Article Comments - The 10 Best Used Cars for Less Than $5,000

34 messages, Last post on Apr 26, 2009 at 1:30 PM

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

What is this discussion about? Acura Integra, Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang, Honda Prelude, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Mazda MX-5 Miata, Nissan 240SX, Subaru Impreza, Car Buying

The 10 Best Used Cars for Less Than $5,000 - A dealer lot is the wrong place to get a deal on a used car. Check out Autotrader.com, eBay.com, craigslist.org or a local paper. (more)

Outline

Messages Page 4 of 4: 1; 2; 3; 4; Prev; Next; Last

#26 of 34 94 mustang GT by iron_man Apr 14, 2009 (6:34 am)
I owned a 94 mustang GT which I bought used in 96 for like $10K. I installed a catback exhaust, 3.55 gears, underdrive pulleys, K&N. I had that through college, first job, grad school, and a little while after I finished grad school. When I got rid of it it had 120K+ miles and was 12 yrs old and was still going very strong. I beat the heck out of the that car on a regular basis and it never gave me any problems.....that was one tough car. It had tons of torque...esp with the 3.55 gear. Also it sounded great with the exhaust...not too loud just a really good rumble. It was a great car for me at the time considering I was in school most of the time. It was fun to drive, maintenance was cheap, and I never had any costly repairs.
#27 of 34 '90-'91 Honda Civic Si and CRX Si by igozoomzoom Apr 15, 2009 (7:52 am)
If you can find one that hasn't been modified and/or driven into the ground, both the Civic Si and CRX Si are still a blast to drive!
#29 of 34 SUBIE! by bmccormick_40 Apr 17, 2009 (3:29 pm)
I had a 98 2.5 RS coupe, black with gold wheels and trim. It was a blast to drive on road, off road, in the snow, rain, dry, blasting back and forth from Boston to New York, cross country, Montreal, ski trips...that car never let me down. I miss it immensely. I upgraded to a first gen WRX when they arrived here. That was a fun car, but it lacked the spirit and the spunk of the RS. I'll take the 165 hp boxer over the 2.0 turbo any day. I've looked for a replacement, but a low-mileage used is pretty hard to find.
#30 of 34 next articles like that ! by dyzio Apr 18, 2009 (7:01 am)
great car choice..!..great thread.. how about next topics: best till; 10, 20 , 30 K $...., I love 240sx looks ! mr2 nice car.. Miata and prelude are cool.. but well presercved Mustang Camaro or F-birrd from 80/90-ties would be also nice shot
#31 of 34 Image car by dyzio Apr 18, 2009 (7:05 am)
how about first Pontiac Solstice...?IMAGE CAR I've seen yesterday it parked next to Porshe 911 previous gen..and I dont need to tell you wchich one looked best .. Solstice look 3x better , an d cost 3 x less....
#32 of 34 '97+ Honda Prelude for under $5k? by igozoomzoom Apr 18, 2009 (8:26 pm)
The '07-'01 Prelude is probably my favorite car on this list. But finding even a base model in good condition for under $5k is nearly impossible! I searched AutoTrader for '97-'01 Preludes within 300 miles of Atlanta. There were 89 of them, but only two under $5k- a '99 SH with 217k miles, automatic trans and some exterior mods AND a '97 base model with interior and exterior mods and 190k miles (also automatic). Most were in the $7k and up range..... Replies to this message: oregonboy (Apr 18, 2009 8:38 pm)
#33 of 34 Re: '97+ Honda Prelude for under $5k? [igozoomzoom] by oregonboy Apr 18, 2009 (8:38 pm)
Replying to: igozoomzoom (Apr 18, 2009 8:26 pm) Jeez, I feel your pain. What's the point of a Prelude if it's got an automatic?!?!?!?
#34 of 34 Prelude by nyccarguy Apr 26, 2009 (1:30 pm)
I absolutely LOVE my 2001 Honda Prelude Type SH! I bought it brand new as a leftover on April 27, 2002 (7 years ago tomorrow). I just hit 110,000 miles and the car still looks great & drives amazing. My car has a build date of October 2001, making it one of the last Preludes ever built (I think production stopped in ovember '01). I still get compliments on what great condition it is in. I sincerely hope my car is worth more than $5,000 but I don't plan on getting rid of it anytime soon. The car is germanicaly solid, very well screwed together, handles amazingly, & is fast enough (you'll lose the stoplight drag race to ANYTHING with a V6). I put a set of 4 snow tires during the winter months & run High Performance Summer tires during the spring/summer/fall seasons. I drive this car everyday and don not baby it by any means. Base Prelude vs. Type SH Prelude The differences are subtle. The Type SH has a sticker on the rear, a standard rear spoiler (you can tell if there is no 3rd brake light in the rear window that the car is a Type SH), a leather shift knob (instead of the standard Honda shifter), The Type SH ONLY came equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission, and different 16" spoke alloy wheels (straight 5 spokes as opposed to the base model which came with 16" saw blade style 5 spokes) & Honda's ATTS (Active Torque Transfer System) which routes power to the outside wheel when cornering to reduce understeer. The base model weighs less than the Type SH model. The Type SH Prelude has puddle lamps on the inside of the doors. My only gripe with my car was the fact that I had to replace the clutch at 52,000 miles. Apparently premature clutch wear is common on Type SH Preludes. In order to replace the clutch, the ATTS unit has to be disconnected & re-installed which according to Honda's shop manual requires an additional 4-5 hours of labor. My modifications to the car are: Apexi World Sport cat back exhaust system - I had to replace the exhaust system when I drove over a 3/4" thick steel plate in the road. The Apexi (Stainless Steel) is quieter than stock at idle/low speeds, doesn't drone on the highway, but when you jump on the gas it lets you know you're not driving any old 4cyl Honda. Suspension Techniques front & rear anti-roll bars - Thicker than stock & reduce body roll. Probably the best modification you can make to the Prelude. Centerforce Clutch: After the stock clutch burnt out at 52,000 miles, I didn't want to have to replace the clutch again after I got the repair estimate. It is 90% stronger than stock & doesn't feel any heavier. Brakes: My original brakes lasted 86,000 miles. I replaced them with Hawk Pads & Cross Drilled Brembro rotors in the front. Did I leave anything out?