What daily would you buy with $7500?

[zCypher]

Hi people,

I frequently read here but I'm somewhat of a lurker. For the past couple years I've been driving a 2004 Aveo. I'm sure you can imagine its unmatched driving experience. Seriously though the damn thing does work, but it's now gettin a bit older and has over 115,000km.

I originally bought the thing to help improve my credit which it certainly has. Now that I may be able to get a better rate, I'm thinking of switching to a newer car for a smaller payment. The car is not a 100% necessity now since I work in downtown Montreal and I can walk to work from my place. I do love having a car though and I would like to continue improving my credit (at a lower rate!).

When I first got this baby I was thinking about how hideous it was and how I was being responsible getting something practical instead of something I actually wanted. Somehow, despite the things I hate about it (utterly horrible handling and brakes, mediocre mileage for its size), it has grown on me.

I have my eye on a 2009 G3 which is the newer model but the Pontiac version. It has only 38,000km. Here's a pic http://img1.classistatic.com/cps/kj/110626/091r1/0610e80_20.jpeg

I'd like to hear your list of suggestions for cars in the same price range (not more than 7500). There are many cars I'd prefer over this kind, but at the price of gas ($1.35 - $1.45/liter) I honestly don't want anything harder on gas unless it's AWD.

As it stands, it costs me around $50 to fill up my tank depending on the price and I'll be lucky to travel 500km on that. So it's *roughly* $10 per 100km to travel in the Aveo. I would love something more fuel efficient, but don't want to sacrifice the usefulness either.

 

[Saga]

A motorcycle.

 

[zCypher]

A motorcycle.

It would be so awesome to have one. Not practical for me at this time as I don't have anywhere to put it and we can only ride a few months out of the year anyway in Quebec. That and we get majorly reamed just to keep a motorcycle on the road here.

 

[JulesMaximus]

If you can walk everywhere you need to go then why even own a car?

If a car was a luxury I sure as hell wouldn't buy a Pontiac. Save up for something cool that you will actually enjoy.

Christ, a car is a necessity for me. My motorcycle is my luxury item.

 

[dbk]

Civic!!

 

[jlee]

I went with a 2004 Subaru Forester XT for $7,390. I love it.

Fuel mileage SUCKS, though.

 

[digitaldurandal]

I went with a 2004 Subaru Forester XT for $7,390. I love it.

Fuel mileage SUCKS, though.

Forester is not a bad choice at all. Subaru is known for reliability and the Forester is a versatile vehicle. Get a nonturbo and the mileage won't be bad. Plus if it isn't something he needs to use all the time mileage won't matter. A plus is that they are good in snow.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Just keep the car you already have. Don't spend money just to spend it.

 

[Doppel]

Aveo is perfect for what you read right now and even a piece of crap Chevy 70,000 miles is nothing at all to think about replacing it.

Keep the car and save more money until you can get a nicer one down the road than that Pontiac or for if you end up spending a lot of time on the highway and want a better cruiser. The Aveo sounds perfect for you now and $7500 is proof that you're not rolling in money such that you should sell it to upgrade, imo.

 

[Throckmorton]

Why would you spend $7500 to "upgrade" to a Pontiac version of the same car that you hate?

 

[satyajitmenon]

Just keep the car you already have. Don't spend money just to spend it.

This.

 

[HAL9000]

Probably a nice 3 series... 325i or some such. (obviously not a new one, 2003 or something.)

 

[CraigRT]

obligatory Corolla/Civic...
They are good on gas like yours, and have good resale and reliability.

 

[ballmode]

Sporty - RSX-S
Utility - Forester
Truck - Ranger
Econo - Civic
Luxury - Lexus ES300

 

[MiataNC]

Credit is overrated!! Going into debt to build credit is a MYTH created by people who profit off of lending money to people who believe the lie. If you pay cash for everything (including major purchases like cars and houses), you don't even need a credit score and you can get things for a LOT less. Cash is the ultimate tool for negotiating the best price. If your Aveo is paid for, then keep driving it and saving money until it is too expensive to keep it running.

Then instead of asking "what can I get got $7500", you can't walk into any dealership with $20-30k, and walk out with a new car you really want and no payment.

 

[homercles337]

You're lucky enough to live and work in downtown Montreal (easily one of the most amazing cities in N America) and you want a car? Why have one at all? I lived in Boston for over 5 years without one. If you dont need one, then go without and save your money.

 

[wirednuts]

i want an ecoboost f150 but i think im going to have to wait a few years before the used ones hit my $7k budget as well.

 

[Vic Vega]

I'd probably keep the Aveo.

 

[ballmode]

I walked into a stealership one time with a briefcase full of money and they said they couldn't take it due to the post 9/11.

I'd have to transfer the money from a bank in order to pay more than 3000 something cash.

 

[zCypher]

It's true I don't absolutely need a car, but it's great to have one. I can visit family and gf whenever I can, which is a major pain with public transportation in comparison. If my Aveo had no rust at all, I'd consider keeping it.

That is a good point though MiataNC, thanks for the insight.

 

[Doppel]

It's true I don't absolutely need a car, but it's great to have one. I can visit family and gf whenever I can, which is a major pain with public transportation in comparison. If my Aveo had no rust at all, I'd consider keeping it.

That is a good point though MiataNC, thanks for the insight.

You've already lost the most value you will, the value loss will slow down now and rust isn't going to eat a hole in the floor of the car, so just put up with it

 

[Arkaign]

Both the Aveo and the G3 are based on some horrible Daewoo vehicle that's got the crashworthiness of a bag of dog shit. I wouldn't trust your life or anyone you care about riding about in one of those piles.

I'd think about looking for an i4 midsize w/manual trans on the used market. Fusion, Mazda6, Milan (Mercury variant of Fusion), Altima, Malibu (08.5+), Legacy, etc. All of these will deliver good safety, comfort, and practicality with reasonably good fuel economy.

 

[kornphlake]

I walked into a stealership one time with a briefcase full of money and they said they couldn't take it due to the post 9/11.

I'd have to transfer the money from a bank in order to pay more than 3000 something cash.

LOL, stealerships will say the dumbest things, they don't even understand why they say things most of the time. Seriously what did a hijacked airplane and a burnt skyscraper have to do with banking, much less buying a car? Cash is the lowest risk form of payment aside from precious metals, if a person refuses to accept cash they are trying hard to not earn your business.

 

[MotF Bane]

LOL, stealerships will say the dumbest things, they don't even understand why they say things most of the time. Seriously what did a hijacked airplane and a burnt skyscraper have to do with banking, much less buying a car? Cash is the lowest risk form of payment aside from precious metals, if a person refuses to accept cash they are trying hard to not earn your business.

Uh, more likely that the government could have put in a regulation about large cash transactions, I wouldn't be looking to hold that one against the dealership.

 

[NutBucket]

Trouble is, how can the dealership reasonably verify the authenticity of all that money?