First Car.. help me choose!

Question

These are my options:

Scion xD (box-y shape?)

Toyota Yaris (too cheap looking? too small?)

Honda Civic (too expensive? cliche?)

Toyota Matrix (expensive?)

My budget is limited to 20K. My ideal car is a compact SUV but it takes too much gas :(. This is my first car. Please tell me which one's best and why. OR, recommend a car. BUT no American cars (sorry)--bad reputation for breaking down.

Answer 1

Scion xD ok but it's new, reliability is unknown

Toyota Yaris - terrible avoid - noisy engine bad brakes poor hwy ride

Honda Civic prices are inflated at the moment

Toyota Matrix yes but! buy it's mechanical twin the Pontiac Vibe for thousands of dollars less.

Kia Optima & Rondo

Honda Fit

The Fit comes well equipped with standard power accessories, antilock brakes, and curtain air bags.

Answer 2

If you want a SUV in under 20k, you should look at Crossovers. Those are the SUV with a Car Chassis instead of a Truck one.

The Toyota Matrix you mentioned is one. If that one is out of your Budget then look at the fraternal Twin Pontiac Vibe.

Others include but not limited to.

Dodge Caliber

Kia Rondo

Mazda CX7

Chevy HHR

Chrysler PT Cruiser

Mazda 3

Subaru Outback.

Don't go by Sticker price. If you do your homework & do this right then you can easily take home a car for say $4000 to $5000 bellow Sticker.

Use

http://www.fightingchance.com if you need help.

Answer 3

Get a nissan....its Japanese car, very reliable.They have a few cars under 20k.I would pick them over almost any other NEW car...thats a lot coming from a car guy.They also have a compact SUV that gets 27 MPG called the rogue, but if i were u i would stick with one of the Nissan sentra's.

Answer 4

My suggestion to you would be a Toyota Prius. It is great on gas (50 MPG) and you can get a basic model for just under 20K.

Answer 5

09 Hyundai Sonata 4 cylinder. One of the best and safest cars for the money. You can get a nicely equipped one for around 20k

http://www.2009sonata.com/

Hyundai's quality has risen to near Japanese level. They are definitely worth a look.  

Answer 6

If you like sub-compact SUV's the Toyota Matrix/Pontiac vibe is a great choice.

- It gets good MPG

- reliable

- Good Resale value (pontiac vibe can be found for about 3k cheaper fyi)

- Has folding seats much like an SUV

the Civic is the next best choice, but high demands have made the price inflate, and non-negotiable.

The Yaris and the Scion are cheaply built. They're basically the same car, except the scion has more body parts. They're sluggish on acceleration, and the interior is of poor quality.

Answer 7

Toyota Yaris.

Reasons:

- Reliability

- Low fuel cost

- Easy to drive

- Good safety (once safety pack is installed)

- Cheaper running costs

Or get a Mazda 2