watercrystal said:
Martin, questions:
1) suppose I am going to buy a car, what would you suggest to me? Generally, what should I pay attention to, moter engine? speed?gas? coz, i have no idea of how to choose a car, so what would you like to tell a newie.
2) compare advantage vs. disadvantage of cars from America, German, Japan, if you could and would like to.
Thanks!
Basically, you need to decide what aspect of cars is most important to you. If you want an inexpensive car, go American. (I'm making the assumption that Canadian cars are priced similar to US) I suggest the Ford Focus. It's cheap yet loaded with nice features. I like Saturns, too, and the service is great, but their cars are ugly this year.
If you want really good gas mileage, look at the Toyota Echo or any of the VW's with a TDI - that's a turbo diesel (again, assuming that Canada has a similar selection). Minis get good gas mileage, too, but you'd probably have to get the new kind - there aren't too many of the old ones floating around over here.
If you want something fun to drive, do a lot of test driving and pick something that makes you happy. And don't wimp out and get an automatic, even if you don't know how to drive a manual it's easy to learn, and it makes driving much more fun.
But no matter what you go for, the 2 really important factors are reliability and safety. Do some internet research and see how different cars rate out, there are lots of websites that will tell you everything you need to know. The most important things is that the car works when you need it to and that you are protected in a wreck.
As far as comparing cars (and this is VERY general, you'll probably find exceptions to everything:
American: inexpensive. Often, don't last well past 5 years.
German: more performance oriented. Cost more in the US and I'm guessing Canada as well, and that's going to mean it costs more for parts and repairs, too. With VW's at least, the engine will last for 200k miles but you'll be in the shop for more little things along the way.
Japanese: some are cheap and look it, some are expensive and look it. Unless they've changed in the past few years, there is not a more reliable car than a honda civic. Often, very sporty and stylish.
Most important thing about car ownership is maintenance. Do everything your owner's manual tells you to do, but dealerships are often more expensive so don't think you have to do it there. Find a mechanic you trust, and don't let them walk all over you. Even if you don't know anything about cars, you are intelligent enough to notice that something is not right and understand a good explanation of the problem, and they shouldn't patronize you. Like doctors, it's a good idea to get a second opinion about the problem and how much it will cost to fix if you don't feel comfortable.
