What's up guys. The little brother needs a new car next year since he's licensed now and I have made the executive decision to hand down my 05 TL. Well maintained, original trans, and just hit 160k two days ago. However, even though it's a sad sad situation, I looked at this as an opportunity to enter the hybrid/fuel efficient sect of motor enthusiasts.

Preferably, I would like something under $25k and something either hybrid or fuel efficient. My top choices are 1. Subaru Impreza / legacy / crosstrek 2. Lexus CT200H 3. Honda CRZ. I would like to have this last me throughout med school and the awd from subi is always a plus but maybe you guys can shed some light. Thanks guys!

 

Well it's all personal preference, but none of the cars you mentioned appeal much to me, but out of those I would drive the Lexus.
Plenty of nice fuel efficient cars to choose from at 25K or below.

 

if hybrid, i'd do Toyota/Lexus and nothing else

that little CT200h looks pretty cool IMO

But like JTS said, there are a lot of fuel efficient cars for $25K.
You just have to decide if you want new, can deal with used, what comfort creature you need, or deal without. The list goes on...

You need to narrow it down for yourself, to make the decision easier

 

I would say the Lexus as well to give you a little more utility as well. The CR-Z is limited by 2 seats and only 39 mpg max. The Lexus I think is rated in the 40's mpg wise and it's a bit more upscale. Plus, when you're doing clinical rotations it might make a bit of a difference when you may have to drive a bit to get to the various hospitals at which you'll be working.

Best of luck with the medical career!

Depending on where you are in NJ, there's 5 available CT200h cars at Carsense in Mount Holly, NJ and in nearby PA:

CarSense.com Search: Lexus, CT 200h

 

Out of your top 3, I'd go with the CT200h. It's a nice car and it's not just a "Lexus badged" Prius, as some have labeled it. It's the only hybrid I would consider driving and even then it's still a long shot for me lol.

Honestly the new Accords are great, especially the 4cyl ones, so I'd throw that into consideration if I were you. We have one in the family and I just drove it around today and forgot how great a car it is. Easy/low cost maintenance, more than adequate power for DD, fairly quiet, roomy, and overall a really good buy and value.

I used to work for Honda and the CRZ came out the same year. It's a cool little car, but overall I think you'd be better off with a Civic hybrid if you're considering the CRZ

And your little bro is lucky to have you watching his back. Giving up your car for him as his first car, lucky kid indeed. Hopefully he can return the favor in the future.

 

The CRZ is a piece of crap. If you want zero resale value, buy one of those! There's a reason you never see them on the road- no one wants them, lol.

It's slow, it's heavy, it handles like crap, it's anything and everything but what the original CRX stood for.

I think honda skipped a letter and should have called it the CRY.

 

Brutal, but honest.

It was a very uninspiring car. I remember taking a manual one for a spin and it shifted nice, but you could get that same experience from a manual civic, which feels faster and lighter than the CRZ. Honda made a mistake trying to go for a "performance" hybrid

 

I have heard the CT200h drives and rides like absolute crapola. I wouldn't buy one. If you just want a reliable car get a Civic or something like that which gets better than average gas mileage but doesn't have fancy shit that will break.

If you're going to med school, YOU should keep the TL and let your brother figure out how to pay for a car. You're going to be in enough debt without a car payment added to it.

 

Are you a car enthusiast? CT200h?

I suggest something more of a driver's car. Check out the Ford Fiesta ST.

 

If you are a car enthusiast, get a FRS/BRZ.

It's pretty gas efficient too, if that's one of your major requirements.

By the way, eff Hybrids unless it's a Tesla.

 

Why do you want a hybrid to start with? If just for fuel economy there are plenty of much better cars available for your budget that will get similar mileage and will be much more fun to own/drive. A VW GTi springs to mind here...

 

If you're going into med school you want the cheapest, easy to maintain vehicle for your budget. My money would be on a new accord, sedan or coupe.. obviously 4cyl for your price range unless you look at used.
I have a 4Cyl EX-L and it's the perfect car, all the technology I could want for a budget car and with the front collision warning and lane watch camera it makes driving easy.

 

I would go down the TDI route.

 

I was thinking TDI too, crazy mileage but I'm not sure why people care so much about mileage. Yes, 45 MPG is great but you better drive a lot to make up for the premium you will be paying to get that mileage.

Oh, the CT looks cool and has a nice finish but it is so so slow.

