Basic car-Used or New?

Toyota. You'd be stupid not to.

A used Honda or Toyota should be plenty reliable for years, especially if you're not putting zillions of miles on it. If you can save $$$$ buying something say 2-4 years old, I'd say go for it. That's always been the way to get best bang for buck.

If you buy new, maybe also consider the Fit - my mom got one earlier this year and is very happy with it. I found it had enough power with automatic and felt good to drive. I had a Scion xB for a few years and liked that too, but you really want that in a 5 speed, it's weak with the auto.

Good advice so far, I agree Toyota/Honda, not too old, low mileage for the cars age is another good sign. Find a good mechanic to check it out for you. This should not be too expensive and will help you price the car. Know the models you are looking for and the going price (pricing info available on the WEB, eg Kelly Blue Book). When you identify a particular car, you can use the vehicle identification number (VIN) and check CARFAX to see if it's ever been totaled (salvage title).

Get a civic.

Corolla are for women.

Yaris and Fit = people who buys these cars want to tell people they are poor.

Get a civic.

Corolla are for women.

Yaris and Fit = people who buys these cars want to tell people they are poor.

I would not overlook Ford Focus with MP3 SYNC and 35 MPG either.

Newer Hyundai Elantra's (past 3-4 years) are cheap, reliable, and plain. Sounds like what you're looking for.

Good suggestions already but I would add hatchback to your list of requirements. Some of the cars listed have an hatchback option, some don't. Hatchbacks offer a lot of room to haul stuff if you ever need to.

everwinter wrote: Newer Hyundai Elantra's (past 3-4 years) are cheap, reliable, and plain.

I test drove Elantra GT a couple years ago. It seemed good and terrific value if it is in fact reliable. Looks like a little Saab.

-- go there to see what a new vs. a used car will cost.

At 21 unless you have a million dollars, do NOT buy a new car. Insurance is bad (expensive) before you are 25, and you just don't need to spend that much on a new car plus greater insurance.

Nothing drops in value so quickly as a new car. Buy used.

With regular maintenance, most cars should get up to 200,000 miles these days before they are done -- some will do way more than that. Find a car 4-5 years old with 70,000 miles on it.

Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Saturn, Ford...there are good models in there for all of them. Do the research to see which ones are best. Civics and Corollas do well most every year, but there are stinkers in there too. Google is your friend when it comes to specific makes and models for certain years.

If I were 21, I'd buy a super cheap car that I tooled around town in for work, etc., and I'd rent a car if I needed to head out of town. I'd do that until age 25 when insurance rates dropped, and then I'd sell it and get a better car though still a used one.

21 year olds don't need to be driving a new car.

The people recommending only Toytas and Hondas must be in the "Japanese cars are so great" cult that thrives on 20 year old info. The fact is that based on the aforementioned garbage, resale values for Hondas are way out of line with what they should be, and Toyotas (at least the Camry, admittedly I have not looked into the Corolla too much) are as well.

The fact is that there isn't too much quality difference between manufacturers anymore. Toyota has been having quality issues as they expand, but I would still guess that they are pretty close in quality.

Sorry for the rant, this is just a pet peeve of mine. The most ridiculous thing is that if you put a different name badge on a car these same people would either love it or hate it just based on their own biases. I have a friend who said he was looking at Mazdas. When I told him that Ford owns Mazda he said he would never look at a Ford! Craziness.

Bottom line is that for about 4000 dollars you can buy a really good used car with around 100000 miles that can last you another 80000 at least. There isn't much point in my opinion in buying a new car. Be sure to cahnge your oil regularly. It's the easiest thing you can do that prolongs the life of your ride.

Buy an American car. All these foreign cars are killing the American car market. American cars are now as good as foreign cars and they have more horsepower and get the same gas mileage. PLus they look better as well. Foreign cars cost more to repair. Even though a lot of them are made in america the profits go back to Japan or wherever the companies corporate headquarters are. American cars have come a long way since the 90's and are very good now.

I totally agree with LKJH. If u change the motor oil every 3000 miles. Do not listen to that bull shit 5000 mile crap on the oil bottle. If u have a car with 75 grand or more on it u better change the oil every 3000 miles or u won't have that car for very long. The only reason i would buy a new car if u are under 25 is if u plan on driving the car into the ground then a new car is worth it. But if u plan on selling it after u pay it off then u are stupid and are wasting your money. Also u must change the trans fluid when recommended by the cars owner manual, power steering fluid, brakes, struts. Make sure to rotate your tires as well because that extends the life of your shocks and struts. Make sure u have plenty of anti-freeze in your car as well or your radiator will hate u. If u do the little maintenance things with your used car you car will last at least another 80-100 thousand miles.

