My first car

[nurse sarah]

I have a 2003 Cavalier...I absolutely love it! It's pretty good on gas...I think anyways...not that I know much about cars...I've driven it to Quebec, to Ontario, on highways and big cities...it's just a great little car. I actually got it when it was a year old(it was a lease) so it wasn't very expensive. That may be a good way to go with any car really...getting it a year old...as long as its in good shape and there's not many kilometers. I don't know how much traffic in Edmonton has changed in 3 years since I lived there, but I took my drivers test there about 5 years ago and it wasn't too bad and the 5 driving classes I took were the first time I'd ever touched a car!lol. Good luck!

 

[camochick]

Thanks for all the advice. I am going to test drive some cars this weekend and hopefully I can get financed for one. I will let everyone know how it turns out. But keep posting any advice you have it might come in handy. >

 

[TCBF]

Let me know what areas of Edmonton you will be driving in so I can avoid them...heh-heh ;D

 

[camochick]

Hey.... hehe, I am actually a good driver, but I havnt drove in awhile and I have never driven in Edmonton. I'm sure it wont be too bad once I am used to it. I am just not looking forward to driving to Stony Plain in the dead of winter.  >

 

[TCBF]

Survival kit in car: Old, cheap sleeping bag or blanket, matches, candle lantern with candles/tea lights,flashlight, cell phone with cig lighter charger/adapter, area maps,snow shovel, hammer, bottled water (replace/rotate as they freeze), towel.

 

[camochick]

Thanks for the advice. I already plan to have every type of survival kit that I can haha. I also have a bf with a very big truck to tow my ass out of the snow bank.  >

 

[TCBF]

Even handier! ;D 

Of my wife and I, I am usually the one who ends up in the snowbank. She is the city driver, I am the highway driver.

 

[camochick]

Yeah well thats why i need something safe. The big truck is great to drive in, I fear nothing in that thing. But I will be getting a small car so the big trucks will be scary for me hehe :-\ Oh well, I drove in Fredericton, and even though it is way smaller than Edmonton the drivers are just as mental. I swear it's the only place that the traffic moves on a red light. >

 

[TCBF]

When we got posted back from Lahr in 92, we went to Gagetown NB, so three years around Fredericton gave us a feel for the place.   But that was four postings ago.

 

[Superrampie]

Hey cammochick

I am now on my third car. The first two were Cavaliers (z24) one was an 89 and the other was a 2001(lease just ended today sniff) I miss both cars as they had lots of power but as others here have said had many mechanical problems.

Now I am driving a 95 ford escort(OK now you all can stop laughing at me) and it has no power but is in good shape as my mom has had it since new.  As for the cars that you are looking at good idea to stay with the imports as they are much better quality. One thing that I have been told about the Echo is that because it is so light things can get pretty hairy if you get passed by a transport on the highway and I think that with the winds here in Alberta that would compound things even more.

One final piece of advice that I have for you is not to buy new. Go for a used car that is 2-4 years old as you will get much more for your money and will not lose $5000-9000 as soon as you drive it off the lot.

Just my 2 cents worth

 

[NiTz]

Very good advice here!

BTW, for your information, 1995 Ford Escort are very good cars as they as mainly made by Mazda (except if you got the 2.0 liter split port but even then many parts (transmission, etc) are mazda). I especially love the 2 door coupe. One of my friend got one during 4 years and he only repaired the front brakes once, the car has 240000km on. Not too bad, really!


Cheers!

 

[civvy3840]

Ford escort zx2 is pretty darn fast. My step-dad had one a while ago.