Hey all, first of all I have no idea if this is the right place to post this thread... but I will anyway. Second, this will be a slightly long post...


I have a 2002 Acura CL and a 2001 Camaro SS. I am starting to look into getting a new vehicle. I would like some opinions on cars. I know this is an "Acura" forum but that a lot of people also have/had other makes of cars.


A little about what I want: I am pretty young and will be going to college next year, with that being said I am looking for a 4 door (I know...), either a car, crossover, or truck. Gas mileage is not my top priority but could definitely break a tie, sportier 4 door not a grandma car (although my gma drives a SRT8 300), quality and reliability/cost of repairs (I know that everything will break eventually), cost of insurance, and tech/luxury. I live in Washington (the state) and plan on going to college here or in N. Arizona so snow and rain is a huge possibility (I know, tires make a big difference for snow). I want to spend under $30K but preferably under $25K for a <70K mile vehicle.


This is a huge list of options:
-Acura: TL, TL-S, TSX, RL
-Audi: A4, A5, S4
-BMW: 3 & 5 Series
-Chevy: Camaro SS, 1500, 2500
-Dodge: SRT8 Charger, SRT8 Challenger, 1500, Durango
-Ford: 1500, 2011+ Explorer
-Infiniti: G37 Coupe & Sedan, FX35
-Jeep: 2011+ Grand Cherokee, Wrangler Unlimited
-Lexus: IS, GS
-Kia: 2011+ Optima
-Hyundai: Genesis
-Honda: 2014 Accord
-Mazda: 3
-Mercedes-Benz: C300 4Matic
-Nissan: 2011+ Maxima
-Pontiac: G8
-Toyota: Camry
-Volvo: S60, XC90
-VW: TDI Passat


Any good AND bad comments about these cars from people who have test driven, have/had, or know someone with any of these cars are welcome. Also any other cars that you would suggest that I didn't list. Trying to narrow down my choices........


Thanks for reading this extremely long post and I look forward to any comments and suggestions!

 

Buy what you need. Focus on your education.

 

Education is my main priority. I don't have to worry about any money for college (scholarship) and I am extremely lucky to have parents that are paying for any necessities I need for school. I am a 4.0 student going to high school & college (graduating with my AA and high school diploma in June). I have worked my ass of the last 2 years and have enough to pay for the car. Not going to mod this car just want a more reliable daily driver.

 

Quite a list you've got there! A TSX or TL would definitely be good options, and you'd definitely be able to stay in your budget. An Accord is great too, and the V6 ones are fairly sporty. If you're okay spending more on a German car (and all the repairs that come with it) then I think a 3 series or A4 would be good. The A5 doesn't come in a 4 door, but it looks great! DON'T go with a Jeep... At 120,000 miles, our Jeep felt like it was about to die... Our RDX is about at 120k now, and it feels like new. Have you considered an RDX Turbo or the Infiniti EX?

 

Well this is my refined list

 

As much as I like the German cars, I think I'm going to stay away from them... until I'm out of college haha. I will have to look at the EX and RDX turbo. Is there anything you don't like about the RDX?

 

Any years I should look at or stay away from?

 

As far as the RDX, not much I don't like. The fuel economy isn't great, 19-21 mpg, but haven't had any major problems. It's really very sporty but still practical. Also, it is a bit noisy, but not so loud that it's a big deal. Overall, love it, and next SUV will probably be an Acura.

 

Ford Focus ST or Subaru WRX

Don't get too lux cars for college.

Get some hot hatches so you can have fun and haul massive craps during the college days.

Have fun car shopping.

 

The new Civic Si looks pretty cool. I would look at a used G37 that was closer to $20k. Good cars, reliable, and nice inside.

Unless you can find a 3G TL-S. I'm being practical here.

If it were my money, I would buy a Mk6 Golf R. Assuming you can drive stick.

 

Make sure it's big enough to slay college trim.

 

i wouldn't buy a luxo car for college. It will get beat up. Buy a sporty hatch. WRX, Focus ST, GTI. Versatile, reliable, fun to drive. Save your money and buy a nice car when you can out of college.

 

Hot hatch for sure. Great for hauling stuff, fun to drive, under $30k entry point, and pretty good gas mileage as well.

 

I love my C class. It's not a 4matic but is just a great car. You can find tons of W204 (the newer body style) for less than 30 easily.

 

WTF? Buy a 7th gen Accord EX-L V6 6MT and call it a day. Save your cash for school, don't waste it on a car. An extra $15k to spend on tuition/expenses will go a lot further than having a nice car in college. If I were you, I'd buy the cheapest car I could stomach driving and deal with it for 4 years. Either that or keep your current car.

 

+1 embrace the student life!

and -1 on the RDX turbo. if you had to get the newer 3.5L.

