Thinking of a new car soon (car insurance, vehicles, versus, mileage)

[rlrl]

my mechanic told me--not to get a new car in NYC

[Checkered24]

On the Sebring: There are certainly better cars out there. However, due to the fact it is not well regarded, you might be able to pick one up for a really terrific price. Depends on what you want to spend and what you expect. It wouldn't be my first, or twentieth choice, but I have a family member who has an 07 Sebring (latest style) and it is a decent car. It's been trouble free so far.

Solara would be a much better built car. You will pay more, but it will last a heck of a lot longer.

Challenger is neat to look at IMO, but drive one. It is HUGE, and visibility isn't the greatest. Also, they seem to go for a big premium around here, new at sticker, used close to new sticker price. You cannot put a price on joy so if you love it, go for it. Just be sure you love it first.

[GTOlover]

Originally Posted by Checkered24

On the Sebring: There are certainly better cars out there. However, due to the fact it is not well regarded, you might be able to pick one up for a really terrific price. Depends on what you want to spend and what you expect. It wouldn't be my first, or twentieth choice, but I have a family member who has an 07 Sebring (latest style) and it is a decent car. It's been trouble free so far.

Solara would be a much better built car. You will pay more, but it will last a heck of a lot longer.

Challenger is neat to look at IMO, but drive one. It is HUGE, and visibility isn't the greatest. Also, they seem to go for a big premium around here, new at sticker, used close to new sticker price. You cannot put a price on joy so if you love it, go for it. Just be sure you love it first.

on the challenger part you could pick up a nice used 06-08 charger R/T or the hemi 300C for half the price of a challenger and still have a blast and would not lose much on depreciation and if you get a 08 you will still have a bit of the factory warranty left over

[rlrl]

guys. i just love the Sebring's style especially the convertibles. I rented an 06 Sebring in 06 to drive from NYC to Atlanta and i loved the road manners.

unfortunately with my finances and salary cut by 10% i will hang on to my 92 tercel until it kills me. i still love the car. i've got a velour steering wheel wrap, velour seat covers and cushions for more support, so inside it looks like a deluxe car. although it's obviously aged, the upholstery and other inside materials still have a look of durability and quality

on second thought a challenger and charger are out as they're too big

I dream about winning a Chrysler Crossfire in a lottery drawing--love the styling

curious tho would a used VW Beetle be inexpensive? is it on line with a Tercel or it a more substantial car?

do they still even make Tercels anymore?

[M3 Mitch]

Dude, really, if the Tercel is in basically good shape, if you have a good mechanic you can have him rebuild the head, the entire engine, or put in a good used or rebuilt engine, and you will be good to go for a *long* time. IIRC you ran this engine very low on oil once, this is probably most of what's wrong with it.

Or, as stated previously, you could put in 4 new plugs and 1 new O2 sensor annually at smog check time, for way less than one month's car payment.

The New Beetle has a mixed record on reliability. But by and large it's not as good as Toys of your era.

[GTOlover]

Originally Posted by rlrl

guys. i just love the Sebring's style especially the convertibles. I rented an 06 Sebring in 06 to drive from NYC to Atlanta and i loved the road manners.

unfortunately with my finances and salary cut by 10% i will hang on to my 92 tercel until it kills me. i still love the car. i've got a velour steering wheel wrap, velour seat covers and cushions for more support, so inside it looks like a deluxe car. although it's obviously aged, the upholstery and other inside materials still have a look of durability and quality

on second thought a challenger and charger are out as they're too big

I dream about winning a Chrysler Crossfire in a lottery drawing--love the styling

curious tho would a used VW Beetle be inexpensive? is it on line with a Tercel or it a more substantial car?

do they still even make Tercels anymore?

Go with a golf GTI it is the exact same frame and running gear is is alot cheaper to buymaintain
2002-2005 Volkswagen GTI 1.8T

Pros :
- Class-leading power and acceleration.
- Lots of interior space.
- High build quality.
- Trendy 17-inch alloy wheels.
- Decent ride quality

Cons :
- Bad automatic transmission.
- Styling beginning to look dated.
- Sporty suspension does not suppress body roll adequately.
- Large tires causes noisy ride.
- Hides its performance intentions a little too well.


Press Coverage :
The new 180-hp 1.8T is a joy when paired with the manual gearbox. It's quick, at times abrupt, but oh so smooth. It delivers brisk off-the-line acceleration performance. There's a surprising amount of low-rpm torque here, more than enough to spin the Traction control steps in when needed to minimize this, enhancing control.

Accelerating through the gears, there is some turbo lag down at the bottom of the rev range. Under normal conditions, launches can be a little slow unless you rev it up and drop the clutch. There is little torque available below 2000 rpm. It starts to build at 2500 rpm and comes on quickly after that, but it isn't the explosion of power that big turbochargers deliver. It's more like the progressive acceleration of a smaller turbo, more fluid and linear.
This 1.8-liter turbocharged is so smooth and revs so freely that you're encouraged to put the throttle down. In spite of its power, it nets an EPA-rated 24/31 mpg city/highway.

