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

If you have the space, time, tools, patience, and knack... buy a used car. You can fix it up and drive on the cheap. What to buy.... there are many forums out there to help you decide what maintenance is like on an older car.

Or, if you're like me, buy a new car. My Vibe is the second new car I've ever bought. I bought new because, although I'm good at working on cars and have the knack (Millwright by trade), I don't have any space to work on them and keeping two sets of tools (work and home) is impractical and expensive. I also don't really want to be spending lots of time under the hood tinkering and maintaining any more then I have to. I do all the maintenance on my Vibe and KLR, so far that's mainly oil changes!

My first new car was an '05 Sunfire... drove it into the ground... got about $3000 out of it when I got rid of it. Got the Vibe new in '09 and the KLR a few months ago (new as well). Paid $16xxx cdn after taxes for the Vibe, it has zero options and is the base model... not even A/C! It's paid off, and (if I try) gets 38+mpg on a good day... but usually 33mpg and I'm not easy on the throttle...

There are some serious questions about what you're looking for in a car that you must ask yourself: What do you like? What do you want out of said car? Will you be hauling around a lot of stuff or people? Are you maintenance inclined and do you have the space/tools to do work? (adjusting valves in -20 isn't fun...) What's your budget including college and basic living expenses... can you afford a monthly payment? Do you care what your friends will think of you if you roll up in something that doesn't fit in as "cool" or "macho"?

Do your reaserch on vehicles... scan the various car forums and specs on said cars once you narrow your search.

Oh yeah, one more thing... Volkswagens are a NIGHTMARE to work on!!!

i would agree on buying a fiesta. if you have more money get a focus

Thank you to everyone who has posted and I will keep all of this in mind.

A used jetta/golf tdi
You will fall in love with its fuel mileage first ,its reliability later.
If you have the coin buy new, if you are financing the whole thing, buy used, you can get Bank or dealership financing on decent used cars.

2007/2008 Honda Fit. Cheap to run, reliable, great gas mileage, excellent resale value. And, fun to drive!

Can you fix cars? I always enjoyed wrenching in my free time. I started college with a 95 accord with 200,000 miles and graduated 5 years later with 340,000 miles. Never on a tow truck. I still have this car, its at 370,ish. It has a scary amount of original parts on it but I would drive it to California right now. I believe the 94-97 2.2 sohc accords are thee best cheap used car on the market.

I think a used car is better if it's only for college trips.

I like the new Nissan Versa sedan. The X-Tronic CVT is better than the average slushbox or those AMT's such as the DCT used in the Ford Fiesta.