lost my car to fire. suggestions for new cars around 20k please :)

[Firetower]

How about a 2013 subaru impreza

I love the impreza sport hatch

 

[AMCRambler]

The only thing I can think of that would go pop in the engine bay and then start a fire on top of the motor would be a ignition coil. If it arced hard enough maybe it took out the neighbor as well. I hear some more popping and crackling in the video too.

 

[gorb]

there were definitely some loud pops 🙂

 

[phucheneh]

Ignition coils will not start a fire. 'Spark' and 'fire' are different things. Fires need a fuel source.

There's pretty much only two reasons for a car to catch fire: Fuel leakage (or SEVERE oil leakage) onto an exhaust manifold, or aftermarket wiring without proper circuit protection.

I'd put money on this being caused by the latter.

 

[gorb]

there was no aftermarket wiring on the car. everything was stock.

 

[gorb]

Quoted [FONT=verdana,geneva]$18958 for a 2012[FONT=verdana,geneva] [FONT=verdana,geneva]mazda 3 i touring (hatchback, automatic).[FONT=verdana,geneva] Sounds pretty good to me 😀[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]
[/FONT]

 

[vi edit]

Quoted [FONT=verdana,geneva]$18958 for a 2012[FONT=verdana,geneva] [FONT=verdana,geneva]mazda 3 i touring (hatchback, automatic).[FONT=verdana,geneva] Sounds pretty good to me 😀[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]
[/FONT]

Skyactiv trim?

 

[gorb]

Yes, the skyactiv engine 🙂

 

[spacejamz]

Got a 2013 Accord EX coupe a few weeks ago...awesome car...

Had a 2008 EX-L coupe and the 2013 is a huge step up...

 

[gorb]

If they would just shrink the accord down to civic size, I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

 

[SilthDraeth]

I was driving on the highway. There was a pop in the engine bay, then a little smoke out of the tailpipes, so I decided to exit and get the car towed. By the time I found someplace good to stop (ie not in the middle of the road or a bike-lane width shoulder), I had lost power steering and my brakes. Only a couple minutes had passed. Stopped the car with the e-brake and turned it off. Lots of smoke started to come out of the engine bay, and I saw some scorch marks forming on the hood, so I grabbed a few things, got out of the car, and called 911. The rest is as you see. I don't know what exactly caused the fire.

Your timing belt broke would be my guess. Interference engine, timing breaks, piston hits your valves, all sorts of bad shit happens.

 

[alkalinetaupehat]

I know someone who used USAA's car buying service when they picked up a Challenger R/T. I was told that they literally called the dealer, printed out some forms from the website, and signed papers for that price, no haggling. And he paid invoice. I'll be trying it out when I go car shopping at the end of this year.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

Kia Optima.

 

[gorb]

I know someone who used USAA's car buying service when they picked up a Challenger R/T. I was told that they literally called the dealer, printed out some forms from the website, and signed papers for that price, no haggling. And he paid invoice. I'll be trying it out when I go car shopping at the end of this year.

Yeah, I'm pretty much being offered invoice pricing on everything. Some of the dealers are tossing in some add ons for a couple hundred bucks here and there, but they're upfront about it. It's convenient because haggling is annoying 🙂

 

[A5]

Quoted [FONT=verdana,geneva]$18958 for a 2012[FONT=verdana,geneva] [FONT=verdana,geneva]mazda 3 i touring (hatchback, automatic).[FONT=verdana,geneva] Sounds pretty good to me 😀[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]
[/FONT]

That's alright. If you have use of a car buying service, you may be able to do better (I'm getting an offer of $17,581 on a 2012 Mazda 3 i Touring Auto in my area through the USAA car buying service).

Though if the opening offer is $19K, you can probably talk them down to $18K if you want.

 

[A5]

I know someone who used USAA's car buying service when they picked up a Challenger R/T. I was told that they literally called the dealer, printed out some forms from the website, and signed papers for that price, no haggling. And he paid invoice. I'll be trying it out when I go car shopping at the end of this year.

I used it to get a Mazda 3i GT earlier this year. My OTD price on that was roughly "invoice" on the Touring model, and it didn't make us ineligible for the 0.9% financing they had going at the time.

The sales guy was pretty shocked at the price we were getting.

 

[gorb]

That's alright. If you have use of a car buying service, you may be able to do better (I'm getting an offer of $17,581 on a 2012 Mazda 3 i Touring Auto in my area through the USAA car buying service).

Though if the opening offer is $19K, you can probably talk them down to $18K if you want.

All the prices I've been quoted so far have been after going through the USAA car buying service. I'm assuming pricing is affected by region. I dunno what other factors there would be.

 

[CraigRT]

If they would just shrink the accord down to civic size, I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

For what its worth, the latest generation shrunk in size compared to the previous 2012.
You should give the car a look, it can't be any bigger or if so, marginally, than your previous Sonata.

 

[gorb]

It's ~1" longer than my old car. I would prefer a smaller vehicle.

 

[exar333]

For what its worth, the latest generation shrunk in size compared to the previous 2012.
You should give the car a look, it can't be any bigger or if so, marginally, than your previous Sonata.

It's a boat. Loved my friend's 2001 Accord; the last 2 gens have been too big and too much for what you get compared to the competition.

 

[CraigRT]

It's a boat. Loved my friend's 2001 Accord; the last 2 gens have been too big and too much for what you get compared to the competition.

I suppose that's subjective but it's smaller than the previous generation, I wouldn't label it as a boat. a Chrysler 300 might be.
2001 is a great generation of Accord also. I like those ones a lot also.

 

[A5]

All the prices I've been quoted so far have been after going through the USAA car buying service. I'm assuming pricing is affected by region. I dunno what other factors there would be.

Huh. Well one of my other local places quoted like $19,200 so I guess it isn't that bad.

 

[michal1980]

ford focus right now has ~2,500 dollars in rebates. can get a nicely loaded one for under 20k easy.

 

[gorb]

I'm super indecisive. I'm probably going to go with the 2013 Civic EX. Just had a nice conversation with a dealer.

I spoke to USAA today and I'm getting a decent settlement as well, so that helps 🙂

 

[vshah]

the 2013 civic looks really nice. can't really go wrong in that segment imo.

I'm going on 80k trouble free miles on my 07 civic Si. you'll have the car for a long time if you choose to keep it.