God I wish i could Drive. It's not fair.

I like the Toyota Prius. It has a POWER BUTTON. =O

Maybe you guys can help me out. I'm looking to get myself a car first week of May. First car I've owned in over a year since my Integra.

I'd like something that will keep my insurance manageable, has decent gas mileage, is reliable, and yet I won't feel like a dork for owning.

I've got a little bit of money in my pocket, but not a whole bunch, so if I can get something real cheap (8 or <) I could buy it up front, but I'm willing to finance to around 12.

I'm just looking for good used car ideas that can fill those shoes and fit into my budget.

An older Mazda Protege should fit the bill, and they're generally cheaper to buy and cheaper to ensure than a Honda Civic (or Teg) of similar vintage. Also surprisingly enjoyable to drive...

Stuff exactly like that. Something equivalent to a Civic but NOT a Honda. Thanks Demo.

I'm also looking at used BMWs. Is maintenance really as bad as they say?

I've heard the maintenance is pretty bady on the 300 series BMWs. My benz has required almost no work in the last six months that I've had it, if you're interested in European/German cars as a whole.

Yes, it's as bad as they say. ;) Parts are more expensive, and service is generally more expensive as well. If you're able to do most of the work yourself, you could swing it, but to take a BMW into a shop even for routine maintenance can get pricey.

That said, anyone I know who has owned one has said it's well worth it. BMW is known as the Ultimate Driving Machine for a reason.

An E36 3-series (early to mid 90s) would be a great ride, and should fit into your price range... but yes, expect higher repair bills than you would on a Protege or Civic.

I love it. Even if I look like a dork driving it, my Yaris.

After dicking around on the web earlier this evening I came up with a list of cars I was interested in. Was wondering if anyone could let me know what they think about these (ie. Audi's have bad wiring, BMW's are too expensive to maintain, one car has crappy performance compare to another, etc.) or if you have advice for other similar cars.


Acura CL 3.2 & TL 3.2
Audi A4 & A6
BMW 3 & 5 series
Lexus ES 300 & GS 300
Mazda Protege5, Mazda6, & Mazda Millenia
Mitsubishi Galant & Mitsubishi Lancer
Volkswagon Jetta & Passat