Good first car for a budget of $5000

[asdf qwer]

Hey guys,

This is my first post here, so sorry if I’ve posted in the wrong place.

I will be getting my first car for my birthday in late February, and am looking at different options. Being a new driver, I am looking for something that I won’t get into trouble in lol, but I don’t want something too boring either. Currently, I drive my parent’s 2006 Subaru Legacy wagon, which is a great car, but is probably out of my budget and I’d like something with better gas mileage.

I already have a pretty extensive list of cars I am willing to consider lol, mostly Japanese/German cars, but I am willing to consider American (wouldn’t be my first choice though, just a personal preference).

Here is what I am currently considering:

• Honda Civic/Accord
• Acura Integra
• Nissan Sentra/Altima
• Volkswagen Jetta
• Volkswagen Golf/GTI
• Subaru Impreza
• Audi A4
• BMW 3-series/5-series
• Ford Focus

As you can see, it’s a pretty long list of options 🙂 . I still have a long time to make the decision, though. What I am curious about is your opinion/experiences with any of these cars. Like I said before, I really prefer German made cars. But, my parent’s most recent German car, a 2004 Volkswagen Jetta, had more problems than it was worth. This makes me wonder if Japanese is really the way to go, but honestly, I have no idea, it could have just been that particular car lol.

Please let me know if you need any more information, and I really appreciate the help, thanks,
-CarGuy123

Topic

[Daniel]

out of the list i personally like the acura integra/rsx and the scion tc. Ive had many integras and yes they do get flaws over time that need time and patents to fix. my integra is over 200k mls and only has a idle issue (like any honda) which etcg tells you how to fix one step at a time!…but i guess the point of this is that id go with an integra…maybe a newer one, but the integra is my#1 closely followed by an rsx

[asdf qwer]

I do really like the Acura Integra. My only concerns are, they seem pretty hard to find in my area, and if I end up having over $5k it might not be worth it. Surprisingly, there are RSX’s for sale, but the majority are automatics.

Do you have any experience with the Scion tC? Being owned by Toyota, I’m assuming the reliability is good. However, I haven’t heard anything about how they perform on the road.

[Paul]

[quote=”CarGuy123″ post=81943]Do you know if this problem happens for the non-S version of the Cooper?[/quote]

I honestly don’t know. We parted ways within the year. I didn’t pursue the problem, and I’m guessing she turned the car in at the end of the lease. However, the problem(s) should have been solved by now.

[quote=”CarGuy123″ post=81943]That sounds like pretty good MPG for the Accord. Another thing I forgot to mention, is it true that only the EX model of the Accord has ABS Brakes? This feature is pretty important to me, being my first car safety is important, and also the fact that the roads can get pretty icy during the winter here.[/quote]

I believe that was true for the generation between 1998 and 2002, and I believe ABS became a standard feature on all models from 2003 to the present. I was raised to pump the sin out of the brakes during winter. I ocassionally find myself pumping ABS brakes.

[quote=”CarGuy123″ post=81943]My dad drove the Civic a while ago and was not impressed by the acceleration of the vehicle (he liked the Jetta better, and got that instead), he did not drive the Accord however. I guess what it comes down to is that this will all have to be determined when test driving the cars.[/quote]

In my experience, both cars have adequate acceleration for their respective-sized 4-cylinder engines, like being able to accelerate to avoid an accident. Of course, they will be slower compared to a V6 engine while having better fuel efficiency. Also, my mom had 2001 Accord Executive/Value edition (below DX) with the same engine as the EX. That car had noticeably better acceleration than my EX, which was probably weighed down with motors, wiring, and controls for all of the accessories.

[quote=”CarGuy123″ post=81943]I don’t know if you can help me with this, but is there any place I can look for an estimated annual cost of ownership for these cars? It would be helpful to be able to compare the repair/maintenance costs of something like the Accord vs. Jetta.[/quote]

It’s by no means exhaustive, but it provides a decent estimate for major makes, models, and classes of vehicles:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/12/what-that-car-really-costs-to-own/index.htm

Thanks again for the help :)!

[asdf qwer]

I will definitely drive both the Accord and Civic on the highway to compare their acceleration.

While I like the 98-02 generation of the Accord fine, the 2003 redesign is definitely more appealing to me. My friend has an 03 Accord EX fully loaded and has very good things to say about it. And thanks for the info about the brakes. I’ve also heard that the 03 generation Accord has a timing chain instead of a belt.

It also seems to be harder to find an Accord in a standard transmission, a Civic with a stick seems to be more common.

I will take a look at that link, thanks.

[asdf qwer]

Hey guys,

I know it’s been a while, but situations have changed. I now may have somewhere between $6k-7k to spend on a car :).

With that being said, I have more options. I really love the 2003+ generation of the Accord, and I like the 06+ generation of the Civic even better. It looks like I could get either one of these cars within my price range. Which would you recommend? My friend has a 06 Civic Si and loves his car, but the Accord has more room. How do they compare in gas mileage?

Another car I am considering is the Mazda 3. I’ve heard pretty good things about Mazda’s reliability, and I’ve also heard it’s a fun little car to drive. Does anyone here have experiences with this car?

Also, I have a question about purchasing a car. I will pretty much need to drive the car as soon as possible right after I get it. I noticed in my state it takes 6-8 weeks for them to send me a permanent registration plate. There’s no way I’m waiting that long to drive my car lol. My concern is that if I’m buying from a private seller off craigslist can I get a temporary plate?

Thanks guys for the help, I really appreciate it :)!

[Paul]

The Civic typically gets better mileage than the Accord. The 5-speed automatic transmission helps increase the fuel economy a bit at freeway speeds.

As for the license, check with your state’s DMV. In my state, we must obtain a temporary (cardboard) plate within 3 days of purchasing the vehicle, although I’ve been able to pick up plates directly from the DMV. I’m guessing the temporary plate is for people who ordered custom plates.

[asdf qwer]

Hey guys,

It’s been a while, but I am close to making my final decision :). I have about $6600 right now, and am looking at Honda Accords, and Civics.

I found a mechanic that has a 2004 Accord 5-speed EX-L, 2005 Civic 2-door LX, and 2003 Civic 4-door EX, all within my price range.

All of them are one-owner, no accident vehicles. The Accord has 121k miles, the 05 Civic has 80k miles, and the 03 Civic has 83k miles.

I have already inspected and driven the Accord, and I love it :). The transmission shifts like new, acceleration is very responsive and the handling is great. The leather seats are extremely comfortable, and its fully loaded. It’s got 21 service records available according to the Carfax report.

But, while everything sounds great about this car, I don’t want to jump on the deal just yet. I’d like to have at least one other car to compare it to. So, I am going back in a couple of days to test drive the two Civics.

What’s your opinions on these cars? Any advice is greatly apppreciated :).

Thanks for the help!
-CarGuy123

[Paul]

I believe the timing belt needs to be replaced around 110k to 120k miles. In that generation, the 4-cylinder engines used a timing chain while the V6 used a timing belt.

[Author]

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