College Car Revisited

"Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna" (lukielauxd) 05/13/2014 at 11:47 • Filed to: None

2

34

Hello everyone on here, earlier in the year, I was a naive first year child and asked you guys about how it would be like to have a 500E or an older Bentley Arnage as my college car, well needless to say that ship has sailed.

My friend has a CR-V and I'm not the biggest fan of the car right now (and you can't have the same car as your friend, so my dad is looking at the RAV-4 and also the Camry because you literally cannot go wrong with a Camry in our household's mindset.)

I'm trying to think of what would be the most utility per dollar for what car I could get in college. I was thinking Sienna SE (biggest chance since it's a Toyota) or the Mazda5 (but we don't know anyone with Mazda experience so do you guys have any input on the reliability of that car?) My dad said no to the Legacy Wagon already (QQ) because it's too old, so it also has to be 2012 and newer.

Brian Silvestro > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 05/13/2014 at 11:48

1

Why do you need such a gigantic car?! Would a hatchback not suffice?

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 05/13/2014 at 11:49

0

Define "utility". Do you need to tow something? How much? Do you haul tall things? Do you haul people? Lots of little things? Do you need good range and fuel economy?

Nibby > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 05/13/2014 at 11:49

1

Get a truck.

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > Brian Silvestro 05/13/2014 at 11:50

0

Actually it is kind of weird that I completely skipped looking for hatchbacks, but I think it's because my dad started car hunting with the Camry as a benchmark for (smallest we can go) so that's why I just skipped that segment completely and looked for bigger cars.

OH AND THERE'S A SPECIAL SPOT IN MY HEART FOR THE SIENNA FOR SOME REASON.

For Sweden > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 05/13/2014 at 11:53

1

Mazda5 with a stick. It's a bigger Mazda 3.

Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 05/13/2014 at 11:54

0

Jetta wagon? Depending on your budget maybe a TSX wagon. I would kill my self if I brought a Sienna to school, but thats just me.

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 05/13/2014 at 11:54

0

The utility part will mainly be hauling a ton of plastic storage boxes from my room to wherever we will be storing it for that summer. So like out of the 3 years I plan on owning it, I'll use it for its utility for like 12 days.

Brian Silvestro > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 05/13/2014 at 11:54

0

STAHP and buy Mazda(speed if possible)3, Focus (ST if possible) or Golf/GTI.

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > Nibby 05/13/2014 at 11:55

0

Forgot to say, dad said no to trucks, don't know why, just no.

Where have all the lightweights gone? > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 05/13/2014 at 11:55

0

How about the Honda Fit? My girlfriend had one for 200k miles, and it could swallow a surprisingly large amount of stuff if needed.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 05/13/2014 at 11:55

0

Jetta sportwagen. Space to haul stuff when you need it, but it drives nice and is a normal, fuel efficient car when you're not. Insurance is cheap and you can get it with a turbodiesel and a manual.

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > For Sweden 05/13/2014 at 11:56

0

I can't drive stick QQ. and my dad said I have to wait until I graduate college to learn.

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis 05/13/2014 at 11:57

0

No Germans because we had a 328 that nearly buried us in maintenance.
No TSX because my dad hates Honda transmission problems, but I did mention it since I love that car.

For Sweden > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 05/13/2014 at 11:57

2

my dad said I have to wait until I graduate college to learn

wut

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > Brian Silvestro 05/13/2014 at 11:58

0

Will bring up the golf with my dad. Dad shot down the Mazda3 and Focus ST over the weekend.

Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 05/13/2014 at 11:59

0

Toyota FJ Cruiser? Big like the Sienna, but still quirky and unique for a young person.

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 05/13/2014 at 11:59

0

I have an Anti-German father. LOL.

Brian Silvestro > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 05/13/2014 at 12:00

0

Your dad sounds like an unreasonable man.

Big Bubba Ray > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 05/13/2014 at 12:01

0

Dude, no minivan unless its the Mazda with a stick. You'll most likely regret driving a minivan around no matter how much utility you can squeeze out of it.

Have you looked at wagons? They drive like cars, get better gas mileage (in some cases) and with the seats folded flat, you can put an absurd amount of crap in the back. If not a wagon, then a hatch? I just think you have far better options than a van.

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis 05/13/2014 at 12:02

1

I'll bring up the FJ with him too after I check how they are doing used around our area.

Nibby > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 05/13/2014 at 12:03

0

I'd get a Sienna, cause they're fucking roomy as hell inside.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 05/13/2014 at 12:03

0

If you're willing to take the risk, mitsubishi lancer sportback?

