Agent Plissken

Ok, I just got my first serious job and its time to purchase a car.
Im thinking used (maybe 1 year old) I would like to have a little horse power (180 - 200 horses maybe) and want to spend under $20,000.
I know this is vauge but I would appreciate some help from people who follow the car market.
All suggestions welcome.

brainsmile

Camry?

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ray

Camry and Accord would certainly fit that price range/horsepower for a used car.

ufcrusher

I'm selling my '03 Mustang GT...without crossing forums, hit the link:

http://www.gotapex.com/forums/showth...576#post692576

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Agent Plissken

Sorry ufcrusher, I need financing since I dont have any money yet...
On another subject, what is a good site to check out stats and average prices of cars?

guiseppewv

Best: Edmunds.com

Other sites:
nada.com
kbb.com

cheapie

what? you can get a loan for a used car that you're buying from an individual. easily.

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bachviet

Accord V6
Camry V6
Maxima
Altima V6

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ski

2002/2003 Acura RSX

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look_ma

Especially with that 6 speed. RSX is definatly not a bad choice. I personally like rear wheel or AWD vehicles.

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bri

you should be able to get a 2004 subaru wrx for about $21k since the 2005 model just came out. they have low interest financing too

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OremuS

sure there are a ton of them on the roads these days, but when I was in your position 3 years ago, I bought a 2 year old Pontiac Grand Prix. It has been a great daily driver for me and has not presented any abnormal problems for me. I have put almost 70,000 miles on the car in the last 3 years, so I think that I can speak from experience. I would agree with most of the other recommendations though too...Camry, Accord, and Altima are high on my list for my next car.

ufcrusher

Exactly, but hey if hes not interested.....then no biggie. Credit unions and banks will often give better rates than going with factory financing.

BobyJo

Stay with Lexus (smaller models),& Toyota Camry these would be #1 choice. Honda Accord would be a good choice, close to Camry.
I would state that the Acra RSX would probably cost you in the area of $30,000 even a year or two old if in mint condition.
From there down, you could stay with the upper end of GM, Buick is an excellent choice.
The LeSabre Custom gets about 30mpg and the ride and quality compares with Toyota.
The Buick SUV's are a good look also.
Just remember if you want the fuel economy all SUV's probably get 18mpg or less. We have a 2004 Tahoe loaded with about everything that can be purchased and it gets about 18mpg on the highway, about 16mpg in the city, but the quality and ride and safety of this vehicle cannot be beat.
My wife drove Toyota vehicles for many years, but was rear ended by a lady at about 25mph, the Toyota was destroyed.
She then had a 1999 Tahoe and was hit at an angle across the front end, the bumper had to be replaced, but nothing wrong with the wife.
The large SUV's are expensive but very safe for the people inside if in an accident.

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look_ma

We are talking about the Acura RSX. whose base is 20k new. http://www.acura.com/bap/bap_step1a.asp?module=rsx
You are probably thinking of an acura TL, which are damn beautiful are are around 30k. a bump down from there is the TSX which is also nice.

attgig

Go to your local bank, and ask them to pre-approve you for a car loan for under 20k.

that way, you can go to a private seller. OR when you're at the dealership and they're trying to rip you off on financing, you can say, "no thanks, I have a good rate from the bank, and your number doesn't even come close to it." then they'll negotiate with you.

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bachviet

Or get an older GS300.

febstars19

Hey Agent Plissken...sorry...gonna borrow your post. =) I am actually in the same position. I have my first serious job starting in a month, and I am looking to purchase a car in the price range of 18K- 22K. Seems like majority of the posts recommend accord, camry, altima, or rsx. How do these 4 cars compare compare in terms of performance? I looked up the accord/camry (and there was also another post comparing the two) but I did not fully understand the details. Are there certain aspects that really differentiate these cars? Also, if this is my first car, is it recommended to get a used/new car?

Sorry..my questions are kind of ambiguous as I really do not have much knowledge about cars. I am going to look at some of the websites guiseppewv listed, but if anyone can give additional tips on where to begin, that would be great!

