Buying new car in MS1, need advice

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[Pontifex Maximus]

Just get a cheap used car. 60K on a Civic or Corolla is freakin nothing.

 

[MossPoh]

Yea. All I can say is I'm glad you aren't digging the hyundai. I got in an accident with one the other day. My car (a toyota) has a scratched front pumper. His car is totaled. That thing crumbled with a simple grazing shot.

If you're looking in the direction of a civic or corolla then you're probably in the right direction. You might be able to find a nice used Accord or something. I'd probably save up a little extra money just so you don't feel limited. I assume you want this car to last. Do you not get money from insurance?

 

[Concubine]

get the corolla or civic, should last you all 4 years. Biking is good and all, but if the weather doesn't cooperate...

 

[fahimaz7]

I'd say buy the cheapest car from Toyota or Honda. Get it new w/ 0% financing and call it a day. That car will last you through your residency.

 

[SB100]

Honda Civic or Accord should be fine. My family has been using Honda for years. Right now I have a 1998 Honda Accord that has about 125k miles on it and still runs very smoothly.

 

[DrYoda]

I personally like civics. I bought one 4 years ago (close to the same price and miles your looking at). It's still running great and hasn't cost me anything outside of basic upkeep.

 

[IamAriDO]

I also say go for the civic... All of the "kids" in my family have one and we havent had any problems, ever.

It'll last you through residency if you just change the oil...and will probably last if you forget as well

IamAriDO

 

[tco]

I have a Toyota Solara with about 50,000 miles on it...It seems like it's running better now than when it had 20,000 on it. You won't go wrong choosing either of those cars.

Now, I want a motorcycle

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

Just get a cheap used car. 60K on a Civic or Corolla is freakin nothing.

I emphatically second this. IF WELL CARED FOR, these cars can last for a long, long, time. I had a Corolla that made it to 210k miles. I only had to get rid of it because it was in an accident (not my fault) and the insurance company totaled it. However, IT STILL RAN, and was in good MECHANICAL shape (but the body was in bad shape after the accident,) even after the accident. One of the hardest decisions that I ever had to make was to take the $$$ and let the insurance company take my [totaled] car, but after haggling with them for a while, they gave me a good offer. I cried when I made that decision. Seriously. And most people wouldn't call me a p***y.

However, with any used car, MAKE SURE TO TAKE THE CAR TO A MECHANIC TO GET CHECKED OUT. Any reasonable seller will let you do this. Spend the $100 now to avoid many possible headaches later. If you can get the service records from the owner, that is even better evidence that the car was well cared for. A corolla with 60k, service records, a clean bill of health from a mechanic, at the right price would be a done-deal for me in the OP's situation.

 

[atomi]

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[atomi]

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[justdoit31]

My vote is paying cash for a used car. I made the stupid choice in undergrad to finance a new car (though it was closer to 20K)... the stress of payments (which were lower than those you mentioned) was aweful! I was very lucky that my parents ended up paying it off for me as a medical school acceptance/ graduating UG present.

Ideally if you can get something that is 3-5 years old and been taken care of then you should be great... you might could go older but be sure to ask the person how well the car was taken car of (oil changes, tires rotated, etc)... the goal is to get you to residency or maybe even towards the end of residency. My parents expect me to keep my car through residency (9 years total) but since it is well maintained and a very nice car it should be fine.

 

[Pontifex Maximus]

If he can find a decent Civic for about 5K with 60,000 miles on it, its definitely worth it over a new car, no matter how good the value.

 

[tco]

These cars cost so much for what they are. The used market for these is ridiculous right now. Everybody wants one, and everybody believes they are a great value no matter what they cost.

Plus it reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw the other day: "Out of a job yet? Keep buying foreign..."

You can get killer deals from a GM or Ford dealership right now. They are practically giving those cars away. Yet the sheep keep on buying the used Japanese cars...

You know, A/C and anti-lock brakes are an OPTION on corollas, right?

If foreign cars weren't superior, GM and Ford wouldn't be in a position to have to give them away.

The funny thing is that I wouldn't be surprised if there were more Toyotas and Hondas made in the USA than Fords or Chevys.

