Picking out a car, any advice?

[fhicat]

I'm looking at some used car models, somewhere between 2-4 years old (so 2010 - 2012 models). There are lots of nice cars out there, so let's hear about cars that have treated you very well! It's going to be a forever car, or at least until it gets destroyed. I don't have a set budget yet so I want to keep all options open. 

A four-door would be good enough. No strong preference to any particular make, so I'd like to hear what everyone else has and start researching from there. Car usage will likely change over the next few years -- right now I use it a couple of times a week and rarely go anywhere more than 20 miles. In the future, I might start making trips to Toronto. 

 

[pinkdagger]

 In the future, I might start making trips to Toronto. 

Great! Egg sandwiches don't last all that long sitting eerily outside strangers' doors...

I like shorter cars - the car I have back home is a 2002 Toyota Corolla that we bought new and it has treated us well (on limited mileage, mind you... just over 100,000km). Before that, my mom had a boxy little Nissan that lasted something like 14 years as well, also bought new. Both my brothers now have hybrids, but I like the one's Mazda more because it's shorter on both ends for pulling in and backing out because people my size can't see the ends of the car over the dash, and it's quite spacious on the inside. My dad and eldest brother each have Chevys, I believe, but my family tends to gravitate towards Asian-made cars... surprise surprise.

My mom received an Kia Sportage, didn't get to choose make or model, but it's a pain to drive and it's bad on gas and sucks in the winter.

I actually find a lot of the newer smaller cars make themselves feel very roomy. The trunk space is no truck or SUV (unless you have a reason to need that much space regularly, or want a gas guzzler for fun), but it's good for the size.

 

[cocheezie]

No Kia. I rented one once and hated it. Everything was wrong about it. I'm very tall and still had to use a pillow to see over the dash, and then my head was almost touching the roof. No thought put into design at all. A friend who used to sell them said they are, well, let us say "used kitty litter" (to be polite). That's all I know about newer used cars. My current car is over 20 years old.

 

[pinkdagger]

Our family never had trucks, vans, or SUVs so we didn't know any better at the time since it came as a surprise. My mom received hers as a prize and figured we'd keep it and I could have her Corolla... should have sold it and gotten a better car.

 

[natalie_ca]

My advice is to take someone who knows something about cars and how to test drive them!

Some years ago I was looking for a car and saw one that looked pretty good. My friend and her husband, who is a long distance truck driver and knows about engines, came with me. He did the test drive.  The car was a lemon!  He knew what to look for in the engine and noticed that the car was leaking oil, the manifold was cracked, and there were problems starting with the brakes.  He saved me a bundle of money.

Oh, and when we got there, that lovely picture that was posted with the ad?  Not one of the actual car.  The car was spray painted with a can of paint and even the metal surrounding the windows was painted the colour of the car!  LOL

 

[Willowy]

I have a 1999 Honda Civic with nearly 300,000 miles on it and it's been a great car. No problems at all, only routine maintenance. I do want a newer vehicle soon, preferably an all-wheel-drive, and I've heard Subarus are well-regarded. But no personal experience with them (yet). Can't really go wrong with a Honda or Toyota, especially a certified used car from a dealer.

If it's not a certified used car from a dealer, have a trusted mechanic look it over before you buy. They shouldn't charge too much for that and it could save you a lot of trouble and money.

 

[caltritwiamb4]

I will never purchase any make other make than a Toyota. After many years of multiple used car purchases and multiple repair issues, and frustrations with being ripped off time and time again as a single female trying to get my car repaired. In 2007 I finally broke down and purchased a used 2007 Toyota Yaris with 18,000 miles on it. Best car purchase ever, and I have had over 10 cars  in 33 years. The only repairs I have made are changing the tires 2 times, and a new battery and alternator. Only routine maintenance done are oil changes and air filter changes, thats it! Made my last car payment 2 years a go and have no intentions of replacing it anytime soon. It has 73,000 miles on it now.

 

[kookycats]

We've always had luck with Hondas. Japanese cars seem to hold up well. We now have an Altima and a Saturn. Saturn has had recalls and they don't make them anymore.

 

[catwoman707]

I agree, Nissan and Toyota will hold up really well.

My mom has a Prius, it's super roomy inside and the rear hatch with the back seat down gives you enough room to move just about anything you need to. 

Gas mileage is unbeatable, I mean the darn gas gauge never seems to move! VERY reliable, hers now has about 120,000 miles and hasn't skipped a beat. She did put new tires on it recently, other than standard regular oil changes, that's it!

 

[fhicat]

Those cars do get a ton of mileage, don't they? 

 I was looking at a Mazda 3, and ti looked decent. Problem was, when I went to test drive it, I had a lot of trouble getting in and out of the car without knocking my head. I don't think I'm THAT tall. 

@Natalie_ca  Sadly I don't have friends who know about cars. I have to really on my guts.

@Willowy  My mechanic has offered to do a pre-purchase inspection for free, so that's good.

