Rxdoxx
Premium,Mod
join:2000-11-03
Middle River, MD
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Washington & Balti..
| Recommend a used one?
Wife's g-kid has moved in with us for college. Needs a car.
Has $4,000 max to spend on one.
No snow driving experience, so I'm wanting at least FWD for him (or AWD) cause I've found better control, and in Maryland he will have to drive in snow from time to time.
From what I've learned so far, taurus transmission is out.
As a poor student, he is thinking great gas mileage is good, but I've convinced him that if he can get a good car at maybe $2,000 less, he will have years of driving before the "better gas mileage" breaks even.
He is over 6' but I don't think that is a big issue these days.
Any suggestions for model and year appreciated. TIA
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Was a Cruise Fanatic, one cruise on Princess cured me. Bleah |
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pmohr
Premium
join:2002-09-22
Oak Ridge, TN
| I may be biased, but personally I would (and did) go with a 4th gen ('95-'99) Nissan Maxima.
Reliable as all hell (very few major issues to be expected, and the VQ engine just won't die), decent power, decently large interior and trunk space, etc. Can be had for well under $4k, depending on area, and maintenance is relatively cheap on them as well. Not to mention the ~20 MPG city and ~30 MPG highway.
Best of all, V6 sedan with available 5 speed. Very common to find them with a lot of options as well; sunroof, keyless entry, 'premium' sound, alloy wheels, ABS, cruise, etc.
But again, I may be biased  |
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mityfowl
join:2000-11-06
Dallas, TX
1 edit | reply to Rxdoxx
What's that real budget? Cash?
Snow. It's not like that is the Rockies.
Not counting insurance? |
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mityfowl
join:2000-11-06
Dallas, TX | reply to Rxdoxx
What does he want? |
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seaquake
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-23
Millersville, MD
clubs:
·Verizon FIOS
| reply to Rxdoxx
Bring him down to Car-Max and have him look around. They have acres of used vehicles. The only catch may be to get a $4K car he might have to buy from a smaller lot or an individual seller.
Toyotas and Hondas seem to be the workhorses of longevity anymore. I think Hyundai has made great strides as well with their latest vehicles.
If I were in this situation, I'd aim for a Civic or a Corolla. He should probably hit carmax even if you don't buy there to get an idea of what fits him and what doesn't. |
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mityfowl
join:2000-11-06
Dallas, TX
1 edit | Me personally I'm against the dealer thing.
I agree with the cars though. |
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Rxdoxx
Premium,Mod
join:2000-11-03
Middle River, MD
clubs:
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Host:
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Washington & Balti..
| reply to pmohr
Thanks guys
Real budget for car is really $4,000... anything less is gravy
Maxima? Didn't know that they could be had that cheap, I drove one for a bunch of years, don't remember the exact year but it had just changed the name from 810 to Maxima. Definitely be looking in that area now
Agree snow is not like Rockies but for an inexperienced driver just moved here from Houston, he is going to encounter things that there is really no way to prepare him ahead of time, from things like slush ridges between the beltway lanes up to how and when to keep an eye out for black ice. FWD/AWD will be some help.
Not a question of what he wants at all, he is open to practically anything (except maybe hot pink  )
Factors in descending order are reliability, then price, then MPG. He can put a slipcover on the seat if it looks bad as long as the car is solid.
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Was a Cruise Fanatic, one cruise on Princess cured me. Bleah |
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mityfowl
join:2000-11-06
Dallas, TX
1 edit | You have to shop the cars
1 Honda might not be as nice as this Toyota. |
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Jim Gurd
Premium
join:2000-07-08
Plymouth, MI | reply to Rxdoxx
If you're looking for a good AWD system I suggest a Subaru. |
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e_dub
franknbeans
Premium,VIP
join:2001-08-12
kickin ass
| said by Jim Gurd  :If you're looking for a good AWD system I suggest a Subaru. x2 at looking at a used Subaru. |
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dirtyjeffer
Merry Christmas
Premium
join:2002-02-21
London, ON
·Rogers Hi-Speed
| reply to Rxdoxx
said by Rxdoxx :From what I've learned so far, taurus transmission is out. not sure what you mean here?...1999 and older Taurus' may have issues with their transmissions..2000 and newer should be fine as they did make improvements with the newer design...if you are buying a used car, consider looking at a decent domestic car...because of their low resale value, you will get a lot of car for the money and still get decent quality.
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Today's motto: Dearly beloved, We are gathered here today to bid farewell to personal responsibility and accountability. |
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itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Camp Hill, PA
| reply to Rxdoxx
quote:
Toyotas and Hondas seem to be the workhorses of longevity anymore. I think Hyundai has made great strides as well with their latest vehicles.
