Buying a new car soon! Help!!

"Maidee" (maideethere) 06/09/2015 at 15:35 • Filed to: None

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This fall I am transferring to a University and will be commuting to school. The drive will be about 90 miles round trip with the flow of LA traffic every day I have class. I know this sounds stupid but if I play my cards right it will save me money just not time.

My currently daily is my moms old 97 Camry with 291,000 and counting miles. It’s been pretty reliable except for the time it decided to spray hot water at my foot while I was driving. Thank god for my excellent shoe choice that day otherwise it probably could have been bad.

Anyways. My parents, who have kindly offered to help a bit, and I are looking for a 4 door car that is AUTOMATIC, reliable, fuel efficient and around $25k. I am pretty much open to anything and absolutely love hatchbacks but not Hondas (sorry). Also the interior will matter a lot because I will be spending at least 2.5 hours or so every day I go to class.

The current list of cars we are considering are the 2015 Camry (parents choice), 2015 VW Golf TDI (my current top choice) and a 2015 Mazda 3s hatch.

So please help me out here by giving me some more cars to consider or tell me the pros and cons of the cars that are currently being considered. Anything information about maintenance cost and reliability on these cars would be much appreciated.

Sorry for the long post. Figured the more information the better the picks perhaps.

Opposite Locksmith > Maidee 06/09/2015 at 16:00

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The vw will have the interior/refinement you want, not to mention the efficiency one would desire for such an insane commute

certified cool guy > Maidee 06/09/2015 at 16:01

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This isn’t even a question. TDI

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Maidee 06/09/2015 at 16:08

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Hyundai Sonata. More bang for your buck than you realize.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Maidee 06/09/2015 at 16:12

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3s hatch. The Golf will get better gas mileage, but the 3 is better to drive.

Plus, doesn’t that look damn good?

uofime-2 > Maidee 06/09/2015 at 16:19

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Don’t commute to school, live on campus.

You’re going to have a lot better college experience that way.

Itsmemupos > Maidee 06/09/2015 at 16:21

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The new Mini 4-door hatch back is also in that range and has the BWM 2.0 turbo (B48)

Maidee > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 06/09/2015 at 16:44

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I does look damn good. Well the rear could look better but it beats the smiley face. Went to look at one its not bad but a bit cramped in the rear if there is a taller driver. I’m really short so it only helps the person sitting behind me. Plus my car will be the designated road trip car after I get it my dad’s 08 Sienna has 240,000 miles and counting.

Maidee > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 06/09/2015 at 16:45

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Right. I heard the new ones are pretty good. Definitely will check one out. Thanks!

Noah - Now with more boost. > Maidee 06/09/2015 at 16:46

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Golf TDI sounds like fun! You’re very lucky to have such a generous budget. Very strange to insist on an auto box though... what does that have to do with reliability or safety?

Maidee > uofime-2 06/09/2015 at 16:49

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I would but I don't want to take out too much loans. I currently am not working and campus housing is around $860 a month for a double with a kitchen or $670-690 for a double then add a meal plan.

Maidee > Opposite Locksmith 06/09/2015 at 16:52

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Yeah it’s going to be a pretty insane commute but I think I can do it. I love road trips and if I think of it as a mini road trip I could probably do it.

Exactly why I'm considering the Golf. I had a vw before and it was pretty awesome except for the turbo lag on hot days.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Maidee 06/09/2015 at 16:54

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The Golf’s interior is classic VW. Everything’s simple, and feels high-quality. The material choices are nice, and that’s about all I can say about it. It’s just a nice, simple design.

The Mazda, on the other hand, has a heads-up display, a rotary dial for selecting things, better bolstering, the same nice interior materials, and the manumatic mode is correctly oriented - pull back for upshifts, push forwards for downshifts. The Mazda is a bit louder inside, but it also feels more connected to the road.

Maidee > Noah - Now with more boost. 06/09/2015 at 16:58

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Well partly thanks to the parents and the fact that the Camry is slowly dying and needs to be replaced. My mom doesn’t do much driving anymore so I am typically her ride.

Well auto because I haven’t really mastered manuals yet. I’ve tried with the slight help of my brother and his 240 but I’m still only a beginner at best. Also LA’s constant stop and go traffic wouldn't be the best I would think.

