Why The Perfect First Car Is Such A Difficult Find

"JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!" (jqj213) 08/13/2013 at 12:24 • Filed to: First car, stressful, difficult, budget, limits, choices

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The modern first car. A true challenge. You care about safety and cost, while your kid cares about looking cool and going fast. You want reliability, they want fun-ability. Trying to meet in the middle (or anywhere near it for that matter) is not an easy thing to do. You will argue. You will spend hours going through the classifieds. You will spend hours looking and driving them. In the end, you want happiness so that meeting place is an interesting one.

The Restrictions:

In my situation, I have specific guidelines, since I am sharing the car with my grandmother. She won't be the daily driver, but she will be driving it. She is also the one putting up most of the money, so her opinion does matter.

No manual transmission

Must seat four people

No SUVs or trucks

No big cars (BMW 7 series, Audi A8, etc)

No General Motors or Ford vehicles

Try to avoid toyota/Scion/Lexus

Car company should still be in business

Should be newer than 1998

Should have under 125,000 miles

No horrible modifications

Should need no repair work to begin with

Should be my kind of car (My 6' 250 lb self will look okay driving it)

Should be easy and cheap to repair

Must cost less than $6500

The Results (of searching for cars with that criteria)

They were not pretty, to put it simply. And it wasn't like there was a lack of inventory. In the Sarasota/Bradenton section of Craigslist, when searching for cars by owners only, you get hundreds of cars posted each and every day. The cars are just either sad, horribly customized expensive, or don't it my (our) criteria.

How about a 2001 Chrysler Concorde with 130,000 miles riding on 24" rims for !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ?

Or a 2001 Subaru Outback Limited Sedan with 188K miles for only !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ?

Maybe a 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse with 174,600 miles on it for !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! is more up your alley.

Maybe this 1999 Ford Taurus with a huge dent in the door with 141K miles for only !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! is your cup of tea.

This 1987 Lincoln Town Car with 136K miles for !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! may be just for you!

Last but not least is a 1994 Jeep Cherokee with a whopping 250K miles on the clock for !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

The point I'm trying to make here is that the cars for sale are not really practical for a first car. These searches also made me realize how expensive used cars have gotten. They have really high mileage, and just as high price tags. People are keeping these cars for a long time. It makes the searches quite difficult. Sure I have a brand dsire in mind, but I am not only looking at them. I really am looking for a Volvo, Subaru, or Mazda. The only Volvo's I find already have something wrong (rebuilt titles, high mileage, dents, etc). Every Subaru costs a fortune and has super high mileage. The only Mazdas are the old 626sa nd Miatas (which a 6' 250 lb high schooler can not really look good in. The only Hondas I ind have been riced up with turbos and dumb bodykits. The Fords are all old Escorts and Taurus'. VW's in my price range are expensive to fix and have electrical demons. That includes Audis as well. Mercedes are all the old beige models with high miles. Nissan didn't make anything good during the years that fall in my price range. That is the same story for the Kias and Hyundais in my price range as well. It becomes more sad than exciting with every click.

The Walk Around/Drive

Once you find a car, you go look at it. This is where it becomes even more depressing. I found a 1991 Volvo 240 sedan owned by a very kind high school girl. She was going to college up North and had a car up there. This one had to go. She was very honest, which was the problem. It had been in two accidents: one in 1993 (I'm assuming it was repaired under insurance since it still had value.) and one in March of this year which wasn't repaired. The damage wasn't serious, it had some green paint on the bumper and a small dent on the hood. It had 151,000 miles on the clock but it didn't show it. The interior was clean, the paint was new. The tires were new Bridgestones. The brakes were upgraded. The water pump was changed last month. It didn't have one crucial thing in Florida however, and that would be air conditioning. It went out a few months ago and they never fixed it. It is the blower fan, but it is a bitch to repair. So they didn't. I also noticed something alarming, the odometer didn't seem to be moving. It was locked at 151,756. I think the mileage was actually higher than that. So we had to pass.

