Looking into buying a car

[Brankon]

Saw on Facebook there were tons of people filling jerry cans yesterday locally because we're supposed to have some sort of shortage. Apparently fuel prices are supposed to go sky high soon (they already are!)

I think its time to start looking for a cheap reliable and fuel efficient car

Can anyone make any recommendations on what cars a guy should be looking for and stuff to steer away from? I'm much more familiar with the truck issues of the big 3 vs the cars.

Time to start parking the ol 2010 5.4 V8 until its time to do truck stuff, daily driving that will ruin me if fuel continues to climb like they say

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk

[jcrayford]

Toyota Hybrid. Neighbors kid bought one, claims to get 1000 km out of $40 fuel.

Or just suck it up like the rest of us and complain while filling up? Not going to do any good complaining, but it makes me feel better for about 30 seconds....

J.

[Cement Bench]

we need more information my friend

budget and how much over budget are you willing to go

how many miles a month as you insurance and tires and repairs may make this NOT WORTHWHILE venture

and who will be driving it, where will it be parked inside or on the street

and so on

then we can add to your knowledge base

[Iron Brew]

Are you looking new or used?

If used, I've been considering (don't laugh, read) a Prius. They are one of the more reliable and cheaper to fix cars out there. The thing with the Prius is you can change individual cells rather than a whole battery. There's more involved than just taking out and dropping in a cell, but there is lots of information on it. For the wife's new car (after the shortages) I'm seriously considering a Rav4 prime PHEV. Again, a very proven, cheap to fix tech.

Others may laugh at you, but the engine on the Toyota hybrids works very well to generate electricity economically, but not so well to power a car directly. Some interesting videos on that.

There's a lot of readily available diagnostic stuff out there to help you choose a reliable one, and there are affordable parts out there if you find one somebody thinks they are pulling a fast one on. If you've done the scans, you know what it will (probably) take to fix and may get a real bargain.

[Brankon]

Originally Posted by Cement Bench

we need more information my friend

budget and how much over budget are you willing to go

how many miles a month as you insurance and tires and repairs may make this NOT WORTHWHILE venture

and who will be driving it, where will it be parked inside or on the street

and so on

then we can add to your knowledge base

I was thinking around the $2g mark, just a beater for around town, if I ever go somewhere far I'd be taking the truck because it's treated me very well in the past 30+k km I've owned it
Looked on kijiji for a bit and there's a few toyota corolla's with 4 bangers with close to 300k on them for $2g, not sure how long those things go for but I do know Toyota's are known for pretty good reliability with their econo cars

Anywhere from 3-600km a month now in the truck, and that's trying to drive economically. I'm more thinking idle time this winter because this thing sucks the fuel back warming it up to go to work

I'll be the only one driving it, sometimes street parking and mostly driveway parking outside.

I have a storage slot for my rv with room in front of it for the truck so truck storage is pretty well a non issue. full tank, disconnect battery, and just re-connect that if I ever have to go somewhere with it

[Brankon]

Originally Posted by jcrayford

Toyota Hybrid. Neighbors kid bought one, claims to get 1000 km out of $40 fuel.

Or just suck it up like the rest of us and complain while filling up? Not going to do any good complaining, but it makes me feel better for about 30 seconds....

J.

You've got that right! I usually just complain until fuel comes down in price, but from what I'm hearing it sounds like the high prices will be here for some time.

Trying to figure out if this makes economical sense before I bite the bullet, I've only owned trucks so I feel like it would be nice to see what good fuel economy feels like on the wallet!

