College Student Looking for a Car

[happyguy155]

Hi everyone. I simply need a car to get to work and every once in a while drive 200 miles to get home. I have about 5-6 grand to spend now (7-8 after this summer) which doesn't leave much for gas or repairs but I have a few jobs so I have some sources of income. I have a few mechanically inclined friends who are willing to give me a lot of help, but if the car breaks down on the freeway 100 miles away I will be out of luck.

- #1 most important Must be reliable
- must have SOME room for luggage (rules out most sports cars )
- decent gas mileage. This rules out most suvs
- something moderately fun to drive would be nice
- also adding that I hate driving cars that have mushy control. Toyota camry, highlander, etc. come to mind.

I think a mid 90s 3 series may fit the bill. I have never driven one, though.

I'm basically asking for a list of cars that I can go test and inspect. By the fall semester, I will need to have purchased a car. Please help!

 

[CurseTheSky]

I personally hate them myself, but it sounds like you need a hatchback / wagon-ish car. Perhaps a Subaru?

Also, if you're looking for reliable and decent gas mileage, forget about sporty. Focus on getting something that will take care of you so long as you take care of it and put luxury / sports / flashy down at the bottom of your list. I would NOT recommend a mid 90s 3 series.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

Unless you're aching for a project car, a mid 90's 3 series is the last thing you would want honestly. This coming from a total german car fan.

A friend of mine has one and has lucked out pretty far with it (no major repairs since he bought it for 2k) thats definetly rare.

Try and find some used domestic sedan (Taurus, Focus, Malibu, L100) They might not be pretty but are decently reliable, cheap to fix and cheap to insure and maintain

 

[desy]

03 + Focus

 

[happyguy155]

I personally hate them myself, but it sounds like you need a hatchback / wagon-ish car. Perhaps a Subaru?

Also, if you're looking for reliable and decent gas mileage, forget about sporty. Focus on getting something that will take care of you so long as you take care of it and put luxury / sports / flashy down at the bottom of your list. I would NOT recommend a mid 90s 3 series.

anything with 4 seats and a trunk should be enough room.

 

[TridenT]

Manual transmission 1993-2000 honda civic DX or VX or HX or CX...

 

[EightySix Four]

Sounds like you need a Lotus Elise.

 

[TridenT]

Sounds like you need a Lotus Elise.

I was thinking more along the lines of a McLaren F1 actually.

 

[Demo24]

Probably find a Mazda 3 in that range. Or if not a Protege would be decent as well.

Also some subaru's if awd is helpful.


Could potentially also find a Lexus is300 for close to that range. Only issue is it won't get wonderful gas mileage. Will be incredibly reliable though and decently fun.

 

[EightySix Four]

I was thinking more along the lines of a McLaren F1 actually.

Have you seen the interior on that thing? Complete crap. The lotus has a very purpose built interior.

 

[TridenT]

Have you seen the interior on that thing? Complete crap. The lotus has a very purpose built interior.

Depends on what version you're looking at. There are ones that have purpose to it.

 

[EightySix Four]

Depends on what version you're looking at. There are ones that have purpose to it.

But not in the way a lotus does.

 

[mb]

- #1 most important Must be reliable

I think a mid 90s 3 series may fit the bill.

lol

 

[InflatableBuddha]

Late 90s/Early 2000s Corolla. Just as reliable as the Civic but cheaper in the used market.

Also look at the Echo - 99/2000 onwards. Fugly but cheap, and gets the job done.

 

[vshah]

you should be able to find a good focus in that price range

 

[MovingTarget]

Late 90s/Early 2000s Corolla. Just as reliable as the Civic but cheaper in the used market.

Also look at the Echo - 99/2000 onwards. Fugly but cheap, and gets the job done.

I'd recommend the Chevy Prism and/or Pontiac Vibe over its Toyota counterpart. Both of these were built at NUMMI, yet the domestic versions typically will cost less on the used market. Same car, more bang for the buck.

For your situation, I'd also recommend a civilian crown vic or grand marquis. The mileage is...okay....but they are damn near bulletproof when it comes to reliability. Should fit your needs just fine.

 

[StageLeft]

Good ideas in this thread. Forget fun to drive/sporty. F.O.R.G.E.T. I.T. That is a luxury for people who have a few extra bucks and there is time later in life for it. It would be a fool's game to avoid a reliable car for one fun at this point and be screwed later over repairs or reliability. Get something reliable/practical. If it's fun it's probably not reliable/practical enough.

 

[StageLeft]

I think a mid 90s 3 series may fit the bill. I have never driven one, though.

LULZ. I missed this. Superbly done, sir.

 

[Excelsior]

I bet one could find an early year Mazda3 Hatch with 5spd for around 9K.

 

[happyguy155]

Thanks for all the help. I mentioned the bmw because I know a mechanic who raves about the 3 series, I guess I should take what he says with a grain of salt.

Were cars like the prizm and the pontiac vibe any different besides cosmetics? I know the drive trains are the same, but I'm curious if the features are any different.

 

[Bignate603]

Thanks for all the help. I mentioned the bmw because I know a mechanic who raves about the 3 series, I guess I should take what he says with a grain of salt.

He might have some motivation for you to get that BMW, you'll probably end up bringing it back to him when it needs something. :hmm:

Were cars like the prizm and the pontiac vibe any different besides cosmetics? I know the drive trains are the same, but I'm curious if the features are any different.

From what I've seen they're pretty comparable. Anyways, if you're looking for a cheap reliable car you should be going for the one that you can find with the drivetrain that's in the best condition, not necessarily the one that had the best options. As long as it has the things you can't absolutely live without (things like the kind of transmission you want or working AC) I'd pick up the car that looks like it has the drivetrain in the best condition.

 

[happyguy155]

From what I've seen they're pretty comparable. Anyways, if you're looking for a cheap reliable car you should be going for the one that you can find with the drivetrain that's in the best condition, not necessarily the one that had the best options. As long as it has the things you can't absolutely live without (things like the kind of transmission you want or working AC) I'd pick up the car that looks like it has the drivetrain in the best condition.

Thanks, and I agree completely. Like I said I would have closer to 7-8 grand after this summer to put completely towards a purchase, and I'd like something a little bigger than a corolla if possible. I will look for the vibe and the mazda3 hatch to test drive when I can, I think they were great suggestions.

Are there any other cars I should be thinking about?

 

[PsiStar]

Late 90s/Early 2000s Corolla. Just as reliable as the Civic but cheaper in the used market.

Also look at the Echo - 99/2000 onwards. Fugly but cheap, and gets the job done.

I have one of these for sale ... where the heck are you ... probably SoCal???

 

[Raduque]

Something like this would be perfect for you, happyguy155.

http://corpuschristi.craigslist.org/cto/1697303359.html

 

[Gibson486]

your in college. get a pos that will last. When i was in college, I drove a pos Altima with 100K on it. It fit the bill nicely. I treated it like a POS too. I never did maintanance (had to pay for beer some how) and it did not show signs of being old until i got rid of it at 150K (O2, knock sensors, and catylic converter needed to be changed). Get something that you will not mid getting dinged up.