I’m a High School student looking for a CAR, or a car-sized vehicle. I’ve been saving 2/3 of my reasonable income for about a while now, and I’m thinking about getting my first car. I also should be able to pay for it without much financing (parental or otherwise). Optimism is one of my qualities; I’m aiming for a NEW car. That should prevent nightmares of hellish repair bills, and sharky salesmen. But I am open to opinions and facts on the subject. How much less is a used car? Are used car horror stories really that common? What would you recommend?
My three priorities for my car in this order are: PRICE, DURABILITY, and INTERIOR SPACE.
PRICE:
Being a High School student, anything over $20,000 is unreachable without loads of help. Of course, I’m not sure if that’s even a realistic limit, since the "starting at" numbers on the commercials, and the price you actually pay are probably very different. Apparently, freaking power locks are not a "standard feature" in most cars. Extra features are really nice (schnazzy stuff is cool in High School), but I think I can hold myself back on most of the non-essentials.
DURABILTY:
I know nothing about mechanics, therefore I will be taking my vehicle to a garage to get fixed when it breaks down. I don’t want to have to do that every month.These kinds of things keep the price down in the long run, so I’ll certainly pay a little more now to avoid the hassle and cost of a mechanic. Warranties are also important to me. What’s a "powertrain" warranty?
INTERIOR SPACE:
Let’s face it, I’m 6′4, and 200 pounds. I don’t want to drive to work in a lunchbox. I can live with a small car, but I cannot live with a small space inside that car. I also have friends of the male teenage variety, and wouldn’t mind some space in the back seat so carpools aren’t painful. But I am NOT in the market for an SUV or minivan or anything. I’m just looking for a CAR with a lot of interior space.
A few things I DO NOT care about:
Fuel economy. It is not at all economical, despite it’s name. It would take me half a century for a hybrid to save me enough money to be worth it over a normal car. I calculated that a car which needs one less L per 100km would only save a light driver (250 km/week) only $117 per year. That’s certainly less than I expected. Better fuel economy is a bonus, but it’s not an economically advantageous bonus as I see it. Then again, I’m probably missing something. What kind of tax incentives does driving a fuel efficient car have in Canada?
I also don’t care much about "safety". It shouldn’t cost me an arm and a leg to slim the chance of me bruising my arms and legs. A lot of times, I think that safety and "crumple zones" are just excuses to make the car total in a minor accident. More wrecked cars means that companies sell more cars, and I don’t care to be decieved by that. I’d rather drive safe than just spend more money. Of course, this is not to say that I care nothing about safety; it’s just that I don’t need a 5 star safety rating to get me to buy. The average car’s safety capabilities are fine with me.
Given the above information, which cars should I be looking at buying.
Some additional questions I have are:
What miscellaneous/unexpected costs are involved with buying and owning a car?
How much money do you spend on reparing your car per year?
How many km will a car last, and how many km have your past cars lasted?
What else should a new car buyer like me know?
Honestly, any information you have is greatly appreciated.
It should be 4-door, 4-cyls, not sporty. I would prefer Honda or Toyota… First time drivers usually have much more expensive car insurance, and it depends from car. You should compare insurance rates while choosing the car – for example here – carquotes.sinfree.net
It should be 4-door, 4-cyls, not sporty. I would prefer Honda or Toyota… First time drivers usually have much more expensive car insurance, and it depends from car. You should compare insurance rates while choosing the car – for example here – carquotes.sinfree.net
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