Author Topic: Buying a second car... help me choose (Read 1278 times)

CyberNick · « **on:** December 11, 2011, 11:32:45 pm »

Budget: under 10K

must haves: 4-cyl, manual, 4 doors, heated seats & not more then 5-6 years old.

bonus could haves: leather seats, wagon or hatch rear opening, awd

Here's some that I've been mulling over... so far the saab is my favorite...

2006 Saab 9-3 2.0T SportCombi Wagon - OAKVILLE - $9,995

2008 Acura CSX Prem/wLeather - ETOBICOKE - $9,990

2007 Subaru Impreza 2.5i AWD - BURLINGTON - $8,977

dr_spock · « **Reply #1 on:** December 11, 2011, 11:47:02 pm »

How long do you plan to keep it? How important is fun versus reliability to you?

Careener · « **Reply #2 on:** December 11, 2011, 11:51:02 pm »

Golf City?

CyberNick · « **Reply #3 on:** December 11, 2011, 11:59:47 pm »

ooo, that's a nice one...

2008 Volkswagen GOLF CITY 4dr HB Man - TORONTO - $9,999

dr_spock, I like fun. Though, I've heard bad things about the saab's reliability... So I don't know... Is it really that bad? I think I'll keep this one for a while... 4-5 years or more, depends if I get bored of it.

johngenx · « **Reply #4 on:** December 12, 2011, 12:34:16 am »

The Imprezas are good bang for your buck with AWD. Very durable and if you stay away from dealers, not terribly expensive to maintain. The beauty of Subaru using the same driveline in their entire line of cars for many years is that jobber parts are plentiful and inexpensive.

But, they're pretty dowdy inside and far from refined. Subaru has been saddled with high production costs, and to keep prices within a zone, the Impreza is a little rough around the edges. But, lots of them were sold with manuals, so the odds of you finding a decent example with a stick are not bad.

1TSX · « **Reply #5 on:** December 12, 2011, 01:00:41 am »

Fun to drive, dirt cheap, heated seats, 4doors, hatch or sedan, 4 cyl, manual.

http://www.autotrader.ca/a/Ford/Focus/HAMILTON/Ontario/5_12619028_ON20071210104952170/
http://www.autotrader.ca/a/Ford/Focus/CARLETON%20PLACE/Ontario/5_10338466_20110126082744893/

mmorriso · « **Reply #6 on:** December 12, 2011, 09:34:45 am »

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/VehicleAccessories/SeatCushions/PRDOVR~0321427P/Deluxe+12V+Heated+Seat+Cushion.jsp?locale=en

adding your own heated seat will enable you to dramatically expand your scope.

don't forget to budget for winter tires/rims.

lots of mazda3 to chose from

happy shopping!

tortoise · « **Reply #7 on:** December 14, 2011, 04:02:04 pm »

There's still a part of me that wishes we opted to get the Saab. If I were looking I'd be sure to get a 2007+ since they did a significant refresh and fixed a lot of common issues (like the unnecessarily complex stereo).

You may have to go a bit above your range, but it would be well worth it.

This one has been on the lot for a while. They may be willing to move on price. That could also be an indicator of how hard they are to sell. Nobody wants wagons, nobody wants Saabs and nobody wants manuals. Still, a hell of a car that drives BEAUTIFULLY. The engine and suspension are fantastic.

http://autocatch.com/used-cars/2007~saab~9-3~628680.htm

CyberNick · « **Reply #8 on:** December 14, 2011, 08:29:03 pm »

tortoise, that one looks real nice, actually. And it's not hundreds of kilometers away from where I live. I'll go see it in person in the next few days and see about the price... Thanks!

articsteve · « **Reply #9 on:** December 14, 2011, 11:53:56 pm »

THESE CARS DRIVE ON PAR WITH AUDI A4'S YET WITHOUT THE EXPENSE

5 Wheel Drive · « **Reply #10 on:** December 15, 2011, 10:04:17 am »

There was lots of Mazda 3's to choose from when I was car shopping in October. I'm quite happy with mine.

aquadorhj · « **Reply #11 on:** December 15, 2011, 10:24:36 am »

Quote from: tortoise on December 14, 2011, 04:02:04 pm

There's still a part of me that wishes we opted to get the Saab. If I were looking I'd be sure to get a 2007+ since they did a significant refresh and fixed a lot of common issues (like the unnecessarily complex stereo).

You may have to go a bit above your range, but it would be well worth it.

