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Friend looking for cheap car

EightySix Four

EightySix Four

Diamond Member
She doesn't really care about performance but she wants something that doesn't look like a piece of crap. She is going to go look at a '97 Eclipse Spyder with 137k miles, but I've been told those are't in the least bit reliable. Do you guys have any suggestions in the $3000 range? Unfortunately this car is going to need to last her a few years of maybe 10-20k a year driving so I figure as low mileage as possible would be important. I'll help her to remember maintenance so that should be covered. I really don't know much about this market so help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Maybe a good deal on a honda prelude might work out?
 
For a Prelude - you could probably pick up a relatively clean 4th gen (92 - 96) for that. Any 5G you can find in that range you won't want, and the 3g is probably older than she would like. Or maybe an Integra of similar year.

The Subaru SVX (92-97) falls into that range, and are good all season cars (AWD, reliable) but these are automatic only (unless you get a swapped one), and are notorious for transmission failure. I'm actually looking at buying one of these myself.

I've heard good things about the later Hyundai Tiburon, although I don't know much about the price range or trouble areas.
 
Originally posted by: Black88GTA
For a Prelude - you could probably pick up a relatively clean 4th gen (92 - 96) for that. Any 5G you can find in that range you won't want, and the 3g is probably older than she would like. Or maybe an Integra of similar year.

The Subaru SVX (92-97) falls into that range, and are good all season cars (AWD, reliable) but these are automatic only (unless you get a swapped one), and are notorious for transmission failure. I'm actually looking at buying one of these myself.

I've heard good things about the later Hyundai Tiburon, although I don't know much about the price range or trouble areas.
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She can't drive stick so that'd be fine. We live in Texas so weather really isn't much of an issue, although AWD would be nice when those storms come blazing through.
 
Cheap, sporty-looking, decently reliable?

Ford Escort ZX2. Looks decent and there's a lot of Mazda in the DNA. Also, since the resale isn't great you can get relative bargains on them.

The SVX is not a good choice. It was a high-lux "halo car" for Subaru and relatively few (total of only 14,257 cars) were sold. It will be expensive to fix and hard to find parts for. It's a fun car, but not a good choice for someone who is looking for a reliable and inexpensive vehicle.

Prelude would be a good choice, but they can be hard to find in unmolested condition. A lot of them have been modified by people of, shall we say, limited mechanical abilities.

ZV
 
Originally posted by: Black88GTA
For a Prelude - you could probably pick up a relatively clean 4th gen (92 - 96) for that. Any 5G you can find in that range you won't want, and the 3g is probably older than she would like. Or maybe an Integra of similar year.
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A prelude would be a damn fine choice if you ask me. I love the design of the 4th gen preludes more than almost anything else Honda made...well except for the CRX hehe.

And so for the 3rd gen. Don't be hating on it hehe I have seen some decent looking 3rd gen and had a secret desire to go steel one of my buddies 3rd gen and drive it around. I especially like the driver area and the interior, the steering wheel looks awesome and the exterior looks sleek. Here are some pictures for illustration's sake:

Nice Looks

Want that steering wheel for my old accord 😛
 
Originally posted by: DarkThinker
Originally posted by: Black88GTA
For a Prelude - you could probably pick up a relatively clean 4th gen (92 - 96) for that. Any 5G you can find in that range you won't want, and the 3g is probably older than she would like. Or maybe an Integra of similar year.
Click to expand...

A prelude would be a damn fine choice if you ask me. I love the design of the 4th gen preludes more than almost anything else Honda made...well except for the CRX hehe.

And so for the 3rd gen. Don't be hating on it hehe I have seen some decent looking 3rd gen and had a secret desire to go steel one of my buddies 3rd gen and drive it around. I especially like the driver area and the interior, the steering wheel looks awesome and the exterior looks sleek. Here are some pictures for illustration's sake:

Nice Looks

Want that steering wheel for my old accord 😛
Click to expand...

Haha, no hate here...I own a 3G, and love it 🙂

Mine although not nearly as nice as the one you posted. That one is beautiful! Mine's not even as nice as it looks in the pic, that was taken right after using rubbing compound all over the oxidized paint and a thorough washing. I only said that because most people (especially non-car people) seem to be deathly afraid of any car more than 15 years old.
 
