I only got a chance to test drive some Toyotas over the weekend. And I really am not liking the Yaris. It’s cute, handles pretty well, and gets good mileage, but that weird instrument panel and crappy visibility are really bugging me. I think I have to cross it off.
The Corolla, I really like, but it just feels like a grown-up car, dammit. And I’m young and fun and lively. Yeah, I know, I’m an adult, nothing wrong with a “grown-up” car. But my Mom drives a Corolla. Bit of a psychological block in place here.
I also talked to the mechanic again and got some more opinions on my car and its troubles. I’ve got issues with the suspension and axle that will need fixing within a couple of months, which he says will cost around $1000. Then there’s the timing belt which has never been changed on this car, which does not need changing, necessarily, but it’s probably due for a replacement and if it goes, the car’s dead. That’s about $600ish. And the mechanic thinks that with that stuff fixed, I’ve got at the very least another year, barring any disasters. Quite likely longer than a year. It’s a 1987 Honda Accord hatchback with only 80k miles on it.
So now I’m stuck with a different dilemma. Is it worth it to fix up the car and hold off buying a new car for as long as I can? This stuff really hurts my brain, because I do not know cars at all and I’m so scared to screw up.
1987? That’s 22 years old. I’m all for holding onto cars, but after 10 years or so the problems start to mount up. If you’re job and money situation is stable, I don’t think you’ll find a better time to get a new car.
I know what you mean - when I was test-driving Corollas and Elantras, the Elantra seemed much more peppy than the Corolla (both in stickshift versions); the Corolla seemed to be more solid, but less fun. Course, I am 42 and have no problems driving a grown-up car (and I did try to buy an Elantra first). You have to know too that you’ll find a dozen Corollas in every parking lot wherever you go - I put pretty decals and pinstripes on mine so I can distinguish it in parking lots!
$1600 to fix up a Honda doesn’t seem too outrageous to me - I wouldn’t put that money into a domestic, but it might be worth it in a Honda with only 160,000 kms on it. I dunno - that is a tough call. Looking at reviews of the 1987 Honda Accord, they seem to be one of the most reliable cars built, but 22 years old is 22 years old (and if most of those years were in Canada, those are hard years).
On a somewhat mean note, I don’t think cars are as cheap in the US as they are going to get. Maybe you put the $1600 into your Honda now, and buy a new car in a year or two when they are at rock-bottom prices (or pick up a lightly-used one from someone who has to sell).
Actually, it was my aunt’s car up until two years ago. She lives here near DC - the car’s never actually been to Canada! She and my uncle usually walk to work, and this was their second car, so it barely got used. Based on all the papers she gave me when she gave me the car, it was well maintained and treated pretty well.
As far as cars being cheap now… they’re not really. Dealerships are pleading and begging and doing everything they can to get rid of the big cars, the SUVs, the trucks, but the little efficient cars, which everyone wants right now, aren’t being offered with any discounts or incentives. So maybe waiting does make sense. At the very least, it would mean I’d have more money aside by then and maybe not need as big a car loan.
Anyone else got an opinion on throwing money at a 22-yr-old Honda in hopes of extending its life a little? I want a new car, but if I know I don’t need one (because mine can be made to last), then I feel like I’m not justified in buying one.
80K miles is not much at all, so I think you’ve got a lot of useful life left in the car. If it were mine, I’d fix it and keep driving it.
I’d also get the timing belt done pretty soon. A lot of cars have a so-called “interference” engine design, in which if the timing belt breaks, the pistons come up in the cylinder and bend over all your valves, and it’s new engine time. Some cars (not many) have non-interference designs, and if you break the timing belt nothing much happens besides having to replace the belt–but I strongly suspect that your Honda is an interference type. So it’s good practice to replace the timing belt every 60-80K miles.
(Incidentally, the Suzuki I recommended earlier in this thread has a timing chain–no belt replacements needed. )
In the meantime, start setting money aside, and when your Honda finally craps out, about 80K miles from now, you can pay cash for its replacement.
