Oppo I need help.

"Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man" (jordaneer1)
07/01/2014 at 01:09 • Filed to: None

I need help picking out a car. I'm about to finish drivers ed and then go take the test. And I need help deciding on a car, the only real requirement is that it must be an automatic (my mothers choice, I wanted a manual, but she said no, I even tried reasoning with her about the advantages but that didn't work). I need something that gets good gas mileage, (30 mpg or above with be great), be able to haul stuff like a mower because I do a lot of yard work, be decent in the snow, 4wd or awd would be great, be reliable, and fun to drive, the budget is about $1200-1300

Because of all of this, I came up a 90's subaru legacy wagon like this

What are your thoughts on this, and what are other suggestions do you opponauts have in mind.

DISCUSSION (40)

CRider > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
07/01/2014 at 01:11

Toyota Tacoma or Ford Ranger. You won't get 30 MPG, and for $1300 it might barely run, but you can't have everything you want.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
07/01/2014 at 01:15

Is your mom going to drive it and/or help pay for it?

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > CRider
07/01/2014 at 01:16

I know I probably can't have everything I want, I've looked on Craigslist at rangers, and seen a few okay ones, nothing great, I haven't looked at tacomas though. So I will look into them.

PheeNoIVI > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
07/01/2014 at 01:17

I agree with MtrRider. Unless your not a truck person they're a good first car. My friends first car was a ranger and it still runs. It has 250k miles. Its a solid first car. And would be perfect for your needs. Except for mpg. But that won't happen with something that can haul stuff at your price

CRider > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
07/01/2014 at 01:18

If you wan't something in decent shape with less than 200k miles, you'll want to spend around $5000

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
07/01/2014 at 01:28

I'm paying for most of it, she's helping a little, she's probably paying for insurance on it. I'm paying for gas though, that's why I need something that gets good gas mileage, also relatively cheap for insurance, (not that a teenage boy gets cheap auto insurance prices). A very wealthy family friend said that as an early present for graduation (very early since I just finished 11th grade) they would give me $500 upfront towards a car if I mow their lawn 10 times (which is a gift since it takes about 20 minutes to mow their lawn).

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
07/01/2014 at 01:30

I doubt she is going to drive it very often though.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
07/01/2014 at 01:30

Rangers will always be cheaper than Toyota pick ups.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
07/01/2014 at 01:32

90's Subaru's a good choice.
So are old Volvos, but those may be a bit too old
and Trucks like the Ranger! a friend of mine has a '96 5-speed ranger, and it's an awesome little truck!

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
07/01/2014 at 01:32

Maybe an old Tracker if you can find one on the cheap that isn't completely rusted out.

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/csw/cto/449574…

ly2v8-Brian > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
07/01/2014 at 01:32

Buick LeSabre.

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > PheeNoIVI
07/01/2014 at 01:33

Are there very many rangers or tacomas that are automatics (not my choice) at that price? because I haven't seen any decent automatic rangers on craigslist for cheap.

PheeNoIVI > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
07/01/2014 at 01:35

Im not sure. Where are you at? I'll have time tomorrow to look into stuff. But I'm about to go to sleep for the night.

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > PheeNoIVI
07/01/2014 at 01:39

Here is my local craigslist... http://pullman.craigslist.org

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
07/01/2014 at 01:42

I've never heard of a geo tracker, the only Geo product I've ever seen in real life is a geo metro (often with horribly mismatched and ugly body panels.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
07/01/2014 at 01:42

Im gonna finish drivers ed soon too. My mom is weird shes ok with me getting a manual but no german cars which sucks because I really want a type 1 beetle

PheeNoIVI > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
07/01/2014 at 01:47

Not sure how far this is. Only 100k

http://kpr.craigslist.org/cto/4519328406…

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
07/01/2014 at 01:47

S10 or Sonoma or Blazer or Jimmy. Perfect little trucks and SUVs that will run forever.

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
07/01/2014 at 01:49

That's odd, I could see if she said you couldn't have a Porsche or something for it being too "fast" but any German car is strange to me, I wonder if i has something to do with maintenance or insurance?

PheeNoIVI > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
07/01/2014 at 01:49

http://missoula.craigslist.org/cto/4546796638…

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > PheeNoIVI
07/01/2014 at 01:51

I wonder why it is so cheap?

