Car enthusiasts assemble! Need some help picking one out...

[Mental Octopus]

car enthusiasts, mechanics, hobbyists, whatever - i am calling on you to provide some wisdom on what kind of car i should be looking for! please keep in mind that i know very little about cars...

right now, i drive a 1997 Volvo 850. This thing has been an absolute nightmare since I got it at age 16, my parents bought it for me and have put so much money (thousands) into maintaining it because something falls apart every 3 months on average. Right now it's in the shop, and since I just graduated college and am getting ready to venture out, my parents and me are talking about getting something else.

So here's what I know:

- Not sure if I'll use the car to commute, but I do enjoy taking weekend road trips and like to do some driving. It won't see heavy use everyday, though.
- I'd prefer a 2 door coupe, hatchback, or wagon. No SUV.
- Decent to good fuel economy in the city.
- Easy to repair
- Automatic transmission
- Need to be able to use it in the winter (I live in the northeast).

I've been looking into Honda and Volkswagen mostly, I like the diesel Golf's. Part of me wants to man up and learn how to drive stick because the Civic Si models look cool. Somebody told me that I should seriously consider a Mercedes diesel that was made in the early to mid 80's (?)....

The important thing is that I want quality and something that has a good reputation for being well put together. My parents are being very generous by helping me out with a new car, so if they offer to pay for it I'd like to be able to maintain with my own money down the line. I hope to keep whatever car I end up getting for a long time.

So I'm open to any suggestions... I'm eager to learn about what I should look for so I would appreciate any advice!

[Yerf Dog]

Ford Fiesta

[anyonefortennis]

Originally Posted by Yerf Dog

Ford Fiesta

If you are not a driving "enthusiast", the new fiesta coming to the US should be a really nice little car. Don't be afraid about it being new, this car has been a best seller in Europe for quite a while.

Also a Mazda 3 should be a strong contender.

[Mike N]

Chevy Cobalt.

[Jim Nazium]

Off the top of my head, some models to consider:
VW Golf / Rabbit / GTI
Subaru WRX / Outback
Honda Fit

All of these have room for a fair amount of bass gear.

I haven't driven a Fit, but the two Hondas that I owned were absolutely rock-solid reliable. If you can get past it's looks, the Fit has a ton of room inside, is cheap, and gets great gas mileage.

I had a Golf GTI (4 cyl turbo) that I liked a lot - fast, nice handling, good mileage, plenty of cargo room.

[warwick.hoy]

Originally Posted by Jim Nazium

Off the top of my head, some models to consider:
VW Golf / Rabbit / GTI
Subaru WRX / Outback
Honda Fit

All of these have room for a fair amount of bass gear.

I haven't driven a Fit, but the two Hondas that I owned were absolutely rock-solid reliable. If you can get past it's looks, the Fit has a ton of room inside, is cheap, and gets great gas mileage.

I had a Golf GTI (4 cyl turbo) that I liked a lot - fast, nice handling, good mileage, plenty of cargo room.

Winter Car = Subarus. If you can afford a newer car look at the EJs (motors in the WRXs, Legacies and Outbacks). Mileage isn't as great as a front wheel drive, but the AWD and smaller than SUV but SUV functionality are it's pros. Even the old Leone/Loyale can be driven into the ground and had for cheap. Newer EJ motors and AWD transmissions go into em easily.

I love my 95 Honda Accord Station Wagon. It has it's gremlins but aside from Tires, Oil changes and Gas,...I haven't had any major repairs to deal with.

[funkydjembe]

Originally Posted by warwick.hoy

Winter Car = Subarus. If you can afford a newer car look at the EJs (motors in the WRXs, Legacies and Outbacks). Mileage isn't as great as a front wheel drive, but the AWD and smaller than SUV but SUV functionality are it's pros. Even the old Leone/Loyale can be driven into the ground and had for cheap. Newer EJ motors and AWD transmissions go into em easily.

I love my 95 Honda Accord Station Wagon. It has it's gremlins but aside from Tires, Oil changes and Gas,...I haven't had any major repairs to deal with.

I agree, those japanese cars are reliable and easy/cheap to fix. In icy/snowy conditions imo the front wheel drive is better, especially when going uphill, it seems easier to get back your direction when the car starts to slide. Too bad that you don't want a stick shift though, maybe a personal opinion, but i will never go back to automatic. Right now i have a front wheel drive Citroen xantia 2.1 td stasjonwagen, great winter car,,love the heck out of it and you fit all your bass equipment and the guitarists' stuff too.

[MJ5150]

Buy a truck.

-Mike

[iamlowsound]

Originally Posted by Mike N

Chevy Cobalt.

I really hope you are joking. You are a mechanic and should know better than to suggest that.

lowsound

[Nedmundo]

I'd strongly recommend a Mazda 3 five door hatch. It's a strong value, and just an excellent overall car. The steering and handling are better than just about anything in the class. They've been reliable too. If possible, learn to drive stick. You'll save some money, and get more performance and control.

The Civic Si is great, provided you don't mind a really loud engine. It sounds great, but I wouldn't want it on a long road trip.

[Mike N]

Originally Posted by iamlowsound

I really hope you are joking. You are a mechanic and should know better than to suggest that.

lowsound

Why? Other than lower control arm bushings pulling out (cheap and easy fix), they're decent cars.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by Yerf Dog

Ford Fiesta

Or the Focus if you want a bit of a step up

[DRafalske]

VW Diesel.
+1 to learning to drive a stick. 50+mpg and they're tons of fun to drive.

[Kawai-chang]

Koenigsegg CCX.

But seriously, I'm looking hard at a VW GTI. Good room, good fun.

Subaru's are solid cars, heck anything from Japan is probably a good bet. When I lived in Utah it seemed as if they gave you one with your license, they were so prevalent.

Or, you could rock what I drive: 1994 Saturn Sl2. Dirt cheap, decent fuel consumption, and an absolute tank in snow. Seriously, I get surprised every winter at how good it handles the snow. As a bonus, it's uglier than 20 miles of bad road, so NOBODY wants to steal it!

[Brad Johnson]

There are a ton of great deals on used cars. That's what I would concentrate on.

[TechJunky]

I've got a 2008 Civic Si 4-door (look up ^), and my brother has an '09 Si 2-door. They're great cars. They handle very well, a moderately quick (not the fastest car by any means, but quick enough to enjoy driving...and the handling makes up for it by being able to carry a little more speed through corners), yet are reliable, and great everyday drivers. The ride is a little stiffer than most cars, but nothing too jarring, and as mentioned above it is a little bit louder (many people have asked if I have aftermarket exhaust, but it's still stock) though it's not that bad really. I average 27-28mpg with a mix of city and highway, and even if I drive almost all city I still get 24-25 easily. Straight highway, and I'm pushing 33-34mpg easy. You would have to learn to drive stick, but this car has one of the sweetest shifters of any car I've ever driven. I highly recommend it. And I live in Northeast PA, where we do get snow (though not as much as you would) and still drove it all winter. I wouldn't call it a "winter" car by any stretch, but it won't leave you stranded if a few flakes fall. Make sure you get all-season tires (or better yet, pitch the terrible stock tires and by new tires of your choice...winter tires are even better come snow season of course).

[jp58]

Subaru.

AWD, pretty nimble, and pretty good on maintenance/gas.

Also I third learning to drive a stick.