Google Toyota Sludge or Honda Transmission..... Just as bad as the domestics.
You could go Taurus - lots of car for little $$ and recent models are fine as far as reliability.
Or Focus - same thing.
Or even a recent Cobalt.
Hyundai/Kia are nice as well.
What I learned is at that price point anything will need a decent amount of repairs as the mileage is usually high. |
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bemis
join:2008-07-18
Stoneham, MA
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
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| reply to Rxdoxx
said by Rxdoxx :From what I've learned so far, taurus transmission is out. Any suggestions for model and year appreciated. TIA Don't count out the Taurus/Sable yet...
My 2000 3.0 Duratec has done remarkably well in terms of repairs costs (avg less then $250/yr) and now has just over 100K miles.
It does sometimes have a glitch going into 1st gear when coasting down from 15-20mph and re-starting before a stop, you get a "slam" kind of a feeling--but I've found that same glitch seems to plague many FWD/transverse-AWD cars in general: My SO's 2005 Subaru Impreza has it, and it's much worse in the Subie IMHO. The only automatic's I haven't felt it in are RWD based. You can also very quickly learn the one or two sets of steps where it occurs and then avoid them.
The Taurus was great in the snow/ice too, esp. w/ the traction control and ABS.
They're also available w/ side-air bags.
I averaged 23-24MPG with 70/30 hwy/city ... I would see about 28-30MPG @ 65-75MPH on long highway trips.
It's a long car compared to some others out there, so you have to get used to it. |
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bemis
join:2008-07-18
Stoneham, MA
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
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| reply to itguy05
said by itguy05 :Google ... Honda Transmission..... Esp. the 6-cyl engine around 2002-2005 ... what a nightmare those were.
I believe a friend of mine went through 3 transmissions in his '03 Acura TL-S all within 50-60K on the odo before they finally agreed to lemon-law it and give him an '05 after he got his story on the front of the metro section of the LA Times :-P
As soon as the '06 models (w/ the previously unavailable manual transmission) hit the showrooms he traded in the '05 automatic. |
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Doctor Olds
I Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.
Premium,VIP
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30
clubs:
| reply to Rxdoxx
Hit the used book store for an older "Consumer Reports Used Car Buying Guide" or try the Library. It will give you all you need to look at especially the Reliability Reports and the problem systems.
HTH
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What’s the point of owning a supercar if you can’t scare yourself stupid from time to time? |
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dirtyjeffer
Merry Christmas
Premium
join:2002-02-21
London, ON
·Rogers Hi-Speed
| reply to bemis
said by bemis :Don't count out the Taurus/Sable yet... My 2000 3.0 Duratec has done remarkably well in terms of repairs costs (avg less then $250/yr) and now has just over 100K miles. i have had equally good reliability from my 2000 Taurus (with the Duratec engine as well).
one thing i did at the 100,000 kms mark is a transmission flush with new fluid and filter...$80 at the Ford Dealership i get my service done at...it shifts as good as it did the day it was new.
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Today's motto: Dearly beloved, We are gathered here today to bid farewell to personal responsibility and accountability. |
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Grumpy
Premium
join:2001-07-28
99999
clubs:
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1 edit | reply to Rxdoxx
One of my favorite sleepers: The late 80s Chevy Novas. They are 99.9% Toyota Corollas, built by Toyota, and badged as Chevys (the 0.1% part) Due to their age, they have become hard to find. They were popular with older folks, and so low mileage units are or were available. The pros - a reliable unit with reasonably priced parts. The cons - maximum MPG is around the mid 20s, perhaps due to carburetor design. The headliners fall down, which should be a 2 or 3 hundred dollar fix. The exterior 'rubber' or plastic based parts fade to white, yet that can be remedied with some car store potions and elixirs.
Another good value is used Buicks. Their design often lends them toward older buyers, which puts ego in the way of purchase for many, driving the prices down. |
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Pentaxian
Premium
join:2008-01-23
West Milford, NJ | reply to Rxdoxx
Find a used Subaru - good on gas, great in poor weather, very reliable. |
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Doctor Olds
I Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.
Premium,VIP
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30
clubs:
| said by Pentaxian :Find a used Subaru - good on gas, great in poor weather, very reliable. Repair costs will eat them up when it breaks down.
Honda is cheaper and much more reliable than Subaru.
Plus the Subaru boxer engine isn't as easy to work on for shops like the Honda inline 4.
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What’s the point of owning a supercar if you can’t scare yourself stupid from time to time? |
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uber69er
join:2009-03-19
North of You | reply to Rxdoxx
Civic or Corolla |
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