What car should I buy?

I want to get a small car that is very economical, isn't noisy, drives well, has good vision and is both comfortable and reliable.

Having retired, I can now change my thirsty 4X4 and go smaller but I still want to visit my sons who live 120 miles apart.

Please does anyone have any suggestions?

Thank you in advance for your advice.

You looking for ANY car ?? I mean domestic or import ?

Domestic: I'd go with a Ford Focus
Import : Honda Civic

reply to post by Shiloh7

Check out that new Chevy el Camino. It's unique, sharp looking, small, useful and a definite conversation starter.

Oh, by the way, I drive a Volt. It uses electricity. It runs on gas once you go over a certain amount of miles ( 25 in winter and 40 in summer) but I only had to put gas in it once this year and it was because the car told me I had to.
My electric bill has not gone up since I got it in January of 2012, so I pretty much drive it for free.

Definitely check out Volkswagen cars. Some of them get great gas mileage (as in 40+, I've heard of some getting up to 65 mpg) and they tend to be pretty reliable. They're also fairly inexpensive. My first car was a Jetta and I can tell you firsthand they'll take a beating, because I drove that thing like a demon out of hell.

Decide which car you want before you go buy it. If you ask a dealer he'll sell you his most overpriced, over stocked, useless piece of crap with a smile.

Sometimes its better to buy used instead. A reliable car is one thats been on the market for a while, has good reviews over time, good parts availability. Nowadays everything is made to be broken. Maybe even consider leasing. If anything happens you get a new one.

Cost of gas is rising.

reviews

have you thought about thumbing it and getting picked up by a mass murdering lorry driver so sorry to say japanese cars go on forever and ever and ever .


or you can thumb up to you

reply to post by StarsInDust


Thanks for your advice about the Volt. Is this a car one can get in the UK, I haven't heard of it, but I like the sound of it.

reply to post by intrptr


We drive the same way, which is another reason I asked as living on the South coast the traffic and caravans mean that you need something with a little 'go' to get anywhere.

reply to post by Shiloh7

reply to post by Shiloh7


I am not sure if you can get it in the UK, ask your dealership, it is a Chevy.

Subaru- small, reliable, and economical, Has all wheel drive for winter weather.

Originally posted by StarsInDust
reply to post by Shiloh7

 

I am not sure if you can get it in the UK, ask your dealership, it is a Chevy.

Would be under the Opel brand I think.

Honda Civic. But ii look more toward the hybird types, due to gas prices, luckily Civic has one of them.

My family always been a Honda/Toyota fans. Still have a running 1989 Civic with over 350k KM, no problem!

I drive a 2012 Civic, its really nice, good on gas, quiet, and futuristic... it has digital speedometer, as well as other gizmos. If you want a bit small scars, there is the Toyota Prius and Honda Fit.

I dislike domestic cars unless they are luxury(Lincolns, Cadillac)) or sporty(Camero, Corvette, Mustang).

reply to post by Ex_CT2


Won't say I am not tempted.

Buy a BMW one series. Small, economical, but super fun if wanted.

Any time you’re considering buying a high-mileage used car, precautions should be taken. First things first, always get a pre-purchase inspection, as it can help identify a vehicle’s trouble spots. And by always, we mean ALWAYS! Even if the last owner was the Pope.

However, with that much mileage, it’s not easy to predict or see future problems.

“Those cars are in the ‘as it breaks’ phase of their life,” explains Lou Trottier, Technician and Owner of All About Imports, a car repair facility that specializes in foreign models. “Predictability of maintenance costs is difficult and things to look for are hard to find as well.” He explains that owners of cars with that much mileage end up having to repair and replace things as they break, in addition to performing their regular maintenance.

WWW.EZDIA.COM..." target="_blank" class="postlink" rel="nofollow"> 2013 MERCEDES BENZ SL-CLASS

A reasonably priced new car, say a Honda Civic, costs around $18,000 suggested retail price according to the internet. Hagglers and deal hunters can probably do better.
I will buy said new car at some point in the next 10 years.
During the years that I am not buying a car, I will be investing my money for an 8% total return. I consider this a fair estimate.
The new car will not require any major maintenance over the first 10 years.
For each year over the 10 year period before I buy a new car, I can invest $16,000 at 8% total return. I must spend about $2,000 per year in maintenance and repairs to keep my old car running.
For the year that I do buy a car, I invest $0 (all the money went to the car).
For each year after I buy the new car, I can invest $18,000 since I no longer have to pay for maintenance.
All purchases are done in cash. I don’t take on consumer debt.
Inflation is ignored.
If I buy a car in Year X, then according to the assumptions above, by the end of 10 years, the amount I will have saved is listed below. (Read each line like this: “If I buy the new car in year 1, then I will have saved $224,776.04 by the end of year 10.”):
2013 MERCEDES BENZ SL-CLASS

Any time you’re considering buying a high-mileage used car, precautions should be taken. First things first, always get a pre-purchase inspection, as it can help identify a vehicle’s trouble spots. And by always, we mean ALWAYS! Even if the last owner was the Pope.

However, with that much mileage, it’s not easy to predict or see future problems.

“Those cars are in the ‘as it breaks’ phase of their life,” explains Lou Trottier, Technician and Owner of All About Imports, a car repair facility that specializes in foreign models. “Predictability of maintenance costs is difficult and things to look for are hard to find as well.” He explains that owners of cars with that much mileage end up having to repair and replace things as they break, in addition to performing their regular maintenance.

2013 MERCEDES BENZ SL-CLASS

reply to post by Shiloh7


Don't know if you can get the Volt in he UK, but otherwise it's a Vauxhall Ampera. Same car, different badge.

reply to post by Nuke2013


Yes, it will be a nice choice, but there also be a nother car, MAZDA 3 .