What to get as a good first car
 

I'll be going to college in a few years, and may or may not need to get a car.

I've had my license a year now and use my mom's Honda Accord and my dad's Ford F-150, with the Accord in use most.

I thought I'd get an excessive head start on finding good car possibilities, so does anyone have any good suggestions? Note that I'd likely be buying used to save money, so unless the car is cheap new, try to stick to older models. I also despise SUV's, minivans, crossovers, and the like, too, due to personal taste.

This post can also be for anyone else who is unsure of what FIRST (haha) car to get.


So far I've found a few possibilities:

Honda Accord, Civic, Fit
VW Jetta
Mini Cooper

I don't really like American cars, apparently.

Re: What to get as a good first car
 

First focus needs to be on safety. A new-enough car with at least anti-lock brakes and airbags, and larger rather than smaller. Check the IIHS and NHTSA safety ratings. Also, remember that in a collision, mass wins.

Second needs to be reliability. Stranded is a bummer, but it can be dangerous as well (first point)

Then check the classifieds or eBay for what kind of car you can get for the money you have. Keep $1000 aside (for a $5000 car) for repairs; nobody sells a perfectly fine car, regardless of the story.

If you're not a car expert, pay a mechanic or dealer $250-300 for a pre-purchase inspection. Not only will this prevent a serious error, you'll know what to spend the remaining money of your $1000 on. Safety things first (tires, brakes, steering system, suspension), reliability next.

ANY car with ANY rust should be crossed off your list, unless you expect to keep the car for only a year or 2. Or really have very little money. If the car has all the maintenance records, that means someone cared about it.

The last thing to consider is maintenance costs. You can buy a 1988 Mercedes 300E in good condition for $4k (both safe & reliable), but remember it still costs like the $40k car it was to maintain. Learn the basic jobs, like oil & filter, fluids, tire pressure & rotation, maybe even brakes, to save a lot here.

I've been a car engineer for 25 years. Do this and you'll be satisfied.

Oh, and remember: A car can be painted any color for under $500.

Re: What to get as a good first car
 

Thanks for the advice.

Re: What to get as a good first car
 

Volvo 544

1959 Chevy pickup

1993 Ford Crown Victoria

(these are examples of good first cars from personal experience, they may or may not be good for you)

Re: What to get as a good first car
 

Also consider fuel mileage. More mass = a bigger force to get the same acceleration. Gas can really add up.

Re: What to get as a good first car
 

I'll assume you want a used car—new is just too expensive. Also, I'll assume this is mainly for commuting, and occasionally for moving in and out of wherever you're living while at school. Those needs aren't particularly special, so you can probably rely on Consumer Reports for ratings.

Accords and Civics are decent cars, but they do get stolen an awful lot (seriously). Is that a consideration? The Jetta and the Mini are probably going to be expensive to maintain.

You might want to consider something like an 8-year-old Protegé (or Protegé 5). A Fit is practical as well, and gets good mileage, but likely more expensive to maintain. If you can deal with ugly, there's always stuff based on the Corolla—they're cheap to buy, operate and maintain.

Re: What to get as a good first car
 

I am actually looking for a first car as well (so I have done a lot of research, it also helps when your dad is a total gearhead). If I have learned anything from my research it is that you should take your time when shopping for a used car, especially if it is no rush. The listings that you find in the classifieds will change quite often, so keep your eye out. You will see a car that you like eventually.
And by the way, I like the idea of the 95 Chevy pickup.

Re: What to get as a good first car
 

My number one advice is know what you need. Sometimes a person will sell a perfectly fine car if they are "trading up". My car has no air conditioning and no powered locks or windows. These are things alot of people want in their car, but I'm ok without them. This allowed me to get a car that was otherwise great with low mileage for a fair price. Do you need a cd player? remote starter? powered windows? These are all questions to think about. My car came with a cd player, but it definitely wasn't on my list of needs. It was a bonus.

Jason

Re: What to get as a good first car
 

Forget anything German if you're going for low cost of ownership. No BMW, VW, Audi, or Mini (owned by BMW) etc. Some people have great luck with them, many don't.

Crown Victoria's are good first cars (my first car, as it were). I would also consider a Focus.

You're going to pay a premium in the used market for anything with "Honda" stuck to it, but it will probably be a decent car.

Mazda has several good offerings, but I would look at the large used Mazda3 and Mazda6 market.

As don suggested, keep $1k on-hand for repairs. You're saving money in the initial purchase price by going used, but you will spend more money in maintenance and repairs. It's just how cars work. If you're want to go the self-reliance route I would set aside $300-$500 for tools, like a jack, jack-stands, socket set, spark plug tool, oil filter wrench, torque wrenches, etc.

Re: What to get as a good first car
 

Some college kids drive like the biggest nut jobs you'll ever see. Save your first 'nice' car purchase for after college so you're not so focused on someone damaging your nice car; waiting will also make it more satisfying.

DO NOT PURCHASE THE CAR IN THE COLLEGE TOWN. Sorry for yelling. If you buy it from a college kid, it probably won't last another 4 years without a major breakdown sometime (sorry for stereotyping and/or projecting, but I've been there...). College kids aren't known for having enough money to do preventative maintenance on cars. Don's advice is sound -- do the 'small stuff' yourself.

Re: What to get as a good first car
 

I tend to be a fan of new cars. For going off the college a Honda Civic or Toyota Yaris.

We planned our car buying in our family so that my daughter got a hand-me-down 1999 Accord when she was a HS senior in 2005/2006, drove it through college, still driving it at her new job. The next car she will have she will pay for herself...

That way I'm buying new and I REALLY know the car history....

Reliability, safety, low cost of operation and ownership is what a college student needs.

After school, feel free to blow up your wallet.

Re: What to get as a good first car
 

You could always have the team build you a car. :) All jokes/things we really want to happen aside, I hear the yaris is good. I am also one of the many fans of new cars, even though I don't have a car yet. IMO, the car with the best technology that's useful to you would help the most.

Re: What to get as a good first car
 

Avoid Pontiac vehicles if possible, especially mid-90s to mid-00s. I and several of my acquaintances have had major (costly) electrical issues with these cars.
I'll throw in another vote for Ford Escort, Toyota Corolla (or any of its sister cars). Saturn makes a good automobile, but in my experience they fit a certain body type that I just don't have.

Re: What to get as a good first car
 

Good advise from Jason. Define the requirements FIRST. It's just like building a robot ;)

I have always been interested in cars, so having an unreliable college car was a great thing, I learned all kinds of neat things about how cars work (and what makes them not work). It helped that my part time jobs during college were car related--first at an auto salvage yard, then at a transmission shop.

I doubt this is how normal people look at buying a car for college, but hey, this is robotics, and we're not normal people.

Re: What to get as a good first car
 

The Accords and Civics that get stolen are mid 90's models. More recent ones aren't anywhere near the most stolen list. Only 10% of stolen Accords are from 2000 or later.