We Started Looking For A Car For Me!

[indiasfinest]

okay, so i caught my dad looking for a car since he won't let me drive any of his cars, (i just got my permit), im pretty pumped, we started discussing cars and he said we will go and check out some dealerships, i really want a 2003 honda accord ex (V6), they look really nice, im thinking my budget is around 13k, suggestions?

[bartkat]

Get a Honda Accord.

[amf1932]

okay, so i caught my dad looking for a car since he won't let me drive any of his cars, (i just got my permit), im pretty pumped, we started discussing cars and he said we will go and check out some dealerships, i really want a 2003 honda accord ex (V6), they look really nice, im thinking my budget is around 13k, suggestions?

If you locate the Honda you're interested in, give us more info about the car, mileage, condition, price, etc.

[denslexusgx470]

okay, so i caught my dad looking for a car since he won't let me drive any of his cars, (i just got my permit), im pretty pumped, we started discussing cars and he said we will go and check out some dealerships, i really want a 2003 honda accord ex (V6), they look really nice, im thinking my budget is around 13k, suggestions?

Congrats on the permit, and a Honda Accord is a very good choice! With a budget of 13k, you should get a nice, fair mileage, 03 V6 EX Accord because my friend is looking for a car with only an 8k budget, and he's finding Hondas around $8k or less that are high mileage, and usually a little beaten up so you should be able to get a nice vehicle with that price range. Heck, if you really want to stretch it a little, you could get yourself a brand new Scion (dont they cost about that much??) ;)

[indiasfinest]

yea i looked into scions though and the only ones that appeal to me are the tcs which unless you want to get them base, are usually 20k, i dont know if my parents will let me get the V6, the way they see it is, worse gas mileage and a faster car for a teenager, honestly though the only reason i want to get it is because (it appears) that only the upgraded V6s have leather seats (power seats etc), so yea, i want a white one :D im pretty excited, i think ts gonna happen soon because my parents wont let me drive their cars and i need a car to practice on.

[denslexusgx470]

yea i looked into scions though and the only ones that appeal to me are the tcs which unless you want to get them base, are usually 20k, i dont know if my parents will let me get the V6, the way they see it is, worse gas mileage and a faster car for a teenager, honestly though the only reason i want to get it is because (it appears) that only the upgraded V6s have leather seats (power seats etc), so yea, i want a white one :D im pretty excited, i think ts gonna happen soon because my parents wont let me drive their cars and i need a car to practice on.

I think the 4 cylinder EX models have leather, power seats and sunroof too, just not the dual exhaust (and engine obviously lol). But yea, there's a difference in insurance price between a 4 and 6 cylinder, and even between a DX. LX, EX, and Special Edition! ;)

[indiasfinest]

speaking maturely, i dont need the extra cylinders lol, but certainly wouldn't mind them, yea i just noticced while i was looking for cars and i found some V4s with leather seats, its just much more common for the V6s than the V4s which is what lead me to that conclusion, but does anyone have any other suggestions for cars? as mentioned previously my budget is in the ballpark of 13k, open to all suggestions

[denslexusgx470]

speaking maturely, i dont need the extra cylinders lol, but certainly wouldn't mind them, yea i just noticced while i was looking for cars and i found some V4s with leather seats, its just much more common for the V6s than the V4s which is what lead me to that conclusion, but does anyone have any other suggestions for cars? as mentioned previously my budget is in the ballpark of 13k, open to all suggestions

Actually, they're I-4s (inline 4 cylinder lol) but it's ok. I'm familiar with Hondas actually. lol.. What other cars interest you? A fairly used TC could be possible within your budget but it depends on what you really want! Like do you prefer a 4 door car, 2 door coupe, sports car (like MR2 spyder, S2000, etc) SUV?? There's a lot of possibilities! ;)

[Rya]

Congrats on the permit! Yippie on the Accord.... my brother is an engineer with Honda!

Statistics on teenage driving accidents: http://drivehomesafe.com/teen_driving_fata..._start_page.htm

Be careful!

[denslexusgx470]

Congrats on the permit! Yippie on the Accord.... my brother is an engineer with Honda!

Statistics on teenage driving accidents: http://drivehomesafe.com/teen_driving_fata..._start_page.htm

Be careful!

Interesting, one reason is because teens drive mostly smaller vehicles? Omg, imagine if all teens (like me lol) drive an SUV, then it'd be more gory out there because these things can really kill someone if misused or if it gets into an accident! I mean it could save the lives of the teens inside the SUV but what about the other people involved in the accident that drive, a smaller car! Let's not forget about the people in sedans and coupes, cuz not everyone drives a safe Lexus! lol..

[indiasfinest]

lol yea i saw that it was an inline for just failed to mention it haha, yea i think i like coupes more than any thing adn than after that sedans, and than SUVs, theres no way im getting a sports car lol

[Rya]

We just need to remember it's not the small cars causing the accidents.... it's the impared drivers, careless drivers, speedy drivers, etc. I don't drive a small car & 2 out of my 3 vehicles (I'm only on car 3 - wow) have been SUV's. But as a new driver, just be careful.

There was an accident in Cleveland last weekend. A teenage diver was speeding & on his cell phone. He ran a red light & struck & killed a teenage pedistrian. He was not impared - so speed & being on his phone caused him to kill someone.

I just want you to be careful, that's all.

