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Ok, well I'm 16 years old and hopefully I'll only have to have this car for 3 or 4 years until I go away for college (which will hopefully be out of state). #1 - Performance. This includes good speed, great handling and steering, and just an all-around good ride.
#2 and #3 are close but:
#2 - Reliability. After this summer I'll only have 1 part-time job where I make around $130 a week. Hopefully all of my paychecks won't have to go into my car, though it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if it did. I just don't want the car breaking down alot and having a huge headache over my car in changing everything.
#3 - Looks. I want my car to look real nice. I know this is very subjective, but I like the car to look a little sporty with a rear spoiler and a nice body shape, but I don't want it to over-the-top look-at-me kind of sporty. Example, the new Eclipse. I think it looks too sporty.
Can't think of any other category, but that's basically what I'm looking for. The Grand Am seemed to fit those descriptions which is why I was so interested in it, but I'm very open to other suggestions.
One more thing, I'm not really interested in a Corolla or Civic just because they're so freaking common in my school and among my friends. I want something that not everyone has. The Grand Am and the Cougar I mentioned before are cars I rarely see, and I don't know anyone besides my friend that has either. I want something different.
And thank you so much for the help so far and for any suggestions you can make. I really appreciate the advice.
Posts: 2054 | Registered: Nov 2005
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Also, if I remember right, the 94-98 models of Grand Ams had some serious reliability issues. Like some people would drive them for years without a problem and some people dumped a ton of money into them. Personally, if I were in your shoes, it's a risk I wouldn't take. From what I've seen and read, it appears that both GM and Ford have done a lot to improve their quality since about 2001 or so...but I'd be very wary of purchasing anything built before that.
I'll wait for your prioritized list.
Posts: 1412 | Registered: Oct 2005
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The stock Grand Am will spank the stock Civics and Corollas performance-wise. I like the handling, the steering is a bit loose (like most American cars) but gives decent feedback.
However, the 6-cylinder Grand Ams do not have a stick option. If you like driving for the sake of driving, I would highly recommend getting a standard transmission.
Have you checked out the Firebirds/Cameros or Mustangs? They would fit your criteria. Great performance, decent reliability.
Of course, the tires are spendy, gas mileage is poor, and they're only 2 door...but none of those seemed to be a concern for you. Edit: Oh and pretty high insurance for a 16 year old
quote:Originally posted by Bob_Scopatz: Hey Jon Boy...I just did a road trip (about 900 miles R/T) in a rented Impala -- latest model. That's a VERY nice car.
I was impressed. Some of the interior features seemed a little cheap, but overall the car was solid, had good pickup, was comfortable, and it has a lot of room.
It also got 26.1 mpg on the trip (all highway driving 70 - 75 mph depending on where I was).
Not bad for a full size car.
Both of our cars (an Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme and a Buick Regal) are built on the same platform as the new Impala, though it's obviously undergone a few revisions in the last 14 years. The things you mentioned are the things I like most about our cars, but I'd love to try out one of the newer models and see how much they've improved.
Posts: 9945 | Registered: Sep 2002
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Make your #2 criterion #1. Drop your #3 criterion altogether.
Your current #1...I'd have to ask if you really need/use performance.
You're forgetting he's 16! This isn't intended as a slight, Gaal, but I remember what my own automotive priorities were at that age.
All I ask is for the love of Pete, if you have to get a car with a spoiler, make sure it isn't a freakin' front wheel drive or I'm going to cry myself to sleep.
Posts: 4313 | Registered: Sep 2004
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"This isn't intended as a slight, Gaal, but I remember what my own automotive priorities were at that age."
I know exactly what a stereotypical teenager I'm acting like by searching for this kind of car. I don't really care, though. I just want a car that takes me where I want (at the speed I want ) and one that I can be proud of.
"Drop your #3 criterion altogether."
Oh, c'mon. You know why you need a nice looking car at 16. Though the kind of girls I like aren't the ones that judge a guy by his car, I'm sure it won't hurt my cause to have a nice-looking car.
Edit: Uhh, I just realized I'm kind of hijacking this thread. Sorry Earendil! Didn't mean to try to make this thread about me
Edit again: "All I ask is for the love of Pete, if you have to get a car with a spoiler, make sure it isn't a freakin' front wheel drive or I'm going to cry myself to sleep."
What's wrong with a spoiler? And I know front-wheel drive cars have a bad reputation, but what's so bad about it? Basically every car in ky price range is front-wheel drive.
Posts: 2054 | Registered: Nov 2005
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quote:Edit again: "All I ask is for the love of Pete, if you have to get a car with a spoiler, make sure it isn't a freakin' front wheel drive or I'm going to cry myself to sleep."
What's wrong with a spoiler? And I know front-wheel drive cars have a bad reputation, but what's so bad about it? Basically every car in ky price range is front-wheel drive.
