Buying my first car... Suggestions?

[Hitman47]

Ok soo. First off, hi everybody!
I was googling for a cars forum in canada, and this site popped up which seems to be a pretty big one.:nut:

So after getting a job, Im finally looking forward to buying my first car this July.
I dont know much about cars/engines but I know brand names :bigpimp: and I am passionate about cars in my ignorance.

What I am looking for in my ignorance is simply:
- A cheap car, which I might throw away in some years
- Something that can looks good, does not matter the brand, or the year. I just wanna feel good when I look at it.
- Something thats gonna possibly lower my insurance(as in Ontario they're pretty high)
- Probably a used car but which would not give me much problems, since I dont know much on how to maintain a car, and I am not sure what would I do if it stopped working in the middle of the highway:banghead:

So if anyone can suggest names of cars/places where to buy them, I would really appreciate it.

Also if you guys wanna give me any basic info on "cars/engines", "what to look for", "how to maintain a car". I would greatly appreciate it.
Keep in min that Im a college kid and Im cheap as hell :devil:

[vengie]

Honda Civic

[5G_celica]

Originally posted by vengie
Honda Civic

+1

cheap, easy to maintain, and parts are abundant.

[Tomaz]

If you are looking for something a bit more :bigpimp: ...


Volvo850 Turbo.

It has power, safe, reliable (when you get your car inspected), lots of go-fast parts, leather, sunroof, heated seats, power everything, auto lights. They do have everything.

Usually you will find 1995 - 98 850 turbos going for $4000 - $6000. Most parts are cheap. Not dirt cheap, but not bad.

Good luck!

:thumbsup:

[Xtrema]

How about those Pontiac G3 for $8K? At least it got warranty for a few years so you won't have much unexpected expenses during your college years.

[max_boost]

Originally posted by vengie
Honda Civic



Originally posted by 5G_celica


+1

cheap, easy to maintain, and parts are abundant.

+2

[Integra10]

Originally posted by max_boost





+2

:werd: Can't go wrong with a civic. You can even rice it out YO!!

[Goodfella]

Get yourself a mustang, easy to work on and cheap as hell to mantain plus they look 10 times better than these dime a dozen ricer civics ( no offense) that'd you would get for cheap.

[Bizzareo]

Get a chevette if you can find one, super reliable, cheap parts, easy to work on, RWD, and insurance isn't that expensive. (>2k/year for me, clean record). A civic is also a good choice, or anything old and American. What I did was watch the under 5k section of kijijji like a hawk. Also Vancouver cars might be in better condition.

[Hitman47]

Ok guys thanx a lot for the fast replies.

Answers @ everybody:
- I saw the Honda Civic, its not bad, rather OK looking.
- I didnt like how the Volvo looked
- I love mustangs, but how cheap are they, and how about 4 doors? I heard 2 doors insurance jumps up like a b*tch.
- A chevette looks like it from the 1920s.

Notes:
- Maybe Im living in a dream world, but I heard that with 2-3 grands you can buy a decent car. Some friends of mine go as far as saying that if you go in the suburbs, you'll find cars for < 1k$. I assume the prices you gave me are of used cars.
- Can anybody help me out on "how to maintain a car" and "how to choose it" (like when u buy a PC you look for CPU, RAM, VGA, what about when buying a car).
- Also anyone knows if insurance is heavily based on the car?

[911fever]

Civics are really expensive on insurance in Ontario. It'd probably be cheaper to buy an Accord, they are just as reliable and you'd save money driving one. If not, get a boring boring Toyota Corolla.

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by Hitman47

- I love mustangs, but how cheap are they, and how about 4 doors? I heard 2 doors insurance jumps up like a b*tch.


Notes:
- Maybe Im living in a dream world, but I heard that with 2-3 grands you can buy a decent car.
- Also anyone knows if insurance is heavily based on the car?

No 4-door mustangs, and yes insurance jumps between 2 door and 4 door cars in general. (my '98 Subaru 4-door has cheaper insurance than my '91 Plymouth 2-door).