Maidee > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 06/09/2015 at 17:01

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Okay. Thanks for the information. I will definitely keep that in mind.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Maidee 06/09/2015 at 17:02

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Also, for the price of a mid-range TDI golf, you can get a loaded Mazda 3s Hatch.

uofime-2 > Maidee 06/09/2015 at 17:04

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yeah it may be double what a car loan and fuel would cost, in my experience it is worth it.

Rather you’re studying, working with a club or out having fun with new friends, you’ll be keeping weird hours and struggling to find time to sleep adding 2+hrs a day of driving to that mix is not going to be good and might be dangerous frankly.

If you have 8 am classes, and you will, that commute through LA will be brutal, especially if you didn’t get home till 1 am that morning.

Trust me you want to live on campus.

TheRealBicycleBuck > uofime-2 06/09/2015 at 17:08

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I’m with uofime-2, don’t commute. This. Will. Kill. You.

As an undergrad, I spent a couple of years living on campus but commuting 40 miles away from campus for work twice a week. Yes, it paid well, but it had severe consequences on both my grades and my morale. I thought about quitting school, but found a way to cut my expenses and pay for my bills with two jobs on campus.

Several years later, I made the mistake of moving 85 miles away from the university I was attending. I did have some big advantages this time: I was in grad school; I was coming home to a wife (NOT my parents); and I was driving against the flow of traffic.

The first semester, I drove five times a week. The second, three times a week. By the time the summer rolled around (grad school = year-round), I was ready to quit. This time, I managed to keep it together long enough to complete most of my coursework and reduce my on-campus time to one or two days a week.

If this is your first year, you are much , much better off living on campus . If you can’t live on campus, find someone renting a room near campus. Either way, you will need to find time to get involved - people involved in on-campus activities are much more likely to graduate .

All that being said, if you are determined to commute and want a hatch, it would be hard to beat the Golf (car of the year, no less!).

FromCanadaWithLove > Maidee 06/09/2015 at 17:10

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The Golf TDI will hold its resale value the best. The TDIs are awesome that way. Something to consider.

Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger > Maidee 06/09/2015 at 17:35

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VW Golf TDI.

I’m a 2011 GTI owner. Fun car to drive and 31/45 MPG beats a Camry’s 25/35!

Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger > Maidee 06/09/2015 at 17:37

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Manual driver here who’s been stuck in a few 1 hour traffic jams. It sucks balls.

Maidee > uofime-2 06/09/2015 at 17:40

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Well I think for this semester it may be a bit late. So I will commute this semester but if I find it too difficult or annoying I will definitely be moving. Also I'm so use to being sleep deprived with school and being a night owl.

uofime-2 > Maidee 06/09/2015 at 17:43

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I dont’ know if you saw therealbicyclebucks post but they had some actual studies to support not commuting as well has his personal experiences

Maidee > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/09/2015 at 17:44

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Well definitely not my first year. I do understand that living on campus is the ideal situation but my expenses will definitely increase. Plus my current college is about 20 miles away with the flow of traffic and I'll only be doubling my current commute. You will probably be saying I told you so when my plan fails but I want to see if it's possible.

Maidee > FromCanadaWithLove 06/09/2015 at 17:45

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Good point!

Maidee > Itsmemupos 06/09/2015 at 17:47

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Never really been a fan of Mini.

Maidee > Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger 06/09/2015 at 18:39

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Exactly. I feel bad for people who drive manuals on bad traffic days, which here can be like everyday. I don't think I could tolerate it. Plus even my brother complains about it.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Maidee 06/09/2015 at 19:05

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I’ve seen many students make the same decisions and the results are rarely good (it used to be part of my job to counsel undergraduates).

Keep in mind that the cost of a new car would pay for a lot of education-related expenses. Cars depreciate in value. Education does not.

Also, don’t forget to factor in insurance rates. It’s surprising how much they vary for vehicles that are similar.

Best of luck!

Noah - Now with more boost. > Maidee 06/09/2015 at 20:30

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Ok now I get it! Traffic in a manual SUCKS that’s for sure. I’ve never dealt with that in a commuting situation