“Dear thetruthaboutcars.com, I am asking your advice on what type of car would suit me best. I am a high school student who is the not-so-proud owner of a 1997 Pontiac Sunfire. I recently took a ride in my neighbor’s Acura RSX and was impressed with the overall quality of the car, especially the interior and the car’s performance in general. It looked like my neighbor had so much fun, flawlessly shifting through the gears. I was amazed at how superior this car was to my low-quality Sunfire. I came to the conclusion that the RSX would be a perfect car for me because of it’s high quality ,small size, and because of how much fun it looked to be behind it’s wheel. When I go off to college and have the money, I plan on buying a better car for myself. Is there any car out there that is similar to the RSX that matches it in quality, size, and performance that I can look into? Any advise is appreciated.”
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Used Subaru WRX. When I looked at cars in 2002, the finalists were RSX and WRX, and I picked the WRX due to the greater utility.
Not too many competitors… unless you are talking accord coupe (bigger), MR2 or Miata (2 seat), lesser quality, or higher price (MB C220 hatchback of that year)
Aside from some road noise, the RSX is a great all around vehicle for it’s class. Even back seat space is decent, the steering wheel is one of the best I’ve ever held, and the interior is a great place to spend time. The later WRXs have more interior upgrades but overall the RSX looks more refined inside.
You could also take 00-06 VW Golf/GTIs that has either a 1.8T or a VR6 (which were offered from 01-06) and as with any german car, the more service history, the better. A friend of mine has a 1.8T with an H&R Cup Kit suspension, exhaust and chip and it’s held up great for the last 100k miles. There’s also Saab hatchbacks, though I’m not sure where their prices are, the Focus (and the SVT Focus, which are much cheaper than the RSX). If you don’t mind sedans, you can get a previous generation 3-series in the same price range as a used RSX. Going back to hatchbacks, there’s also the Mini, since it has a good motor and great handling. I’d also venture to think that a used Yaris or Honda Fit might fall into your price range.
There’s a lot of great hatchbacks out there…but you’ll definitely want to check on insurance rates for the cars you’re shopping for. I know the Mini, WRX and RSX-S have above average insurance rates in some places.
Um, dude, high school? Until you’re done with college, your job is completing an education.
About all a luxury car will do is force you to work so hard for payments that you get bad grades or miss out on personal advancement opportunities, social experiences, or extracurricular leadership positions. These are life-enhancing events. Working for a payment is a pointless treadmill.
You have several years before you’re in the workforce and financially stable. Who knows what the latest “new hotness” will be then?
Drive the Sunfire until the wheels fall off. Cart goes after the horse.
If you want a newer car, Honda considered the replacement for the RSX to be the Civic.
If you want to stay with Acura, it would be a slighly older car – the Integra.
A slightly bigger car would be the TSX and it’s a 4-door.
Concerning the Sunbird, GM never took smaller cars seriously and they have paid for that mistake. And the “wheels will fall off” the Sunbird far too soon.
Check out a 1997-2002 Honda Prelude. It performs pretty much exactly the same as the RSX, but it is way cheaper.
Buy a new car after those student loans are paid off. Drive your hooptie until then, you’ll thank yourself when you’re in your late 20s/30s and have more important things to purchase.
Just sayin’, dude. (or dudette)
Don’t get an RSX cause the backseat is too small to bang a chick in. Cause you know, college and all is gonna mean being in a dorm.
“you’ll thank yourself when you’re in your late 20s/30s and have more important things to purchase”
…or a positive net worth!
Keep the Sunbird its easy and cheap to maintain.
Parts are always available.Honda/Acura has a great product.Repairs and maintenance will drain you wallet very fast. Dollar for dollar stick with the domestics.
Take it from somebody without one.An education in this f—ed up world is much bigger priority than a car.
+1 on the Integra idea… It’s a better bet for a good student car, I’ve seen some go for absolute fire sale prices. Many are abused so shop wisely.
There is also the 200SX if you want even cheaper and a bit older but still fun. 240SXs are much more desireable and have inflated values as a result.
WRX is a cool car… But it’s going to cost you for upkeep and it will likely have been abused. Ditto VeeDubs, for every satisfied owner there are 10 raging ones. Oil sludging is the best known issue, but there is also the 60K timing chain on the VR6 (only 60K for a chain? my thoughts exactly) and the timing belts/water pump replacement costs on the 1.8T.
