Purchasing

The List is Getting Smaller

As some of you may know, I am searching to purchase a manual transmission, four cylinder, four door sedan. This vehicle I plan to allow my daughter to borrow to learn how to drive a car when she gets her learner’s permit.  This is a continuation of the documentation of my search.

This past weekend I test drove two cars.  I discovered that the probable cause of my unease with the steering of the 2014 Toyota Corolla S Plus is that it may have the new electronic steering that is replacing power steering in most cars.  Different is not necessarily bad.  It may just take a little time.

This week while servicing my existing car, a 2011 Acura MDX.  I had a talk with a mechanic for which I have a lot of respect.  He told me that in his experience the Honda and Toyota models should be my focus.  Most of the other models I mentioned to him, even the Nissan due to a decrease in overall quality over the years just are not good purchases in the long run.

Next, I was discussing my car driving experience with a friend, and he mentioned an article he read, “These Are The Ten Cars You’re Most Likely to Die Driving,” written by Patrick George in January, 2015.  http://bit.ly/18CnPqp

With all of this information, it appears my search is taking a new direction.  The only vehicle on the original list that may meet the criteria is the Honda Fit (though probably not enough horsepower), but I am adding the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic.

 

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Buying a Second Car – Manual Transmission on which my Child will Learn to Drive

2014 Hyundai Accent

“Buying a Car for my Child” is no longer the title of this blog, as you can see above.

Today, I took the plunge, and test drove my first two cars.  The first was on my list, the Toyota Corolla, and the second was not on my list, the Hyundai Accent.  My motivation was to get this party started is primarily because my daughter is turning 15 at the end of the month, and may decide to become motivated to get her learner’s permit this summer.  Secondarily, I will be renting a manual transmission car during an upcoming vacation, and I wanted to make sure it was “just like riding a bike.”  Honestly, it was easier!

I am going to use a 5 point scale to rate the cars as I test drive them, and identify the reasons why.  I’m sure when I get a few more comparisons in the mix some of the points I assign will change, but I figure I have to start somewhere.

Both cars today received a four out of five-star rating for very different reasons.  Honestly, I think that the Corolla received a four because I was a little disappointed in the steering.  The Accent received a four because I was super surprised how much fun it was to drive.  It is very zippy, and I love zippy.

The other interesting comparison was that even though they were both 2014, and the Corolla had approximately 8,000 miles less than the Accent, the Corolla was about $7,000 more than the Accent.  The Corolla did have the “Plus” package and the Toyota name, but I’m not sure it was worth $7,000 more, especially when Hyundai’s Warranty is so much better.  Food for thought.

Below is a side by side comparison. In bold are the features that the Corolla has which are not in the Accent. I like the rear camera and navigation system. The Smart Key is actually a negative for me. I prefer a key to start my car, not a button. I do not care about the Sunroof.

2014 Toyota Corolla S Plus 2014 Hyundai Accent SE
  • Sunroof(s)
  • Rear View Camera
  • Navigation System
  • Entune
  • Smart Key
  • 2WD
  • ABS Brakes
  • Air Conditioning
  • Alloy Wheels
  • AM/FM Stereo
  • Auxiliary Audio Input
  • Bluetooth
  • CD Audio
  • Cruise Control
  • Leatherette & Cloth
  • Manual Transmission
  • Overhead Airbags
  • Power Locks
  • Power Mirrors
  • Power Windows
  • Rear Defroster
  • Rear Spoiler
  • Satellite Radio Ready
  • Side Airbags
  • SiriusXM Trial Avail
  • Traction Control

 

Gas Mileage

28 City

37 Highway

Base Specifications

Transmission Manual 6 Speed

Drive 2WD

Engine 1.8L

Cylinders 4

Horsepower 132 horsepower@6000rpm

Torque 128 torque@4400rpm

Warranty (source:  autobytel.com)

  • Basic Warranty:  36 months/36,000miles
  • Corrosion perforation warranty:  60 months/ unlimited distance
  • Maintenance warranty:  24 months/25,000miles
  • Powertrain Warranty:  60 months/60,000miles
  • Roadside assistance coverage:  24 months/25,000miles

 

  

 

  • 2WD
  • ABS Brakes
  • Air Conditioning
  • Alloy Wheels
  • AM/FM Stereo
  • Auxiliary Audio Input
  • Bluetooth
  • CD Audio
  • Cloth Seats
  • Cruise Control
  • Manual Transmission
  • Overhead Airbags
  • Power Locks
  • Power Mirrors
  • Power Windows
  • Rear Defroster
  • Rear Spoiler
  • Satellite Radio Ready
  • Side Airbags
  • SiriusXM Trial Avail
  • Traction Control

 

Gas Mileage

27 City

38 Highway

Base Specifications

Transmission Manual 6 Speed

Drive 2WD

Engine 1.6L

Cylinders 4

Horsepower 138 horsepower@6300rpm

Torque 123 torque@4850rpm

Warranty (source:  autobytel.com)

  • Basic warranty:60 months/60,000miles
  • Corrosion perforation warranty:84 months/ unlimited distance
  • Powertrain warranty:120 months/100,000miles
  • Roadside assistance coverage:60 months/ unlimited distance

 

 

Since I have the Hyundai Elantra on my list to test drive in the future, I am very interested in the side by side of the Elantra with the Accent, so here is that comparison.

