Hard decision in front of me.

Well, here's the story. I'm 16 and I had my first car when I first got my license. It was an '87 Park Avenue my grandfather gave me. It had a mere 50k miles on it, so naturally I thought it would last me awhile. Well, I was wrong. It died on me and the repair costs are more than the car itself is worth. Now I have the difficult task of buying a new car.

Well, I might as well give you a little background on what I intend to use the car for. To get from point A to point B, of course. Nothing more, no racing. No fancy aftermarket modifications. As I was car shopping I found two possible automobiles in my price range. Car 1 is a 2001 Hyundai Tiburon, V4, with 40 thousand miles on it. Car 2 is a 2001 Kia Rio with 16,000 miles on it. What do you guys think I should do? I love the Tib's looks, I mean...who wouldn't? But which car would last longer in the longrun? What would need less service? Basically, if you were me, which route would you take?

Thank you for all your help. I'm pretty desperate for answers at the moment. Also, I may be able to drop the Tiburon down a bit, we're friends with the owner of the dealership.

Well for a start you've picked a Hyundai and a Kai, two cars i would never pick in my life!
For a start Hyundai are pretty much made of shitty metal, so in a crash they won't withstand it!
I think if you want a small car, that will last maybe a Honda Civic or even Mazda Famillia!
Anything but those two cars that you've come across! Sorry don't take any offence to that its just my opinion on the matter! :)

Yes yes but the chances of getting a Honda Civic in my price range where I live are slim. I'm poor, my parents aren't helping me out and I just need a car.

Well whats your limit, well what sort of price range? Does it have to be a small car what about looking at some of the bigger options aswell!

My limit is around 8 grand. I prefer a smaller car, mostly because I am a very big fan of fuel efficiency. I also would like something with lower miles.

Well, after searching autotrader for my area, I found a Honda with around 60k miles on it in my price range. But problem is, it's a manual and I don't know how to drive one just yet. You think this honda would be the way to go?

yeah a honda is reliable so yeah but it is totally your choice in what you want!

Hyundais are reliable - run an autotrader.com search on all Hyundais, then on all Kias. You'll see quite a few Hyundais over 140k, even 160k miles. Most Kias aren't over 100k. But the Tiburon's reviews that I read complained of poor build quality (=rattles), and there's one thing that Honda Gal got right: Hyundai crash-test ratings are thoroughly unimpressive. As for the Rio, it borrows heavily from the underwhelming and obsolete Ford Aspire of the mid-90's.

Stick Civics are incredibly easy to learn. I'd never driven a stick in my life, yet when I test-drove one not long ago . . . spend a few hours in a parking lot and on backroads, and you'll get it. Personally, as long as you don't mind getting a boring-looking car, a Chevy Prizm is a good bet. It's a Toyota Corolla badged as a Chevy (even rolled off the same assembly line in California), but cheaper. Try not to get a 1998 model though, as they didn't have an anti-sway bar and tended to spin out of control in emergency situations. I know this both from reviews I've read and personal experience. I kept myself from spinning out, but I still fishtailed into the next (thankfully unoccupied) lane. 1999 or later is better. Or a Corolla, for that matter, if you find a good deal on one. 2002 and later Ford Focus is supposed to be good, and there should be some within your price range. Ditto the 2003 and later Dodge Neons. There are several near me for less than $8k.

Sentras are usually pretty good too, depending on what year you get. Mazda Protege's are fun to drive and reliable. A late-model Cavalier would be in your range, with standard ABS, good economy, and decent features. Unfortunately, they suffer from a ten-year old chassis, and general build quality and reliability issues. A newer one might do you well, though. Worth considering, anyhow, and ABS is a Very Good Thing for a new driver. It's saved my life (or at least my skin) a few times.

EDIT: Oh yeah, but Cavvys have horrible crash-test ratings, too. The Prizm/Corolla and Civic have good ratings. The Focus has a good rating, though the Neon is subpar.

what year is the civic?????

Yeah, unfortunately those pre-05 focuses are so hard on the eyes, in my personal opinion. I was looking at the Protege but I really had my heart set on a coupe. Oh well, atleast I saved myself from the hastle of the Tibby, even though the looks are so nice. I am thinking that I may end up searching the lots for any decent Honda I can get my hands on. I may still try a protege out as well. What year Sentra do you recommend?

A honda or toyota are both very reliable and low maintnance. if i were you i would go with the civic, or a camry.

Okay, update. I found a really really nice Acura Integra in my price range and I have the VIN number. Is there anybody who can possibly CarFAX it for me? The VIN is JH4DC4469XS004219. It has 60,000 miles on it and it's an automatic. Thanks guys.

Get a manual. You'll thank me later. :iceslolan

Yep, not that hard to learn and much faster when you have a wimpy engine.