What first car should I buy?

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XZeroII

XZeroII

Lifer
Jun 30, 2001
12,572
0
0
Originally posted by: MegaVovaN
OK, I don't know how should I call 4 cylinder engines :)

Thanks for suggestions! You guys convinced me to buy 4 cylinder car. What should I look for? I am afraid that small Toyota Corolla will not protect me in case of crash at all!
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They are called 4 bangers. Get it right.
 
CrackRabbit

CrackRabbit

Lifer
Mar 30, 2001
16,642
62
91
Originally posted by: MegaVovaN
I live in Houston and it is absolutely flat.
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Find an old HPD cruiser.
The Crown Vics are large, have a v8 and are nearly indesdructable.
That and if you get one in HPD blue you can freak people out. :D
 
C

Compton

Platinum Member
Feb 18, 2000
2,522
1
0
Originally posted by: MegaVovaN
Hi all, I am finishing high school and will need a car to drive to/from college and work. I am 18, and I passed theory and driving tests on 1st try! ALL of my friends crashed their first cars with different degrees of severity, so I need a safe (large) car. I am thinking of buying used and spending $3000-5000. I don't want minivan, I drove my parent's Ford Windstar 96, and did not really like it.
I am looking at V-6 and V-8 engines - don't want weak V4. The miles per gallon can be low (friend's Ford Thunderbird V8 had 15mpg) - I am okay with that, because I don't need to drive anywhere too far...

So, what big, powerful, cheap cars would you suggest?
Right now all that is in my head is Ford Thunderbird coupe with a V8 or V6 engine.
Oh and by the way, I am not buying right now, I will buy in the beginning of summer or so.

EDIT: auto transmission only.
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I think you've got a good idea. Consider the Cougar too, its essentially the same car. My brother has a 91 Cougar with the 5.0l V8. Its a suprisingly quick car and its fun to drive.
 
Gooberlx2

Gooberlx2

Lifer
May 4, 2001
15,381
6
91
Originally posted by: MegaVovaN
OK, I don't know how should I call 4 cylinder engines :)

Thanks for suggestions! You guys convinced me to buy 4 cylinder car. What should I look for? I am afraid that small Toyota Corolla will not protect me in case of crash at all!
Click to expand...

Dude, big doesn't equal safe....not at all. Corollas, Civics, lots of Saturns, etc...all get good crash and safety ratings.
 
M

MikeMike

Lifer
Feb 6, 2000
45,885
66
91
Originally posted by: CombatChuk
Originally posted by: JS80
Originally posted by: MegaVovaN
Hi all, I am finishing high school and will need a car to drive to/from college and work. I am 18, and I passed theory and driving tests on 1st try! ALL of my friends crashed their first cars with different degrees of severity, so I need a safe (large) car. I am thinking of buying used and spending $3000-5000. I don't want minivan, I drove my parent's Ford Windstar 96, and did not really like it.
I am looking at V-6 and V-8 engines - don't want weak V4. The miles per gallon can be low (friend's Ford Thunderbird V8 had 15mpg) - I am okay with that, because I don't need to drive anywhere too far...

So, what big, powerful, cheap cars would you suggest?
Right now all that is in my head is Ford Thunderbird coupe with a V8 or V6 engine.
Oh and by the way, I am not buying right now, I will buy in the beginning of summer or so.

EDIT: auto transmission only.
Click to expand...

I don't think there have been any production V4 engines ever made...
Click to expand...

Not in cars ;)

Honda VFR
Honda ST1100/1300
Yamaha VMax
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yea there were, Saab used them.

any btw, to the OP, look at Chevy Prizms, reliable, safe, not overly powerful, and will get you from point a to point b with no problem.

 
V

ValValline

Senior member
Feb 18, 2005
339
0
76
Originally posted by: MegaVovaN
What about the engine? Won't it kinda die soon after revving it all the time? My father taught me to drive lightly, not flooring the pedal after the light turns green...
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Your engine actually works harder with an auto trans car than a stick, unless you intentionally over-rev the car by taking it to redline before shifting.

Revving an engine within it's limits (not bouncing the tach on redline) is fine. That is how it is designed to run. It will only break if it is not maintained properly or has been worn out or abused by a previous owner.
 
M

mooseracing

Golden Member
Mar 9, 2006
1,711
0
0
i own a 96 bird right now with a 281 V8, driving hard i get 20mpg avg.....80mph highway rides i can get 25 easily if i stay with a pack of cars.


don't get a Lincoln Mk VIII they are a maintence queen, the bird if maintened works great.....check out TCCoA.com for all the straight facts on teh birds amd mks, and cougars
 
F

fbrdphreak

Lifer
Apr 17, 2004
17,555
1
0
Originally posted by: LordMorpheus
Lincoln Mk VIII would be good - same chassis/engine as the thunderbird, but more goodies.
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Yeah except they handle like balls, although I can't say a Thunderbird is much better.

