24 replies to this topic

[somebodyspecial]

So first I'll the story of how this all came about.. because overall it is pretty funny. Troy and I were going to my parents house on Christmas Eve and got my car stuck in the snow driving around behind the house. When my dad got home he and Troy went outside to get my car unstuck and ended up deciding to tow my car with my dads truck. I didn't get the impression that anything might be wrong, but the next morning when we were leaving my parents with all our new goodies, my car wouldn't drive straight pretty much as soon as we accelerated to 10 km/hr... turns out while towing my car my dad bent the shit out of my rear axle...

So anyways.. now I have a car that won't even drive straight and I am going to either get shopping, or get it repaired. We'll be getting my car in on Monday to see how much repairing it will be but from what I've heard from some friends I'm probably looking at over $1000, which is about the maximum I would be willing to invest in my current car.

So I'm kinda looking for some ideas for new cars... what have you guys got? What is good about them? What isn't?

My current car is a 1992 Mercury Sable and I love it. I would like something about the same size, 4 door, automatic, new or used but preferably with some kind of warranty, I don't want a hatchback and I'm not overly picky about how the car looks as long as its going to be a decent car that will give me some good use. I figure I can afford about the $20,000 range depending on the financing... so all that said..

What kind of input do you guys have for me?

[somebodyspecial]

I wish, but not really an option, and even then.. if the repairs are going to be $1500 I'd rather he give me the money to use towards a new car anyways, there really is no point putting so much into that car anymore. And I did ask my mom about it today, I just asked if there was any chance of getting a contribution towards a new car from them since dad broke my car..

On a side note, I was also wondering what would happen if someone accidentally drove into a ditch and then a nice stranger stopped to help you out and towed out your car but did the same thing.. I mean... how would you ask this nice stranger to cover your bill? Surely you would have some legal rights to request he pay the bill.. right?

[Red]

get another sable if you really liked it.

but just figure.
how much is your car worth?
if you got it fixed would it be COMPLETELY fixed?
how much are you willing to invest into a newer car, and from where? If not from a lot, factor in the issues the car my have that you'll be stuck with, which could perhaps mean more money.

Edited by Red, 26 December 2008 - 09:12 PM.

[somebodyspecial]

Yeah thats the thing about getting this one fixed is its starting to look like it may need a lot of money put into it pretty soon anyways. Even just basic stuff, like it definitely needs new tires within the next year, and the A/C doesn't work which isn't too important but would cost $700..

Plus my mom mentioned things like as far as the timing for me and my boyfriend, his car is pretty much in the same shape as mine.. it would be good for one of us to have a new car, especially since we plan on getting married/having kids within the next 5 years, and then we wouldn't have to panic about needing two new cars in the same year.

Good idea about looking into another Sable. I'm going to research that idea, I really have no idea why I didn't think of that already...

[Red]

yeah, when my first car got to be more money that it was worth, i sold it for parts and upgraded.

[somebodyspecial]

So apparently they haven't sold Mercury Sables in Canada for the last few years, and before that they had stopped making them from 2002-2005 which puts me looking for used cars over 5 years old.. so a Sable isn't really an option..

[Funky Cold Adina]

I literally JUST bought a 2009 Honda Accord.

Reasons to love a Honda:
a) They're not getting bailed out
The car is designed around the engine, not the other way around. Hondas are known for their reliable drive trains.
c) Their cars are some of the top selling vehicles, so parts are easy to find when something does eventually break.

And looking at the Sable, an Accord looks to be in the same size.

After titles and all the other fun stuff we bought ours for $20,700 and change. Of course my father-in-law is a good negotiator, so that helped.

But yeah, look at Hondas. Good cars.

[The One]

Mazda 3

best car i've ever owned.

1. its fast
2. handles great
3. alot of fun to drive
4. really stylish compared to most other cars on the market today
5. dashboard feels like your in a fighter jet at night (red lights with blue accents)
6. has alot of standard options that you have to get extra with other cars
7. great gas mileage... or kilometerage as you might say in Canada. Mine gets about 32mpg in the city and 40 mpg out on the highway.
8. and its just fuckin sexy to look at.... especially in black

yum... zoom zoom zoom

[Funky Cold Adina]

Cuz, ya know, sexy and fast is totally what she's looking for in a car.

[/sarcasm]

[somebodyspecial]

Yeah, Hondas are definitely one i'm going to look at, as well as Toyotas, Troy mentioned the same thing about Hondas and finding parts, apparently they are the most common car in this area. I have a little preference to a Toyota because when I was in Japan we visited the Toyota factory so I have received a lot of positive propaganda about them myself. Also just from looking online and what not I have kinda started to like the Chevrolet Malibu because it is available in a hybrid which I like the idea of, but it is probably a little above my price range. We're going out tomorrow to a couple banks and car lots to start test driving and to see what exactly they are willing to finance for me.

[sassmore4u]

toyotas are good, but the newer models aren't as reliable as the older ones... they run smoothly and have great mileage, but they don't have the longevity that they used to... you should really try looking up customer reviews online, like on carfax.com or something, that really helped my mom out when she needed to decide on a new car

Edited by sassmore4u, 28 December 2008 - 04:33 PM.

[somebodyspecial]

Yeah I've been spending hours online looking for input already. And that was my worry about Toyotas too, because they are made in Japan they aren't really made for longevity at all, I don't think I saw a car over 5 years old the entire time I was there.

[CaptainHenreh]

Mazda 3

best car i've ever owned.

1. its fast
2. handles great
3. alot of fun to drive
4. really stylish compared to most other cars on the market today
5. dashboard feels like your in a fighter jet at night (red lights with blue accents)
6. has alot of standard options that you have to get extra with other cars
7. great gas mileage... or kilometerage as you might say in Canada. Mine gets about 32mpg in the city and 40 mpg out on the highway.
8. and its just fuckin sexy to look at.... especially in black

yum... zoom zoom zoom

What he said.

I'm convinced that for a fun, pretty, fuel efficient, sporty compact, there's nothing better than a Mazda 3 Wagon.

Toyota's aren't what they were, and hondas have gotten fat and ugly. And another thing, it's not like GM is going to go under tomorrow. Go take a look at some Chevy's. You might be surprised.

[Carl]

Yeah, what the hell is up with the accord's look nowadays? I looked at the recent models and it looks nowhere near as good as the old accord I drive today.

This picture is similar to, but not exactly equivalent (this picture has mods I don't have), to the Honda I drive:
http://www.daviddna.com/images/Cars/1992_A...en/HPIM0801.JPG

This is a picture of a 2008 Honda Accord:
http://automobiles.honda.com/images/2009/a...rior-header.jpg

Notice that it is no longer has much of a trunk, doesn't provide the passengers in the back with much headroom (look how it starts tapering off as soon as it exits the driver's area), and is smaller than the 1992 model.

I'm sure these enhancements help the bottom line and may help gas mileage, but mine gets 22 in the city, and I certainly prefer its design.

[somebodyspecial]

I think the new one is nice looking... but thats just me..

[Funky Cold Adina]

Still plenty of room in the back. Trust me

[Carl]

I prefer to be able to see where my car ends out in front of me. That design looks pulled almost exactly from the prius, with some modifications. I hate the Prius because I can never tell where the front of the car is, so I overcorrect and stop too soon all the time. I'm sure I'd have the same problem with it. And Adina, you're a midget, so you don't count