You can buy a functional car for 2-3 grand. You can luck out and find a perfect car for cheap, or accidently buy a lemon. Buy one for $2g, and plan on spending $1g on fixing it. (My '98 Subaru was $300, with a blown engine. I replaced the engine myself for $800, and had a perfectly roadworthy and functioning car)

Insurance is based both on car, your age, and your driving history.

If I were in Ontario, I'd suggest you buy my car (see my sig), it's perfect for a first time driver :D

[Hitman47]

Ok so Ill probably buy a Civic I guess.

- Can anybody help me out on "how to maintain a car" and "how to choose it" (like when u buy a PC you look for CPU, RAM, VGA, what about when buying a car).

Also anyone know where to buy a car, I mean how do I find a place that sells good cheap cars. And should I go for used or new?

Thanx

[Kloubek]

I would bring a magnet with you, and check to see if the rear wheel wells (especially at the bottom, in front of the rear tires) to see if they have been repaired and/or rusted out. There are really not major "trouble spots" on the Civics as far as I know. You might be advised to take it in for inspection before you buy it. It's a pain, but can keep you from spending lots in repairs down the road.

Make sure you get regular oil changes. There are certain intervals where the other fluids should be changed too, and you should at least check them all if nothing else. Keep an eye out on the driveway for leaks.

If you are buying an older car make sure it will pass the inspection your insurance company will require. If it won't, use the repairs as a haggling tool. They probably won't require an inspection if it is no more than 10-12 years old.

I would not suggest buying brand new. You lose a lot right off the bat. But if you buy something only 3 years old, it will still have full warranty, and you let someone else take the depreciation hit.

[Hitman47]

Ok guys, so... The only place I know to search for cars is kijiji.

And these are the cars I narrowed down my search to.

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-1999-Honda-Civic-Hatchback-W0QQAdIdZ207923512

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-1998-Honda-Civic-lx-Sedan-W0QQAdIdZ207935505

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-2000-Honda-Civic-EX-Sedan-W0QQAdIdZ207916450

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-1996-Honda-Civic-Si-Hatchback-W0QQAdIdZ207910451

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-1999-HONDA-CIVIC-LX-AIR-CONDITION-1900-CALL905-510-0666-W0QQAdIdZ207656881

If anyone has anyone wants to suggest which is/seems better, or a better site to look for cars, please feel free.

PS. I personally like the "small cars"(especially the 4.5 grands one) better than the Sedans but again Im no expert

[Tomaz]

I like the looks of the third and last cars you have selected.

Personally, I look for a car that is bone stock. This means that nothing has been tampered with which equals a smaller chance of headaches in the future.

The blue hatch looks pretty nice, but i would still get it inspected.

I do not like that red hatch at all. It doesn't look like it has been looked after.



ANYWAY, check out the ones you like and get them inspected.

[911fever]

the third Civic link you mentioned is pretty good, looks well maintained. Get it for like $2500-$2800 and you're doing well

[freshprince1]

Mazda Protege is a great cheap car. Very reliable and economical. If you look hard enough you might even find a Protege 5 in that price range...it might have high kms though. Mazda's are underappreciated IMO.

[Hitman47]

So for everybody who says buy a civic. Can you get me to understand whats the difference btw these (cheaper) cars and a civic?

http://www.carpages.ca/used/2002/Mazda/Protege5/Bolton/Ontario/548900

http://www.carpages.ca/used/2002/Mazda/Protege5/Mississauga/Ontario/541464

http://www.carpages.ca/used/2002/Kia/Rio/Scarborough/Ontario/521795

And also if somebody could point me to an article, or a thread where"how to choose a car" and "how to maintain it" are dealt with, I would really appreciate it. Besides of wanting to buy a car, I wanna understand how they work, and make my own decisions in the future... So I dont have to come here and ask every time I see a car i might like

[Xtrema]

^ Those are VERY high mileage cars. Kia of that era isn't known for reliability. I'll leave that for someone else to comment.

Cars with that kind of mileage 200K+ may need more TLC. Make sure get the car inspected by your mechanic before buying it. Timing belt service is probably the biggest maintenance item you have to worry about.

[Kloubek]

Do NOT buy an old Kia. Up until the last few years, they had no redeeming qualities whatsoever except for low price.