I think I may have found my car...

[Stephanie Brim]

Now all I'm trying to do is to find a job to finance the down payment.

Sitting at a very small dealership in town is a shiny yellow 2003 Chevy Cavalier. I'm going to go check it out tomorrow, but it's pretty much everything I wanted in a car. It's not red (long story, not related to insurance), it would get good gas milage, it's sporty without being a sports car (it's a 4 door), it's yellow (not a real need, but I really wanted a yellow car), and it's new enough that I wouldn't have to worry as much about it breaking down on me. The only real problem is the price: we're talking $6200, more than I wanted to pay for my first car.

So yeah, applying for jobs wherever I can find a cooking job in town tomorrow.

[akptc]

I've always wanted a yellow car....
Best of luck with the purchase.

[Stephanie Brim]

If I can't get this one, there's another at the dealer that I'm going to look at. It's much older, though, and only about $2500. And green. Dark green. But it's a car.

[tedwhite]

No, Stephanie, a thousand times no. A Cavalier is basically a crappy little ho-hum car, and the asking price is way over the top.

Get consumer's reports and read up on the car. You could get a Mazda or a Toyota and have a smoother running, more reliable car with probably better gas mileage.

Research the Volkswagen Jetta or Golf with the TDI diesel low emissions engine. They will get - with manual tranny - 45-49 mpg.

Bottom line: There are better cars than the outdated Cavalier.

Ted

[Stephanie Brim]

My problem is budget. I have a really low one. My priority is getting something that will give me transportation to and from work plus something that will be able to do 70-80 mile jaunts to and from Des Moines without costing me tons of money yet something that's still cheap enough for a soon-to-be college student. If I had an unlimited budget or good credit I'd probably just lease a new Rabbit, but I don't...and therefore my options are limited.

[tomtodeath]

does it have parallax correction?

[wlewisiii]

Look for any low cost Toyota over the Cavilier. Late 90's Camrys, for example, run around $4k. As Ted says, that price is too high for a car that isn't very good. There are many reasons why Toyota is the number 2 car maker (and will soon beat GM too) in the world.

One other possibility is an older Saturn SL2 with a manual transmission. $1.5k & up with 25+ mpg average.

Good luck!

William

[tomtodeath]

id say go for the rabbit, new or old. i drive a 90 gti and i love it. also, honda civics last forever, my last car was an 88 civic that i paid 800 bucks for, and kept for three years. i gave it to a friend and it still ran good at 400,000 miles!

[akptc]

... And green. Dark green. But it's a car. Dark green is the "invisible" color on the road, something to consider.

I agree with the Toyota / Japanese car advice. Another one could be a 1998 or so Nissan Altima. Cheap and reliable.

[flashover]

I will just through in the safety thing I have seen the way a four door Cavalier stands Up to side impacts. It's my advise to go with a Toyota or Mazada or VW. I have had to clean up the aftermath and it's not pretty. (My other Hobby is a Company Officer on the Fire Department) PS I do like yellow though my 64 Impala is bright yellow

[James Brannan]

I will just through in the safety thing I have seen the way a four door Cavalier stands Up to side impacts. It's my advise to go with a Toyota or Mazada or VW. I have had to clean up the aftermath and it's not pretty. (My other Hobby is a Company Officer on the Fire Department) PS I do like yellow though my 64 Impala is bright yellow
I agree. It's not so much the fact that the Cavalier she's looking at is overpriced. Not so much that it's really not a safe car. Not so much that it's unreliable. The thing that would bother me is the fact she's on a limited budget and can get a much more reliable car for much less money. One good thing about most of the imports listed is that they are so common among young kids for modding that harness bars (or home installed roll bars) are readily available. A great platform for a camera mount.

I like yellow also. My 69 Eldorado is a sort of light yellow though. I'm thinking I'll go with a yellow leather for my Kiev later on so it matches the car.

[Stephanie Brim]

I may look for a Rabbit. The other problem is that there aren't many in IOWA. I'm going to have to go to either Minnesota or Nebraska (Hi, jlw!) to find a stupid car, especially if I want to go Volkswagon. Don't know why there aren't that many of them in Iowa.

Oh, and the other problem: I don't know how to drive a stick. I don't know anyone who can really teach me how to drive a stick. I pretty much have to have an automatic.

