What's a good first car? | Page 5 | GTAMotorcycle.com

What's a good first car?

I like to live lavish. Anyone know the best boat I can buy?

Lavish? Boat? Well, there are still some good examples out there to be had for a reasonable price.

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A little off-topic, but a daily commute from Milton to Leslie/Eglinton and back will be a big suck on your soul. Probably 45min-1hr in the am and 1hr-1.5hr return in the pm. Riding a motorcycle may be enjoyable. Driving a car would suck.

I did that same route but to Don Mills and Eglinton for years, BEFORE traffic got to its current levels. It was bad enough then to encourage me to move my employment.

The 45 minutes to an hour in the AM is really optimistic unless your idea of AM is 6:00am out of Milton. Even 1.5 hours in the usual PM rush hour traffic would be optimistic except in perfect conditions with no accident or weather hold-ups.

Those times will only get worse as construction ramps up for 401 lane expansion from Highway 10 to Mississauga, and that section won't be complexted for at least another 3-1/2 to 4 years. After that you can expect even more construction (and congestion) while they work at expanding the 401 even further west to Milton. It won't be an easy commute.

Then again, there is always GO Transit.
 
We start a 6:30am precisely because of traffic both ways. There is some push to a 7am start but the rolling like thunder freakout on site may negate this. The guys are calculating new commute times up one side and down the other using basic trade math. Nobody's happy. Me? I don't care because right now I'm waking during deepest rem sleep. I might trade that for a longer commute time but it's a wash.
 
I think the general sentiment was to buy only what you can afford ... don't be tempted by monthly payments to buy something you can't really afford.

I actually financed the car that I just bought even though I could have paid cash ... because for 0% financing, I can do something else with that cash.
That's true if you negotiated a purchase price before choosing the zero interest option. Otherwise if you negotiated based on the assumption of 0% from the start, they will have been less flexible on the price and you will have overpaid from the start.
 
Just curious, would you be doing anything else with your car ? Or is it just a commuter car ? You never intend to use it for anything else (e.g. towing trailers, hauling skis, canoe's, etc. ?)
 
FWIW I drove a base-model 2016 VW Golf TSI (1.8T) over the long weekend. Was my first experience with this engine and I found it brilliant. Almost enough to replace the Mazda 3 hatch in my heart.

I don't buy cars but if I did it would be between those two.
 
Just curious, would you be doing anything else with your car ? Or is it just a commuter car ? You never intend to use it for anything else (e.g. towing trailers, hauling skis, canoe's, etc. ?)
No, no and no. Not yet at least. I'm the adventurous type but not looking for that yet.
 
No, no and no. Not yet at least. I'm the adventurous type but not looking for that yet.

So your looking at this as a pure take you to work / commuter car then... you should probably just look at a 10-12 year old Corolla and pay 4000-5000 for it and drive it for 3 years and then see where you are in life ... you won't need collision on it and the cost of the car is so low that if you sell it in 3 years for 2grands you used it for 3000 bucks.

something like this : 100k KM, 5 speed, Corolla 2003 ...basic transport for less than $4000

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/...a-ce-5-speed-manual-fuel-efficient/1183789175




If you forecast that you would sell it in 3 years ... all I could find is a 2001 with 193k KM on it for $2500 ... so $2000 is probably would you'd be able to get for a 2000 model Corolla ... net cost is peanuts for a commuter :

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/...an/1175040668?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true



regular maintenance of tires, oil, fluids, brakes is probably all that car will consume. It won't be fun to drive but it will get the job done at probably the lowest cost.

Should also add that in this day and age for a new grad. not knowing what your job prospects are you may or may not want to be 'stuck' in a finance situation for long term right away on a 'new' car. Might be more prudent to buy a beat-box like this for first 3 years until you get on your feet (career wise speaking) then 'moving' up to a nicer car.
 
