Help a recent Graduate buy his first car

[Slide]

Originally Posted by Dryst

Is a car a big thing for older more respectable career women? I've never had any problem getting girls, i'm good looking and can hold a conversation... but as i'm getting older i'm trying to get away from dating the partying college girls and find a nice career oriented woman. Thats why i'm trying to find the perfect fit for my budget... I dress very nice and act like a gentleman so i'm trying to find a car that reflects that. I've been apprehensive about getting a honda accord or civic (I've considered them both) b/c to me there's nothing that really stands out about having one.

I know I can get woman without a BMW but it would be nice to have a car that could help with attract the women I want even if they are gold diggers haha. The girls go crazy over my manager's Audi.. but most of them are skanks so maybe i'm making a big deal out of nothing lol.

American Males, you are doing it wrong.

[Eomer]

This thread and virtually none of the posts within it have been about strictly performance. You're completely missing the point. Yeah, a Dodge Neon SRT4 will probably beat a 330xi off the line, but are the cars in any way comparable? No, not really.

You made several outright retarded claims:

Don't get BMW or Mercedes unless you're getting higher end (70k+)

Both manufacturers have plenty of good cars under that price range, and in fact BMW sells the vast majority of it's vehicles at a much lower price point than 70k.

Audi, Infinity, and Lexus are all damn close to BMW and Mercedes, except half the price.

No, they're not. Audi is virtually identical in pricing to BMW, while Infiniti and Lexus might be 5-10% cheaper when using reasonable comparables. Mercedes I agree is generally overpriced, plus I hate their styling and lack of manual transmissions. The five manufacturers you mentioned are all quite close in pricing, saying that the Japs or Audi are half price is fucking comical.

Then you did a ridiculous comparison of an M3 vs a TT and G37. Anyone who knows anything about any of those cars knows that none are comparable to the other. They're completely different kinds of cars.

The best part though, is this in regards to Audi:

(its parent company is Nissan, if they have any say whatsoever in it, I'd guess the engine compartment has room for mods like every nissan ever made)

You ought to do some reading up on who owns what there, sport.

Also as far as the speed and weight issue go, if you're buying a mid level BMW or Mercedes (40-60k) you're not looking for speed, sure it should have pep but you act like 1 second is going to make a difference to your Joe Smith.

My bro's "mid level" 2008 335xi will do 0-62 in a touch over 5 seconds. That's pretty good, I'd say (as fast as his 2002 M3 was, in fact) . The whole philosophy behind the 3 series, and it's imitators, is to be an every day driveable car with decent luxury and exceptional performance when you want it without sacrificing ride quality or practicality. And that's exactly what you get with them.

Luxury may not be my best subject but I still think Audi and Infinity > BMW and Mercedes, but then again I'm not a middle aged business man that feels he needs to prove something by driving a status symbol such as a BMW or Mercedes.

No one drives a fucking 3-series as a "status symbol", and if they do they need a kick in the balls. They're as common as fucking Civics. And believe it or not, that's not even that much of an exaggeration given their sales volumes.

But again, the point of this thread isn't high end luxury cars, or high end sports cars. The guy is looking for a decent mid range car that won't break the bank and looks good. Depending on what your definition of "mid range" is or what the budget is, that can be anywhere from a used Honda Accord to a brand new 3-series of some flavor.

[NeuadvenBonechillerr]

I was looking at infinities wiki for a 0-60, sorry, they're owned by Nissan.

Audi is covered by VW


Sorry you got all buttsore that I dislike BMW's and Mercedes, all they are is a status symbol in my opinion and Audi's, and Infinities are alot more 'rare'.

I see a million BMW's a day, and barely any audi's. . and I can't remember the last time I saw an infinity. . I hate popular cars.

I wanted a G6, until everybody GOT a g6. . now I'd be fine with a g5 because we see 5 on a regular basis around where I live, as opposed to the MILLION g6's.


Also to get back on subject, if you really want a new car my suggestion is a Pontiac G5, Nissan Altima, or Mitsubishi Lancer (although test drive the lancers first, I've heard due to engine size/curb weight there are some serious power issues in base model lancers)

Also, look into leasing, I don't care what some people say, as long as you don't get attached to cars it's a great option if you don't drive a fuckton.

[Cad]

If anybody tells you to buy any sort of american made vehicle thats not a truck or corvette, assume they have no clue what they are talking about and immediately ignore them.

[Vinen]

Originally Posted by Cad

If anybody tells you to buy any sort of american made vehicle thats not a truck or corvette, assume they have no clue what they are talking about and immediately ignore them.

Done!

[Kaxmax]

Originally Posted by NeuadvenBonechillerr

Sorry you got all buttsore that I dislike BMW's and Mercedes, all they are is a status symbol in my opinion and Audi's, and Infinities are alot more 'rare'.

Calling you out on flat out bullshit is not getting 'buttsore'. I mean seriously, who compares an M3 to a fucking TT?

[Felith1]

If you like speedy and like 40 miles a gallon, Honda Fits are pretty awesome.

They don't look bad either.

[Cad]

Originally Posted by Vinen

Done!

