cheapest most dependable new car?

[Intuit57]

Hi all,

A 16 yr old girl driving her daddy's big new Dodge lost control and slammed into my drivers side and totalled my car! It sucks even more b/c I'm so broke right now... we had lots of miles on the GA and will not get much $$$ for it...so, any ideas on what kind of Cheap new car I can get? I don't mind the looks/features of the Cobalt..but is it reliable? (my '99 GA was kind of a lemon..so I'm afraid of GM) I'd hate to be stuck with an Accent or a Focus... any help?

[gaowners32]

why does it HAVE to be new? Why not used certified? Check out toyota or scion even the volkswagon rabbit. I wouldnt go american anything if your going to buy new.

[Sleepwalkr]

Spoken like a guy who knows absolutely nothing about newer American cars.

[bigbenSC]

If you want the cheapest new cars out there I would check out the Chevy Aveo (new for '07), Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Suzuki Reno, Toyota Yaris, and Scion xA are about the cheapest new cars you can get. Of those I would recomend either the Yaris or Aveo. Honestly though, I'd take a 2 year old Civic over any of those for similar or less money.

[nascarnate326]

Spoken like a guy who knows absolutely nothing about newer American cars.
Very well put.:applause:

All 2007 Cobalts have the new 100k warenty. My freind has a 2006 and loves it. Shes got 42k on it with no problems. You could probally get a 2006 right now very cheap, yet still "new"
Your grand am could have been a lemon because of the way it was made, and because with the sheer number of Grand Am's LCR made every day. Bound to have some bad ones when its the best selling car for GM. Besides LIM mine was almost problem free. Check out the Cobalt, or G5. G5 has a nice int, for an economy car.
Check insurance too. Id replace my car with a cobalt in an instant. I want the SS/SC version though.

Used would be good too.

[Mike Jung]

If you want the cheapest new cars out there I would check out the Chevy Aveo (new for '07), Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Suzuki Reno, Toyota Yaris, and Scion xA are about the cheapest new cars you can get. Of those I would recomend either the Yaris or Aveo. Honestly though, I'd take a 2 year old Civic over any of those for similar or less money.
Driving Television: Subcompact Comparison video (http://www.drivingtelevision.com/videos.php?ccID=11)

[LoboMan7409]

I would recommend the G5, it is the pontiac version of the cobalt and much nicer IMO

[timberwoof]

I might step on some toes here, but I like the Scion TC. There are a lot of things you can do with them and you can get a used one for cheap.

[Ajaxus]

cheap=honda/hyundai


:D

[SilverGT1]

I might step on some toes here, but I like the Scion TC. There are a lot of things you can do with them and you can get a used one for cheap.

agreed, me and my fiance were really considering 1. becareful though I've seen some dealers try to sell these used for what you can get a new 1 for

[Lash]

Spoken like a guy who knows absolutely nothing about newer American cars.

A rule of thumb is to never buy an American car new. Mostly because they'll lose the most value as soon as you drive them off the lot. I know more than a handful of people who buy nothing but American cars....but have a hard time trying to get themselves to buy one brand new. If you want to piss money away....go for it. American cars hold the least resale value....so unless you're going to keep the car forever...buy new may not be the best idea.
Besides that...some of their new car prices are just ridiculous.

[Sleepwalkr]

A rule of thumb? For something to be a rule of thumb, there has to at least be people doing that something. More people buy brand new American cars than any other car.

Besides, its the thinking "American cars have no resale value" that keeps American cars with lower resale value. American cars are just as good as any other car nowadays. 10 years ago that wasn't true, but today it is.

Example; my buddy has a 2001 Honda Accord coupe with 105,000 miles on it. His car has a lot of options, I don't know if its completely loaded, but its close. He took his car to a local dealership and they told him they'd give him $4600 for it on a trade in. I took my 2000 GAGT coupe with 101,000 miles on it to that same dealership, and they said they'd give me $4100 for it, plus my cars paint job is a wreck right now. Its half in primer, and the rest has the clearcoat sanded off. They said we'd talk about raising that amount if I had it painted.

