What kind of car should I get?

[ConstantineTG]

I used to own one of these several years ago and had sooooo many problems with reliability.

Now have a Ford Focus and love it, no issues.

I just recently acquired a used one and so far has no problems with it. I had a Passat previously and it also was mostly without problems. The electronic park brake was giving out just before I returned it at the end of my lease, so I said I will never buy a model with an electronic park brake. VW also took it out, probably it proved to be too much of a cost and a good source of a headache. But other than that, the car drives nicely and very reliable.

The thing about German cars is that you have to have people who know how to fix it, to fix it. I hope you didn’t just bring it to another mechanic for routine maintenance. Usually people who have a lot of headaches are those who never bring their VW to either the dealer, or to a mechanic who is knowledgeable about VWs.

 

[Southy82]

Dodge Ram 2500 Quad Cab SLT 4x4 Turbo Diesel!!! Woooo-hoooo!!!

Sorry. I got excited.

If you’re looking for something small and reliable, you can’t go wrong with a Honda Civic/Accord or Toyota Corolla/Camry. I used to have a 2006 Toyota Camry before my truck. It was nice…but it sure wasn’t as nice as having 520HP of diesel power!!! Oh my, I digress again. And my wife had her Honda Accord for 15 years before we gave it away.

 

[BettyBoop416]

Just a bit of information for context:

My husband is a named partner in a law firm. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a partner driving anything other than an Audi or a Mercedes. Even most of the associates drive used BMWs. In other words, he can afford to drive pretty much any car he wants (within reason).

Anyway, just last month he traded in his Audi for a Hyundai Sonata Turbo. It gets great gas milage, was very reasonably priced (even though he got every option imaginable), and is a very comfortable car. Best of all, when that turbo kicks in, it takes off like a rocket ship.

Hyundai use to be the butt of car jokes. Not anymore - at least not to anyone who has driven a recent model. Do yourself a favor and at least test drive one.

 

[Sarcelle]

Just a bit of information for context:

My husband is a named partner in a law firm. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a partner driving anything other than an Audi or a Mercedes. Even most of the associates drive used BMWs. In other words, he can afford to drive pretty much any car he wants (within reason).

Anyway, just last month he traded in his Audi for a Hyundai Sonata Turbo. It gets great gas milage, was very reasonably priced (even though he got every option imaginable), and is a very comfortable car. Best of all, when that turbo kicks in, it takes off like a rocket ship.

Hyundai use to be the butt of car jokes. Not anymore - at least not to anyone who has driven a recent model. Do yourself a favor and at least test drive one.

My brother considers himself a car snob but then he test drove a Hyundai and came away impressed. Needless to say, he bought a new one two weeks later.

 

[AllSeasons]

I checked the corporate website to see what kind of corporate discounts I get. Looks like the discounts are only on American cars, i.e. Ford, GM, and Chrysler. Not sure if Chrysler counts as American anymore, but you know.

 

[Johann_du_Toit]

Hyundai Accent 1.6. I drive one and it’s awesome. Good fuel economy, good looks, has all standard features (ABS, Air-Con, Power Steering,etc) and the interior makes the car look a lot more upmarket than it actually is.

 

[DaveBj]

Just a bit of information for context:

My husband is a named partner in a law firm. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a partner driving anything other than an Audi or a Mercedes. Even most of the associates drive used BMWs. In other words, he can afford to drive pretty much any car he wants (within reason).

Anyway, just last month he traded in his Audi for a Hyundai Sonata Turbo. It gets great gas milage, was very reasonably priced (even though he got every option imaginable), and is a very comfortable car. Best of all, when that turbo kicks in, it takes off like a rocket ship.

Hyundai use to be the butt of car jokes. Not anymore - at least not to anyone who has driven a recent model. Do yourself a favor and at least test drive one.

My bro and SiL have had 5 or 6 Hyundais; they love 'em. Only thing they’ll buy now.

 

[Lisa1967]

I’m in the market for a new car. This is what I want:

• Smaller car. I currently have a Ford Taurus, which is a tad big.
• Something cool. Still want to impress the ladies a bit. Please no snide comments.
• Good gas mileage. Not sure about hybrid, though.
• Reasonably priced. Don’t want to break the bank.

Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you in advance!

Our family has had Nissans for a while. I inherited my 2001 Nissan Sentra from my dad. It currently has 91,000 miles and is still running well. My brother-in-law just traded in his 2000 Nissan for another vehicle. The Nissans we’ve had get good gas mileage.

My aunt and uncle have a Prius and really like saving on gas, but had to pay a lot to buy the car.

I’m a lady and am impressed by nice looking, well running cars; I’m not into the sporty thing.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

I checked the corporate website to see what kind of corporate discounts I get. Looks like the discounts are only on American cars, i.e. Ford, GM, and Chrysler. Not sure if Chrysler counts as American anymore, but you know.

Be sure to check the prices of the other cars and what deals you can get. I have found that corporate discounts really don’t end up being a great deal compared to the negotiation you can do when you’re a free agent.