This is a good post. I bought my Saturn in 1995, and it runs like a top today. We had a used Buick we bought that we drove a TON for 7 years. My Ford minivan is extremely reliable. Sometimes in any given year a Honda Civic is the best buy. Sometimes it's a Ford Taurus. Need to read up. I personally would never buy a car in its first model year. Usually takes a year or two to work the kinks out. Other than that, American cars and foreign cars are all pretty much on equal footing.

Buy a Toyota, Honda, or Nissan.

Used maybe 2-4 years old with out a lot of miles.

They are reliable.

Also, try to buy from a private seller. Dealers jack up the price big time.

Aside from that take FW's advice.

muhamed

Buy a Toyota, Honda, or Nissan.

Used maybe 2-4 years old with out a lot of miles.

They are reliable.

Also, try to buy from a private seller. Dealers jack up the price big time.

Aside from that take FW's advice.

muhamed

I don't believe Ford owns Mazda, think they just have a minority interest and they do re-badge some vehicles (believe thier pick-up is just a re-bdaged Ranger).

Ford does own some other foriegn nameplates (Jaguar and Volvo --Volvo cars, not heavy trucks)

A couple comments:

* I bought one new car the year after I graduated from college. I had a great job and didn't have any real expenses. After one year, I really hated that car payment. By year number 4, I vowed I would never have a car loan again. It was just a waste of money (I think about $5000 over the life of the loan.)

* I think there is wisdom in your situation to take out a small loan and build a credit history.

* I bought my first Honda brand new in 1988. It ran great until I crashed it in 1996 at 198,000 miles. I was in the midst of a career change at the time, going to school, and I didn't know when I would have a job again, so I bought a used Honda Accord with 92000 miles. It had a hatchback that I hated. Since there's no trunk, anything you carry in the back, like a set of golf clubs, is visible. I drove it for two years before I bought another Honda Accord 3 years old with ~60000 miles. I drove that one until it burned up in a garage fire (~150000). I replace it with another Honda Accord 3 years old that had 38000 miles.

** You're going drop a fair chunk of change on a car whether it's new or used. Make sure you buy something you're going to be happy with. For me that means a car that gets good mileage and is highly unlikely to need to go to the some for repairs. It might be that "American" cars could fill that bill, but why do I need to take the chance? I know Honda has always satisfied me on those two criteria.

* Unless you like bargaining with people DECIDE how much you are willing to pay for this car. Whether you go to an individual or a dealership, after you've identified the car that you want, tell them this is how much you're willing to pay and stick to your guns. You're not going to be able to low-ball using this tactic, but it cuts down on hassles dramatically.

* I wouldn't necessarily avoid a dealership when buying used cars. If you can get the car you want at a figure you're willing to pay, there are several benefits to buying from a dealership (not the corner lot, however). Most of the used cars sold by a reputable dealership have been refurbished - they are completely cleaned, worn tires are replaced, etc. and often come with a limited warranty. Most individuals are selling a car just before making expensive repair/maintenance decisions such as timing belts, new tires, etc. You will have to pay for those with cash in your pocket if you buy from an individual. Also, if something goes wrong soon after buying a car the dealership will often have a limited warranty that covers major issues - with an individual you're stuck.

** I've bought from individuals and from dealerships and been happy in both situations. Do your research (If buying from an individual, ask to see the maintenace records on the car. If they don't have them, be cautious). Know what you're buying. Decide how much it's worth to you and spend that much and no more.

In general, i agree that there is no reason to buy a new car at 21. However, this depends on how long you plan on keeping the car. I've driven the same car for the past 17 years. I bought a new base model tercel. i looked at used cars at the time and while the price for the used was less, it wasn't substantial given the used ones had at least 50k on it. also, after driving an unreliable car for several years before the purchase and having some break downs, i was willing to invest a bit more just to have the confidence of knowing the car didn't have a history that i didn't know about. this car has never left me stranded.

so if you plan to keep the car for a long time, there's no reason to not look at new car. if it has everything you need you'll save money in the long run because you'll keep it rather than trade up the minute you have more cash.

i'm at the point where i want to replace mine mostly because i need a bit more space, it's got a tape deck, and no cup holders - things i didn't care about in my 20s.