|
Re: What to get as a good first car
Being a car nut (thanks to my dad) for as long as I can remember, I usually get asked this question by my older friends. A good first car is a very broad concept. It depends what your looking for, or what your limits are. However, there is some kind of standard for what makes a car a good car for a newer, younger, and less experienced driver.
One major thing is price. Some parents feel their kid will be a great driver, and get them a really nice car to reward them. There are kids at my school who got cars like Jaguars, Mercedes, BMW's, and other high-end, and very expensive cars for their first ride. This is not generally a good idea. Being less experienced on the road along with the younger generation's tendency to be somewhat reckless and try and be daredevils, and giving them a higher horsepower, faster, and very costly to get and maintain will significantly increase the chance of an accident. So definitely go for an inexpensive and relatively low-power car.
Another important factor is safety. A small and fast sports car is not the safest thing you could be in. Get into a crash with a large truck or something, and you, and your car, will be toast. A better idea would to be to go for either a mid-size sedan/coupe or a crossover/mid-size SUV. Make sure you check the safety ratings of a car. Companies like Ford, Nissan, Toyota, Hyundai, Subaru, and many others have plenty of inexpensive cars and are well known for high safety ratings.
Something to keep in mind is that the car does not necessarily have to be a new model. A used car from the 90s and 2000s can be a lot cheaper to get, and sometimes the better choice. Plus, would you want to take the chance of ruining a brand new 2011-2012 car when you could just get an older car that may be a little dirty or dented but still looks just fine?
There are other factors, but most of them are just common sense. An ideal first car would probably be something around these parameters:
-Price range: New:$15,000-25,000 / Used: Varied
-Horsepower: under 250
-Size/Type: Mid-size sedan/coupe/crossover/SUV/5-door hatchback
-High safety rating
-Seating for at least 4
-Good mileage for both city and highway / City: above 14 mpg / Highway: above 16-18 mpg (this will help save you money on gas)
-Reliability: do research to see how the car fares in terms of maintenance. How often do things break? How much does maintenance usually cost? Etc.
Here are some of my personal choices, as well as my dad's:
-Subaru Impreza (base model): My dad and I both like this car for a possible candidate as a first car for me. He owns a Subaru already, and loves the safety, reliability, capabilities in rough weather, and overall driving experience. Any year is fine, just don't go for the more powerful WRX or WRX STI, stick with the base model. The new one I think starts in the high teens
-Toyota Camry, Corrola: All are generally inexpensive and some of the most popular cars for the average person
-Nissan Altima, Maxima, Sentra: Similar to Toyota, but I prefer these over Toyota a little more
-Honda Civic and Accord: My second choice (Accord) as well as the Civic are very good cars. Both are well under the high 20's in pricing and are very reliable. Even the Pilot is a great first car, and actually when my mom gets a new truck, I will be getting her 2004 Pilot, and I like it a lot. The only downside is it is a little more expensive than the others, but is a worthwile investment
-Ford Focus, Fusion: Ah, good ol' USA. Well made and very good choices. Only thing is that they are a smidgen more expensive. Still a top pick for me
If I come up with anymore, I will add. I hope you find this useful.
Good Luck!
__________________
"I reject your reality, and substitute my own!" -Adam Savage
Check me out on Twitter or Facebook
Acoustical Engineering & Music major at the University of Hartford / Hartt School of Music Class of 2017
Last edited by J.Warsoff : 21-10-2011 at 11:54.
|