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Get a used Honda Civic. Don't ever buy a brand new car. The initial depreciation is HUGE the moment you drive it off the dealer's parking lot. All people that have a car loan owe more than their car is worth.
Get a used Honda Civic. Don't ever buy a brand new car. The initial depreciation is HUGE the moment you drive it off the dealer's parking lot. All people that have a car loan owe more than their car is worth.
Thats what I thought, too. However, lately I've been hearing that with the low or 0% financing and rebate deals, new cars can be a better deal than used cars with higher financing. I was told that this is due to many more years without expensive maintenance on the new cars and lower monthly payments because of low/no financing.
Anyway, I'm going to compare new and used to see which would be a better deal.
Also, some cars depreciate more than others, so if you're planning on keeping your car for many years, it may not make a difference. For example, a Corolla that is 3 or 4 years old isn't depreciated that much, so pay the extra and buy it new.
There have even been a few cars in the past few years that appreciated. One example was the new Bug when there was more demand than supply. If you got one, you could sell it to someone for more than you paid for it.
Another example was the Scion xB. Many people (such as college kids or people with less than perfect credit) wanted one, but could not qualify for a loan on a new one. So, believe it or not, they could qualify for a used one, even if it was more expensive than a new one. (It wasn't a big gain, but still an interesting anomaly.)
However, cars that aren't going to last as long will depreciate faster, so you can get a great deal on a GM that is 3 or 4 years old, or a Kia, or something like that. Better off used.
I think that a Honda or a Toyota would be a great choice. They're reliable, get good gas mileage, don't require much maintenance, and hold their value.
My 2002 Accord and my DH's 2004 Civic run as well today as they did brand new, nothing has broken down on them, no problems, and they still look great! I cannot tell you how pleased we have been with our Hondas. Go online and find out what the invoice cost is and you'll know what you should pay.
A honda or toyota will definitely have a better resale value especailly if you plan on keeping it a long time.weather to buy used really depends on if you know the history of the maintenance.There are a ton of used four year and under cars that have had little maintenace out there because the owners buy every three years or so and always trade in. Then there some really great finance deals out there on new cars especailly if you can buy 36 months. Then you have to weight what a three year bumper to bumper warranty is worth.
I work for a rental car company. The Hyundai Elantra is an excellent car and is always being requested by renters. I was very surprised at how Hyundai has improved on all their cars in recent years. I would take a look at the Elantra when your looking at all the other cars on your list.
This will be trouble. As a tall person myself, I can say that very few subcompact and compact cars will be comfortable. Head and leg room are at a premium in any car. The small cars make this issue even more important.
I am 6'9" and I fit in my Supra just fine. I also fit in a Celica and Corolla. I can't do Subarus or VW. I don't fit in Buicks very well, nor Fords. Mazda is doable. Hondas do quite nicely. I will never own another Chrysler product, no matter how much room they have.
I'm 6'2 and fit into the Scion /XD with plenty of room to spare. We love it so far and it's suprisingly comfortable. I tested a /TC and it wasn't half bad either.
A lot of people immediately consider Hondas or Toyotas because the companies are so big, but if you want a compact car, be sure and look at the other small cars out there. The Ford Focus is hopelessly not competitive these days, but other offerings like the Subaru Impreza, Nissan Sentra, Chevy Cobalt, Pontiac G6, Volkswagen Jetta, etc all offer good mpg and great driving. About the last car I'd get is a Corolla - they are reliable, but about as exciting as watching paint dry. Just my opinion though.
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