[Lash]

*sigh*

[rocketfast123]

You can get a fleet taurus for the low. 9k or less at most places. Point A to B car.

[gagt88]

if u want to get a cheap new car i would go wit an aveo lt for a car thats less then 15k it has a decent interior awsome gas mileage and i mean there cant be that much things that could go wrong wit it its not a real complex car but hey thats just me

[notsoaveragej0e]

A rule of thumb? For something to be a rule of thumb, there has to at least be people doing that something. More people buy brand new American cars than any other car.

Besides, its the thinking "American cars have no resale value" that keeps American cars with lower resale value. American cars are just as good as any other car nowadays. 10 years ago that wasn't true, but today it is.

Example; my buddy has a 2001 Honda Accord coupe with 105,000 miles on it. His car has a lot of options, I don't know if its completely loaded, but its close. He took his car to a local dealership and they told him they'd give him $4600 for it on a trade in. I took my 2000 GAGT coupe with 101,000 miles on it to that same dealership, and they said they'd give me $4100 for it, plus my cars paint job is a wreck right now. Its half in primer, and the rest has the clearcoat sanded off. They said we'd talk about raising that amount if I had it painted.

:applause:

Divisions of GM have been beating Lexus, Honda, Toyota and every other company for the past couple years. Their quality is on or above par with everyone else, so buying a new American car will not lose as much resale value as anything else.

As another example, my dad bought a brand new loaded 2006 Tahoe, and turned around and sold it 6 months later for what he paid for it.

[Lash]

Divisions of GM have been beating Lexus, Honda, Toyota and every other company for the past couple years. Their quality is on or above par with everyone else, so buying a new American car will not lose as much resale value as anything else.




Got information proving this? Besides GM's SUV and Truck line.

You do realize American car companies got their @$$'s whooped the first half of this year...right?

Just like to throw one other thing out there...

Profitability Per Vehicle Sold Before Taxes
1-3. Nissan, Toyota, Honda $1,200
4. DaimlerChrysler $223
5. Ford -$590
6. GM -$2,496


GM does not have to sell a crap load of cars...but they do. Their prices more than make up for any difference...lol.
They need to change the way they do business....or an end is inevitable. Their trucks and SUV's are the only thing saving them.

Read the 4th paragraph..
http://www.nwcn.com/sharedcontent/autos/topstories2/110106ccwcAutosOctsales.a70cb02.html


And any dealer that would give $4100 for a 101,000 miled GA thats 1/2 primerd is just retarted and unheard of. There must have been some 'other' deals going on to have gotten it that high...I'm guesing they'd hardly budge on the car you were buying....therefore making the deal look good by jacking up your trade. Just ask ANYBODY else on here who has ever tried to trade in their GA.

I traded my wifes MINT loaded Alero GL with just under 91k on the clock for $3100. And that was pushing it. Most other places didnt want to go over $2700....much less even screw with it cause they are so damn hard to get rid of.

[gagt88]

And any dealer that would give $4100 for a 101,000 miled GA thats 1/2 primerd is just retarted and unheard of. There must have been some 'other' deals going on to have gotten it that high...I'm guesing they'd hardly budge on the car you were buying....therefore making the deal look good by jacking up your trade. Just ask ANYBODY else on here who has ever tried to trade in their GA.








i got a 99 red gt i was thinkin about trading it in for a 03 black gtp they wanted to give me 5k for it and it had 100k on it at the time

[GregFarz78]

A rule of thumb? For something to be a rule of thumb, there has to at least be people doing that something. More people buy brand new American cars than any other car.

Besides, its the thinking "American cars have no resale value" that keeps American cars with lower resale value. American cars are just as good as any other car nowadays. 10 years ago that wasn't true, but today it is.

No its still true today just do some research on the internet not many american cars have good residual value. Buying any american car brand new is stupid...get one 1-2 years old so someone else takes the 10k depreciation hit. I'm not saying they're all crap but dont buy one brand new unless you plan to keep it 5+ years.

