What kind of car should I buy?

[orakle]

I'm an engineering student starting a work term at a large software company in August and I'm seriously thinking about getting a car for commuting to work. The need for wheels is slightly compounded by the fact that I will be working overnight for a few weeks at a time and there is no reliable bus service at those unholy hours of the night/morning.

My budget is about $3000-4000 (Canadian, but the difference is so small these days the ballpark figure makes sense in either currency). I'm not super picky. Domestic or import is OK, manual is OK. I just want something cheap, reliable and reasonably economical. A car that looks good would be a plus.

Please give your two cents..

Thanks!

 

[drpootums]

I know they look like grandma cars, but a used Buick or Oldsmobile would be pretty good for what you want. They can be had for that price range with fairly low miles (50-70k), rarely have serious mechanical problems (depends on how it was cared for by the previous owner), and average about 25 mpg (city/hwy average). The 3800 v6, which was put in most of them, is a very durable engine, and still puts out enough power to shut up the few people that make fun of your car (I have a 1990 Olds 88 with the 3800, and it's no racer but you'd be surprised by the power).

And they are pretty comfortable to boot. And as a testament to their durability, my brother put 270k miles on his 1990 Oldsmobile 88 and the car was still running strong when he hit a deer

EDIT: Here's an example

 

[j00fek]

civic all the way

300+k on everyone

 

[desy]

Late 90's Escort Coupe for that money, rebadged Mazda Protege with domestic depreciation.

 

[mwmorph]

Geo or Chevy Prizims. Not sure if they exist in Canada but USDM Chevy Prizims are mechanically identical to Toyota Corollas, in fact the only exterior differences are different head and tailights and badges and the only interior difference was a Delco radio instead of a japanese piece and thel ack of a front stabilizer bar.

In fact Prizims were produced at the Toyota NUMMI plant in California that make the Toyota Matrix/Pontiac vibes now and Prizims cost less than corollas while retaining 99.5% of the quality and reliability of Toyota corollas.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: mwmorph
Geo or Chevy Prizims. Not sure if they exist in Canada but USDM Chevy Prizims are mechanically identical to Toyota Corollas, in fact the only exterior differences are different head and tailights and badges and the only interior difference was a Delco radio instead of a japanese piece and thel ack of a front stabilizer bar.

In fact Prizims were produced at the Toyota NUMMI plant in California that make the Toyota Matrix/Pontiac vibes now and Prizims cost less than corollas while retaining 99.5% of the quality and reliability of Toyota corollas.

^ truth x2

They are far from stylish, but they are EXTREMELY reliable and practical for a day-to-day basis. Enough room to seat 4 adults without issues (wouldn't advise it for a road trip, however), excellent fuel economy, simple engineering makes maintenance easy, parts are plentiful, and the value will hold well if you take care of it. When you're done with it, sell it for nearly what you paid, and get something newer/nicer.

 

[Zenmervolt]

If you can get over the perception of the brand, a late-model Hyundai Elantra would be an excellent candidate if you can stretch budget. That's probably going to be in the 6,000 range though.

ZV

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
If you can get over the perception of the brand, a late-model Hyundai Elantra would be an excellent candidate if you can stretch budget. That's probably going to be in the 6,000 range though.

ZV

Hey ZV just struck a light-bulb in my head.

A distinct possibility might be to head to your local Hyundai dealership, and get a low-cost new car with a 100k warranty. They don't hold their value very well, but they're not expensive to begin with, and Hyundai quality is very decent now. You'd have the backing of the warranty and the confidence of driving a vehicle that has never been neglected or abused. You may be able to use a fraction of that $ for the down payment, and you'll be building great credit while you're at it.

Something to think about, at least.

EDIT: Build & Price here :

http://www.hyundaicanada.com/

If you get payments down to $150ish monthly, that should be pretty manageable.

 

[orakle]

Originally posted by: Arkaign
Hey ZV just struck a light-bulb in my head.

A distinct possibility might be to head to your local Hyundai dealership, and get a low-cost new car with a 100k warranty. They don't hold their value very well, but they're not expensive to begin with, and Hyundai quality is very decent now. You'd have the backing of the warranty and the confidence of driving a vehicle that has never been neglected or abused. You may be able to use a fraction of that $ for the down payment, and you'll be building great credit while you're at it.

Something to think about, at least.

EDIT: Build & Price here :

http://www.hyundaicanada.com/

If you get payments down to $150ish monthly, that should be pretty manageable.

That's actually not a bad idea. The Elantra hatchbacks are very reasonably priced. I'm also gonna check out the Prizims and Escorts. I'd love a Civic, but the prices on those things are crazy for anything under ten years old, at least on CL and Hebdo (a local site). Any more suggestions?

 

[desy]

Lots of Excorts in Quebec for 3 G, I don't think they ever sold Prism's in Canada
http://www.canadiandriver.com/...les/bm/97-99escort.htm
http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/jc/98-99zx2.htm