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Smart Shopper Used Vehicles Best Values
948 messages, Last post on Aug 11, 2009 at 11:51 AM
You are in the Smart Shopper Forum. Your Hosts are kirstie_h & tidester
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Replying to: lhy (Apr 03, 2009 6:09 pm) How big of a sedan are you looking for? A smaller commuter or a large vehicle? Your examples, the Accord and Corolla, straddle 2 or 3 size categories depending on years. A Ford Focus would probably be the best bet in a compact sedan. There is also the Chevrolet Cobalt (I don't like the feel of it) and the Dodge Neon (which they have been making for so long the bugs have been worked out mostly). If your budget is tight, the Saturn S-series motors seem to offer a great deal of longevity. If you are going up a size category, I would look at the 2001-2007 Ford Taurus (again, they were making these for so long, the bugs are gone). If you get the 24 valve engine, they are actually pretty peppy. The Buick Century (same making it forever clause) and the Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6 are also in the category. Again the Saturn LS series is a midsize entry. If you want something big, you can go RWD and get a Crown Victoria/Grand Marquis/Town Car, or go FWD and get a Buick LeSabre, Park Ave, or Chevrolet Impala. Thats about all I can think of off the top of my head at 8 in the morning.
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Replying to: lhy (Apr 03, 2009 6:09 pm) Mazdas and Nissans... Mazda 6 Mazda 3 Nissan Altima Nissan Sentra Mazda Protege These all drop into the $4K range more quickly than the Toy/Honda twins...
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Replying to: kyfdx (Apr 04, 2009 6:52 am) |
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Replying to: lilengineerboy (Apr 04, 2009 4:38 am) I have heard that Dodge Neons have a reputation for mechanical problems, particulary the 1990s model. Is this true? In terms of the larger sedans, are cars with V6 (or V8) engines worse in terms of gas mileage? And are V6 engine cars more expensive to service and repair than 4-cylinders?
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Replying to: kyfdx (Apr 04, 2009 6:52 am) Are the maintenance and repair costs on this car expensive? Does the autonomatic transmission on this model have problems--as opposed to the stick shift? And what are the insurance costs on the car like?
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Replying to: lhy (Apr 03, 2009 6:09 pm) I would recommend midsize GM car from the late 90's early 2000's. Parts are plentiful for these cars and any mechanic can repair them.
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Replying to: lhy (Apr 04, 2009 5:35 pm) Not much. Too old. If you can raise your price from $4 to $6, you can easily buy twice as much car for it. LOTS of people want cheap cars; they often wind up paying extra for it. Ford Taurus is a good bet, too. an '06 with 40k should be in the low sixes... that's a lot of car. A little over $10 is an absolute sweet spot. TONS of one- and two-year-old cars available for that. If you're doing payments, that's the way to go. -Mathias |
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Replying to: lhy (Apr 04, 2009 5:32 pm) Head gaskets, wheel bearings, and automatic transmissions were trouble spots on earlier cars, however you should be able to get something newer than that with your budget. I would still be more likely to target a Ford Focus, and I would try to limit vehicles to 8 years old and newer and In terms of the larger sedans, are cars with V6 (or V8) engines worse in terms of gas mileage? And are V6 engine cars more expensive to service and repair than 4-cylinders? Remarkably not as much as one would think. The General Motor 3.8 liter pushrod V6 (very old technology, relatively high displacement - big - motor) can get in the 30s on the highway. I am not a big fan of the 2.8 or 3.1 liter GM engines. The much more modern 3.5 and 3.6 liter engines from GM are out of your price range. A low-tech, 30 year old design 3.8 liter motor will likely be cheaper to repair than a "high-tech" 4 cylinder of the time. A timing belt change for an Accord from that time is $600-700 and that is routine maintenance, not a repair. The GM motors have a chain. |
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Replying to: lhy (Apr 04, 2009 5:35 pm) How many miles are on it? Are there maintenance records showing whats been repaired over time? My guess would be it needs shocks and struts - more specifically the rubber bushings that they mount to on the vehicle - need service. That isn't excessively expensive, I would estimate <$500. Some of them had an issue with the power steering, but I can't remember if that was the earlier style (1990-1994) or that one. I would still try to find something newer, that car is 15 years old already.
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