Either that or a Focus hatch or a korean hatch. Don't get a minivan for the two days a year you haul a lot of things. You'll pay way more for insurance and gas during the rest of the year for it to not be worth it. Get a normal car with a big cargo area like a hatchback or wagon.

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > Brian Silvestro 05/13/2014 at 12:03

0

Me inside:

But I love him anyways. I'm almost sure deep inside he's already made a decision and he's waiting for me to figure it out so he can go like MY SON UNDERSTANDS ME.

Brian Silvestro > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 05/13/2014 at 12:05

0

My dad was so against me getting a Fiesta ST but somehow I convinced him. There's hope!

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > Big Bubba Ray 05/13/2014 at 12:08

0

I think hatchbacks are too small for what my dad has in mind. The minivan is just me going to an extreme for what I think is practical, I'm sure we'll end up somewhere in the middle. I LOVVVVVVVVVVE WAGONS. Since I joined this page last year, I've been determined to ask my dad for a wagon when I came back for summer, it's just that

1. Old Legacy Wagons: Dad says too old.

2. Outback: Too Big

3. 850R V70R: Too old.

4. TSX Wagon: Dad's personal vendetta against Honda transmissions

5: Jetta Wagon: No Germans

Choking on Toyota's lies that there was a chance this would be brought over to replace the Matrix.

Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 05/13/2014 at 12:09

0

From dealers they seem to be running mid-20's. If you go a bit older in the model range (still with lowish miles) they go down around 17ish. Not clue what they run in the private market because nobody buys Toyotas around me.

cabarne4 > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 05/13/2014 at 12:12

1

I was about to say, most utility per dollar would have to go with early 2000's minivans. They can be bought for dirt cheap, and can carry literally everything. My first year of college, I had a friend who drove a 2001 Plymouth Voyager (hey guys, remember Plymouth? That was a thing!). He bought it for like $1500, and it would carry like 12 drunk college students wherever.

If you're looking at 2012+ and want practical, the Mazda5 is pretty good.

As I'm still in college, though, let me give you some advice:

You do NOT want something overly practical. Whatever you get should be big enough to carry your stuff from home to college, and that's about it. If you're "that guy with the van / truck", suddenly everyone you know will have a couch or an air hockey table to move. (Hell, I had a Nissan Altima my first year of college, and I still got roped into carrying a 7' futon. No idea how I fit it in there... *that's what she said?*).

You DO want something that's easy to park (lots can be small, and you want extra room in your space — because most other people there CAN'T park, and they will probably bang into your car if you take up the whole space).

You DO want something that gets good fuel economy (trips home, or random road trips to that music festival that's two states away really start hurting your pocket if you're getting 20mpg).

You DO want something that's fun to drive. Get out of class, find a deserted road nearby, and throw it around a corner or two.

My recommendation? Mazda3. Just a little less cargo room than a Mazda5, you can definitely find a manual, more fun to drive, 30+ mpg highway pretty easily, and they're cheap to run. If you can convince your dad that a turbo and more power is necessary, find a good Mazdaspeed3.

Big Bubba Ray > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 05/13/2014 at 12:12

0

Your dad seems like a hard man to please! haha

Anyways, have him take a look at some of the cars he has problems with and test drive a few. Having some wheel time and seeing how practical they are might change his mind. I've got a 05 Outback with a stick and it's perfect for DD status. I do fold down the back seats for camping/moving/romantic encounters and it's perfectly suitable to get the job done.

Rico > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 05/13/2014 at 12:13

0

If you get a huge car in college, you're going to be forced to drag everyone around. Don't fall for it. Just get a hatch or small cross over, Mazda CX 5 if you don't want a CRV or Rav4. If you're dad just keeps shooting down your every suggestion tell him to just pick something already and stop fucking around.

DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 05/13/2014 at 12:22

0

I've been incredibly happy with my Mazda 3, and I am a big fan of the 5, as well. I /almost/ bought a manual 5 instead of the MZ3, but the fuel mileage is what swung me toward the 3. However, if I were to redo it, I probably would have gotten the 5 anyway. The space is that much more valuable, IMHO. (Keep in mind, I haul a lot of Fiat parts, so...)

midengineer > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 05/13/2014 at 13:05

0

Can't you get the Sienna with 2 sun roofs and reclining seats? That's the one I'd go with.

Rico > cabarne4 05/13/2014 at 14:34

0

Exactly, get a huge car and you become the go to guy for everything, moving stuff, carrying people around etc. And if you don't do it they think you're an asshole (not that I would care).

Trevor Mohr > Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna 05/13/2014 at 17:35

0

I vote Golf/GTI.

cabarne4 > Rico 05/13/2014 at 19:05

1

You want asshole? I've got a Sedan and I always have the seats folded.