[varjag]

Oh, and the other problem: I don't know how to drive a stick. I don't know anyone who can really teach me how to drive a stick. I pretty much have to have an automatic.
Steph, it's not that hard. I can use manual, and I don't even have driver license :)

[Trius]

If there aren't a lot of VWs in Iowa, especially in your town, then don't get one! First of all, local servicing will be difficult. Even with a reliable car, things can happen and local service might be impossible. Second, local servicing would likely be expensive and of questionable quality.

I agree about the Cavalier, and about Toyota, Honda & Nissan. Among other Nissans, I had a '97 Sentra that I bought used, drove to 109K miles with very little problem, and is still running strong after I sold it. My wife has had two Civics and an Accord. (Note: 2000 was not a good year for an Accord V6. I know you wouldn't be shopping for a V6, Steph ... just a note to others who are reading this thread.) The Civics are great if plain and a bit boring, and are abundant.

I've friends who had Cavaliers and all had to get brake jobs very, very frequently, as well as had other issues. All-in-all, not a great value as they age unless you do your own maintenance.

[Richard Black]

As a previous owner of Nissans, Toyotas, Hondas, Subarus, Hyundai, as well as weird 3 cyclinder Saab, I think you should find the major Japanese used cars a good bargain. Probably higher that Chevy or Ford, but in the long run a better deal. I loved my Subaru Loyale, 160k before I gave it away. The Subaru is not hard to find old time mechanics that can work on them. Good luck

[kmack]

Poor Steph, so many 'uncles' with good advice. :rolleyes:

Get a motorcycle, I would suggest a used Royal Enfield "Military' add a sidecar for stability.
(Just kidding, not practical in the winter.).

[Nick R.]

Steph, If you're going to be taking out a loan to buy this car then you might want to consider the cheapest lease you can find. Loans on used cars carry pretty high interest rates. Dealers usually can put together great loan packages on new cars but it seems that you are priced out of even the cheapest. Otherwise, if your pocketbooks really tight check out used minivans. Ugly, but really cheap used. They are a lot more useful than any compact. You just have to get over the looks thing. One of the good things about being married is that I get to use my wife's minivan whenever I need it.

[SolaresLarrave]

Stephanie,

As a student, look for a car that takes you places, it's easy to repair locally, and will withstand a lateral hit. The Cavalier may be easy to repair, but it ain't cheap (not this one), and it's certainly a risk to own (one of the most unreliable cars manufactured by GM).

BTW, so is the Dodge Neon. In fact, it's discontinued for a reason.

Good luck with your search! :)

[James Brannan]

Stephanie,

As a student, look for a car that takes you places, it's easy to repair locally, and will withstand a lateral hit. The Cavalier may be easy to repair, but it ain't cheap (not this one), and it's certainly a risk to own (one of the most unreliable cars manufactured by GM).

BTW, so is the Dodge Neon. In fact, it's discontinued for a reason.

Good luck with your search! :)
In my area the Neon has to be the number one abandoned car. People take them to local mechanics for repairs and then decide it isn't worth the cost. Most end up as errand cars. My ex father in law has two of them right now. Not very reliable but fun to drive (IMO). Neon is a good car to own if you like working on things.

[ClaremontPhoto]

Get something with four wheels that gets you to work and back. Yellow sounds good.

[DrSquirley]

No, Stephanie, a thousand times no. A Cavalier is basically a crappy little ho-hum car, and the asking price is way over the top.

Get consumer's reports and read up on the car. You could get a Mazda or a Toyota and have a smoother running, more reliable car with probably better gas mileage.

Research the Volkswagen Jetta or Golf with the TDI diesel low emissions engine. They will get - with manual tranny - 45-49 mpg.

Bottom line: There are better cars than the outdated Cavalier.

Ted

^^ Exactly

[Gabriel M.A.]

Research the Volkswagen Jetta or Golf with the TDI diesel low emissions engine. They will get - with manual tranny - 45-49 mpg.

Bottom line: There are better cars than the outdated Cavalier.
Now, where's the smiley with the wagging finger? :rolleyes:

But you're right, Ted. I wish I had waited a few more months and had bought a Jetta TDI. I've always admired VWs; that frame is built to protect you like you really matter and are a living human being, not some dummy in some test that is just trying to meet some numbers in a chart. The steering is a whole different ballgame, and handling those curves ... grrrrr.

