I'm 99% sure... Options

[JBone]

That I'll will no longer be an owner of a DSM (even though i can't believe that car could be considered one). I am either trading in the beast or selling it on ebay and I am debating which car I should get. I have narrowed it down to a ~99-01 cavalier (or sunfire), Focus ZX3, or (Gasp) a Civic. Tell me which of these you think would do fo me.

P.S. Don't think this is easy for me. I consider any of these cars I get as me settling instead of getting a turbo'd DSM

[gvr4ever]

Look at a Toyota. They have the best quality track record ever. Or, look at a new Mitsu No really, the quality is tons better now. They are ranked number 3 behind Toyota and Honda.

[JBone]

That has been taken care of. so i am either going to trade the loser in or sell it separately on ebay. i can get a better rate on a '99-01 car with a long term. yes, the value of the car will be tight, but the dependability of the car is better. no offense to a dsm, but you all know about the reliability. how many trannies have we had go out this year? dan you have eaten two, one from each car, Marcus and Nate have had it happen, Sitzmore has had it happen to him, wortdog, etc. I can't have that happen. Not only am i strapped on cash, but I will only have one car, not multiple cars. Sorry about the length of this.

[awd4kicks]

COMMON J! You are always complaining about have NO power and how you want something with potential. Now you want to go pay new price for something with STILL no potential for power or fun driving.

I'll leave that one to you because I cant decide...hmm slow or slower, slow or slower? :roll:

Marcus

[JBone]

try telling that to my family! like i said, either way i go, i am settling because it is not a turbo.

[natedogg]

It's cool man. I know where your at. I'm looking for something more reliable too. I won't be getting rid of my DSM, but I do need something else more reliable to drive. Well with a more reliable transmission anyway. I still think the 4g63 is one of the toughest engines out there. A 4-cylinder handling 400+ hp on stock internals is nothing to scoff.

[Bannovr4]

The new J-body cars are decent on reliablity, but you'll find yourself very upset down the road if you want to modify it. Because you'll find that the J-body is the Civic of the Domestic world, everyone has one, and none of them haven't been modified by the owner. Sadly though, the amount of mods available for them is far less abundant and lower quality than that of the Civic.
However, the newest Civic is also a little pricey and the aftermarket is pretty sad so far for them. You can put on all kinds of bolt ons of course, but right now engine swaps, the staple of the Honda world, are not avialable. (yes i know there was an RSX motor swapped into a Civic SI, but that's a different layout than most)
Amazingly, the Ford Focus has been getting a lot of reviews for it's handling, and there is a burgeoning aftermarket for them. I consider them hideous and made by Ford, but they seem to be liked by the magazines and aftermarket.
You're asking about just those two cars, but i wonder how many vehicles have you researched?
As someone pointed out, Toyota's have the best reliablity in the modern car market. The Solara comes with a VVT-i motor ripe for sleeper status. The MR2-Sypder is probably the best $15k you can spend with a potent motor and drivetrain as well as a rag-top. The matrix promises to share an excellent aftermarket with the Celica since they share the same 6speed tranny and 180 hp VVT-I motors in their highest option package.
This has been a long post i see, but Just my review of these cars after some first hand experience and research. And hey, we wouldn't want you leaving the DSM community for something that you'll completely regret

[akamiami]

I agree with Dan 100% on this. If you buy a 'new' car it's going to depreciate the second you drive it off the lot. At least with a used car you're getting what you paid for.

If you want guaranteed reliability go get a hyundai with a 100K/10year warranty and forget about ever going fast or looking good. Period. DSM's look like they have terrible problems becuase nearly everyone that gets on these forums (particularly marcus, dan, and nate) is incredibly brutal on their cars and knows how to turn wrenches so accept breaking stuff as a fact and publicly gripe about their problems as a way of venting.

If you can avoid the mod bug, (and that's a huge 'if') these are excellent cars to own in terms of reliability, price, and performance.

It's going to take money to maintain any car well, so add up the cost of higher insurance, payments, and the price of knowing that some dealership just owned you and if you're okay with that price, then congratulations, you've just decided to drive a turd.

Since you're probably already dead-set on buying a new car at this point though, I'd say to pick up the focus. If I got paid to drive a cheap, boxy, 'new' car I'd settle for that first.

[AWD DSM 1]

Jordan, I gotta agree with a lot these guys are saying. In the past two years or so, I have gotten to the point that when I go in to get a new car, it's a matter of how much I have to add to the price to cover the payoff on my old car. It's become a fact of life. I'm almost to the point of selling my brand new truck because the payment, insurance, gas, and everything else is killing me. I'd rather drop $1500-3000 into a decent car, and have what I would have spent on a payment to do the repairs, mods, or just set it in the bank for a while. "new cars aren't all they are cracked up to be. I hate having other people do work on my cars, and with a warranty, I have no choice. Plus parts for the new cars (once they are out of warranty) are very expensive. That's part of what I love about the DSM's. I can find used or aftermarket parts for cheaper than factory, do the labor myself, and have a car that I know will perform. Plus, when the thing doesn't get fixed right, I know who to blame! :wink: Just think long and hard about it.

Get what YOU want. Try not to let anyone TELL you what to get (not even me :wink: ). I've been there before, and I end up hating it, and getting something else in a matter of a few months.

Just my .03
Rob

[JMoushon]

Just out of curiosity, why the apparent bias toward the domestic marques? Having owned 11 cars in 6 years, it has been my experience that imports are much more reliable (Toy, Honda, Mitsu). Doesn't the Cavalier base motor still have pushrods? j/k.

[wortdog]

Have something against push rods? :wink: