Buy or Bye: Car Edition

Honda, BMW, Mercedes

Buy+or+Bye%3A+Car+Edition

Stefan Bordeianu and Pavle Djokic, Community Editor

 

This week, Pavle and Stefan went out and compared three different cars at three different prices to determine which were buys and which were byes.

 

Pavle Djokic shows off his Honda Fit
The Honda Fit is a very light car, so 109 horsepower is not that bad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2007 Honda Fit ($3,500 used)

Pavle: While not the nicest looking car on the outside, the Fit has extraordinary versatility. Staying true to the name, the Fit has tons of legroom in both the front and back seats with a respectable amount of space in the trunk. While taking nearly 16 seconds to get from 0-60 mph, the car can cruise at highway speeds and even overtake slower moving vehicles. What the Honda Fit lacks in looks, speed, or glamour, it makes up for in convenience, durability, and efficiency. For students looking for an everyday car to get to school, a Honda Fit is a great option that is a definite buy on a high school budget.

 

 

Stefan: The Honda Fit at first glance does not look as appealing as BMW or a Porsche, but the car itself is really fun. When I put my foot on the gas pedal, the car shot off. Because of the light weight of the car, it’s really easy to control. Along with the easy maneuverability, the car is also very fuel efficient at around 30 miles per gallon. The small price of the car combined with the great fuel efficiency makes this car a buy.

 

Andrew Wang leans on his BMW 328i looking super fly.
The BMW 328i boasts a powerful 230 horsepower

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2011 BMW 328i ($18,000 used)

 

Pavle: When shopping for a car, there are things you want and things you need. The BMW 328i gives you almost everything you want–it’s sleek, classy, and fast. Yet there are the things you need as a high-schooler, like affordability, efficiency, and handling, especially for new drivers. Putting the 328i into sports mode and hitting the gas gives a special feeling that few things on earth provide, yet the steering wheel is extremely stiff leading to difficult turning and maneuverability — a dangerous combination in the hands of a high-schooler. Buying a used car for $18,000 is a tall task for even the “Marshall”-est NA kids, leading to a bye rating as the speed and power of the 6 cylinder 230hp engine simply do not do enough to justify the cost.

 

Stefan: The BMW 328i is a very fun car. It looks sleek, it feels great, and it is fast. When I tried out the car, the steering was a bit tight, but the car compensated with its smoothness. However, when I wanted to go fast, I was able to go fast. I put the car in sports mode and I put the pedal to the metal (quite literally). Wow, that was fast! The great price for the car combined with the speed and the comfortable feel makes the BMW 328i a buy.

 

 

Stefan Bordeianu stands in front of his future car: the Mercedes SLS AMG.
The SLS is insane. To be exact, it is 583 horsepower insane.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2011 Mercedes SLS AMG ($140,000 used)

 

Pavle: When the issue of money goes out the window, there are only two things going through my mind when looking at cars: how fast can I go and how cool will I look driving the car. The Mercedes SLS fulfills both criteria to the max. Not that I’m advocating speeding in the NASH parking lot, but hypothetically the SLS might just be fast enough to avoid Ken’s radar gun eyesight. And the gull-wing doors will ensure a flock of onlookers whenever you pull into Ghetto. For those among us who have the means to enter the elite class of automobiles, the SLS is a must-buy!


Stefan: Oh my, the SLS is insanely fast! I tried filming the car accelerating, and I could not stop the camera from shaking. I could not stop shaking. The car is simply the best sounding, fastest driving car I have ever been in. I am at a loss for words for this car. I mean, this car goes 0-60 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds, and it has gull-wing doors. I loved this car! It’s worth the $160,000-200,000. The car earns a buy ranking.