But honestly if I were in his situation I would get a pre-owned especially if you dont have much money, why buy a POS when you can get a better car for less only thing is its slightly used.

[Intuit57]

Thanks everyone! The Scion is not available in Canada...sad to say. As stupid as many of you think it is..I'm so tempted to get a Cobalt LT w/sport package(sunroof, spoiler etc) brand new! The best price the sales guy(s) had for me over email was Canadian $20,753. Also, tomorrow there's some new promo where you get between $500 & 25,000 off your purchase...maybe I'll be lucky? ;)

P.S. Insurance is giving us $4300(including tax) for our '99 GA w/213kms(Canadian). I'm happy they're buying it from us b/c it was needing 2 hub assemblys replaced, the ignition and abs stuff!

[crazypontiac03]

Buy WTF u want!! U give's a **** about one anyone say's.

For the Honda,Toyota lover's. Got news for you, They sell just as many car's as any other manufacture out there. Toyota,Honda isnt any better then any American car manufactur. Look how many Quailty Issue's Toyota has had this year?

As far as profits, Yes Dodge,GM, Ford have all had there issue's, But dont look for any of them to close up shop. I get so sick of People saying o yes Toyota,Honda is better then GM,Ford. U can buy a Honda or Toyota and it be the biggest POS around Same for GM,Ford.

People will get what they can afford regardless, Also ususally if people have good luck with a certain car company they will continue to buy from them.

Buying new might not get u the best resale, but if ur buying and trading every 2-3years, u should be leasing anyway. Dont give me any B.S. that toyota,honda is cheaper then a American car either. A Accord Loaded is more then a loaded Impala ss.

Dont know about you guys, but i dont buy a car based on how much i can get for trade in. Thats just dumb.

You should buy for ur wants,Needs, what u can can afford ,what feature's you like etc.

[Lash]

Ok...settle down now...lol.

I dont blame GM for having high prices...they do, after all, have a $100+ mil debt to pay off...lol.

[GregFarz78]

20k for a cobolt wtf buy one 2 years old for about half that it should last well over 100k if taken care of

[Intuit57]

$20 for a Cobalt is in Canadian dollars, better? And here's where I sound a little silly perhaps BUT I like the '07 Cobalt taillights...the '06 lights look like grandma's car. I'm sure hoping to get a better deal though...the $20,000 was just an email quote...can't I get em lower in person?

[nascarnate326]

Offer 18750, if they take it sweet. If not, there's plenty of other dealers that will take your money. Cobalt is a good choice i think.

[GregFarz78]

20,000 cad = 17,680 usd that is waaaaay too much for that car, not saying its a bad car but I wouldnt buy one brand new you can probably get one with low miles for 10-12k

[Intuit57]

20,000 cad = 17,680 usd that is waaaaay too much for that car, not saying its a bad car but I wouldnt buy one brand new you can probably get one with low miles for 10-12k

Okay, does it matter that $20,000 includes a sunroof, sports appearance package(spoiler, upgraded tires/rims, abs) and that the car has auto tranny, power everything?
We're going for the 1st test drive in about 3 hours! I sat in an Aveo hatch today waiting for the sales guy...I was surprised how roomy it felt for a tiny toy car.
Have a good one!

[amerpwr]

hey i seen honda is selling brand new cbr600rrs for like 9k and if you dont like honda then yamaha has the r6 for around the same price! they cheap, insurance is cheap, the ladies love them, and you get hella gas mileage...

[Mike Jung]

hey i seen honda is selling brand new cbr600rrs for like 9k and if you dont like honda then yamaha has the r6 for around the same price! they cheap, insurance is cheap, the ladies love them, and you get hella gas mileage...
:confused:

We were talking about cars here.

A motorcycle would not be a good idea here (Toronto) in the winter time lol

[stanjk3]

How about a used WRX or Legacy GT (05+)??
From what I've read Subarus are overpriced in Canada, so anything newer might be out of your price range.

