1 year out, what car thread

volvoclearinghouse wrote: I know this goes against everything I usually stand for, but as I'm getting older, and my level of tolerance for working on a daily driver shrinks... Why not plunk down (lease or payments) on a new 5 door? Pick your favorite, they're all pretty good. Civic, Focus, Fiesta, etc. $5000 makes a lot of payments. And you have a warranty. Your commute is short enough a lease may make sense. Remember the good times you had with the Leaf? All those times you weren't doing oil changes, or re-ringing the engine, or replacing...anything?

I hear you! The Leaf was great. The kids still talk about driving past the gas station with me joking about where we should put the gas.

I am hoping I can still stay cheap and yet stay reliable, though. I see no reason why a 2000's Honda/Mazda/Toyota should need basically anything.

Another Leaf, though, that would be neato.

I don't know that any of these compacts being considered are really going to work for putting 3 kids in the back seat.

To clarify, you said this:

tuna55 wrote: What I have: '88 Accord LX-i, ...what that means is that I need to have a real five seater. Two doors are acceptable, but this thing is cramped as a five seater. I do it, but I don't like it.

You're struggling with an older Accord, is a new Civic/Focus/Mazda3/Fiesta/etc. really going to improve anything? I think you're looking down too far in the car class. None of those cars are going to be less cramped with 5 people inside.

^Agree. Pretty much everything suggested in the first post is going to be as small inside or smaller than the Accord.

volvoclearinghouse wrote: I know this goes against everything I usually stand for, but as I'm getting older, and my level of tolerance for working on a daily driver shrinks... Why not plunk down (lease or payments) on a new 5 door? Pick your favorite, they're all pretty good. Civic, Focus, Fiesta, etc. $5000 makes a lot of payments. And you have a warranty. Your commute is short enough a lease may make sense. Remember the good times you had with the Leaf? All those times you weren't doing oil changes, or re-ringing the engine, or replacing...anything?

Serious question: What do you think the time cost is of owning a $5000 car? We'll assume the Leaf is 0 hours/year.

My wife had a $5000 car for the past couple years and I can't recall spending more thank like 2 hours on it total outside of a couple oil changes. It did make 2 trips to the shop though

My $1500 car requires a couple hours/year.

xflowgolf wrote: I don't know that any of these compacts being considered are really going to work for putting 3 kids in the back seat. To clarify, you said this:

tuna55 wrote: What I have: '88 Accord LX-i, ...what that means is that I need to have a real five seater. Two doors are acceptable, but this thing is cramped as a five seater. I do it, but I don't like it.

You're struggling with an older Accord, is a new Civic/Focus/Mazda3/Fiesta/etc. really going to improve anything? I think you're looking down too far in the car class. None of those cars are going to be less cramped with 5 people inside.

Cramped is okay.

Not being able to physically buckle the seats without a really weirdo dance of putting the kid in the seat as the belt is being buckled would be a plus.

Additionally, it's not the safest thing on the road.

I could measure, and perhaps will, but I suspect a 2000's era anything (perhaps not the fiesta) has a wider back seat.

For reference, my car needs several hours of work per month, though it just doesn't get them, so it stays somewhat broken.

Every $5000 car is different. You're rolling the dice. With 4 kids, a mortgage, a marriage, and other stuff you'd rather be doing, is gambling a past time you'd like to engage in?

5000/200 equals 2 years of lease payments. And maintenance may all be covered. You pay for gas.

Just checked out the Mazda website. The 6 sedan is still available with a stick. And is a very, very handsome car. For $22,000, I'm almost tempted to go test drive one.

I can confirm 4-5 intoxicated college age girls fit in back of the SI just fine

So far the list is:

EP3 Si
GTI (only if new and I can convince myself it's not going to be a miserable experience)
Fit
Leaf
Prius C (only if I can convince myself it's not going to be a miserable experience)
Matrix/Vibe
xB
Mazda 3/Mazdaspeed 3
Volvo V50 (wildcard)

I'd look for a Fit. I've seen several second gens ('09-'14) that are getting pretty cheap, and they're a little bigger than the first gen. Not as special as an SI, but with the bonus of a TARDIS-like interior. We have an '09 that we bought new, now with ~135k on it and no major issues other than having to replace the A/C compressor.

