Introduction to cars?

• Gosu.

  5 Jun 08, 10:26

  Hi guys,

  Just hit 18 and am an idiot at cars but am very interested. Considering the new insurance policy I can't drive a sportscar and I can't drive a BMW 5series neither. So I would have to buy a new car.

  Anyone can be kind enough to list the things to look for in a car, e.g. smooth handling, engine, fuel consumption, comfort blah blah.. and the things that affect it. I have no idea what cc means. Looking for a 1.6 to 2.0 car, no budget.

  Anyone has any idea what a BMW 3series carries? Typically the 320/323.

  Also can anyone tell me the difference between hatchback and a sedan(Is it just the design at the back?) And why people prefer hatchback/sedan(Is it totally due to design)

  P.S. Getting a car only in a couple of months time, so gathering some recommendations.

  Thanks,

  Tim

• TIB1062Y

  5 Jun 08, 11:06

  Hi there... Although I am not a pro car enthusiasts, but based on what I have read through the various car magazines, I can help to answer some of your questions above...

  I am not sure whether what does CC stands for, but the higher the CC, the higher fuel consumption it takes up for a car.. It also means higher and better performance in general in terms of the top speed, time taken from 0-100km/h, and usually the cars with higher CC are equiped with better engine specs such as V8.. (Pro car enthusiasts, can help to confirm this point?)

  As for the difference between hatchback and sedan, I believe it's only the difference in the design part.. A few factors that people consider in choosing hatchback/sedan are design and practicality (i.e easier unloading & loading of stuffs in the boot area).

  If you got the free time, you may also wish to read up more about the reviews of the various popular cars in various car magazines such as Motoring and Autotrend (IIRC as I haven read that for quite a long time). Currently I am reading up on this magazine title called "Car Buyers' Guide" featuring "Car of The Year 2008 Awards" which is being divided into 12 categories from Budget/Compact Car to Luxury SUV.. Quite a nice magazine to read during my free time..

• ^tamago^

  5 Jun 08, 11:19

  More cc generally equates to more horsepower, which means you can carry more load on your car before it starts to max out. But it also means you automatically use more fuel (and incur more costs), though it will still be better than using an underpowered car. Hence, the guideline is generally to only choose based on your needs, and this usually means you will get a 1.6l car (or just a few cc lower).
  
  More torque is good for quicker acceleration at low speeds.
• Gosu.

  5 Jun 08, 11:23

  Hmmm okay, understood some points there, will try to get the magazine and educate myself. Anyone else has stuff to add?

• hondapons

  5 Jun 08, 11:37

  remember to put ur ba zhang when u drive.

• BrUtUs

  5 Jun 08, 11:39

  u got ur license already?

• Gosu.

  5 Jun 08, 11:56

  Originally posted by BrUtUs:

  u got ur license already?

  
  Unfortunately no, but am expecting to get one by October so am looking for available options when I do.

• BangHong

  5 Jun 08, 12:29

  ..... get a civic.

• TIB1062Y

  5 Jun 08, 12:41

  Lolx.. For me I will choose Mitsubishi Lancer, or if I want to choose a more reliable yet not so expensive and "luxury" kind of seats, I will choose Toyota Corolla Altis..

• vulpes macrotis mutica

  5 Jun 08, 14:12

  get a cheap 2nd hand car between 1.6 to 2.0 first.

  good for insurance premium for now and good for the heart too when you "accidentally" bang something.

  comforts can always come later when you have a clearer idea of want you are looking for in a car; be it performance, creature comforts or lower costs.

• Thecar

  5 Jun 08, 14:13

  Why not choose the new mitsubishi evolution IX sports 2 L? Or if you are those type who like luxury over speed then you should choose the toyota camary 2 L..

• Karma88

  5 Jun 08, 16:34

  Lexus es200 .

  Chio + quite power .

  My dream car LOL

• Hi88tech

  5 Jun 08, 18:15

  Get this cute green clean car

  http://semiconductor2020.blogspot.com/search?q=zenn

• Crimsom

  5 Jun 08, 18:26

  cc = cubic centimetres. (cm3)

  a 1000cc car is equivalent to a 1L car

  a car with higher cc has a greater engine capacity, giving you more power by burning more petrol

• winson93

  5 Jun 08, 21:28

  yeah.. the 'real thing' is called the engine displacement, in cc, and most engines do not come in specifically 1600cc or 2000cc, instead what you get is something like 1598cc, or 1.6L,    or   1999cc, or 2L. Thats basically how it works...