[tedwhite]

Richard: I thought I was the only guy around who had owned and driven the hell out of 3 cylinder, two-stroke Saabs. A better snow car has yet to be made. But Steph should stay away from the newer Saabs. And, of course, finding one of the older ones would be a career in itself.

I have a motorcycle, and it gets 65mpg. But in Steph's area - Des Moines - it would be useless in winter.

There's a Toyota Tercel in town here driven by an old guy that has 400,000 miles on the odometer. Engine's never been touched. If I were in the market for a Toyota, I'd probably get a later nineties Corolla. Shouldn't cost much.

Ted

[Gabriel M.A.]

But Steph should stay away from the newer Saabs. And, of course, finding one of the older ones would be a career in itself.
There are lots of those here in Nova Scandinavia (aka Minnesota), perhaps she should look at the Star Tribune ( http://www.startribune.com/ ) classifieds. If she needs help coming up here/picking it up, etc., I'd be glad to assist.

[JoeFriday]

Richard: I thought I was the only guy around who had owned and driven the hell out of 3 cylinder, two-stroke Saabs. A better snow car has yet to be made. But Steph should stay away from the newer Saabs. And, of course, finding one of the older ones would be a career in itself.
I beg to differ.. my Audi A4 Quattro will plow through 10 inches of fresh powder without flinching.. we had a snow storm back in February where nearly every one of my coworkers was stranded at the office.. I offered a ride home to a coworker who lived near me.. she said she couldn't get her car to move 6 inches in the parking lot and looked at me like I was crazy for saying I could get her home.. I insisted it was no problem, so we hopped in my car and took off without a single slip.. got her home in 20 minutes.. slowed down only by all the tow trucks pulling at least 20 other cars out of the ditch

of course, it helps to have Nokian snow tires, too :)

[DrSquirley]

I beg to differ.. my Audi A4 Quattro will plow through 10 inches of fresh powder without flinching.. we had a snow storm back in February where nearly every one of my coworkers was stranded at the office.. I offered a ride home to a coworker who lived near me.. she said she couldn't get her car to move 6 inches in the parking lot and looked at me like I was crazy for saying I could get her home.. I insisted it was no problem, so we hopped in my car and took off without a single slip.. got her home in 20 minutes.. slowed down only by all the tow trucks pulling at least 20 other cars out of the ditch

of course, it helps to have Nokian snow tires, too :)

I went from saabs to audis, and i have to say my 90quattro with summer tires handled just as well as my c900 did with winter tires in the snow. with snow tires the quattro is simply a monster.

[MelanieC]

I've never driven anything but Hondas. They don't break down. They don't need major repairs. I have never been stuck on the side of any road. They are fun to drive. They are plentiful.

If I were you I'd look for a used Civic or Integra. If I could have more than one car, I'd still have my 1996 Integra with 120,000 miles on it (no major problems or repairs ever). At the time we traded it in the Blue Book value was something like $1500-$2000. Reliable, cute, fast, fun to drive, and practically free for what it was.

Now I drive a Honda Element. Orange. Much more practical (I am often hauling dogs around with me), not as much fun to drive, but reliable as hell. Hondas rule.

[Pherdinand]

Does it have a back seat?

[planetjoe]

Hondas rule.

Hear, hear. In fact, my Civic has been so reliable that sometimes I forget to take it in for service. Of course, I hope I don't forget too often. At 75k miles, I guess my Civic is still a baby, anyhow.

Lots of good advice here, Stephanie - basically, a reliable compact car is a Pacific Rim product, not one born and bred in Detroit. Now, if you were looking for something larger and less fuel-efficient, I'm sure that GM could help you. Good luck.


Cheers,
--joe.

[Nando]

I would recommend an early Ford Focus from around 2000 or 2001. You can probably picked one up for a bit over $2000 USD.

The Focus has an incredible chassis and clearly the best in its class. The excellent chassis makes the car handle like its on rails and it is also the one of the safest in its class. Ford has since used this chassis for the basis of the new European Focus and C-Max (both not available here), the Mazda3, Mazda5 and the Volvo S40, V50, and new C70. Its so good, in fact, that Ford has decided to make a stretched version for the upcoming European Mondeo instead of using the excellent chasis from the Mazda6 like they did with the Fusion, Milan and Zephyr. To tell you the truth, I think the latest North American Focus is not as well built as the old one. The old one was very close to the European Focus but the new is is nowhere close. Instead of introducing a new Ford Focus like they did in Europe, Ford decided to go with a facelift and new engine options in N. America along with further cost-cutting schemes. This is mostly evident in the cheap materials used in the interior. The old Focus is better in terms of quality.

