Car for a new driver?

[natedog]

I'm looking for something inexpensive, reliable, efficient, and SAFE for a first car. Less expensive the better, used preferred to reduce insurance. I have no bias over one manufacturer over another... my only unique stipulation is that I'm about 6'1" and have trouble fitting comfortably into (some) smaller cars. The only "luxury" features I need is air conditioning (3 digit days are the norm during the summer months) and a CD player . This car would be used for driving to and from work and school. Don't need extra cargo/passenger room- 4 seater is fine. Offroad capability isn't needed.

[Sindawe]

Fourth Generation Honda Civic (88-91).  Usually less than $3k, very reliable, cheap on gas, about as mechanically simple as a late '60s VW, but easier to wrench on if you like that stuff.  The hatchbacks (which is what I have) can fold down the rear seat to carry lots of long guns and ammo to the range, and actually do quite well off road.

4th Gen Civic Web Site: http://www.civic4g.com/

[Antibubba]

The Hondas are iffy for a tall man-it depends on your height above the waist.  At 6'2", I had to lean the seat back on my Accord (1986) a bit to not scrape my head-and the Civics are a bit smaller.   The car was utterly reliable, and easily fixed when there was a problem.  As for safe...well, you're going to want some airbag protection, side if you can get it.

[critter]

I bought our daughter a Pontiac Grand Am when she went off to college. Four cylinder engine, stick shift. (I drove it some-I'm 6'1".) Good milage and very dependable. She put about 150K on it before traiding it off. Only major repairs were tires and, finally, struts at about 120K.

[Smith]

Wow Critter, I'd have lost that bet.  Grand Am and reliable are not usually synonymous words in my head.

[charby]

GMC or Chevy S-10 with 2.8 V-6 2wd, better get an extended cab for your height. Body will rot off before the motor and tranny are close to dying if you get a 5 speed. I have a 91 S-10 and it gets about 27-30mpg on the hwy pulling my 14' aluminum boat.

[mfree]

We're pretty much at a stage nowadays that anything that gets maintained well is going to be reliable within reason.

So my recommendation is something intermediate sized or smaller, front wheel drive, 4 cylinders, stick shift, with inexpensive tire sizes and framed doors (sticky point for modern vehicles, frameless windows don't play well with lightweight construction), and cheap to insure. Also, something that's not a first-year model, give a manufacturer 2-3 years to sort the bugs out. Oh, and decent mileage.

If used, make sure it has a good history too. The least reliable car I ever owned was my '84 Tbird, because it was seriously neglected underhood. Everything that broke was a result of something that had been neglected by it's previous owner, who changed the oil so infrequently that 3 cam lobes rounded over from starvation.

if you hadn't noticed I'm describing a used honda civic or toyota corolla to a T As much as I liked my Daewoo and that they all list 5 star reliability on the ratings sites, parts are impossible to find... another situation to watch for.  Small trucks are nice but can be a hairy handful for an inexperienced driver, as well as some lighter RWD cars. Cars that have 16 or 17" wheels or low profile tires can bleed you dry in tire costs... you can get 185-70/14 tires for $30 a piece for really good ones, but 40 series 17" tires can triple that, and you need four.

If you find a genre you like, start reading some performance forums. If there's ever a group that'll thrash a car within inches of it's life, it's racers, and I mean *real* racers. This is how you find useful little things like on Dodge FWD cars, there's no real weak point on the suspension and the axles are extremely beefy, but if the engine gets misaligned on it's mounts you'll snap an axle in a heartbeat due to CV bind.

[Jamisjockey]

My absolute favorite vehicle of all time:  The Jeep.
Either a Wrangler or Cherokee, 4 cyl or I6 5speed.  Get 4x4, that way you've got it for camping/fishing/shooting trips to the boonies.
Where do you live?

[El Tejon]

Used Accord or Civic.

HOWEVER, girls like Jeeps.

Decisions, decisions.

[El Tejon]

Never had problem when I drove an Accord.  I'm 6'1", 185 lbs.

[Ukraine Train]

Jeeps are fun but Wranglers are way overpriced for the rattle box you get, especially if you off road as much as the typical Jeep driver. Also, I'm 6'1" and I find that in the Cherokee the floor to roof distance is too short and I have to duck to get in. My first car was a 2.8L S10 Blazer, I loved that truck to death but it was sloooow but in the pickups it wasn't as bad since they're lighter. I'd get one with a Vortec 4.3 now. Mileage isn't great in either of them, though. Probably 16-20mpg. The 2.5L Iron Duke, on the other hand gets great mileage and is bullet proof but it's weak too. Being a DIY mechanic I like to stick with domestics. They're generally easier to work on and parts are cheaper than foreign cars.

[roo_ster]

Small pickup with 4-cyl engine, 5-speed manual, ext cab. 2WD.