This one has been on the lot for a while. They may be willing to move on price. That could also be an indicator of how hard they are to sell. Nobody wants wagons, nobody wants Saabs and nobody wants manuals. Still, a hell of a car that drives BEAUTIFULLY. The engine and suspension are fantastic.

http://autocatch.com/used-cars/2007~saab~9-3~628680.htm

WOOO, that saab looks real nice. that's a GM 2.0T right? boost it to 260HP?

Julie · « **Reply #12 on:** December 15, 2011, 10:39:39 am »

Quote from: tortoise on December 14, 2011, 04:02:04 pm

There's still a part of me that wishes we opted to get the Saab. If I were looking I'd be sure to get a 2007+ since they did a significant refresh and fixed a lot of common issues (like the unnecessarily complex stereo).

You may have to go a bit above your range, but it would be well worth it.

This one has been on the lot for a while. They may be willing to move on price. That could also be an indicator of how hard they are to sell. Nobody wants wagons, nobody wants Saabs and nobody wants manuals. Still, a hell of a car that drives BEAUTIFULLY. The engine and suspension are fantastic.

http://autocatch.com/used-cars/2007~saab~9-3~628680.htm

Man, I'd go for that Saab as well. But I'd be prepared for reliability issues and for it to be worthless should I want to resell. I'd try to get the price as low as I could ( because it essentially will be worthless or extremely difficulty to ever resell), be prepared to walk away, but go for it nonetheless. Me = fun to drive junkie.

tortoise · « **Reply #13 on:** December 15, 2011, 11:08:09 am »

Exactly,

The reasons I stayed away were that it would have been our only car and we have two young kids (2 and 2 weeks) in the family so we needed something dependable. We're also not in a financial position to absorb random repairs.

In case you missed my thread, I contacted these guys about Saabs of this generation.

http://www.yellowpages.ca/bus/Ontario/Nepean/Scandinavian-Auto-Service-Ltd/2522512.html

They said that although they're reasonably reliable they've been having a hard time getting parts. My understanding is that the aftermarket is well and good for these cars but if you need some Saab only parts they can be hard to come by. Top Gun called a Saab shop in T.O. and they said parts were no problem. So there you go.

CyberNick · « **Reply #14 on:** December 15, 2011, 01:10:46 pm »

So, when I go see that '07 Saab that is listed for $14,500, what might be a reasonable starting off point for bargaining? Assuming I like it and it checks out OK, I was thinking that I'd love to get it for around $12,000.

articsteve · « **Reply #15 on:** December 15, 2011, 01:24:06 pm »

Nick; you've entered NEVER NEVER LAND. Time to wake up and buy something that can be fixed without costing 5x the regular amount.

CyberNick · « **Reply #16 on:** December 15, 2011, 01:49:20 pm »

articsteve: No offence, but you sound just like my wife on that one.

And I say, but, but, but... it's fun to drive and lots of utility with the wagon body style...

Anyway, the other one that I kind of like is the 08-09 Ford Focus SES with leather seats, etc...

Are Saabs really that bad? Expensive to repair and lots of issues? Hmm? People say similar things about Audis and BMWs too. How do they compare?

I really don't wanna Civic or Corolla, though they'd be the "logical" thing to get 'cause they're soooo reliable and cheap to fix.

bridgecity · « **Reply #17 on:** December 15, 2011, 01:59:16 pm »

What about a Saab 9-2x? Subaru based, with a little Saab personality. Wouldn't be as fun as the 9-3, but wouldn't cause as much heartache either. They can be had for under 10K, albeit selection is limited.

tpl · « **Reply #18 on:** December 15, 2011, 02:02:04 pm »

SAAB s were great fun. GM Opel platform posing as a SAAB not so much. Although parts are still available they are orphans now. At least with a BMW you can always find a) an indie tech who understands them and b) oem AND good aftermarket parts.

articsteve · « **Reply #19 on:** December 15, 2011, 02:05:32 pm »

And I say, but, but, but... it's fun to drive and lots of utility with the wagon body style...

Are Saabs really that bad? Expensive to repair and lots of issues? Hmm? People say similar things about Audis and BMWs too. How do they compare?

They were expensive to repair in the late 90's, can't imagine 2007s without a parts supply.. Master cylinder $1000. no aftermarket. Master cylinder BMW 5 series $150. aftermarket.

The biggest issue with the last of the Saabs like a 2007 is the electrical. How many computers run that car. There will be one for the "body", etc. Remember this is a GM, from the old GM plus some weird Swedish input. POS to buy out of bumper to bumper warranty.

The Focus sounds more like it.