[mrcrossbow]

is it for city driving ? ( ie calgary or Edmonton) is it mostly highway driving? gravel roads ?
have ask your self is the cost of the car the extra insurance, winter/summer tires, and all associated costs with getting new vehicle going to save you much in the end vrs what youd pay at the pump for gas. do a quick tally of how much you spend on gas per month now then x it by say 8 ( months ) then x that number by 4 ( years ) and see if it comes up to roughly what youd spend for this new/used car.
personally if i was doing alot of city driving id look at a scooter/moped there cheap to buy and cheap to fill. or even a electronic bicycle ( one the good ones there about 5 or 6 k )
if i was doing more highway/rural stuff id probably look at a older honda crv ( early 90s and back ) had 2 before and they were the cheapest things iv ever had to fix and if i remeber were only $40 to fill ( about 3 yrs ago ) millage was great. they only cost a few grand averge about 2 to 5.
might even look at a used motorcycle ( honda shadow or thing ) if i was doing a mix of highway and city, and save my big truck for winter when its needed. but once again id do a spread sheet and add all the numbers and see if id really be saving much if anything in the end. i mean if a new car thats lets just say 30k to 40k thats alot of fuel not even counting the extra costs. and if you are spending that much on fuel , can some of that be writen of as a work expense or receipts be handed in at work.
i know if i do work related stuff with my vehicle i get .55 per km i travel ( ie taking kids to doctors and other things ) then i hand in a screen shot of google map showing my trip.
also were i used drive the 2 km down the road to the gas station for munchies or a pop, now i just walk to save a buck, as a perk its healthy for me and i buy less junk now also saving me a buck. i quess in the end i dont think you will save much if any thing. trucks are amazing and something you take for granted but as soon as your driving the car something will pop up and you will wish you were in the truck. i went middle ground and got a suv. can still tow stuff, can get out of the ditch in winter, better on gas then my old truck but not as good as wifes car, can pull some one out of ditch in winter. bigger battery to boost ppl in winter, and can bounce though a field if i need to or toss a deer in the back if i take it hunting.
definitely look at a smaller suv with 4x4.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Only problem with good fuel/small cars is you need to drive them with your butt dragging on pavement. They do not do well on snow covered streets.

[fishtank]

I know a few that complained about fuel prices... then goes from a suv to a raptor

[Brankon]

Originally Posted by mrcrossbow

is it for city driving ? ( ie calgary or Edmonton) is it mostly highway driving? gravel roads ?
have ask your self is the cost of the car the extra insurance, winter/summer tires, and all associated costs with getting new vehicle going to save you much in the end vrs what youd pay at the pump for gas. do a quick tally of how much you spend on gas per month now then x it by say 8 ( months ) then x that number by 4 ( years ) and see if it comes up to roughly what youd spend for this new/used car.
personally if i was doing alot of city driving id look at a scooter/moped there cheap to buy and cheap to fill. or even a electronic bicycle ( one the good ones there about 5 or 6 k )
if i was doing more highway/rural stuff id probably look at a older honda crv ( early 90s and back ) had 2 before and they were the cheapest things iv ever had to fix and if i remeber were only $40 to fill ( about 3 yrs ago ) millage was great. they only cost a few grand averge about 2 to 5.
might even look at a used motorcycle ( honda shadow or thing ) if i was doing a mix of highway and city, and save my big truck for winter when its needed. but once again id do a spread sheet and add all the numbers and see if id really be saving much if anything in the end. i mean if a new car thats lets just say 30k to 40k thats alot of fuel not even counting the extra costs. and if you are spending that much on fuel , can some of that be writen of as a work expense or receipts be handed in at work.
i know if i do work related stuff with my vehicle i get .55 per km i travel ( ie taking kids to doctors and other things ) then i hand in a screen shot of google map showing my trip.
also were i used drive the 2 km down the road to the gas station for munchies or a pop, now i just walk to save a buck, as a perk its healthy for me and i buy less junk now also saving me a buck. i quess in the end i dont think you will save much if any thing. trucks are amazing and something you take for granted but as soon as your driving the car something will pop up and you will wish you were in the truck. i went middle ground and got a suv. can still tow stuff, can get out of the ditch in winter, better on gas then my old truck but not as good as wifes car, can pull some one out of ditch in winter. bigger battery to boost ppl in winter, and can bounce though a field if i need to or toss a deer in the back if i take it hunting.
definitely look at a smaller suv with 4x4.

would mostly be for driving around camrose, so long as the tires on the car are in good condition I could easily see them lasting me at least 2-4 years

I've also been cutting out a lot of the junk foods to save a buck, I do definitely agree that we take trucks for granted, been a few times that I've had a call from a buddy that only has a car in need of help for hauling stuff across town and whatnot.