Without getting into the physics of it too deeply, a spoiler on a front wheel drive car is useless (and can even be detrimental), as the downforce produced isn't working properly. Basically, by driving a front-wheel drive car with a spoiler, you're announcing to everyone who knows anything about cars, "Hey, look at me, I know *NOTHING* about cars and am what every true tuner despises!"
Stock spoilers are one thing (although still stupid); my comment was intended to dissuade you from putting an aftermarket spoiler on your front-wheel drive car.
On the average consumer level, there's nothing wrong with owning a front-wheel drive car in and of itself, unless you're going to be driving in the snow a lot.
Posts: 4313 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Hehe Bob....I was tempted to say the same thing. But then I remembered high school. Image and fun is a lot of it. So I would totally withdraw the geo Prism recommendation....I mean he could be scarred for life.
If you want front wheel drive find an Acura Integra GSR or Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX-R. Honda Preludes aren't bad either. The Integra is easier to work on and much more reliable. However, the Eclipse is a bit faster and has all wheel drive. I can't stand the styling on the Celicas. Sadly, there's no real options if you want front wheel drive domestic sport coupes. Ford Probe....uggghh. don't even go there. Personally, I'd take the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am if you're into looks and speed. It's rear while drive, but oh so fast. Also drivers seat is like sitting in a cockpit where everything just kind of fits. However, the integra would be much more economic in terms of gas, insurance, and maintenance.
Posts: 1412 | Registered: Oct 2005
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Really? I don't like the 7th gen Celica's but the 6th gens look nice, especially if you get a person who knows what aftermarket stuff looks good on that car, and has some sense of color.
I swear, some of these rides I see around here look awful. They make me want to puke. Bad color combos, badly places vinyls and ...stuffs.
Are Celica's front or rear wheel drive? What do you think of the Craiglisting I posted?
Posts: 1236 | Registered: Mar 2002
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quote:Oh, c'mon. You know why you need a nice looking car at 16. Though the kind of girls I like aren't the ones that judge a guy by his car, I'm sure it won't hurt my cause to have a nice-looking car.
I think you're confused as to what decade you live in. In the 50s, 60s, and maybe even the 70s, having a nice car might get you a girl. But now that pretty much everyone who can drive has a car, they're far less impressive.
And as you said, the girls you want to date likely don't care about what you drive.
Posts: 5462 | Registered: Apr 2005
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quote:I think you're confused as to what decade you live in. In the 50s, 60s, and maybe even the 70s, having a nice car might get you a girl. But now that pretty much everyone who can drive has a car, they're far less impressive.
...???
Dude, I went to one of the top 10 wealthiest private schools in the nation and that wasn't even true there - not even close. Maybe 1/10 or fewer of the students owned their own cars.
Posts: 4313 | Registered: Sep 2004
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I didn't say they owned the car. At my school (which was average in income, I'd guess) more than 2/3s of the kids who could drive had cars that belonged to their parents but which they drove every day.
At the public high school across town, I'd guess it was more than half.
Of course, if you go to high school in Manhattan, no matter how rich your parents are you likely don't have a car. Not that I'm saying that's what happened to you, but car ownership takes a sharp downturn in urban areas.
Posts: 5462 | Registered: Apr 2005
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quote:Originally posted by erosomniac: On the average consumer level, there's nothing wrong with owning a front-wheel drive car in and of itself, unless you're going to be driving in the snow a lot.
I think you have this backwards. Front-wheel drive cars handle better on snow than rear-wheel drive cars.
[ June 28, 2006, 03:42 PM: Message edited by: Jon Boy ]
Posts: 9945 | Registered: Sep 2002
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quote:I think you have this backwards. Front-wheel drive cars handle better on snow than real-wheel drive cars.
They do, but I never said they didn't. Both front and rear wheel drive cars lose to four wheel drive cars in the snow.
Posts: 4313 | Registered: Sep 2004
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quote:I think you're confused as to what decade you live in. In the 50s, 60s, and maybe even the 70s, having a nice car might get you a girl. But now that pretty much everyone who can drive has a car, they're far less impressive.
...???
Dude, I went to one of the top 10 wealthiest private schools in the nation and that wasn't even true there - not even close. Maybe 1/10 or fewer of the students owned their own cars.
The kids at my school all had cars (though not in their own names), but they still liked guys to have nice cars. I mean, it's not REQUIRED, but I'm not gonna say I wouldn't love to ride around in my boyfriend's sports cars, if they hadn't been crushed by trees and used as homes for raccoons.
Besides, a car really is...you know, you spend a good chunk of change on it. You want it to look nice. Nothing wrong with that.
