You are here: Forums Smart Shopper Good, Cheap Beater Cars & Inexpensive Commuter Cars - how to find one?

Good, Cheap Beater Cars & Inexpensive Commuter Cars - how to find one?

345 messages,  Last post on Nov 25, 2009 at 9:00 AM

You are in the Smart Shopper Forum. Your Hosts are kirstie_h & tidester

What is this discussion about? Acura Integra, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Ford Escort, Honda Civic, Mazda Protege, Buying Insurance

#247 of 345 Best American and Foreign Used Car by natalicious May 05, 2005 (4:58 pm)
Hello all, I have a question. I currently have a 1993 Plymouth Sundance duster with 130,000 miles, it recently started giving me problems and I was told that it's the fuel pump. The Mechanic is trying to charge me $500.00 to fix it but the car only cost me $600.00 4 years ago. I am currently in grad school and i'm so broke..yes very broke. I'm currently have $2200.00 that I can spend, i'm not looking for a fancy car I just want a good, reliable car that can get me through my last year of grad school. THe question is this, What are the best USED American and Foreign cars? How much should I spend on another used car? What years are the best to get for that price? The dealers are always trying to sell me crap or something that I can't afford, so please help me. P.S. I've been looking on Ebay, have any of you ever purchased a car on Ebay?
#248 of 345 nat by lancerfixer May 05, 2005 (6:07 pm)
Well, at the $2,000 price point, I wouldn't expect miracles, but I would expect something better than a '93 Duster!   At the $2,000 price point, I'd look for the following:   Mazda Protege Ford Escort Early-mid '90s Ford Taurus Mid-90s Chevy Lumina Volvo 240 Early 90's Toyota pickup   Your profile says you're in Buffalo...I've got family there, and I know what those roads (and salt) can do to a car. At $2k, finding a rust-free anything will be a challenge. Also, don't expect the car to be maintenance-free...the best thing to do would be to have it checked out by a mechanic prior to purchase. Also, do not, repeat, do not buy a car with a "salvage" title. Even though it looks like a better deal (more car for less money,) these cars are problems waiting to happen...usually, they've been totalled in an accident or flood, and someone has "fixed" them (I use the term loosely.) I'd also recommend, if you don't know how to already, learning to drive a manual transmission...at this price point, going with a stick will save you some money.   I'd recommend a Camry or Accord for reliability, but good examples of these cars would be hard to come by for $2,200 or less.   Good luck, and let us know how it turns out. Replies to this message: asafonov (May 07, 2005 6:07 pm)
#249 of 345 Panthers? by andys120 May 06, 2005 (2:34 am)
An old but not too abused Crown Vic or Grand Marquis could give you good service for cheap money, they seem to last a long time and aren't expensive to fix but take up a lotta space and get poor gas mileage.   A musician friend of mine carts his Moog around in an ex-State police CV.
#251 of 345 Re: nat [lancerfixer] by asafonov May 07, 2005 (6:07 pm)
Replying to: lancerfixer (May 05, 2005 6:07 pm) Great list of the usual suspects. I would, off course, add the ubiqitous Geo Prizm (probably 94-96 vintage, maybe a 97 with high miles), and possible the discontinued Mitsubishi Mirage, but I have heard that the latter have poor crash test ratings.
#253 of 345 1995 Acura Integra Special Edition - Price by sf3010 Feb 16, 2006 (8:31 am)
I'm on the lookout for a 1995 Acura Integra SE (or even LS). Any ideas on the price? Preferred 75000 to 80000 miles. By the way, what is the difference between LS and SE?
#254 of 345 Loosing Anti-Freeze 3.1 95 Monte Carlo by mikel56 Mar 04, 2006 (3:45 pm)
Getting white build up on oil cap and valve cover, and just wondering if this is due to an intake manifold gasket cracked or leaking. 125k, no external anti freeze leaks. Been adding anti freeze about every couple of days to the over-flow bottle. Any related problems with the 3.1's out there? Replies to this message: koba1879 (May 15, 2006 10:07 pm)
#255 of 345 Re: Loosing Anti-Freeze 3.1 95 Monte Carlo [mikel56] by koba1879 May 15, 2006 (10:07 pm)
Replying to: mikel56 (Mar 04, 2006 3:45 pm) Sounds like the head gasket. There is currently a wide spread problem with them. There was an article on AutoBlog about it a while back. Hope it helps.   http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/15/gm-to-handle-intake-manifold-gasket-problem-o- n-a-case-by-case-ba/
#256 of 345 87 integra by fastbutslow May 23, 2006 (9:47 am)
the first generation of integras are getting scarce, but i own one and love it. it currently has 220k mile on it and still gets over 30mpg in the city. i do drive extremely slow to get that. it only takes a timimg belt and oil changes to keep it running. from what little i know about them they are very reliable.

You are here: Forums Smart Shopper Good, Cheap Beater Cars & Inexpensive Commuter Cars - how to find one?