only urgent, because i'd like to make the decision tomorrow morning and get this taken care of:

trading in my 2001 VW JETTA (GLS VR6) w/ 99,000 for a more fuel efficient, lower cost of maintenance replacement car. (really only considering honda civics and toyota corollas for that reason.) hoping not to spend much - if anything - for the new (used) car.

shopped around a shitload today and came up with the following offers. depending on the hour and the minute, i lean towards one over the other. here are the details:

**1998 TOYOTA COROLLA (CE) w/ 67,689 miles
- Asking price listed as $5,500. Offering it to me for $5K, w/ $4,500 on trade. So w/ tax, title & license i'm looking at paying ~ $800.
- THE GOOD: 4-door sedan, low mileage for the year, excellent condition
- THE BAD: 4 years older than the other option, brakes make some noise, the dealership is looking into it… i'll call tomorrow to figure out if they have an answer (salesman's guess is that they're brand new brakes and are squeaking for that reason. i don't buy it.) there's an accident report on the car from 2000, bulk of the miles have been put on it since then and no salvaging or junk according to carfax.
- THE UGLY: the interior is HIDEOUS. more the seats than anything else, but stiiiill!

the other option:

***2002 HONDA CIVIC (2D COUPE EX) w/ 101,000 miles
- Asking price $8,400… talked them into trade + 2K + tax title license. (So either they're giving me $6,400 for my trade, or they're lowering the selling price by $1,900)
- THE GOOD: newer car, interior significantly nicer, lots more perks, it's blue… really pretty blue
- THE BAD: 2 doors, 33,350 more miles, there's an accident report from 2006.
- THE UGLY: $1,700 more than the toyota, the car pulls to the right… i think that's a simple alignment issue and if i purchase this car, i'll only do it if they agree to fix the alignment.

i've done the KBB values and the toyota comes in at $6350 (i'd be paying $1,300 less). the honda is valued at $10,250 (i'd be paying $3,750 less). fuel efficiency is almost identical, honda's supposed to do a little better. carbon footprint is .5 higher on the toyota.

anyway, sorry to be giving all the financial info… it's kind of pivotal to getting advice. i'd like to make the decision tomorrow morning…

here are the links to the two cars:

toyota corolla - http://www.theautobarn.com/detail-1998-toyota-corolla-ce-3145271.html

honda civic -
http://www.saturnofglenview.com/VehicleDetails/1001293894

I think the Honda is definitely more Moxillicious!  If you can get the pull fixed, then I say go for that one.

I am concerned about both vehicles in terms of the accidents. Did you get any details on what was fixed in either?

I like the lower miles on the corolla.

The Corolla.

I love my Honda and the civic is a great car but in this case both of these cars are good and reliable, although I would never purchase either of them with an automatic transmission but that's just me. I'm looking at what you would get for your money. Go for the lower miles on the Corolla. It's true that 100k on a Honda can be no big deal…mine has 140k and runs like new. But since you didn't put any of those miles on it you don't really know how they were put on or how well the upkeep was performed.  Any car over 100k is going to have a higher cost to maintain than a lower mileage car, even when its just little stuff here and there. It adds up.

If the Corolla is in good running condition now (I would get them to do the 75k maintanence) you have a few years where operational costs will be almost nothing for it.

completely stressed out over here. i've decided not to worry about it until after i've finished training my puppy classes… which means i'll be back in panic mode around 1:30 this afternoon.

it's IMPOSSIBLE to find either car in manual drive. i've cruised the net, done TONS of research and i really think that both cars are bargains as far as the deals they're willing to extend.

the honda's service record is much more clearly indicated than the toyota and the accident report on the toyota involved another car (the accident report on the honda doesn't say).

i'd really rather drive the honda, just because it's just NICER and has the comforts that i'm used to… but i don't want to part w/ $2500. i'm a little concerned about the noisy brakes on the corolla. if the honda's still available by 1pm i'll have a much more difficult choice, but i'm expecting it to be gone.

if the honda were a sedan i wouldn't be asking questions - probably would've purchased it yesterday. but the toyota was the kind of car i had set out to buy in the first place, which is why i'm wrecking my brain over it. not to mention the price diffence is only $1300 between them. :(

update: honda guy is letting me take it to my mechanic today, also agrees to fix alignment if that's the only issue w/ the pull…. my mechanic is pretty tough on cars, so i'll get a good feel for things. and a little piece of mind.

That's good, Mox - I can't believe how tough it is to find a car with manual transmission these days.

We bought my younger son a 1998 Honda Civic Coupe Ex and it is a great car.  We like it so much that we are looking for another one for my oldest…

Prior to us moving over to driving SUV's… we always owned Toyotas (mostly Camary(s) and Celicas ) I owned one Corrola (when we were first married…got it as a wedding present)  I really don't think it was that great of a car.  I hated the way it drove…it was cheap…cheap cheap inside…

I'd go with the Honda.  Not only do they last forever, but they seem to hold their value better than most other cars on the market.  Not to mention that it is a better looking car than the Corolla.

I had a Corolla that I LOVED until it was stolen, but I agree that the Honda is a better looking car and I think if it has all the creature comforts you are looking for, then get it.

I think we can all assume that Moxie must be out driving her new car. 

I owned one Corrola (when we were first married…got it as a wedding present)

Yeah…we got three 1981 Toyota Tercels all in the same red for our wedding, so we took two back. I cant believe they all bought red. I mean…really.

I worry about a car that's been in an accident, and "pulls to the right."  I hope that it's only an allignment issue…and if not, that the guys finds the issue.

LOL @ David!

thanks guys, i bought the honda. it was just a really good deal, and with only 1300 difference between the two, it felt like the right move. my mechanic is really hard on cars and he told me to buy it, so i did.

this is the first time that i've made a car purchase that i haven't regretted almost immediately afterward. i'm feeling pretty comfortable with my decision.

thanks for all of your input. :)

Well good. Glad you are happy with it. I dont think you could go wrong with either car.

Yay, she bought the Moxiliciousmobile!  I think you're going to be very happy with that car, Mox!