Recent grad buying his first new car...

[Chiketkd]

A good friend of mine graduated from Physical Therapy school last winter, and has been working at a Sports Clinic just outside of Charlotte, NC for ~6 months.

He's getting married in a year, and wants to buy a "practical" new car in the 20K and under price range. He left a message for me last Thursday night, but I didn't get a chance to catch up with him until last night, when he updated me on what he's test-driven thus far:

1) Toyota Camry (4 cyl)
2) Mazda 6i (4 cyl)

He wasn't thrilled with the Camry, but fell head-over-heels for the sweet styling of the Mazda 6! As his fiancee lives in NY, I talked to him about the base Legacy 2.5 sedan (non-turbo) and the benefits of an awd car in the Winter. He's setting up an appointment to test-drive one early this week and will give me an update by Wednesday evening.

Any other cars he should consider?

-Chike

[shelfy]

Originally Posted by Chiketkd

Any other cars he should consider?

yes. forester 2.5x, impreza 2.5rs, and outback sport.

[Chiketkd]

Originally Posted by shelfy

yes. forester 2.5x, impreza 2.5rs, and outback sport.

He's not a big fan of wagons (doesn't plan on having kids for another 5yrs). I will mention the Impreza 2.5 RS though. They're sweet, sporty and a ton o' fun!

-Chike

05 2.5 RS would be great. Its what I bought for my wife, auto of course. Plus the bonus of the RS all WRX mods fit

[upnygimp]

Tell him to give the Mazda3s a shot. It has the same engine as the 6i, but its smaller and lighter. It's very similar to the 6 in feel and looks, but you can get one fully loaded for the same price as a stripper 6i. It does look kinda small, but it's actually got a decent amount of room- I went and test drove one this weekend to possibly replace my Avenger and eat up quite a bit of my paycheck, and I'm 6'2" and felt very comfortable in the car. My dad sat in the passenger seat, and the salesman decided to tag along in the back seat. He had to be over 300lbs and also tall, and he seemed to fit OK back there. I didnt get a really good test drive, because my father didnt like the fact that the salesman decided to come along, but I will be going to a different Mazda dealer sometime this week to give one a real drive. From what I did feel though, power delivery was nice and linear, the steering felt great and it turned very nicely. It has similar weight and power to my Avenger and it felt worlds different.

[upnygimp]

Oh, also tell him to try the Scion tC- its a Toyota so it's nearly bulletproof, and comes pretty much fully loaded for $16k.

[Landshark]

dare i say the new Hyundai Sonata? (if AWD isn't necessary?)

got excellent reviews, cheap, great quality, great warranty. wife and i really thought the Hyundai Tucson was nice when we were shopping for the LGT, but her WRX will have to hold out for a while.

i personally wouldn't buy one - i need more sportiness, but its a great value for what you get.

[shelfy]

i forgot about teh sonata. i was in the hyundai dealership getting our first oil change and they finally has some 06s in stock. i didn't drive one, but i sat in one in the showroom and seriously contemplated leaving the legacy unlocked with the keys in the ignition so i could get one.

[Landshark]

Originally Posted by shelfy

i didn't drive one, but i sat in one in the showroom and seriously contemplated leaving the legacy unlocked with the keys in the ignition so i could get one.

i wouldn't go that far!

get yerself a Cobb AP and you'll change your tune - i just installed the new version Stage 1 last week and ....WOW! sucker just PULLS! Trey Cobb's daily driver is an LGT.

[Stevebsy]

I'll give another vote to the Hyundai. We bought the top of the line XG350 (2003 model) and it has been excellent, never failed once, and it's still tight and rattle free 2 years and 20k later. The new Sonata should be a nice ride and it fits the price he's looking for.

Sadly, for <20k you will barely get the cheapo model Impreza "Inexpensive and built to stay that way" is no longer the Subaru slogan..now it's something like "Getting more expensive every year!"

