My sister wants a car that does not exist.

Kinja'd!!! by "The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock" (jukesjukesjukes)
Published 02/13/2017 at 22:35

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STARS: 0


Her 2007 2.5 Rabbit has reoccurring steering & spark issues. She is finally looking other cars.

Here is here list:

- automagic (she has a bad left ankle).

- under $12k (cad)

- 2010 & up

- looks good

- reliable

- good on fuel

- cheap on insurance

- same size as her Rabbit

Here is how the conversation went, keep in mind she is not an enthusiast.

Me: How about a new Corolla, they look good & are reliable. They can be had for under your budget.

Sis: Nope, looks like a car grandma would drive.

Me: A BMW with an N52? It is one of BMW’s more reliable newer engines.

Sis: Nope, I said it had to be reliable. You just suggested a BMW.

Me: How about a Kia/Hyundia?

Sis: I don’t know about Korean cars, they are poorly built.

Me: Kia/Hyundia has come along way in the 5 years. They are twice the car they where 10 years ago.

Sis: They are still Korean.

Me: So what you want is a Corolla. Looks good, good on fuel, & reliable.

Sis: No Corollas.

What she wants & what she is describing are 2 totally different cars.


Replies (62)

Kinja'd!!! "TheTurbochargedSquirrel" (thatsquirrel)
02/13/2017 at 22:39, STARS: 1

Civic?

Kinja'd!!! "facw" (facw)
02/13/2017 at 22:40, STARS: 1

In fairness, it’s been a long time since Corollas looked good (obviously a matter of personal preference, but I’ve got your sister’s back on this one).

Kinja'd!!! "The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock" (jukesjukesjukes)
02/13/2017 at 22:40, STARS: 0

They are too expensive to insure.

Kinja'd!!! "The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock" (jukesjukesjukes)
02/13/2017 at 22:41, STARS: 0

The newer ones with the LED headlights look pretty good.

Kinja'd!!! "Junkrat aka Rick Sanchez: Fury Road Edition" (realasabass)
02/13/2017 at 22:43, STARS: 0

Impreza? Oh you said good on gas, but it can’t be much worse than the VW 2.5.

Kinja'd!!! "m-b-w loves his SUBAROO" (m-b-w)
02/13/2017 at 22:43, STARS: 2

Honda Fit or Civic? Subaru Impreza? Newer 2.5 Golf?

Kinja'd!!! "The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock" (jukesjukesjukes)
02/13/2017 at 22:44, STARS: 0

A bit much for insurance.

Kinja'd!!! "The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock" (jukesjukesjukes)
02/13/2017 at 22:45, STARS: 0

She does not like how Fits looks, Civics are too much to insure (same for Imprezas). The current 2.5 Rabbit has left a sour taste in her mouth, so no VWs.

Kinja'd!!! "Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
02/13/2017 at 22:46, STARS: 0

Why?, more than a Corrola?

Kinja'd!!! "Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno)
02/13/2017 at 22:49, STARS: 0

Focus or Cruze.

Kinja'd!!! "The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock" (jukesjukesjukes)
02/13/2017 at 22:49, STARS: 0

The Si drives up the rate, you know how most Si drivers drive...

Kinja'd!!! "gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee" (gogmorgo)
02/13/2017 at 22:51, STARS: 2

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/city-of-toronto/1996-lada-niva/1230372297

What more could your sister possibly want? Seriously though, that thing almost is nice enough to be worth the very high asking price, which is still well within your sister’s budget.

Kinja'd!!! "The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock" (jukesjukesjukes)
02/13/2017 at 22:52, STARS: 1

She wants a car, not an overglorified tractor. I kinda want it.

Kinja'd!!! "DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time" (dc3ls-)
02/13/2017 at 22:53, STARS: 1

Ford Focus?

Kinja'd!!! "Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
02/13/2017 at 22:55, STARS: 0

Oh, right.

Kinja'd!!! "Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
02/13/2017 at 22:57, STARS: 1

How bout a Mazda 3, or maybe a 2?

Kinja'd!!! "BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather" (bugeyedacura)
02/13/2017 at 23:00, STARS: 0

No Cruze? I’ll be honest, it’s a good car that ended up way under-rated.

Kinja'd!!! "Alfalfa" (alfalfa-romeo)
02/13/2017 at 23:00, STARS: 1

Sounds like she needs to change her opinion on Korean cars. Suzuki sx4?