PheeNoIVI > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
07/01/2014 at 01:51

http://spokane.craigslist.org/cto/4532156355…

I'm going to bed. But check those out. I'll look more tomorrow

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
07/01/2014 at 01:52

its because were jewish and anything made in germany spells hitler to her. its very irrational

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > PheeNoIVI
07/01/2014 at 01:54

the nissan

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
07/01/2014 at 02:00

hmm, I have some Jewish friends and I don't think they believe that. I know now anything that portrays hitler as positive in Germany today is basically taboo, and you will be in big trouble with the German government.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
07/01/2014 at 02:02

" I know now anything that portrays hitler as positive in Germany today is basically taboo, and you will be in big trouble with the German government."

I know this, you know this and my mom knows this, yet she still is irrational regarding the subject I even showed her the biography of josef ganz, the hungarian jew that designed the type 1 prototype, still nope.

ihm96 > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
07/01/2014 at 02:03

it's funny cuz when you go to Israel you see that Mercedes is extremely popular, and are used as taxis, when you would expect that German cars wouldn't really have much of a presence

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > ihm96
07/01/2014 at 02:04

and skodas sell very well there, which is owned by VAG

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
07/01/2014 at 02:24

I guess it's kind of like northern Idaho, where I live, about 100 miles north of me for about 30 years, there was a white supremacist group, and their compound was finally taken down in 2000, and a lot of people that I have met still think all people from northern Idaho are all white supremacists even though there is very little discrimination as of now, and I absolutely hate that this is in the history of the area where I live. Once a place has something bad in its history, it can kind of discourage people to change their opinion, even if the area is nothing like that anymore.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
07/01/2014 at 02:31

People have perceptions, perception is irrational so therefore ipso facto people are irrational

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
07/01/2014 at 02:38

I try hard not to, and I try to be open minded and not judgmental, at least until I know someone better, but I myself am guilty of occasionally having irrational, preformed perceptions about people, that are almost always untrue.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
07/01/2014 at 02:47

Its good that you try not to be judgmental as do I, but its human nature to build a perception off of an insignificant aspect of someone/thing, so if it happens dont feel bad just try to correct it and proceed on.

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
07/01/2014 at 03:04

we're all flawed, but it's good to try and improve ourselves, of which I need to become more aware, the reason which my mother will not let me drive a manual

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
07/01/2014 at 03:10

I guess for some people a manual keeps them from being distracted and for others a manual is a distraction in and of itself.

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
07/01/2014 at 03:22

I wanted a manual, for the first reason that I think it would keep me from doing other things and make me concentrate solely on driving, but my mother is thinking the opposite way around, that me having to use the clutch and shift would distract me from being attentive to the road, in a way I can see what she means, but on the other hand, it also would make you have to listen to the car, plus you would also be able to feel your speed to some degree having to shift at a certain speed. But whatever she says goes. So I'm getting an automatic.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
07/01/2014 at 03:30

You could be right and she could be right, you will never know until you start to drive manual. I suggest for your first car get an automatic, then drive a manual that you dont own and figure out where you stand distraction-wise. That way if the manual distracts you, you are not financially obligated at that point. If its the other way around then you know what you are getting for a second car.

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
07/01/2014 at 03:47

My family situation is a little weird, the person I live with and have for the past 8 1/2 years was my music teacher and the children's pastor at the church I go to, and she is he one who pays for all of my stuff, and gets me where I need to be. But she doesn't have legal guardianship over me, my real mother lives like 2 blocks away and comes over most days, and often sleeps on the couch because her duplex isn't very well insulated and is either really hot or really cold depending on the weather, so legally when we go to the DMV, my real mother must sign for me, but anyway... on to my point, my real mother drives a Kia sephia that is a manual, and the person I live with knows how to drive a manual, and drove a manual as a kid (she's the one who said I must get an automatic, and she has is the one who raised me for the past 8 years, so what she says goes) but anyway she drives a ford escape automatic. So my thought is, after 6-12 months after having my license, go driving with my biological mother to see what the verdict on getting a manual is, mostly because she is about the only person who I know well enough who would trust me to drive their car. (I can only think of 3 people I know that have manual cars).

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
07/01/2014 at 03:52

sounds like a good plan

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
07/01/2014 at 03:56

I think this is about the only way that I could end up driving a manual, or at least that I can think of, but a least there is a way to do it, (hopefully), anyway, I'm going to bed, but I'll check back in again in the morning.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
07/01/2014 at 03:58

well until your next car purchase, alright good night