[Smartest but not as fun]
But really..the best advice to give would be NOT to buy a new car. It is the poorest way to spend your money, especially when just starting out of school. Buy a 2-3 year old car that is known for quality, save $4-8000 (or more) on the price, and lots of other money in insurance, etc...
[/Smartest but not as fun]

Originally Posted by Landshark

dare i say the new Hyundai Sonata? (if AWD isn't necessary?)

got excellent reviews, cheap, great quality, great warranty. wife and i really thought the Hyundai Tucson was nice when we were shopping for the LGT, but her WRX will have to hold out for a while.

i personally wouldn't buy one - i need more sportiness, but its a great value for what you get.

[Weebitob]

Perhaps he should take advantage of those new sales or "employee pricing for everyone" deal GM has and get a Saab 9-3, 9-5 or even highest performance trim SportCombi which has an AWD with 250hp V6 trim (even though you said he’s not a fan of wagons). They are cars with decently plushed but seemingly equally sporty interiors that have pretty good performance to boot not to mention good fuel economy (I heard the turbocharged 9-3 can still go at about 30mpg even if you are going at 85mph) and if this discount is what they are really bragging about you can get once for thousands less then the usual MSRP or at least they will be priced without the "prestigious" markup. It does This is of course considering that the GM discount is really all that it is cracked up to be. Yes I do admit Saabs are a bit pricey for what they are equipped with, I am just putting them up for consideration because of that discount if indeed it is enough of one to knock even the 9-3 Aero into the Legacy GT range. When it comes down to it this just stems from seeing a silver Saab 9-3 in the parking lot which I thought looked nice and then reading about one on a post in a forum. There are also other GM vehicles to choose from, if he indeed remotely likes GM such as the Pontiac Grand Prix or even the G6, not to mention the new Impala SS, not to mention others such as the Nissan Altima SE-R, which has performance that makes it basically a four door 350Z with a bigger trunk.

Pics of the Saab 9-3 SportCombi and SportSedan

[wawazat??]

Originally Posted by Stevebsy

[Smartest but not as fun]
But really..the best advice to give would be NOT to buy a new car. It is the poorest way to spend your money, especially when just starting out of school. Buy a 2-3 year old car that is known for quality, save $4-8000 (or more) on the price, and lots of other money in insurance, etc...
[/Smartest but not as fun]

Here, here Steve. Great advice. I see the TX sun has yet to fry your brain

For the money he's looking to spend on a new car, he can easily pick up a used G35 sedan. I know my wifes car has a residual less than his new car limit. It's not a large car in terms of interior room, but RWD and 260HP is nice and she cruises at 80mph (braeking the law, breaking the law-bannination imminent) all day very nicely.

Todd

[Chiketkd]

Originally Posted by upnygimp

Tell him to give the Mazda3s a shot.

Good call. I'll mention that to him. The Mazda 6 and Legacy 2.5i will be the more upscale, while the Mazda 3 and Impreza 2.5 RS will be the more youthful and sporty shoices.

Originally Posted by upnygimp

Oh, also tell him to try the Scion tC- its a Toyota so it's nearly bulletproof, and comes pretty much fully loaded for $16k.

I mentioned the Scion tC to him, but he wants a practical 4 door. He wants his soon-to-be father-in-law to think he's serious about settling down!

Originally Posted by Landshark

dare i say the new Hyundai Sonata? (if AWD isn't necessary?)

I didn't think about that but reviews on the new V6 Sonata are glowing. Car looks 10x better than the previous model too.

-Chike

[SSSVX]

Originally Posted by Chiketkd

Any other cars he should consider?

-Chike

Yes, Mazda Speed 6. It's an AWD too.

He wants to be thought as seriously setting down................... ?
Ever thought of the SUZUKI VERONA, that'll give a serious look.
I think he could get a very fully loaded EX with a good budget, he would
have 6 cyclinder power and all leather interior.

The Mazda6 and Legacy 2.5 are pretty good..........

[shelfy]

Originally Posted by SSSVX

Yes, Mazda Speed 6. It's an AWD too.

i'd consider one as well for 20 large!