Car Discussion..

[M I K E V]

Alright, I've got about $20-$23 grand I'd like to spend on a car and have been dicing between all sorts of things. I have been looking and researching cars since about May but haven't came to any conclusions on a make or model. Initially I was leaning towards smaller SUV's (I drive a 97 CRV right now), but am now starting to lean towards hatchbacks and sport wagons. I have been researching Audi's and Saab's but have found neutral commentary on repair costs. Some say regular dealer maintenance will prevent more costly repairs but other complain of consistently higher fees. Premium fuel isn't a big concern for me provided the vehicle gets good mileage. I have been considering outbacks, GTI's, A3's, 9-3 (wagon), and haven't been able to commit to anything. I'm looking to make a purchase before I head back to school so any experiences with wagons or cars mentioned would be appreciated.

Keep in mind I'm not really interested in cars that do not have good reliability records as I'm looking to own a car for 8-10 years or so. Good mileage, cargo space, and decent kick (2.0T) are all big factors for me.

[dukiedude13]

Fuckin shit... we should call this the official car thread!


Kidding aside, I've always loved the Mazda 3 hatchback. The old one. My friend has one. But Idon't know much about cars either

[LAXitives288]

mazdaspeed 3 is pretty rad for a functional but quick DD

[dkenn75]

Love my A3. No major problems with my 06 @ 72K miles. Friend has an 08 Mazda 3 hatch and drives like a mad man and loves his as well. Grab a hatch, you won't be disappointed.

[MaStEr IrOc]

i dont know what they run, but the new subaru wrx sti's are sick. probably way out of your range, but they would be tight to have

[LAXitives288]

i dont know what they run, but the new subaru wrx sti's are sick. probably way out of your range, but they would be tight to have


I dont know if this exists but what if there was like this thing where you could search for information that you didnt know like the msrps for cars and shit like that, i'm pretty sure we dont have the technology for something like that but it would be tight to have.

[M I K E V]

I dont know if this exists but what if there was like this thing where you could search for information that you didnt know like the msrps for cars and shit like that, i'm pretty sure we dont have the technology for something like that but it would be tight to have.


so any experiences with wagons or cars mentioned would be appreciated.


Yeah definitely would be good to have that. MSRP's would tell me a lot about individual experience.

[LAXitives288]

That was directed at master iroc as he suggested a scoobie sti, which is what, $7k over budget? You posed a perfectly reasonable question. I edited my post for clarity.

[M I K E V]

fail by me

[Hotboxcomp]

used forster turbo

[MaStEr IrOc]

depending on where you get them, you can find them for about 24K used with less than 5K miles on it. looked up on autotrader.com that was for a 2010 also. so you can probably find a 2008 or 2009 for less

[unorthadox]

My friends Dad had the old Audi wagon and it was always in for repairs. Word on the street now is that they've improved their quality guidelines and the upkeep isn't as bad. Make sure to check in to this though before picking an Audi.

I just got a Mazda 3 Sedan last summer and have been loving it. Got it used at 45k and up to 76k now with no issues. Only things is replacing air filters, some tranny flushes, standard maintenance. Maybe spent $500 total on it, plus two pairs of new tires. If you are considering a practical car that needs minimal upkeep and will last I would look into the Mazda 3i (hatchback) for sure. You can get them pretty cheap (under 24k for sure) or go for the MazdaSpeed option.

[fireball]

i cant help but smile every time a see a mk4 gli. they are sooo sexy. Im also a fan of audi wagons. You defiantly have your ducks in a line, now all you have to do is pick which one you like the most.

[DT]

I'd stay the hell away from Saab. Those kind of smaller brands have poor networks for dealers, parts, service, etc. Audi is a little better, but honestly, I personally wouldn't own a late[r] model German product (BMW, Audi, Merc) without a warranty, unless you have a really good hookup with an independent service shop (even then the parts can be brutal).

[Fuji]

get something fast. but nothing beats my 1.2 liter V4 engine....

[DrM08]

love my 2007 mazda 3 i got 32 mpg on my most recent trip to vermont from NJ
as far as a small suv get a new 4 runner

[skimiks]

get a saab. our family has 2 and they re great. try to find a 93 viggen and update it a bit. my dad found one for 5000 dolllars and it was in good condition. or go for a used 95 aero, cuz theyre fast. imo saabs are great cars for the price

[Shea Benton]

i'm in the same boat as you.looking to spend low 20's on either an suv or hatchback. after seeing dkenn's A3 i'm most likely getting on of those. that thing is immaculate.