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So your looking at this as a pure take you to work / commuter car then... you should probably just look at a 10-12 year old Corolla and pay 4000-5000 for it and drive it for 3 years and then see where you are in life ... you won't need collision on it and the cost of the car is so low that if you sell it in 3 years for 2grands you used it for 3000 bucks.

something like this : 100k KM, 5 speed, Corolla 2003 ...basic transport for less than $4000

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/...a-ce-5-speed-manual-fuel-efficient/1183789175




If you forecast that you would sell it in 3 years ... all I could find is a 2001 with 193k KM on it for $2500 ... so $2000 is probably would you'd be able to get for a 2000 model Corolla ... net cost is peanuts for a commuter :

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/...an/1175040668?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true



regular maintenance of tires, oil, fluids, brakes is probably all that car will consume. It won't be fun to drive but it will get the job done at probably the lowest cost.

Should also add that in this day and age for a new grad. not knowing what your job prospects are you may or may not want to be 'stuck' in a finance situation for long term right away on a 'new' car. Might be more prudent to buy a beat-box like this for first 3 years until you get on your feet (career wise speaking) then 'moving' up to a nicer car.

That's a very good idea. I just don't want to get a beater that ends up a year down the read needing huge maintenance. That's my biggest fear, although I'd have the cash to do it, I'd be ****** that I'd drop that amount on a beater.

I agree with the finance, I'm not really looking to finance, I hate debt and if I can afford to buy with cash, I'm all for it.

So far my brother in law is insisting I use his car and he'd car pool with a friend. I don't like that only because I'm a burden but I guess until I land a deal I like will work.
 
FWIW I drove a base-model 2016 VW Golf TSI (1.8T) over the long weekend. Was my first experience with this engine and I found it brilliant. Almost enough to replace the Mazda 3 hatch in my heart.

I don't buy cars but if I did it would be between those two.
Yep good car. You can get a tune for under $1000 that bumps it up almost 90hp and tq!
 
APR, 256hp and 305tq (holy!) with 93 octane. That's insane for a little 20k econo box. Turbos are awesome.
 
I don't think you'll end up getting a 'beater' as a corolla. Look at how many of them are on the road. They're almost like cockroaches and can't be killed off (at least not easily). If they had major issues, you think there would be so many still left on the road ? maintenance it'll need (that's consumables) but repairs, I can't see it happening.

:p :p




That's a very good idea. I just don't want to get a beater that ends up a year down the read needing huge maintenance. That's my biggest fear, although I'd have the cash to do it, I'd be ****** that I'd drop that amount on a beater.

I agree with the finance, I'm not really looking to finance, I hate debt and if I can afford to buy with cash, I'm all for it.

So far my brother in law is insisting I use his car and he'd car pool with a friend. I don't like that only because I'm a burden but I guess until I land a deal I like will work.
 
I had a 99 civic si coupe for two years. Bought it for $2000 and sold it for $1900. Still regret selling it. The car had automatic features, sunroof, no rust and was 5 speed manual. All I did was oil changes for $25.

Don't get into fad of buying expensive cars, at least not for now. That greed never ends :(
 
Haven't read all 5 pages, but I agree with buying used first. You're starting out, don't finance. Also only hand over the cash after the car is certified. If they won't let me take it to a mechanic first, I walk away. Don't go luxury either, the parts and maintenance costs are too high. Find something you can work on easily. Things will break it's inevitable, but with a cheapo it's less of a big deal, especially if it lasted a couple years.
 
Double check insurance rates. Some cars are better than others. For example civic don't fair very well over a corolla.




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^ for about 3 months, until it disappears into rust

Hee Hee. My son has a Mazda3 GT 2.5 and I have to say I love to drive it. It's like driving a go-cart. I even did a track day in it at the DDT track at CTMP.

His is particularly bad as the paint just seemed to fall off. I called Mazda Canada for Him and the first thing they asked was did you drive it in the rain or snow :)
 
Double check insurance rates. Some cars are Bette than others. For example civic don't fair very well over a corolla.




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+1. For ***** and giggles, I asked insurance price for a 2000 v6 mustang convertible. It was cheaper than similar year civic.
 

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