2014 Hyundai Accent SE 2014 Hyundai Elantra
  • Available Hatch Back
  • Rear Spoiler
  • Bluetooth
  • 2WD
  • ABS Brakes
  • Air Conditioning
  • Alloy Wheels
  • AM/FM Stereo
  • Auxiliary Audio Input
  • CD Audio
  • Cloth Seats
  • Cruise Control
  • Manual Transmission
  • Overhead Airbags
  • Power Locks
  • Power Mirrors
  • Power Windows
  • Rear Defroster
  • Satellite Radio Ready
  • Side Airbags
  • SiriusXM Trial Avail
  • Traction Control

Gas Mileage

27 City

38 Highway

Base Specifications

Transmission Manual 6 Speed

Drive 2WD

Engine 1.6L

Cylinders 4

Horsepower 138 horsepower@6300rpm

Torque 123 torque@4850rpm

 

Warranty (source:  autobytel.com)

  • Basic warranty:60 months/60,000miles
  • Corrosion perforation warranty:84 months/ unlimited distance
  • Powertrain warranty:120 months/100,000miles
  • Roadside assistance coverage:60 months/ unlimited distance
  

  • 2WD
  • ABS Brakes
  • Air Conditioning
  • Alloy Wheels
  • AM/FM Stereo
  • Auxiliary Audio Input
  • CD Audio
  • Cloth Seats
  • Cruise Control
  • Manual Transmission
  • Overhead Airbags
  • Power Locks
  • Power Mirrors
  • Power Windows
  • Rear Defroster
  • Satellite Radio Ready
  • Side Airbags
  • SiriusXM Trial Avail
  • Traction Control

 

Gas Mileage

27 City

37 Highway

Base Specifications

Transmission Manual 6 Speed

Drive 2WD

Engine 1.8L

Cylinders 4

Horsepower 145 horsepower@6500rpm

Torque 130 torque@4700rpm

 

Warranty (source:  autobytel.com)

  • Basic warranty:60 months/60,000miles
  • Corrosion perforation warranty:84 months/ unlimited distance
  • Powertrain warranty:120 months/100,000miles
  • Roadside assistance coverage:60 months/ unlimited distance
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Financial Responsibility for my Teen – Checkbook

04/30/2017,  1pm

From a very young age, my children were expected to put one half of all their very generous monetary gifts into a bank account (pot of money) from which they cannot withdraw any money.  The other half (pot of money) was theirs to spend with ritually no limits, just guidance.  For the purpose of this blog, I will refer to the first pot of money as their long term savings, and the second pot of money as their discretionary money.  The purpose of the long term savings is to get the children accustomed to taxes being taken out of earning, as well as getting into the habit of always putting something aside for the future, to limit the need to pay to borrow money.  The kids discuss using this long term savings for college expenses, to buy their first car, or other large future expenses that may be unknown at this time.  Yes, we started these conversations when they were in elementary school!

As they grew, they both began to ask Mom to hold onto their discretionary money, because this way they wouldn’t have to remember to bring their money to the store when they saw something they wanted to buy.  Mom would dutifully ring up their purchase on a separate transaction, write their name at the top of the receipt, and subtract it from a running balance kept on the computer at home.  When the balance on the computer at home became zero, then they would be told, “NO, AGAIN” when they asked mom to buy them something because they didn’t have any of “their money” to use, and they understood this.  Believe me, they always try to get me to spend my money first, and have a sales presentation ready to go on why this isn’t a discretionary purchase.  Often, they come to me to ask their balance, and I am sure to have it available.

Now comes step two, and I am very excited to share.  My daughter is beginning high school in the fall.  With that, she will also be taking responsibility for her discretionary money.  This is not a choice, but an expectation.  If she decides she doesn’t like the idea, or is “not ready” for the responsibility, she will quickly change her mind when she realizes the only way she will be able to access any discretionary money is through this method.  This summer, beginning with her birthday in June, and the possible gifts she may receive from her grandparents, along with her current very small balance of discretionary money, she and I are going to the bank (probably a virtual one, on line) to set up her first checking and savings account with an ATM card.

