Buying my first car

Well, it's time for me to finally buy my first car all on my own. My money, that I've earned and saved all on my lonesome, so now I can pick out what I want.

A little history...

2003 - First Car - 1998 Honda Civic EX w/ an automatic, ugh. Excellent first car though, still in the family, little brother drives now.

2005 - Second Car - 1980 Fiat 124 Spider w/ 5 speed and EFI!!! Favorite car I ever owned, no power but tons of fun. First car I worked on. My Dad and I replaced the valve cover gasket, oil pan gasket, front A-arms, front shocks, fuel pump, don't remember the rest.

2006 - Current Car- 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis. Mom's old car, went to co-op in Ann Arbor and parents felt it'd be a little better suited to a Michigan winter than the Fiat. Fair enough. Cruise missle on the freeway and surprising gas mileage... usually 22-25 most of the time.

So here I am. At first I was thinking a 2006 RSX Type-S, but the more I think the more I see what I like in so many different cars. Here's what is catching my eye lately...

2011 Volkswagen GTI 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX 2011 Ford Mustang GT

If one of the above, would be buying new and likely this spring. Also thinking of some used cars...

1999 Jaguar XJR - 35,000 mi, $9,900 2009 Volkswagen GTI - many, ~$18,500

All of these cars, I'm all over the place!

I'd like something to autocross (so some of these cars might require me also picking up a $3,000 miata or something). I dunno, every day something else catches my eye. Anybody have suggestions thoughts?

I'd go with the WRX or Mustang from that list.

Owowowowow, XJR is going to put its paw deep into your wallet. I wouldn't buy one unless I'd be able to keep $5k-$6k in reserve just in case.

Yeah, the Jag scares me a little... But it would be sooooo awesome.

Welcome to the board.
First tip: On this board you have to place two spaces before hitting the return key if you want your stuff single spaced.
Second tip: A Miata will be recommended for it is always the answer.

How much do you want to spend?
Of that, how much do you plan to finance?

Third tip: The older the car the higher the interest rate and the shorter the loan period offered. Once a car is over 7 years old most conventional banks will not lend on it but some credit unions will still lend money on it.

All of my interested cars I can afford to pay cash.

I have a tendency to find something to like in any car.

Thanks for the welcome. I was on the boards before, but I couldn't get my old login to work, so I started up again.

I think XJRs are pretty disposable, I have read that transmission replacement at the dealer is over $10k, and for inteelligent budgeting purposes it should be considered a 100k miles wear item. Thats not to say someone may decide they want one anyway and get 250k out of it, but its not necessarily going to turn out that way.

If you like VWs do you really want a brand new one? If you could fix things yourself, you can buy a good condition MK2 GTI for under $3k and for $5k or so replace just about everything that would wear out on a farily well taken care of one.

I've been assaulting geico with so many rate quotes that they've actually cut me off... Some bull jazz about "you've requested more quotes than we allow any one individual." I have yet to get a quote for the mustang or the jag, but the others seemed reasonable. I have a pretty good driving record... Only one ticket in nine years, and it was for an illegal left turn. Damn Michigan lefts!

Travis_K wrote: I think XJRs are pretty disposable, I have read that transmission replacement at the dealer is over $10k, and for inteelligent budgeting purposes it should be considered a 100k miles wear item. Thats not to say someone may decide they want one anyway and get 250k out of it, but its not necessarily going to turn out that way. If you like VWs do you really want a brand new one? If you could fix things yourself, you can buy a good condition MK2 GTI for under $3k and for $5k or so replace just about everything that would wear out on a farily well taken care of one.

I did try to look at a 1995 VW Golf Sport, similar to the project car they did hear, but the little twerp jerked me around and then sold it.

Is it bad that it only took me a couple weeks to go from "I could spend $X on a car" to "Well, if I spend $2X/3 on a car, then I can still spend $X/3 on another car too!"

buy a cheap commuter/beater especially if you're up north, keep your cash in bank or buy a house, or a garage with a cot space and then fill with cheap fun cars, never get married

I've had the opportunity to drive both an 05 RSX-S and a 2010 GTI with the fancy flappy paddle gearbox. They're both quite entertaining in stock form. However, given a choice, I'd definitely pick the RSX. I may get flamed for that on this board, but in general I just felt more in control of the Acura, and I had a better sense of it's dimensions, too.

Driving the GTI, I felt like I was suspended in a tub where I couldn't see the outer edges. It was a little disconcerting.

Who wants to join me in an internet argument about how a 2006 Acura RSX (Type-S or not) is going to be more reliable than any VW sold in this country post-1992-ish. Anyone?

Datsun1500 wrote: Don't forget to check insurance rates, that could narrow the list.

very good point

pres589 wrote: Who wants to join me in an internet argument about how a 2006 Acura RSX (Type-S or not) is going to be more reliable than any VW sold in this country post-1992-ish. Anyone?

Is there an argument?

Thats was why I suggested a pre 92 vw. :) The only bad part is 99 percent of americans do not posess the mental capacity to work on one, so they usually take alot of putting back to stock to get working right.

I think I'd suggest narrowing down to the type of car you really want. What's important to you? Maybe make a list of the "must haves", the "wants", the "don't want but can live with it" and the "absolutely no freakin' way" that you'd want in a car. Then you can work on which car to get. The cars you listed are quite varied, so it's hard to truly compare one to another, as they don't all compete head to head on the marketplace.

