Need a Car - Does Buying a Beater Make Any Sense?

[WhipperSnapper]

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Bartman39



I need to get a new because my prior car has been totaled, making my wife and I a one car family now. We probably wouldn't have any difficulty qualifying for financing on a new car, but I'm not convinced that purchasing a brand new vehicle (Kia Soul, Hyundai Accent hatch, or Hyundai Elantra hatch) or even a vehicle that's slightly used (say under 15,000 miles) would make any sense.

Based on my driving habits and my 3-mile round trip commute to/from work that results in no more than 2000 miles/year worth of driving, I'm not sure it makes sense to saddle myself with $200/month worth of payments for four or five years for a vehicle that won't travel very far.

I just need the candidate vehicle to reliably start when its zero degrees outside and take me to and from work (which is only 1.5 miles away) and around town now and then (perhaps 10-15 mile round trips).

So, would it make financial and practical sense to perhaps purchase an older beater car?

I was thinking of looking at 10-15 year old vehicles priced around $3000 with 120-150,000 miles on them, preferably from manufacturers that tend to be known for high build quality and longevity (Subaru, Acura, etc.)

Would something like a 2003 Subaru Forrester with 150,000 miles on it be a good idea?

I figure that if the vehicle looks good inside and out and starts up and drives decently during a test drive that it would be OK. If a vehicle purchased for $3000 lasted three years and 6000 miles, that would be a victory.

Any suggested makes/models that could be had in that price range? There see to be many Oldsmobile Aleros with about 130,000 miles on them for around $3000 in my area.

 

[AmdEmAll]

Find a Subaru with the 2.2L.. that engine is bullet proof. Stay away from the DOHC 2.5L

 

[xaeniac]

Ford focus may be good candidates.

 

[thedarkwolf]

That is what I've done my whole life. The 2.5l subaru engine from those years has headgasket issues which is why amdemall is saying go for an older 2.2l. It is also damn hard to find a subaru for $3k around here at all unless it is a POS.

Before my current car I had an 03 pontiac vibe with 200k on it and got it for $2200. It had been lightly back into on the passenger side denting both doors but I didn't give crap and it ran great. The pointiac vibe is just a toyota matrix clone which is basically just a toyota corolla wagon. They are very reliable soul sucking bore machines oh and it is very practical. They aren't too hard to find cheap.

With as few miles as you drive gas mileage doesn't matter so also look at some of the older SUVs. Their prices may have bounced back a bit since gas prices crashed but you couldn't give away something like a 2000 ford explorer last time I looked.

 

[Demo24]

The 2.2l's last year was the legacy in 1999, and I wouldn't recommend buying a 15 year old car like that. I had a 1995 legacy, slow as hell and did not get good mileage. Most of those headgaskets in the 2.5 would be fixed by now. An impreza from ~2002 and up should be ok.


However, I'm not sure it makes great sense to do this. You might get lucky and find a car that won't need anything for 50k miles. On the other hand at 150k already, it wouldn't be surprising to start having to do more and more to it.

I'd also take a look at the various Hondas from that era, if maintained they should be decent.Lexus's are also generally very reliable ( I've heard the is300 is just about bullet proof and probably getting close to your budget now).

 

[skyking]

I'd have no problem with a 15 or even 20 year old car in your situation. 3K should get you a nice set of wheels, and lets all face it MPG should not even be a consideration. Quit worrying about that, because anything you choose will never get warm enough to actually do well.
2000 miles / 20 MPG = 100 gallons a year. $300 at the old prices
2000 miles / 30 MPG = 66.7 gallons a year. $200 at the old prices

trying to get another paltry 100 a year could cost you thousands at a shop.

Use comfort, reliability, tire condition, anything but MPG to make a decision.

 

[desy]

Second the 2005+ Focus and Vibe at that price
The Aleros had lots of electrical gremlins , but Saturn's would be OK for Chev
http://usedcars.about.com/od/research/fl/10-Used-Cars-that-Are-Cheap-but-Reliable.htm

 

[AmdEmAll]

You can find old Lexus for under 3k.. they are bulletproof.. they will have maybe some of the electrical things that dont work but the engine and trans usually have no issues.

 

[thedarkwolf]

However, I'm not sure it makes great sense to do this. You might get lucky and find a car that won't need anything for 50k miles. On the other hand at 150k already, it wouldn't be surprising to start having to do more and more to it.

One of the nice things about driving cheap cars is the "Who gives a crap?" factor. If you go cheap enough that really gets to be fun lol. About six months ago my dad bought an $1800 Mercedes ml320 with 200k on it STUPID but it is so cheap so "Who gives a crap?". Pretty much every warning light is lit up on the dash but none of them effect its running or driving. He is retired so doesn't drive a lot and my Mom has a really nice new subaru so they have another reliable car. If he gets a year out of it before something major happens he wins and anything over that is all bonus. When something major does go it is off to the junkyard and he will get something else. My current beater is my nicest an 04 vw jetta wagon TDI with 230k miles on it that I paid $3500 for. It is actually a bit too nice for the Who gives a crap game but I've had it almost 3 years now with no real problems so I've already won with it and am in the bonus round.

The OP only lives 1.5 miles from work and his wife has another car so even reliability shouldn't be a huge deal. If it came down to it he can walk or bike to work very quickly.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Thanks for the replies, guys. Yeah, gas mileage really isn't a big issue here. I've driven eco-boxes my entire life (Ford Escorts, Saturn SL2), so the prospect of getting into an SUV or an older luxury vehicle that once sold for $25,000+ is appealing.

Wouldn't an SUV carry potentially expensive repair issues? I wouldn't want a huge one, but something more in the Jeep Liberty or "cute ute" size category.

One poster suggested that I could have issues trying to get 50,000 miles on it. That's not an issue. If I could get 10,000 miles and the vehicle ran for four years it would be awesome. At $3000 purchased, 3 years and 6000 miles would be victory. 2 years and 4000 miles would be like breaking even (allowing me to kick the vehicle issue down the road for two years).

How about Audi Quatros? There seem to be a few in my area. Volkswagens? Honda Accords? There also seem to be some Toyota Camrys and Nissan Sentras/Altimas/Maximas out there. Tons of Ford Tauruses.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

For those of you who enjoy shopping, if anyone wants to look through AutoTrader and identify some candidates, here's a link to a thread I created for that purpose:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2417110

 

[thomsbrain]

This sounds like an excellent job for a $500 Saturn with body damage!

 

[nerp]

Crown Vic would be a solid bet. Or a GM car with the 3800 engine. The beauty of a Crown Vic is that parts a'plenty and cheap.

 

[Omar F1]

If you can find a 99/2000 Honda Civic with good condition, it is easy to maintain and reliable as well.
Whatever your choice is, just be careful, your time is precious to waste it on mechanic shop visits.

Owning a new car isn't a bad idea, personally I'd pick a new Corolla rather than a used Camry.