We then went to see a 2003 Saab 9-5. It had a mere 85,000 miles on it. Fully loaded with leather, navigation, sunroof, 6 disc CD player, and power everything, it only cost $3200, since Saab went bankrupt and is dead. The owner however was up to no good. He was hiding something. We couldn't find it, but something wasn't right.

Then, we looked at a 2004 Volvo S40. In great shape with 100,000 miles, it was still pretty new. A Carfax report, done by a fellow Oppo, showed that it had been in an accident with frame damage. But he never mentioned it.

We went to see a 2004 Honda Element. Yes, it was a complete departure from those Swedish gems. But it was practical. Mileage was a bit high at 130,000, but it was a Honda. The pictures didn't show the passenger side, but oh well. We went to see it the next day. It had a huge dent in the passenger door. Supposedly, some kids took a baseball bat to it. Again, never mentioned.

It gets very tiring. There are plenty of cars out on the highway, but none are really that good. We all became depressed by this. That caused a change in plans.

The New Plan

Although buying a cheap used car would be nice, since you wouldn't worry about scratches or have to pay comp/collision on the insurance (since the car has no real value), there are no good ones. So, my grandmother has decided to buy a slightly used car and make payments. She wants it to cost around $15,000 and be reliable and easy to fix. I have come up with a list of good cars, but the choice won't be easy.

First, we have the Hyundai Veloster.

A very cool car indeed, the three doors give it personality. It still seats four, has a useful hatch, and costs around $18,000 new. It also has Hyundai's 10 year 100,000 miles powertrain warranty. My grandmother, being a Genesis owner, has come to love Hyundai. She also loved this car at the NYIAS. I love that it has modern features like the 7" touchscreen display, so I can play Pandora in it.

Next, the Dodge Dart. Just like the Veloster, a nicely equipped model comes in around $18,000.

In my opinion, it is one of the better looking small sedans out there. Also like the Veloster, it is meant to give you more for your money. I like that.

We also have the VW Golf.

A practical, fun to drive hatchback, the Golf is just a well rounded car. However, it isn't fully loaded like the Veloster or Dart.

If I raise my budget a bit, I may be able to find a Subaru XV Crosstrek.

Although not sporty, you can't beat the practicality. It gets good gas mileage and has a huge trunk for which I can throw my dogs or furniture in.

If I'm lucky, and find one with a bit of high mileage, this may even be possible. The Subaru BRZ.

This is one of my dream cars. It is so fun to drive, without being too crazy to drive.

The first car is not an easy topic. It will cause you to simply spend more money and get something reliable. Why do you think many high schoolers drive fairly new cars? This is my personal experience and I will of course update you once I do actually get my first car. No, that is not me up there. I would never drive a white Tiburon with a chrome gas cap.

Thanks for reading!

Forgetful > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 08/13/2013 at 12:37

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Re: BRZ... Those aren't rear seats, they're storage bins.

Forgetful > Forgetful 08/13/2013 at 12:37

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oops

Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 08/13/2013 at 12:44

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I went through the first car buying process just about a year ago. I had to compete with not only my parents but also a twin sister with opposite car view than me.

The Restrictions:

No manual

No 2 door cars

Must come from a dealer

Must have a warranty

Must have under 80k miles

Must be American

No issues

Must please my judgmental sister and mother.

Must still be "cool" to please my Dad and I.

The Results.

Mother fucking Cobalts everywhere. All of which got a big no from me, PT Cruisers which also got a no, Saturn Ions? more no. I found a Chrysler 300 which I was pumped about and that got a no from my sister and Mom "It looks like a mob car" Yeah, thats why I want it. I also found a TL, that was shockingly in budget, which got a no, Im still bitter about that one. I showed my Dad the Pontiac up top and he said "No, Im not buying a Pontiac." My sister wanted an Escape or a G6 which again, was a no from me. After looking at a bunch of Focuses, and a failed attempt to get him to look at a Mada6 and a few months later I showed it to him again and he was all for it. And we ended up buying it.

