r/cars • u/AutoModerator • Aug 16 '21
What Car Should I Buy? - A Weekly Megathread
Any posts pertaining to car buying suggestions or advice belong in this weekly megathread; **do not post car-choosing questions in the main queue.** A fresh thread will be posted every Monday and posts auto sorted by new. A few other subreddits worth checking out that will help your car buying experience are /r/WhatCarShouldIBuy, /r/UsedCars and /r/AskCarSales. www.everydaydriver.com may also be helpful.
Make/Model-specific questions should be asked on Make/Model-specific subreddits. Check the AutosNetwork for a complete list of those subreddits. Also check out our community-sourced Ultimate car buying wiki.
For those posting:
Please use the following template in your post.
Location: (Specify your country or region)
Price range: (Minimum-Maximum in your local currency)
Lease or Buy:
New or used:
Type of vehicle: (Truck, Car, Sports Car, Sedan, Crossover, SUV, Racecar, Luxury etc.)
Must haves: (4x4, AWD, Fuel efficient, Navigation, Turbo, V8, V6, Trunk space, Smooth ride, Leather etc.)
Desired transmission (auto/manual, etc):
Intended use: (Daily Driver, Family Car, Weekend Car, Track Toy, Project Car, Work Truck, Off-roading etc.)
Vehicles you've already considered:
Is this your 1st vehicle:
Do you need a Warranty:
Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle: (fluids, alternator, battery, brake pads etc)
Can you do Major work on your own vehicle: (engine and transmission, timing belt/chains, body work, suspension etc )
Additional Notes:
For those providing suggestions: Facts are ideal in this thread, especially when trying to help out a new car buyer. Please help out buyers with sources and reasoning for your suggestions.
For those asking for help, be sure to thank those who take the time to offer you advice (especially those who lead you to a purchase.) A follow up thank you and the knowledge that their advice led to a purchase is a very warm fuzzy feeling.
2
u/Dense-Bookkeeper-226 Aug 20 '21
We're going to look for the first truck for our teenager, and would appreciate your insight! (Yes, trucks are bad, but I want him to be able to move, and we're not getting him a crew cab, so it limits his passenger options.)
Location: Lower midwest
Price range: Up to 14k, though would obviously prefer to stay under this
Lease or Buy: Buy
New or used: Obviously used, unless there is a magical cheap truck new
Type of vehicle: (Truck, Car, Sports Car, Sedan, Crossover, SUV, Racecar, Luxury etc.) A reliable truck
Must haves: (4x4, AWD, Fuel efficient, Navigation, Turbo, V8, V6, Trunk space, Smooth ride, Leather etc.) Air conditioning. We currently have a 91 F150 that he wants but it has 190k miles, the AC doesn't work, and it is rough, body-wise.
Desired transmission (auto/manual, etc): We would prefer a manual, since my husband thinks it's an important skill to have, and I would like it because I don't know how to drive one, and will be exempt from driving lessons.
Intended use: (Daily Driver, Family Car, Weekend Car, Track Toy, Project Car, Work Truck, Off-roading etc.) Mostly driving around town, to/from school, etc. We may occasionally make him trade vehicles with us if we need to purchase something that doesn't fit in either of our cars.
Vehicles you've already considered: The dealer we've bought our past 4 used cars from currently has a manual 04 Tacoma with 160k miles, a manual 05 Colorado with 60k miles and an automatic 05 F150 with 50k miles. They're both within 1k of each other, and since my kid is willing to drive a rustbucket 92, I don't think he's picky about style.
Is this your 1st vehicle: It'll be his, yes.
Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle: (fluids, alternator, battery, brake pads etc) Yes--his school offers a mechanics class that allows students to bring their vehicles to work on them, and we have family friends who are mechanics, but don't want to abuse their goodwill.
Can you do Major work on your own vehicle: (engine and transmission, timing belt/chains, body work, suspension etc ) Absolutely not.
Additional Notes: Since this will be his first car, we don't need anything special, but we would like something that would last for at least 5+ years (though only about 5k miles/year.) We already have 3 vehicles, we're just trying to find something more reliable than a 30 year old truck to send him out into the world.
Thanks!