  
  And hatchbacks/sedans are (if i'm not wrong) just the 'name' that differentiates each from its counterparts, hatchbacks being those non-protruding, quite flat kind of rear, and sedans those rear which protrudes out. i think you should know this..

  and IF given a choice of hatchback and sedan for a particular model, i guess most typical 'kiasi' singaporeans would go for sedans as 'got boot safer'..... kind of thing.. Not discriminating!

  
  Good/average fuel consumption for most cars would probably be around 10-14km/L.. i think.. cause i don't drive heh

  And yea as mentioned the Car Buyers Guide is a very good read, price may be a little high, but good price to pay for what you get inside!

  If you really really want to know alot more about cars you can visit http://www.carbibles.com/ ,  i think it's a really great site i learnt alot from there ;) good luck in getting your first new car!

   

• nOrmalbOi

  5 Jun 08, 23:00

  I cant believe none of the regulars have replied..

  to TS, i believe that its ur dad thats gonna buy the car for u.. and u seem to be only looking at contis..

  for a new driver.. u might wanna consider slightly cheaper cars first.. wont so heart pain if it gets scratched and what not..

  anyway.. i will not anyhow recommend cars for now.. do me a favour... ask ur sponsor what kinda budget he has in mind for u.. dun say no budget.. if no budget then pls.. bentley continental gt speed is the only option.

  go get it, then will try my best to give u what i hope r valuable suggestions..

• Gosu.

  6 Jun 08, 14:58

  @normalboi, was expecting the regulars to give me some suggestions, in my case the original idea(might still go ahead) was to buy a BMW Z4. 216k but my family agreed on it on the basis that it should be all play while I'm younger. My dad suggested Lamborghini(spelling?), on my 21st birthday.

  But on top of the 216k, the high fuel consumption, COE, high insurance coverage with an additional 50k(if not insurance companies will not cover) leads me to think that the money could be spent more wisely.

  The other plan was to drive a BMW 3 series or a Mini Cooper(So my sis can drive when she returns from Australia time to time)

  I prefer sedan designs as imho; they look more professional(which is important in my futuristic line of work and of course my personal preference)

  Do you mind going on the specifications of bentley continental gt speed with technical details in layman terms(so I can understand) and also price.

   

   

• Gosu.

  6 Jun 08, 15:13

  Originally posted by nOrmalbOi:

  I cant believe none of the regulars have replied..

  to TS, i believe that its ur dad thats gonna buy the car for u.. and u seem to be only looking at contis..

  for a new driver.. u might wanna consider slightly cheaper cars first.. wont so heart pain if it gets scratched and what not..

  anyway.. i will not anyhow recommend cars for now.. do me a favour... ask ur sponsor what kinda budget he has in mind for u.. dun say no budget.. if no budget then pls.. bentley continental gt speed is the only option.

  go get it, then will try my best to give u what i hope r valuable suggestions..

  
  Saw the bentley ;) great car, even greater specs. No insurance will cover me on that. Lol, probably looking at a luxury 1.6-2.0L car. Just picking out a car for my first two years as a new driver before I can drive the more powerful cars.(new insurance policy, new drivers <2 of age has higher premiums; no problem dad said; but if scratch heart pain) Thus, probably something sleek, economic and easy? handling.

  Probably recommend me something around the 100k-120k range? and some alternatives 65k-100k

• nullifi3d

  6 Jun 08, 18:42

  Originally posted by Gosu.:

  
  Saw the bentley ;) great car, even greater specs. No insurance will cover me on that. Lol, probably looking at a luxury 1.6-2.0L car. Just picking out a car for my first two years as a new driver before I can drive the more powerful cars.(new insurance policy, new drivers <2 of age has higher premiums; no problem dad said; but if scratch heart pain) Thus, probably something sleek, economic and easy? handling.

  Probably recommend me something around the 100k-120k range? and some alternatives 65k-100k

  100-120K - Volvo S40 2.4 or the new Ford Mondeo. Don't even consider the basic BMW 118i cos anything less than a 135i is useless.

  If you like going fast and considering you're young get the VW Golf Gti with DSG, its got loads mod potential; for more info try www.vagsg.com

  65K-100K - Not much in the conti section unless you want your Focus ST ($95K); killer power and color scheme; definately good handling cos i've driven one. If you want something with decent power and good fuel economy you can try looking at the Golf GT sports 1.4 with the supercharger and turbocharger.

