Yes, a new car is what I am looking for.
I have an 05 cobalt, but i am looking for something more.
Anyone have any suggestions?
I'm not looking to pay over 22 thousand, really. 23 at most.
I was looking into Scion Tc's, Honda Civics, and Mazda 3's.
What would you suggest?
I'm leaning more towards a scion, really. i just like them.
[anyone have one? how is it?]
can understand why you want to get out of the cobalt!
i'm a total car nut, have owned over 25 of my own, sold them (new & used) briefly in the 90s, and have helped at least 20 people find & purchase vehicles since then. hopefully can be of help:
all the vehicles you mention above are good choices. the mazda3 (especially the "s" with 2.4l engine) is zippy, with great handling & interior--also avail as 4-door hatch. civic is kinda generic but fine, tC is a solid coupe with nice interior materials.
Some bits of advice:
1. Don't buy a new car. Buy something one year old with low mileage. The factory warranties are transferable. Use a locate-to-order service, offered by many banks and credit unions.
even two or three-year old cars are fine these days for people terrified of spending a dime on their cars beyond oil changes. need to check for accident damage, and preferably get service records. but these days, if it has under 30k, it's hard to go wrong with toyota, honda, subaru or mazda. some nissans have been problematic, as have the very latest toyotas (camry of all things!).
go to the public library and carefully read the latest april issue of consumer reports (the auto issue)--it has reliability survey results on hundreds of thousands of readers' cars. as such, it's the best gauge of reliability on the planet! they also have good advice on what to look (out) for in a used car.
i personally have two vehicles: a 00 bmw 540 & 96 toyota previa. bought the bmw 2.5 yrs ago with 80k miles for only 17k (was 57k new)--it's an amazing vehicle for less than a new civic BUT i researched the hell out of it (yahoo groups are especially helpful) and looked for a very long time. the previa i bought for 300 (yup) last year, and believe it or not, is my daily driver. the bimmer is a garage queen.
people are freaked out about their cars blowing up, but that rarely happens now days. think about it: even IF my bimmer's engine completely died, i could replace it for less than the depreciation of a new one as soon as it drives off the lot! depreciation is almost ALWAYS the biggest expense of car ownership, especially when buying new.
2. Have your financing lined up before you start looking at vehicles. Shop around for loans. Many banks and CUs will offer the same APR on vehicle loans for one-year-old cars that they offer for new ones. I got 5.4% on a 5-year loan this past July, and rates have dropped since then.
credit unions offer especially good financing. however, dealerships often have enticing financing, even on used cars. worth asking about, but know what your credit union will give before going with dealership financing.
3. On brands...Scion is a Toyota label. It's their "value" brand, which means they're the cheapest vehicles they produce. I'd stay away.
wrong wrong wrong! scion is one of the most *dependable* line-ups. the tC is a good little car.
4. All the cars you mentioned get shit for mileage. In your price range, I'd take a look at the Civic hybrid. Gets 40/45 mpg, plus you get a federal tax credit.
strongly disagree. for non-hybrids, the civic, mazda3 and tC are excellent choices for fuel economy. even with the tax credit, it takes many tens of thousands of miles to make up the hybrid's increased purchase cost. AND, some insurers whack hybrids because of the complex and expensive drivetrains that can be damaged in an accident.
if you're young (and i suspect you may be), DO ask your insurance company for their rates on the models you're considering BEFORE you buy--there may be a significant difference!
Honestly, something from Japan. And, as HazelGod says, buy 1 year old with low mileage. ALso, starting around 2006, the safety features took a flying leap upwards with most cars offering side impact air bags.
I'm in the middle of buying a car (cash) for my daughter, and I'm using the yahoo auto site -- the search feature is pretty useful.
Seriously -- use the below link. It'll take you to the best car search parameters that I've found.
USE ME!
FRONT side airbags have been standard in most cars since well before 2006. rear side bags are becoming increasingly common, but as a young person, if you rarely have rear seat passengers, they're not that big a deal.
also try
New Car Prices, Used Car Pricing, Car Reviews by Edmunds Car Buying Guide (edmunds.com). the TMV calculators are pretty good. also kbb.com, BUT, try to buy at their *wholesale* price. dealerships will try to convince you to pay more, but they usually buy below trade-in (sometimes MUCH below), so why should you pay more?
ping me privately if you'd like.
