need help deciding between these cars...

[iconboy]

hey guys, dont know much about cars, but i need a new one and my budget is around $8000-$9000. I want something that is reliable and effecient on gas. I have 3 links below i hope you guys can look over and gimme ur opinions on. pros and cons of each car as well as your own suggestions for other cars. I search for car listings on autotrader.ca as i live in Toronto btw ;)

1996 BMW

http://www.trader.ca/powerpage/details.asp...01&adid=4881966

2003 Dodge SX2

http://www.trader.ca/powerpage/details.asp...30&adid=4910443

1999 Volswagen Jetta

http://www.trader.ca/powerpage/details.asp...35&adid=4883103

[trance]

I think the VW will be your best bet for fuel economy. Personally my next car will be a hybrid that a)looks decent, and b) has decent horsepower.

[iconboy]

btw what is better, buying a car through dealership or private sale? and why?

[Zoneblitz61]

dont get any of those and go for a jeep wrangler. But if i really had to choose id go with the jetta, know two people that have em and theyre pretty dependable cars

[qkslvr221]

Personally would take the BMW, I really dislike volkswagen's styling and economy looks.

[iconboy]

dont get any of those and go for a jeep wrangler. But if i really had to choose id go with the jetta, know two people that have em and theyre pretty dependable cars

jeep wrangler? wow thats just a weird choice. why would u suggest that? also i wanted to know everyones thoughts on the 2003 sx2, i think its a descent price, very little mileage and its a recent car model as well.

[muhandis86]

We don't have them here, but I may advise you the Jetta. BMWs are the most robust things out there, but have an equally expensive maintenance bill (they're rear-wheel-drive too, and Canada has lots of snow, and heck its harder to control a RWD on icy roads than front-wheel-drive or 4WD). And dodge is American, and I've heard US carmakers always fall short to Japanese.

One more thing: Why don't you go for a Corolla? I've seen some on the same site, and they may prove good. The point in my advise is not that I personally prefer corollas, but it is that you're a newbie to cars, so buy one that is popular, so you can get lots of advice on problems by talking to freinds/neighbours/co-workers etc. (And corollas are hell popular worldwide).

Or some other car of some other brand which you see the most in your parking lot.

And don't fall for the looks. Anything not ugly is beautiful. And, the more curves and creases the body design has got, the badder would it look after, say a scratch or fender-bender hit. Plus, more curves and creases means more skill required to do the repairs, and experience is always expensive, you know.

[russ0943]

VW, and how the hell did jeep get thrown in there? eh, i would stay away from jeeps, I have never know one that didn't leak (seriously).

BMW is a fine choice too i must say. If it is for snowy conditions like the pics then VW cause the beemer is rear wheel drive (correct me if i'm wrong).

Front wheel drive cars get much better traction in the snow than rear wheel.

btw, automotive engineer giving you advice here... :D not that it makes me king or anything lol

[iconboy]

thanks for the input guys, right now im drivig around in a dieing 1994 dodge spirit, and its front wheel drive and great for the snow! which is a huge bonus :) So far the descision is betweem the VW and SX2.

I was thinking about a Honda (specifically a civic) and i dont want to seem vain, but its like EVERYONE has a civic, which is one of the reasons i dont want one. Also my friend laughed when i told him i was thinking of getting a civic and said they were easier toget into with a screwdriver than the actual keys. Highly stolen car? why!?

[russ0943]

I wouldn't even consider the SX2 to be honest. Honda is a great car too. They are probably a highly stolen car because there is sooo many more of them than most other cars...makes sense right? They aren't easier to get into than any other car though. If someone really wants your car, they can find a way to get it.

go VW or Civic. You won't find many people out there that think negative about either one of these cars. (Looked at Maxima? Altima? they are another good candidate.)

[iconboy]

thanks for the input russ, hahaha i cant believe i keep flipp flopping! ;) Im now reconsidering the civic. did a quick search on autotrader and cant find a civic for less than $10,000, infact heres and example of a find here...

http://www.trader.ca/powerpage/details.asp...51&adid=4883227

civics dont look so great to me, but i like the look of this one ;) but dont u guys think 183,000 is high? especially for a 2002? or does this make a difference since it is a civic and ive heard people say that these babeis run forever? ;)

[russ0943]

That is more than likely a mistake. 184K for a 2002? wow...

what region are you searching under on that site?

[iconboy]

this one is nice and has a lot of the accessories i would love to have, but wont die over not having (sunroof, power locks and keyless entry), but again the mileage concerns me

http://www.trader.ca/powerpage/details.asp...31&adid=4829813

i just want something that works, doesnt give me many headaches and isnt a gas guzzler ;)

[russ0943]

http://www.trader.ca/powerpage/details.asp...15&adid=4869978

http://www.trader.ca/powerpage/details.asp...52&adid=4885056 (older but very good car.) check out the mileage..:)

http://www.trader.ca/powerpage/details.asp...90&adid=4926336 (not sure of mileage but it it loaded/looks great/has a warranty)

Edited December 28, 2005 by russ0943

[bakerster]

he went from contemplating a bmw and now you guys are recomending honda's and jeeps??