[skimiks]

i'm in the same boat as you.looking to spend low 20's on either an suv or hatchback. after seeing dkenn's A3 i'm most likely getting on of those. that thing is immaculate.

when we were getting a new car my mom looked at that. it looked a little better than the saab, but the saab was a little faster and it had a ton more space just saying....i feel like saabs are very misunderstood cars

[Shea Benton]

the 9-5's are pretty sick. another sick one in this category is the volvo c30...it's a 2 door but i bet this thing is so fun to drive.

http://salhazain.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/2007-volvo-c30_top1.jpg

[Deebo]

Dude get the 2011 Wrx 5-door duh! They now have the sick lookn widebody that only the Sti's had previously. Wrx's are a great combination of sporty fun to drive car with off road capability and utility similar to an SUV. Also Subaru's in general are known to be very reliable and I'm guessing where you live AWD would come in handy.

http://www.caranddriver.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/images/2011-subaru-impreza-wrx-5-door-inline-1280px-border/3737489-1-eng-US/2011-subaru-impreza-wrx-5-door-inline-1280px-border_cd_gallery.jpg

I've got an 06 wrx wag with 125,000 miles and no problems whatsoever yet. I've mashed the thing on all kind's of road trips loaded with as much as 4 people and ton's of gear. And if you still need more cargo space just get a big cargo bin like I've got that you can put on when you need for trips and stuff, it comes in so handy:

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs157.snc1/5880_1029628319872_1800286860_73461_1846576_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs181.snc1/6040_1023381923716_1800286860_54374_7604759_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs137.snc1/5880_1029628559878_1800286860_73467_4630530_n.jpg

[zeus]

get a saab. our family has 2 and they re great. try to find a 93 viggen and update it a bit. my dad found one for 5000 dolllars and it was in good condition. or go for a used 95 aero, cuz theyre fast. imo saabs are great cars for the price

why would he get a 93? he wants a reliable car

[skimiks]

why would he get a 93? he wants a reliable car

ive had mine for a year and a half and the only problem was a burned out lightbulb, and my dad hit a deer...
my dads saab has 275000 miles on it and other than occasional replacements, runs great
and my moms saab was amazing and did have problems untill a tree fell on it and totaled it. theyre great cars and have bad rep for no reason...

but i must say that subaru would be sick to get. def try to get one of those

[zeus]

i didnt say anything about saab, i just wondered why he would get a 93' anything when he has $20,000+ to spend

[dkenn75]

i didnt say anything about saab, i just wondered why he would get a 93' anything when he has $20,000+ to spend
noob^

[skimiks]

i didnt say anything about saab, i just wondered why he would get a 93' anything when he has $20,000+ to spend

oh '93... i thought you meant a saab 93 haha classic mixup


edit: posts=year:)

[M I K E V]

Dude get the 2011 Wrx 5-door duh! They now have the sick lookn widebody that only the Sti's had previously. Wrx's are a great combination of sporty fun to drive car with off road capability and utility similar to an SUV. Also Subaru's in general are known to be very reliable and I'm guessing where you live AWD would come in handy.


Off road capability is a plus but not necessary so that would be nice to have. The cargo room I was specifically referring to would be for 3-4 surfboards if me and some friends road tripped but I suppose those could go on the roof (not a roof guy in terms of surfboards). I just wonder a 2011 would fit into that price range? Ill read up



I'd stay the hell away from Saab. Those kind of smaller brands have poor networks for dealers, parts, service, etc. Audi is a little better, but honestly, I personally wouldn't own a late[r] model German product (BMW, Audi, Merc) without a warranty, unless you have a really good hookup with an independent service shop (even then the parts can be brutal).

I understand this perspective but also feel like as long as a person can locate an independent repair man, then problem of potential repair costs could be alleviated a bit. Audi could be handled by any VW mechanic as far as I can tell. The A3 is a superb car that has been repeatedly recommended by consumer reports as well. They are tempting to say the least.

[Deebo]

^Ya I hear ya on that one. I stuff a couple boards in the 6' range sometimes down the middle on top of the seats when I don't feel like strapping them on top, which is fine if it's just you and a friend in the front seats, but it's not too comfortable for people to sit in the back next to them. If you want a sporty car to drive in your price range I don't think you'll find many that will really fit boards inside though except maybe a Subaru Outback XT or Legacy GT. You could also look into audi A4 wagon's, but you'd have to go used to fit your price and I've heard reliability is sketchy on those.

[Mapdash]

this:
i'd stay the hell away from saab. Those kind of smaller brands have poor networks for dealers, parts, service, etc. Audi is a little better, but honestly, i personally wouldn't own a late[r] model german product (bmw, audi, merc) without a warranty, unless you have a really good hookup with an independent service shop (even then the parts can be brutal).

not this:
get a saab. Our family has 2 and they re great. Try to find a 93 viggen and update it a bit. My dad found one for 5000 dolllars and it was in good condition. Or go for a used 95 aero, cuz theyre fast. Imo saabs are great cars for the price