Hello. I need a lot of help. I’m 19 and don’t really have much of anyone who’s capable of providing guidance, so I hope I can tap the vast knowledge/experience bank here.
I need (well, I guess it’s not necessarily a need so much as an urgent want) a new car. Right now I am driving a BMW 318i that is the same age as me, which makes me nervous considering I commute about 45 minutes (non highway) to work five days a week. If something ends up breaking, it’s gonna be pricey and the car might be totalled (it’s worth $3000 or thereabouts).
I am looking for a car in the $10,000 and under (under is good!) price range that fits the following criteria:
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manual transmission
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non-domestic
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reliable
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well-constructed/engineered
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relative luxury (prefer leather but it is not a sticking point)
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good gas mileage
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good handling/acceleration
One thing I am considering very strongly is a late '90s VW Jetta, preferably a GLX, but I don’t really know what I’m doing. Help!