[dodici]

So I'm in need of some opinions. I see a lot of people asking about the higher range cars but I'm looking for a simple car to get me from point A to point B until I find a real job and be able to get a decent car later. Though, for now, I'm just really looking for an economy car to get me to go where I need to go.


Some things that I definitely need in a car:
- AC [I can't drive in heat. It's simply impossible]
- CD/Radio
- P/W [power windows]
- A/T
- Price has to be under 12000 [parents said so] My mom thinks she's a great negotiator so she thinks she can get at least one car for me under 12000


What I've been looking at so far are:
01. NISSAN Versa Sedan 1.6 AT
02. TOYOTA Yaris Sedan AT
03. HYUNDAI Accent Sedan AT
04. KIA Spectra AT


I'm leaning towards the KIA Spectra because it has standard P/W, CD+AUX, and Air Conditioning is an option. Plus there is an offer of 3000 cashback. It's a little over 13000 but with the 3000 cash back it's okay I suppose. The NISSAN Versa Sedan has the bare minimum. So what are your opinions? Should I go for something else?


OPINIONS ARE HIGHLY APPRECIATED! Thanks!

[AtoBscion]

used or new?

plenty of nice used ones in that price range

[dodici]

My parents are against getting used cars for some reason so it's definitely going to be new.

[90th.degree]

The Kias and Hyundais have great bang for buck new, but personally, getting a base Versa would be a good option since they're pretty solid (I've done unpacking on brand-new models, and for the bare minimum, are actually fairly well-equipped, still having A/C and a CD/Radio). Nissan also has the Cube at the same price range (MSRP is listed at 13990), it uses the same engine and chassis as the Versa, but with better storage ability (but I haven't looked into it in detail).

Kinda sucks that your parents are against used cars, otherwise I would have suggested older Honda models- buy private for cheap, and keep plenty of money for yourself in the future with enough side budget to fix anything that breaks for an older car.

[DKYang]

If your mom thinks she's a good negotiator, then she can try to get the Versa 1.8 S(has power windows) instead of the base model.

Also, the Kia Rio is pretty good. If you are interested in cube shaped cars, then the Kia Soul is also a choice along with the Cube. I don't like how the trunk opens on the Cube, but that's just me. Both are priced similarly.

[dodici]

The Kias and Hyundais have great bang for buck new, but personally, getting a base Versa would be a good option since they're pretty solid (I've done unpacking on brand-new models, and for the bare minimum, are actually fairly well-equipped, still having A/C and a CD/Radio). Nissan also has the Cube at the same price range (MSRP is listed at 13990), it uses the same engine and chassis as the Versa, but with better storage ability (but I haven't looked into it in detail).

Kinda sucks that your parents are against used cars, otherwise I would have suggested older Honda models- buy private for cheap, and keep plenty of money for yourself in the future with enough side budget to fix anything that breaks for an older car.

Yeah, KIA's do have a great price and the reason why I leaned towards them was because they offered 3000 cashback. Nissan didn't do that. Maybe if I go to the dealership they'll offer something but I'm thinking it's going to be highly unlikely. I looked at the Cube and showed my mom. She laughed. It's an interesting design but she said it's too.... boxy? She's actually leaning towards the Toyota Yaris.

If your mom thinks she's a good negotiator, then she can try to get the Versa 1.8 S(has power windows) instead of the base model.

Also, the Kia Rio is pretty good. If you are interested in cube shaped cars, then the Kia Soul is also a choice along with the Cube. I don't like how the trunk opens on the Cube, but that's just me. Both are priced similarly.

My Mom may think she's a great negotiator but I'm not sure she can haggle the 1.8S all the way down to under 12000 and into 11000 range. She wants me to get a Sedan and so does my dad. I'll definitely look into it though. I'm hoping we visit all of the dealerships to get an idea of how much we can get for our money. It's gunna be a long day.

[90th.degree]

Yeah, KIA's do have a great price and the reason why I leaned towards them was because they offered 3000 cashback. Nissan didn't do that. Maybe if I go to the dealership they'll offer something but I'm thinking it's going to be highly unlikely. I looked at the Cube and showed my mom. She laughed. It's an interesting design but she said it's too.... boxy? She's actually leaning towards the Toyota Yaris.




My Mom may think she's a great negotiator but I'm not sure she can haggle the 1.8S all the way down to under 12000 and into 11000 range. She wants me to get a Sedan and so does my dad. I'll definitely look into it though. I'm hoping we visit all of the dealerships to get an idea of how much we can get for our money. It's gunna be a long day.

I've driven a Yaris. It's nice economically overall (it's a Toyota), but I really don't like how fast the car reacts when turning. It might not be much to you, but for me I prefer it to be a bit slow.

[PDURRR]

screw the spectra it's gonna get phased out, you should look into the forte
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/16/first-d...ct-sedan-optio/

the soul is good too

not really into subcompacts but yeah good luck

[CTRGirl]

00 Acura Integra GSR 4dr At I don't know if you have looked at one of those but they are nice.

[blackazndude]

get a civic. pretty cheap

[Laxntiga]

Get the Hyundai and call it a day. You said it yourself, a simple car to get you from point A to point B with AC.

[jphase]

I would look into the Hyundai Elantra GLS.

