help with selecting first car

[phoenixhazard]

Hi, I am a student and will be buying a car soon. I am thinking about the Accent, Honda Civic or PT Cruiser. What I really need is a car that is reliable, has good mileage, is safe and not expensive. I would also need space since i will be moving alot in the next few years. Could you please recommend me a car if not from that list and tell me why you like it or dislike the cars I am thinking about, it would be a great help, thanks.

[G-man422]

Forget the accent, they arnt reliable. Honda is the most reliable, and gets pretty good gas milage, but doesnt have alot of cargo space. The PT Has good reliability, PLENTY of cargo room, and the gas milage is average. Another car to think about is the toyota camry.

[G-man422]

BTW, if you get a PT get an '02 or newer. the PT came out in '01 and you shouldnt buy a car that comes out the first year.

[phoenixhazard]

Ya it seems that the PT would be the "fun" car to have, but the Honda will be the less hassle, more reliable, more economical car to have. So it comes down to if I want fun or a practical car. Since a car should probably be first practical and get you from point A to B honda seems like the good choice, however I still do feel like I want a PT Cruiser for their looks and spaciousness. Is the mileage and the engine on the cruiser really that bad? Or do people just overdue it. I mean I don't need a racing car, I just want a car that can keep up with the rest on the highway.

[G-man422]

The PT's engine has 150hp and the gas milage is abou 18 city 22 h-way, and it keeps up nicely with other cars. And i also like it for its styling, its different than other cars out there. ( ps: if you get a 5-speed gas milage is a little better)

[Rampart Crawler]

A civic ex can get great mileage. And they only weigh about 2400 lbs with a maual tranny. That with 127 hp is more than zippy enough for a first car. I can live with the dx...

Civics are very solid and can handle great. I don't regret getting mine. A PT of the same year might be cheaper, but you really want to focus on reliablity for your first car.

I like to say the accent is a crude version of the civic. It is still as reliable as any Chrystler and if you want to save money, by all means get it.

The Chrysler has the most hp and torque, but its weight and sub-par tranny doesn't really help you there. It isn't any faster than the Civic ex. Lots of cargo room and it stands out. Just like the other billion PT cruisers on the road.

[yale329]

you no, I am 53, have always worked on and loved cars all my life. Can,t work on them anymore, but my daughter inlaw had a 97 tercel, and I swear that car was the great on gas, wondeful big car feeling and I needed minamal repairs, and the workmanship does beat our cars all to hell. My son just bought one for himself. Owning a dodge for many years and now a pt I am still amazed at the comfort and reliability of these cars. And please belive me when I tell you that my kids filled that car up with band equipment, moving several times and I am still amased that it's still going at 225 thousand kilometers.
Good luck with what ever you choose.
Wayne