 

so.... are you plan on financing the car?
taking student loans for college?

 

This all day. Buy yourself the cheapest most reliable car you can find and save your money. Make sure you get a nice enough car that you aren't going to have to put money into to keep running for the next 4 years, but don't spend more money than necessary.

As soon as I graduated high school I got myself a 1998 Honda Civic EX for $3.5k and it lasted me through college. I could have easily gotten a loan for a 25k car but decided that it might not be the best time to get a nice car. Looking back I wouldn't do it any differently.I know that it's hard to read advice like this, but when you graduate with minimum debt and get a full time job and start raking in the money with minimal expenses, it will have been worth it.

 

The car bought used in high school took me through four years of college and mid-way through law school. My dad then bought me a pseudo-economy car (an Integra) which lasted for the next ten years. Also, it's not unusual for cars to get a little dinged up and dirty during school.

 

Thanks everyone for the input! I have decided (for now) that I will either keep the 2002 CL for a DD and do some stuff I want to do to it (double din, 2007ish TL-type S wheels, etc.) and drive it thru college since it is still a nice car or my dad and I were talking about me leaving the Acura at home and just taking his DD 2012 Malibu that has 30k miles and him buying something different. With the help of your comments I realized its stupid to buy something like that for school when in a few years I can get something even newer and nicer and not have to worry about paying for it. And to those asking how I'm paying for college, Academic scholarships (4.0 GPA, national honor society member, presidential academic award, etc.), I have worked my ass off and don't waste my money like most kids my age, I will be working during college (I can transfer pretty much anywhere in the world with my job), and my parents are also wanting to pay for schooling (although I want to mainly pay for it myself but at the same time would rather not have any college debt). Plus the money I have saved would probably go better towards a house once I'm out of college... Thanks again everyone!

 

I was going to pay cash (saved up for the last 2 years with having no expenses)

 

2003-2006 e55 amg for between 13-18k ... 4 door luxury with 469 hp & 516 ft lbs. torque, & you'll have the rest of that 25k to save for maintenance/repairs &/or upgrades/mods. heck, for 3k you can get a eurocharged stage 2 package which will give you 607 hp & 671 ft. lbs. at the crank. my son in law has a 2006 with approx. 140k miles (he purchased it with 90k) with the stage 2 upgrade & it's freakin awesome. he's had it for 3 yrs. now & has had zero problems, & he drives it pretty hard & has taken it to the drag strip a few times. ..... you are obviously a smart kid & maybe it seems like a waste of $$$ to you right now, but hey if you decide to get one you'll have some awesome fun during your college years !!! ... & once you are more settled in financially, making the luxury sedan of the e55 amg a 10 sec. car is extremely achievable on an affordable budget, & you'll have non-knowing mustang, camaro & beamer boys in disbelief when you leave them behind haha

 

Worst advice for OP.

 

Use that cash and pay for tuiton/college expenses. You'd be surprised at how quickly little things add up. Coming from someone who just graduated medical school, trust me, it's not worth it. Buy a semi-nice car and keep it for the next few years.

Buy a nice car after you graduate and land a job. All your friends will have college debt to their eyeballs, and then you can show off your newerish car while they'e too busy paying their student loans

 

Good decision

 

Good choice OP and nice to hear there are young adults like you. Please rub off on as many of your peers as possible, lol.

 

BAD DECISION!! i really doubt that 2002 CL will get you through college.... unless you wanna spend another 2-3k on a AV6 tranny swap first.

If your parents got the fund to pay for your college, then let them. It is either you pay for your college then your parents pay for your down payment on your house or the other way around. Same result at the end in most cases.

 

from OP= "I am looking for a 4 door ... either a car, crossover, or truck. Gas mileage is not my top priority ... sportier 4 door not a grandma car... quality and reliability/cost of repairs (I know that everything will break eventually), cost of insurance, and tech/luxury. ... I want to spend under $30K but preferably under $25K"
...so sorry, but i don't see how matching all of his initial criteria was the worse advice for the OP

 

....to all, just a reminder that he in NO WAY ever asked for life/college/making better decisions type of input ... he seems to have that in order & knows what he wants & is a smart kid. He ONLY asked for NEXT CAR SUGGESTIONS .... so why don't we keep it on topic ... ???

 

A 10+ year-old AMG with a blower is outside of OP's "initial" criteria, and probably outside of that for most people who want a reliable daily driver in college. I imagine an intercooler pump or supercharger clutch replacement, or work on the airmatic suspension, would run into the mid-4 digits at a minimum, along with probably a week out of service for each issue, assuming parts were available.
I think most of the posters are giving OP suggestions on cars along with the reasons supporting the car recommendations-- having context does help one make better decisions.