MSRP: $14,120.00
From Hyundaiusa.com

- 2.0L DOHC CVVT 4-cylinder engine
- 5-speed manual transmission
- 4-wheel independent suspension
- Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
- Front, front seat side-impact & side curtain airbags
- ABS with EBD and 4-wheel disc brakes
- Electric power steering
- Power windows/door locks/heated mirrors
- Remote keyless entry with alarm, panic, trunk open
- Map/room/cargo lights
- Tilt steering wheel
- 60/40 split fold-down rear seatback
- Active front head restraints
- Adjustable head restraints for all seating positions
- 15”steel wheels w/ full wheel covers and P195/65R15 tires
- Tinted glass
- Front variable intermittent wipers
- Bodycolor door handles, bumpers, rear garnish, side view mirrors
- Front door map pockets
- Seatback pockets
- Chrome accented grille
- 4 speakers
- Dual-level storage compartment with armrest
- Dual front cupholders
- Rear center armrest with dual cupholders
- 12 volt outlet
- Dual visor vanity mirrors
- Cabin air filter
- Blue backlight illumination
- Tachometer
- Remote hood, trunk and fuel filler door releases

Hyundai currently has the Hyundai Assurance as well as the "Years Worth of Gas at $1.49/gallon" going on. The Elantra was also mentioned in Forbes and other magazines as one of the best cars for college students. Plus you have 10-yr/100,000 miles warranty which is pretty awesome.

The price above is the MSRP, edmunds.com shows invoice as $13,735.00 plus there is a $1000.00 cash back so.. if your mom is good at negotiating, you should be able to get it to invoice before mentioning the cash back. so it would be say $12,735.00 after cash back.

Make sure you test drive all the cars and research them before making a decision. Good luck!

[~SWEETwhispers~]

Sucks how your parents don't want to look into used cars. That's the same with my parents, lol.

If I remember correctly, msrp for the yaris is around 12k for manual and 13k for automatic. Depending on your area, it might be hard to snag the yaris for under 12k. I remember when I talked to the dealer about prices, he wouldn't go lower than 15k (out the door price). The model I was looking into was the 3 door. Also, when I test drove it, I thought it was really loud...but I don't know if thats the same for all small cars. It also felt like I really needed to push down on the gas for the car to go. Maybe it's just me.

I drive the nissan versa SL, and I seriously love the car. I don't know if it's that much different from the 1.6 sedan though. The versa 1.6 starts at around 11k for manual and 12k for automatic I think. Iunno about the specs and all that, but I felt like the sl was a muchhh better ride than the yaris, lol.

I looked into the elantra gls too. My only complaint about this car was that it seemed like it would break easily. Not the car itself, but small things like the door handles and whatnot, lol.

Before choosing a favorite, I would test drive all of them first.

lol, I don't think I helped at all...but good luck! car shopping takes forever. Mainly just waiting. ;

[Gofishus]

^ For me, I'm the opposite. I'm always against getting NEW cars for the reason that they depreciate way too fast. 1/3 of the value is gone after a year, so I think a new car is always a waste of money. You can get a cheaper, better used car with low mileage and it'll be much better value.

[dodici]

Thanks for the input guys! Major bumpage in this thread but I just wanted to say that since I've finally got a job I can get a better car now! I was going to get an 2006 Used Acura TL but my mom was totally against getting a used car. I was also looking into the Camry but I find that the Nissan Altima has a sleeker design. I'm a graphic designer so I'm all about the looks of things.

Here's what I'm looking into:

New NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S
// Insurance won't be a murder since I'm getting the 2.5 and not the 3.5SL [I think that was the other one] It won't be classified as a sports car. Or thats what my boyfriend told me.
// Nice design
// Good mpg 23/32
// MSRP is 21000ish

My questions include:
// What is a good deal for this car? Like an out of the door price with no extra packages or options, just the standard 2.5S? Is 19000k out of the door unreasonable? Plus, I live in Northern VA, 22015, and a dealership just had a special which the Nissan Altima 2.5S was only 16000 but the offer literally expired 2 days ago. Is it impossible to get that deal again?

[andyroxs]

not to be rude or anything, but i swear there is a "what car to get" thread pinned at the top of this section.

[90th.degree]

The TL is a SOLID car (that and I like the styling before it got ugly this year), doesn't matter if it's used, the insurance would be cheaper. Insist that it'll save you money in the long run compared to new, Honda reliability in the TL usually means you won't pay as much for maintenance outside normal wear.



If you still want an A-B car, the Versa is fine, but the Altima is a decent car to have, except my only issue is that it's underpowered compared to the TL (177HP inline-4 compared to the 250HP V6 in the TL). That might not affect you much, but for me, having a bit more power and a more balanced power capability helps in city driving.

[conniebaby]

My sister got a Hyundai Accent as a rental this past weekend. That thing was hilarious to drive. When you are driving fast, the car starts to move from side to side from the wind pushing it. But it had very cold a/c. Since the car was small, it also had a small gas tank. It only cost like 20 dollars to fill up a tank of gas. For a 6 hour drive, we to fill up 1 time after a full tank at the beginning of the drive. The seats are very uncomfortable if you plan driving it for a long period of time. And there is barely any room in the back seats if the front seats are leaned/pushed back.

I wouldn't personally get this car but this car did get us from point A to point B with no problems with cold a/c.

[bettzie]

ur option are all small cars. but i would say... the yaris sedan.
it says to be fuel efficient, but that really depends on ur driving habit.
however, majority of the ppl dont like it b/c of the dashboard thats located in the middle (i dont get y they design it like that "). the yaris has all the option that u needs, and it even plays MP3, lol.

i dont really know about others, but toyota dealer is common (at least in my area), so the after sale service shouldn't be a problem w/ toyota. im sure u can get a yaris in that price range (i tink u also get cash back too),
u shud really ask your parents to look into used car. u might be able to get a nicer car than a yaris (or those stated above) within a price range w/ all the adds on.