Well done, +internets

[Frax]

Originally Posted by Dryst

So i've had the same 98 cougar since I started driving at 17, it did me well through highschool and through college... but now since i'm finally going to be making some money soon i've decided to trade it in and get something fresh. I work for Enterprise Rent-A-Car right now and will be making around 37k this year, next year i'll be making over 45k once i become branch manager then after that my salary will be Dependant on which company I leave ERAC for =P

I'm thinking my budget should be in the 15-20k range for my first car since i'm pretty sure I will be hovering in the 40-50k salary range for the next 3 years.

Right now i've narrowed it down to a Nissan Altima (13-16k) if I buy from enterprise, I can get a nice 07/08 with leather interior and under 30k miles for cheap with my employee discount.

An Audi A4 Supersport (15-22k)... My current branch manager has one of these and he loves it, it looks really nice and it has alot of power for a 4cylender. He also gets over 30mpg in city driving he claims. Most models are in the 03-06 range with around 30-55k miles for my price range.

A Mercedes (15-20k).. I know nothing about Mercedes but I saw some 2002-2005 sedans in my price range with relatively low mileage.

So right now those are the ones i'm debating on but to be honest I know nothing about cars. I'm really just looking for something that when I pull up to a girls house they think (Wow, he's got some money). I'm thinking a mercedes would do that... I mean I had no idea that you could get a nice looking mercedes with 40-50k miles for 15k.

Any pro's/con's for the cars I mentioned... or any other suggestions? I'm not into Dodge chargers, Impalla's or any of that crap... I want something that stands out from your run of the mill guy. I know an Altima is a common car but for some reason I really love driving them lol. Any help would be greatly appreciated, i'm only 22 so this is a big purchase for me.


P.S. If I put say 5k down on a 20k car what will my monthly payments be like you think, around 400-500?

Some things about buying a car;

1) Secure the lowest interest rate you can before even talking to a seller! Do not use a dealer's financing unless you absolutely cannot get financing any other way. And in that case, you probably shouldn't be buying a new car anyways...

2) Do not buy the same day you shop.. Shop then buy. I spent a month researching and shopping before I bought my new SUV back in April. I ended up saving a few thousand bucks by being picky and waiting for the right deal to come along.

3) Do not buy a car simply because you think the women will like it. Sure it is not a bad thing to have a nice car, but you have to live with it, chances are the car will be with you longer than they will.

4) if you go new, use a car buying service like carbargains or AAA or get info from fightingchance. They'll save you bucket loads of money.

A life-long Ford driver, I just bought my first ricer (2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser SE) and I love it. Probably the best built vehicle I've ever owned, and I've owned a few pricey vehicles over the years.

[Goliath]

[quote=Millie;1116482]Honda Accord. Most reliable automobile on the planet.QUOTE]

Most definitely far from the truth. Just about any Toyota is more reliable than a Honda Accord. That's only because any Toyota is pretty much more reliable than any Honda though...Check customer reviews, it's pretty crazy how good Toyota's are and how few people realize it.

[Erumaron]

I used to get hit with car buying seminars when I was in the Navy (they do a lot of stuff like that.) One of the best/funniest tips I picked up from them was this:

Walk in to the dealership like 30 minutes before close. As confident and 'suave' as you possibly can, tell the dealer, "I'll buy this car tonight for $500 under invoice." Get him to print it out and hand it to you and then change your mind and "sleep on it." Drive out to other dealerships that have the same exact model and show them the print out and keep driving them down with the competition "This guy will give it to me for this price..." Rinse and repeat until you're out of dealerships to hit or they just stop biting.

[Burf]

I can't figure out why a guy that works at a rental car place would actually want to buy a car that was used as a rental.
Rental cars are the most beat-to-shit cars on the planet.

[Malakie Torsade]

Originally Posted by Felith1

If you like speedy and like 40 miles a gallon, Honda Fits are pretty awesome.

They don't look bad either.

I'm actually probably going to be getting one of these this month. Being as how I only view a car as a tool to get me to and from wherever I want to go, I think I'll be pretty happy with it.

Originally Posted by Goliath

Just about any Toyota is more reliable than a Honda Accord. That's only because any Toyota is pretty much more reliable than any Honda though...Check customer reviews, it's pretty crazy how good Toyota's are and how few people realize it.

Actually, hasn't Toyota's quality rating dropped a bit lately? I think I saw mention on at least Consumer Reports that, while still good, they were not AS good as they used to be.

[Dryst]

Originally Posted by Burf

I can't figure out why a guy that works at a rental car place would actually want to buy a car that was used as a rental.
Rental cars are the most beat-to-shit cars on the planet.

Not at my location... considering we charge customers for any dents or any scratches longer than 5 inches most customers keep our cars pretty nice. Our cars get a oil change + other maintenance every 5k miles like clockwork and really.. how bad can you beat up a car in 25k miles?

[Sharmai]

[quote=Goliath;1118146]

Originally Posted by Millie

Honda Accord. Most reliable automobile on the planet.QUOTE]

Most definitely far from the truth. Just about any Toyota is more reliable than a Honda Accord. That's only because any Toyota is pretty much more reliable than any Honda though...Check customer reviews, it's pretty crazy how good Toyota's are and how few people realize it.

Are scions made by toyota?