[xxkrnxstylezxx]

None

[muhandis86]

This one my uncle has, and is a very good one indeed. It is used in his house like an ambulance (this is a joke we make, since ambulances remain on duty 24x7x365) but still works like a pleasure. (Toyota and Honda engines are known to run more than 300,000 km without requiring major overhauls).

Although if you'd find the newer (2004) body design it would be better. (Has more aggressive flaring/angry-look headlights).

Accords are good too. In fact I know of somebody who bought 12 accords in 14 years. Gosh, that loyalty? But maybe that would go beyond your budget, and it simply consumes more gas than a civic.

Anyhow Civics are greatly modifiable. Infact once civic became famous as a rice car. It is one of the famous tuner cars by which I mean you could add a great deal of uniqueness on your own.

As for it opening with a screwdriver, I don't think so. (My own car opens with a coin, but it has soooo many dents and scratches that nobody even spits on it. The Suzuki F8B engine is okay though, 110km/h for 800cc/37hp only).

Also go to personally inspect the odometer of the said car. If resets on 100,000 km (shows 00,000 after 99,999 km), then the engine has already finished its intended life. But if it is 1m km, then only 15% of its life. And well 184,000 is big but not so much. My uncle has a Toyota Corolla 2.0D whose meter has run out and shows 54,000, that means its completed 154,000 km and still runs fine. By fine I mean what new cars run like.

And my dad once had a Toyota Cressida 1982 2000cc RWD. It had an odometer for 1,000,000 km which reached 999,999 then showed 000,000 then covered another 200,000 (for a sum of 1.2m km) when it came to require engine overhaul (came to 'eat' engine oil, that's what we say).

[Krpano]

I would go for the 2003 Dodge SX2, its newer(and it looks like a modern car) and has a good price.

[iconboy]

he went from contemplating a bmw and now you guys are recomending honda's and jeeps??

yeah i know it sounds weird, but actually with the upkeep and gas on the bmw it was a pipedream ;) hehehehe

anyways to the rest of you guys thanks for the great input. Unfortunatley bad news, i didnt actually have any money to begin with, so i was gunna ask my aunt for a loan for the car which she said she would do and i started looking at cars. But now she says she probably cant do it, so as soon as i can i have to goto the bank and apply for a loan, because i need a car everyday for work and this car is near dead so not having a car is not an option.

the biggest headache i had with this car was all the money i sank into it with all the problems that came up, soo a problem free car is above all else important to me. So if u guys can assure me that honda engines will last and that that car with 184,000km on its can probably go another 100k then ill go for a civic,,. but right now its coming down to between that and the sx2.

Im gunna give the dealerships a call and see if i can take either car for a test drive. If the bank fails, then i will ask the dealerships for and financial help/ monthly payments. And if all else fails, Ill walk into a dealership and take a lease (yuck!).

[bdsams Veteran]

although not the popular choice, if your looking around 8-9k and need it to be dependable with good gas mileage...go for a new kia rio or one of those lines with hyundai, why you ask? 10 year warranty so you wont have to worry about the fixes for ahwile

[iconboy]

thanks for the input Netrack, i think your thinking us funds because the cheapest kia rio new i saw was $14,000 and thats just way out of my budget :(

[Apple-a-Day]

thanks for the input guys, right now im drivig around in a dieing 1994 dodge spirit, and its front wheel drive and great for the snow! which is a huge bonus :) So far the descision is betweem the VW and SX2.

I was thinking about a Honda (specifically a civic) and i dont want to seem vain, but its like EVERYONE has a civic, which is one of the reasons i dont want one. Also my friend laughed when i told him i was thinking of getting a civic and said they were easier toget into with a screwdriver than the actual keys. Highly stolen car? why!?

I love my 2003 civic sport I dont know where in Canada you live but in Nova Scotia jettas are just as common as civics

the vw rust warranty just rocks 10 yrs

[bdsams Veteran]

thanks for the input Netrack, i think your thinking us funds because the cheapest kia rio new i saw was $14,000 and thats just way out of my budget :(

doh...

yup you got me, you got the tater salad (see if anyone knows that quote! :) )

well then my bet would be with either a honda civic or the vw as i have had a vw and it ran like a champ, and i know honda's run like deer

[j.nudd]

I'd be careful if you decide to buy the VW, as it is hard to get parts for it.

[iconboy]

right now its down to between the 2003 sx2 or a honda, and unfortunatley i cant find a descent civic for under $11,000 :( im gunna take the sx2 for a test drive tomorrow, hehehe even though its gunna be kinda hard considering i dont know how to drive manual! ;) Anyways, to all my fellow Canadaians -specifically Torontonians, IF you do happen to come across a descent model civic at a good price, please let me know! :) i want the modern looking civics as best as i can get for around $8,000 hopefully less.