We never did end up using that warranty we "needed"

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 08/13/2013 at 12:54

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My first car was a Timor S515i that my uncle bought back in 1996. I got that thing at 2006, and it's really awesome.

Yes, it was a cheap-ass (US$ 2000 whem it was new) econobox, the egine is only put 100ish hp, and it's looks boring.

But, it's awesome to drive. Even last year she finish at number 70 from 176 cars at local amateur rally with broken suspension, which is awesome

My point is, no matter how rubbish your first car is, try to enjoy it.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis 08/13/2013 at 12:59

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Its very difficult to please everyone. I love the 300, its a cool, badass car. My grandma really doesn't like Chrysler that much though. The PT Cruiser is just sad. The Mazda 6 is nice, I look for those a lot. I am not a fan of Chevys really because they just feel cheap.

I love that warranty bit. That'll most likely happen to me too.

Are you at least happy with your Pontiac?

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Forgetful 08/13/2013 at 13:00

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It's okay I don't really like other people anyway... I am a neat freak and other people will make a mess of my baby.

Dunnik > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 08/13/2013 at 13:24

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Not surprised you found "a lack of inventory" when you've crossed off three of the largest automotive manufacturers on Earth (Toyota, GM, Ford).

You didn't mention insurance costs: "cheap to insure" wasn't on your lengthy list. I guess because your grandmother will be listed as the primary driver, with you as occasional? This would explain why the Toyburu is on your list, where it would otherwise be impractical, insurance wise.

I think part of the problem is you're searching for a "perfect" car. Ask yourself if seeking perfection is reasonable in a used or slightly used car.

Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 08/13/2013 at 13:34

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Yeah its a good car. 91k miles and still going strong, has some quirks but what used car doesn't.

Matthew Henry > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 08/13/2013 at 20:10

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I recently went through a similar search. For me, the car had to be reasonably sized (6'3", 225). It needed to get good gas mileage (500 mile drive to my college). It had to be under $2200). I wanted a manual transmission. Had to be somewhat reliable, and reasonably easy to work on. And needed to not cost a fortune to insure. Being fun to drive would be awesome.

I ended up with a 1997 Saturn SL2 with a 5-speed and a machete. It's light and pretty chuckable on the twisties. 25/35 mpg. A decent sized trunk, repairs are simple and cheap. Only 110k miles on mine. http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/episode-3-in-w…

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Susan > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 08/13/2013 at 21:37

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I'm a bit partial, as this is my Dart, Jace. (and my bf choosing the awesome time to look up from his gameboy. lol)

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Matthew Henry 08/13/2013 at 21:41

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I thought the machete was a typo... I thought Saturns would be A) expensive to insure since they are defunct, and B) expensive to repair because parts are expensive because they are now defunct.

avens > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 08/13/2013 at 21:42

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This screams mazda3/mazda6.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Susan 08/13/2013 at 21:43

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Very nice blue... what trim level did you get? I like the Rallye edition because it gives good features at a good price.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > avens 08/13/2013 at 21:44

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I am always looking or them... the only 3s here are sedans, I want a hatch. The only 6s are the 626, which was still a Ford which wasn't great

avens > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 08/13/2013 at 21:47

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The 3 sedans are quite nice. Really, give them a try.

Susan > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 08/13/2013 at 21:49

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I actually won him on Facebook. Was given 26,000$ MSRP budget by Chrysler; and ordered him from the factory.

He's a near fully-loaded Limited model. Has everything but the automatic, the sunroof and the block heater. The color is Blue-Streak Pearl btw.