I did not like the 2002 1.8T with the five-speed automatic Tiptronic transmission ($1075). The automatic seems to get confused by the turbo in city traffic, often leaving the engine caught out, bogging when I pushed down on the throttle. When asked for moderate acceleration, the transmission would downshift, there would be a surge of power, I'd ease off the throttle, the transmission would upshift, the engine would eventually bog again, and the process would start all over. It's far more subtle than the description above suggests, but it annoyed me on downtown streets. This car is too good to be saddled with this combination. Therefore, we strongly recommend the manual gearbox with the 1.8T.

The Golf offers excellent handling and a comfortable, well-controlled ride quality. With compliant coil springs and -filled shocks, the driver feels connected to the road while vibrations and bumps are comfortably muffled. MacPherson struts in front and the independent torsion-beam suspension in the rear help keep the car rooted to the road. Aggressive maneuvers generate little body roll. The longer wheelbase and the much stiffer ] of the fourth-generation Golf reduce vibration on rough roads and improve handling in tight corners.

The Golf's firm brake pedal provides good feedback to the driver. This car is stable under hard braking. ABS, which comes standard, is ready to prevent wheel lockup, allowing the driver to maintain steering control in an emergency stop. The GTI comes with Volkswagen's Anti-Slip Regulation system (ASR), which detects wheel slippage and applies braking force to that particular wheel. Working with an Electronic Lock at speeds below 25 mph,
ASR controls throttle response to maximize traction and minimize slipping for enhanced driver control in tight cornering situations. Pressing a button in the center of the dash turns ASR off. It's a great system and can help you continue tracking around a corner instead of skidding off the road into peril

[rlrl]

thanks for the info on the Golf man

now can you guys tell me something about the Midas guys telling me the car is leaning over on one side tho it doesn't show from the outside

about 18 months ago when i thought the brakes were bad because there was a sensation and sound that sounded like the brake sensor(weird chafing sound and vague side to side movement at lo speed), i took it to Midas and the brakes(front last 10/04, rear last 8/99) were found to be fine. in fact. the brakes are always found to be fine

instead they told me the car needed about $1300 worth of undercarriage/suspension work and that the car was leaning over on one side tho it can't be seen from outside

the car feels very queasy and unstable on open highways, as if it may rollover. on tighter highways it feels OK tho

also for years when i make a sharp left turn at very low speed(like 0-5 mph) the left side of the car jumps up and down in spasmodic movements, but only at these tight left turns

will the car actually rollover on a highway or is it just a sensation?

it's weird I was driving on a 2 lane parkway and merged onto a 3 lane interstate. the parkway ride was fine but as soon as i hit the interstate i was holding on to that wheel for life. i crossed the bridge span as if my life depended on it, but when i made the return trip on the same roads i didn't feel unsafe at all

can anyone explain this? maybe it's the pavement if it's angled a certain way?

[M3 Mitch]

You probably do have worn suspension and/or shock absorbers. I wouldn't go to Midas for the suspension work though.

I'm clueless as to who would do good work around NYC. You might post up on the NYC forum and see if you can get a recommendation on a good shop, or look at Gimme3Step's link on independent garages.

So long as you are not making extreme manuvers, probably this is not dangerous, but not being there to look at the car I can't say for sure.

[hoffdano]

Buying a Sebring for the reasons stated, even if you could afford it, would be a mistake. The car will break often, will not have any resale value, and will be a poor use of precious car money.

If you think its road manners are good you simply haven't driven many modern cars - whose road manners are far better.

[bmwguydc]

One car not on your list, but that's kind of cool in a city-coupe way is the Honda Civic. The current coupe, has a nice shape, and is a reliable vehicle. The interior is very modern, too, which can be a plus. If you prefer a hatchback, however, I'd recommend a pre-owned (as they're not made anymore) Acura Integra or RSX. For a larger coupe, look to the CL Acuras, though some years had transmission issues as did the TL sedans (01-03). It's possible to find a CL-S Type that had a 6-speed manual transmission as well, though most were automatics.

The Golf can be fine, or it can be a nightmare, especially with an automatic transmission. The 1.8T engine used in the Golf, Passat, and Audi had issues with engine sludge, as did some years of the 4-cylinder Camry.

If you need a good mechanic, I'd try Dom's on W230th between Tibbett and Riverdale/Irwin. They're across the street from the school, and from what I have heard, they're reasonable and do quality work.

For any pre-owned car, I would have it inspected by a mechanic or mobile inspection service that will meet you on the lot. Carfax can be a good indicator if there was an issue with the car, but it's not as reliable as it might seem, since not all repair facilities report to them. However, it will tell you if the vehicle was a single owner, or has had multiple owners, and whether or not it saw fleet or rental car service.