New car for an upwardly mobile young professional

[D Yizz]

Originally Posted by mkarim

That's exactly why I decided to buy the G35 over the 350Z. Same price range, but with the G35 you get 4 seats, luxury, much better interior and much better service (Infiniti over Nissan).

Bought my '03 G35 coupe 6MT used with 9,000 miles. It has 118,000 is still going strong and I still stare back when walking away from it!

 

[whiteslashasian]

Originally Posted by D Yizz

A coupe has made perfect sense form me, married with 1 kid, for the past 6 years. Sure, my wife has an SUV, but he hasnt mentioned he NEEDS 4 doors and huge cargo space. BTW, my coupe can accommodate a pretty large haul from Costco. Its always curious why people say coupes make no sense. Two seaters, could be, if you definitely need the extra seating.

You have a wife with a people mover which allows for flexibility with other car choices, it sounds like the OP doesn't have that option so I would assume he would want the most utility he can get in a car that he will have for more than 5 years.

In a perfect world I'd have something like a 4 door or even something wagon-like as my daily driver, nothing too expensive, and then a used S2000 or Boxster type as a weekend fun car.

 

[D Yizz]

Originally Posted by whiteslashasian

You have a wife with a people mover which allows for flexibility with other car choices, it sounds like the OP doesn't have that option so I would assume he would want the most utility he can get in a car that he will have for more than 5 years. In a perfect world I'd have something like a 4 door or even something wagon-like as my daily driver, nothing too expensive, and then a used S2000 or Boxster type as a weekend fun car.
The thing is, I've heard the same argument with people in my exact situation. They're expecting and immediately say they have to get rid of the coupe (and do so). Yeah, it can be a bit tight back there for buckling the kid to their car seat, but I don't think that is reason enough. Anyway, it's their choice and their money. My idea of a weekend fun car is an '85 Carrera. One of these days!!

 

[intent]

Damn, I missed out on a troll.

 

[whiteslashasian]

Originally Posted by lokeland

All i have to say is: Buy a Honda.
I drive a Honda Civic 1.4 and i practically grew up in Honda Civics too.
It's safe, reliable, fun to drive and they look great.
Just look for youself:

Everyone is always trying to get into the back seat by going in the front door. They all seem to miss the handle on the back door which is somewhat hidden and think it's a 3-door, but it is actually a 5-door and it's not tight either.
I don't know what Civics costs in the US, but i think it's inside your price range. It's a pretty cheap car.

This is what the US 2010 Honda Civic looks like.

Boooooring.

 

[robotosan]

Originally Posted by whiteslashasian

This is what the US 2010 Honda Civic looks like.

Boooooring.

Biased much?

 

[Jekyll]

^ without all the shiny reflections and ****, it still looks boring as ****. trust me.

 

[whiteslashasian]

Originally Posted by Jekyll

^ without all the shiny reflections and ****, it still looks boring as ****. trust me.

+1 Would rather drive a Golf GTI.

 

[BC2012]

Originally Posted by whiteslashasian

+1 Would rather drive a Golf GTI.
And the accompanying higher repair costs, lower gas mileage, and higher sticker price? Comparing a 2010 sedan (Golf GTI to Honda Civic LX): Golf costs $2200 more per year in ownership costs plus an additional $8k sticker. Source: Edmunds.com. That's significantly more expensive. At least to me. YMMV.

 

[Jekyll]

^Mazdaspeed 3? Hell...I'd probably rather have, say, a Genesis or Forte coupe than a Civic these days. Or, possibly, the new Hyundai that I posted earlier in the thread.

 

[BC2012]

Originally Posted by Jekyll

^Mazdaspeed 3? Hell...I'd probably rather have, say, a Genesis or Forte coupe than a Civic these days. Or, possibly, the new Hyundai that I posted earlier in the thread.

Why, though? Outside of "it's boring." It's generally one of the cheapest cars to maintain, best on gas, quality parts, good warranty, great company.

Hyundai is generally regarded as a **** company that makes ****** cars. I owned a Sonata for four years and it was terrible. Poorly made, crap interior, crap engine. My Civic is a gigantic upgrade.

