I'm on the market for a new car, any suggestions?

get a corrolla or a nissan sentra srv

I’ve always been a fan of nissans

Budget?

Ahh, budget.
I’m not out to buy an Aston Martin.

My dad (who is backing this venture) is considering a Mercedes, but to me, a mercedes is my grandmother’s car.
(and needlessly excessive)

But a safe car (and safe is the key word) so no kia souls, no matter how much I liked the commercial.

I just bought a little Toyota Yaris. Excellent gas mileage (29–39mpg), but not very sporty. I test drove a Scion xD and loved it, but I couldn’t get my payments where I wanted them on that one (it was only $17K, but I had negative equity). I like the Scions because they are affordable, sporty, and there’s no haggling on price. The price on the ticket is what you pay. They have that little 2 door one, the tC as well. It’s really cute.

Go to edmunds.com and research the top rated cars for safety by their type and then decide what looks like fun to go test drive. You might end up really liking a small SUV instead of a sedan or a coupe, etc.

Look into a Nissan Versa. Fairly roomy, a comfy, zippy drive drive, excellent gas mileage, reasonably priced, and cute.

My daughter loves her Volkswagen New Beetle and I find it to be a nice, sporty ride. The Turbo gives you that extra oomph on the freeway.

Of course, depending on what your dad is willing to spend, this Mercedes is not really very grandmotherly. Love the idea of the retractable roof.

The Audi is the safest car you can find.

What’s wrong with your current car? Civics are pretty safe, dependable, and get great gas mileage. I would say save the money and stick with your current car.

I have a used Suzuki Reno, it’s a 2006 (I got it in 2007) Edmunds.com seems to bash it. But, it’s a cute car, safe and other than some weird design (I really think suzuki should stick to motorcycles lol) it’s a great car. Replacement tires are inexpensive, which always seems to be an issue for me. So, that’s a bonus.

This is what I drive:
I didn’t buy it for myself, my husband bought it as a surprise

I’ve been on medical restrictions for most of the time that I’ve owned the car, but it does drive great and it is nice. He also works for the company…we didn’t have to pay the regular cost, also…it was a dealer car. It had a total of 3,010 miles – they went over so it had to be titles, so technically, it was used. Considering he is a mechanic, I’ll probably never have another car, again. It’s pretty much gotta just completely be dead for me to ever consider a different car.

@b the thing is, my civic decided to fail at life and have massive engine failure, just one month after the factory warrenty ended.
My entire family was blown away- the only deciding factor in getting the civic (a surprise from my dad) in the first place was dependability. =(

@cak nice!

@noelasun – thanks It’s like a Honda, Toyota and Nissan. I’d recommend Lexus, a used one, in a heartbeat…as fast as a new one.

I drive a 2003 Honda CR-V. Absolutely love it.

Prior to that I had a civic for nine years. Loved that too.

I love a Buick, but wish it came in a hybrid. Maybe a Jetta, or on the experimental side, I saw one of these Nissan Cubes the other day and it looked way cool!

As an ex Jetta owner, I’d have to replay my unhappiness with the car. It worked out fine until it hit 80k and then it started to fall apart.

I’m happy with my Toyota currently.

@The_Compassionate_Heretic: —I loved my memories of VW until I grew up and went to work for them, what crapulence. Yay Toyota! (better insurance than Honda)

@cak Serious car envy over here. What a nice surprise from your husband!

@hungryhungryhortence Yes. “Crapulent” is how I would term my VW experience. haha

@casheroo I was so surprised…and prompltly medically restricted from driving! :) It’s okay, we’ve enjoyed the car, a lot…suv…whatever. He’s a very nice hubby.

Keep in mind, I used to drive, for a long time, a beat up Chevy Celebrity and then a Neon. I drove both until they had well over 100k miles. It was a nice move up.

I’m so bummed my honda civic bailed on me. I thought I’d be driving it a long time. But car prices the way they are now, fixing my car is comparable to buying a new one.

I want a fun car, and yet I’m reluctant to pour money into such a dicey investment. Who knew my Civic would only last 4 years???

@noelasun Only four years?! My husband is driving a 2001 Ford Focus. It’s needed some hefty work over the years, but it’s still going (and has like, 80k miles on it) We’re thinking we’ll get another year out of it *fingers crossed

@noelasun Whoa! Only 4 years? That’s odd for a Honda!

Subaru Outback Legacy. It’s a sports car disguised as a station wagon, has very good safety rating, gets o.k. gas mileage and is dependable. I suggest certified pre-owned as it has a very long half life. I love mine. Great in winter weather too.

@noelasun: That is very odd for a Honda. As I said, I had my civic for nine years. I put 180K miles on it with only very basic maintenance.

My wife also had a civic with similar results.

I love my 2008 Mini Cooper S—6-speed turbo, averages 32 MPG. Engineered by BMW, built (to order, if you want specific features, as I did) in the UK. So much fun to drive, it’s difficult to restrain myself to reduce my odds of attracting attention from the traffic officers.

I am also a previous VW owner and my 2nd choice to the Mini was the VW Eos—hard top convertible with an integrated sunroof. The new CC is nice too, if you want a larger vehicle.

@cprevite you’re telling me. When I took her down to the dealership, they were all standing around my car, scratching their heads saying “I’ve never seen this happen before”.

@hearkat I’d love to get a mini- but is it a smooth ride? I read in the reviews that i wasn’t very good.

@noelasun: You said, ”it must be fun to drive”. Usually a sport suspension is a stiffer ride, and Mini’s are about as stiff as it gets. I like to feel the road, and work the steering wheel, and shift up and down—in other words drive. If you want to be a passenger behind the steering wheel and feel as if you’re sitting in a La-Z-Boy, get the Mercedes. :-)

The only way to find out if it’s right for you is to go for a test drive!!

@hearkat – I love Minis! —a bit of jealousy setting in…what color?

@cak: British Racing Green (is there any other color?) with Black stripes and roof (panoramic sunroof)—and black rims. I have people complimenting it frequently. My son had the back windows and rear windshield tinted for Mother’s Day, which was after I took the picture I’ve posted to Fluther’s PhotoBucket page

@hearkat very nice!

@cak: Thanks! I really do love it. People who have known me my whole life say it’s the perfect car for me.

@hearkat saw the picture… and that’s it for me. I’m going for a test drive this Saturday.

@noelasun: Do you know how to drive a stick-shift? I just taught my son on the Mini, and now he always wants to borrow it! The automatic Minis do have paddle-shifters, and they’re OK… I still prefer the clutch and gearshift though.

The MiniUSA.com site allows you to build your own, and the dealer can use that to place your order. Minis are the only auto make that isn’t floundering right now, and as a niche vehicle, they never really negotiate on price a whole lot, but you can work on getting accessories marked-down or free.

They call it a Mini for a reason… there’s not much of a back seat, so keep in mind how often you have more than one passenger. It’s rare for me, and my son doesn’t mind trading so I can use the Jeep!

Have fun!!