how about lose the beetle for $5k, buy a 91 Civic SI and then spend the remaining $3k on aftermarket hoonery!
I wouldnt really spend much time on a brand new bloatmobile...I mean a new civic. If I was gonna drop 17 stacks on a car, it wouldnt be a new honda.
ATTN GRM forum goers, not everyone here wants to drive 20 year old crap cans on a daily basis.
z31maniac wrote: ATTN GRM forum goers, not everyone here wants to drive 20 year old crap cans on a daily basis.
So painfully true. My wife hates my cars.
For $17,700, I'd be looking at other cars. I just think Civics are too expensive these days. You can get a much nicer vehicle if you purchase from another make.
What is it that you're after? New car warranty? New car smell? New car reliability? You can get almost every bit of that in a CPO, and you get a car with much better residual value because the previous owner took the major hit and not you. I wouldn't go Honda CPO, because quite frankly, they're as expensive as a new Honda. "Higher end" makes seem to have better CPO programs. I was helping someone else out, and it turned out that they could get a CPO 3 series for the price of a comparable Accord, and the BMW was nicer, had a better warranty, and was still every bit as good of an appliance as the Honda.
EDIT: Ok, I see it's for your daughter. Probably not best to stick her in a BMW. Have you taken a look over at Mazda and Ford? Would a Mazda2 or Fiesta fit her needs? I know it's going to be a cheaper car to get her into, as long as you don't option the snot out of it. The Mazda5 is an outgoing model, so you may be able to make a deal on one of those.
oh here we go again.
first statement was meant to be silly (kind of)
second statement was not. let me lay it out more clearly:
NO, I DONT THINK SEVENTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS IS A GOOD DEAL FOR ANY 2010 CAR BECAUSE IF I WAS GOING TO SPEND SEVENTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ON A CAR, IT WOULDNT BE A BRAND NEW ONE!!!!
I might consider spending $17,000.00 on a used sports sedan like a WRX or a IS300 or the like, but not on a car with such vanilla performance as a 2010 civic.
He asked if his suggestion was a good deal, by giving my interpretation of a good deal in his scenario, I was saying no.
jeez get over it
edit: didnt see the daughter bit...I wouldnt spend that coin on a car for my daughter...end of story. She may not WANT to drive a 20 year old crapcan, but people in hades dont want to be on fire for eternity either. She can drive a used stratus so when she inevitably hits another car because she just got a text that sarah kissed bobby at the dance, Im not left with my ^&*# in the breeze on the pink durango she just ruined.
Amen fury! 
There might also be a good middle ground. There's plenty of decent machinery around/under $10K these days that isn't that old. I'd be looking at used Mazda3 hatches as they're pretty practical for a student who inevitably needs to haul their belongings between dorms, apartments, and possibly back to the homestead for the summer.
well, you want it to brake, not break, but I see where youre going....get her a 5 year old CPO camry - seriously. This is one of the VERY few times...if ever that Camry is the answer. Also, I might suggest getting a used GM with Onstar if communication in the wild is the problem...theres almost nowhere on the road where onstar doesnt get cell service.
My Dad sold me his 84 longbed pickup that you could see through for $1. It was 16 years old then. I highly recommend this. You haven't lived until you've piloted a 10 foot long driveshaft through traffic on your 10 speed Huffy. I also recommend a date where you suddenly realize that there isn't any metal below the rubber mat on the passenger side when she begins to disappear through the "floor". Nobody ever sits there, anyway. She married me regardless. What a weirdo!
OK, Maybe a Camry makes more sense. Maybe a Corolla makes more sense. Is this her first car? Get something cheaper and more used. She's probably going to smash it into something at some point, and it may as well be a 5K mistake instead of a 20K mistake. If you like Hondas, get a used Civic, like a 2001, they were very capable little cars then and got great mileage and lasted basically forever.
coolusername wrote: you see she drives 60 miles through the mountains to get home and there is no cell service, we just want to get something that will not brake!
Satellite phone
Is she driving this every day? Because if not, she won't ever come home once she gets to school.
4cylndrfury wrote: edit: didnt see the daughter bit...I wouldnt spend that coin on a car for my daughter...end of story. She may not *WANT* to drive a 20 year old crapcan, but people in hades dont want to be on fire for eternity either. She can drive a used stratus so when she inevitably hits another car because she just got a text that sarah kissed bobby at the dance, Im not left with my ^&*# in the breeze on the pink durango she just ruined.