The reason I did not go Rallye, is because it's much cheaper and less complicated to change the 3 things that make a Rallye a Rallye (2 headlights and bumper cover), than change the tons of goodies that make a Limited a Limited (all the interior, tech, and the TFT screen). If you have the budget though; and are okay with a slightly bigger engine, go with the GT. It has what is included with the Limited & has the looks of the Rallye, with a unique interior to the trim; and it costs less than the Limited at base-price. Its a very good deal for what you get.

LMK if you have any other questions :)

and, for fun; here's a link to some pics taken last Saturday, at a "ghost track", here in Georgia. It's the same one they filmed the Durango vs. Explorer ads:
http://deepsouthfocus.smugmug.com/Cars/By-Owner/…

Matthew Henry > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 08/13/2013 at 21:57

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Au contraire! Saturns are cheap to insure, because the body panels are fiberglass (minor accidents don't dent), they're somewhat underpowered, and I think most Saturn owners are poor college students who drive carefully because they can't afford accidents.
They're cheap to repair because GM made 2.4 million of these things. Parts are literally a dime a dozen.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Susan 08/14/2013 at 00:20

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Thats incredible! How'd you win? I've won things like a tablet and phone, but never a car!

The only problem I read was that the steering kinda sucks. Is that true?

Susan > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 08/14/2013 at 00:40

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Steering doesn't suck.. it handles great. Better than you'd expect. It's electronic steering, but it is very well weighted. Feels direct, IMO.
Best way to figure if you're going to like a car, and how it drives is to test drive one. Relying on other peoples' opinions and experiences won't tell you what yours will be. Doesn't matter the car, being open minded will make you happier in the end. Don't rely on magazines or friends or family.. rely on yourself and form your own opinions and experiences. They aren't the ones that are going to be driving it. You are. Their opinion is moot.

As far as winning, it was a long, drawn out process. The contest was on RealSimple.com, hosted by Dodge and Pinterest. Uploaded 2 pics from Pinterest & build a Dodge in their (admittedly lame) customizer. What they didn't tell you in the rules is that you could photoshop to your hearts' content. First stage was the voting, which i still suspect the first and 2nd place were cheating; but the top 3 voted went into the judgement round. I got 3rd in the voting with the help of people that 'knew me' from several automotive forums.. The "judgement" round was on creativity. That is where I won; because the first & second place only had the two required images; I had stuffed my Pinterest folder with all the Photoshops' I had done of the Dart up to that point.

(I'm admittedly a bit of a Chrysler nerd, and do Photoshop for fun, and occasionally $, since I am unemployed) That was back in october 2012. I ordered my Dart in November, and it arrived at my choice dealer in February. Went through the Fleet side, not sales; all I had to pay was tax for the vehicle, which was just over 2400$ (the MSRP was something like 25,7xx). I sold my B5 Passat for 2500 to cover it; and the rest is history.

911e46z06 > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 08/14/2013 at 03:07

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http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/…

No need to thank me, citizen. I'm here to serve.

If you don't want to click the link, its an e46 330i. You can get a smaller engine for even cheaper. And if you want more room, you can get an e39 540 for dirt cheap. I had an e39 for my second car, and she did me good. Also, once wrapped one around a tree in pretty violent fashion and walked away without a scratch.

Throw out the age requirement, and you can get an e30 and work on it yourself.

93Aero > Susan 08/14/2013 at 07:15

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Where is that track? It looks awesome, and the fact that its in Georgia makes it even better.

davidj210 > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 08/14/2013 at 09:27

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Crosstrek is an Impreza hatch with a lift kit. If you go with a regular Impreza, you can pull the cost down by a few thousand dollars.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > 911e46z06 08/14/2013 at 11:20

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That one looks to be in great shape... good price too.. thats a good find

Susan > 93Aero 08/14/2013 at 13:56

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Somewhere between Macon and Perry; it doesn't have a driveway or anything & is chained off most of the time. We had to drive on a golf-course (might've been mini, idk)to get to it, and were escorted by local police. You wouldn't know it was there unless you knew it was there, if that makes sense? I forgot to get the GPS coordinates out of my car to map it -_- lol