You know the Mazda5 is based on the Mazda3 chassis, right? It's just a little bigger, but still smaller than a 6 wagon and they can be had with manual and are cheap and easy to maintain.

Also the Mazda 3 chassis was used by Volvo on their small cars for a while, the C30 and V40? Which are also great options to look at.

Stefan wrote: You know the Mazda5 is based on the Mazda3 chassis, right? It's just a little bigger, but still smaller than a 6 wagon and they can be had with manual and are cheap and easy to maintain. Also the Mazda 3 chassis was used by Volvo on their small cars for a while, the C30 and V40? Which are also great options to look at.

C30 only has two rear seats - otherwise I would love this.
MZ5 is a little hard to find in a manual
V40 not a hatch... I also decided I needed a hatch, sorry about that.

Saab saab saab saab. my 4 door 9-3 hatch is quite useful, and turbo boost-y. Its a manual transmission, but my wife drives it everywhere. In fact, she likes to drive it: "second gear on this car is really fun" I think was the direct quote. Parts are cheap, maintenance is nuanced but not hard, car has loads of luxury features if you like those.

Headlight wipers for the kids.

5k would buy the nicest one in the country.

Robbie wrote: Saab saab saab saab. my 4 door 9-3 hatch is quite useful, and turbo boost-y. Its a manual transmission, but my wife drives it everywhere. In fact, she likes to drive it: "second gear on this car is really fun" I think was the direct quote. Parts are cheap, maintenance is nuanced but not hard, car has loads of luxury features if you like those. Headlight wipers for the kids. 5k would buy the nicest one in the country.

Noted. A Saab hatch is on the list, though "cheap" "European" and "turbo" have been tried by me before without great success and with great expense.

That said, those 9-3s were awfully pretty.

KyAllroad wrote: They get all sorts of flak for being cheap and sold to cheapskates but have you looked at an Altima?

2004-2005 Altima 4-cylinders are in that $5k ballpark for under 100,000 miles. Roomy, comfortable, decent handling, not slow, and those years avoid both the early-gen rust issues and the later CVT. Plus they look remarlably similar to the following generation, so they haven't really dated badly. They are one of the cars on my shortlist for DD#2's car. Almost had one at $4700 / 80k in a decent color combination, but it sold before I could get together with the seller.

In reply to tuna55:

They make a wagon as well called the V50:

Ford C1 Platform info

Also the V40 is available as a 5-door hatch:

Volvo V40 info

tuna55 wrote:

KyAllroad wrote: They get all sorts of flak for being cheap and sold to cheapskates but have you looked at an Altima? The horrible beater '98 we picked up last year for a grand has been reliable as gravity and would run away from your Honda with it's whopping 150 hp. It gets 30+ mpg highway and is honestly not a bad car. It even has dual airbags (oooohh).

I would prefer a manual shift, I know the Maxima came with them - did the Altima?

Yes. But, frankly, for any car made after about 2000, that is limiting your candidate pool to about 10%-15% of the available used cars. Sad but true.

Stefan wrote: In reply to tuna55: They make a wagon as well called the V50: Ford C1 Platform info Also the V40 is available as a 5-door hatch: Volvo V40 info

The V50 was already on my list! There is no way the new V40 is cheap enough yet.

Duke wrote:

tuna55 wrote:

KyAllroad wrote: They get all sorts of flak for being cheap and sold to cheapskates but have you looked at an Altima? The horrible beater '98 we picked up last year for a grand has been reliable as gravity and would run away from your Honda with it's whopping 150 hp. It gets 30+ mpg highway and is honestly not a bad car. It even has dual airbags (oooohh).

I would prefer a manual shift, I know the Maxima came with them - did the Altima?

Yes. But, frankly, for *any* car made after about 2000, that is limiting your candidate pool to about 10%-15% of the available used cars. Sad but true.

