freaking out about having to buy a car.

[tulip]

Mr. Silver, you can't go wrong with a late model (or early model for that matter) Honda Civic. Safe, efficient, comfortable...I'd pick a Civic over an Accord any day. I've had both, and there's no more room in the Accord.

Does SilverDaughter drive a manual transmission? If not, it's TIME TO LEARN! Better mileage, better control, better handling, better driving. I firmly believe that insurance companies should have lower rates for manual transmission drivers, because we pay more attention when we drive. A manual Civic, driven properly, will easily reach into the upper 30s for mileage.

Smilingcat, in SoCal, it's very hard to go carless. What kind do you have now? How old is it? It will very, very likely cost you less to fix the old car than to buy a new one. Alot less. But there are tradeoffs, like Peace of Mind (a big one!).

[andtckrtoo]

I second the idea of a Civic. In fact that's what my DD gets when she goes to college - a used Civic with about 50k on it - that will last her through college. Great cars, ultra reliable and actually fun to drive. I have an Accord which I love. My only problem with my Accord is that when I pull in front of someplace to pick up my daughter or someone - they can never tell if it's actually me because there are about six other cars just like it (I'm used to driving flashy, unique cars like my Mini Cooper). But, I'm learning to be more part of the crowd.