My best advice overall? Avoid modded cars like the plague. Go for clean stockers instead.
“Used Subaru WRX”
No. It’s likely been abused, and they’re notorious for transmission and head gasket failures.
Depends on your reasons for owning a car:
1. Transpo – I say pay the more money to live on campus and in the dorms, you will meet more people that way.
2. Status/Girls – I’ll not say much about girls that are impressed by cars, except they aren’t worth it. An Acura ain’t going to cut it there.
3. Enthusiast driving – I’d buy a used Miata. Cheap, fun, and a convertible. Easy to take to the track.
I’d say ditch the car entirely when you go to college, live somewhere walkable to classes, and just get Zipcar if available when you need a car for a roadtrip. Cheaper and then you don’t have to worry about a car at all. Then again, I spent a lot of college in an alcoholic haze, so no ability to drive a car socially anyway.
If you have to have a car, a used Lexus IS300 would be fun to drive, RWD versus the RSX’s FWD, have decent status, cheap to get, more reliable than a BMW, and you could mod the hell out of it easily. Plus four seats for group things.
I agree with most of the posters. Your priority is school. Keep the Sunfire until it self destructs. Having a cool car is nice but your first focus for money and time should be school. You’ll have plenty of time to get a cool car later. Unless your parents are buying, and paying for school, then go for it.
I favor the RAV4 Limited V6 over the RSX. More room, more power, and very reliable. I do wish the interiors had less plastic and the rear door swings to the side versus up. For me, those two flaws are offset by the other qualities the RAV4 has. Most media outlets rate the RAV4 very highly.
The others are right about the low cost of repairs on the Pontiac you have. I hate car payments, but something from Toyota, Honda, or Acura is worth it.
High school… dude, unless you want to get an awful driving record, lots of speeding tickets, and high insurance… I would second Sajeev about just waiting…
Why? I got a 93 Honda Accord in high school in 2001… drove it until 2006 when I got a new car when I was done with school. I’m glad I waited… if I got something with more power earlier, I would be dead by now…. financially and probably physically.
BUT… if you HAVE TO get a newer car (I.E., your car having mechanical issues, etc.), then I would recommend getting a used Toyota Corolla, Honda Fit, Honda Civic, Honda Accord, or non-turbo Subaru Impreza or Subaru Legacy. Maintenance should be fairly low key, but I would price shop around for insurance for all the cars, as well as getting some feedback from TrueDelta. The Subarus’ will get a little lower gas milage, but if you live where the weather can be iffy, it’s well worth it.
If you want to get a different car because of the “cool factor”, well… please don’t. You WILL thank yourself later, like I did. Cars won’t make you that much cooler in school, and you’re probably almost done with high school in a short period of time… and chances are, you’ll never see or talk to most of the people there :-) College… no one cares. You’re there for school!
mikey : An education in this f—ed up world is much bigger priority than a car.
Ya know, its nice to hear this theme always come up in the comments section. Just goes to show how mature this website’s readership truly is.
Sticking to the subject… I would add the Civic Si hatchback which was built during the same time as the RSX. The hatch’s were higher quality than the Coupes & Sedans and used the 160hp 2 liter engine which was the same engine as the base RSX. They are pretty rare though and I would guess similarly priced to the RSX.
Everyone’s experience is different. When money is tight as it often is for those in HS/college/university, you need reliable wheels. There are many good small cars out there that will serve you well (even if the parts are more expensive) but the sunfire/cavalier twins are NOT among them. GM does not know, has never known and likely will never figure out how to design and build a good small car. Dollar for dollar, D3 small cars will rob you blind!
I suggest that the choice of college, the kind of degree, the extracurricular activities, and connections with people in your field of study are far more important than wheels.
Present car or no car would be better than more student loans and car payments.
Just my .02,
DEZ
mazda 3?
RSX is fun, but it will demand greatly of you for payments, insurance, and tickets. How about the last-one-before-the-3 Mazda Protege? Good bones, you can borrow handling parts from the Mazdaspeed version, you can load your friends in it, and it won’t attract the wrong sort of attention.
I would suggest a Honda or Toyota instead of an Acura if you’re on a budget. Mainly a Prelude or hot Civic, or a Celica.