My thought here is that I can't afford much of a car, and high miles/cheap car and an automatic transmission seem like a bad idea. Also, I just want one.

Klayfish wrote: If you're carrying 3 across, I'd shop for the newest manual trans Accord that $5k will buy.

That's not very new, except compared to an '88.

Wow for the V50 being very very nice.

https://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/6079203335.html

Duke wrote:

KyAllroad wrote: They get all sorts of flak for being cheap and sold to cheapskates but have you looked at an Altima?

2004-2005 Altima 4-cylinders are in that $5k ballpark for under 100,000 miles. Roomy, comfortable, decent handling, not slow, and those years avoid both the early-gen rust issues and the later CVT. Plus they look remarlably similar to the following generation, so they haven't really dated badly. They are one of the cars on my shortlist for DD#2's car. Almost had one at $4700 / 80k in a decent color combination, but it sold before I could get together with the seller.

Does the Altima have the same issues with the QR25DE that the Sentra Spec V does? (Butterfly bolts, primary cat)?

I have a '16 5-door Focus and its a 4-seater. Period. Its fairly compact inside, the Fiesta is even worse (I had one as a loaner and the stroller wouldn't fit int he trunk without lowering the seat and the baby seat wouldn't fit behind my seat, thank goodness for split folding seats).

I'm not terribly tall, but with the seat in a decent location, there's barely enough room for the backwards facing baby seat. A forward facing seat would be easier, but there's only room for two at best.

So when you go look at a Mazda 3 or similar, measure your current available room and compare it to what you find.

Finally, you have a year to look, so you can look for what you want, even if it is somewhat rare. Carmax is great for this since they'll hold and/or transport vehicles between sites for you at a reasonable price.

Altima? The horrible beater '98 we picked up last year for a grand has been reliable as gravity and would run away from your Honda with it's whopping 150 hp.

Those Altimas are good cars, but having driven both it will not 'run away' from a 3g Accord with a stick.. at all!

I think Matrix XRS is the droid you're looking for. Practical, 30mpg, and hauls ass on the highway (and still zippy at lower speeds). People who haven't driven them are always shocked what a 2zz-powered car will keep up with. Im looking at a nice higher-mileage adult-owned one for ~3k obo..

Stefan wrote: I have a '16 5-door Focus and its a 4-seater. Period. Its fairly compact inside, the Fiesta is even worse (I had one as a loaner and the stroller wouldn't fit int he trunk without lowering the seat and the baby seat wouldn't fit behind my seat, thank goodness for split folding seats). I'm not terribly tall, but with the seat in a decent location, there's barely enough room for the backwards facing baby seat. A forward facing seat would be easier, but there's only room for two at best. So when you go look at a Mazda 3 or similar, measure your current available room and compare it to what you find. Finally, you have a year to look, so you can look for what you want, even if it is somewhat rare. Carmax is great for this since they'll hold and/or transport vehicles between sites for you at a reasonable price.

No kids in reverse facing seats anymore, only one in a harness. Trust me in that all of these are bigger than the current setup.

Also, I am dramatically out of Carmax's price range on the low end, but we have indeed used them before when we bought our van.

This thing is kinda awesome. I didn't know you could get an Element with a manual trans

Element Camper

Vigo wrote:

Altima? The horrible beater '98 we picked up last year for a grand has been reliable as gravity and would run away from your Honda with it's whopping 150 hp.

Those Altimas are good cars, but having driven both it will not 'run away' from a 3g Accord with a stick.. at all! I think Matrix XRS is the droid you're looking for. Practical, 30mpg, and hauls ass on the highway (and still zippy at lower speeds). People who haven't driven them are always shocked what a 2zz-powered car will keep up with. Im looking at a nice higher-mileage adult-owned one for ~3k obo..

Love the Matrix/Vibe idea also, they aren't bad looking post body cladding.

I will say that the 3G Accord is a bit quicker than you would expect, though it's not "quick", but it makes more power than the xB, the Fit, and pretty close to a few others on this list, considering it's 2600 lb.