Agreed, driving a 20 year old crapcan is a rite of passage for teenagers so they will have the ambition to land a good paying job, and earn enough money to be able to pay for a $17K car themselves. Don't deny your daughter that experience.
Insurance for a 19 year old will be very pricey for any thing new or nearly new. A friend had me get a quote for his 19 year old daughter on a 2009 focus selling for $11,000. AAA quoted him $5600 per year. The best my office could do was $3600 per year paid up front. If she paid monthly it was $4100 per year. She did need collision coverage as she was taking out a loan. Check insurance before you buy and have an ugly suprize.
New Hyundai Accent. Way cheaper than a ovepriced Honda and just as reliable if not better. Comes with a killer warranty too. Go the Elantra if you have the extra money, much nicer car and probably still cheaper than the Civic.
Like Vanillasky I would suggest looking at other brands also. Ford(of course), Mazda, Kia and Hyundai are all producing good college student cars these days.
Not clear if your daughter commutes daily or stays on campus. If she stays on campus my top criteria would be "Is there a XX dealership where she is going to school and what is the reputation of their service department?". If not staying on campus just change the location to your home town.
From your description of the drive good brakes and handling should also be high on the list. A hatchback would be nice if she stays on campus. College students accuire an unbeliveable amount of junk to move back and forth.
As for there new vs used argument, DD's in my family have always been purchased new since 1970. Reliability and quick service have always been high priority. When we get rid of them they are usually prime GRM cars (10-12 years old with ~80K miles). Toys are a different story altogether.
I'm going to have to agree with 4cylndr on this. Last week I sent my 18yo daughter two and half hours away to school in a 95 Camaro that has 142000 miles on it. It was a $1500 dollar car, actually a grand under the limit I gave her. The first $17000 car she drives will be one she buys. Bank of Dad isn't shelling out that kind of money for a college kid or any kid for that matter.
ddavidv wrote: New Hyundai Accent. Way cheaper than a ovepriced Honda and just as reliable if not better. Comes with a killer warranty too. Go the Elantra if you have the extra money, much nicer car and probably still cheaper than the Civic.
I second this suggestion and yes i do work for them in parts. As long as the maintanence is kept up they will cover everything. Do keep in mind most Hyndai motors are timing belt and interference motors so make sure it gets changed. There have been no really big issues with any of the models really for the past decade.
I am considering replacing my '97 Honda, and looked at the Hondas on dealers lots (via the internet) and then looked at Edmunds. $17.7K is about right, assuming she is getting an auto equipped Civic.
But, as others have pointed out, youu have many better alternatives. I'd go with a 5 to 10 year old Camry (making sure to find one with ABS). Near rock solid reliability, decent gas mileage, AND BORING. You can be sure she will bring it home, in one piece, on regular intervals. Save the brand new car for when she gets her degree...whether she buys it or you do,
2-4 year old scooby?
I think i'm gonna have to go with everybody here on the Accent. That was my other consideration before I pulled the trigger on my Yaris. You can get good deals on them, even on 1-3 year old ones with 20-30k miles on them and still have most of the warranty..
Classic. The OP asks whether the money is right and everybody tells him why he should be buying a different car! (OP, if I knew the answer, I'd tell you.)
I don't want this to sound snide. This is the best forum I've ever seen. I just think it's funny. Reminds me of the time I told my car-nut buddy I had bought my daughter the '97 Accord I'm now driving myself. "Gee," he says, "Why did you choose an Accord?"
"It's what she wanted."
http://www.subaru.com/vehicles/impreza/index.html
I used to RallyX, Autocross and generally beat the crap out of my Impreza whenever possible. They are very tough and if you do manage to break stuff they are easy to work on.
I plan on putting my children in Subarus for their first cars.
To answer your original question. That is not a bad deal. If that is what you want.
coolusername wrote: you see she drives 60 miles through the mountains to get home and there is no cell service, we just want to get something that will not brake!
Got that life insurance policy paid up then? 
coolusername wrote: OOOOK, can we settle on a 07 accord LX coupe for 12K??? but i am stuck with the 02 beetle with the non working speedometer........
why arent you using it as trade in fodder? Id much rather have teenage daughter driving a $7000 loan around than a $12,000 one.
What's the mileage on that Accord?
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