And women over 40 will be? :derp:

but it's kind of heavy on gas... only runs on premium :(

Vancouver has a high proportion of exotic and late-model luxury cars, so the chances of attracting a woman with a typical C-class or E90/F30 car are slim-to-none.

If you want to attract the ladies (regardless of age) with your car, your car has to be unique and most of all, clean. Clean on the outside and in. Women don't care about aftermarket parts, but they do want to sit in something that makes them feel good and that doesn't smell like old food, cigarettes, or unburnt fuel as a result of running a straight pipe.

My stock E30 coupe always got looks and comments from women when I owned it.
Posted via RS Mobile

Prius parts are stupidly cheap.. like $500 for a battery. It has tons of space. It is as appliance as a car can get.

prius for taxi and volt for personal use. prius is to cheapy feeling

$3,699-$3939 depending on the generation, plus installation/minus core charge:

Toyota Prius Replacement Batteries: Cost, Prices, and Other Charges

I absolutely love my wife's 2012 Prius. It meets all of our needs. Seats four adults with luggage for road trips, 50 bucks or less to fill and lasts over 700kms. Decent power considering that it is a "hybrid". I have no issues driving around town or on the highway. I find it quite comfortable to drive and to ride in both front and back seats. Fit our dogs in the hatch perfectly. Cabbies rave about the near zero maintenance and we have seen that proof over our last 2 years of ownership. I honestly have no negative things to say about it.

That is list price.. go to any wreckers around town and check. There are 2 factors:1 environmentally minded drivers are not particular good drivers, 2. tons of taxis are hybrids which increases the parts pool.

Insurance on the other hand.. well should still cost less than a 2 door civic ;)

2013 Elantra GT owner here. (about 9000KM on the odo)
I got the manual GLS

I have not driven the others but I will give my 2 cents. I got the car because I had a baby coming.

Pros:
- I drive like a normal person (like not grandma, babying the car) and it returns 6.5-7L/100KM, and that is 9am and 6pm traffic from Burnaby to Vancouver, 100% city bumper to bumper to traffic.
- Spirited driving (or just plainly driving like you stole it), even with my summer set up, 235s width tires, it gives me 9.5L. And that is gas to the floor type thing.
- The pano sun roof, it makes the car feel alot bigger than it really is. And everyone from family to friends who sits in my car talks abt it.
- Blue tooth voice commands, if you are into that sort of thing, but Hyundai has really got it figured out. I came out of a 2012 Nissan Rogue, and 2012 Toyota Venza (parent's cars) and their voice recognition is crap compared to my hyundai. Its either I have a Korean accent that I do not know about or Hyundai has really got this tech down. Btw I am Chinese lololol

The Cons
- it could be faster, not sure if this counts as a bad thing, but ya, As in almost everything will beat you if they try. But I have no trouble with it, it is not slow by any means, but it wont hurt to be faster ha?
- a bit noisy, the cabin is not the quietest. Again just comparing it to my parent's Venza and Rogue
- not as big as you would think. Mazda 3 hatch is noticeably bigger. but if it is just for adults in the front and a kid in the back, it does the trick

Finally I bought the car mainly just because I really like the way it looks. And I got a really good deal that Mazda couldnt match. I got it for $23,000 taxed in, 0 down 84 month finance at 0%, so I am paying like $274 a month for it.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.n...60736824_o.jpg

https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/...18771283_o.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.n...15842518_o.jpg

https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/...79763294_o.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.n...82229320_o.jpg

https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/...99823032_o.jpg

Assume that the OP will keep the car for 10 years. His cost of ownership, especially to replace the batteries at that price (not including inflation etc.) is a very small cost to pay to prolong the life of the vehicle.

true. there was another article on google about prices from 2008, and prices were $1k less that the MSRP i posted...

going off topic: is it safe to trust a junkyard hybrid battery?

I couldn't imagine owning any of those cars for the next 15-20 years.

I have an 07 Focus I bought last summer that I am considering driving into English Bay once I'm done with it

watch out...we got someone with the budget of Top Gear among us :woot2:

thanks for the suggestions all, has made me do some serious reconsideration.


For those who were asking...

Ideal budget --> Between 10 K - 18K (after tax)

I've added the 8th gen Civic (2009-2011) to the list... mpg's seem better than the mazda 3 and Rav 4, its a sedan so i'll have to check out the trunk space later. I know older Honda's were known for reliability... how about the newer ones?

I'll jump onto some civic forums later tomorrow, any thoughts/experiences with the 8th gen civic?

^ I had an 8th gen Si, so depending if you're planning on getting an Si or a normal one, i may be able to help... Biggest thing to watch out for on the aforementioned Si is transmission problems. Mine loved to pop out of gears at wide open, and refused to go into first, 2nd, and sometimes 3rd at times.

I would highly encourage you to test drive each and ever car.

Bring a small list along with a clipboard with things you are looking for. For example:
- Do I like the interior? Yes / No
- How does it feel? 1 being DO NOT WANT or 5 DO WANT
- Do I like its ergonomics? Yes / No
- How does it drive? Awful / Okay / Not Bad / VTEC Kicked In!
- Do I like the style? Yes / No
- Does the manufacturer have any sales incentives i.e. 0% financing etc.

You get the idea. Also have questions prepared for the sales folks and don't forget, MPG is highly subjective to driving style and distances so don't use the numbers on paper as a final determination. Unless you're going from say a 5.0L V8 to a 140hp inline-4, it isn't THAT big of a deal between the cars you're looking for.

I test drove maybe 8 different cars before I bought my Corolla over 1.5 months. Take your time and just enjoy the shopping experience! :)

Having abs, being cocky, and having others acknowledge your social standing > All other things used to attract women


Sure, cars can raise your status but much, much less than having a bunch of people give you props in person. Watch how a woman's body language changes if you're in a big group of people and you're the center of attention. Her panties are getting wet, I guarantee it!

Since the electric trips a bus fuse when there is an accident, as long as the battery is intact. I think they are good. Remember Prius is still on mostly NiMh which last a heck longer than Li.

im so sorry

(cause you had BMs that's why i cared to post)

Isn't that 20 years too new for you?
I thought you were looking for a 1994 Corolla...

No...


Way...


:pokerface:

Haters gonna hate. Reliable daily driver / grocery getter > BMW :D

:hotbaby:

I drove a 2014 Corolla at the Home Show last month. Maybe I haven't driven many new cars over the last while, but it surprised me in terms of comfort and features. However, the electric steering kind of sucks. The technology needs another decade to mature. I can definitely see the appeal of one if you only have the room/finances/time for one car.

Getting back to the topic at hand, we have a late model first-gen Mazda 3 as a daily. It doesn't get the best gas mileage, but it's been reliable, and entertaining to drive. The steering is still hydraulic and has plenty of feel for a Japanese/economy car. The car's suspension is tuned so that you feel connected to the road. Lots of them around, so the OP should consider a first-gen in his search.
Posted via RS Mobile

Moderator who edit my post: :grin-FU:

My thoughts exactly.

For the hatchbacks vs hatchbacks and crossovers vs crossovers you listed (namely Honda vs Mazda vs Toyota vs Hyundai), you're basically splitting hairs. The cost of ownership between them isn't going to differ that much. You're going to get pretty similar reviews on just reading reviews on these (or any) economy car. The best way to decide is just drive them all and pick the one you like the most. The difference in ownership can pretty much be considered negligable (give or take a hundred bucks a year or whatever).

Posted via RS Mobile