Car shopping

[TheShaun]

Soon to be in the market for a second car. The car won't get much road time so not looking for anything new or over the top. Looking for suggestions or ideas on makes/models to consider. The only real points on my checklist are, should be sporty, and should have trunk space for a set of golf clubs. Budget will be $15K or less. Prefer trunk over hatch. No trucks, jeeps, SUVs, etc.

Couple on my list right now are the Hyundai Genesis Coupe and Scion FRS.

 

[Billski]

Go to : autoblog.com

 

[Lightcs1776]

For $15k or less, you can find a lot of vehicles, including basic trucks. Good luck with the search.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[ColtRevolver]

Honda or Toyota something or another gets my vote

 

[chromedometone]

You might be able to find a Kia Forte GT used in that range. It’s a fun little car to zoom around in. And, the modern Kia’s aren’t like the ones of yesteryear. Reliable, comfortable, and up to date.

 

[Cricket1]

Miata

 

[FarmerTan]

Get a real old 30ish? year old Buick or Oldsmobile station wagon from down south. No one else will have one. Should be able to get one in Florida with a great body and frame for less than 5 grand and make it like new for less than 10 grand more. Seriously. "Estate Wagon?"

 

[Boghopper]

I know you said trunk over hatch.....but. Golf GTI
Put your golf clubs in the Golf. It even has a golf ball shift knob.

 

[H4nk]

Infiniti or Acura would be my pick

 

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

My mechanic of many years now gave us good advice after we had been pouring money into a Volvo. "Just buy anything from Asia, anything." So Toyota and Honda it was. Now we hardly ever see him except for oil changes.

 

[Bakker1964]

Mazda 3 is a decent car. Wife loves hers.

 

[Billski]

Mazda 3 is a decent car. Wife loves hers.

And I love mine, a 2010 Model.

 

[dfoulk]

Honda or Toyota as well. Have owned several over the years and they've always been rock solid. My daughter has a couple hundred thousand miles on her 2007 Honda Accord right now. We chose it for her after a guy at work was telling me he put 500,000 miles on his accord doing, nothing much maintenance wise other than, oil changes. He only got rid of it because of rust from the salt on the roads had eaten it up. He hated letting it go because it still ran great.

 

[shavefan]

If you go with a Toyota product, avoid the 4cyl engines from certain years (2006-2011, 2AZ-FE engine) you might get one that goes through oil like I go through Ben & Jerry's.

 

[Hydguy]

look for an early C5 Corvette. Nothing quite as sporty as a Corvette, and you can get matching clubs. Yea, it has a hatch, but it beats everything else out there in the sub in that price range for sportiness,

 

[FarmerTan]

My mechanic of many years now gave us good advice after we had been pouring money into a Volvo. "Just buy anything from Asia, anything." So Toyota and Honda it was. Now we hardly ever see him except for oil changes.

You are sadly correct my friend. I have always bought used; too cheap to buy new. And I have had hardly any problems with Japanese vehicles. I've literally owned cars and trucks from Asia, Europe, US. I can get good discounts on any American car because I live in Michigan; all my relatives work for or retired from the Big Three, lol. Do they still give family discounts?

Anyway, because I ALWAYS let someone else take the hit on depreciation by buying used I'll never need a discount. But when my rich Unkle dies I'm buying a used Avalon.

Now, if they ever make a front wheel drive VW pickup again I'd buy it new in a heartbeat! Recapture my youth! And I think I could get in it myself. Just not be able to get out!

 

[FarmerTan]

If you go with a Toyota product, avoid the 4cyl engines from certain years (2006-2011, 2AZ-FE engine) you might get one that goes through oil like I go through Ben & Jerry's.

Don't say that! Is my 2007 Toyota Yaris 4 door okay? It honestly looks like the synthetic oil is still brand new after 7500 miles.

 

[Avi]

My mechanic of many years now gave us good advice after we had been pouring money into a Volvo. "Just buy anything from Asia, anything." So Toyota and Honda it was. Now we hardly ever see him except for oil changes.

Volvo is owned by china now

 

[FarmerTan]

Volvo is owned by china now

Did not know that.

And I know everything. My wife evens thinks so.

She calls me "Mr Know It All!"

 

[Avi]

Did not know that.

And I know everything. My wife evens thinks so.

She calls me "Mr Know It All!"

Haha this is pretty recent I think. I do agree with the Asian reliability - but what I have heard is the Toyotas of the world are reliable enough to take abuse (e.g. ignore the paranoid maintenance / replacement that is recommended - and they still survive - and apparently past 5 years most of of us are not good about the 10K services). VW / Audi - weirdly - is now on top of the Consumer Reports reliability (so I definitely recommend those Golfs / GTI's as fun cars). The thing you have to do is just maintain the hell out of it. I have a "bought new" German car from 2008 (2009 model) - street / non-garage parked in NE winters pretty much all its life - now with 140K miles on it and to be honest it still drives like I bought it. Random things go that you just have to expect [brakes / water pumps / compressors etc ] but its all cheaper than buying a new car in my mind and reasonably fun to drive