commuting: older Corolla vs. newer Hyundai with warranty.

So I'm looking for a commuting vehicle for around $8k, and I'm leaning
towards a toyota corolla with about 60k on it. But part of me wants to
get a Hyundai accent with low miles and a $50k warranty. My ideal car
for the drive would probably be a mini cooper, but too expensive.
What's your theory of commuter cars? Old and trusted or newer busted?

>go for the elantra and play it safe.


That's a good point, but I'd have to say that the Corolla is a better
choice, because the reliability is still excellent despite the lack of
a factory warranty, and if you drive a car you really don't like every
single day a little part of you dies, and that has to be worth
something.

I found a 2002 Hyundai wtih 17k miles for $5k. It's immaculate and
under warranty, so I'm drinking the Kool-aid. I like to think of it as
a Korean Minicooper.

I didn't realize that accents were big with the tuning crowd. I'm
looking forward to commutes like this:

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/frame...=9&carnum=1273

> What's your theory of commuter cars? Old and trusted or newer busted?

If a newer car is already busted, what does that say about it?

Remember also that as the years and mileage accumulate, the driving and
maintenance habits of the previous owner(s) come to the fore. A
leased or company car whose driver always had one eye on his watch and
both feet on the floor, or a personal vehicle whose owner couldn't
enter or leave a driveway without hitting the curb two times out of
three and would just as soon handle a live poisonous snake as an oil
dipstick, can be pretty tired no matter how good it was to start with.
Conversely, conservative driving and maintenance can extend the life
and avoid the trouble spots of a mediocre vehicle.

At a good extreme of both inherent quality and good care, I bought an
'89 Camry with 180k on the clock because I knew the only previous owner
had taken care of what really counts. At 206k the mechanical stuff is
still going strong. And it handles my commute (0-35-0, lather,
rinse, repeat) as well as the Porsches and Escalades stuck in the same
traffic jam.

I'd suggest taking each candidate to a mechanic (in search of
objectivity as well as expertise -- by the time you get that far, it's
implicit that you want the vehicle) and checking out its accident
history, as well as looking into the make and model.

Cheers,
--Joe

> What's your theory of commuter cars? Old and trusted or newer busted?

If a newer car is already busted, what does that say about it?

Remember also that as the years and mileage accumulate, the driving and
maintenance habits of the previous owner(s) come to the fore. A
leased or company car whose driver always had one eye on his watch and
both feet on the floor, or a personal vehicle whose owner couldn't
enter or leave a driveway without hitting the curb two times out of
three and would just as soon handle a live poisonous snake as an oil
dipstick, can be pretty tired no matter how good it was to start with.
Conversely, conservative driving and maintenance can extend the life
and avoid the trouble spots of a mediocre vehicle.

At a good extreme of both inherent quality and good care, I bought an
'89 Camry with 180k on the clock because I knew the only previous owner
had taken care of what really counts. At 206k the mechanical stuff is
still going strong. And it handles my commute (0-35-0, lather,
rinse, repeat) as well as the Porsches and Escalades stuck in the same
traffic jam.

I'd suggest taking each candidate to a mechanic (in search of
objectivity as well as expertise -- by the time you get that far, it's
implicit that you want the vehicle) and checking out its accident
history, as well as looking into the make and model.

Cheers,
--Joe

I'll post back here in a couple of years and let you all know how the
car held up.

60,000 miles is getting up there, especially if the car wasn't
maintained properly. Check the service records, get a car fax and have
it inspected. If the car came off lease then there is a very good
chance only the bare minimum was done.

The brand name is somewhat secondary to the car's current condition and
the treatment it was given before you got it.

the Hyundai has 17k.

Be sure to price out both cars on Edmunds. Remember the Hyundai Accent
is smaller than the Corolla and new it has an MSRP of $9k to $11k. You
are buying a used car and the price should reflect it - the Hyundai at
first glance seems priced high.

I ended up paying $5k for it, or roughly $300 under blue book. So far
I like it a lot.