Early cars have some quality issues dealing with Ford's changes to the initial European Focus to suit production in Mexico. There were lots of recalls on the earlier cars to address these issues. Despite the number of recalls, the car is quite reliable. The Zetec engine has proved very reliable since its introduction in 1993 under the hood of the Ford Mondeo. Its a relatively efficient engine, very robust and can be made to become a very high performance engine if you wish. You can find a Focus with an SE motor for less but I'd recommend the Zetec.

The MTX-75 manual transaxle is very good. You shouldn't be discouraged if you only know how to drive an automatic. If all someone used was a point and shoot camera, should that discourage them from using a manual rangefinder? Its not hard to learn and you will save money on the purchase of the car and on gas. As in the case with most small cars, an automatic really turns the car into a dog in terms of performance and makes the car much less fuel efficient. The problem is that a manual-equipped Focus is rather hard to find in the N. America.

The Focus has one of the largest aftermarket following in the world. When it comes to C-class vehicles (what N. American would call compacts), only the Honda Civic and the VW Golf have a larger aftermarket yet the aftermarket for the Focus has been the fastest growing of the three.

Servicing for a Focus is also an advantage. There is a Ford dealer in almost every town in North America. If you are unhappy with a certain dealer, its likely that there is another one that you can go to close by. Parts for the Focus are very inexpensive compared to parts for import cars. What Ford doesn't provide, you can probably find in the aftermarket. The Focus has a fanatical following and there is a large number of owner clubs from every corner of the globe that will be of help.

There are also four body styles to choose from. There is a sporty three-door hatch, a very practical 5-door hatch, a more traditional 4-door sedan and a very versatile wagon. I wished that the Focus wagon was available when I was in university. There is enough room in the back for most things, with the rear seats down it almost has as much room as a compact pick-up truck. Yet the car is economical and very sporty.

[Gabriel M.A.]

Hear, hear. In fact, my Civic has been so reliable that sometimes I forget to take it in for service. Of course, I hope I don't forget too often. At 75k miles, I guess my Civic is still a baby, anyhow.

Lots of good advice here, Stephanie - basically, a reliable compact car is a Pacific Rim product, not one born and bred in Detroit. Now, if you were looking for something larger and less fuel-efficient, I'm sure that GM could help you. Good luck.
Very true. My gf has a Honda Civic, too. I'm amazed at how well put-together it is. All Honda owners are happy with them, and from what I can tell is, as owners are loyal to Honda, Honda is loyal to its customers and its employees. That cannot be said, unfortunately, about other car makers, which leave employees and loyal customers in the street, which is why they don't get as much repeat business. Repairs? I think I saw that car in the shop once, and it was for getting new break pads.

[GeneW]

Misunderstood the title. A friend of mine DID lose his car (VW van) for over a week in the 60's. Then one evening when the munchies hit, we all walked over to Baskin-Robbins for a treat and he suddenly looked elated. "There it is!" he shouted. I guess he'd been enjoying a little mind expansion last time he'd visited the ice-cream store and had forgotten he had his car with him as he left.

Gene

[drmatthes]

Still hooked on my 1993 VW Golf II (Rabbit in your place, I guess) which my father gave to me as a present about four weeks before he died (another sentimental reason why I can't come to think of a new car). - 162.000 km and almost never let me down (ok, not to speak of this little animal called a marten that loves to bite isolation rubber and broke my lambda probe so I got stuck on the highway on a hot summer day near Hamburg in 1998 - also not to speak of the severe motor damage caused by lack of cooling fluid last November - that was my fault).

Good advice might be to really buy second hand, five previous owners in the papers don't count for reliability.

Good advice not to buy a white car, either - always dusty and everyone can see it.

Guess what my car's color might be?

Currently dreaming about a Dodge (150 HP) or a VW Eos, one of those cross-breeds between a Coupé and a Cabrio...

And five more ancient lenses for my Contax II!