I agree with BoxHead, the Jag could get awful expensive really quick.

I'm with Raze. I'm guessing you're about 25, and have a little cash in your pocket right now you've saved.

To which I say, "Great, wish I'd been that smart when I was 25"

Now, don't spend it all on a something that's depreciating, and you'll be tired of it in no time as well. ESPECIALLY since you're in the rust belt.

Buy a house, invest, do something smart with all that money. Car-wise, few things will match the fun and utiility of a 10-year-old Miata + a 10-year-old wagon or some other sort of large hauling-type vehicle.

You can have both for about 5-6 k, in decent shape, and you'll be happy you did. Cars come and go. Put the money where it'll do you good long-term.

Or, put another way, a $20,000 car is no more fun than a $2000 car, so you may as well get the $2000 car.

You also have to consider the bonehead factor. 25-year old males are boneheads, and with a fast car, they will make a bone-headed move in said car and put it into a tree or guardrail or something. This is not a personal insult, I was 25 once myself. (BTW getting older does not always remove the bonehead gene. I still possess mine)

My advice is to buy a nice, solid off-lease SUV, Crossover, or Accord. Then put $4K into a 4th Gen Civic or Integra. You will always get to work on time, your payments won't kill you, and you'll have the security of a second car just in case. That second car will be less of a compromise on race day and a lot more fun. If you stuff it, walk away and still get to work on Monday.

Since you have what I will describe as real money, you should buy a good reliable vehicle. Your main car should not be an shop experiment or project. It needs to get you to work and other important dates without fail. $20k will put you in the running for plenty of interesting vehicles which wont ruin your day, week or month if it needs minor work. If you want, save some money from your budget and invest in a miata or other "fun" car for play.

Buy the Mustang. Consider the V6. It has 300 HP now. Reward an American company for staying out of American's pockets when the going got rough.

If you buy a VW, get one with a warranty, and bail when the warranty expires unless you've got a lot of time on your hands. Trust me.

And for heaven's sake, avoid the Jag.

I suggest keeping the land barge, and add a meotter.

Co-op in Ann Arbor? You know Murph?

How much space do you have for storage? Are you doing your own repairs? How many miles a year do you need to drive?

I've dabbled in newer cars and it's nice to have something with a warranty, but even now that I've got a bit of money in the bank they don't seem worth it. House+Garage+3 cool old cars > New Car+Apartment.

Nothing wrong with the RSX or GTI or WRX, but I dunno... It's a lot of money pissed away paying for depreciation. If I had $15K cash in the bank, wasn't overly concerned with modern safety features and wanted to spend it on cars, I'd go a bit quirkier.

A nice $3K-$5K Miata is a no-brainer, and you're coming up on prime Miata-buying season. Keep an eye on CL in the slightly less rusty states. A $3K Miata is going to be very reliable backup transportation, so that takes some of burden off the daily driver. You can afford to have it down for a week here and there waiting for parts to come in the mail. It just needs to be a car that goes down for routine, predictable maintenance rather than entirely random BS.

The Jag is a fun choice, but I'd kinda prefer a clean old mid-80's XJ6 or a Series II car if you're in for a bit more quirks. Prettier, and that's what matters with a Jag. In good shape, and kept in good shape, they're reasonably reliable.

If you need a V8 european car, E34/E39 540i 6-speeds and E39 wagons are easy to pick up for way under $10K. Reliable enough, close to the bottom of their depreciation curves, sexy sounds and powerful enough to get you in trouble. Not as pretty as the Jag, but less trouble. $10K gets you a damn near perfect, low-mile, southern E34 540i/6.

Land Rovers? A nice Land Cruiser? A modified XJ Jeep? Mother berkeleying W123 or W124 MB wagons? A V8-converted old Volvo wagon of some flavor? One of the 20v 5-cyl Audi beasts ('91 200TQ, UrS4/S6)? . Vintage Japanese E36 M3boxes? Big old American V8 iron? You're young and unmarried(?) and should not lock yourself into a long-term relationship with a dime-a-dozen new cars. Sample what the world has to offer!

Travis_K wrote: I think XJRs are pretty disposable, I have read that transmission replacement at the dealer is over $10k, and for inteelligent budgeting purposes it should be considered a 100k miles wear item. Thats not to say someone may decide they want one anyway and get 250k out of it, but its not necessarily going to turn out that way.

IIRC there are also potential issues with the motor (camchain tensioner I think, the magazine with the buyers guide is still in my moving boxes). The earlier straight six XJR is probably a bettert buy but might be harder to find.

I'm gonna go along with the crowd here and say buy a Miata, or something a bit larger if you need the room, but don't spend all of your money on the car. A Miata is a great daily driver, and the with the right mods, can be used for any auto related activity.

If you want something newer / faster, try an E36 M3. Not as wallet friendly, but you get close to the Miata experience in a bigger, faster package.

I say no to a Jag and a VW. I'm an old fart, but I really like the RSX. But I would bother with the S-type. It would be a bait car.

I too recommned getting an older car and investing the money (house or whatever). Maybe wait until the 2011 Mustang V6 hits the used car lots several thou down from the list price. A car is the worst investment you will ever make and repeatedly.