But Pontiacs are the devil. One of my friends rolled us over several times in her Pontiac when I was 17 (we landed on top of a tree!), and I've had a hatred of them ever since.
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It seems to me that if you survived rolling over several times in a Pontiac that you should actually prefer Pontiacs, unless the car rolled over through no fault of your friend's.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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quote:Originally posted by BaoQingTian: Stay away from anything Volkswagon, as these have been very unreliable the last 10+ years and are expensive to repair as well. [/QB]
My Volkswagen is incredibly reliable, and repairs aren't that expensive even if it's out of warranty. My mother's was the same way, and she had it for a good...twelve years, or something. The only reason my parents didn't keep it is that a mechanic stole it.
At any rate, yeah, you can get a pretty nice car for under $5000, if you get one that's 7+ years old.
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson: It seems to me that if you survived rolling over several times in a Pontiac that you should actually prefer Pontiacs, unless the car rolled over through no fault of your friend's.
I also hate Mazdas. A boy once rolled us over several times in a Mazda. I'm not a fan of short cars. They have a tendency to roll over on the top of my head.
quote:I also hate Mazdas. A boy once rolled us over several times in a Mazda. I'm not a fan of short cars. They have a tendency to roll over on the top of my head.
-pH
I think you need to start riding in cars with people who drive better!
Posts: 4313 | Registered: Sep 2004
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pH- I don't have anything against Volkswagons or anything, I'm just going off statistical data and consumer reports. The jetta, Beatle, Passat, (and Golf I believe) have all simultaneously been on the worst 10 cars for reliability on Consumer Reports- which is a shame because every one of them has been a pleasure to drive. I haven't had any problems with my Grand Am, and it's fun to drive, but I'm not recommending it for the same reason- stastically it's not a good bet.
Posts: 1412 | Registered: Oct 2005
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I was looking into getting a Jetta until I read about those statistics several months ago. My sister's boyfriend used to drive one and I always thought it was a good drive. He also said it got around 40 mpg, which compared to our 21 was quite good.
Right now, I just want to get a car that I don't have to share with my brother, and that I don't have to worry about intake manifold gasket problems. (I have Lumina, they're known for that)
Posts: 1236 | Registered: Mar 2002
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quote:I think you have this backwards. Front-wheel drive cars handle better on snow than real-wheel drive cars.
They do, but I never said they didn't. Both front and rear wheel drive cars lose to four wheel drive cars in the snow.
Ah. I didn't realize you were referring to four-wheel-drive, so thought you were implying that rear-wheel drive was better.
Posts: 9945 | Registered: Sep 2002
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One of my ex-girlfriends dated me because I drove a car with a big dent in it, no A/C and a busted catalytic converter that made my car sound like a drag racer. She said it added "character."
Posts: 4753 | Registered: May 2002
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I'm not sure if this is on topic or not, but I have a few questions on how to go about buying a car.
Do I have to have a credit card in order to set up a payment plan with a dealership?
Is it correct that the larger the down payment, the smaller the monthly payments?
Will bad credit make it impossible to purchase a car, make the price of the car more, the down payment more, the monthly payments more, the interest more, none of the above, or all of the above?
Other than using credit, is the only other way to purchase a car to pay in full up front?
Is there anyone that can help me out with a little info on this?
Posts: 2596 | Registered: Jan 2006
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quote:Do I have to have a credit card in order to set up a payment plan with a dealership?
Nope!
quote:Is it correct that the larger the down payment, the smaller the monthly payments?
Yes, although it does not automatically mean a better interest rate.
quote:Will bad credit make it impossible to purchase a car, make the price of the car more, the down payment more, the monthly payments more, the interest more, none of the above, or all of the above?
Credit can have an effect on all of the above. It's NEVER impossible to purchase a car; bad credit will just make it very difficult to obtain favorable financing.
quote:Other than using credit, is the only other way to purchase a car to pay in full up front?
Yes, unless you find someone that's REALLY stupid willing to let you do an extended interest-free payment plan.
Posts: 4313 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Thank you erosomniac. I'm a little confused though. Without a credit card, how can I set up a payment plan with the dealership? Can they do that based on proof of employment, through a credit union, or directly with the bank?
Posts: 2596 | Registered: Jan 2006
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Car loans usually go through a bank or credit union, I believe. You can arrange it yourself, or the dealership can arrange it for you.
Posts: 9945 | Registered: Sep 2002
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You don't do a car loan with a credit card. You get it, as Jon Boy said, through a bank. Having a credit card is one way to build up your credit, which is one of the factors the bank uses to determine whether or not to loan you the money, and at what rate.
Higher credit risks get worse (higher, i.e. more expensive) rates, or get turned down for loans altogether.
Once you're cleared for a loan, the bank buys the car from the dealer (so to speak) and then you pay the bank back the purchase price over a set term (36, 48, or 60 months, usually).
