YACT: What would you buy?

Scouzer

Lifer
Jun 3, 2001
10,359
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So, I'm sorry to make another thread on this but my situation changed on me!

I was originally supposed to goto Fort Nelson, BC but then the company made a change on me and now I'm headed to Lloydminster AB. I'm sort of an Air Traffic Controller here in Canada, if you were curious.

So I would like to buy a small, fun, relatively cheap car.

I am leaning for a Pontiac Pursuit GT (Chevrolet Cobalt SS non supercharged clone...a bit nicer) - $20,200 (Canadian dollars!) with 171hp is pretty competitive. I would tack on a small extended warranty. GM will make my first two payments since I'm a recent high school graduate. 0% interest for 4 years. Pretty good!

A Civic would be in the running but they have 5.9% interest rate right now. Sky high...

Or should I just buy used? I have $7k in the bank, and the next two months I will be making trainee pay of $28,500. After 35 shifts I jump to $45,500, but there is a 6% on average chance that I will not make it and be fired. I will definitely be relocating possibly somewhere up north in the future as well.

This is what makes GM extra appealing -- no payments during my trainee period which is roughly two months.

What say you? Suggestions? Should I buy used? I will be out test driving this weekend.
 

fbrdphreak

Lifer
Apr 17, 2004
17,556
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The Cobalt isn't a terrible car, you should get pretty good gas mileage out of that Ecotec.

$17-18K USD......you could get a Subaru Impreza (or whatever you have up there). It'll be a little less peppy and get worse gas mileage, but will hold its resale value better and last forever. Also, AWD of course!

You probably won't get 0% interest anywhere but GM though
 

Scarpozzi

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
26,389
1,777
126
My opinion of Pontiac isn't a good one. They may have changed, but they were always known for putting cheap trim in their car....the engines used to be manufactured in Brazil and were known for blowing head gaskets and having cooling problems over 100k.

I recommend staying away from them and going with something else...just because most other cars in that class would be a better value. I am not big on GM, but I, myself, drive a Buick and am happy with that.... Just thinking you might be better off with a Suburu, Nissan, Honda, or Toyota.

BTW...the reason I bought a Buick. The road near all the car dealerships here is beaten up and really rough pavement. Probably from all the car deliveries there and the overloaded trucks. I drove 3 Nissan Maximas and a few Honda Accords..I could hear a ton of road noise compared to the Buick. All were similar in price, gas milage, etc... Just an FYI...when you test drive, find some bad pavement and put all the cars you might want to buy through a road noise test...
 
Jun 4, 2005
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Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
The Cobalt isn't a terrible car, you should get pretty good gas mileage out of that Ecotec.

$17-18K USD......you could get a Subaru Impreza (or whatever you have up there). It'll be a little less peppy and get worse gas mileage, but will hold its resale value better and last forever. Also, AWD of course!

You probably won't get 0% interest anywhere but GM though

:thumbsup:
The Cobalt is a solid car, IMO.
 

Scouzer

Lifer
Jun 3, 2001
10,359
6
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Unfortunately the new Impreza's styling is...well....not as nice as it could be. lol...

A base Impreza starts at about $3k more as well, which would put me in Mazda 3 territory.

I will test drive a Rabbit, krunchykrome, but VW's awful reliability makes me extremely skeptical. That and its a new model is one scary combo for reliability.

AND since it's a new model, high interest rates and little bargaining on price...
 

krunchykrome

Lifer
Dec 28, 2003
13,413
1
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Originally posted by: Scouzer
Unfortunately the new Impreza's styling is...well....not as nice as it could be. lol...

A base Impreza starts at about $3k more as well, which would put me in Mazda 3 territory.

I will test drive a Rabbit, krunchykrome, but VW's awful reliability makes me extremely skeptical. That and its a new model is one scary combo for reliability.

AND since it's a new model, high interest rates and little bargaining on price...


VW does have some reliablity issues with regards to electrical engineering. But I have to admit, it does look attractive, especially in white. It's starting MSRP is fairly low too. but after adding options, it can easily come to $20K+. No leather option and no arm rest though :thumbsdown:
 

DarkKnight69

Golden Member
Jun 15, 2005
1,688
0
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Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
My opinion of Pontiac isn't a good one. They may have changed, but they were always known for putting cheap trim in their car....the engines used to be manufactured in Brazil and were known for blowing head gaskets and having cooling problems over 100k.

