I`m in the car market again and I`m torn between two choices. This really should be an easy decision, but I`m leaning towards the one that would put me out of my knowledge zone.
There is plenty of info on the Civic, but the XRS is a new one for me. I`ve only ever seen one other one on the road and it is because I work with the guy who drives it. Here is some info on the 2005 Toyota Corrola XRS.
The most power will come from the XRS. It has a 170 HP 4 cylinder and the EX has 127 HP. The EX only has a 5 speed transmission while the XRS has the six speed. Size wise I think the difference is negligible. Resale value wise I think it is still sixes. I don`t even really have a preference as far as styling goes. I think they are both great looking cars. The one thing I`ve been having a hard time with is that Civics love that Beige interior. Blech! I swore never to get a light colored interior again, and I`m really trying to stick to that. It is hard to find what I`m looking for though.
Since the Civic is one of the most stolen cars in America, it is no wonder that the insurance is higher on one. It would only be an extra six bucks a month for the EX, but for a car that has 40 HP less, I don`t feel like paying more. I don`t really want the danger of having my car stolen either, so the risk of a Civic seems a little high to me.
The Civic says City 31 mpg, Highway 38 mpg and the Corolla says City 26, Highway 34. Meh... It would be used for a two mile trip back and forth to work when the weather was bad. I can live with 26 mpg considering my estimate of 5000 miles a year will be put on it.
So after talking it out, it really seems like the Corolla XRS is the better car for me than the Civic. What I don`t know is how reliable are the Corollas really? The XRS has the motor of the Celica GT-S. The one I`m looking at has about 53000 miles on it, which is really high for an `05, but I figure the fact that it is a Toyota should give it some credit. Any thoughts on this? Before I get to agressive in my negotiations I figure I should be firmly commited to the purchase. The Civic would work for me, but I just can`t justify spending the same amount of money for a car that has less power, more insurance cost, and beige interior. Am I just overthinking it and should pull the trigger, or is my instinct to think about this a good thing?
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