A used VW is a sure ticket to the poor house.
From what I’ve been able to learn from this website, your “Lowly” Big 2.7568 will serve you better ’cause maintenance is that much cheaper. How much does a circa 2000 Neon or Focus go for? (Neon, yeah, just stay on top of the head gasket thingy and you’re good to go)
Don’t delude yourself thinking Jap cars don’t break. Specially since you are apparently looking for a car 10 yrs old or so, anything that breaks on them will smart. Another thing, isn’t the Civic like the most robbed car in America? Thinking that, plus higher costs for parts, will keep the insurance (specially for a younger dude) on the Jap cars positively uncompetitive w/ the domestic ones.
Anyone who thinks a Sunfire isn’t a dirt cheap to keep running reliable vehicle hasn’t turned a wrench in a long time. It is not a glorious vehicle and while you can make fun of the interior and parts rattling all to hell, you can’t poke fun at the reliability.
My advice is that unless the Sunfire is already having problems you can’t deal with, take the advice of some reasonable folks here and keep on rolling with it.
If you are worried about girls, just take care to go to a college that actually has them in some quantity or is in a big enough town they will be around.
Having spare time to play sports, party, and having beer money in your pocket is going to go a lot further in “that” area than any nice car will do.
Having said all of that, please ignore everything I just said if you have parents that are going to pay for your college and car. Start pushing that you’d like a more reliable vehicle like the TSX so you won’t be stranded and will be able to reliably make it home and to your college stuffs.
“And the “wheels will fall off” the Sunbird far too soon”
above a comment by somebody with little knowledge of J-cars and obviously a jap car bigot.
Everybody here seems to say that American cars are way cheaper to maintain that euro-ones and japanese ones. From my point of view, here in france,
The cheapest parts :
1 – Peugeot, Citroën, Renault, Fiat
2 – Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda, Ford Europe, Alfa, Lancia
3 – BMW, Mercedes, Saab, Audi
The most reliable :
1 – Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Peugeot, Citroën
2 – Ford Europe, Seat, Skoda
3 – Renault
The cheapest insurance :
1 – Peugeot, Citroen, Renault, Seat, Fiat
2 – Volkswagen, Ford Europe
3 – Audi
When you take all these parameters into account, A French car cost us less to use than a german one, except the 15+ Years cars, where lots of used parts are available, and insurance is cheap.
Except rich students, nobody under 25 here drives a BMW or an Audi, nor a car less than ten years old.
I think you are very lucky to drive a Pontiac Sunfire. when I was a student, I had a 1990 mk3 Ford Fiesta 1.8 liter diesel engine, without a turbo. that car had 60 hp, and I was happy with it. I sold it when I had the chance to get a better car … a 1992 Citroën ZX 1.4 liter carburettor, with LPG fitted. I chose the car because of the low insurance, maintenance cost, and ran on a fuel which was half the price of the others. Plus, it had 75 HP ! I could get more than 100mph from the beast !
I’m now employed, and with my salary, I bougth a car I really liked, a mk1 rabbit convertible.
None of my cars were bought more than 1400 €.
I really think you have a nice car, even without taking into account the fact you’re a student.
If the Sunfear isn’t disintegrating yet, keep it.
I would drive that sunbird until the wheels, bodywork and engine fall off.
Love it, Wolf!!! Well said.
And the whole idea of not waiting till it’s practical and one can afford it is what’s gotten us all into this financial mess in the 1st place.
Keep the Sunfire and your money. There will be cars out there once you finish college that you’ll want more.
Remember: somone somewhere will always have something nicer than yours. You’ll murder yourself chasing after “better”, mentally and financially. It will pass.
If saving $ is the object at this point, I’m not so sure about keeping the sunfire. Might be better to get an old civic or corolla or Mazda Protege now than before the sunfire really starts going to pot.
To figure out whether what you are getting is reliable: go to the library, look up whatever you are thinking of in a Consumer Reports Annual Auto Issue (they come out every April) from six or seven years later, and check their used car recommendations on that car. For example, if you’re looking at a 1995 Corolla, check out the 2001 Consumer Reports. I did this when I bought a 77 corolla in 1985, for $450 (probably about twice that in today’s dollars). I looked at the ‘83 Annual Auto Issue. It got great marks. I got it. I drove it for 8 years, from 91k to 161k. It treated me very well.