[5-lO]

You can lease a new Legacy for like 179 a month, you can actually get into those for 17k US from what I hear... not sure though, nice cars for the money though.

[amerpwr]

i know your talkin about (aboot) cars..i was just givin you some options for the summer time. doesnt Toronto have buses? lol jk they sell Suzuki cars up there?

[Intuit57]

Well, we certainly stepped down in quality with the new car....:blushing: we had no choice $$$ wise so we got a 2007 Hyundai Accent 3 Door Sport(0% financing). It's a "cute bug" but it's no GA!!! Anyhow, it has 205/45-16 tires and I need some help knowing what winter rims/tires will fit. Tirerack.com says I have a choice of 14", 15" or 16".... a lot of ppl have used winter rims & tires for sale...but a guy at Canadian Tire said not to trust tirerack's opinion b/c when a car is 'sport tuned' the brakes might be bigger and need the 16" tires? Anyone have any knowledge on this? There's a set of tires w/ford focus 4 bolt rims I can get cheap...but will they fit?
Thanks for reading this and any help!

[Mike Jung]

Well, we certainly stepped down in quality with the new car....:blushing: we had no choice $$$ wise so we got a 2007 Hyundai Accent 3 Door Sport(0% financing). It's a "cute bug" but it's no GA!!! Anyhow, it has 205/45-16 tires and I need some help knowing what winter rims/tires will fit. Tirerack.com says I have a choice of 14", 15" or 16".... a lot of ppl have used winter rims & tires for sale...but a guy at Canadian Tire said not to trust tirerack's opinion b/c when a car is 'sport tuned' the brakes might be bigger and need the 16" tires? Anyone have any knowledge on this? There's a set of tires w/ford focus 4 bolt rims I can get cheap...but will they fit?
Thanks for reading this and any help!
IMO, I say -1 (inch) a wheel size.
Get some 195/55/15" tires with 15" steel wheels.
(It was suggested to me not to go more than 1" down in a wheel size for handling considerations; assuming that the vehicle could down size.)

But to confirm: Go to a professional tire shop (meaning not Canadian Tire) to do some "window" shopping.
Ask them if you can down size to a 15" wheel package for your car; I'm almost pretty sure that you can.
Like who every heard of a big brake package stock on a Hyundai Accent ? :p

& no the wheels from a Ford Focus will not fit your car.
Your car = 4x100mm bolt pattern.
Ford Focus = 4x108mm bolt pattern

(+ there is always the hub size to consider also...)

[curtpank]

I'd stick with 16" since that's what the car comes with. I have a friend who uses the same wheels and just has a tire shop switch the tires in spring and fall (about $50 for all four)

[GregFarz78]

Well, we certainly stepped down in quality with the new car....:blushing: we had no choice $$$ wise so we got a 2007 Hyundai Accent 3 Door Sport(0% financing). It's a "cute bug" but it's no GA!!! Anyhow, it has 205/45-16 tires and I need some help knowing what winter rims/tires will fit. Tirerack.com says I have a choice of 14", 15" or 16".... a lot of ppl have used winter rims & tires for sale...but a guy at Canadian Tire said not to trust tirerack's opinion b/c when a car is 'sport tuned' the brakes might be bigger and need the 16" tires? Anyone have any knowledge on this? There's a set of tires w/ford focus 4 bolt rims I can get cheap...but will they fit?
Thanks for reading this and any help!

Tirerack is usually right that guy just wants to make a sale, I'd go with 15s personally I dont know what the guy is talking about "sport tuned" brakes on a hyundai accent :wtf my car came with 17" stock wheels and I use 15" steelies in the winter. What tires are on there stock? you might not even need winter tires if the ones you have are decent in the snow.

[Intuit57]

Thanks guys. The tires on the car are Kumho Solus (KH16)...but it has alloy rims and I've heard winter is brutal on them...?
I'm going to buy from Tires23 in Mississauga. They have some great prices.