 

[MedYEP]

Hey everyone , so I was hoping to get some good advice. I got into a major accident and my car was junked recently. So I am going to need a car for MS 1 ( I am moving out of state and was told my everyone in admin/ students that I will need a new car.... )
I live about 3-4 miles from campus, not too far.

there are a few options here:

I can spare about 5 K from my loan for fall. I could try to buy a used car, of which the options would be:
1. Civic/corolla etc. with 60 K miles ish on them (searched high and low in the area, mileage doesnt get lower than that)
2. Other cars (saw some VW passats/jaguars in the 2000-2001 yr range with 50-70 K miles on them)

or
3. finance or lease a car in the 5 K - 10 K range with 0 down (talked to some dealers, they are willing to do this with my credit score which is pretty good). This would entail about a $300-500 / month payment for two to three years, but that would mean a fixed expense every month, and I do have loans pre-medical school that need paying off that wouldn't happen too quickly with this option.

or
4. Bike to school for the first six or seven months, wait till my next loan check, save up about 10 K total and get a better used car (like a Civic/corolla etc or something else, with <50 K miles on it).

Advice appreciated....

Also, I'm not digging Kia/Hyundai/Saturns etc. that I could possibly get cheaper and with less mileage. I'm not saying theyre not a good option, I am just personally averse to these cars due to lots of negative experience personally or with family members driving these cars.

Thanks in advance....

That doesn't seem right to me. I am leasing a 2008 Subaru Impreza and my payment is $316/mo for a 3.5 year lease and I didn't put any money down. If you are looking for a car in the $5-10k range, your lease should be less than $300/mo.

 

[justdoit31]

That doesn't seem right to me. I am leasing a 2008 Subaru Impreza and my payment is $316/mo for a 3.5 year lease and I didn't put any money down. If you are looking for a car in the $5-10k range, your lease should be less than $300/mo.

That is a lease though not a purchase... so you would have to make a big payment at the end of your lease to keep the car or lease something else (which means you spent a lot of money over the 3.5 years t not own a car)... The OP said finance or lease so maybe the higher end is the finance??? Also you could get excessive mileage fees if you go over the number of miles they want you to put on it... I know I would since my medical school is a long way from my family and I will be driving home 1-2x a year.

 

[chessknt]

These cars cost so much for what they are. The used market for these is ridiculous right now. Everybody wants one, and everybody believes they are a great value no matter what they cost.

Plus it reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw the other day: "Out of a job yet? Keep buying foreign..."

You can get killer deals from a GM or Ford dealership right now. They are practically giving those cars away. Yet the sheep keep on buying the used Japanese cars...

You know, A/C and anti-lock brakes are an OPTION on corollas, right?

While this may be true, GM and Ford do not do well in the compact/sub-compact market because their cars are vastly inferior for the same price. We live in a free market and, in this case, foreign competition wins.

 

[pntgrd]

Civic/Corolla are fine cars, but not such a good value when bought used. They have good resale values, so they are a good value if you're the seller, not the buyer. When buying a used car, find a reliable car that has a lot of depreciation.

 

[atomi]

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[Gold 5]

If foreign cars weren't superior, GM and Ford wouldn't be in a position to have to give them away.

The funny thing is that I wouldn't be surprised if there were more Toyota's and Honda's made in the USA than Fords or Chevys.

I would blame management & over generous union packages by US automakers as putting them in the red. In the past there was a difference but now, it really is close. Having owned a few cars, I have seen both lemons from US and Japanese companies. If you are going to buy used, make sure that the car has been taken care of and have a mechanic look at it. You don't want to be worried about if the car is going to start on your big exam day.

PS even if it is a Honda, do change the oil often on a 4 cylinder motor!

 

[MedYEP]

That is a lease though not a purchase... so you would have to make a big payment at the end of your lease to keep the car or lease something else (which means you spent a lot of money over the 3.5 years t not own a car)... The OP said finance or lease so maybe the higher end is the finance??? Also you could get excessive mileage fees if you go over the number of miles they want you to put on it... I know I would since my medical school is a long way from my family and I will be driving home 1-2x a year.

You wouldn't make a big payment at the end of the lease to keep the car, you would just buy your car out and the monthly payments actually get smaller than the lease payments (from personal experience). The payments you made during the lease count towards the price of the car so the payments you made do actually count toward owning the car if you don't want to get another car at the end of the lease. I have leased a car for the past 5 years and have never gone over the mileage allowance (12k/year for me) and I drove far to school and work. But if you plan on driving home over VERY long distances than a lease is not the best idea.

 

[atomi]

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[atomi]

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[blondie08]

Hey Everyone,

I'm also looking into getting a car and I just wanted to see if anyone had opinions about hybrid cars. Specifically the prius or civic hybrids. I know they cost more, even used, but are they worth the price difference in the long run?
Thanks!

 

[MedYEP]

Good advice there. Make sure the car is mechanically sound. A Civic will last 300,000 miles without much trouble. A friend's father bought a used civic with 180,000 miles on it to commute with and drove it until it 250,000. Sold it to some other guy who drove it even more. They just last.