[Brankon]

Originally Posted by Big Grey Wolf

Only problem with good fuel/small cars is you need to drive them with your butt dragging on pavement. They do not do well on snow covered streets.

That is definitely something to consider that didn't immediately come to mind since the past few years haven't been terrible for snow accumulation, I usually start work at least an hour before the plows come out here so there have been a few times where I'm the first tracks in the neighborhood after a good dump of snow.

[Brankon]

Originally Posted by fishtank

I know a few that complained about fuel prices... then goes from a suv to a raptor

It's funny how backwards some people think isn't it? "I'm spending too much on fuel, maybe I'll buy something that uses more fuel!"

[fishtank]

Get a used Honda or Toyota they are good on gas and low maintenance . Try looking on Facebook market place .. and try to avoid names you don’t recognize or have hard time pronouncing, There are car flippers and selling lemons, salvage or patch up repair cars .

[IL Bar]

Lots of people don’t realize that the cheapest vehicle on fuel is the one they already own. As was said previously need to factor in all the extra costs with owning a second vehicle or the costs to trade to a newer vehicle just to save a few bucks on gas.

[jungleboy]

I’ve owned lots of Toyota’s and 300k on the engine is no biggie. The issue with most older high mileage cars in my opinion is the transmission . Everyone is careful to change the oil on the engine at regular intervals but they ignore the transmission till it starts to act up and by then it can be too late.

I had a 05 Toyota Matrix I bought new and hit 350 km before some jackwagon in a grain truck backed into me and wrote it off. I was confident it would’ve hit the 500k mark easy.
We picked up an 06 Pontiac Vibe this summer (Toyota drive train) with 160k and expect it to give similar reliability and long life.

Unfortunately with current covid pricing on everything, a reliable beater in the 2k range will likely be tough to find and you will find a lot of curbers out there with an endless supply of pure crap.

[urban rednek]

It sounds like you are considering this for purely financial reasons, versus simply wanting to have a second vehicle? If so, do the real math based on your average monthly driving. It will be obvious whether or not a second vehicle makes economic sense. Factor in Registration, insurance, and maintenance cost difference on top of raw fuel cost. ie. tires, brakes, oil changes, etc.

Hypothetical fuel savings math, change the numbers to suit your situation:
Truck gets 20 l/100km average in cold weather
Vehicle X gets 9 l/100km average in cold weather
500 km/month average driving
Fuel cost $1.45/l
Truck cost /month = 5x 20 l = 100 l x $1.45 = $145.00
Vehicle X cost / month = 5 x 9 l = 45 l x $1.45 = $65.25
How much of the $79.75 difference will be left over as savings once you pay for the insurance/registration/maintenance?

Note the savings will increase due to the following factors:
1. higher fuel costs
2. more mileage driven
3. lower cost parts for general maintenance

Real world example of what you are considering: Lifted mid-80's GMC 3/4 4x4, daily commute around 230 km + personal + weekend driving. Fuel cost at the time was in the $0.40/l range.
They purchased a brand new entry level sedan for the commute and general go to town runs, about 130 km round trip. The fuel savings covered all the costs of the car and left a few dollars in their pocket. Added bonus was less wear and tear on the truck, it lasted for years.

[Fish along]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

I’ve owned lots of Toyota’s and 300k on the engine is no biggie. The issue with most older high mileage cars in my opinion is the transmission . Everyone is careful to change the oil on the engine at regular intervals but they ignore the transmission till it starts to act up and by then it can be too late.

I had a 05 Toyota Matrix I bought new and hit 350 km before some jackwagon in a grain truck backed into me and wrote it off. I was confident it would’ve hit the 500k mark easy.
We picked up an 06 Pontiac Vibe this summer (Toyota drive train) with 160k and expect it to give similar reliability and long life.