Jesko

[SteveM(PA)]

I beg to differ.. my Audi A4 Quattro will plow through 10 inches of fresh powder without flinching.. we had a snow storm back in February where nearly every one of my coworkers was stranded at the office.. I offered a ride home to a coworker who lived near me.. she said she couldn't get her car to move 6 inches in the parking lot and looked at me like I was crazy for saying I could get her home.. I insisted it was no problem, so we hopped in my car and took off without a single slip.. got her home in 20 minutes.. slowed down only by all the tow trucks pulling at least 20 other cars out of the ditch

of course, it helps to have Nokian snow tires, too :)

I heart my Nokian WR All Weather Plus's :)

[MelanieC]

Misunderstood the title.

When I was living in Philadelphia the city moved my car for street cleaning and neglected to put it on the move record, so when I called the cops they told me to report it stolen. I kept wandering the neighborhood (this is when I lived in West Philly) in bigger and bigger radii and finally found it where they had left it a few dozen blocks away. If I hadn't found it when I did I have no doubt it would actually eventually have been stolen.

One of the drawbacks to the smaller Hondas is that they are popular theft targets due to the whole tuner car thing, but I put a basic Viper alarm in my Integra and never had any problems. Do not install the fancy Viper that has the talking alarm, though -- I can't be the only person who enjoys dancing around cars with the talking Viper just to make it talk.

[ChrisPlatt]

Steer clear of the VW's, too. European cars are too
expensive to maintain for a poor college student.
Stick with a Japanese or good American car...

"Excelsior, you fathead!"
-Chris-

[Trius]

<snip> of course, it helps to have Nokian snow tires, too :)

Damn straight. I have Haakapelitta 2s on my CR-V. When we have a winter with little snow (like 05-06), I'm really bummed. I can't wait until they wear out and I can buy Haakapelitta 6es ... or 10s, or whatever they're up to. My father-in-law has used Haaks for years, and he was an Adirondack guide and member of the ski patrol in Swain, NY. Any questions? :D

[Al Patterson]

I'd second the SL2 recommendation. Not a sexy car, but I had it 6 years and all it nedded was oil, until it died. It had over 100k miles on it, and needed more work t6han it was worth. Just check that the timing chain is seated properly, and you'll be fine.

And, the worst car I ever owned was Buick Skyhawk, which was a Cavalier with different name plate. That one went through 2 timing belts, a water pump, and leaked like a sieve from the sun roof. It's a wonder I even bought a Saturn after how bad the Buick was...

And, a saturn with a standard gets over 30 MPG on the highway, even at 75...

[Stephanie Brim]

I'm actually trying to budget for two things: a two-wheeled scooter for in-town driving and my car for out of town. I'll look like a hipster, but it's better than paying so freaking much for gas just to drive around town, plus something like a Vespa would be good for trips out to the lake to take photographs. ;)

Oh, and yes, I know I couldn't afford a Vespa. There are other branded scooters that don't cost near that much. Another thing about motorscooters is that they're allowed for on-campus transportation...which means I won't need a bicycle.

[MelanieC]

I'd get a decent bike for in-town (Iowa is pretty flat) to save $$ myself. Check out Craigslist and limit your budget to <$50 and you should come up with a decent commuter bike. A friend of mine just got a nice Nishiki hybrid in good condition for under $50 this way.

Me, I've got a Trek Singletrack (miraculously small enough for me) that I adopted when someone moved out of my building and abandoned it. Swapped the tires off my old Nishiki mountain bike, and I'm good to go.

If San Francisco were flatter I'd bike all over the place.

[James Brannan]

One of the drawbacks to the smaller Hondas is that they are popular theft targets due to the whole tuner car thing, but I put a basic Viper alarm in my Integra and never had any problems. Do not install the fancy Viper that has the talking alarm, though -- I can't be the only person who enjoys dancing around cars with the talking Viper just to make it talk.
Talking alarms are one of the sure signs that our culture is in a decline.:(

[peterc]

I picked up a retired police cruiser (Chev Impala) when my trusty Ford Escort wagon bit the dust a couple of months ago.
Been very happy with the car. Heavy duty everything, nice rubber floor that's easy to keep clean and other drivers avoid you.

Peter

[Stephanie Brim]

Yeah, I love biking...I used to have a bike that I rode constantly until I left it unchained in an apparently bad part of town and it got swiped. I figure that I can probably get away with upwards of $200 on a bike. It's really the car that's the problem.