No offense to anyone who is, but leasing is ******ed.

To each his own. I prefer driving new cars that don't have any problems and don't want to pay for a used car.

 

[chiz2kul]

Great thread.
I'm needing to get my first car for med school, but idk if I shld get it here, then drive about 36 hours to school , or just get it when I get to med school (dont want the hassle involved in that..)

BTW, where in the heck are you guys gettin civics and corollos with about 60k miles for <5k??

 

[rup47]

I'm not a car expert, but just wanted to point out something that i've noticed (anecdotal evidence) is that when looking at low mileage cars its also important to look at how old the car is (even if it looks well taken care of with minimal rust/etc.) In my opion there is a big difference between 5 year old car with 60K on it than a 10+year old care with 60K miles on it.

Ive seen some friends and family buy low mileage decent looking cars that appeared to have no major problems run into some significant repair issues (yes, even honda/toyotas) with the first 1-2 years after purchase.

I think it has to do with how the car was driven, for example many short trips tend to put more stress than longer trips with primarly highway driven miles.

And any car sitting around for 10 years vs 5 has more time to develop structural problems that may not be seen on initial inspection.

 

[tco]

That has little to nothing to do with it. Detroit has been making some AMAZING cars recently. However the auto unions have made it almost impossible for them to do business. Coupled with the crash of consumer credit markets, there is nobody around to buy these cars in America.

If Ford and GM suck so bad, why do their cars sell so well in Europe whereas Asian cars sell so poorly?

Actually, VW is dominating the European market, and for a good reason. In Europe, they definitely provide the most bang for the "buck."

What about the converse? If Asian cars suck so bad, why do their cars sell so well in America whereas American cars sell so poorly? Toyota is the best selling car worldwide.

There isn't a more proud nation than the United States. If the quality and price of Ford and GM were anywhere near that of the Asian cars, the big three would sell at higher volumes than the Asian cars. How often have you heard of a Ford or GM lasting 250,000-300,000 miles with nothing more than routine maintenance?

My family has bought nothing but Fords since the model A, but now I own a Toyota and my grandfather owns a Honda van (and a Lincoln, to be fair). It's not that we can't afford American cars, it's that they aren't made with the same quality as they were made with 20 years ago, or the same quality that Honda and Toyota make their cars with today.

 

[tco]

Absurdly false. But hey, it's your money.

There is this mindset out there that anything foreign-made is going to be a better value than anything US made.

Interestingly enough, in almost every sector besides automobiles where people look for quality (musical instruments, airplanes, furniture, food/drink, clothing, firearms, education, etc.), the American made products are more highly coveted and command a higher price. Unfortunately, the quality of American-made cars often goes overlooked because of this antiquated and perverted notion that foreign made cars are better because they cost more (european cars), or that they are better because their methods of production are more efficient (japanese cars). Total rubbish.

The simple, sad fact of the matter is that some people are embarrassed to drive American-made cars because they will always be associated with blue-collar Detroit. So now we have young, rich Jewish doctors and lawyers buying Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen. Meanwhile their parents shake their heads and plow along with the same comforts in their Cadillacs. I've worked on both MB and VW cars. Let me assure you, their quality has done nothing but gotten a lot worse over the years whereas Ford and GM has drastically improved. I sincerely hope this country will wake up and start buying its own products, and simultaneously that American companies will stop sending the jobs overseas and the Government will stop creating an environment that encourages them to do this.

The one exception I can think of here is Chrysler. Those cars are total ****.

This post is totally bogus. Like I said, my family has been a Ford family for nearly 100 years, and I've never even heard of a Ford lasting 300,000 miles with only routine maintenance. I've seen, with my own eyes, 3 separate Hondas (no Toyotas yet) that have lasted +300,000 with fluid changes, brake replacements, tire replacements/rotations, and air filter changes.

 

[JelloStapler]

Just pay cash for a used car. You might be surprised at what you can get on Craigslist for 5k because you can talk people down. You also won't have to worry about making payments, and you can save tons on insurance.

If you really want a nice car, get a used luxury car, and just make sure everything works. I ended up with a Nissan, but would also reccomend Infiniti and Volvo as a good bang for your buck. And whatever you decide on, do not get a VW, those things spend too much time in the shop!

 

[vin5cent0]

Just get a cheap used car. 60K on a Civic or Corolla is freakin nothing.

