Greeting,

I'm looking to buy my first car. Obviously, at my age, I'm definitely looking for a used car.

I was looking at a Mazda Protege 2001 (SE or LX) with ~50 000KM at $12 000 CAD. Good choice?

Thanks! :cool:

I prefer Honda/Acura myself.

I'm guessing you want a sedan and not a SUV? I'm not a big Mazda fan, so I won't comment on the Protege ;). I like Honda/Acura simply because of it's reputation and the vast amount of after market parts available (I have an Acura Integra). My next car will be most likely another Acura or a SUV such as a Toyota 4Runner :)

What's more important is you check out the car thoroughly before buying it. Make sure it has been maintained properly and the seller has adequate records. Also, do a carfax search.

Cant go wrong with a Honda :D
Both of my kids had an Accord, both used and they were the best used cars we ever bought :D

Well problem is that insurances for an Honda Civic (For example), are $$$. That's why I'm looking at Mazda's.

UltimeWWW, You may think that you need to get a cheap car, but for those 12g's, you can get a nice sports or muscle car.
check-out this site: www.collectorcartrader.com

SUV's & trucks are cheaper (atleast they were the last time I looked)

If insurance is your main concern, then buy an older car (10+ years). Also, the more safety features the car has (ABS, auto seatbelts, alarm), the cheaper it will be.

Finally, unless you are really bent on the "independence" thing, if the car/insurance is under a parent's name and you are listed as a driver, it will be cheaper.

Originally posted by ilyash
UltimeWWW, You may think that you need to get a cheap car, but for those 12g's, you can get a nice sports or muscle car.
check-out this site: www.collectorcartrader.com

Insurance, gas...:)

Yes, the car will be at my parent's name; definitely.

Insurances for me (my name) for a Mazda Protege 2001 are ~3500$ CAD per year. 1200$ CAD at my parent's name :)

I'm gonna go shop a bit for that :)

Look at a Saab 900/9-3, either 2-door, hatchback or convertible with a manual transmission, 4-cyl turbo. You should be able to find a good, late 1990 model for what you want to pay.
Insurance companies love Saabs, even the convertibles, and usually give them big discounts because they have great safety records. The insurance on my Saab 9000 is half of what I paid for a Mazda Protege.
The turbo gives you the fuel economy of a 4-cyl with more power than a 6 cyl. The handling is incredible.
The hatchback has a ton of room for hauling stuff with the seat folded down and seats four comfortably. Like all Swedish cars, it has a pass-through in the rear seat for skis and is great in snow.
You will need to have a good mechanic check it out and be faithful about oil changes, but parts are easy to get and there are very good Saab groups on the Internet.