The reason I'm considering the scooter is that Des Moines is rather large...and trying to bike through most of the streets there may be a hazard to my health. Lots of traffic and it doesn't go slow. If it was my choice I'd pretty much nix the car idea altogether and get a Vespa instead as I think it would serve me better in the long run, but I can't ride that long distances in the winter and we can have some rather cold ones. Now...if I lived in San Francisco I'd consider that course of action. =P

[aad]

Stella is a Vespa made in India but half the price. True retro-gotta shift, but I've carried enormous loads on it.

Really, though, walk before buying a Cavalier for that much$

[Stephanie Brim]

I won't get the Cavalier. I shouldn't get a car that new anyway. All I know is that I'm not getting a Neon. Perhaps a Stratus. If only I could find a new(er) Beetle in my price range.

[ampguy]

hi, i would look for a subaru if there is snow or ice, and if not, then a good condition honda or toyota.

[clarence]

I don't have a driving license yet, not a civilian one at least, but I'm dreaming of a Jaguar XJS (remember Simon Templar?), XK8 (Die Another Day) or a classic Mini. Best of British.

My father used to spend on cars, even though we could barely afford it. Riding to school in the back of a Jaguar was an utterly delightful sensual experience. It's probably how your camera feels like being in a Luigi case.

All the best to getting a car, Stephanie. I'm sure they're a lot more useful in the US.

Does anyone else here think that contemporary car design is going down the drain, at least with regard to aesthetics? BMW and Mercedes are implementing strange looking headlamps and posteriors that are supposed to look futuristic. Of the mainstream Continental sedan manufacturers, I'd say only Audi has kept to making sleek cars with designs that will endure the vicissitudes of fashion.

Clarence

[tedwhite]

Yes, Audi is still retaining the smooth design. The VW Passat was essentially the same car (same 1.8T engine, same Tiptronic transmission, same platform, etc.,) and almost the same lines. However, VW couldn't leave well enough alone. The new Passat just doesn't have it.

Re: motor scooters. The Stella is indeed beautiful and well made. Lots cheaper than the Vespa. But the Gran Turismo Vespa 200cc probably sets the standard for excellence. However, lots of even cheaper Chinese and Korean scooters out there, and most have large diameter wheels (safer, better handling). Check out http://www.goscootover.com/ and look at the different models. This shop, in Tucson, is owned by two women.

Ted

[SteveM(PA)]

Does anyone else here think that contemporary car design is going down the drain, at least with regard to aesthetics? BMW and Mercedes are implementing strange looking headlamps and posteriors that are supposed to look futuristic. Of the mainstream Continental sedan manufacturers, I'd say only Audi has kept to making sleek cars with designs that will endure the vicissitudes of fashion.
Clarence


My car is the final year of Sixten Sason's (Hasselblad) original design from '67. This is a 1994. It's the closest I'll ever get to a 'blad, and probably not worth much more. Excellent in the snow. It's our yearly tradition to transport the xmas tree in the back seat.

[John Camp]

It would take you a half hour to become comfortable with a stick, but there really isn't much reason to buy one; in most cars of reasonably late model, the automatic is essentially as fuel-efficient as a stick, and automatics are better on ice. I couldn't agree too strongly with the others about the Japanese car; a Toyota Corolla would be a good place to start. In your price range, and with your plans, take a good long look at the tires, and if they're bad, make the dealer an offer that includes newer tires. They can usually switch tires between cars at no cost to themselves. I-35 can be a wicked highway in the winter...I have driven all over North America and much of the Middle East, and the absolutely worst conditions I ever encountered anywhere, any time, were on I-35 between the Minnesota border and Des Moines about 5 years ago, after a February ice storm. You need good tires...If you're short on cash, you also need high mileage, the way things are going, and a Corolla will get 35 mpg in a mix of city/highway driving. A small Honda will do the same...I'd be really nervous about a Cavalier, especially as a used car. They're often a first car for kids, and do you really want to own a car that might have been a first car for a kid? Get in the car, turn on the radio and check the presets. if you get five out five metal stations, look for a diffferent car.

JC

[clarence]

Get in the car, turn on the radio and check the presets. if you get five out five metal stations, look for a diffferent car.


I'd be more wary of the urban music listeners, actually. I also have a soft spot for heavy metal.

Clarence

[aad]

My wife has a Vespa ET4-not as fast as the GT, but a real nice scoot!