Kinja'd!!! "Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras" (jegoingout)
02/13/2017 at 23:00, STARS: 1

:(

Kinja'd!!! "BeaterGT" (beatergt)
02/13/2017 at 23:02, STARS: 0

Damn and she can’t even walk with that ankle...

Kinja'd!!! "The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock" (jukesjukesjukes)
02/13/2017 at 23:04, STARS: 0

She can walk on it, but not for long periods of time. The constant clutch in-out be too much for it.

Kinja'd!!! "The AE86 of Mt. Akina (Hachi)" (theae86)
02/13/2017 at 23:05, STARS: 0

Seriously, I cannot understand why people hate older cars so much.

Kinja'd!!! "BeaterGT" (beatergt)
02/13/2017 at 23:06, STARS: 1

Tell her the only choice left is a Prius. Maybe she’ll lighten up to the other choices.

Kinja'd!!! "deekster_caddy" (deekster_caddy)
02/13/2017 at 23:06, STARS: 1

Volt!

Kinja'd!!! "The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock" (jukesjukesjukes)
02/13/2017 at 23:06, STARS: 2

Her reason is crash test standards. 

Kinja'd!!! "E90M3" (e90m3)
02/13/2017 at 23:06, STARS: 0

Did they ever import those to the US?

Kinja'd!!! "m-b-w loves his SUBAROO" (m-b-w)
02/13/2017 at 23:08, STARS: 1

A bicycle is looking like the only option. lol

Kinja'd!!! "The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock" (jukesjukesjukes)
02/13/2017 at 23:08, STARS: 0

Where we live it lacks in the infrastructure to support one.

Kinja'd!!! "The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock" (jukesjukesjukes)
02/13/2017 at 23:09, STARS: 0

When you live in the middle of scum fuck nowhere that’s out of question.

Kinja'd!!! "deekster_caddy" (deekster_caddy)
02/13/2017 at 23:10, STARS: 2

You don’t have to plug it in. Meets all the other criteria and way more fun to drive than a Prius!

Kinja'd!!! "TrustMeImAnEngineer, but I'd rather be an InternationalArtThief" (trusttheengineer)
02/13/2017 at 23:12, STARS: 0

I liked the BMW suggestion... I wish people would stop totally taking German cars out of consideration just because they *think* all German cars are unreliable.

Kinja'd!!! "m-b-w loves his SUBAROO" (m-b-w)
02/13/2017 at 23:18, STARS: 0

She’s gonna have to settle on something on her list..

Kinja'd!!! "The AE86 of Mt. Akina (Hachi)" (theae86)
02/13/2017 at 23:19, STARS: 3

Oh. Forgot people are aren’t as crazy as I am, sorry.

What about a Nissan Micra or a Mazda 2/3/6?

Kinja'd!!! "scoob" (scoobsti)
02/13/2017 at 23:19, STARS: 1

#EXPOSED

Kinja'd!!! "Leadbull" (leadbull911)
02/13/2017 at 23:20, STARS: 1

#FASTENERS?

Kinja'd!!! "Leadbull" (leadbull911)
02/13/2017 at 23:22, STARS: 1

BMWs are super reliable.

Just ignore the check engine light and sell it before it blows up.

Kinja'd!!! "scoob" (scoobsti)
02/13/2017 at 23:24, STARS: 0

#THEDEVILSWORK

Kinja'd!!! "gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee" (gogmorgo)
02/13/2017 at 23:27, STARS: 0

Having just driven one 9000km in 12 days, no, your description is not inaccurate. It’s a lot faster than most tractors, and can’t tract much. But it’s about as comfortable...

Kinja'd!!! "gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee" (gogmorgo)
02/13/2017 at 23:28, STARS: 0

Who is “they”?

Mine was in Alabama last Sunday. You never know.

Kinja'd!!! "dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford" (dtg11)
02/13/2017 at 23:33, STARS: 0

Force her to look at Korean cars, she should be surprised and impressed. Plus they offer the best value for what she’s looking for. Other thought would be Ford Fiesta but not sure about reliability.

Kinja'd!!! "E92M3" (E46M3)
02/13/2017 at 23:34, STARS: 1

Honda Fit?

Kinja'd!!! "E90M3" (e90m3)
02/13/2017 at 23:38, STARS: 0

They meaning Lada.