[LexKid630]

What about a Camry?

[nc211]

my advice to new drivers, or drivers with a new car, is to take the car to an empty parking lot some evening, and learn it's limits, learn how it will feel when you stomp on the brakes, learn where the car will break loose on traction, learn the balance, and get comfortable with car in high-strain situations. Trust me, you will be amazed at how quickly your instincts can react in those split second situations if you've already seen how the car can handle. I took the LS out after I got it to an old abandonded movie theatre parking lot, and did donuts, peel outs, hard turns, got the abs to work, etc... It has come in quite handy on more than one occasion when someone stomps on the brakes in front me on the freeway... My instincts know I won't make it, the car can't "dart" that well, so I forcefully but not panically stand on the brakes, and gently swerve to his/her side, giving room for the car behind me to stop, and more importantly, not rearend me!

I can honestly say, that I would not be alive today if it had not been for the great handling of my 1st car, a 1987 VW GTI. Kids and cars is bad enough, but to put them in an unforgiving vehicle is nuts. 16 year olds will see how fast it goes, no matter what "it" is. 16 year olds will see how well it will corner, no matter what "it" is. Might as well give them a mildly powered vehicle whos handeling characteristics will scare them, before they scare it.

That's just my 2 cent$.

For the record, i've been in 2 wrecks in my 18 years of "official" driving. One was at 23 when an idiot in a truck T-boned me while in a studio minivan "his fault". The other at 17, riding in the back seat of a 92 4door blazer after school, hot-doggin' in a mud field and flipped it two times at 60 mph. One was wrong place wrong time....the other was just sheer stupidity, and warrants the phrase "it's not your enemies that will get you into trouble, it's your friends!". I can assure you, if it had not been for the severe concussion from the accident, I would have been worse off from the beating my dad was about to put on me for being in that situation to begin with.... And that retired Colnel doesn't mess around with stupidity.

Don't forget..... it's not your enemies...it's your friends... and when you become street legal, you're gonna have A LOT of friends.

[branshew]

It always kills me to see people posting on car websites that can't even drive yet (legally)? No offense meant at all - it's just sort of humerous to me. An Accord would be a good car for you. I wish my first car was an Accord.

My $0.02 would tell you to also check out a VW Passat. You can easily find a 2003-2004 in your price range, and they're common w/ leather, heated seats, etc. in the 4 cyl version. The 4cyl is turbocharged and they are a lot more fun to drive than an Accord or Camry. They are also a lot less "middle age man" type cars. While the Passat probably isn't quite as reliable as the Accord overall, my Passat has been very good to me and I have only done the scheduled maintenance and fixed the wear & tear items on it as required (brakes, Tires, T-Belt, etc...). Besides - your dad can afford the repairs... The Passats also come w/ 6 airbags standard and a 5 star safety rating, traction control, etc. The fit and finish also seems more upscale than a Camry or Accord. I'm no schill for VW, but I think that you would be doing yourself a disservice by at least not looking into one. Drive the Accord First, then drive the Passat and tell me which car you like more...

[Rya]

You can also give this a try: http://autos.msn.com/decision/default.aspx

A quick little survey to help with the decision making process. It will just give you all of the options that fit your criteria.

Gas mileage estimator: http://www.autohopper.com/fuel_economy_car...gas_mileage.asp

Just an FYI: Consumer Reports lists these vehicle as ones to avoid- 2002 Volkswagen Passat 4cyl, Volkswagen Passat 1998-2000 (found this online). I'm sure the newer ones have fixed the kinks.

[indiasfinest]

thanks for all the help guys!

[branshew]

You can also give this a try: http://autos.msn.com/decision/default.aspx

A quick little survey to help with the decision making process. It will just give you all of the options that fit your criteria.

Gas mileage estimator: http://www.autohopper.com/fuel_economy_car...gas_mileage.asp

Just an FYI: Consumer Reports lists these vehicle as ones to avoid- 2002 Volkswagen Passat 4cyl, Volkswagen Passat 1998-2000 (found this online). I'm sure the newer ones have fixed the kinks.

I have an '02 Passat 4 cyl and I have never had any issues. They had a lot of problems with a faulty batch of coil packs in early production, but that problem would have reared its head and been fixed by now in any used car. The 1.8T engine had a sludge problem if not maintained properly (i.e. change the oil when prescribed), but Toyota/Lexus also had a sludge problem on their V6 engines. Honda has serious transmission issues in the TL, Accord, Odyssey, & Pilots so it goes to show that you can have potential problem areas with any manufacturer.

I used to be a firm believer in Consumer Reports, but I have come to disagree with a lot of their conclusions - especially on cars. Their reliability ratings are only based on their subscriber base and not the general population of cars on the road. They nitpick on minor details or things that should be obvious to begin with like when they criticized the Toyota Highlander for having a very small 3rd row seat. No *BLEEP* - WTF did they think it was going to be like in the back of a compact SUV- it's not a Suburban? They complain about most cars HID lamps having a sharp cutoff (OK - so we should all go back to halogen lamps instead??) Here's what they had to say about the new GS: "The shifter's zigzag gate is a bit awkward to navigate." Come on...

[Rya]

I know, I don't believe everything I read either. I just provided the links as another point-of-reference. I try to dig up any & all info before I buy anything expensive.... that's why I ended up here (and aparently never left).