|
Proposed Budget: $15-20k ish New or Used: Don't care really so probably used? Body Style: 4-door compactish. How will you be using the car?: Daily driver to commute ~80 mi round trip every day in the Bay Area I live in SF and I'll be doing a temporary (9 months - 1 year) rotation to Palo Alto, so it'll be mostly bumper-to-bumper highway and city driving. My usual office is in within biking distance of where I live. Normally I just bike everywhere and this will be my first car ever, and I'll likely use it to go places on the weekends within the state. Initially I had my heart set on getting a VW Golf when I moved to SF, up until the whole dieselgate thing and then I ended up not needing a car. My building doesn't have charging for EV either so I can't go electric. Girlfriend has expressed that she'd prefer "something that can go to the mountains (read: Tahoe) and not get stuck" which probably means 4WD. I was initally thinking an Impreza but I'm open to suggestions What aspects are most important to you?
|
#
?
May 6, 2018 03:36
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 11, 2024 05:07 |
|
|
How often do you go to tahoe and how much does renting an awd from enterprise cost? Unless it is more than once a month, rental makes more sense. Edit: to head off the snow tire debate: California requires 2wd vehicles regardless of tires to chain up if there is a bit of snow on the road but 4wd/awd is exempt. nm fucked around with this message at 04:46 on May 6, 2018 |
|
#
?
May 6, 2018 04:39
|
|
|
nm posted:How often do you go to tahoe and how much does renting an awd from enterprise cost? Well, he needs it for commuting, too. Buying a cheap commuter and then renting an AWD may not make much financial sense if a cheap AWD that can do both is available. luminalflux posted:Proposed Budget: $15-20k ish You seem to be the perfect buyer of a Subaru. The Impreza is nice if it does the job. They make several others, as well, so check out what's available and separate your requirements into "must have" and "would be good to have" and "cool, but can live without." If the Subies don't cut it, here's another option: Another way to approach the issue is to consider is the FIAT 500X or Jeep Renegade. Either would be less reliable but considerably cheaper than a Subaru. It may be a long time before the money you saved up front is used up paying for more repairs so you may save more money in the long run at the cost of more aggravation due to more trips to the shop. It may not appeal to you, but it's another way to approach the issue and think about. Buying a car is about negotiating compromises, so you'll just have to get in them and see what fits your needs best. To avoid the issue of reselling it, you could also lease one for the duration of your stint and just turn it back in when you don't need it anymore. Note, I'm just tossing out ideas to think about, not recommending any particular car or course of action. The universe of "small, fuel-efficient, and four wheel drive" is pretty small, so your options are limited. Deteriorata fucked around with this message at 05:06 on May 6, 2018 |
|
#
?
May 6, 2018 05:03
|
|
|
Deteriorata posted:Well, he needs it for commuting, too. Buying a cheap commuter and then renting an AWD may not make much financial sense if a cheap AWD that can do both is available. He can do that or he can buy a Ford Fiesta/Mazda 2/Honda Fit for way less than the same condition Impreza and will be dramatically easier to street park in San Francisco. Parking my Mazda2 in SF is basically a cheat code because I fit everywhere. The Impreza and the cute utes you suggest are much harder to park. A few extra feet means you can't just park in the gap between two cars that no one else can fit in. there is also a serious Subaru tax in California because of a combination of few new sales and everyone wanting to buy them used. edit: Take the bike on the caltrain and ride the last few miles. Owning a car in San Francisco without an assigned parking spot sucks rear end.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2018 05:36
|
|
|
Lol at chains on a slightly snowy highway, no poo poo you're not going to wreck going a blistering 20
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2018 07:02
|
|
|
shovelbum posted:Lol at chains on a slightly snowy highway, no poo poo you're not going to wreck going a blistering 20 They make them put the chains on so they have to go 20. These are Californians we're talking about.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2018 07:08
|
|
|
nm posted:They make them put the chains on so they have to go 20. These are Californians we're talking about. Being from a Nordic country it baffles me how lovely ca drivers get in rain. I can’t imagine how bad it gets when snow is involved. I mapped it out, I'm a 15-20 min bike ride from the sf station and the office is a 30 min ride from the Palo Alto station. It'd take almost an hour longer all told to take the train 
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2018 07:42
|
|
|
Deteriorata posted:
If you're going to sell the car in a year, diminished retail value will offset the "money you 'saved' up front" before you even start to factor in repair costs. If you're going to hold onto the car long term, it will not last as long as a better car. Do never 500X, do never FCA. the 124 spider is pretty ok but that's because it is a Miata
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2018 11:18
|
|
|
Space Gopher posted:If you're going to sell the car in a year, diminished retail value will offset the "money you 'saved' up front" before you even start to factor in repair costs. Edmund's 5-year TCO estimate (which includes depreciation) for a 2016 Impreza is $30,871. A 2016 500X is $31,037. Financially, there is no difference.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2018 17:24
|
|
|
the 500x is also a hateful little garbage car which is not accounted for in tco
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2018 17:46
|
|
|
TCO while under warranty may be a reasonable estimate of costs, if they include a free rental car for the 12 times a year your Fiat broke.
