A Girls First Car.

Hi Everyone, Im just looking for a bit of advice.

I'm looking to buy my first car in the next couple of weeks and I just wanted to know what you thought of my choices..

I really want a small hatchback car which is cheap on gas and easy to drive.
I have driven the pontiac wave and the aveo(same thing). I have also driven the toyota echo.. which are more expensive and much less nicer inside.

Im really lost on what to do? Which make is more reliable? Are there any other cheap hatchback cars?

I was going to buy one for $6500 CAD 2006 Pontiac Wave 4 door, auto, air, pwr locks/windows/cruise etc.. fully loaded. w/ 95k.. is that a good deal? I hear pontiacs dont last..

HELP!

When you buy a vehicle in the $6500. range the first priority becomes " condition " that will outlast your investment, and that will happen with a little study on your part. There are 4 steps to shopping for a used vehicle, in order they are " history " test drive " mechanic " negotiate "

As for choice of vehicle within the perimeters you stated, my choice would be a 2003 - 2005 Ford focus ZX5 around 100K ( kilometers } there are several available within the Waterloo/Kitchener area.

The # 1 factor buyers end up with a lemon in their driveway today is not having had the time to study the buying process in this fast paced world were living in - if you got the time start with this link http://www.usedcartips.org/TESTDRI.html

Study the web site for some pointers and feel free to post further questions,,, Good Luck with whatever make of vehicle you end up with.

Ray will tell you all the details on buying used (he's giving me advice in another thread right below yours!) but when it comes to specs and details, I can definitely offer some good suggestions.

If you aren't picky on what kind of car you want to drive, you can really shop around for whatever is in the best condition and drive away in that. For instance, you mentioned an Aveo - surely you will be able to find an almost new example for a very small amount of money. That being said, I couldn't drive one, because I know they are terrible cars. Not in the sense that it won't get you from A to B, but driving should be more than that - you should WANT to get into your car in the morning, and love every excuse to give it a little push down a winding backroad.

The Ford Focus that Ray mentioned is a good car - above average reliability for a domestic, great platform/handling, and if you get one 2005 or newer the interior isn't ugly. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, including a 3-door hatchback, 5-door hatchback, 4-door sedan, and even at one point an ugly wagon. The best combination was the 5-door hatch, which offered plenty of passenger room and flexible cargo space.

Whatever you do, don't get an Aveo. You will get tired of it after 6 months because of it's sluggish engine, crappy interior materials, bad sound system, road noise, and numb steering. Even in your price range there is so much more...

Consider these options:
- 2000-2003 Mazda Protegé or Progegé5 (fun to drive, good reliability)
- 2001-2006 Nissan Sentra (sporty, affordable)
- 2005-2007 Ford Focus (fun to drive, good reliability)
- 2003-2007 Toyota Corolla (boring but reliable, quiet and comfortable)
- 2001-2005 Volkswagen Jetta (awesome driver, poor reliability)

My suggestion is the Mazda (I drive a Protege5 hatch and love it) or the Ford Focus. If you want a quiet, cushy car, get a Corolla, they are great on gas, cheap to maintain and come pretty well equipped.

Check your insurance before you buy - some cars have a higher rate, and may cost you $500/year more to drive over another comparable car, just because of it's insurance rating. Sports models are bad for that - stay away from things like "GT, SE-R, SVT or 1.8T".

Also, I forgot to compliment on your beginnings of smart car buying - not buying new. Your decision to search used is the best option in your position. Until you can afford to 'finance' (and intend to keep for several years) a new car, buying used is almost always the best option. This way you actually own your car, you can drive as many or as little miles as you want, and at the end of it all you can use your car as a down payment on whatever is next.

Thanks everyone. So the wave/aveo is not recommended?

You know what, my expressed resentment towards the Chevy Aveo is mostly personal taste. It is an acceptable car and after doing some research this morning (consumer reports, edmunds.com, motormouths) it seems that in 2008+ model years it does have favourable reliability. My problem with the car is the size and the engine. I don't feel in control in such a small car, and when trucks/buses pass on the highway it blows around and feels unstable. When passing it just doesn't have the power to move the car in the way I would want. But these are mostly highway related issues.

If you describe a bit more about what you want from a car my suggestions might change a bit. Are you driving exclusively in urban areas? How much are you on the highway? If this is a city runabout you will likely be happy with an Aveo.

The bottom line is you have to drive it and see if you like it, but before you put any money down, try something a little bigger and see which you prefer. The Aveo is considered a sub-compact, so moving up to a 'compact' (Focus, Civic, Corolla) will give you a slightly larger 4-cylinder engine, more cargo room, better safety ratings and still get good mileage.

Hey. I am not an expert by any means but I am a girl and have owned a few used cars. My first car was a toyota camry.. it was a 1999 and I bought it used in 2005 and it lasted me forever with very few problems. Actually the only reason I got rid of it was because I wanted to upgrade and finally had the means to in 2008. It's easy to handle, the maintenence is cheap and I still feel it was the best choice for me as my first vehicle.

Welcome to the thread, but you'll get a few laughs from this crowd with "it lasted me forever" and "bought it in 2005, upgraded in 2008". I know a few guys on here that have had their cars on the road for 15 years...

Hey. I am not an expert by any means but I am a girl and have owned a few used cars. My first car was a toyota camry.. it was a 1999 and I bought it used in 2005 and it lasted me forever with very few problems. Actually the only reason I got rid of it was because I wanted to upgrade and finally had the means to in 2008. It's easy to handle, the maintenence is cheap and I still feel it was the best choice for me as my first vehicle.

So you had the car for 3 years and you consider that forever?...... *insert a creative LOL here*

I second the opinion about the Focus, if you're looking for a small used hatch the Focus is a really good bet. I would prefer a Mazda 3 hatch but they are a lot more expensive, a used Focus can be found very cheap.

^ Agree