@CalTriTwiAmb4  That seems to happen a lot, doesn't it? My mom seems to get taken advantage of if my dad isn't with her at the repair shop. Must be tough being a woman with a broken car -- people can be so heartless sometimes.

 

[muffy]

 
Great! Egg sandwiches don't last all that long sitting eerily outside strangers' doors...

I like shorter cars - the car I have back home is a 2002 Toyota Corolla that we bought new and it has treated us well (on limited mileage, mind you... just over 100,000km). Before that, my mom had a boxy little Nissan that lasted something like 14 years as well, also bought new. Both my brothers now have hybrids, but I like the one's Mazda more because it's shorter on both ends for pulling in and backing out because people my size can't see the ends of the car over the dash, and it's quite spacious on the inside. My dad and eldest brother each have Chevys, I believe, but my family tends to gravitate towards Asian-made cars... surprise surprise.

My mom received an Kia Sportage, didn't get to choose make or model, but it's a pain to drive and it's bad on gas and sucks in the winter.

I have a 2003 Toyota Corolla and I love it. I only have 40,000 miles on it and I've never had a problem with it.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

My husband's first car was a civic; but I don't remember how old it was when he traded it in for his Toytoa Echo.  That car was 12 years old and still running good when we traded it in.  The dealership said it would make someone a good first car.  It was an odd choice for a guy's car (IMHO) but man that thing had GREAT gas mielage!  And because it wasn't really big it was easy for city parking and things.  I drove that after I hurt my back because I sat more upright.  In my car I was more laid back and it hurt getting in and out.  

We are most likely dedicated Subaru people now.  I absolutely LOVE my Outback!  We have a Nissan that is about 8 or 9 years old now and still working well too.  DH is good about handling the regular maintenance and things.  

My mother has had good luck with her Mazda's as well.  One she bought in 1992 I believe and drove until 2005.  We did many long trips in that car as well (the same goes for the Echo, our Nissan and now our Subaru).  She replaced that Mazda with another and is now looking for another car; but the Mazda will be my step-dad's commuter car.  

 

[fhicat]

What are your favorite car colors? I seem to gravitate towards red. My living room has red accents that I chose to balance out the beige and browns. My previous car was also red. Red's a lot easier to see (and avoid hitting) when it's 3 feet of snow out there. 

 

[pinkdagger]

My brother's favourite colour is red, so two of his previous cars were red. The other brother decided to stand out and get blue. He stands out every time we have a family get together and I'm unsure if he's arrived, but now that they drive his wife's silver car, they get lost in a sea of cars.

Just like the rest of us. My family's colour of choice is silver because it doesn't show much dirt (I believe four or our previous cars in my lifetime are/were silver). My dad and brother's current cars are black, only because those were the only coloured models they could get a deal on.

 

[AbbysMom]

I've never been in a position to have a full selection of colors to choose from. It has either been used cars on the end of the model year so limited selection. The vehicles we've had have been light gray, white, maroon, red, black, dark green and dark gray. We bought a new vehicle a few months back and the color choice was all mine and I had all the colors to choose from. I was pretty excited. :lol3: I went with a blue/green.

 

[brendan2282]

We actually just got a great deal on a new Honda Civic.  Have never owned one before but wanted a fuel-efficient, smaller car.  This one fits the bill on many fronts, and it's sporty and really fun to drive, plus we're spending a fraction of what we used to on gas.  If you can afford a new car, I would suggest going with this one!

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

We bought a new car on Christmas Eve. We were looking for something with high seats, easy to get in and out of. We bought a Honda CRV. We are absolutely in love with it. It is all we wanted and more, especially the gas mileage.

 

[heathernichelle]

I have a Fiat....but that's not a car for everyone. I absolutely love it though...especially when I put the top down!

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• heathernichelle
• Oct 21, 2014

 

[MoochNNoodles]

We've always just gone with what was available on the lot as far as colors.  I've had 2 brand new cars.  Every car I've had has either been black or silver.  Technically my first car was gray; not silver.  Most of the silver paint had been worn off. 

 

[GoldyCat]

I've owned a Toyota Corolla and a Honda Civic. Both great cars, never needed repairs and got excellent gas mileage. I had a 2005 Toyota Prius that I loved. Traded it in for a 2012 Prius and hated it. I discovered too late that they had redesigned the dash and interior starting with the 2010 model, and it was horrible to drive. Couldn't see the display without taking my eyes off the road for far too long. Also, they went with really cheap, shoddy materials for the entire interior, including the seats, which made it extremely uncomfortable. My back was killing me by the time I got home from the dealer. I drove it for 6 months (about 5-3/4 months too long) and traded it in for a Hyundai Tucson. The only thing that could make the Hyundai better would be if it were a hybrid. However, it's probably a bigger vehicle than what you're looking for. I need the passenger and cargo space because I use it frequently to go to cat shows with a friend, hauling anywhere from 4 to 7 cats at a time plus all the show gear.