I recommend staying away from them and going with something else...just because most other cars in that class would be a better value. I am not big on GM, but I, myself, drive a Buick and am happy with that.... Just thinking you might be better off with a Suburu, Nissan, Honda, or Toyota.

BTW...the reason I bought a Buick. The road near all the car dealerships here is beaten up and really rough pavement. Probably from all the car deliveries there and the overloaded trucks. I drove 3 Nissan Maximas and a few Honda Accords..I could hear a ton of road noise compared to the Buick. All were similar in price, gas milage, etc... Just an FYI...when you test drive, find some bad pavement and put all the cars you might want to buy through a road noise test...

Are you kidding me? the ecotec is one of the best I4's on the market right now.

Good power, great milage, low maitenance. GM did well when they built that motor.

Not only that but it will allow room for modifications once the warranty is off...

Lets not also forget that GM has one of the biggest dealer networks in Canada.

 

EngenZerO

Diamond Member
Dec 24, 2001
5,099
2
0
Originally posted by: Scouzer
8.9% interest on the Si FTL...

serious. get out of here. how... i got 6.4 on my g35 and she was used. they were giving me 3.9 on a brand new g35.
 

Scouzer

Lifer
Jun 3, 2001
10,359
6
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OK I went and checked

7.55% on the Si
5.9% on all other Civics

way too much over 4-5 years.
 

EngenZerO

Diamond Member
Dec 24, 2001
5,099
2
0
Originally posted by: Scouzer
OK I went and checked

7.55% on the Si
5.9% on all other Civics

way too much over 4-5 years.

yeah... that is rather expensive... i am shocked too see thats honda's financing is that high... are you positive you can't get lower?

cause... at first the guy was giving me 6.9 on a brand new g35... then when he ran my credit he apolgized and said that 3.9 would be the bracket i fit in...

even when i got my g35 used... they gave me the lowest on the market... 6.4.
 

Scouzer

Lifer
Jun 3, 2001
10,359
6
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thats the lowest i can get thru honda. i use carcostcanada which shows the lowest rate honda is offering.
 

Scouzer

Lifer
Jun 3, 2001
10,359
6
0
miatas are listed for $9000 on the autotrader here...

oh...and thats for a 1990...

yeah...ridiculous
 

krunchykrome

Lifer
Dec 28, 2003
13,413
1
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Originally posted by: Scouzer
miatas are listed for $9000 on the autotrader here...

oh...and thats for a 1990...

yeah...ridiculous


You should test drive a Rabbit, Id be interested in knowing what people thought about it. Oh, and how about a Honda Fit?
 

Scouzer

Lifer
Jun 3, 2001
10,359
6
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i'll test drive it, but i dont like the way it looks so its definitely not on my likely list.

rabbit falls under the same idea :D

i really like the pursuit. but i have yet to drive it, so it may be only a paper fetish
 

Scouzer

Lifer
Jun 3, 2001
10,359
6
0
I went to the dealership today...wow the Pursuit had a disapointing interior. I expected it to be bad, but wow its awful. I don't want to spend $20k for something so obviously designed with cost cutting in mind. That and its resale value is horrendous...

The Mazda 3 truly seems like the best here--but its $25k OTD. That's a LOT and there is almost no room for negotiation. I'd get $500 off tops.

I also ruled out the Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V; Hyundai Accent; Honda Civic; VW anything...

So for new: Ford Focus (cheap), Pontiac Pursuit (cheap), Mazda 3 (ouch expensive)

Used: Mazda Protege...and...? I am reevaluating my used options. Something small and sporty...and not a dog (this rules out the Civic!)
 

EngenZerO

Diamond Member
Dec 24, 2001
5,099
2
0
Originally posted by: Scouzer
I went to the dealership today...wow the Pursuit had a disapointing interior. I expected it to be bad, but wow its awful. I don't want to spend $20k for something so obviously designed with cost cutting in mind. That and its resale value is horrendous...

The Mazda 3 truly seems like the best here--but its $25k OTD. That's a LOT and there is almost no room for negotiation. I'd get $500 off tops.

I also ruled out the Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V; Hyundai Accent; Honda Civic; VW anything...

So for new: Ford Focus (cheap), Pontiac Pursuit (cheap), Mazda 3 (ouch expensive)

Used: Mazda Protege...and...? I am reevaluating my used options. Something small and sporty...and not a dog (this rules out the Civic!)

Have you tried looking at older generation civic si's? like the 99-01 era?
 

Scouzer

Lifer
Jun 3, 2001
10,359
6
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They are really rare...only one for sale locally. They want $19k which is...a lot.