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The Mazda 6 is a good, sporty choice. They are less common than the Accord, yet just as reliable. The 6 might be a little cheaper than the Honda, too. Accords also seem to pop up on those "most stolen in the USA" lists.
The Mazda 6 is a good, sporty choice. They are less common than the Accord, yet just as reliable. The 6 might be a little cheaper than the Honda, too. Accords also seem to pop up on those "most stolen in the USA" lists.
A used Honda Civic or Mazda 3 would be fine unless you need the Room of the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry, Mazda 6 where I suggest opting for the V6 any one from the mid-late 00's are all decent just make sure to go to dedicated forums.
Also Research the web look up common problems since for instance Honda did have issues with the Accord with the automatic Transmission failing when hooked up to the V6 in early-mid 00's (2003-2007).
BUT, I'm getting married and it'd be really awkward if the future wife were driving us around all the time.
I am confused. Does she own a car? Its obviously ok to be married & not own a car...or she drives you around. My aunt use to do all the driving in their household.
I am confused. Does she own a car? Its obviously ok to be married & not own a car...or she drives you around. My aunt use to do all the driving in their household.
She owns a car, but I think her being the only one with a car would get old after awhile. Plus we moved out of the city entirely so I'll definitely be driving more.
Honda Accords get stolen because they sell a lot of them. I mean, with 300K plus being sold every year, there is a market for their parts and they aren't hard to find. Thieves can't steal what isn't there.
If sporty & good gas mileage is a priority, I would consider a smaller car like the Mazda 3, Civic, A3.....smaller is almost always more fun to drive....and usually easier to park in urban areas.
If you are considering having kids anytime soon.....these small cars will quickly be too cramped
So I may be naive when I say I'd be shocked if I got 10K miles per year on it.
I suggest you work out the cost for gas. Fuel efficiency shouldn't play a huge factor if you don't commute daily or think you'll exceed 10k miles. You've got a bit more freedom to put that lower on the priorities and go with something that has better styling or is more fun to drive.
Take any 3 aspects of a car you're looking for and pick 2:
31 and live in DC. We don't get a lot of snow. I mean last year we got like 28 inches total, but the year before that we had a couple of inches all winter so the weather here varies. My fiance has a Wrangler, and she does understand regardless of make and model, my car probably won't be used to drive in the snow. I've been driving on a regular basis the last few years but I didn't take into account how much insurance would be.
My initial thought was to go used, but some of the cars I'm interested in go anywhere between 15-20K (dependent on miles really) and I figured for an extra 5 to 6K, I may as well buy new. Bad line of thinking?
One thing to consider is that luxury cars depreciate a lot more than the value cars. So a Lexus would depreciate a lot more than a Toyota. If you want reliability and luxury while ensuring your car's value won't drop the moment you drive out of the dealer, look at an Acura or a Lexus or an Infinity.
These cars basically run forever and if you find one with a good track record and service history, and with low enough miles, you can get far more value for money than with a newer value brand car. 30k-50k miles is usually the sweet spot for a good used car.
From a financial standpoint, I would just say that try to spend as little as possible on the car, and especially avoid a loan with a high interest rate or service fee.
If you won't be clocking up too many miles, and if you have moved away from downtown, consider a 5 seater SUV. It will be a lot more versatile. Even a hatchback is a lot more versatile than a sedan with the rear seats folded down.
Well, I don't know anything about you, so for a "car guy" it's sort of like picking out clothes for someone you've never seen.
Now I assume from your post you view cars as more of a means to an end than a hobby, and I take it whatever you buy won't really get much use. If I lived in an area with notorious traffic and great public transit I wouldn't drive, and I LOVE driving.
So with you lacking interest in it and it mostly sitting, why spend a pile of cash on it? I assume you'll be financing, so you'll have interest, depreciation, full coverage insurance and it sounds like you'll be paying someone else to maintain it instead of going DIY. That's a lot of money for something you don't really care about. Even new cars break and have expensive repairs and dealers aren't always helpful, even with a warranty.
With how I understand your scenario i would go much cheaper and used. If I didn't need to drive it everyday I would probably go for a true fun to drive sports car, not a "sporty" economy car. You could get a lot of really awesome cars under $15k, save a boat load of money and be able to afford to fix any problems or modify it to your liking. Just a short list in that price range; Genesis coupe,VW GTI, Miata, Corvette, Mustang, BMWs, Mercedes, Lexus IS, WRX, 350Z, infiniti G35/G37, Countless classics or soon to be classics...The list could go on forever!
Get yourself your favorite beer, pull up craigslist and look at ads until you have a list of cars you want in your garage. Watch youtube review videos on those cars, I like ones from Motorweek. Check out brand specific forums too. Just don't go buying any until you are sobered up and an independent mechanic well versed in that brand looks it over for you. If you find a local club or group for that particular car, see who they trust to work on theirs. Car guys spend more time looking into mechanics than their doctor, and the best mechanics for particular brands don't need to advertise.
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