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Looking to find a nice used vehicle for $8k - $10k

C

Chrono

Diamond Member
I currently have an 2008 EVO X but due to financial reasons, I have to get rid of it so that I can save up and buy my future home. I was thinking of a used mid sized sedan preferably but with a sporty feel to it. I'm not afraid of higher mileage vehicles if previous or current owner feedback has been good in reviews.

Can you guys please recommend some finds for me? Preferably 2003+ years or something. I had a loaner 2010 civic a month ago and boy was that... nasty to drive. I loved the mileage though!

How about the Pontiac vibe 2009? I found a used fleet one for under 10k with 39k miles.
 
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IS300 would be a good choice for you - since you have a EVO you are used to getting raped on car insurance. IS300 loss rates are huge so ins premiums are high.

I'd also look at a GTI, Saab 9-3 (2004 - 2005) AERO models, Mazdaspeed Protege,
 
Mazda6s is right up your alley. I bought an '04 6i a few months ago for $9500, with 45,000 miles on it. GREAT car. Excellent to drive, but the 4-cyl is a little slow so I recommend trying to find a higher-mile 6-cyl. Prices have come down in the last few months.


Also, check out 2004+ Volkswagen GLIs.
 
Saab 92x Aero.. nicer version of the wrx wagon. They are a lot cheaper too since they have the Saab badge on them.
 
You can get an 2000ish BMW 3 Series for around 10K. Mileage varies, but I've seen some with 70-80K miles for that price.
 
2006-2007 Fusion V6 should be in that price range, with around 45k miles. They're not "sporty," but they have enough pep to be fun and the suspension handles very well. Maintenance, insurance, and overall cost of ownership should be dirt cheap. Mazda 6 is the same car with different looks.
 
CurseTheSky said:
2006-2007 Fusion V6 should be in that price range, with around 45k miles. They're not "sporty," but they have enough pep to be fun and the suspension handles very well. Maintenance, insurance, and overall cost of ownership should be dirt cheap. Mazda 6 is the same car with different looks.
Click to expand...

1st gen Fusion vs 1st Gen Mazda 6 = Mazda 6
2nd gen Fusion vs 2nd Gen Mazda 6 = Fusion
 
Lotheron said:
1st gen Fusion vs 1st Gen Mazda 6 = Mazda 6
2nd gen Fusion vs 2nd Gen Mazda 6 = Fusion
Click to expand...

The price can be a huge part of the decision, though. Since you'll be looking at used cars for the 1st gen, it comes down to what they can find (options, mileage, etc.) and what they're asking.

In my case, for example, three different dealers had 2007-2008 Fusion V6's with relatively low miles AND 2006-2007ish Mazda 6's with the same. In all cases, they wanted an extra $2-3k for the Mazda 6, which I wasn't willing to pay.
 
CurseTheSky said:
The price can be a huge part of the decision, though. Since you'll be looking at used cars for the 1st gen, it comes down to what they can find (options, mileage, etc.) and what they're asking.

In my case, for example, three different dealers had 2007-2008 Fusion V6's with relatively low miles AND 2006-2007ish Mazda 6's with the same. In all cases, they wanted an extra $2-3k for the Mazda 6, which I wasn't willing to pay.
Click to expand...

That's because, as I explained, they are better cars. 🙂
 
Ok.

I've researched and so far I found an IS300 sportcross for $9k. Insurance is $1200/year for me (I live in SOCAL). It has 80k miles on it. Seems almost all other IS300s from 2002 have about 130k-150k miles and are priced lower obviously. I'm going to have to check it out later this week.

As for the 2005 Mazda6 i Sport it's going for 9-10k and insurance is about $1100. The cars usually have about 50-80k miles on it.

I tried looking for the saab aero 92 but no dice for a used one anywhere near me.

I checked out the 2005 Maxima, and it seems to be priced around 13k, which is outside my price range. I checked out 2003 Maximas and they are priced around 7-9k.

Anyway, can people who have experiences with these cars please chime in? I'm trying to narrow things down. Thanks guys!
 
Is300 is going to be ever so slightly faster than an '03 Maxima SE (probably imperceptible), but the RWD will make it a little more fun. Interior quality is actually comparable, those first gen IS models were somewhat more like a generic Toyota inside rather than the plush LS/ES feel.

The Mazda6 will be the least exciting to drive out of the three, but it's a good vehicle overall. It's more comparable to a Camry/Accord with slightly sportier looks and steering feedback, but it's still based on either a great but not that powerful 4cyl, or a woefully outdated and outgunned V6. That problem affected the Fusion as well. The 'Duratec' 3.0L V6 doesn't put out a lot of power, doesn't get that great fuel economy, and is just a generation behind the competitors. The Duratec 2.0, 2.3, and especially 2.5L are fantastic, very reliable, and just as good as any competing i4.

If that IS300 with 80k for $9k is in excellent condition, that could be a real steal. It seems too cheap imho, but sometimes great deals can indeed be found.

Best advice : go test drive a Maxima SE and an IS300, and see if they strike a chord with you.
 
Yeah I just checked the carfax record count and there seems to be 35 existing records... something tells me its been through a lot which explains the cost. Damn! I was excited as well though.
I think I'll go check out the Maxima SE. I can't find another IS300 within 200 miles that is less than 100k miles.
 
So would any of you trust a vehicle that was formerly a lease/fleet vehicle? I see a lot of fusions out there that are either leases/fleet vehicles... Hmmm
 
Did you actually buy the carfax or did you just get the free check that shows you how many records there are? Those records could be a whole lot of nothing. Also the sportcross ones are rare and awesome.
 
I went with autocheck.com instead. Signed up for unlimited reports since carfax.com is 5 reports for $45. Screw that! I checked the IS300 sportcross out and it seems to have frame damage in it, which is why it cost 9k with such low mileage.
 
angry hampster said:
You must have a horrendous driving record for insurance on a 4cyl Mazda6 to be that high. 😀
Click to expand...

California insurance can be very high, particularly if you live in a large metro area, or god forbid LA itself. Just the simple act of driving to a hardware store and a burger shack can take a good couple of hours of bumper to bumper madness alongside drivers of questionable competence. Yeah it does suck though. I noticed that when I moved out of Dallas county here in texas my insurance dropped about 20%. It's *very* location sensitive, perhaps even more so than the standard male vs. female, under 25 vs over, 1-2 accidents vs no accidents factors. That makes a little bit of sense when you think that for every accident, there's usually (not always) one person who wasn't at fault at all, and the more concentrated urban areas with far more drivers make it statistically much higher that during any routine trip you'll be rear-ended or clipped by an idiot texting or drunk.
 
My driving record is not bad actually. I had an at fault accident that I claimed where I hit the side of my car against a 2 feet high wall when I moved to my brother's house in West Covina, which caused my insurance to go up from 1250 -> 1450. Other than that, my record has always been great.

Arkaign is right about CA, I live 7 miles away from downtown LA in a city south of Pasadena and it is definitely a high risk area... especially with all the immigrants around... grrrr
 
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