PS: in college, at Berkeley, and for a number of years thereafter, I went everywhere on a bicycle. Including across the country.
A hatchback is a great thing to have in college.
But so is a car that’s cheap because you’re not paying for it and you don’t mind cosmetic damage. Sadly, college is not a good time to have a car you’re proud of. You don’t need a reliable car either, because you won’t use it regularly. When you do use it, it’ll be used hard (seven people in a five-seater, or using it to move three times a year, you get the idea).
Once the money’s secure, yes, the RSX is a good car. But I’d recommend being cheap and getting an Integra or a Civic hatch. Just make sure to get insurance quotes first, they can be pretty bad for Hondas.
The fact is, if you’re a car enthusiast, you won’t end with “a hatch with something under the hood” but with THE car that made your jaw fall, whatever car it might be. I may buy a refrigirator based on its spec sheet. not a car, no way.
I favor the RAV4 Limited V6 over the RSX.
This is why asking others what car you should buy is a complete waste of time.
On the other hand it is fun for the commenters!
Personally I think you should skip the RSX and get a backhoe. Chicks dig backhoes and it is so much more practical than the RSX.
I had a 91 Accord in HS (crashed), than a 92 Integra (dented), than a couple of 240SXs (one stolen, one driven to hell), than a E30 325i (head gasket) now a E34 525i (ok). I loved all my cars/decisions/self, but I’d just skip automatics, soft, uncomfortable and boring cars (auto’s) if I did it again. Or atleast look at more cars. Maintenance has never been a big issue, and my cars are getting older. Glass is half full. Oh and BMWs are great great cars, specially stick.
Your conclusions about cars is bang-on, but if your POS is running well I’d just keep it for now.
An affordable used RSX or Prelude will make you feel good for about ten minutes, until the repair bills start cutting into your tuition fund because the previous owner beat the crap out of it. Cut that time in half for a used Volkswagen.
Focus on your studies, get a good job, then reward yourself with a brand new car.
Keep the Sunfire until repairs cost more than you want to spend. Then, go without a car, or find an ‘07 Honda Fit (if you’re in the U.S.) with high mileage. It’s a perfect, affordable car in so many ways.
FromBrazil:
The Neon head gasket is fixed from the 1999MY onwards. Anything after a ‘98 and you’re good to go.
Also, not all cars with this engine had this issue. I have a ‘98 Breeze with the same 2.0L as in the Neon, and I have never had a head gasket issues, 120k miles and counting.
While Cavaliers and Sunfires are notoriously unreliable, it is possible to get lucky with them. I have a friend who has one with 130k miles on it and it still runs fine. I also know that Cavaliers suck to drive, but I’ve never had the pleasure of driving a Sunfire. I’m hoping if they’re going to slap the Pontiac name on it they would at least spring it a little tighter.
Hold onto the Sunfire, and drive it until you can’t drive it anymore. You’re never going to get anything for trade-in on the thing, so you may as well milk it for all its worth, and then by that point you’ll be able to truly afford something nicer.
When you are in school everyone expects you to have a POS car. Take care of the Sunbird and worry about a slick ride later, like AFTER school.
“In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king”
I never had a car until I was 28; couldn’t afford it and school was way too important. You have a car so you don’t need another one.
If I were to advise you I would say get rid if it and ride your bike or take the bus, until such time that school is finished and you have no debts.
Rememeber the first million is always the hardest.
@CommanderFish
Good to hear that! You don’t see many Neons down here, but I’ve always thought of them as handsome cars (and daydreamed of buying one). So, your little tidbit of info just makes a Neon an even bigger contender for our college-bound friend!
Keep the Sunfire if the engine is a 2.2, ditch it yesterday if a 2.4.
Personally I think you should skip the RSX and get a backhoe. Chicks dig backhoes and it is so much more practical than the RSX.
I know what you meant with that, but man, it came across as CREEPY to me.