You want safe, reliable, fun to drive, and reasonable MPG? Subaru Legacy, late 90's. In your price range, reliable as hell, AWD, and fun to drive.

Do you want to work on a car a lot? Then get a <$5K domestic. I'm sorry but chances are all of them will need a good amount of work, unless they were meticulously cared for.

You can look at a Camaro or Mustang in the early 90's. If you go Camaro, go 90-92; the engines are much more easily accessible. Not great general transportation cars, as they are more cramped and won't drive well in inclement weather (esp for a novice driver).

Seriously: buy a four banger beater first. You will wreck a V8 RWD vehicle without proper practice driving it. If you get one, find an auto-x track or one of those driving courses where they teach you to drive in emergency situations in your own car.
 
T

thedarkwolf

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 1999
9,034
127
106
Thunderbird is a good choice despite what some of these people seem to think aslong as you get the v8. They are very reliable cars and the gas mileage isn't anywhere near as bad as alot of people seem to think. My dad usually got around 27mpg highway with his over the 270k miles he put on his 96. The car is fast enough not to be a bore machine but not fast enough to kill you either unless your an idiot. Most importantly they are cheap to buy and insurance shouldn't be any worse then any other basic car for an 18 year old. They aren't considered sports cars.
 
M

MikeMike

Lifer
Feb 6, 2000
45,885
66
91
Originally posted by: iluvmiatas
Small, four cylinder stick car. Fun as hell to drive. Perfect for what the OP wanted.
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minus the automatic transmission, and the big part, and teh V6 or V8, and the multiple passenger space.
 
I

iluvmiatas

Banned
Sep 29, 2006
9
0
0
Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE
Originally posted by: iluvmiatas
Small, four cylinder stick car. Fun as hell to drive. Perfect for what the OP wanted.
Click to expand...

minus the automatic transmission, and the big part, and teh V6 or V8, and the multiple passenger space.
Click to expand...

Hmm?

EDIT: Sone of a sh!t. Thought that the OP wanted the opposite of what I read.
 
P

Philippine Mango

Diamond Member
Oct 29, 2004
5,594
0
0
Originally posted by: nkgreen
Originally posted by: MegaVovaN
What about the engine? Won't it kinda die soon after revving it all the time? My father taught me to drive lightly, not flooring the pedal after the light turns green...
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i don't recommend burning out at every stop light, but it is fun to smoke a tricked out Neo every once in a while. and you don't floor it after the light turns green. you floor right before and pop the clutch when the light turns. :) but if i lived in a super hilly area (san fran perhaps) with a lot of traffic, i would get an auto.
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Thats soooo bad for the clutch! I can't imagine it lasting more than a more times after that.
 
X

xrax

Senior member
Sep 17, 2005
341
0
0
they are called inline 4 or I-4. there are also I-6 and I-8. The I-8 is usually called a straight eight.
 
T

thedarkwolf

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 1999
9,034
127
106
Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE
why a thunderbird, when you can buy a Crown Vic for pennies on the dollar.
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thunderbirds are just as worthless and look a lot better.
 
U

ucdbiendog

Platinum Member
Sep 22, 2001
2,468
0
0
try getting a late 90s saturn. I drive a 99 SL2 stick and it is surprisingly fun to drive. doesnt offer the power of a V6 or V8, but it has good acceleration and i can get close to 40mpg on the highway. its a 1.9L 4cyl engine (the twin cam version). my sister drives the 99 SL stick with single cam and its a ton weaker. I just passed 100k miles on the car and havent had any big mechanical problems. minor cosmetic things on the inside have come loose, but thats easy to fix w/a screwdriver. and like the previous poster said, a lot of smaller cars get good crash ratings.
 
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shoRunner

Platinum Member
Nov 8, 2004
2,629
1
0
all the cars that I can think of that are relatively quick and have a good amount of space in somewhere near the 5k price range:

maxima '95+
pontiac grand prix gtp '96~
cadillac STS '95~
volvo 850 R '96~
taurus SHO '93+
v6 accord '95+
infiniti I30 '95~
inifinit q45 '96~
cadillac eldorado '95~
540i (1st gen, maybe) '93~
mazada millenia s '96+

personally i'd probably go with the maxima, as they are pretty reliable cars and aren't too slow, and you might be able to get a decent '00 with 5k.
 
DougK62

DougK62

Diamond Member
Mar 28, 2001
8,035
6
81
Seriously look at Volvos. An early 90s 740 or 240 would be perfect. Incredibly reliable and easy to care for. My 89 740 is also the most comfortable car I've ever driven. Go for the turbo 4 cylinder version and it'll have plenty of pep.

They also have awesome resale value for when you want to get rid of it.

 
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