Here is the plan, so that my daughter learns good financial habits.  My expectation for her to have “control” over her own money is that she MUST do the following things:

  • On a smart phone app, she will keep track of every expenditure to the penny (debit side of balance sheet).  If she does not have access to electronics, an envelope with the notes on the outside, and the receipts on the inside works just fine.  My intent is for her to be aware of how she spends her money, not to criticize and judge.  I may not agree with her decisions, but they are hers to make, and hopefully from which to learn.  To help me stay true to this, I will not be transferring money into this account for her to spend on anything that I consider my responsibility as her mother (ex:  school fees and the like).
  • Every week, she will give me a balance sheet (credits – debits = balance in checking account) of her spending with the purpose that reconciles with her on line bank account balance.  She must give me the balance sheet BEFORE I deposit (credit) her her next week’s allowance.  Now my hope is that as time goes by, we will be able to move this exercise to every two weeks then monthly, but we’ll see.
  • She and I will get together to figure out the repercussions for abuse of the account (ex:  over draws), which will be VERY severe beyond bank penalties, which she will pay – Probably loosing her Smart Phone for an entire semester.  I have exercised this consequence before, so she will not doubt that I will do it again.  Teenagers with flip phones are mortified teenagers.
  • Last, she will balance her checking account AGAIN, once a month to check her work, and submit for approval.

To keep me honest, I read this blog posting to my rising 6th grader.  Besides having to learn the meaning of the word discretionary (“Mom, why didn’t you just say my choice money?”), he confirmed the truth of my words. He has also advised me that he may not want to wait until High School to take over managing his discretionary money in this way.  I love it!

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Buying a car for my child?

April 30, 2017, 2:30pm

I found a link for potential Georgia drivers, and wanted to share.

http://gwinnettpl.driving-tests.org/georgia/
April 16, continued

My initial list expanded:

Hyundai Elantra

  • MPG good (2013 GLS HP 148 & Torque 131)
  • J.D. Power – 3 Dots for 2013 GLS
  • Big overall room inside, except lack of rear headroom.

Kia Rio (surprise add)

  • MPG good (2013 LX – 138 HP & 123 Torque)
  • J.D. Power – 4 Dots for 2013 LX
  • Experts loved it.

Nissan Versa (disappointing elimination)

  • MPG good (2014 S – 109 HP and 107 Torque)
  • NHTSA Safety Rating Font. For Driver 3 stars & passenger 2; side 5 stars
  • J.D. Power – 2 Dots for 2014 S
  • CarMax has no expert reviews.

Nissan Sentra

  • MPG good (2015 S –  130 HP & 128 Torque)
  • J.D. Power – 5 star
  • CarMax has no expert reviews.

I have eliminated the Versa and the Chevy Spark because they do not have enough power to get out of their own way.

So my list to look into further on another day, in no particular order:

  • Hyundai Elantra
  • Kia Rio
  • Nissan Sentra (my first new car by the way, after my 1975 Opel Station died)
  • Mazda 3
  • Honda Fit
  • Ford Focus
  • Mini-Cooper (too expensive?)

April 16, Noon

Wow!  Without the Rear View Camera, my search increase to 51 available vehicles, including the Nissan Versa which is one that I though would come up on my initial search.  More to come …  I am going to go through the list and eliminate sports cars, and the lower rated cars.  To save time, I am not going to include the specifics on this elimination process.

April 16, 2017, 10am

First, Happy Easter and Passover!!  I have begun my research for a more specific make and model vehicle that fits my needs.  So the first person I asked was my amazing mechanic of 18 years, the owner of The Oil Pit, Gary Sanders.  His suggestion was to download the CarMax App, not necessarily to purchase from CarMax, but they provide great search options and specifics about the vehicles.

My first search includes the following perimeters.

  • 4 Cylinders
  • Less than 30,000 miles
  • Manual Transmission
  • 4 doors
  • Air Conditioning
  • Rear View Camera

Here are my initial results (non including Volkswagen and Chevrolet, due to personal bias)

  • 2016 Mazda 3i
  • 2015  Honda Fit EX
  • 2015 Mini Cooper Hardtop S
  • 2013 Mazda 3s
  • 2015. Subaru WRX
  • 2016 Ford Focus S

My next step is to look at the information CarMax provides on the examples.  As I compare this information, several things will happen.  First, I will learn what is important to me.  Second, I will adjust my search results and specs based on my budget without sacrificing safely.  Notice that I did not use cost in my initial search because I really don’t know how much a vehicle with these types of perimeters cost.

  • Specs on the vehicle that are important to me are gas mileage, features, horsepower and torque.
  • NHTSA Safety Ratings -Vehicles with the highest ratings receive their NHTSA 5-star certification.
  • J.D.  Power – Power Circle Ratings gives Overall quality, mechanical quality, body and interior quality, Feature and accessory quality Powertrain quality, design quality, etc.
  • Expert Reviews

Here are some of my observations from my initial search.