I wouldn't get a Prelude. I'd be too scared about it being stolen or broken into. Also since it has a more "performance" image, it might be harder to find one unmolested.
 
Cheap, sporty, AND reliable?

Pick two.

At $3000 you're more at a crossroads of how well a car was taken care of vs. brand/model. I'd be looking at how much it'll cost to replace wear and tear parts since that's what you'll be doing for the next three years and insurance rates.

A mid to late 90's Maxima would probably be at the top of my list. But I don't know what she considers "Sporty".

 
For $3,000.00 I would be looking for a well cared for car, regardless of brand, sportiness or any other non-important factors. When you have that little to spend you can't really be picky.
 
Everyone missed this one.

Grand Prix GT Coupe or Monte Carlo

200HP 3.8L V6


$3K is a tough budget but when it comes to future repairs I think this one is the best choice as it will be easy & cheap.


Another fine choice:

Mercury Cougar 1999+




 
Originally posted by: crazySOB297
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/966378439.html

Thoughts?
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Didn't you say you wanted automatic only? That one is a 5 speed. Sounds nice otherwise...I'd get actual pics + VIN + background check (Carfax, etc) before going to look at it though.

And yes, a Grand Prix would be a good choice too - parts + repairs are relatively cheap, and you can get the cars for pennies. You could also get an S/C model (GTP) which is nice, but you also get all the baggage of forced induction - added complexity, higher running cost, probably slightly less reliable, higher fuel consumption...plus, it's much more likely that the previous owner beat on it. At any rate, you should be able to find a fairly decent Grand Prix for $3k. Monte Carlo is a decent choice, kind of bland IMO, but if she likes it...

As for a 99 Cougar..ehhh...I thought I heard those had reliability issues, and parts were relatively costly. I will admit that I don't know much about them though.
 
I figure it will be worth teaching her stick since most manuals are more reliable than their auto counterparts.

All these are great ideas, I appreciate them. We are looking at each and she likes quite a few. We were invited to an auction with a friend who owns a used car dealership so we'll see if we can luck out :thumbsup:

BTW the eclipse was a death trap, I've never felt terrified driving a car before that moment. Gas pedal was stuck at 0% throttle, and once I got it unstuck it went straight to WOT even though I was only pressing maybe 10% then it jerked its way around the block while getting shaky at 30mph. That car is going to kill someone.
 
Originally posted by: crazySOB297
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/966378439.html

Thoughts?
Click to expand...



That's a manual and unless you plan on trying to teach your female freind to drive it (without first grinding the gears to dust) I would recommend an auto.

It's too bad that your friend can't go new. Last Sunday I read a Hyundai ad with particularly low prices on new Elantras and Sonatas, well equipped for $11K and $12K respectively, well equipped. I considered buying one back in '07 for my wife until she told me to go buy her a Civic.


Good luck ...
 
Originally posted by: dud
Originally posted by: crazySOB297
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/966378439.html

Thoughts?
Click to expand...



That's a manual and unless you plan on trying to teach your female freind to drive it (without first grinding the gears to dust) I would recommend an auto.

It's too bad that your friend can't go new. Last Sunday I read a Hyundai ad with particularly low prices on new Elantras and Sonatas, well equipped for $11K and $12K respectively, well equipped. I considered buying one back in '07 for my wife until she told me to go buy her a Civic.


Good luck ...
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It'll be her boyfriend doing the teaching, and his problem. She actually can get a stick moving around and drive from point to point with one now, she just stalls once or twice along the way. :laugh:

Yeah, the local Subaru dealership is doing a buy something get an impreza for $1, would be nice if should could work it out, but she's in college and doesn't need the bills right now. She has cash as is.
 
Originally posted by: vi edit
Cheap, sporty, AND reliable?

Pick two.
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Not exactly. The missing word is "New/Low Mileage".😉

You can get something that's cheap, sporty, and reliable as long as it's decades old.
 
Just thought you guys should know she got into a '93 Miata with 105k miles for 2300, plus a good deal on a paintjob. The car is not mint, but the owners have 4(!?) miatas and knew how to take care of them well, plus if we had any issues they said they'd be more than happy to help out. Has a new clutch (we're just going to teach her stick) and seems to be in great running condition.

Thanks for all the suggestions!
 
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