|
|
#
?
May 6, 2018 17:56
|
|
|
Would the AWD system that Honda uses be sufficient for what he needs? Living in TX I know gently caress all about AWD, but a lightly used HR-V seems to check most of his boxes and would probably not be as much of a dumpster fire as the Renegade/500x
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2018 00:39
|
|
|
literally all you need is a little badge that says AWD and you are good to go the Impreza is definitely your joint
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2018 01:07
|
|
|
Most of the crossover AWD systems are pretty useless if you actually need AWD, but they do check the legality box of "being AWD" for not needing to chain up in a light dusting of snow for mountain pass restrictions, so there is that at least.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2018 01:08
|
|
|
To some degree I lean toward getting a decent AWD system if you get an AWD car. The summits in question are very steep and often in iffy conditions, though they often get closed before they get too bad. There's also lots of slow traffic and lots of stopping and starting. Snow tires aren't actually that practical from the bay because you have 100mi of 70F weather before you hit the area that you need them. I would recommend some all-seasons that are more snow oriented if you go up frequently enough to actually justify the car. Note that most people who "need AWD for tahoe" in California go up 3-4 times a year and would be better off just going to enterprise (and even getting the full damage waiver in case something poo poo happens) than paying an extra $50/mo year round for AWD.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2018 01:14
|
|
|
nm posted:To some degree I lean toward getting a decent AWD system if you get an AWD car. In Michigan you just get your shitbox domestic into the ruts, which will hold your drunk rear end and bald tires on the road until you get somewhere, even if it's down a pair of ruts where a more rowdy drunk crashed into a ditch
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2018 02:11
|
|
|
KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:literally all you need is a little badge that says AWD and you are good to go subaru interiors are real depressing tho
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2018 02:35
|
|
|
shovelbum posted:In Michigan you just get your shitbox domestic into the ruts, which will hold your drunk rear end and bald tires on the road until you get somewhere, even if it's down a pair of ruts where a more rowdy drunk crashed into a ditch Michigan doesn't have hills. I lived in Minnesota for nearly a decade, which admittedly doesn't have as much snow as Michigan, but the conditions on Donner Pass (where those dudes ate each other) is a bit different.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2018 03:04
|
|
|
I don’t know. I live in Quebec and drive quite a bit during our 6 months of winter and I never had problem riding around in your standard econobox without AWD. Good tires and skills are way more important. AWD tends to be expensive when you consider the extra gas. Since you’re from California, I don’t see how it would make much sense to pay for that all year. Unless you’re really opposed to renting a car for the occasional winter wonderland adventure KingColliwog fucked around with this message at 11:11 on May 7, 2018 |
|
#
?
May 7, 2018 11:04
|
|
|
I found a Chevy Sonic that I like, but the VIN shows a disabling accident with a damage evaluation of $7000. Should I just pass entirely, or is there a layman's protocol for determining whether it's worth gambling on?
|
|
#
?
May 10, 2018 15:01
|
|
|
Pass.
|
|
#
?
May 10, 2018 15:05
|
|
|
Yeesh. Hard pass. It's not like the Sonic is a hard to find car. $7000 means the car is totaled pretty much. You're better off finding a used one that wasn't in an accident. God knows what surprises you'll get if you buy a formerly disabled Sonic.
|
|
#
?
