Good first car?

[MuzicMan 1]

1100 USD?

Definitely will not get a comfy ride for that. Try searching for a Honda Civic - it will run and run and run and run and run,...forever. Rough ride and boxy feel, but will never quit going and gas mileage will be extremely affordable. They are hard to find on sale, due to previous owners will not sell them, but keep searching and jump on any chance. I own two of them - a 1988 Civic and an 89 Civic. Purchased them both for under 1000 USD and have never had to do any work on them in 4 years! Add oil, new battery in one, new tires and one break job, is it so far.

P.S. Green is the most favorite color of those with a genius I.Q. ;-)

[BlondeTwiggy 43]

Before you buy anything, I highly recommend checking what the insurance premiums will be.

$1.100 around here would get you a junker, and $2.500 not much better. A Miata is a sports car in insurance parlance. If you are under 25 with no driving record your insurance premiums will be more than your income.

my miata's insurance is really not that bad , mostly because of the age of the car I think (16 yrs) and high mileage. it's technically classified as a 'roadster'(not sure what that means, to me, it is a sportscar) which changes the insurance i guess. also i have the MOST basic insurance available..if this thing gets in an accident, pretty sure the repair cost will be more than the vehicle's worth..

[Finkle 14]

Crown Vic, it has every thing on your list.. it was my first car, mom dropped a new engine in it before I got it, 140 mph top speed (on odometer), safe enough for cops, wood trim, cheap (police auctions).

[Jazzmaster 716]

How badly do you need this car? It wasn't until this past Summer that I got my own first car, and I am 18 (19 in two days).

If it's just for the freedom, I would honestly wait. Lots of kids want to rush out and be on their own, but while they are wrapped in their own bubble, the world is still turning. I'm not trying to put you down but this has been a fact for years: gas is not cheap. I spend $55 filling up the tank for the V6 in my '97 Pontiac Grand Prix SE.

Who is paying for insurance? My parents are paying mine for a year, but then it's all on me. It'll cost a lot for a new driver with barely any record, as others have mentioned.

Also, be ready for random problems. I've had two things done to my car in the past couple of months, and another is being done to it right now.

1.) Serpentine belt replacement: ~$90

2.) Replaced fluid hoses: over $300. And this was placed on a credit card bill under my name, that I have been paying off since August. My parents are being very helpful in assisting me in building up credit.

3.) This one, I hope you pay attention to. This past Tuesday, my accelerator cable snapped, which rendered my gas pedal completely useless. I could idle the car and roll at 3 MPH, but that does me no good on the highway. Between calling my parents, calling AAA Emergency Roadside, and being towed to tires plus and then transported to my college I had already missed one class. And this whole deal will cost me $274.

I also had other things done, like having my oil changed, fixing my A/C, and installing a new radio (that was really a gift to myself, and previously planned/saved up for).

OH! And there's another fun thing you have to pay for:tags. Those cost me over $400, this is a one time thing, but it is to my understanding that the gov't has started mandating two year tags instead of just one year, so the prices have hiked a bit.

Bottom line:

Car with cash discount: $3200

Tags and license plate/taxes: ~$500

Bringing the car to a safe, drivable condition: ~$500

Emergency #1: $274

Insurance: >$300/mo

Gas: $55/tank

Luxuries (radio purchase and installation): $170

Total gone into this car since early August 2011: Over $4500

Our price points will definitely differ, and yours will possibly be lower. Again, not trying to put you down, just being realistic. Owning a car is not a cheap thing. My mother drives a 2007 Audi A4 and we're always putting money into that thing. New or old, despite the brand, things can and will go wrong. Be ready for them.

If I lived in a big city like Chicago, I wouldn't own a car, I'd be taking the CTA buses and rapid transit everywhere. But that's not an option for me in this Florida suburb. If you have mass transit at hand, I would recommend taking that and continuing to save for a more reliable vehicle. It'll be your first, so have fun, but be ready for crap to spring up. Because it probably will.

  Edited September 21, 2011 by Yoshiisland  

[Duke87 1,070]

The problem with looking for a car on such a low budget is that whatever you get will be such a rust bucket that you'll be sending it to the scrap heap in no time and with all the old car maintenance you won't be getting your money's worth out of it.

Personally, I would say nobody should by a car like that unless they absolutely need it. If you at all can, save up your money and wait until you can buy something less used and in better condition on a higher budget. Borrow the keys to your parents' car in the meantime. The patience will pay off in the long run.

The absolute most cost effective way to own a car is to pay cash for a brand new one (no loans, cash that you've already saved up) and then drive it into the ground. But this is of course not possible for everyone.