Posts: 5462 | Registered: Apr 2005
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quote:Thank you erosomniac. I'm a little confused though. Without a credit card, how can I set up a payment plan with the dealership? Can they do that based on proof of employment, through a credit union, or directly with the bank?
Car dealerships have their own financing departments which are responsible for ensuring timely payment on your part. When you're planning on financing a car, new or used, they check your credit history, which is a report compiled by the three major credit reporting agencies in the US. It contains a record of anything affecting your credit: your bill paying habits, credit card details both past and present, loan information, etc. They also ask you for information regarding your employment/salary and other sources of income, e.g. savings, investments, etc. They'll also likely obtain details regarding your bank accounts. Based on all of these factors, their finance department comes to a decision as to how much money they are comfortable with financing you for, how long you have to pay it back and what interest rate will be charged on the balance. All of these details should be made available and explained to you before the car is purchased, including the details of what you will be required to pay monthly, when your payments will be due each month and a breakdown of the total principle and interest payments you will be making.
From there, they simply bill you every month, and you are responsible for paying the bill. Many dealerships these days will be able to set up an automatic withdrawal from an account you specify so you do not need to worry about mailing in a check.
Edit to add: or you can obtain a loan directly from the bank, as explained by JT above.
Posts: 4313 | Registered: Sep 2004
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One thing to add is that if you purchase your car from the dealership, a common weasel trick is for the salesman to negotiate not the sticker price, but your monthly price. I'm sure you guys are smart enough not to fall for something like this, but you'd be amazed how many smart people will walk into the dealership and say something along the lines of, "I don't wanna pay more than 200 bucks a month."
Well, 200 a month for 3 years is a lot less than 200 a month for 5 years. Settle on the purchase price before you move on to financing. Negotiate financing terms separately.
Posts: 5462 | Registered: Apr 2005
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Wow, that is all great information. Thanks a lot Jon, Eros and JT. I appreciate it.
So the first stop is the bank, to ask them to buy a car for me and promise to pay them back. Then they either say no or charge and arm and a leg to do it because I have bad credit. I'd guess that if the bank says no, the dealership would say no too. Then I'm pretty much S.O.L., right? It's either by a car up front or spend the next year trying to get my credit up.
Oh well, wish me luck at the bank.
Posts: 2596 | Registered: Jan 2006
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All you actually have to do at the bank is tell them you're thinking of buying a car, and ask them how much they'll prequalify you for and at what rate.
Then, armed with that info, you go to seller (be it a dealership or private party). Find your car, find your price, then discuss financing. In some cases the dealership's finance dept. may be able to give you better terms than the bank. But go with whichever gives you the best deal.
Good luck anyway, though. Buying a car is an... interesting experience.
Posts: 5462 | Registered: Apr 2005
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quote:So the first stop is the bank, to ask them to buy a car for me and promise to pay them back. Then they either say no or charge and arm and a leg to do it because I have bad credit. I'd guess that if the bank says no, the dealership would say no too. Then I'm pretty much S.O.L., right? It's either by a car up front or spend the next year trying to get my credit up.
Oh well, wish me luck at the bank.
There are a lot of smaller dealerships and a few larger ones that are specifically geared toward financing people with bad credit. They will likely be able to finance you; be warned, however, that the terms of the financing will be pretty bad - either really high payments really quickly or atrocious interest rates.
If your goal is to get a car quickly, then that may be an option for you. If your goal is to get a car for a good price with bad credit, paying in full up front is more or less your only option.
Posts: 4313 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Car loan=secured loan=lower interest rate Credit card=non-secured=higher interest rate
Factors in auto loan approval: Credit score Credit history Employment Income Income to debt ratio Wholesale value of the vehicle to amount financed Age of the vehicle.
Car loan will be good to have on your credit report for the future. It's an installment type of account as opposed to revolving. A good history of paying it and then a paid in full at the end will really help your credit.
Some times when it might make sense to use a credit card for purchasing a used auto: If you have a card with 0% interest for a year, followed by a low interest rate (~10%) You don't wish to carry full coverage insurance on your vehicle
In general though, I would really recommend going the autoloan route. It usually goes like this: You have a specific car in mind Go to the bank (credit unions usually have lower interest rates) Fill out lots of forms Get approved up to a certain dollar amount. Negotiate like crazy with the dealer to bring down the price. Do NOT tell them that you have approval for outside credit or for how much. Treat the car purchase and financing as two seperate business deals, which they are.
Posts: 1412 | Registered: Oct 2005
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![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
I know exactly what a stereotypical teenager I'm acting like by searching for this kind of car. I don't really care, though. I just want a car that takes me where I want (at the speed I want ![[Embarrassed]](redface.gif)
![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
Bob, that's awesome.
