Cops Lie

What would be a good first car? I was thinking a jetta or a honda civic. I deff. want a 5 speed, I have about 15 grand to spend, deff. used. What do you think is a good first car?

Thanks,
C.L.

EVOL 8

a scion tc is a good deal at 15,685

Assassin

iTrader: (4)

not an evo. heh.

yea a scion TC is a real nice car. good car to learn manual on too.

moab3man

civic hatch, then build the engine and throw on big turbo, or a old foxbody and do the same

nutrulz

iTrader: (14)

Saab 9000 Turbo. In good condition, manual transmission. Super safe (I've totalled 2). In '92 they were the fastest sedan in the world. You could get one for less than $5000, and with the extra $10,000 you would crush Hondas and Jettas.

Smike

iTrader: (8)

Few things - and I am actually in somewhat of a good mood here so Ill help ya out.

What do you want to do with it? Race, show it off, get-around car?

Personally (which means in my opinion) I wouldnt get a Civic or Jetta. Civics are crap and everyone has one of those, and Jettas are over priced and expensive to fix.

Think different than what everyone else has. For 15 large you can get some really nice used cars, or pay less and mod something up. Take a look around your area, what does everyone seem to have - now get something that no one has, or it not many off - again my opinion.

Other options (since you posted here - Ill assume some fun to drive is needed):
1g and 2g Eclipses/Talons (turbo better, but NA are good starters)
3000gt or Strealth (turbo or not still good)
2000-2003 Ford Focus (ZX3 or SVT - underdogs, but quick, easy to mod - but I am bias )
4.6L Mustangs (good with superchargers)
5.0L Mustangs (good with superchargers)
LS1 Camaros (good with bolt ons and chip)
76-94 (L48-TPI-LT1) Corvettes (more rare fun to drive - again bias)
Subies RS and whatnot (AWD - juniors to the STi and EVO)
Some Mazdas - RX7s (Rare, more expensive to work on, but could put a LT1 in there)
Old Nissan Zs (its a Z, can be cool)
.....

It all depends on what you are into.

Cops Lie

Thanks everyone, i like the scion a lot. I have to pay for my own insurance too, do you think it would be mad high with th tc?

I heard any car with 2 doors, besides pick ups, are considered a sport car. Is that true? I kinda wanter a 4 door, but it wont matter because i can have anyone under the age of 18 in my car. I love maryland laws

Smike

iTrader: (8)

No, its goes by power to weight ratio, and other factors (safety...) Evos/STis have 4 doors - we pay sports car rates.

BTW - My old ZX3 was classifed as a wagon (because it was a hatch back 2 door). That was great - cheapest car I ever had to insure. And my 96 Impala SS was listed as a Caprice (becasue the SS was an option car) = cheap for a LT1.

So, before you buy a car, call your insurance or play online, see what your rates may be. You might find one that its not on their radar.

Illinest

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...ALCA%3AUS%3A11
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/car/102056786.html


You can pick up an LT4 Corvette which will run almost dead even with a stock C5, less than 70k miles and all the goodies for less than 15,000
under-rated at 330 HP
ZF6 six speed transmission

And these are usually well maintained cars, so reliability isn't necessarily going to be an issue, though you still should check em out thoroughly.

Compared to a Scion it's a no brainer.

You could try to find a tricked out Eclipse or something along those lines, but I think you're plum crazy if you're trusting the previous owner to have done the job right. 9 times out of 10 you'll find out it has major problems. Better to get an unmodified car.

As always, I admit I'm biased, but give it few rounds in your head. This is a lot of car for 15 grand.

Cops Lie

I really just want something to get from work to home, and a little sporty. Not to show off or anything but i dont want to be rockin a mini van you know. The way i think now is Im not gunna be doing 95 mph...ever. I just want a chill car that im not embaressed to drive.

I want saftey first, deff. Thats what drew me to a vw, they have some really stats in saftey. I liked the civic because it was just a car, nothing insanly special. I liked them both for their size. I learned on an escalade and that thing is a freakin TANK.

Illinest

in that case look at AWD cars.
crash test results are nice and all, but it's better to avoid the accident in the first place.
Dont you think?

Eclipse, Talon, any Subaru.
Start there.

Smike

iTrader: (8)

One of my first cars was a 92 Olds Bravada - damn thing was a tank too, but in MI thats a good thing. That got me to many hockey practices and games in the worst weather.

For what you have described - smaller, safe...check out that tC, I like that car, and its pretty nice. Might even be able to find a leased on or used one for less than 15K (since they are 15K new, I would think they would be much cheaper used).

Happy hunting.

Example:

http://autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ca...00&cardist=100

Illinest

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/sh...d.php?t=169570

There's a great starter for you. Save the other 10 for repairs, jic.
This car will be a ton of fun, has a great aftermarket, and is very safe due to AWD.

evomk8

I'm running the risk of sounding not only old but a bit like a jacka$$ here...
Depending on your age and driving experience, I would opt for something you know how to handle and feel safe and comfortable in.
If you are looking more for the SUV segment, the 2nd gen RAV4 or Subaru Forester get my votes for a good balance between handling, performance, safety and reliability.
If you are looking for a coupe, Scion tC is a good bet.
For a sedan, it depends on the size... Compact sedans just dobn't cut it for me on the safety scale (except the 2006 Civic maybe but those are over 17k+ out the door).
Used recent 4-banger Accord, Galant, Camry, Altima... all are good bets.

Cops Lie

ty ty

I like the eclipse, but i want to go to a dealership. That way if there is any problem its not a personal thing. This might be a dumb question, but i can get warentys and stuff on used cars from dealerships right?