  The usual japanese suspects in this range - Civic Type R JDM, Mazda RX8, Mx-5 roadster; all these cars would cost less than 100K if you get them from PI.

  Thats just my 2cents.

  Let us know what you want in a car so we can help you with your choice. Nice to be a rich kid eh hehehe . 

• Unknown_X

  7 Jun 08, 02:28

  toyota mark x FTW!

• n0x

  7 Jun 08, 03:13

  Originally posted by Gosu.:

  @normalboi, was expecting the regulars to give me some suggestions, in my case the original idea(might still go ahead) was to buy a BMW Z4. 216k but my family agreed on it on the basis that it should be all play while I'm younger. My dad suggested Lamborghini(spelling?), on my 21st birthday.

  But on top of the 216k, the high fuel consumption, COE, high insurance coverage with an additional 50k(if not insurance companies will not cover) leads me to think that the money could be spent more wisely.

  The other plan was to drive a BMW 3 series or a Mini Cooper(So my sis can drive when she returns from Australia time to time)

  I prefer sedan designs as imho; they look more professional(which is important in my futuristic line of work and of course my personal preference)

  Do you mind going on the specifications of bentley continental gt speed with technical details in layman terms(so I can understand) and also price.

   

   

  to learn more about cars...

  i feel that u can start with www.howstuffworks.com

  then go on to en.wikipedia.org

  they provide good explanations on the basics stuff...

  good of u to have such mature thinking... if ur father willing to sponsor u i say go for it... esp the Z4... issit the M version cos i remembered the normal 3 litre version of it falling below 200k liaoz leh

  and with regards to what u are looking in a car.. i can see that ur aspirations differs slightly tt from ur family members... can tell u wanted a more down to earth car...  LOL...

  so if u want a sedan 1.6liter -2 litre...  there is like a whole list out there so perhaps u might want to go more into details of ur pref  so tt we can help.. like fuel saving.. refinement...sporty?? sophstication??  blah blah

   

   

• nOrmalbOi

  7 Jun 08, 20:05

  Originally posted by Gosu.:

  @normalboi, was expecting the regulars to give me some suggestions, in my case the original idea(might still go ahead) was to buy a BMW Z4. 216k but my family agreed on it on the basis that it should be all play while I'm younger. My dad suggested Lamborghini(spelling?), on my 21st birthday.

  But on top of the 216k, the high fuel consumption, COE, high insurance coverage with an additional 50k(if not insurance companies will not cover) leads me to think that the money could be spent more wisely.

  The other plan was to drive a BMW 3 series or a Mini Cooper(So my sis can drive when she returns from Australia time to time)

  I prefer sedan designs as imho; they look more professional(which is important in my futuristic line of work and of course my personal preference)

  Do you mind going on the specifications of bentley continental gt speed with technical details in layman terms(so I can understand) and also price.

   

   

   

  Ford Focus ST, Peugeot 207 GTi, VW Golf GTI or GT, Mercedes C180 or C200, Honda Civic 2.0, VW Passat 1.8T, Alfa Romeo 159 are some that I can think of..

   

  Some of the above cars only come in Manual, some have Autos only, while some have both options. Since u mentioned luxury 1.6 - 2.0, I only mentioned those with at least a modicum of luxury, and left out the super sporty, hardcore speed machines. Hope this helps.

   

  p/s: if u wanna repay me for my help, any of the above for me will do just fine xD

• alleggerita

  8 Jun 08, 21:24

  Don't even need to think about a Bentley. Because even if the insurance can cover you, your license can't cover you. Driving a Bentley, or a Rolls-Royce for that matters, requires Class 4 license, not just Class 3/3A. 

• Unknown_X

  9 Jun 08, 00:37

  Originally posted by alleggerita:

  Don't even need to think about a Bentley. Because even if the insurance can cover you, your license can't cover you. Driving a Bentley, or a Rolls-Royce for that matters, requires Class 4 license, not just Class 3/3A. 

  serious? why is that so?

• ceecookie

  9 Jun 08, 00:39

  Originally posted by Unknown_X:

  toyota mark x FTW!

  I suggest waiting for the refreshed model,facelifted or newer one, because the current one is quite dated

   

  If TS like a nice youngster coupe, how about considering the Baby BMW 125i/135i Coupe?

  Or the new M3?