What's a good first car? | GTAMotorcycle.com

What's a good first car?

RockThis52

Well-known member
Hey all,

I'm graduating soon and I'll be starting work right after. My commute is about 65 km one way (Milton to Leslie and Eglinton). So I'll be needing a car.

For the time being I'm using one of the four at home and I've realized I definitely do not want a Honda civic. They kill my back whenever I'm driving.

I don't want to spend more than about 20k looking at around 5-10k down and the rest finance.

I was looking at used Lexus CT200h as fuel will definetly be a big cost for me so I want something pretty fuel efficient.

My dad's accord is also very fuel efficient and comfortable so I wouldn't mind that either.

Any other recommendations for a comfortable car that's fuel efficient and reliable and within about 20k.

Thanks for the help.
 
Corolla, my gf 2014 got about 5.5l/100, loaded with leather and everything else you could think off . Pick up a low milage used one for a lot less then 20k

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Remember maintenance costs on used vehicles are roughly correlated to the original price, not the used price. That is why you can buy an S600 within your budget, nobody can afford to keep it on the road. I would eliminate any luxury brand as a good first vehicle. If you want a hybrid, get the prius, it's essentially the same vehicle at the ct200h I but should be cheaper to keep on the road.

Corolla is a great suggestion. I know people that are happy with fortes and Elantras. You can never go that wrong with an accord but it will use more fuel than all of the above because it's bigger and heavier.
 
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Mazda 3 , good mileage and some nice stuff if you stay in the base model. coming off lease at 2.5, 3 yrs old it would be in your range. The people at Milton mazda seem very nice.
 
I would have a look at 1-2 year old domestic vehicles; cruise, focus, etc.

Generally not as reliable but they are overall cheaper to own from the 3-10 yr mark. After that we'll look out.

I would go Toyota/Honda as suggested if this is a long haul purchase. A little more up front but they pay back as the mileage and years pile on.

Oh my last piece of advice is buy used.
Just my 2 cents worth, based on some experience.


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Op,

Surprised to hear the front seats of a civic are hard on your back. Since that's the case, I'd suggest you park you butt in a similar vehicle and see if they are comfortable.


The best seats for an economy car would be VW. Despite the Diesel scandal, the petro golf or Jetta are nice machines.

Other have been mentioned. Corolla, Mazda3 etc.

Coming from a Honda family, I'd also recommend the Fit.
 
3rd gen fbody(camaro or firebird). Make sure you get the V6. It will only get better from there on, and you will build a strong mechanical experience.
 
Thanks for all the advice. Except the Ferrari and Camaro piece lol.

Was thinking of a Mazda 3 also as my brother in law wasn't too bad to drive in. Also was thinking of an elantra.

Will look into all of those.

The civic was a pain on my back I have no idea why. Oddly enough it the 65 km trip was worse on my back in the civic than my bike. That eliminated it for me right away lol.



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Oh my last piece of advice is buy used.
Just my 2 cents worth, based on some experience.


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I agree with this. Any particular reason why you think so? I feel I can get more bang for my buck. Plus not trying to spend more than about 300 a month which I think would be hard to find (unless it's a micra or mirage) and on lease (which obviously won't work as I'll exceed the km allowance).
 
Don't buy a car that needs payments for your first car...just get a shitbox for 500-1000 bucks and learn to keep it on the road yourself...first few months you will spent what would have been the payment money on some tools and spend some time reading.

Biggest advantage of this is you don't need to carry collision insurance, just get bare minimum liability and start driving.

Mid 90s corolla is good, or camry/accord if you need extra comfort.

Once you get good at normal fixing and maintenance than later you can buy nicer used cars (like BMWs, Audi, etc...) without being so afraid of things going wrong.
 
Check your insurance.

Reliable, cheap to keep on the road, nothing beats Toyota or Honda for $/km over time.

Lots of 3-4 yr old gems out there. For your first car, buy it with cash, pay it off in full, and set aside what you would be paying in car payments in a tfsa for a rainy day.
 
Hey all,

I'm graduating soon and I'll be starting work right after.

You're still in school, haven't started working yet and you're looking to blow 20k on a car?

Take the $5k you have as a deposit, and find something to buy outright. Contact Mina on this site - he's a stand-up guy and has connections in the used car game.
 
Don't buy a car that needs payments for your first car...just get a shitbox for 500-1000 bucks and learn to keep it on the road yourself...first few months you will spent what would have been the payment money on some tools and spend some time reading.

Biggest advantage of this is you don't need to carry collision insurance, just get bare minimum liability and start driving.

Mid 90s corolla is good, or camry/accord if you need extra comfort.

Once you get good at normal fixing and maintenance than later you can buy nicer used cars (like BMWs, Audi, etc...) without being so afraid of things going wrong.
Thanks for that piece of advice. And I was thinking of the collision insurance also.

I think I am already higher than average in terms of maintenance. And I've got a good starter tool set with the socket wrenches and compression with air gun. Also have the OBD2 engine checker.

Oil changes are simple enough, tire changes, air filter, spark plugs etc etc. All that stuff is easy for me. Once I start to tinker with the engine I go to a mechanic.

That being said, I had a friend who bought a $2000 Honda civic shitbox which has plagued him with problems. It's leaking in the rain, A/C doesn't work (which I cannot survive without), wheel bearing is failing. All things I'd like to avoid working full time cause I doubt I'll have time to learn and fix some of those big issues.

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^ for about 3 months, until it disappears into rust
 
You're still in school, haven't started working yet and you're looking to blow 20k on a car?

Take the $5k you have as a deposit, and find something to buy outright. Contact Mina on this site - he's a stand-up guy and has connections in the used car game.
School for 6 more days, work in 7...

Plus not trying to cycle through cars, I saved a lot of my money working in high school so I can get a good first car that will last me 8+ years.


However, if you guys think that's not the brightest of ideas I'll consider dropping my deposit on a used car.

You guys do have more experience considering I'm 22.
 
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The mazda 3, even in base form will be the more rewarding car ie good mileage, great chassis, nice steering and more fun to drive, can be had with a manual. I would not buy/take for free, a dishwasher corolla with a cvt tranny ever but thats just my opinion. If you are of the type that just wants to get in a car, drive to work, but forget how you got there, then the Corolla is for you lol. Focus is nice too but stay away from the dual clutch auto, get manual.
 
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