September 2010 Weddings
LauraT25
member
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Rec. your affordable, commute-friendly car
So, we're getting a new car. I am looking for something relatively small (easy to drive/park in the city), fuel efficient, and affordable. I sort of despise Fords and Chevys but realize that we'll probably wind up getting one because of cost.
I'm sort of torn on the size since it's probably going to be our car for a while and should therefore have room for a carseat. Also, does anyone have thoughts on leasing vs buying?
Edit: When I say 'new', I mean a second car. We are debating new vs used as well. Sigh.
Re: Rec. your affordable, commute-friendly car
I own a 2008 Hyndai Elantra. It was my first brand new car, so I really have nothing else to compare it to - but I have the S model (alloy wheels, heated seats, some extra features, sunroof, etc.) and literally have no regrets. It was affordable, the car itself is safe, reliable (no issues in the 3.5 years I've owned it), cute, fuel efficient, a good size (everyone always comments on the ample leg room in the back) and has more safety features that come standard than other comparable sedans + the warranty itself makes it worth it.
AND the new 2011 Elantra's are gorgeous looking. I can't tell you how many times I've contemplated trading mine in for a new one. The only thing that's holding me back is that I only have 1.5 years of payments left...
J has a 2010 Toyota Corolla which is similar to my car too, I just prefer mine over his - for both the price and the aesthetics. He has the S model and with all of the spoilers it makes it look sort of juvenile.. and feminine. Just don't tell him I told you that.
09.25.10
corolla! i cannot say enough good things about it. decent gas mileage (mine is an 07 and gets like 28 mpg?), cute, and has never EVER had a problem with it (knock on wood). totally dependable car. if i could though, i would trade it for a prius in a heartbeat. my dad has one and i LURVE IT. sunshine has was too, you might talk to her about hers!
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I frickin' looooooove my Prius! And really, the base models aren't all that pricey - especially if you look at a few years old - and they come with quite a few really nice features in the base models.
The back seat is definitely big enough to fit 2 car seats with extra room. There's lots of leg room for adults in the backseat and the hatchback makes it really roomy. I can fit almost as much in the Prius as I could in my Xterra.
Plus, you really can't beat the fact that I fill up once every 3.5 weeks for about $27 at the current gas prices. And it's just really fun to drive.
The Princess of Anything is Coming!
Had a dream I was queen.
Woke up. Still queen.
I have a 2006 Honda Civic that I bought when H and I were getting serious (2008), and I was driving back and forth (1 hr each way) a lot. It is so, so great. I'm not even planning to replace it when the baby comes, we'll wait a bit longer.
I get crazy good mileage, like up to 36 mph, and it's fun and sporty to drive.
As for buying vs. leasing, I'm a proponent of buying, especially if you drive a lot. My parents leased a car ONCE, and then ended up relocating and putting a ton of miles on it, and then they had to buy it, because the penalty for being over on miles was so high.
I got mine used at Carmax, and wish that I'd shopped around more, but my old car was really dying at that point.
I really like my Focus. Its a 2005 and even with these evil gas prices I still get 300-350 miles per tank of gas. H also has a Focus and has over 100K miles on it and has never needed anything but basic repairs.
The company car at work is a Yaris and the guys beat the hell out of her. Its not very roomy IMO, but also gets good gas mileage.
With all of the Hyundai recs, I guess they've definitely improved. Or maybe its just the type of car. My mom has a 2002 Tiburon and her car is a complete piece of crap. Her drivers side window has come off the track 6 times, the radio broke after a year, her check engine light comes on all of the time and something in the hood that no one has been able to find rattles every time you accelerate. She's always taken good care of it, so I think its just a crap car.
Married / The Cookaholic Wife
I'm not a big fan of the Corolla. My mom and DH both have one. My mom's is pretty old, and for the most part has held up well. DH's just spent several days in the garage because they couldn't figure out why the check engine light was on and pistons were misfiring. I vaguely remember my mom having a similar problem.
I had a Beetle and got great milage. BUT, I had to check my oil every 1500 miles and it was almost always near empty. There was no leak, and according to the internet the last time I checked, it's a known issue that VW claims isn't an issue. The engine just burns more oil.
But I'm glad you posted, because I need an affordable car. Preferably one that looks pretty, cause for some reason, that's important to me.
Oh, I just saw the leasing vs. buying part.