 

^^^ points well taken , yet he asked for suggestions, i gave mine (based on not concerned with gas mileage, reliability, sportier sedan not grandma-ish & under 25k)... & he could get an 07-08 e63 for around 25k too. intercooler pump replacement is $150 for an upgraded/stronger than oem one. but i mean hey, to each his own. it was one suggestion & actually not a bad one, depending on exactly what one wants out of a car. for me personally, if i had such supporting parents & a full ride through college, i'd no doubt do something of what i'm suggesting & have a hell of a lot of fun (had to pay for college all on my own had no parents with $$$ & had legends, tl's & rl's all through age 18-35 with one 1991 infiniti q45 in there in 1998, & as you can see still with a tl) ... but if more "reasonable" or "conservative" is what OP wants (which i did not get out of his og post), than i guess the amg is a bad suggestion ... geez lol it's all in good fun & ya' only live once ... might as well live it up (to an extent of course haha) while ya can!!!

 

 

CL is a great daily. That's what I drove all through college. It's a fun car, but not too much fun to get you in trouble

 

 

IMO you should sell the CL and get yourself into something newer and reliable. The A/C could go soon, it will need the timing belt service soon, the transmission can go since it's the glass 2nd Gen ones! You'll have to spend at least 3K in the next year between tires, brakes, filters and anything else that may go wrong that you could use towards a car that has it all done. As well you could use the cash from selling the CL towards financing a new car to help build your credit. If you have the money saved up, invest it and pay more than the amount due on your auto loan and pay it up faster.

You have a large list and I'll help you trim it down. You have an Acura and like nicer things and don't want to downgrade really. I would knock out any car without HID headlights. Next, knock out the European cars. They are expensive to own and maintain. 55K in repairs on my 760 in the few years I've had it. IMO lease a BMW/German car. Newer ones are less and less reliable and the lease rates are the only way it's worth it. VW's have been having a lot of turbo failure plus you won't save your money with a TDI.

Get a 4 door, you'll want to go on road trips with your friends and the price of gas is coming down so it'll be worth it divided between 4 people. A car in college can be a vital tool but it can be a waste of money as well. Insurance will be about $100-250 depending where you live on a luxury car. An accord might be $15-30 dollars less. It's wise not to spend money on a car because it will always depreciate, but you do pay for how it makes you feel when you drive it.

I'd honestly suggest getting a used 2009-2013 TL and call it a day if you can afford it. Insurance won't be that high, it's very nicely equipped and safe! As well it'll probably be up to date on maintenance and will be trouble free like the CL. Comfort Access, paddle shifters, (6MT Option too), Navi with USB input, Projector HID's. It's a car that you'll probably have for at least a decade if you take care of it.

If you want something cheaper, the 2007-2009 TL is another option. The V6 is great and so is the MPG. It's a few thousand less than a 4G TL but it's a solid option.

If you want something cheaper, I'd recommend the 2009-2013 TSX as well. The 6 cyl model is worth it over the 4 cyl for me but may not be for you. I like to have fun when I drive and the 4 cyl runs out of steam very quickly. I have it in the accord and it gets great city (22-24) MPG and 34 on highway. My 3G TL gets 18/31 and the 4G gets 18/30. The nice thing about the 4 cyl is the lack of a timing belt service every 105K miles.

SH-AWD will eat gas, my MDX and short stint with an RL made that impression very well.

Good luck, remember to spend ample time studying and networking! Don't shy away from Greek/Fraternity Life either!

 

Get rid of the CL and get a Jeep Wrangler, best resale of just about anything and reliable. Simple to work on if needed, not the greatest on gas, but fun to have and will go anywhere anytime.

 

I obviously asked the question the wrong way. I wasn't asking if I should get a different car, the question was what should I get. A better way to put it is forget that I am going to college and think of it as me being early 20's that wants those things in a car. Thanks for the people who replied that way. I live in an area where Acura's are average cars. Most kids I go to school with drive BMW, MB, Range Rover, Camaros, Corvettes, Acuras, etc. so its really not that lux.

 

BTW, I'm looking at a one owner 2012 Acura TL navi w/45k miles. 6MT. $27k 2012 Acura TL for sale in Renton - 19UUA9E59CA000716 - Good Chevrolet What do you guys think of the car (not if I should get a car for college). Also the CL has 120k and the transmission is starting to act up... so that's a good point.

 

That's where I was going in the first place.

Get the $20-30k range hatchbacks like Focus ST/WRX/GTi.

Just want to point one thing out for you though. You shouldn't really care about what others drive nor should it affect your decision making. :wink:

 

It's a decent car.

You just won't pick up any girls in college though.

And you will get yourself a new nickname super quick, the Beak boy.