New Car Time

[Ineffable]

Most likely what will happen is once I find the car I want I will sit around at the auctions and try to find a good deal on it.

[101lifts2]

Originally Posted by Ineffable

.... I paid for my undergrad degree, and already saved enough to pay for the rest of grad school....

...which I don't really need as my housing and living expenses will be paid for through student loans which are autodebited from my savings to build credit.

So if everything is paid, then why are you taking out student loans?

I don't mean to be a dick, but when you're in school, don't buy an expensive car because you do not know what the job market is going to be when you get out. R and D isn't the most lucrative career in an slumping economy.

[101lifts2]

Originally Posted by zlicius

Student loans are da debil. TRUST ME. If I had no student loans I could have a muuuuuuuuuuuch bigger house or fancier car.

LOL...as if ur house isn't big enough. FACKER!!!!

[Captain Morgan]

Originally Posted by RACER X

we have an '08 accord EX-L w/ Navi 4cyl
...5) 4cyl is sufficient power
6) avg mpg in town is about 23-24, 29-30on hwy

An '08 4cyl should get much better mileage. I get similar, if not better, with my '97 Camry w/ over 200k miles on it.

Originally Posted by 101lifts2

If you are going to grad school and need mommy to "match" your down payment, why do you need a 35k car?

Get a new Aveo for 11 grand OTD and buy a better car once you get a real job.

Better yet, get a 6 year old Toyota or Honda and drive it till the wheels fall off. You'll save a ton by letting someone else take the depreciation and it'll last for a long time. Why spend 35k on a new car when you're going to grad school?

Originally Posted by RACER X

i would recommend buying a cheap car and staying away from student loans.

Originally Posted by 101lifts2

So if everything is paid, then why are you taking out student loans?

I don't mean to be a dick, but when you're in school, don't buy an expensive car because you do not know what the job market is going to be when you get out. R and D isn't the most lucrative career in an slumping economy.

Agree with the above. If you've been able to be frugal and save money, keep at it until you've locked in a good, steady job. And then mix in some fun and spending with your frugality. Can't be a miser for life, but don't want to blow it all, either.

[racedoll]

Originally Posted by karl_1052

Fook the STI

Legacy GT wagon(or sedan, if you are so inclined).
AWD, 2.5 turbo, tons of room for anything, and a very nice looking car IMO.

If you want something new, they no longer make the Legacy Wagon just the sedan. And they new 2010's suck, IMO. I have the 2009 Legacy GT and it rocks Hubby has a 2008 Outback 2.5i (no turbo) and we use it to pull the bikes. Plus he gets better gas mileage and can run 87 octane.

Originally Posted by neebelung

That's pretty slick lookin... but I wonder how the power compares - the WRX is much smaller, with the same 2.5 turbo and AWD...

My experience when test driving was that the WRX hit the turbo harder and at a lower rpm. The Legacy GT is a more refined car. It still gets into the turbo good (throw you back in the seat) but it is more linear.

Originally Posted by Cutty72

What do you call the "regular" mazda speed?

They have variations of 3 different vehicles

MazdaSpeed3 07-08-(09?)
MazdaSpeed6 06-07
MazdaSpeedRX-8 05

I was going to test drive an 06 MazdaSpeed6 when searching for a car but the rearend was out... so I nixed it off my list completely. Since they were made just for 2 years, chances are they didn't fix any of the problems that they had. My $0.02.

Originally Posted by Captain Morgan

Better yet, get a 6 year old Toyota or Honda and drive it till the wheels fall off. You'll save a ton by letting someone else take the depreciation and it'll last for a long time. Why spend 35k on a new car when you're going to grad school?

Toyota and Honda are good, but Subaru's are too. They last just as long as the other two brands but tend to be forgotten about.

I'm a Subaru fan since I own one as does hubby. They are just really nice cars for the money. But you get what you like. Go test drive some stuff, then decide for yourself what you want.

[zlicius]

Originally Posted by Captain Morgan

An '08 4cyl should get much better mileage.

I agree, it should. And I don't hotrod it either. I've complained to honda about it because my good friend has an 07 that gets tons better and they said "well your model is the new one and it's heavier" (basically blowing me off). And i've complained about the nav blowing monkey ballz and they blew me off about that too.

The 2007 4 cyl gets much better, like 31 mpg according to my friend, so i'd go w/ that year. Plus, they had LED brake lights, but now the 08+ don't. Weird huh? I like my car, but honda really let me down w/ it as I really liked my 05 odyssey more actually.

[LeeNetworX]

Originally Posted by 101lifts2

If you are going to grad school and need mommy to "match" your down payment, why do you need a 35k car?

Get a new Aveo for 11 grand OTD and buy a better car once you get a real job.

I was wondering the same thing. Get something that's on the cheaper end but dependable and fuel efficient. Make it through grad school, get a decent job, and then upgrade to something you can afford, if you still want to. I don't get why you want a $30-35K car when you need your parents to help you out.

[karl_1052]

Originally Posted by Ineffable

Most likely what will happen is once I find the car I want I will sit around at the auctions and try to find a good deal on it.

You better have cash then. Loans for used cars are not cheap, whereas, you buy new, and you will still get low to no interest financing.

If I were you, I would find another chitbox and drive it until you graduate, then buy a house.
Cars can come later. House equity will make you better off.

[MILK]

Acura TL

[Rider]

G35 coupe or a Audi S4, both used of course. Of course for under 35K you can find a mint condition 1996 911.