New Car
 

I'm thinking about getting a new car soon for the college trips to home and back. A round trip is going to be over 500 miles so I thought it might be worth investing in a newer vehicle than the one I have right now that gets much better mpg and more dependable.

I don't think I could trust any cars that are 20 years old (the dreamy Honda civic's) in any good condition for the kind of miles I'm going be needing for the next 4 years. Does anyone have any suggestions/recommendations for what I could get?

I would absolutely 100% recommend buying a used car and am against buying new cars, unless you are rich, but if you absolutely insist, I would recommend the Nissan Versa Sedan Automatic.*

*Disclaimer: I am an idiot and know nothing.

For some reason fueleconomy.gov shows the automatic model as being more fuel efficient than the manual model.

[30 City] [33 Combined] [38 Highway]

It starts at $10,990. It is the cheapest new car. It's won awards and stuff. I think it's a real contender when you compare it with other cars in it's class like the Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta, Kia Rio, Hyundai Accent, Kia Soul, Kia Forte, Madza 2, Toyota Yaris, Chevy Sonic, Scion IQ, Scion XD, Fiat 500, Honda Civic, etc. And then there's the Smart Car.

Or you could buy 2 used cars. That would be awesome. If you're looking for total mileage that would give you more miles most likely.

I was possibly looking into the new Chevy Sonic LS manual.

:eek:

If you have to get an American car good on gas, get a Ford Fiesta. I guarantee you will fall in love with it so much more than the Sonic. But if you want something more reliable, can't go wrong with Japan.

What kind of used cars would you recommend along with any red flags that should be noted?

If you must go new.. stay away from GM made crap. Ford is 3x better. But I like Korean cars best right now, cheep and good quality.

Buy used the ROI is better and you let someone else take the ital deprecation hit.

Did I add the disclaimer that I am a total fool who knows nothing? If not, let that now be noted for the record.

Number 1 most important rule in used car buying that you can and may never forego or forget: Always bring a mechanic to inspect the car, INCLUDING used cars on dealership lots.

If you forget everything and take only 1 thing away, is it that. Bring a mechanic, bring a mechanic, bring a mechanic.

That said, can't go wrong with Japanese cars - Hondas, Toyotas, Nissans, along with others. But regardless of that, the most important thing in making your car last forever, is taking real good care of your car like you would your child. No other way around that. There's a book titled How to Make Your Car Last Forever. Highly highly recommended. It's like ten bucks off Amazon.

It depends on what you're looking for. Me personally, I'd go for old Honda Civics, Geo Metros, Toyota Tercels, Ford Escorts and Festivas. But I think you're looking for something really reliable that you're going to be putting a whole lot of miles on. In that case, I'd try to find something with lower mileage, under 50,000. If you've got 10 grand, heck, why not a used BMW? Or an Acura or an Audi. But, that's more for fun and mainly you just want something affordable and reliable with low miles and good fuel economy of course. But for fun, there's a whole world of possibilities. Mitsubishi and VWs. Old classics to tinker around with. VW The Thing. Karmann Ghia. Maybe a Pinto if you like the danger and excitement of knowing you could blow up at any possible minute. Stuff like that.

Mainly keeping in mind fuel economy, seeing where we are, and since I think you're leaning towards something newer, here are some ideas.

If you do have new car kind of money, you might be able to get a used 2010 Honda Insight Hybrid that gets 40+mpg under 20,000 miles for around 13 grand.

You could get a used Honda Civic Hybrid under 30,000 miles around 14 grand as well or even a Toyta Prius.

You could get a used Honda Civic under 30,000 miles for around 9 grand. There are so so many different kinds and years of Civics and fuel economy varies greatly, so keep that in mind.

You could get a Honda Fit which gets really good gas mileage under 30,000 miles for around 11 grand.

You could get a Toyota Yaris under 30,000 miles for around 10 grand.

I also recommend VW Golfs and Jettas which are diesels that get really good gas mileage. Under 30,000 miles, probably around 9-11 grand.

If you're willing to buy something with more mileage you could save thousands more. Literally cut some of these prices in half, and then some.

There are a lot of options. But personally, I'd go for an old Geo Metro or Civic.

Toyota Echo.

regards
Mech

My opinion would be the fiesta.

if you buy ford chevy dodge i would recomend a manual trans as the auto trannys have not been holding up in the newer vehicles as they used to. and remember a cheap new car is ussually not as good as a used car for the same price as they are made alot cheaper so something had to take a hit to get the price cheaper