I think it depends on the deals they are offering. Leasing would be okay if the down payment and interest rate were reasonable, you are 100% sure you'd stay under the mileage cap they give you, and you knew you would either get a new car or buy out the current one at the end of the lease. I guess it works really well for people who want a new car every two years or so. I'm not one of them and with my commute to work, I'd probably be pushing the mileage cap.
I think there are just as many deals for buying. You could either get money off the total cost, that 0% interest rate everyone seems to be offering, or whatever their other specials are. I bought my car. The one thing that killed me is two weeks after I purchased it, they started that Employee Pricing program. If I could have waited 2 more weeks, my car would have been $3000 cheaper. I ended up paying it off a year early though.
I know it varies from dealer to dealer, but when they were putting out the 2011 cars, H and I happened to be there and wanted to see what the changes to the Focus were. The sales guy told me that with my car as a trade in and no money down, I could have a brand new fully loaded Focus with a 4 year loan at $215 a month. It was pretty damn tempting since my car payment was higher than that before.
Married / The Cookaholic Wife
I think the thing that attracted DH about the leases that he was looking at was the warranty, plus the price for leasing was about the same (sometimes less) than a car payment. We have both been stuck with crappy cars that cost a ton in repairs, so he likes the idea of getting a new car after, say, five years. But I don't know if leases go that long, and I think I convinced him that even with pretty expensive repairs, and extra five years out of a car you own is cheaper than five more years of payments (did that make sense? I just got home from happy hour...)
Honestly, I heard awful, awful things about Hyaundais years ago, like they were crappy plastic toy cars that fell apart (interestingly, this is how I feel about my Focus...). I think they have really improved their game in recent years, though, and we will be checking them out. Toyota and Honda are also on my list because IME they've been good, reliable, long-lasting cars, but they're also a bit pricier. I know it's worth it in the long run, but it's money we might not be able to spare.
The Focus recs really surprise me...I hate, HATE our car, and my two IRL friends who also have them say the same thing. The only positive thing I will say about it is that there is a lot more legroom in the backseat than I thought there would be, and a lot more headroom (Jeff usually bumps his head in cars that small, like a Cavalier) than I expected for its size. I hold my breath whenever I drive it, expecting it to just fall apart on the highway. It's a 2008, maybe a 2007. It gets decent gas mileage (excellent gas mileage, like 32 mpg, when we go on long trips) but rarely over 30 mpg on a normal commuting week. More like 26-28.
I currently own a 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse. I absolutely LOVE her. She gets excellent gas milage, is fun and sporty to drive even in traffic, and doesn't look too shabby either. She's been very durable, and has only needed basic oil changes and maintenance so far. Powerful and fast. Perfect commuting car.
Downfalls would be, she's only a two-door, so if you're looking for a lot of interior space, this isn't the car for you. H and I have already discussed that I will be trading her in (waaaahhhhh) for an SUV when we start our family and he'll trade in his Jeep for some kind of car.
Overall, I would highly recommend Mitsubishi - the Lancer is good too if you're looking for something flashy, and has four doors and more room inside!
Married / The Cookaholic Wife
Oh no! Is this pressing because you're sharing the one car now? Are your schedules going to change, or has it just gotten too hard to share?
We have a good couple friend that have been sharing a car, but since they moved out of SF, it's gotten untenable so they had to buy a second, so I can certainly understand it.
We are 'sharing' a car, but I take the metro to work. The metro sucks, and lately it's gotten sort of unbearable because it's so unreliable - it will be running late with no warning, or I'll get a text message saying that my station is shut down for no reason so I have to scramble to get a ride. It's frustrating. It's even worse in the summer because I have two 15-minute walks to get to and from the metro station, so I'm drenched in sweat and just miserable when I get to work. I just sort of reached my breaking point thinking about how awful it's going to be.
I think we'll be able to keep the trip. We are working it out...I just feel bad because we'd be getting a car just because I'm a whiny baby who can't handle walking in the heat. Boo.
When Tom moved to Baltimore he affectionately referred to it as the devil's ass-crack. You are NOT a whiny baby for not wanting to walk in the heat.
Hell, I don't like the 1-2 minute walk to and from my car when its super humid.
Married / The Cookaholic Wife
IUI #1 10/12/11 (Bravelle + HCG + Prometrium & acupuncture) = 10/26 BFP! Beta #1=250, Beta #2= 615. 1st u/s 11/8.