Kinja'd!!! "JGrabowMSt" (jgrabowmst)
02/13/2017 at 23:58, STARS: 1

My R129 probably tests on par with most new cars today.

Alternatively, if she’s worried about crash safety, an older Benz or Volvo wagon is proven to be among the best.

What about a C30, or a Honda CR-Z?

Kinja'd!!! "Land_Yacht_225" (nadenator)
02/14/2017 at 00:04, STARS: 0

2010 Lexus HS 250h. Done.

Kinja'd!!! "Amoore100" (amoore100)
02/14/2017 at 01:18, STARS: 0

Good on gas.

C30.

Those are two very different things.

Kinja'd!!! "InFierority Complex" (lanciere)
02/14/2017 at 03:30, STARS: 0

Lexus ct 200h?

Kinja'd!!!

Kinja'd!!! "bhtooefr" (bhtooefr)
02/14/2017 at 06:17, STARS: 1

Mazda3 2.0?

The old Nissan Versa hatch? If she hates the CVT, the basest of base models used to have a 4-speed automatic. (I’d say the Note, which she might even be able to get in her budget new, but... that’s not great looking, and if she doesn’t like the Fit...)

Toyota Matrix? It’s basically a Corolla hatch/wagon.

Sonic hatch? It’s ostensibly a size class down, but I can fit behind myself in a Sonic more comfortably than I can in a Rabbit, so... However, it’s both GM and Korean.

Kinja'd!!! "BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest." (bmanultima)
02/14/2017 at 06:57, STARS: 0

Are they under $12k now?

Kinja'd!!! "Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle" (1500sand535)
02/14/2017 at 07:35, STARS: 1

Scion TC?

Kinja'd!!! "for Michigan" (formichigan)
02/14/2017 at 08:29, STARS: 0

Do you know this for a fact? Or just hearsay? Because everyone here in the States told me the same thing and as it turned out, my Civic was dirt cheap to insure. It was even a coupe, which was supposed to be more expensive than the sedan.

Kinja'd!!! "gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee" (gogmorgo)
02/14/2017 at 08:39, STARS: 0

They were never sold new in the US, no. But over 25 years old they can be imported like anything else. Just good luck finding one 25 years old that’s good enough to import without costing an arm and a leg.

Kinja'd!!! "shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
02/14/2017 at 08:44, STARS: 0

Mazda 3

Kinja'd!!! "E90M3" (e90m3)
02/14/2017 at 10:32, STARS: 0

Sounds like a lot of hassle. I spent 2 months in Russia back in 2014 and have been intrigued by their cars ever since.

Kinja'd!!! "wiffleballtony" (wiffleballtony)
02/14/2017 at 10:59, STARS: 0

Ford Fiesta?

Kinja'd!!! "deekster_caddy" (deekster_caddy)
02/14/2017 at 11:48, STARS: 0

Used ones are around there for some of the first gen models, 2011s and 2012s

Kinja'd!!! "gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee" (gogmorgo)
02/14/2017 at 12:48, STARS: 0

No more so than importing any other car from anywhere else. They even have the advantage of having a 17-digit vin, unlike JDM stuff.

Kinja'd!!! "E90M3" (e90m3)
02/14/2017 at 12:49, STARS: 0

Importing a car in general sounds like way too much hassle. Plus now I won’t have the extra cash to be able to afford anything I’d want, like an euro E34 M5.

Kinja'd!!! "BlurpleToyotaDishwasher" (blurpletoyotadishwasher)
02/14/2017 at 17:24, STARS: 0

The only thing I can think of that hasn’t been mentioned is the Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback. I mean, it’s not really as highly regarded as some of the other options, but it looks quite unfussy yet still rather sharp (even if a little hunchbacked), it’s a fairly reliable brand, and is both cheap and available in auto ?

Kinja'd!!! "BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest." (bmanultima)
02/14/2017 at 18:45, STARS: 0

Is that CAD?

Kinja'd!!! "gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee" (gogmorgo)
02/14/2017 at 18:59, STARS: 1

It’s a bit more paperwork to fill out than a regular car purchase, true.

Kinja'd!!! "deekster_caddy" (deekster_caddy)
02/14/2017 at 21:37, STARS: 0

Hmmm. Not sure. What do you find locally? Sorry, missed the CAD part.

Kinja'd!!! "BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest." (bmanultima)
02/14/2017 at 22:40, STARS: 1

They’re cheaper than I expected, but around $14k at the low end for 2011 models.