InfiniteNothing

Hey, what are you looking for in a car? You want a car that feels sporty: Mazdaspeed Protege, Sentra Spec V, SVT Focus, Celica GTS, RSX-S, Eclipse GTS, IS300 or something Sendanish: Accord, Camry Altima, Sonata 2seater??: Miata, MR2 Raceish? Mustang, Tiburon, Grandam More sporty?: RX8, WRX, crossfire, PT Cruiser Turbo, Neon SRT-4

If you narrow it down for us and make it multiple choice, we can better serve your needs. Also are you looking used or new?

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attgig

what do u want?
do u want a sedan?
2-door coupe/sports car?
SUV?
how long are you planning on keeping this car?

Agent Plissken

I want a sporty, used (1 - 2 years old), feels fast, nice interior, good gas mileage a plus. I am interested in knowing if the rx8, is any good, but i am not only interested in that car by any means.

ufcrusher

Just a heads up, when the RX8 first was on the market they misquoted the horsepower and had to pay reparations as a result of it, the customers choice was $ or return the car for a full refund. Supposedly, a large number of the people actually turned them in as the car was not what they expected or were led to believe it was when they bought it.

You may also want to check what your insurance is going to run on some of the cars such as the RSX type-S. My cousin just bought a new RSX but turned down the Type S due to the insurance difference.

You can also look at a CPO BMW 3 series that is a little older. You get the refinement, gas mileage, sporty feel, and all around good looking car. I have seen some CPO's 99 and 00 for about 20k that were nicely loaded.

If you are open to it, you can get some really good leases on Audis and BMW;s now. FOr example a new 3 series nicely equiped for $299/mo for 24 months.

look_ma

That does not make it a bad car, just shows they were taking care of their customers and not leaving them out in the wet.

ufcrusher

I didnt say it was a bad car, just alerting him to what was considered a problem with the car when it first came out, which might make it easier to find a used one.

InfiniteNothing

I highly recomend an RX8. I've never been in one moving but i've been in one on standing still and it is a really nice car. Test drive one yourself to see if it has the balls. It seems a bit out of your price range though. I'm wondering what a used S2000 goes for. Hey, where are you from Plissken? If you're not afraid of driving a neon (I know I am) look into the SRT4. It's some real cheap HP but you have to be under 27 to pull it off. New they are only 20.5K. See if you can get your hands on a CR car/april issue. You can learn quite a bit about different cars strengths and weeknesses.

Jeffbx

For the first time buyers:

Like ufcrusher said, check insurance rates before you buy! Single male drivers under the age of 25 are the highest risk drivers (according to the insurance industry), and so insurance rates can vary a great deal depending on what you're looking at. If you have a ticket or two under your belt, this is especially true.

Higher end foreign cars (BMW, Lexus, Audi, etc) will usually have higher rates... also, any convertable or 'sports' car will be higher, even within the same model line - BMW M3 vs 325, Grand Am GT vs. SE, Audi S4 vs. A4. You should line up an insurance agent BEFORE you make a decision & get rates on the different cars you're looking at. It could make a big difference, esp. if you're stretching your budget to get a used S4, and then finding out that the insurance will set you back another $3k/yr.

Maarchk

I got my first job last year and wanted a new car. i had the same basics wants as you guys and i got a 2004 rsx from carsdirect.com. The dealers wanted like 21 but they got it for me in the 19k range. It is silver with 5 speed. The horse power is pretty good and peppy when you step on it so i didn't go for the type S. Also that bumps up your insurance with the extra horsies. And well, i was trying to keep the costs down. I had a good experience with the online buying and would not mind donig it again.

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look_ma

how does carsdirect compare to autotrader? Look at carsdirect, seems very simular. Any insight would be great.

Maarchk

Umm i just used carsdirect. Not sure on autotrader. you basically just pick models and cars and look at them. they list you the price they can get it to you for. You find one you like. You pick color and features and then tell them about you. The guy calls you in like 10 minutes to confirm your order and tell you how things work. he calls his dealerships and calls you back in like 2-3 hours saying i have a car here that is like this. And if it fits your specs and is the one you want then you say yep i want that one. You fill out a form, fax them proof of insurance and your ID and explain how you will get the money and perhaps fax proof of loan. And then they call you with the info on when and where to pick it up which is a dealership. You go down to the dealer, fill out the paperwork and you are on your way. I went on the website tuesday morning and had my car that saturday morning. pretty smooth and easy. If you have more particular, questions please ask.

InfiniteNothing

Do the sell used? I think he's looking used.