 

[Samson01]

I’d find a used Subaru Impreza WRX/STI. I’m looking for bugeyes myself, mid 2k’s. they are quick, reliable, and all wheel drive. We have an 11 Legacy now and they are fine cars…I sold a 98 VW Jetta last year and regret the sale…you can get Star Trek miles on those cars…

 

[DaveBj]

I’d find a used Subaru Impreza WRX/STI. I’m looking for bugeyes myself, mid 2k’s. they are quick, reliable, and all wheel drive. We have an 11 Legacy now and they are fine cars…I sold a 98 VW Jetta last year and regret the sale…you can get Star Trek miles on those cars…

. . . if you don’t mind that they operate only on impulse power

 

[Samson01]

. . . if you don’t mind that they operate only on impulse power

Not sure about that… a mark III Jetta with a VR6 and a stage I or II turbo can move out. A tuned Suby STI much more so. My old helper went on to tune dual spooled Audi S4’s for Stasis Engineering and is dynoing them above 400 at the wheels. My first car was a Chevelle SS 454 and I sunk thousands tuning it to ls6 specs…turbos are the way to go these days.

 

[Chiara_Caritas]

Since your discounts are on domestic, but you like sport, you just might want to look into Dodge. I think Dodge recently came out with a new version of the Dart that is a rebuilt Alfa. Looks nice in red.

Comps are Ford Focus, Chevy Cruze, Hyundai Elantra, etc.

 

[DaveBj]

Not sure about that… a mark III Jetta with a VR6 and a stage I or II turbo can move out. A tuned Suby STI much more so. My old helper went on to tune dual spooled Audi S4’s for Stasis Engineering and is dynoing them above 400 at the wheels. My first car was a Chevelle SS 454 and I sunk thousands tuning it to ls6 specs…turbos are the way to go these days.

It’s still impulse power at the rear wheels . . . or the front wheels . . . or all four wheels . . . or whatever

In any case, wheels like these are out of the OP’s price range.

 

[Samson01]

It’s still impulse power at the rear wheels . . . or the front wheels . . . or all four wheels . . . or whatever

In any case, wheels like these are out of the OP’s price range.

Very true on the Chevelle… But bugeye Subaru WRX can be had for under 7K…even early 2k Audi S4 go for around that but harder to find and VW VR’s are around 3-4k for a really nice one, but the design is showing it age now. A decked out new Legacy runs about 24k if you get a dealer loaner with a thousand miles on it.

 

[AllSeasons]

OK, I’ve decided not to buy a car for the time being, and just drive my 2005 Ford Taurus into the ground. LOL! My parents did just buy a new Toyota Camry, though.

 

[SMHW]

I’m in the market for a new car. This is what I want:

• Smaller car. I currently have a Ford Taurus, which is a tad big.
• Something cool. Still want to impress the ladies a bit. Please no snide comments.
• Good gas mileage. Not sure about hybrid, though.
• Reasonably priced. Don’t want to break the bank.

Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you in advance!

I’m curious about what kind of driving you do. City? Highway? Flat ground? Hilly? Mountainous? How often do you have passengers? How often do you have more than one passenger? What sort of weather conditions do you have to deal with?

All those sorts of questions can have an impact on what kind of car you should get.

 

[SamH]

I’m in the market for a new car. This is what I want:

• Smaller car. I currently have a Ford Taurus, which is a tad big.
• Something cool. Still want to impress the ladies a bit. Please no snide comments.
• Good gas mileage. Not sure about hybrid, though.
• Reasonably priced. Don’t want to break the bank.

Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you in advance!

You don’t say if you are going new or used.

New or used I’d check out a Mazda 6. They are a little smaller than a Taurus but can still haul 5 people (4 is more reasonable). The V6 versions are extremely quick and they have a very sporty appearance. My boss has a 2006 V6 with a 5 speed in red with grey leather interior that is a great handling car that averages around 28 MPG with every tank of fuel (mixed highway and city). He has passed ot on to his daughter but he wishes he hadn’t.

 

[DaveBj]

I’m curious about what kind of driving you do. City? Highway? Flat ground? Hilly? Mountainous? How often do you have passengers? How often do you have more than one passenger? What sort of weather conditions do you have to deal with?

All those sorts of questions can have an impact on what kind of car you should get.

You don’t say if you are going new or used.

New or used I’d check out a Mazda 6. They are a little smaller than a Taurus but can still haul 5 people (4 is more reasonable). The V6 versions are extremely quick and they have a very sporty appearance. My boss has a 2006 V6 with a 5 speed in red with grey leather interior that is a great handling car that averages around 28 MPG with every tank of fuel (mixed highway and city). He has passed ot on to his daughter but he wishes he hadn’t.

Read the whole thread, y’all. OP decided to keep the old car (well, it’s not really all that old).

 

[yellowbird]

Read the whole thread, y’all. OP decided to keep the old car (well, it’s not really all that old).

I think that’s really smart. You will impress the “ladies” who are practical and look beyond material things.

Once you decide to get a car, I highly recommend a Subaru Outback - especially if you live where it snows a lot.