Hey everyone, I’ve been driving a 2006 Prius with over 414,000 miles that my parents gave me. I’m 18 now and looking for a sportier car. I’ve saved up $30,000, make about $50,000 a year, and my credit score is 772.
I’m looking to buy a car in the $40-45k range, and I’m considering used options with lower miles to save some money. I’d love to hear suggestions on cars to check out.
Any ideas would be super helpful.
Edit: I’m planning to buy a car in a year, so by then, I’ll likely have about $90,000 saved up, but I don’t plan to spend all of it on a car.
Howard said:
You could check out a Subaru WRX, Honda Civic Si, or a VW Golf GTI. All great options in your price range.
Thanks, I’ll definitely look into those!
The GTI is a solid choice. Just watch out for insurance. When I switched from my Subaru Forester to a WRX, my insurance went up by $700 a year, and I’m 40 with no tickets.
jabali said: @Gabriel
Yeah, insurance will be a bit of a pain, but I think it’ll be worth it to enjoy driving again.
Don’t go for those. Get a 3rd gen Mazda 3 with the 2.5L engine. It’s reliable, fun to drive, and way cheaper to insure. Plus, if you ever want to make it faster, you can add a supercharger kit.
@abidemi
I get what you’re saying, but the GTI’s engine (EA888) is really reliable as long as you keep up with maintenance. Not sure about the others, but I think the GTI’s a solid option.
Howard said:
You could check out a Subaru WRX, Honda Civic Si, or a VW Golf GTI. All great options in your price range.
My list would also include Toyota 86, Nissan 370z, and Toyota Corolla GR if you don’t need much space. For something new, maybe check out the Mazda CX-30; my son has one and loves it.
Don’t listen to people telling you to keep driving the Prius until it dies. The best time to buy a car is before you’re desperate and need one right away.
zendaya said:
Don’t listen to people telling you to keep driving the Prius until it dies. The best time to buy a car is before you’re desperate and need one right away.
Yeah, I don’t mind waiting for it to die, but I’d rather not be caught off guard. That’s why I’m looking for ideas now.
@jabali
It might not die anytime soon. Worst case, you’d need to replace the high-voltage battery for about $2k, and then you’d be set for another 400k miles.
zendaya said:
Don’t listen to people telling you to keep driving the Prius until it dies. The best time to buy a car is before you’re desperate and need one right away.
I’ve had a 98 Accord for 3 years, and it’s been great. I’m thinking of selling it before it dies so I can get a couple grand for it and put that towards my next car.
zendaya said:
Don’t listen to people telling you to keep driving the Prius until it dies. The best time to buy a car is before you’re desperate and need one right away.
You should list your 414k-mile Prius for something crazy like $6500 on Craigslist. You might actually find someone willing to buy it.
zendaya said:
Don’t listen to people telling you to keep driving the Prius until it dies. The best time to buy a car is before you’re desperate and need one right away.
I disagree. That Prius isn’t going to die anytime soon. The worst you’d face is replacing the battery, and it’ll last another 400k miles. You should save enough to buy your next car outright.
zendaya said:
Don’t listen to people telling you to keep driving the Prius until it dies. The best time to buy a car is before you’re desperate and need one right away.
I get what you’re saying, but if you’ve got the funds, just walk into a dealership and buy new. Deals are usually similar, but if you’re willing to shop around, you might save a few thousand. I’ve been saving for years and could pay cash for a new Toyota tomorrow if I wanted, but I prefer to keep driving my 06 Toyota. That said, the new Camrys are pretty sporty, and the hybrid gets 47/48 mpg.