.

The most important things for me/my parents are safety and mpg. The car should be $5000 or less(so it will pretty much have to be used). Im pushing for something like a volvo v40, or a subaru Legacy or forester..or mabey something like a geo metro because of their insane MPG (35+)..The retarded thing is that my parents wanna buy the car really locally so im really limited in that sense...I personally definitly want something that can hold skis/gear so I would have a preference toward a slightly larger car/a car with a ski rack mount, but my parents don't wanna get a suv. Any suggestions/comments would be great.

Thanks.
 
Haha they come with an extended cab option....Why are they against a truck that gets high gas milage? A truck is the most versatile vehicle out there...
But go for a metro, or a Matrix if you can find them cheap, I think Honda makes them.
 
Its irrational I know...to be honest, I doubt they have a real rational reason...but I can't imagine my mom sitting in a truck, let alone letting us purchase one.
 
sometimes u jsut have to look for good deals.

i got a sabb 900cs for 1000 bucks. 1994 with 4 snows. its manual and is a lil costly to be fixed but its better than buying a 5000$ car and fixing the shit out of it.

it runs fine and slays the snow. i drive up a huge access road every day. yesterday i drove tot he mt in 8 inches of snow and was fine. its only 2 wheel drive but i recomend a sabb if u can find a cheap one.
 
get yourself a toyota corolla. Might not be the nicest, fanciest car, but it will get you everywhere you want to go and they last forever.

But why do i bother...i bet pretty soon everyone will be in here saying subaru.
 
Toyota corolla seems like a good bed for a smaller car. The earlier years are fairly safe...but not quite as good as would be optimal...frontal crash ratings hover between 3 and 4 out of 5, closer to 4 though. The ssab seems to be a little safer...thanks for the info. Ill take both into consideration.
 
1995.chrysler.lebaron.2771-300x189.jpg


 
Rav4 is a little low on the MPG....and a little high on the "suvishness scale"

Im checking craigslist reguarlly.
 
toyota camry, they are really long cars, so you can fit skis inside them, most are automatic, and high mpg, plus they go fast, and have a big trunk, and are pretty reliable
 
I'd say like an 01 02 subaru legacy outback... it'll run great up to like 300,000 miles. Or any toyota.
 
I would def go for a civic. They're decent cars, inconspicuous (which I actually consider when I buy a car), they will last longer than the cockroaches, and if the mood strikes you can do an H22 full engine swap for around 2 or 3 thousand and then you have a civic with 200bhp! Although if you've ever actually driven a 200hp civic its pretty sketchy and I would def get all my strut/tie bars first.

Corolla's aren't bad either. For the love of god though don't buy a metro.
 
How about a Mazda tribuite. Its a SUV crossover, so its not too big, and gets good MPG if you go with a manual 4 cylinder.
 
Don't get the metro if you care about safety. That car is a tin can with a lawn mower engine. The reason it gets such great mpg is because it weighs nothing (as in it has very little to separate you from whatever happens to come into contact with it). The lack of power is also a bit of a safety hazard. Imagine attempting to merge onto the highway and the car being totally out of power by time you get up to 50mph. Every uphill you come across you need to take a running start at it to maintain your speed.
Make sure you check whether the car you're looking at has both driver and passenger airbags if safety is a concern, too. Many cars didn't have passenger side airbags until 1995+.
One of my top choices in this range would be the Volkswagen GTi from 1990(ish). Check out Autotrader.com for listings around your area.Also, check out vwvortex.com's classifieds to find some enthusiest-owned (and loved) cars.
Cars are my specialty, PM me if you want some more help.
 
Subaru legacy 96-99 manual. around 3,000, good mileage, mobs snow, and will last forever. I have a automatic outback, but the car i mentioned is the best possible car for you, Outbacks have numerous problems the simple legacy doesn't and manual is a much, much, much better option, (longer lifespan, better mileage, more power.)

Get this car.
 
My parents won't purchase a manuel. If it was up to me it would be a different story. Thanks for the imput anyway.
 
I love my 98 outback. Wouldn't trade it for anything. I just drove through a snowbank taller than my hood towing someone on skis behind me. Get some snow tires and do regular maintenance and it will be unstoppable.
 
SUBARU... simply put. any subaru is what you want. Outback/Legacy/Forester sound perfect for what you need... last forever, perfect in snow, pretty good mpg, and a lot are automatic. you can find them at good prices too
 
im not sure how much they go for, but toyota matix's are good cars. good on gas, and AWD

another option, like you said, subarus. you can find 2000ish outbacks for 4-5 grand around me. newer ones get better gas mileage, but the other is still decent (26ish average)

forresters get a little better gas mileage, but i havent looked into them too much.

 
S U B A R U is all you need, no little front wheel drive toys that will get stuck in everythingyou will not regret it
 
Wow.....knew that this thread would be flooded with "get a SUBARU!!" (they are great cars, don't get me wrong!)
You should also check out the Volvo 850. Probably the safest car ever built (no joke), 5 cyl 2.3L (good on gas), fwd (decent in snow) and will last forever. You can get one for a few grand, and they're actually really nice looking for a car of that era. plus they're loaded with every option you can think of.
 
Ok so ive been checking craigslist and stuff...I found a 03' Saab 9-3 for around 5k....which is a really good deal, but has no ski rack.. If I don't get that I'll probably just get a subaru forester.
 
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