<p>can I get recommendations on a car under 4.5k that is reliable, has decent gas mileage, and is easy to maintain/fix? it will be something i will be driving for only a few months. it will mostly be drivin to school and a few other places. oh and also, something cheap on insurance.</p>
<p>Where do you live?</p>
<p>I ask because in larger cities, cars sell for a lot less.</p>
<p>i live in atlanta,ga</p>
<p>VW Jetta. Mine's a '94.</p>
<p>Get a used Honda Civic. They last forever, are good on gas, and are extremely cheap.</p>
<p>There is no car that is "cheap on insurance" for a 17 year old. The major portion of the insurance cost is based on the driver's age, sex, and the fact that the driver is inexperienced. The differential based on the type of car is relatively small.</p>
<p>I was gonna suggest Honda Civic too.</p>
<p>But your best bet would be the newest Celica you can find. But you won't find much.</p>
<p>Gotta love that Japanese engineering!</p>
<p>Who doesn't? I love the gas mileage. And the new Civics look absolutely gorgeous.</p>
<p>Japanese cars rule...face it. However, their gas mileage still stinks. I remember when my father's 1986 Celica got 40 MPG. And his new Corolla can't top 30.</p>
<p>Uhh...Celicas are Japanese... -_-;</p>
<p>a used toyota corolla/echo/tercel would be a good buy,</p>
<p>Corollas swirve a lot at emergency breaking.</p>
<p>I know they are...but real Japanese cars (those companies like Mitsubishi and Toyota make for their home markets) are a lot better. The Smartcar beats everything when it comes to gas mileage, and they are now currently available in the country.</p>
<p>... "Corollas swirve a lot at emergency breaking." ... </p>
<p>Civic is a good choice.
As long as you don't get some fancy sports car the insurance will be pretty much the same across the board. It's also much higher for guys than girls. :) </p>
<p>I have a beautiful Volvo s70. I think I need to name it</p>
<p>I third honda civics</p>
<p>Agreed that the Smart Car is the sweetest thing on wheels.</p>
<p>As for stateside cars, I've had good experiences with Honda Civics as well.</p>
<p>if you really care about maintenance, don't get a used car because they suck money away if they aren't certified.
a toyota corolla would be best...</p>
<p>I don't think maintenance will be that big of a deal, as he said he'll only be driving it for a few months. </p>
<p>If you buy a used car (which I'm assuming will be the case with 4.5k), just make sure to have a mechanic check it out before you buy it.
I got my car from a guy in town by using either cars.com or auto trader, I can't remember. I met him for a test drive, liked it, had my mechanic check it out, he said it was good, so I bought it. Not too hard if that's the way you want to go.</p>
<p>The Smart car costs $27k new (30k for a convertible) at the dealership that sells them in the Seattle area.
In Europe they're priced under $15k.</p>
<p>my mom commented that it's a nice car for a teenager since it gets good gas mileage and there's barely any room for friends...but for the price here, it's not the greatest deal even with the gas mileage...</p>