Hi. First time vehicle buyer (no lease/finance unless it ends up being cheaper) here in Toronto, Canada.
It'll be mostly for commuting to/from work and camping trips (1-2hr drive) thrice a year.
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Vehicle requirements: Safety (side, front, knee airbags), manual, 2009+, hatchback, 5000-7000CAD, decent gas mileage, reliable enough. Fun and looks would be nice IF the monthly costs are comparable.
I've pretty much narrowed it down to three candidates...
2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe (Toyota Matrix), slightly lower gas mileage than I would like, but the rear seats fold down flat. Would be getting the Vibe and not the Matrix (due to the premium commanded by the Toyota badge).
Mazda 3 hatch, supposedly most fun to drive of all the hatchbacks, but there seems to be a lot of backhanded comments about rust. And since it's fun to drive, I'm worried that the insurance would be higher. Doesnt fold completely flat either. 1st or 2nd gen I think is ok. 3rd gen would be too expensive.
Hyundai Elantra Touring, most cargo volume/area of the three, but rear seats dont fold flat.
Kia Forte5, I cant seem to find any under 7k in my area.
Ford Focus hatch, similar to Kia Forte5.
Honda Fit, too expensive, and too small. Good cargo volume, but I tend not to stack things to the ceiling as to block my visibility.
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I plan to drive the vehicle until like 2025 or whenever used EVs gets below 10k so I'm definitely going to proper preventive maintenance on the ICE vehicle.
My main concern would be the on-going monthly costs. I'm budgeting 750CAD/month as I'm still deciding on the vehicle.
Gas: ~250
Insurance: ~200
Maintenance: ~300
Are my estimates for insurance and maintenance correct?
Gas is definitely going to be ~250CAD due to commuting to work. Luckily, it'll be all highway driving (moving closer wont make it cheaper since I'm living with parents).
Insurance... I'm 29, male in Scarborough, ON, Canada.
Regarding maintenance, I wouldnt mind changing the oil myself, but I have no idea where to dump the oil so all of the maintenance would be the local shop instead. Most likely wont be DIY except for washing it.
What other on-going costs should I budget for?
Thanks!