Hey, all ! I’m currently unemployed and drive an ‘87 Isuzu Trooper. Recently a new Lincoln Navigator caught my eye. Should I sign for the new ride, or should I look for work ? Just asking…
Don’t listen to these guys. You only live once. Don’t waste the precious young years of your life behind the wheel of the abominable POS that is the sunfire. I loved my old integra. One can be had in decent shape for around $4-$5k these days. The only thing you need to worry about is that they are thief magnets. If you park in any sort of area where there may be car theives, I recommend getting an alarm with a pager and doing the hood cable re-route: http://www.team-integra.net/sections/articles/showArticle.asp?ArticleID=732
Repairs were cheap and there weren’t much more than basic maintenance. Also consider a prelude, which is less of a thief magnet. Whatever you do, DON’T GET THE AUTOMATIC. I had it and it was terrible. Still loved the car, but longed for a stick the whole time I had it.
Furthermore, beware the owner. If it has cut springs, colored lights, or really anything other that a mild intake upgrade, do not buy it. A lot of these cars have been terribly abused. Look for one that is completely stock. It’s better when you get to defile it first anyhow.
There’s a lot of great pragmatic advice here for your to follow-here’s one more piece.
Before you make any purchase call your insurance company to check the rates of the various cars you might consider. If you are indeed college age and if you are considering a used version of one of the cars above, you could easily wind up with your insurance payment exceeding your buy payment. Even if you’re buying new, insurance is definitely a huge X-factor of ownership costs to consider before your purchase.
It seems a Mazda 3 hatch would be a great middle ground choice.. Much cheaper used than an RSX, roomy and sporty.
Save your money. The RSX tries to do sport and luxury and does neither all that well. You’ll end up wanting something faster/sharper or more plush (or both), and I say this as the owner of a supercharged RSX-S.
+1 on the Mazda3 hatch if you’re hellbent on a replacement car.
Another +1 on driving a beater until you’re done with school. Other kids can be brutal. You don’t want something that you have to worry about.
well you can always just get an RSX type-s.
they didnt make them in automatic so they are probably more rare, but the price differnece is pretty small and it comes with a better sound system, engine , extra gear.
Friend of mine had one, and loved it.
As with most of those here who’ve done it, I’d say save your money till after college.
Traded in the old Sentra for something bigger and sportier in college, a 626 (don’t laugh). The maintenance cost increase in going from a vanilla compact to a bigger/better car almost killed me.
That said, if you want to ditch the Sunfire… go for a Protege5. Yes, they’re not entirely trouble-free… Mazda’s rubber bushings are notoriously sensitive to bad weather, for example… but if the car hasn’t been raced or abused, it will give you many miles of trouble-free motoring, a biggish trunk, a bang-worthy back seat (especially if you fold them down) and great handling. It’s fun and the space will win you points with the ladies.
Once you’re on your feet and have some income, convert it into an autocross car, so your main set of wheels doesn’t have to take the abuse. A Protege5 with a Mazdaspeed drivetrain (for that nifty LSD and turbo-friendly ECU) and a turbo upgrade is an arguably better autocross weapon than many cars of the same vintage (even WRXs)… and you can carry an extra set of rims with R-comps in the back on your way to and from the track.
Please, listen to the words of wisdom offered you–and not the Carpe Diem, you are only young once, advice. It is a waste of youth not to explore your physical and intellectual limits; it is not a waste of your youth to not own a nice car. At your age, you should push yourself as hard as you can at a sport that consumes, at a subject that fascinates you, at a cause that inspires you.
When you are my age, 48 today, you will never impress anyone with stories of having owned a mid-level sports coupe when you were a student. On the other hand, scoring three tries in a half, running a five minute mile, earning a scholarship, being the student body president, or winning a scholastic award will be things that you can be proud of as you grow older, and will make for far better stories. And all will be easier if you do not saddle yourself with payments for a car that you are buying because it feels better to drive that your POS.
I cannot tell you how many of my students tell me that they have to buy nice, reliable cars so they can go home on the weekend to work. It makes no sense, for they will never earn enough on the weekends to pay for their cars. Students who are not the recipient of great parental largess should not have cars. It is a cause of real hardship. Graduate with no or few student loans, get a solid job, save up some cash, and then buy yourself a car that will make you happy.
If you park in any sort of area where there may be car theives, I recommend getting an alarm with a pager and doing the hood cable re-route: http://www.team-integra.net/sections/articles/showArticle.asp?ArticleID=732
How does the rerouting make the car less stealable?
do get a stick because a lot of potential thieves don’t know how to drive them.