Looking to buy my first car (Canada)

[Big Nic]

Price range is approximately up to $20 000/ year. I live in Edmonton, Alberta, so keep that in mind. Winters here are brutal and long, so how it handles in that sort of weather is very important. Also important is Miles Per Gallon and all the usual stuff. It will be mostly for city driving, although occasionally I'll take it to Calgary and elsewhere.

Anyways, any recommendations that you could make would be appreciated. Based on research in the Consumer Report and talking to people, I've been looking at Hyundai Elantra's, Honda Civic's and Fit's, Mazda 3's and Toyota Carolla and Matrix (all 2008 models).

I'd like to buy new as well, although I might look at used cars.

[Capn Morgan]

this has nothing to do with the question but im thinking about moving out west. I was thinking Edmonton or Calgary, im just wonderin how the night life is , and ive heard housing is crazy expensive in Edmonton?

[Big Nic]

Originally Posted by Capn Morgan

this has nothing to do with the question but im thinking about moving out west. I was thinking Edmonton or Calgary, im just wonderin how the night life is , and ive heard housing is crazy expensive in Edmonton?

Housing is coming down in Edmonton, although rent is still pretty high if you're going that way. I think that it's even more expensive in Calgary though. There's still a ton of jobs available though, depending on what industry you work in.

In Edmonton there's a pretty good nightlife on Whyte Avenue, and Downtown is picking up too.

[IrishBeatDown]

i've never been a ford fan but they have a new hybrid SUV that is suposed to get like 40 miles to the gallon...

i come from minnesota so i know what kind of vehicle you are probably looking at to get through the ice and snow, i drov a durango before i got stationed down south and i loved it.... but gas was still under 2$ a gallon then...

[Big Nic]

Originally Posted by IrishBeatDown

i've never been a ford fan but they have a new hybrid SUV that is suposed to get like 40 miles to the gallon...

i come from minnesota so i know what kind of vehicle you are probably looking at to get through the ice and snow, i drov a durango before i got stationed down south and i loved it.... but gas was still under 2$ a gallon then...

Sounds nice but almost certainly out of my price range

[Mike #9]

Originally Posted by Big Nic

Sounds nice but almost certainly out of my price range

what do you do out there? obviously i dont know but ive heard even working at Mcdonalds makes like 15- 20$ an hour out west

[Fahrenheit1221]

Originally Posted by Mike #9

what do you do out there? obviously i dont know but ive heard even working at Mcdonalds makes like 15- 20$ an hour out west

Wow, but I guess that makes sense considering that everything is more expensive in the west.

[Fahrenheit1221]

Hmmm... I'm not sure what the market is like $20,000 is like above a piece of shit or a new small car and below that of an SUV or cool fashionable truck... so I'd say save up more and get a Subaru of any kind. I've been driving one for almost 5 years and it's performed like a dream in the Appallachian winters where sometimes we had several feet of snow at a time and shit. It's a beast and it's only a Subaru Sport ST.

[MPS]

Originally Posted by Big Nic

Price range is approximately up to $20 000/ year. I live in Edmonton, Alberta, so keep that in mind. Winters here are brutal and long, so how it handles in that sort of weather is very important. Also important is Miles Per Gallon and all the usual stuff. It will be mostly for city driving, although occasionally I'll take it to Calgary and elsewhere.

Anyways, any recommendations that you could make would be appreciated. Based on research in the Consumer Report and talking to people, I've been looking at Hyundai Elantra's, Honda Civic's and Fit's, Mazda 3's and Toyota Carolla and Matrix (all 2008 models).

I'd like to buy new as well, although I might look at used cars.

id defineately go for the civic if i were you man, its a good looking car, pretty decent on gas, just not sure how itd hold up in the winter tho.

[X The Dude X]

With those choices you have listed, I'd lean more towards the Corolla, Civic, or Mazda 3, in that order. All three are reliable and get good MPG.