tazman

I know a lot of people here know a lot about different cars so I thought I would post this to see if I could get some opinions. Let me start by saying yesterday some kid hit my 2003 Kia Rio while it was parked on the grass off of a country road where I was working at a house. The kid said he was only doing 40 - 45 MPH and a groundhog ran out in front of him an he swerved his 2001 PT Cruiser and lost control but by the damage I say he was doing at least 60 MPH. I really don't care about the car I bought it new and put 17000 miles on it in 1 1/2 years. What I care more about is the hassle I have to go through and the money I will probably loose. I could go and get another little car and probably be around the same $$ I was except having to pay on the loan an extra 1 1/2 years. I guess what I am looking for is a car around $10000 range and I would like a warranty so I don't have to worry about paying for repairs at all and most places sell a warranty for less then $1000 from what I have seen.

From looking around today I can get a 2000 Mustang 6 cylinder which is fine with me for around my price range which I like the looks of. But my concern is will this give me trouble free driving for the next at least 5 years and I worry about driving in the snow with it.

The guy at the Kia Suzuki dealer said he could get me into a low milage 2004 Rio or Aerio in the price range I was looking for and they will still have 5 years left on the factory warranty. This seems like the smartest thing to do. Anybody have any experience with the Aerio at all?

I don't want to buy a real expensive car because with my job I get dirty and so does the car. Here are some pics of my car after the accident.

Adam H

Ouch, sorry about the car. Good thing you weren't in it.

If I was in your position, I think I'd get a certified preowned (if you're set on a warranty) Toyota or Honda over a Kia or the like. They seem to be much more robust vehicles and they'll definitely hold a better resale value.

As an example, my '92 Camry has 180,000 miles on it and it still runs very well though I beat on it every day. It has never had to have any major mechanical repairs, and were it not for some body damage I think I could easily get $3000 in a sale.

Good luck.

dime1622

want trouble-free? like adam said, toyota's the way to go. no better used car than a toyota, and since theyreso plentiful, theyre not too expensive.

tazman

Thanks for your input! I did think about the Toyota certified and when I visited the dealer everything they had was to expensive. I guess I can check the Honda dealer to see what they have. While part of me wants a better car, the way I use it I just can't get myself to justify paying more when I can run a cheaper car like that with no worries and just trade it in when the loan is done and keep a lower car payment for the trouble free driving.

Jfrahm

I'd buy a Scion xA before a Kia. It might actually have resale value in a few years.

macnewma

Yeah, it is not likely you will find a Toyota/Honda that is CPO for $10k...they don't CPO more than 3-4 yrs out I think. You might try a Nissan like a Sentra/Altima CPO. Nissan tends to depreciate quicker and only lags slightly behind T/H in quality.

Glad you weren't hurt and have fun looking for a car!

Max

macnewma

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...or=&cardist=25

Check this one out. I don't know if it is CPO.

Max

Eyal 951

i think from that damage we was not doing 60... that damae isnt to bad. Remember, that car is not very safe either, as you can see with the buckle on the roof. I think that looks about 40 mph. 60 would do a lot more damage... I speak out of experience. (I have never crashed a car, but have been passenger, and have seem plenty freinds crash. Dont get a kia again. just look at how unsafe that frame damage is. Toyota, or honda are excellent reliabiltity, warranty not even necessary.
~Eyal

adrial

I beg to differ...

The rear of the car crushed, but the passanger area is 100% in tact.

IMO it worked perfectly, with the crush zone extending the duration of the impact and thus reducing the force applied to the occupants of the car (if anybody was in the car).

I cant help with suggestions for a new car though, it seems you cant go wrong with toyota/honda though...

tazman

I think I have a better chance in my price range with a Nissan so I will check into them some more.

Eyal one thing I failed to mention is he did not hit my car head on he was driving on the opposite side of the road and managed to hit the rear of my car with the side of his. The cop seemed to think he was going pretty fast but since there were no skid marks he said there is no way to prove it. I thought the Kia held up good considering the impact since the passenger compartment does not have any damage to it.

Dark Lightning

Read my lips: SUBARU.

Ok, sure, they typically lack a little soul but you'd have a hard time convincing me that a V6 Mustang has any kind of class. Subaru's best trait is OEM reliability plus all wheel drive and the availability of a 5-speed manual transmission in every model.

Check out a 1999 or 2000 Subaru Legacy. It's mid-sized car with plenty of room, decent guts, and runs forever on regular oil changes & gas refills. I fix enough cars at work, I don't see Subarus as often, and I plan on buying a 2000+ Legacy GT for my fiancee'.

macnewma

I will second Subaru. Subarus tend to hold their value pretty well though, so you may not get into the price range you want. Nissan might be closer, but Nissan and Subaru would be my top picks.

Max

eclou

Consider a small pickup truck. Should be able to get one only a year or two old within your budget

allstar_02

My 93' Honda Civic EX has 262,000 miles on and it still runs great. I consistently step on the gas hard from stop lights too. From my expirence I would say Honda is the way to go. Toyota's are also good cars. My uncle has over 300,000 miles on his and hes not yet looking for another car.

Dark Lightning

Yeah but in Pennsylvania he'll need 4x4 on occasion which bumps up the price. He ain't in Texas.