18 looking for a first car are the two I’ve selected bad decisions?
Posted by Mediocre_Curve7983@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 29 comments
I don’t want something boring but nothing crazy either. I know I probably shouldn’t be very picky for a first car but I just want to weight my options. I’ve currently been looking into a 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T Premium RWD with 100k miles for 8.7k and a 2013 Volvo S60 T5 AWD also with 100k miles for 7.8k. I don’t know a ton about cars and don’t know how to do any maintenance on them. I have the auto report on the Hyundai and it’s had three owners and no accidents, but the maintenance report is a little sketchy since there’s only been 4 reported oil changes and 17 service records. Also there’s odometer inconsistencies flagged a few times. Lemme know if I should even be considering these or any advice. Thank you.
Choice-Newspaper3603@reddit
Neither one
Longjumping-Log1591@reddit
Pay the 150 bucks for a PPI , it is not worth buying a used car without having a mechanic go through it first. 10 years ago you still could somewhat trust sellers to tell the truth. Now'days sellers wake up early to make a lemon look like a peach
Criticaltundra777@reddit
No and not. Find yourself a nice Camry or a Honda civic touring. Both will last a long time if taken care of. They both are super nice vehicles. Volvo is tough to work on unless you have a shop that specializes in Volvo, bmw, Mercedes. The Hyundai is a cool car, but they have a lot of problems.
UrineFilledAquarium@reddit
Volvo isn’t a German car lmao
7eregrine@reddit
He didn't say it was?
Criticaltundra777@reddit
Foreign. The shops around my area advertise bmw, Volvo, Audi, Mercedes.
UrineFilledAquarium@reddit
Definitely seemed implied with “BMW, Mercedes, Volvo”
One of those is not like the other.
7eregrine@reddit
They are the same, they are European. The shop I take my Volvo to is a European Specialist. Any BMW specialist will work on a Volvo and vice versa. https://www.iautocars.com/
UrineFilledAquarium@reddit
Wow, I’m an idiot. Great information, thank you
7eregrine@reddit
🍻
ThePurch@reddit
2.0T was a Theta II. Google that engine and you’ll have your answer.
bjective-coffee-345@reddit
The Genesis 2.0T can be decent, but neglected turbo cars are where wallets go to die. Check for cold start smoke, boost weirdness, clutch slip if manual, mismatched tyres, and any signs it lived its life doing parking lot hero stuff.
thymewaster25@reddit
12 years old, 100k miles, turbo engine and presumably they are both automatic? Broadly speaking, the turbo and related bits might develop problems, and I would want to know what the reputation / history of the transmissions (incl the AWD transfer case etc for the Volvo) is like.
If you want somethign simple and durable, I would look for a 4 cylinder FWD compact car without a turbo, Toyota / Honda / Mazda are pretty much all good.
Carfax odometer issues can just be data errors. If it goes 157,000, then 195,000, then 165,000 most likely the "195" should have been " 159". Or not meaningful, like one report it says 75,500 miles and one a few weeks later says 75,462 or something - just a rounding error.
SeminoleVictory@reddit
The insurance on the coupe will be outrageous
Ok_Pipe_1365@reddit
Get a 2008-2012 4 cyclinder Honda Accord or Acura TSX until you can afford to buy something else.
Users5252@reddit
Volvo will be expensive to maintain, Genesis coupe insurance will fuck you in the ass because it's a accessible rwd manual coupe with decent power.
Get a non turbo Civic Si if you can still find one that is in decent condition and going for reasonable prices in your area. I am not sure if you can find a turbo 1.5 one in your price range though.
If not a Civic, a TSX will be good enough, try looking for the wagon variant if you want something interesting, they made very few of those.
If you don't care about having a manual, the post 2016 Acura ILX are somewhat easier to come by in fair condition since they are newer and goes under the radar of enthusiasts, they have a NA K24 paired to a DCT, and they are based on the 9th gen civic chassis. Considering that you are looking for something interesting, I do want to warn that while the drivetrain is great, the steering of the ILX is quite light, you may need to upgrade the tires to make it feel more sporty.
Pitch-Curious@reddit
Go toyota 86 if you can not crazy fast, but a lot of fun and toyota doesn't break. There's also the GR Yaris.
onemorethingie@reddit
Mazda is the answer
reidft@reddit
Never ever trust a 2.0 turbo or 2.4 out of a Hyunkia, they have a lawsuit against them because the engines are absolute dogwater
Relevant_Election530@reddit
Only buy Lamdas from them to be safe
Relevant_Election530@reddit
Only buy those if you enjoy being broke
Should not buy a car that needs costly maintenance and premium fuel at 18
SilverAddendum489@reddit
If you’re 18 don’t buy this cars… invest the money… and get a cheap elantra if you really need one… if you can wait just invest the money…
Excellent_Oil8079@reddit
Honestly both are risky as a first car. Genesis has engine red flags and Volvo can get expensive to maintain fast. I’d rather go for something like a Civic/Mazda3, but I’ll also check options through Owings Auto before deciding.
PovertySpecMk3Supra@reddit
Get a mazda3 and call it a day. You seem to get a cheap sporty car which is not the play. You want a cheap reliable vehicle.
Funautotechnician1@reddit
We own a 13 turbo Genesis coupe. My cousin gave it to me at 98,000 miles due to a rod knock. As a professional technician I pulled the engine and rebuilt it 2 years and 4 months ago. It’s been fine. These do develop rod knocks.
Volvos are great! Terrible gas mileage and expensive to fix and maintain.
I’d keep looking at others or up your money
ninjawinch@reddit
Volvo = expensive as shit to fix, like basically anything from the EU.
I would not want a 3 owner Hyundai if I could fork up the cash for a 1 owner Toyota or Honda. At 18 I'm not sure you understand how disruptive and life crushing it is to lose your ride or have huge repair bills.
Roccnsuccmetosleep@reddit
First car needs to be reliable and cheap broski. Financing a base model Corolla would be wiser than either of those cars.
You need something that’s going to let you make money and not cost you and last long enough til you’re making real money.
KnownAsAnother@reddit
Idk where you live but insurance for you if you got the Hyundai would be through the roof. Never mind the Kia Boyz nonsense, a 2 door sports car driven by an 18 year old would make any insurance agent nervous.
The Volvo sounds more reasonable as long as it's had good maintenance on it.
mikeyramos@reddit
Personally I would stay far away from anything with unknown or unexplained odometer inconsistencies. That’s never a good sign. So not the Genesis. As far as the Volvo, I love that generation S60, but maintenance can be a bit pricey, and finding a good Volvo mechanic isn’t always easy if your aren’t or can’t do the work yourself.