Unfortunately with current covid pricing on everything, a reliable beater in the 2k range will likely be tough to find and you will find a lot of curbers out there with an endless supply of pure crap.

Not meaning to derail but ive been driving an 07 toyota Camry for many years 430kms now,i tried some years back to change the transmission fluid but there was no drain plug so they pulled the filter and drained all they could and refilled it.Is this the same with all Toyotas? Thanks for the vibe tip.Ive been looking at Volkswagon jettas lately they also have high mileage any thoughts?

[Jim]

I was in the same situation driving a dodge 2500 was costing to much in gas. So I bought a chev cobalt. Truck was costing me $140 a week in gas ($7280 annually). Car costs me $50 a week in gas ($2600 annually). Wish I had bought the car years ago.

Do I prefer a truck to a car yeah of course, I feel like a kid driving the car around. But money is money, tires and parts are cheaper with the car as well. Spend $400-$500 for tires for the car and $1100-$1500 for the truck. If you look at it from a financial perspective it is no question the smartest choice. But a grown man who has driven a truck his whole life going to driving a small car is a bit degrading. Your coworkers will make sure you know their opinions as well.

[urban rednek]

Originally Posted by Jim

But a grown man who has driven a truck his whole life going to driving a small car is a bit degrading. Your coworkers will make sure you know their opinions as well.

^^That statement right there is the crux of the problem, and the main reason for the prevalence of "Grocery Getter" and "Mall Crawler" pickups in North America.
I'm amazed by the number of people that think this way...I don't get it.

[Jim]

Originally Posted by urban rednek

^^That statement right there is the crux of the problem, and the main reason for the prevalence of "Grocery Getter" and "Mall Crawler" pickups in North America.
I'm amazed by the number of people that think this way...I don't get it.

If you work in oil and gas pretty well everyone drives a truck, it’s a vehicle used to make a statement that you support oil and gas. Not to many working in the patch driving an electric or hybrid. Don’t sh*t on the hand that feeds you kind of thing. If you work in an office building or a desk job of some sort yeah no one blinks an eye if you drive a car. Just a stereotype that will be hard to change especially in rural Alberta.

[Dolly’s Mom]

I drive a 2010 Toyota Camry hybrid. Got it new and it’s got 190,000 km on it. It still gets 6.2L / 100km or 45.5 mpg consistently - summer, winter, city or highway, doesn’t seem to matter. Costs about $1000 a year to insure and that’s with collision and $2 mil liability. Other than regular maintenance it hasn’t had any major issues.

[buckbrush]

I work in Oil and gas.

Supply and demand, the more I use the better the demand! Right? The better the demand the higher the price, the higher the price the more I make, the more I make the higher the taxes....I forget when I was going with this.

I hate paying so much at the pump but I don't want to sacrifice power for fuel economy.
Not to mention I live in a rural area and get snowed in a couple times a year with our full-size 4x4's...

[barbless]

Originally Posted by jcrayford

Toyota Hybrid. Neighbors kid bought one, claims to get 1000 km out of $40 fuel.

Or just suck it up like the rest of us and complain while filling up? Not going to do any good complaining, but it makes me feel better for about 30 seconds....

J.

HA HA I like the part about 30 seconds. Think it's more like the 30$ mark

[jstubbs]

I bought a little 2005 Acura EL (basically a fancy Honda Civic) from a member here last winter. Small little 4 banger motor, 5 speed transmission, heated leather seats, sunroof, command start and good tires. I get 40+ mpg everywhere I go. Keeps mileage off my diesels, keeps them off salty winter roads as well, doesn’t take forever to warm up, can park it anywhere, and repairs are pretty cheap. Parts galore.

One of the better purchases I’ve made. With fuel prices a cheap $2000 car pays for itself real quick.

[Au revoir, Gopher]

Originally Posted by Fish along

Not meaning to derail but ive been driving an 07 toyota Camry for many years 430kms now,i tried some years back to change the transmission fluid but there was no drain plug so they pulled the filter and drained all they could and refilled it.Is this the same with all Toyotas? Thanks for the vibe tip.Ive been looking at Volkswagon jettas lately they also have high mileage any thoughts?

