Help us car shop......

[plthijinx]

here's a half-ass suggestion. look around when you're out and about. that's what i did. I picked out what i wanted while sitting in traffic or what have you then went to the dealer. granted i wanted brand new but wound up with a great used truck that was the exact color and body style i wanted, albeit a few years old.

[monster]

doesn't even merit a half-assed rating, but thanks for playing

[monster]

(1) looks aren't all that important compared to how it drives/fits people and stuff in
(2) who can help from looking at the cars around them when they need/want to buy a car

[plthijinx]

easy moni. of course no one can help looking around while shopping. hell that's what shopping is all about. point being, looks on the outside usually are just as important as the inside. right? we're not shopping for a soul mate here, just a car. SO look around and get an idea then go to the dealership and look in the car. most companies nowadays cater to the interior. meh....i'm a guy. i find what i want and what i can settle with and get it.

[monster]

right. me too. just more logically/technologically -we use google and the cellar to find what's "looks" good

[monster]

Maybe the thread was too long to read all, but we want a tiny manual hatchback. Search already reduced to manageable size

[plthijinx]

yeah i kinda have to spot read to catch up but you get the gist. on looking online? mmmmm i have to go back to my original debate of looking while driving. obviously you want dependability with comfort. ask yourself what looks good? then find out if it's comfortable and meets your criteria. as far as what you want? i have no suggestions. i never have had nor wanted a small hatchback. i'm in texas. texas=truck. imo anyway. now i did have a friend a while back that had a yugo. does that count?

[monster]

looks good is last on the list of priority.

[ZenGum]

Then a yugo is perfect.

[infinite monkey]

I'll have a serious reply here in a second, but I was reminded of the Adobe. Too bad I can't find the skit on video. (Well there was a hulu but it took too long to come up.)

This SNL commercial is an excellent example of the genius that was Phil Hartman.

Spokesman (Hartman): These days, everyone's talking about the Hyundai, and the Yugo. Both nice cars, if you've got $3,000 or $4,000 to throw around. But, for those of us whose name doesn't happen to be Rockefeller, finally there's some good news - a car with a sticker price of $179. That's right, $179. The name of the car?

Adobe. The sassy new Mexican import that's made out of clay. German engineering and Mexican know-how helped create the first car to break the $200 barrier. At this price, you might not expect more than reliable transportation - but, brother, you get it! Extra features: like the custom contour seats, or the beverage-gripping dash. And the money you save isn't exactly small change!

Jingle:
"Hey, hey, we're Adobe!
The little car that's made out of clay!
We're gonna save you some money
that you can spend in some other way!
Hey, hey, we're Adobe!
Hey, hey, we're Adobe!
Adobe!"

[ show Adobe driver get into a fender-bender. She casually steps out of the vehicle and uses her hands to mold her bumper back into its proper shape, in under six minutes! ]

Spokesman: Adobe. You can buy a cheaper car. But I wouldn't recommend it!

Announcer: Not approved for street use in some states. No warranty either expressed or implied. All sales final.

[infinite monkey]

OK, I asked my cow orker how she likes her Honda Fit. She really likes it. She said she wishes it had a little more "ooomph" but the sports model would.

She said it's responsive and reliable. She's had it about a year now I guess. Maybe less, she isn't sure how it does on snow but probably like most smaller cars. Mine little car has the anti-lock and the non-skid features (whatever that is) and does OK.

[Beest]

Originally Posted by infinite monkey

OK, I asked my cow orker how she likes her Honda Fit. She really likes it. She said she wishes it had a little more "ooomph" but the sports model would.

She said it's responsive and reliable. She's had it about a year now I guess. Maybe less, she isn't sure how it does on snow but probably like most smaller cars. Mine little car has the anti-lock and the non-skid features (whatever that is) and does OK.

True, most of them are 1.6, adequate, but not exciting, Sport model has the same engine, just automatic with paddle shift and a louder music system.

Bet she's not 6'2" though, i tried it again and adjusted the wheel properly, much better, the wheel obscures just the top of the speedo, I'm worried on the highway I'd hunch to see the speed and end with stiff shoulders and neck. Other than that they are great

[infinite monkey]

My ex was 6'2" and thought the leg room on my CRX was amazing (and he was all leg height!)

But it had no back seat.

And my cow orker is about 3'4"...well, maybe 5'2" or something equally shrimpy.

[monster]

So, I saw a CRX today and thought "that might be an option" and yet seems like you can't get new ones.....


Current State of affairs: Fit is rule out because although everything else is perfect, the driver space only scores a 7 for 6'2" beest and it needs to be a 9 or 10 as he will be the everyday driver.

Currently in the running:

Fiesta, but the back seat fold down/luggage space is an issue
Versa, but I'm not enamored -it rates a 7 for me on comfort but I hate the wing mirrors, They are too short and such poor quality there's a weird distortion going on. Beest agrees ..although it took him longer to realise the problem -he just though he hadn't adjusted them properly on his rental)

Subaru Impreza We haven't actually seen this yet and it'll be weeks before we can, but the sugestions here led beest to investigate further and he's impressed and apparently his colleagues feel it's a good choice too.... (he's in the car parts biz, yes, we get discounts on some brands. Subaru is one)

I have learned than American brands have much more useable websites than Asian ones.