Please help!
I've been doing some serious research toward getting a car of my own for the very first time, and I've narrowed down my list somewhat based on consumer reviews, pro ratings, safety tests and the like. I've still got a good double-handful left, though, and need a bit more help slimming the list down. So, if you've got firsthand experience/a friend who had one/good advice, please share! And if you don't but think one looks cooler/prettier/more fun than the others, please share also :) I've got my own shortlist of top picks, but every last bit of advice would be handy.
Poll Your Automotive Opinions, please?
My front-runner on this list is the Yaris, because Toyotas have a reputation for reliability, and this one was rated high and looks totally fun. My dad had a Toyota for the longest time, and it was a good little car with a good bit of get-up. Following that are the Fit and the Mazda3, mainly because the pro test-drivers said that they were the most fun for the price range I'm looking at. And, rounding my top picks is the Impreza. It has the advantage of being the only car this size that comes with AWD (and, like most of my list, it looks nice), but as a result, its gas mileage fails compared to the others.
I'm a little hesitant about the MINI, mainly because I don't yet know how to drive stick, and it's nigh impossible to find an automatic. I'm also not too enthused about the Civic, just because it's such a cliche.
Poll Your Automotive Opinions, please?
My front-runner on this list is the Yaris, because Toyotas have a reputation for reliability, and this one was rated high and looks totally fun. My dad had a Toyota for the longest time, and it was a good little car with a good bit of get-up. Following that are the Fit and the Mazda3, mainly because the pro test-drivers said that they were the most fun for the price range I'm looking at. And, rounding my top picks is the Impreza. It has the advantage of being the only car this size that comes with AWD (and, like most of my list, it looks nice), but as a result, its gas mileage fails compared to the others.
I'm a little hesitant about the MINI, mainly because I don't yet know how to drive stick, and it's nigh impossible to find an automatic. I'm also not too enthused about the Civic, just because it's such a cliche.