I have seen a few car makers going with auto transmissions that get 'flushed' not full changes... not sure what the point is.

ARG

[Red Bullets]

If you are spending 2K on a used vehicle I wouldn't be so concerned about what models and makes. I would be most concerned about the car's condition and reliability. If it is just for running around stick with a 4 cylinder. The fuel consumption of most cars will be better than the truck. Used hybrids might cost more to repair. Don't know how good of a used hybrid you'd get for 2K.

Maybe consider trading the big truck in for a small truck. I drove a Mazda B2200 truck for about 4 years and it was cheap on gas. It had a long box so it could haul a bit. Held it's value good when I sold it too. I bought it for 3K and sold it for 2.5K four years later. It was good in the snow too.

I'd stick with a vehicle that has at least 14 inch tires. Smaller tired vehicles are going to be prone to bottoming out in snow.

[jungleboy]

Originally Posted by Au revoir, Gopher

I have seen a few car makers going with auto transmissions that get 'flushed' not full changes... not sure what the point is.

ARG

Lol I used to take every vehicle I bought used to a guy in Spruce grove to get the trans oil changed before anything else and I mentioned the trans flush to the guy and his exact words were . “Flushes are for toilets”

[MK2750]

Originally Posted by Brankon

I was thinking around the $2g mark, just a beater for around town, if I ever go somewhere far I'd be taking the truck because it's treated me very well in the past 30+k km I've owned it
Looked on kijiji for a bit and there's a few toyota corolla's with 4 bangers with close to 300k on them for $2g, not sure how long those things go for but I do know Toyota's are known for pretty good reliability with their econo cars

Anywhere from 3-600km a month now in the truck, and that's trying to drive economically. I'm more thinking idle time this winter because this thing sucks the fuel back warming it up to go to work

I'll be the only one driving it, sometimes street parking and mostly driveway parking outside.

I have a storage slot for my rv with room in front of it for the truck so truck storage is pretty well a non issue. full tank, disconnect battery, and just re-connect that if I ever have to go somewhere with it

I thought about the same thing but by the time a person buys the car, makes necessary repairs, pays insurance and keeps up regular maintenance you are looking at closer to 4 or 6 thousand IF you could find a half decent vehicle for 2 or 3 grand. You can buy a lot of fuel for 4 or 6 thousand and remember the car uses half the gas not none.

[Dean2]

Car gets 10l/100, truck gets 20l/100. In 40,000 klm, you save $8,000, with gas at $2 a litre, obviously half that at a buck a litre.
Insurance, PLPD only and plates 1000 a year.
Not to hard to make the argument for the car as long as you are doing more than 10,000 klms a year on it. It also means you aren't mileing out the much more expensive pickup.
High mile older stick to Toyota and Honda if you can but you can also get much lower mile small cars for the same money buying NOT Honda or Toyota. Condition and maintenance is everything. A quick search of auto trader found 15 cars with less than 150,000 Klms for under $4,000, in the Edmonton area.

[OL_JR]

Originally Posted by jungleboy

I’ve owned lots of Toyota’s and 300k on the engine is no biggie. The issue with most older high mileage cars in my opinion is the transmission . Everyone is careful to change the oil on the engine at regular intervals but they ignore the transmission till it starts to act up and by then it can be too late.

I had a 05 Toyota Matrix I bought new and hit 350 km before some jackwagon in a grain truck backed into me and wrote it off. I was confident it would’ve hit the 500k mark easy.
We picked up an 06 Pontiac Vibe this summer (Toyota drive train) with 160k and expect it to give similar reliability and long life.

Unfortunately with current covid pricing on everything, a reliable beater in the 2k range will likely be tough to find and you will find a lot of curbers out there with an endless supply of pure crap.

I have an 07 and it's been good, just hit 300k and only issues so far other than regular maintenance is an oil pressure sensor leaking.