What kind of car? (San Diego, Escondido: renting, how much, buying)

[earlyretirement]

Originally Posted by ms_smartypants

Thanks so much for all the input. The reason I am thinking of leasing is since I haven't driven in so long, I don't want to make such a huge commitment to a car before getting back into the habit of driving and also seeing firsthand what makes the most sense for me. Of course I'd *love* a convertible, but price and gas mileage will have to take precidence over that I'm afraid. Ugh I forgot about insurance. Can you tell it's been a long time? Approximately how much is that per month on something like a camry or jetta?

Mssmartypants,

For car insurance quotes...just go to a site like http://www.geico.com/getaquote/ and plug in various types of cars and you can get an almost exact quote of how much car insurance will be. You can play around with the deductibles. Or you can call them and they will give you various scenarios for prices. It at least will give you a very good idea on the different prices you might pay for insurance.

I'd recommend if you're totally in the dark on prices, you go to a website like New Cars, Used Cars, Car Reviews and Pricing - Edmunds.com and plug in the price budget of what you have to work with and then the size/type of car. There you can see prices, read reviews and see what might work. The great thing is there are reviews from professionals and reviews from everyday Americans on the various cars so that should be helpful.

DirtMagurt, I've always been a big fan of BMWs. One saved my dad's life when I was younger. On a snowy day, the roads were really slick and he hit an 18 wheeler head on. This was on the highway going at a fairly high speed. The impact was so tremendous that the car battery ended up in the front seat of the car and on impact, the 18 wheeler flipped over. The car was totally demolished and he almost died. The doctors said he probably would have died in any other car. These Germans build cars built like tanks. So many times I think about safety vs. just gas mileage after seeing photos of what the car ended up looking like.

Good luck!

[ms_smartypants]

Originally Posted by whiteboyslo

Well, again, it'd be easier to recommend a car if we had a more specific list of parameters. What's your price ceiling? Are you OK buying used? Do you have a need/want for lots of passenger space or cargo space? Etc.

As for insurance, it's so apples-and-oranges that any number someone is going to give you is anecdotal at best. Unless the person answering is your same age, sex, drives the exact same car, lives right next to you, has the same driving record, has the same credit report, etc, their response would be almost meaningless. What I would suggest is finding one or two insurance companies that give online quotes and playing around with it based on a few models of cars that you already have in mind.

Mike

Oh of course. It's just that I am so lost with all of this that ANY sort of jumping off point/advice is helpful! Basically in terms of price ceiling, I'm hoping not to pay more than $400 or $500 a month on all things car, including monthly payment, gas, and insurance. But it's hard to figure out how to break that down since I'm so far removed from it all.

In terms of space, I don't want an SUV, because they freak me out and I just generally don't like them. For cost and conscience reasons I want something that is going to get good gas mileage. I want something smallish I think. I will be riding with my dog (a 40lb lively shepherd mix) a fair amount so I want to be able to fit him and a passenger without anyone being squashed. I will be working from home, so won't have a daily commute but assume I will have to drive everywhere else, i.e. the beach, the supermarket, restaurants etc., which will obviously be a change for me, but I really miss driving so I'm kind of excited for it.

[ms_smartypants]

Originally Posted by earlyretirement

Mssmartypants,

For car insurance quotes...just go to a site like GEICO | Get a Quote - See how GEICO can take care of all your insurance needs and plug in various types of cars and you can get an almost exact quote of how much car insurance will be. You can play around with the deductibles. Or you can call them and they will give you various scenarios for prices. It at least will give you a very good idea on the different prices you might pay for insurance.

I'd recommend if you're totally in the dark on prices, you go to a website like New Cars, Used Cars, Car Reviews and Pricing - Edmunds.com and plug in the price budget of what you have to work with and then the size/type of car. There you can see prices, read reviews and see what might work. The great thing is there are reviews from professionals and reviews from everyday Americans on the various cars so that should be helpful.

DirtMagurt, I've always been a big fan of BMWs. One saved my dad's life when I was younger. On a snowy day, the roads were really slick and he hit an 18 wheeler head on. This was on the highway going at a fairly high speed. The impact was so tremendous that the car battery ended up in the front seat of the car and on impact, the 18 wheeler flipped over. The car was totally demolished and he almost died. The doctors said he probably would have died in any other car. These Germans build cars built like tanks. So many times I think about safety vs. just gas mileage after seeing photos of what the car ended up looking like.

