Which of these would be a good beginner car?

Question

So my mom says after we sell our house she will get me a car for my sixteenth birthday. [I actually do need the car for personal reasons]

We have already agreed that it should be a honda or toyota. Nothing else.

Here is something random i picked out and am wondering if this would be a good car for me [i drive fairly well] to start with. It must have great gas mileage and if used no more than 15,000 miles. price- max 20,000.

http://automobiles.honda.com/tools/build-price/summary.asp?MODEL=FA1629EW&MODELNAME=CIVIC%204DR%20DX&DIVISION=A&SERIESNAME=Civic%20Sedan&SERIESID=2&YEAR=2009&SERIES=2&RURL=&VIEW=34FRONT&ECEXT=&CATEGORY=&ECOLOR=NH-578&ICOLOR=GR&SELECTED=CIVIC09049,CIVIC09045,CIVIC09042,CIVIC09030,CIVIC09025,CIVIC09023,CIVIC09020,CIVIC09014&INCLUDED=&REQUIRED=CIVIC09050,CIVIC09043,CIVIC09026

here is another i did. Oh and if you suggest any cars they must have four doors.

http://automobiles.honda.com/tools/build-price/summary.asp?MODEL=FA1629EW&MODELNAME=CIVIC%204DR%20DX&DIVISION=A&SERIESNAME=Civic%20Sedan&SERIESID=2&YEAR=2009&SERIES=2&RURL=&VIEW=34FRONT&ECEXT=&CATEGORY=&ECOLOR=NH-578&ICOLOR=GR&SELECTED=CIVIC09049,CIVIC09042,CIVIC09038,CIVIC09034,CIVIC09032,CIVIC09030,CIVIC09025,CIVIC09023,CIVIC09009&INCLUDED=&REQUIRED=CIVIC09050,CIVIC09043,CIVIC09026

toyota

http://www.toyozone.com/inventory/vehicleDetail.aspx

Answer 1

I won't deny that newer cars are getting more and more bloated, frequently getting unneessary size increases, but they are safer today than before. And why four doors only?

Some great cars include the Honda Fit 5MT 5-door hatch, best mileage out of the non-hybrid Hondas, and the Subaru Impreza 2.5i 5-door hatch is a fun AWD car, although it gets worse mileage. Try driving each of your potential choices and see what you like. You might be surprised, the Toyotas and Hondas could be very meh to you while you happen to like a VW Jetta.

Also, if you're going to get that Civic, get rid of those extra options (not worth it, especially the front under-spoiler), and get a manual transmission. Stick shifts have better gas mileage especially in small cars, and if you can drive efficiently it only sweetens the deal more. Pretty much everyone in Europe drives a manual.

[quote](old civics got 40s mpg, new get 20s mpg).[/quote]

Not really. Once you get rid of the "EPA factor" as they've subtracted 10% from city and 22% from highway for a while, and they've also devised new testing rules, the current base Civics are about on par with older Civics, at most a few mpg worse.

Answer 2

Nothing you'd consider. Current cars are no more efficient than a decade ago. A new Toyota Prius can't even outdo a 1992 Honda Civic VX Hatchback. Toyota's current reliability is less than what it used to be and Honda is getting no where near the fuel economy it used to (old civics got 40s mpg, new get 20s mpg).