May 10, 2018 15:18
|
|
|
Thanks for all the advice in here. Found a really nice looking Mazda3 hatch and I'm gonna take a look after work. As long as it checks out, I should have new wheels finally.
|
|
#
?
May 10, 2018 16:31
|
|
|
Same question, Chevy Cruze, non-disabling accident? People like to ram little Chevys in Florida apparently
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2018 02:20
|
|
|
Your Loyal Vizier posted:Same question, Chevy Cruze, non-disabling accident? People like to ram little Chevys in Florida apparently A fender-bender is probably no big deal. The trouble is, you don't know that's what it was. It was probably minor. If it saves you a ton of money it might be worth it, but they're not that hard to find. There's no need to take on additional risk if you can help it.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2018 02:42
|
|
|
Fair enough, thanks. While I'm on the subject, is the Sonic as good an option as I think? They're cute but peppy, I can get a relatively new one in our 4-6k price range, some even have backup camera, and USNews makes them sounds pretty safe and cheap to own... but I don't know if there's other contenders I should be looking at as well.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2018 02:52
|
|
|
Your Loyal Vizier posted:Fair enough, thanks. While I'm on the subject, is the Sonic as good an option as I think? They're cute but peppy, I can get a relatively new one in our 4-6k price range, some even have backup camera, and USNews makes them sounds pretty safe and cheap to own... but I don't know if there's other contenders I should be looking at as well. There's a ton of cars in that segment that are pretty good. The Sonic is one of them. I've never driven one, but Car and Driver likes them. It largely comes down to personal preference. Like shoes, if you like the way it fits, it's the right one.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2018 03:06
|
|
|
Your Loyal Vizier posted:Fair enough, thanks. While I'm on the subject, is the Sonic as good an option as I think? They're cute but peppy, I can get a relatively new one in our 4-6k price range, some even have backup camera, and USNews makes them sounds pretty safe and cheap to own... but I don't know if there's other contenders I should be looking at as well. My wife has a base model 2012 Sonic hatchback, and it's a perfectly fine vehicle. We've not had any issues with it. It doesn't have spectacular gas mileage, but it's fun-ish to drive for what it is.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2018 04:22
|
|
|
Your Loyal Vizier posted:Fair enough, thanks. While I'm on the subject, is the Sonic as good an option as I think? They're cute but peppy, I can get a relatively new one in our 4-6k price range, some even have backup camera, and USNews makes them sounds pretty safe and cheap to own... but I don't know if there's other contenders I should be looking at as well. Can you drive a manual? The mazda 2 is the most fun subcompact with 4 doors. The automatic makes it really slow. It has no features though, which is how I like it.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2018 04:51
|
|
|
I loved the Sonic LTZ I got as a rental once. If I could live with something in that class size, I would have been really tempted. Their resale value is butts. Just a tad too small though. Speaking of small:  They gave me a really good OTD price and a decent amount as a trade in on my ratchet old Outback. Not a skyactiv so the fuel economy isn't amazing, but the 2.5L is revvy and fun as hell. Still better than the Outback was on gas.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2018 13:29
|
|
|
ALL POSTERS: stop thinking about buying cars that have been in accidents, if you have to ask you aren't equipped to deal with or understand accidents you can live with and those you can't. Here's what you need to know to buy a car that has been in an accident: 1. The severity of the accident. This means detailed estimates, repair orders, supplements, and any sort of frame bench reports. You need to know how to read and interpret a line-level repair order and a bench report. You need a poo poo load of pictures of every step of the repair. 2. The quality of the repair that was specified - what was written on the estimate? did they use OEM stuff or salvaged parts off of your great uncles jalopy? DO NOT TAKE ANYONE'S WORD FOR THIS, YOU NEED DOCUMENTATION. 3. The shop at which the repairs occurred - are they still in business? how good are they? You need to know what makes a collision repair shop good. 4. The ability to look under the car and evaluate the quality of workmanship after the fact. If you can't do those three things, NEVER EVER buy a car that has been in an accident. Some mother fucker will tell you "oh it just had the cover replaced in a little parking lot bump, it's good to go" and then you get under there and there's a poo poo Chinese radiator with the wrong-length hose and am aftermarket bumper support and hey there's my friend the salvaged headlamp from someone's rear-ended total, and the cover has a paint job that looks worse than what I do with like four lifetime hours in a paint booth