I get that you want a nice looking car, who doesn't? But for a first car that is going to provide quality for cost, you can't really beat a Civic, Accord, or CRV (depending on your needs). And I wasn't a Honda homer before. I'd much rather own a Mercedes or BMW, and I will eventually, but in response to the OP, the Civic is hard to top for a car for the early-in-his-career professional, I think. I'm always willing to listen to reasoning...I'd love to see Hyundai's marketing campaign work. It'll just put downward price pressure on Honda/Toyota.

 

[robotosan]

Originally Posted by BC2012

Why, though? Outside of "it's boring." It's generally one of the cheapest cars to maintain, best on gas, quality parts, good warranty, great company.

Hyundai is generally regarded as a **** company that makes ****** cars. I owned a Sonata for four years and it was terrible. Poorly made, crap interior, crap engine. My Civic is a gigantic upgrade.

I get that you want a nice looking car, who doesn't? But for a first car that is going to provide quality for cost, you can't really beat a Civic, Accord, or CRV (depending on your needs). And I wasn't a Honda homer before. I'd much rather own a Mercedes or BMW, and I will eventually, but in response to the OP, the Civic is hard to top for a car for the early-in-his-career professional, I think. I'm always willing to listen to reasoning...I'd love to see Hyundai's marketing campaign work. It'll just put downward price pressure on Honda/Toyota.

+1

without all the shiny reflections and ****, it still looks boring as ****. trust me.

its not... I've driven the hybrid verison around Boston and on the highway for 2hrs and it was a fantastic car.

 

[fss]

Hyundai's quality has improved dramatically the last few years. In 2006, J.D. Power and Associates' quality ranking, overall the Hyundai brand ranked 3rd, just behind Porsche and Lexus, and beating long time rival Toyota. But Hyundai's ranking fell to twelfth in 2007. However, in 2009, Hyundai was the Highest Ranked Non-Premium Nameplate in the J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study.

Yes, the Honda is boring as hell. Hyundai too, but that's not up for debate.

 

[whiteslashasian]

Hyundai (to a lesser extent, Kia) have made by far the most strides in the last 5 years than any other large car manufacturer. I have a lot of friends, many who are engineers (electrical, mechanical, aero etc) who make good money, that swear by recent Hyundai's. Many are Honda and Toyota converts too, after they become tired of the bland styling, price hikes, short warranties, and recent lack of innovation.

I drove an 07 Civic sedan MT for a couple of days and it just felt insipid; the shifting was the exact opposite of what I look for in a MT with its soft clutch and mushy shifting (granted this wasn't an SI model). I'm sure it's safe, inexpensive to own, generally reliable, and is perfectly fine if I wanted to be bored out of my skull driving every day.

Also, I'm not sure why you'd compare a Civic LX Sedan to a GTI. You need to compare the Civic SI Sedan to the VW GTI 4 door. The MSRP difference is less than $2k (Sedan SI 6MT $22,405 and 4 door GTI 6 MT $24,295 from edmunds.com). Though I do agree that the general cost of ownership on the GTI will be higher.

The GTI to me is worth the price premium due to the superior driving dynamics, general good looks, better interior, and longer warranty. I guess we just value different things when it comes to our vehicles.

Back to the OP's situation though. He may not have any objections to a Civic 4 door and I encourage him to actually test drive many of the cars suggested here (civic, camry, elantra, optima etc) to figure out what works best for him in his budget. Good luck.

 

[Pilot]

Originally Posted by whiteslashasian

Also, I'm not sure why you'd compare a Civic LX Sedan to a GTI. You need to compare the Civic SI Sedan to the VW GTI 4 door. The MSRP difference is less than $2k (Sedan SI 6MT $22,405 and 4 door GTI 6 MT $24,295 from edmunds.com). Though I do agree that the general cost of ownership on the GTI will be higher.

The GTI to me is worth the price premium due to the superior driving dynamics, general good looks, better interior, and longer warranty. I guess we just value different things when it comes to our vehicles.


Agreed. Plus, VW has the Care Free Maintenance plan now. Where on the new models all scheduled maintenance is free. Granted you'll have to pay when/if other stuff breaks.

My friend has an 08 civic. He just had the 60k mile service done to it. Changed the timing belt etc.. $2,000 from the Honda dealership.

Sometimes I don't understand where people get the idea that civics, caarollas, etc just need gas and oil changes. they still have maintenance items such as timing belts and clutch that will need to be replaced at a certain mileage. It will cost just as much to have this work done as any VW would, especially if you go through the dealership so you can retain your warranty.