Girlfriend needs a new car..suggestions?

Shawn5800

Shawn5800

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Hey guys, my girlfriend will be starting a new job shortly and she needs a reliable car to commute with good gas mileage. Her 2001 Focus we bought off a junkyard lot for $1400 has been somewhat of a headache but for the money we paid it lasted. Obviously i would prefer her driving a corolla but she doesn't like the styling. She absolutely loves the focus and wants a newer one but i want some opinions, besides what i read on consumer reviews. I plan on doing routine maintenance, i wont be neglecting the car. Were looking for something 2005 and up for no more than $11,000.

I was looking into the focus, cobalt, impreza, mazda 3, civic ( not those long dash versions, they make her sick when driving lol). We live in Massachusetts so we do experience winters. I would really prefer something that she wont be coming to me every other month saying..."so.. my car had a weird noise today.." You guys know what i mean!

Thanks in advance for the help!
 
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RE: Focus, Civic

It sounds like you got what you paid for but don't let that stop you from taking another look at Ford.

I made the jump from a Ford Focus to a 4runner. I picked the Focus because back then I needed a cheap small car for the highway. I didn't like the interior of the Chevy Cobalt.The plastic moldings for the parts felt cheap like I could have made this in my high school plastics class. It has been some time since then so I am sure changes have probably been made. I had a Focus, I kept that thing better than excellent condition and I never had any problems with it. If I had anything bad to say against it, I would say I didn't like the side view mirrors, they couldn't fold and a carwash took my driver's side mirror right off. That was $200 down the drain. The Mazda I never have had any experience with. The Civic is well, a Civic. You can't go wrong with a Civic. My wife drove a Civic and she also kept it in great condition and it would probably run forever knowing those cars. So yeah, Ford Focus and Honda Civic is what my wife and I had our own experiences with. We eventually got the vehicles we both really wanted. Not to take away from what got us to that point. That is our experiences and my opinion. Good luck in your decision.
 
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Look into Subaru. The outback and legacy get 25-35 mpg depending on what engine and model you get. Plus they are all full time all wheel drive which depending on what part of the country you live in can be very helpful in winter months.
 
The Focus is such a piece of junk...

We have a lot of focuses at our dealership's Enterprise Rent a Car... they all constantly have problems. My favorite is that on every single one of them, the headlight brackets break for no apparent reason.

Well, the no reason other than it being a Ford...
 

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My vote for a reliable car will ALWAYS be a civic that has been well cared for. Honda Accords (and now a civic) are all my mother drives, and with regular care, she never has issues. Each one was purchased barely used (less than a year), dealer serviced, and sold around 175k to a friend so she could upgrade. Every one of them is still on the road.
 
I believe a Honda CRV to be a great vehicle for a woman. Dead-bang reliable, good visibility, very practical, 4WD on most, reasonable mpg - not exactly beautiful. Wife's on her second one and I bought my daughter one.

They hold value too.
 
get an import... don't go domestic. The only reason, in my opinion, that people buy domestic cars nowadays is either, 1) cool gadgets, or 2) supporting the American economy, 3) price. If your really looking for a reliable car, look into Japanese cars. Honda, toyota, mazda, all seem to have pretty good ratings.

Have her find a car that she thinks is moderately good looking too. If she gets a car that she will just "have to cope with"... shes going to want to get rid of it her first chance. Camry's are always nice, some arn't so "nice" on the eyes though. I second the vote for civics though, its a relatively cheap car, but still holds together like a good car should.

Happy hunting.:hunter:
 
Daron-t4r said:
get an import... don't go domestic. The only reason, in my opinion, that people buy domestic cars nowadays is either, 1) cool gadgets, or 2) supporting the American economy, 3) price. If your really looking for a reliable car, look into Japanese cars. Honda, toyota, mazda, all seem to have pretty good ratings.

Have her find a car that she thinks is moderately good looking too. If she gets a car that she will just "have to cope with"... shes going to want to get rid of it her first chance. Camry's are always nice, some arn't so "nice" on the eyes though. I second the vote for civics though, its a relatively cheap car, but still holds together like a good car should.

Happy hunting.:hunter:
Click to expand...

I agree, but I will mention that Mazda has been a subsidiary of Ford since at least '93. They were good cars back when the 1st gen Probe was an MX-6 in Ford clothing. They all went horribly south after that, when the MX-6 became a Ford in ugly Ford-designed Mazda clothing.


I wouldn't touch a new Mazda with a 10 foot pole if I could help it.
 
I'd say that a civic would probably be best if you are looking for a something that is long lasting and cheap on fuel. I drove them for years and they treated me quite well considering I drove them hard. A subaru is a great vehicle as well but with most being awd they may cost a bit more in the maintenance category and if you plan on doing the wrenching yourself they can be a little more difficult.
 
2005+ MK5 Jetta or Golf, they aren't dreary piles of beige like you get with a civic and corolla's, and the base motor has 170hp or so, they go for about $10k used. The 2.5 motor doesn't really have major issues and the auto DSG gearbox (most girls like autos) is a great gearbox as long as it was serviced when recommended.
 
I say Subaru if you can find one! They get good gas mileage and they are good in the snow because they're full time AWD. Impreza, outback, outback sport, etc. are all good ones. My mom has an outback and two of my neighbors have impreza WRX's and they are all great, not one problem yet and all over 7 years old!
 
Thanks for all the responses guys! Anything Volkswagen im sorry but i have NEVER had luck with. We will probably looking at the Focus vs civic. Maybe even the Fiesta considering there brand new around $12k.

Thanks for all the responses guys! Much appreciated!
 
FWIW, Consumer Reports just released their latest vehicle quality rankings...

1> Subaru
2> Mazda
3> Toyota
4> Honda

I've had two Subarus, my wife currently drives a 2001 Subaru Forester and I'm hoping that she'll upgrade to a new Forester this year. Subarus are great cars for the money... very reliable, safe, AWD, decent mileage, and all three that I've had have had heated seats!
 
I just read recently that Mazda made the list on Top 10 least dependable vehicles for 2012....along with chrysler, jeep, dodge (yes I know they are the same), Kia, Jaguar, VW, I don't remember the others. My sister has an '05 RAV4. 135,500 miles, runs like new and never any problems. My dad bought it new, handed it to me at 116,000 miles, and my sister got it at 129,000 when I got the 4Runner. And the full time 4WD is great in the snow, never got stuck. A friend of mine bought a '98 corolla for $1000 with only 140,000 miles on it, runs perfectly fine.

EDIT: Here's that list I saw: http://247wallst.com/2012/02/16/the-least-dependable-cars-in-america/
 
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