Another first new car buyer up in here, help a kid out

[Alan Drewskee]

Hello, all. So, my used car has been given about a year to live (Translation, there are a ton of things wrong with it that are not worth fixing, given the fact that making these fixes would cost me several grand; and the registration goes out in about a year.) This, obviously, necessitates the purchase of my own car; and this is the very first time I’m purchasing a car with my own money. So, here we go:

Fortunately, unlike some of my 21-year old peers; I am not an idiot. I don’t give a damn about spinny rims, beautiful makes, and blah blah blah. The only nice thing I want in my car is a good sound system, and that’s it; it can be the ugliest thing in the world, as long as it meets these requirements:

What I want in my car

Low price: I'm going for $15k-$22k. Obviously, this will impact everything in ways that I can’t imagine; perhaps you guys could offer me generalizations as to what low price will affect.

Lastabillity: My used car was a NIGHTMARE; every other month I’d be pouring a grand into it, fixing some obscure detail that I don’t wish to remember. I want something that will go for a LONG time without something going wrong.

Good mileage: I’ve heard that two-wheel drive cars come with an upside and a downside; better mileage, and worse handling on snowy roads. Given the fact that I’m a conservative driver, I don’t think I’ll be needing four-wheel drive at the cost of having to fill up frequently.

Good audio: The teenage dream. I’d like a quality audio system; at least good speakers that won’t crap out upon prolonged exposure to dubstep, or anything like that. One of those crazy things with a 6-cd holder and an aux-in would be awesome, but if it comes at the cost of a price boost, I’d just want a single-CD unit, perhaps with an aux-in. Good speakers would be really nice, though. And being a musician, I’m a bit of an audiophile.

Safety: Pretty obvious; I don’t want a smart-car, a tin can, or anything that, in the case of a small accident, will leave me saying, “Where are my arms?... oh, they’re over there, okay.”

Can hold lots of things: I’m a musician, so having space to lug gear around would be fantastic: However, I don’t want the car falling into the SUV category, as they’re known for their low mileage. Does size adversely impact mileage?

Cars I’m considering:

http://www.subaru.com/vehicles/forester/index.html
(Subarus are known for their safety, but yuck, I don’t even want to hear the word ‘SUV.’)

http://automobiles.honda.com/civic-si-sedan/price.aspx
(Looks a tad bigger than the basic Civic, but I dunno if that will help carrying stuff in the long run; I should get out and look at these cars.)

http://www.dodge.com/en/2011/caliber/index.html
(Looks decent, looks like it can hold a lot of stuff, and wow, even up to 32 mpg highway!... wait, what’s good mpg, again?)

Essential questions:

= What’s good/average/bad mpg in a car in the price range I’m looking at? ($15k-$22k)

= How does price, overall, affect my listed qualities?

= Does size ALWAYS impact mpg?

= Do you know of a car that’s priced within my bracket that has all my qualities, and that you think I’d really like? Once again, I don't care about looks; it can be uuuuu-gly, as long as it takes car of my requirements.

Thank you very much, have yourselves a great day.