Alright. Here's my situation. I'm 23 looking for my first car after graduating college. It's time I retire the 94 Saturn SL1. Anyway, I have four cars in mind. The 2009 Corolla S, 2009 Camry SE, 2008 Accord EX, and 2008 Civic EX. Now money isn't a major concern, but if I could save some cash I would. For example, I received and offer for a New Camry SE for roughly 20k. Now could I get a 09 Corolla for much less than that? What would people pick from this group (even though the results will be biased I'm sure)? I like the Corolla a lot of the looks and gas mileage but a Camry for a few thousands more seems slighlty better for the size and power. But I know the Corolla will save me on gas and do I really need the larger car at this point? What does everyone think? Just looking for some input t help me make a decision.
I would look at the Corolla or Civic at this point. Use the money saved in fuel and insurance for a nicer car whenever you decide to retire the Corolla or Civic.
And yeah, do you need the larger car at this point? Do you need to ferry passengers on a frequent basis? Yes the Camry is a nicer car on the highway (and the seats are comfy) but I don't think this new Corolla is that bad (only had a short test drive).
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Actually I haven't. I've been to the dealerships just to check them out. I know they're all entirely different. Particularly in the performance department. I want the Accord for the extra power and size. The Camry for the size but savings in cost (and it doesn't look all that bad in the SE), then the civic and corolla for gas mileage. But I'm going from my Saturn that has 85 stock HP. Meaning it probably has dropped way below that now! So a Camry with 152hp will be a huge upgrade. Are most people with Camrys satisfied with the 150ish hp or do they go with the V6?
I received and offer for a New Camry SE for roughly 20k. Now could I get a 09 Corolla for much less than that?
A Corolla S will run you around $19,000 with a 1.8L engine. A 2.4L XRS will run you about $22,000. If you're in Canada, you can buy them cheaper.
It's pretty cool to have a larger car. 1. you're safer in an accident 2. you can drive more friends.
Since you said money isn't really a big issue and if you want some adrenaline, I'd get a Camry V6. They currently have a $1,000 rebate. They have good mpg as well and is just as reliable as a Corolla. The V6 engine enables it to run 0-60 in 5.8seconds.
The Mazda Speed3 is also a great car for $22,000. It has amazing handling and brutal acceleration.
Since you're a young single guy... how about something the ladies like. BMW 3 series, Mustang, RX8... ?
So a Camry with 152hp will be a huge upgrade. Are most people with Camrys satisfied with the 150ish hp or do they go with the V6?
My tC had 160hp before I put a blower on the motor and I must say that it's adequate. The tC and the Camry are about the same weight but the Camry is larger... the tC is a tank. tCs run just as fast as the now retired IS300, great acceleration because of its short gears. Horrible mpg on the highway. The Camry has better mpg with wider gears I'm sure.
You can lease a BMW or a Lexus for around the same monthly payments as financing a Camry or Accord. And after your lease ends, if you have a better job and make more, you can decide to buy the car or get something else you like.
I think for cars... the most important thing is looks. Like what they say, you don't choose your car, the car chooses you. The Corolla called my name. I got hooked. I loved how it looked. And that's what got me sold. Everything else came second, like price, mileage, brand, etc. Follow your heart.
I think for cars... the most important thing is looks. Like what they say, you don't choose your car, the car chooses you. The Corolla called my name. I got hooked. I loved how it looked. And that's what got me sold. Everything else came second, like price, mileage, brand, etc. Follow your heart.
QFT !!!
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You can lease a BMW or a Lexus for around the same monthly payments as financing a Camry or Accord. And after your lease ends, if you have a better job and make more, you can decide to buy the car or get something else you like.
Very true, but if there's one real piece of advice I would give you (which almost no one takes <g>) is that instead of asking how much car you can afford, ask how much car you need. Same goes for a house but that's another story. After a couple years even the coolest car is just a way to get from point A to point B but that money you saved just keeps earning interest. Of course today most people consider their car part of their identity and an outward sign of their status and success, and having been there I can definitely understand that point of view, just do your best to resist if you can. You'll be far wealthier 30 years from now if you do.
Thanks everyone for the help. Now I don't have an infinite budget, but something around 20 grand is OK with me. Basically I want to purchase a car new that will be reliable for 5-8 years from now. That's why I'm in the market for a Toyota and Honda. I've heard the construction of Toyota's interiors have decreased in quality since the 07 Camry, is this true? What are your thoughts on the quality between Honda and Toyota? It's obvious both cars are extremely reliable, but what about plastic quality and interior in general. Any thoughts? For some reason I'm leaning towards the Camry SE for the size, gas mileage, and a slightly cheaper price than the Honda Accord.
Structure...be careful listening to Cwayne....he will have your ass test driving everything from Acura's to Volvo's (A to V!) and everything in between. He had my ass in a Civic Si today.....what was I thinking!
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Toyota offers more conventional styling in their products IMO, which many can call boring as well.
It all comes down to how big of a car you need. I'd go with the Camry since it's been out a few years so most of the bugs will have been worked out already.
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Originally Posted by cwayne
Since you said money isn't really a big issue and if you want some adrenaline, I'd get a Camry V6. They currently have a $1,000 rebate. They have good mpg as well and is just as reliable as a Corolla. The V6 engine enables it to run 0-60 in 5.8seconds.
If you swing by the Camry forum and do a search, you'll find out that a lot of owners of the Gen6 V6 powered Camry's are experiencing a transmission flaring problem. Now, the last time I checked it out, the problem is still not fixed as of yet, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
And to comment about the Camry's 0-60 time you posted, it is simply next to impossible to duplicate the launching methods that car magazines use to achieve that kind of time on a consistent basis without destroying your transmission, warping rotors and causing your tires to prematurely wear out. The 5-60mph time is a more realistic estimate of what an owner can expect to achieve during daily driving.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TURBO Das Automagazin
A BRZ, a curvy mountain road makes one liter of happiness hormones.
Structure...be careful listening to Cwayne....he will have your ass test driving everything from Acura's to Volvo's (A to V!) and everything in between. He had my ass in a Civic Si today.....what was I thinking!
Change that from A to Z!! You're forgetting the Zonda. Haha
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Thinking about a Corolla! Please Help!
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