Good luck!

Thanks, that's incredibly helpful! I will definitely check out those sites. In terms of safety, that's a very good point. (Though I know nothing about cars, something tells me I won't be able to afford a bmw any time soon, as much as I'd like to.) I've heard VWs are very safe though, I might look into one of those. It's definitely an important consideration. I was taught by an incredible defensive driving teacher, but since it's been 12 years since I've driven with any regularity, I'm quite nervous about it.

[Oerdin]

$500 a month all inclusive (gas, insurance, car repairs, etc...) is a hard price point to meet for any car I would consider owning but my needs/desires are obviously not the same as yours (or else you'd already own a car ). I'd definately go for something used and buy even though you said you're thinking about leasing. If you change your mind in a few years and want a different car you won't lose much on a late model used car since someone else already took most of the depreciation hit for you plus if you decide to keep it then the long term ownership costs will be lower than if you leased. Based on what you've said I'd look for a 2000-2006 Honda Civic four door.

2005 Honda Civic Consumer Reviews

They'll cost between $5000-$8000 depending on the year and options, they're rock solid reliable, they get good gas mileage, they're fairly cheap to insure, they have high resale value for when you want to sell it, and most reviewers say it's one of the best (if not the best) small car in America for the money. With $2000 down and halfway decent credit you should be able to pay ~$230 per month on a 24 month loan which will get you in well under your $500 per month all costs included target price.

[sh0t]

You sound like a good fit for something like a TDI jetta or similar.

[earlyretirement]

Originally Posted by ms_smartypants

O Basically in terms of price ceiling, I'm hoping not to pay more than $400 or $500 a month on all things car, including monthly payment, gas, and insurance. But it's hard to figure out how to break that down since I'm so far removed from it all.

.

Fortunately you work from home as gas is really expensive in California. That is a super low budget considering you need all of those things included. I doubt any insurance will be less than at least $100 a month and gas i'd think even with working from home you'd still spend at least $150 a month. It's so beautiful there that you'll find yourself driving around...especially if you have a dog. So that potentially only leaves around $150 or $200 a month which is going to be really really difficult on anything new.

I'd go with Oerdin's suggestion of a used car. Not sure you will be able to afford a new car and definitely you do NOT want to live above your means and buy a car you can't afford. Only buy what you can afford.

I'd say buy a used car with a really dependable track record. Toyota's last forever. In college I had a Toyota Cressida that had been passed down to me. I think by the time I finished college I had over 300,000 miles on it! Hondas and Toyotas run forever and relatively maintenance free so that's probably your best bet.

[Jenkay]

As far as insurance, I would suggest you check out AAA. They may not be the rock-bottom cheapest, but they're competitive- the big bonus is that they are INCREDIBLY helpful when stuff goes down, and it's really REALLY a big plus to not have to be fighting your insurance company for payment once you've had an accident or something.

[kettlepot]

I think the OP, given her gender, probable age, and estimated amount of yearly mileage, could easily find insurance for under $100/month.

If you choose a Honda or a Toyota, it's best for you to park it in a garage. Japanese cars are the most stolen in San Diego.

[Beware_of_Dog]

A convertible. It's So Cal. How could anyone live in So Cal and not have a convertible? My white lab, Gracie, and I are extremely comfortable in our '00 Chrysler Sebring Convertible. It only has 40k miles on it, gets 25 mpg when driven by an old man like me, is comfortable, easy to get in and out of, and best of all, only cost me $6,000 3 yrs ago when I bought it with 30k miles on it. Insurance is about $40 per month.

So I would say, wise up and forget buying a new car, or leasing one either. You can get a gorgeous used BMW or Lexus convertible for $20-25k, or even a lesser convertible like a VW beetle with low mileage for $15-20k.

Drive topless, enjoy the sun and ocean breeze, and get into the lifestyle you will be living in.

[UrbanDecay]

PT Cruiser convertible... now THAT is one sweet ride.