The make doesn't matter nearly as much as how it was maintained and current condition,  though I have had very good results with my 1997 Nissan & other older Nissans from work  (ext cab, 4-cyl, 5-spd manual).  I have 135K miles on it.  The only problems I have had:
O2 sensor at 80K miles
Air Intake sensor at 135K miles
(Note: both emissions-related gear)

All other $$$ spent has been on replacing stuff like brake pads, shocks, tires, etc.

Around town (DFW) I get ~21MPG.  On the highway I get ~25MPG, unless I keep it under 70MPH, when I can get ithin kissing distance of 30MPPG.

[natedog]

Where's the cutoff point on mileage where you just say, "Too many miles." ?

[Phantom Warrior]

Where's the cutoff point on mileage where you just say, "Too many miles." ?

If it's under 200K, how much are they asking?  I bought my Toyota Camry used for $1300 almost five years ago with 170,000 miles on it.  It's now at 214,000.  And I've had very little trouble with it over those years.  If you only want a car for five years or so you could easily buy a high mileage car.  If you wanted to keep it for longer...I'll let someone more knowledgable than me take that one.  Low 100,000s would be my guess.

For what it's worth, I'm 5'11" and have been very happy w/ my 4 door Toyota Camry.  Reliable, good gas mileage, starts in any weather (no small concern in MN & ND) and fun to drive.  It ain't sexy, especially now that it's rusty, but it gets the job done.  If you don't know how to drive a stick, it would be worth learning.  Some times you need a car and the only option is a stick.  Knowing how to drive one gives you more flexibility.  One minor consideration, as a college student moving my stuff around a lot I've found it's easier to pack your car full with 4 doors than with 2.

[Ukraine Train]

Ha, I have a Camaro now that I use to move to/from school. I pack every cubic inch of it with not only school stuff but all my tool boxes, guns and shooting stuff. You just gotta get creative with it. Actually, come to think of it a Camaro could be fun. You could get a V6/5 speed which will give you good mileage and it has roughly 37 feet of hood as a crumple zone lol. The V8/6 speeds also get great highway mileage, near 30, but it could be a bit much for a new driver to handle.

[client32]

Small pickup with 4-cyl engine, 5-speed manual, ext cab. 2WD.

I agree.  I'm 6'1" and had an '89 ford ranger as a first vehicle.  It filled the position.  
I know a lot of people that liked the second (started late '80s I think) and third generation of dodge dakotas.  I currently have a quad cab (family now) and has been good.
Extended cab for sure for your hieght.  It is amazing how much extra leg room you get out of this.  
These smaller pickups don't do bad on gas, but they aren't gett 40 mpg either.

[Stickjockey]

Toyota Corolla, 1989-1995. My wife had a '94 that, I swear, was just about bullet proof. I mean, the thing jsut kept running. We finally donated it to Volunteers of America after it developed a slight bit of rod knock, probably because my wife had run the oil sump dry-

twice.

[larry_minn]

Must agree most cars/trucks now are fairly well built.  I will break from pack and suggest Buick.  I have a 93 Buick Century.  170k area and tires, Battery, brakes,alt,front struts,and muffler have all had to be replaced ONCE.  The car gets over 32mpg summer and 27 winter.  Normal driving is 62 or 75mph with Cruise on.  Dang cheap transport and at 6' I can wear a baseball hat with no problem.  You see a lot of these esp in FL with 30k on them and 99 models owned by folks over 75 who hardly drove and took them in for smallest noise.  It won't get the girls or win any drag races but for me has been cheap, comfortable,and reliable transport.  I must admit I loved 4 cylinders till I realized I can get almost same milage with 6 and more power and SAFETY.  It took 1hr and 20 some minnuts to cut me out of my Escort.  Odds are in my Buick I would have climbed out pass side.   A solid car that can survive a crash is cheap.  I went thru $20k in less then 24hrs that night.   If weather allowed they likely would have air evacted me (also they thought I would be dead before paramedics got there so they never checked on it)   I had the option of driving THIS Buick.  But the Escort had been my baby that I was tired of so I wanted to put miles on it and either sell it/junk it out.  (Not in manner it happened)
  Think of a larger car then you think you need.  Check milage between them comfort and ride.  I love my Taurus.  It is quick/responsive/etc but gets 8mpg less.

[Andrew Wyatt]

get a minitruck, dude. non extended cab. that way when you roll it up in a ball you don't take a lot of other people's kids with you. also, you can carry a lot of guns if you put a camper shell on it.

[Ukraine Train]

No way, an extended cab is a MUST for someone tall. I drove a '91 S10 std. cab for a while and I felt like I was sitting in a church pew. I need a reclining bucket.

[Waitone]

6" 3" here.  Consider a Ranger extended cab pickup.  Ultra reliable (mine has 156,000 miles and going strong) and good mileage (20 in town, 28 hiway).  Simple to maintain, low tax value, low insurance costs.  Plenty of room for legs.  High back supports the shoulders.