Honda Fit

  • MPG is great.
  • First model year is 2001
  • J.D. Power – 2015 – 2 dots. And 2014?
  • Very roomy within.
  • 2015 model year began the 3rd generation (first total makeover) – only in a hatchback.  The 2016 has even more improved safety.  This vehicle has room in the back seat for 3 adults. (Before 2015 is big , but not this big).

Mazda 3

  • MPG may not very good for some models (2013 3s. Grand Touring is 20/28, but. 2016 3i. Sport is 29/40
  • J.D. Power – 2013 – 3 dots. And 2016 – 4 dots.
  • CarMax. Did not have expert reviews.

Subaru WRX

  • MPG not very good because of Turbo?  If so, it does not meet my specs.  268 HP and 258 Torque for WRX.
  • Not spending more time to research this vehicle because it is obviously a sport s car.  Good for me, trouble for an inexperienced driver.

Ford Focus

  • MPG is good.
  • J.D. Power – 2016 Focus S – 2.5 dots
  • No expert reviews on CarMax
  • 2016 S has 160 HP and 146 Torque

Mini Cooper S

  • MPG is good
  • NHTSA ratings High (front – driver – 4 stars and passenger 5 stars)
  • No J.D. Power info.  and no expert reviews

My conclusions after initial search?  My next two types of searches will be one general with new perimeters, and several specific searches over several model years for on the Honda Fit, Mini Cooper, Ford Focus, and Mazda 6 in that order of preference, so far.  The new general perimeters will be to keep all the same features except rear view camera.  My biggest concern  so far is that my initial search did not bring up a car that costs less then $10k or built before 2013.

April 12, 2017, 10:35pm

So why am I starting the process to “buy a car for my child?”  Well maybe I will end up changing the title of this blog before I am through.  What I am actually doing is buying a car which which my child will learn to drive.  The car will be mine.  The costs will be mine, until such time as she decides she is able or wants to own her own car with all that means.  I am not providing this car for her use, at her convenience, but for mine.  This is where I see the biggest challenge.  If the car is mine, I cannot allow her to assume it is her car until she pays me for it, or buys one of her own.  Wish me luck!

The other reason I am starting the process now is that I do not want to be in a hurry.  I am looking for a manual transmission, 4 cylinder, low mileage vehicle with high safety ratings, lower maintenance cost, in the brightest non-blue or green (most difficult to see) color I can find.  My preliminary research is turning up cars like the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa and Mini-Cooper.

April 12, 2017, 10:10pm

When my now 14 year old daughter came to me earlier this year to let me know that she would be able to get her learners permit this summer after she turned 15 years old, I kept a straight face and said “that’s nice.”  When I said nothing more, she was very confused, and told me so.  I explained that I would believe it when I saw it.  She became even more confused.  I explained that the responsibility to get her learners permit was hers.  Her first question was, “aren’t you going to help me?”  “Of course I am.  I am happy to drive you where ever you need to go, as long as you coordinate with my schedule,” I calmly said.  Soon she understood what I meant…

I explained to my daughter that I feel it is very important that a person driving next to me on the highway should be capable and responsible enough to figure out how to get their own driver’s license up to and including paying for drivers education and the license itself.  ALSO, she must pass her drivers test in a manual transmission vehicle.

We had our conversation about my requirements for her first car quite some time ago, and she has been saving half of all her gift money for years.  She understands she has to pay for it (in full, no payments or financing). Now I plan to match her savings dollar for dollar, so that she will hopefully be able to afford a safer/more reliable vehicle.  I will be happy to pay for her insurance as long as she is a full time student, and maintains a 3.0 grade point average every semester.  The additional premium charged by the insurance company for losing the good student discount will be her responsibility.  As soon as she is no longer a full time student, I no longer have the responsibility to pay for her insurance.  She will be responsible for all gas and maintenance costs for HER car.

April 12, 2017, 10pm

This is going to be my attempt to document and share my efforts every step of the way.  I wanted to start by sharing some basic information.  As an insurance agent and a single mother, I am probably overly cautious; not to mention down right terrified about the idea that my daughter will be driving in the next 18 months or so.

I am also a very value conscious person.  There are very few purchases I make that are not well thought out and researched.

As I share my experience, I will try my best to also share my reasoning, resources and tools.  One other disclaimer…  I usually reserve publishing for my polished pieces.  This particular blog is intended to be more of a journaling piece, and will be written with less editing and corrections.  I guess this will be my first “real” blogging attempt since “Help My Family Has Cancer” Blog which ended with my husband’s death in October, 2012.  I cannot wait for the wonderful challenge.

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