Quoted for truth. My first "practice" car was a Civic with 400k+ miles on it. Ran like a dream. Just make sure to do oil changes often as well as the suggested tune-ups. A lot of the motors in the older civics are near bulletproof - videos on youtube of people running them with water in the oilpan. My friend tried to kill his motor back in the day (constantly staying in the redzone of the tach, bouncing off the limiter for minutes at a time, etc) and it just wouldn't die.

 

[mjl1717]

From some one who has had over a dozen cars:

1) Henry Ford was a somewhat conscientious lad.. Saying something to the effect-"I hope man isnt so dumb as to use up all the energy in the enviorment" Also Ford will try to work with you.. Two years ago I bought an 07 Taurus with 4.9% financing (I had bad credit)
Also some folks just wouldnt be driving if it wasnt for Ford..

2)GM because of a greedy/ arrogant CEO probably shouldnt sell any more cars...
[the guy wasnt even smart enought to copy the Japanese]

3)Honda /Toyota may be better quality but the Americans finally realize they have to give price breaks and good warranties..

4)Some of these price quotes on this post are off base.

5) I always thought that a monthly payment of less the $250/ per month was a low monthly payment between $250 and 450 per month a moderate payment and above $450/per month a steep payment..

6)previously VW was known for being sound mechanically but the body would rust fast (maybe things have changed)
I agree with the above poster Jaguar is probably the worst car out there.. {although I hear the ride is smooth} Its basically a young guys car but you only see older guys driving that...
Even the name Jag-U-ar makes for good comic relief..

7)Do your homework, check with friends and the internet.. Its not easy buying a car... In a perfect world when you buy you'd have these folks with you.. A financial analyst, "knowledgeable car freak" and a wheeler dealer negotiator with you! [ you want to counter some of the dealers leverage]

8)Also I prefer new to used... I want to avoid headaches, extra stress and the hassle of a used vehicle..With the new vehicle I only do frequent oil changes and a rare tune up... Inside scoop* -If you buy new- make 5-10 oil changes part of the deal.

9) Good luck...

 

[muggle911]

Awesome topic! - I need to get a car for med school too. Question for the people who don't mind leasing: is $200 a month w/ $2000 down (all fees included) for 42 months on a new mazda3 sport a good deal or a rip-off?

 

[atengnr]

Honda Civic is a good choice. As many have said, 60k on a reasonably cared for Honda is nothin'. I have never seen more cars with 200k+ miles than Honda.

 

[atengnr]

Awesome topic! - I need to get a car for med school too. Question for the people who don't mind leasing: is $200 a month w/ $2000 down (all fees included) for 42 months on a new mazda3 sport a good deal or a rip-off?

Lease terms?

Besides shopping around, I would think of it terms of what the car is worth at the end of the lease vs. the new price. If the cost to you ($10,400) is somewhere close to the depreciation of the car during that time, then youre doing well. Any amount more than this depreciation is essentially the premium you are paying to lease the car.

 

[KTownGT]

Look at a newer Taurus, Fiesta, Focus, Malibu, etc.

Lots of nice cheap domestic cars. The quality is top knotch on them as well.

 

[GeorgeMichael B]

If foreign cars weren't superior, GM and Ford wouldn't be in a position to have to give them away.

The funny thing is that I wouldn't be surprised if there were more Toyotas and Hondas made in the USA than Fords or Chevys.

10-15 years ago you might be right, but GM has caught up to an extent, and without a doubt today's Ford cars are every bit as good as Toyota/Honda. Unfortunately, the stigma of the crap rolled out in the 80s and 90s hasnt gone away in the pubic opinion.

 

[45408]

Hey Everyone,

I'm also looking into getting a car and I just wanted to see if anyone had opinions about hybrid cars. Specifically the prius or civic hybrids. I know they cost more, even used, but are they worth the price difference in the long run?
Thanks!

No, not even close, if you're comparing them to a used car. If you want a cheap car with good gas mileage, get an Aveo.

 

[45408]

Just get a cheap used car. 60K on a Civic or Corolla is freakin nothing.

You'd get a better deal with something like a Nissan Altima. Bought one (2000 Altima GXE with 130K miles) for my wife for $4000 out the door. A comparable Civic was another $2000.

 

[tco]

10-15 years ago you might be right, but GM has caught up to an extent, and without a doubt today's Ford cars are every bit as good as Toyota/Honda. Unfortunately, the stigma of the crap rolled out in the 80s and 90s hasnt gone away in the pubic opinion.

I totally disagree with you. My father and stepmother still own Fords, and the quality just isn't what it used to be. My father's work truck (something that Ford supposedly prides itself on) that he bought 5 years ago is falling apart after just over 100,000 miles. He has an F-350 diesel, and it needs no less than $10,000 in powertrain work. I'm not even talking about the body, which is also starting to show signs of rust.

They also own a 2005 Mustang. They don't have many complaints about it, but my stepmom needed a car to drive in the winter, so they recently bought a 1995 Explorer. The Explorer is by far their most dependable car, and it has about 125,000 miles on it.

 

[Calliope99]

I had a 2001 Passat, and I agree with the poster who said they wouldn't sell one to their worst enemy. Parts literally fell off of it while I drove down the road, and only one (overpriced, scammy) mechanic in my small-ish city would work on its many expensive problems. I traded it in on a Civic two years ago and never looked back.

 

[Excelsius]

If he can find a decent Civic for about 5K with 60,000 miles on it, its definitely worth it over a new car, no matter how good the value.

I don't know if you can do that. Maybe if you're buying a very old car you might get such a deal, but then the car's condition might be questionable.

 

[Excelsius]

Civic/Corolla are fine cars, but not such a good value when bought used. They have good resale values, so they are a good value if you're the seller, not the buyer. When buying a used car, find a reliable car that has a lot of depreciation.

Honda/Toyota are always a good value. Now if you want to compare new vs old value, you have to look at several variables. If you are buying a relatively new civic with few miles, you might as well go for a brand new car because you'll get better financing and have a brand new car. Civics do retain their price. Mine is over two years old now. Because I have taken care of it well and have done a few upgrades, the value of my car is actually almost the same as I paid for it two years ago! I actually got a deal at the invoice price. Given how bad the economy is, this is the perfect time to buy many different products, including cars. I bet you could negotiate an invoice price even on a civic.

 

[Excelsius]

I'm not a car expert, but just wanted to point out something that i've noticed (anecdotal evidence) is that when looking at low mileage cars its also important to look at how old the car is (even if it looks well taken care of with minimal rust/etc.) In my opion there is a big difference between 5 year old car with 60K on it than a 10+year old care with 60K miles on it.

Ive seen some friends and family buy low mileage decent looking cars that appeared to have no major problems run into some significant repair issues (yes, even honda/toyotas) with the first 1-2 years after purchase.

I think it has to do with how the car was driven, for example many short trips tend to put more stress than longer trips with primarly highway driven miles.

And any car sitting around for 10 years vs 5 has more time to develop structural problems that may not be seen on initial inspection.

I agree. When you are a buying a used car, the number of variable shoot up the older the car is. Looking only at the mileage is a mistake. Furthermore, it is very important how the car was driven. A 100K+ miles on any car is not much these days if these are mostly freeway miles on cruise control. 50K miles on the same car owned by a teenager racing in the city every other day could be equivalent to 150-200K gentle driving.

There is just too much information regarding used cars. You'd have to do a lot of reading on your own and then come here with specific questions, if you have any.

As far as leasing goes, I think it is a waste of money and a very bad financial decision. Unless you are well off, you don't need to brag a new car every three years. Just buy a reliable car, pay it off in 3-5 years, and SAVE money. On top of that, you'll save on repairs, insurance, and registration. Mechanics tend to charge a lot if the car looks new or is a luxury brand. Also, cars like Civic have a lot of information for DIY and you can learn to change your own oil, brakes, and air filters. Here is a simple example: for my car, I have to pay over $150 to change an air filter. Yet I do it myself for $28. How long does it take? 2 minutes 40 seconds. When you factor in all the costs saved, you end up with thousands of dollars. Not all brands give in to easy DIY. If you drive an Audi, it is expected that you should also spend the money to have all the work done, but when a mechanic sees something like a civic, he thinks twice before shooting a price.

I could give a lot of car tips as I have written a large document on car maintenance, but one thing you should absolutely do is go synthetic. It is much better for the engine and you don't have to replace it as often. If you use the coupons from the newspapers, you can get synthetic for a cheaper price than some of the regular oils. And don't go cheap on the oil filter either. Purolator Pure One is one of the best out there - it has a great filtering capability and a low price.

 

[atomi]

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[atomi]

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[atomi]

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[atomi]

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[Mombosuthu]

Swing and a miss!

I guess there's nothing wrong with sending profits to corporations that were involved in the butchering of your ancestors as long as the car looks good.

Also, tell your father not to bite the hand that feeds him. Like I alluded to before, the downfall of Ford and GM was largely due to the employees sucking the companies dry. $40/hr for bolting on wheels all day? Yeah, that's fair.

Oh come on. What does butchering of ancestors have to do with buying a car? lol. It's like me not buying American cuz they made my ancestors work as slaves.