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2018 15:34
|
|
|
My dad is interested in buying a 68-75 C3 corvette, does anyone have experience with that era of corvette/muscle car and know what to be on the lookout for when buying used? I know to try and get one before the 73 model because that's when the V8 got neutered by the lovely cat converter, but other than that I'm clueless
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2018 16:51
|
|
|
the tl;dr of KYOON's post is that if you do not have sufficient expertise to do major repairs and body work on your own car, then never ever buy a car that's been in an accident period, full stop, do not pass Go, do not collect $200.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2018 18:55
|
|
|
Scionix posted:My dad is interested in buying a 68-75 C3 corvette, does anyone have experience with that era of corvette/muscle car and know what to be on the lookout for when buying used? First off, what’s your dad after? A matching-numbers cream-puff with low miles? A hot rod with gobs of HP, 12” wide tires and the body kit from Corvette Summer? A rough-but-cheap project for him to build it his way? It’s hard to give any specifics without knowing a little more about what he’s looking for.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2018 22:24
|
|
|
JnnyThndrs posted:First off, what’s your dad after? A matching-numbers cream-puff with low miles? A hot rod with gobs of HP, 12” wide tires and the body kit from Corvette Summer? A rough-but-cheap project for him to build it his way? It’s hard to give any specifics without knowing a little more about what he’s looking for. A reclaimed sense of virility, I would assume?
|
|
#
?
May 12, 2018 03:10
|
|
|
JnnyThndrs posted:First off, what’s your dad after? A matching-numbers cream-puff with low miles? A hot rod with gobs of HP, 12” wide tires and the body kit from Corvette Summer? A rough-but-cheap project for him to build it his way? It’s hard to give any specifics without knowing a little more about what he’s looking for. Sorry, I don't really know much about the car in the first place so wasn't sure what to focus on. He's not really a car person; he won't be doing his own maintenance (we already made sure there's a local shop that could work on it). He's definitely not looking for a project car. Low miles/specific body kits/tires are probably not super important, but he is specifically looking for a C3 from 68 on. What's important is that the car is in good, working order, and isn't going to fall apart 10k miles after he buys it. He could live with the lovely engine after ~74(I think?) but I'd hate it if he could've gotten a non-castrated version somewhere. I guess I'd put priorities like this: 1. Is a 68-xx C3 corvette 2. Runs well off the bat and is in great condition, as little maintenance as possible required in the foreseeable future. 3. Price, probably not going to care if all the VIN numbers aren't matching or the body has had a restoration or something 3. pre-74 engine configuration thanks for helping out!
|
|
#
?
May 12, 2018 03:19
|
|
|
Proposed Budget: $20 - $30,000 New or Used: Prefer used but not opposed to new Body Style: Sedan or small-midsize SUV How will you be using the car?: Short <10m commute and weekend warrior trips What aspects are most important to you? Comfort, I have a short commute but this will be our main long distance trip car and we will also take this car out to camping/hiking trips several time a year so storage matters. I rented a Dodge Caravan on a recent trip to Yellowstone NP and loved that thing, but its to big for a day to day driver for me. So far I've considered a Rav4, CR-V, and Forrester. All have AWD which appeals to me and their commercials on TV annoy me the least. I've talked to some "car people" at work. They seem to be split between Subaru loyalist who have a love/hate relationship with their cars and the Honda/Toyota folks who both tell me that they will run forever with proper maintenance.
|
|
#
?
May 12, 2018 14:23
|
|
|
You're not gonna get much at the bottom of your range, $20 only gets you a tank of gas hope that helps.
|
|
#
?
May 12, 2018 14:35
|
|
|
My uncle has a clapped out Subaru in his back 40 that I'm sure he would trade for a tank of gas.
|
|
#
?
May 12, 2018 14:37
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 11, 2024 05:07 |
|
|
silvergoose posted:You're not gonna get much at the bottom of your range, $20 only gets you a tank of gas hope that helps. Not with that kind of attitude I wont. Casu Marzu posted:My uncle has a clapped out Subaru in his back 40 that I'm sure he would trade for a tank of gas. See wheels are already in motion. Impossible is nothing.
|
|
#
?
May 12, 2018 15:17
|
|