Indeed they are. True, the discounts aren’t as deep, but if you follow the links I sent you from Edmunds, you will see that many small cars are getting either low APR% or a rebate. Not to mention a dealer discount.
Some cars are hot at times, where demand exceeds availability. A little while ago it was the Prius, now it’s the Fit. But the Civic has a Low APR right now, for example, and there’s deals on the Focus, Astra, Hyundai, and Cobalt. Not to mention the 2008 Subaru Forester, a great car.
Well, the old car finally ended up needing more money in repairs than I was willing to put in, so I bought a new car last week.
Thanks to all of you for your advice and your help in researching new cars - after scouring the internet and comparing options and prices and safety ratings, I ended up with a Honda Fit.
I am in love with the new car. I didn’t go for the sport options in the end, because it didn’t really seem worth it for the extra money. But it’s a fabulous little car and it’s fun to drive and I’m absolutely sure that I made the right choice. The visibility is much better than in the Yaris. The magic back seats are great, and I was stunned at how easy they are to manipulate. The seats are comfy. The glowing blue lights on the dash are neat. And it’s just plain adorable.
I’m sure you’ll remain very happy with the choice, as I am with my Fit.
FYI - It might be of interest to know there are at least a couple forums out there dedicated to the Fit. Googling for “Honda Fit forum” (without the quotes) should put them at the top of the results. (You’ll also see references in the results to the Honda Jazz, which I think is the name used in Canada for the car.)
Yikes! If the chassis was crumpled, you should have insisted they “total” the car - it’s not going to be as strong in future accidents. Typo Knig’s Civic (a 1990 model) was totalled in a very similar-sounding accident back in 1998. We could see wrinkles in the roof of the car.
That said: We’ve got a 98 Civic (and an 06 CRV) and both have been great cars. Maybe once a year we’ll get a 500ish repair bill, probably less than that; this is in addition to the scheduled maintenance. Admittedly the Civic isn’t anything special to look at - sort of generic small-sedan-y - which means it might not suit the OP. When the CRV is paid off (about 2 years) we’ll start putting aside money to replace the Civic, which will be 12 years old by then and possibly time to replace it. On the other hand, it’s held up pretty well so far so we won’t be in any rush.
On posting, I see you’ve already made your choice. Enjoy the new wheels!!
Not alot of love for Detroit here, I see.
I know I am late to the party, but another car that always seems to get stready reviews is the Ford Focus. We’ve had one for 170K and have been happy.
If I could get more info on the Ford Flex, and win the stupid lottery, I’d probably get that one (depending on reviews.)
We have to buy American.
My husbands’ and all our neighbor’s jobs’ require it.
Wish I had seen this a few weeks ago. WE just went car shopping this weekend. Like a couple of others, we prefer to buy American if possible. We ended up getting a 2008 chevy aveo without a lot of options, and we got a pretty good price, but a very crappy interest rate on the loan. We weren’t looking for anything spectacular, my 1999 taurus was getting too expensive to keep fixing. We got it used at carmax and it has been a piece of crap pretty consistently ever since. Hopefully we’ll be happy with our aveo.
It’s very fun and is eager to drive. I think it’s the most stylish for a compact car. Ford owns I think 14% of Mazda, and I believe I read that the engine is a Mazda engine and not a Ford engine. The interior looks great! It has average resale, and average fuel economy, good acceleration, and great handling.
Just thought I’d chime in, most people here haven’t recommended it very much. It’s quite popular in Canada.
Yes, the Volt is the car I’m trying to keep mine running long enough to buy. Serial hybrid: you plug it in at night (at $.02/mile) to charge a battery and it drives as an all-electric – once you exceed 40 miles or so the charge gives out and it starts a gasoline engine to run the electric system. For me, I would use no gasoline at all for normal driving (I live about 8 miles from work), but it could still be an only car because of the gasoline extended range.
That said, “really soon” is an overstatement. “Late 2010” is the current estimate, and that’s assuming that GM manages to stay in business that long and the schedule doesn’t slip. I wouldn’t put a wager higher than the price of a GM stock share on either of those things.
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