 

I drive like 7-8k miles per year so yeah.. I don't give much thought on the gas mileage.

 

New accord. That 4 cylinder is quite peppy and can be had in 6 speed and most people have been averaging 30ish around town. Not too shabby.

 

I don't like any of those choices! In NJ/NY, you want something comfortable and with plenty of passing power for when you need it. You can have a Focus ST ST3 for 25k. I would also suggest a diesel. If you're looking at those, you might as well get a fully loaded fit. Its cheap and gets good gas mileage.

I would try to keep the TL though, have your younger brother pay for a car. (He'd want a stick anyway!)

 

I will say my mom drives a TON and has a 2013 TDI Passat that does indeed get 45 MPG plus. It has pretty good pick up and is really roomy but she hates the driver's seat and I have to agree, it bothers my back. She came from an Lexus SUV and has been looking at the CT but even she thought it was scary slow.

Edit - Have you looked at an Audi A3 TDI? It is a small wagon but I would guess it is around the same size as the Lexus. I think the lexus looks better but the Audi drives better IMO.

 

Keep the TL, why are you spending more money when still going to school? Until it really breaks down, I'd just keep it. A new transmission at $5k is still cheaper than a $30k car.

If you must buy one, go Jetta TDI. You can buy it new for ~$28k and it gets better gas mileage than the hybrids. It also has real power. Hybrids are stoopid.

 

My dad bought a camry hybrid. It isn't "slow" but running 0-60 in 7.5 seconds and the 1/4 mile in 15.5 seconds isn't blazing fast either. I pound the piss out of it and still get a respectable 40 mpg in town. I think the highest he's ever managed is 50 mpg, which is highly respectable from a 26k mid-size car.

 

Stupid doesnt mean slow.

It means stupid.

 

Man, Diesel gets taxed to hell over here. It's a solid 40-50c higher per gallon, and sometimes 20c higher than premium. I remember when premium used to be only 20c higher than regular. Plus, some of the cold weather issues if you live up north.

Has anyone done a cost to benefit of running a diesel vs a hybrid?

 

double post

 

Come on bigballer. No more MPG talk.

 

in 2-3 years when the new tesla comes out, you're damn right i won't

 

Who cares? A Passat TDI will do the same thing and you can slap a tune on there for even more power or more economy. I've driven a few hybrid Toyotas as rentals and will never own one.

The cost benefit sways heavily in the diesel's favor when you factor in long term ownership costs like battery replacements. Also, battery performance decreases over time no matter what.

The effect of cold is more profound on batteries than diesel. I live in an area that gets about as cold as possible in the continental US and plenty of people run diesel here. They just switch to a winter blend and it's all good. You can't swap out to a winter blend of batteries in the cold.

Also, a hybrid is only useful in city driving and/or stop and go driving. On a long highway cruise at 70mph, the diesel will easily outperform the hybrid.

 

The battery replacement depends. Cabbies in New york have gone 400-500k on their batteries. Will anyone of us really own a car that long? Mostly not, except a few here and there.

However, you didn't factor in the additional diesel tax, which can be quite costly. An extra 50c a gallon can add up quick. A diesel might be able to do 45ish mpg, but so can a hybrid mid-size, less so in the winter, but the numbers are comparable. In city driving, the hybrid will obviously come up on top.

But I've never understood the fascination of putting a diesel engine in a passenger car. In a truck? sure, if you haul plywood everyday. Passenger car? no clue. Urea can be sticky business

 

s2000. YOLO

 

This.

Speaking as someone who has gone through med school.....keep your TL for now. AFTER med school, when you have a real paycheck (even residents do OK financially nowadays!) buy a new car. Your loan debt will be sky-high after you're done. You don't need to collect any more debt right now.

I go through cars like water, but I waited until I could afford it first, and I make sure that my retirement and family are funded before I even think about a new car. Trust me, that wait will be hell, but afterward.......

BTW, congrats on med school! Despite what's going on in medicine nowadays, I would not have chosen differently.

*back to the paperwork grind*

 

Where do you live that the diesel tax is so high?

 

Illinois

Mobil near me has regular at $3.08. Diesel's $3.65

 

Do you do more long distance driving or short distance driving? If long, then go diesel. If short, then go hybrid. The electric motor on a hybrid is a low speed motor only so if you're over a certain speed, the gas engine kicks in anyway.