I love my Audi, but a budget minded person really should consider a Toyota. Maybe an Echo, as they were inexpensive and not too popular.

[Stephanie Brim]

I'd be more wary of the urban music listeners, actually. I also have a soft spot for heavy metal.

Clarence

This is why I need a car that I can install a Sirius satellite radio in easily...I bleeping hate music censorship. I also have a soft spot for heavy metal, hard rock, alternative, and industrial music.

[w3rk5]

I picked up a retired police cruiser (Chev Impala) when my trusty Ford Escort wagon bit the dust a couple of months ago.
Been very happy with the car. Heavy duty everything, nice rubber floor that's easy to keep clean and other drivers avoid you.

Peter
I would love to get an 89 Chev Caprice 9C1 and fix it up. :cool:

My best advice is to get the best you can afford. Don't worry about the make or model. Every car has there batch of lemons. Good luck.

[amateriat]

Whew...

What can I say? I cycle damn near everywhere I know, but I know lots of peopla with lots of different cars. I think the verdict on the Cavalier (think about the name!) is damn near unanimous: Avoid at Any Price. $6000+ is outrageous for what you'd end up getting. Almost anything from Toyota or Honda, made in the last 10-14 years, is a better (and likely cheaper) alternative on all the important counts: economy, safety, reliability. The last thing you need is a car that'll do a not-so-slow burn through your wallet.

Also: if you really feel the need for a scooter, go ahead, but I think a solid all-around bicycle will come in handier (last time I was in Des Moines, traffic seemed swift but manageable to me...but, of course, I ride fearlessly in Manhattan and Brooklyn, so I must be nuts). You want to be sure that any scooter you get ian't a potential wallet-sucker as well; you'll have two engine-powered beasties on your hands to feed and care for. It's usually bad enough to deal with just one.


- Barrett

[BrianShaw]

I ride fearlessly in Manhattan and Brooklyn,... :eek:

Impossible... simply, impossible

... so I must be nuts).

Possible... likely, possible!

:D

New Yorkers amaze me. I spent 4 days in NYC once and couldn't believe how the city never seemed to stop and how many people there were on the streets. The convention I attended was at the Pennsylvania (6-5000) Hotel and I almost never left the building. I found it a lot scary-er than Los Angeles... where I feel continually protected by the 'safety shroud' provided by my automobile. Call me a hermit, but I like living separated from most of mankind! :rolleyes:

[Gabriel M.A.]

I also have a soft spot for heavy metal.
That is so deliciously ironic.

[Gabriel M.A.]

Talking alarms are one of the sure signs that our culture is in a decline.:(
I thought it was "American Idol"

[peterc]

I would love to get an 89 Chev Caprice 9C1 and fix it up.
Nice choice if you can find one. I went for the 2001 Impala 9C1. The 9C3 came in colours other than white, but I didn't like the ride and handling as well.

Peter

[ywenz]

The cavalier is a piece. Buy a nice used Jap car. Those are way more reliable and better milage too. It can even be a few years older than the Cavalier..

[John]

How handy are you or your friends? I have been driving a "give away" car for a year now. It took about 15 days and $1000 to fix it up, new paint and tires. I'm looking for another one to replace it. :)
Also, I would not have spent that time on a Cavalier or anything with an automatic.

[ChrisPlatt]

Consumer Reports annual auto issue (April) is always worth a look.

In my experience their used car frequency of repair (reliabilty) ratings
are quite accurate. These can help you decide which models to avoid.

Look for the list of recommended used cars in various price ranges, too.

Good luck,
Chris

[jan normandale]

Now all I'm trying to do is to find a job to finance the down payment.

Sitting at a very small dealership in town is a shiny yellow 2003 Chevy Cavalier. I'm going to go check it out tomorrow, but it's pretty much everything I wanted in a car. It's not red (long story, not related to insurance), it would get good gas milage, it's sporty without being a sports car (it's a 4 door), it's yellow (not a real need, but I really wanted a yellow car), and it's new enough that I wouldn't have to worry as much about it breaking down on me. The only real problem is the price: we're talking $6200, more than I wanted to pay for my first car.

So yeah, applying for jobs wherever I can find a cooking job in town tomorrow.

Stephanie, good luck on your job search/work as you pursue your dream car. I see from your byline that you are simplifying your cameras, and film. Good idea. Focus is easier with fewer variables.

Jan