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Recommend a sedan/wagon/van

S

slackerinabox

Lifer
NYC dweller and new parent - we won't use the car very often at all other than baby related trips (to grandparents or pediatrician- we will not be commuting), so we don't want to spend very much at all. We saved up $5,000 and that's an absolute max and we'd like to spend less if possible. Completely unpretentious requirements - we don't care about the brand name, the looks, the model year (as long as it's not so old it'll be a money pit), or even the type of car but we're leaning toward wagons so that we can stock up on baby necessities at Costco.

Here are the base requirements:
- Very safe
- Very reliable
- We plan on driving it less than 100 miles a month
- Wagon or sedan with a big trunk
- Auto transmission

Any suggestions? We've found 2000+ volvo v40s and saab 9-5s in our budget and are leaning towards those. Pretentious note is that we love the way the 2001 passat wagons looked but all of my research says to run away from VWs - good advice or should I still consider a passat if a good deal comes through?

Thanks!

**UPDATE**
Finally bought a car - a 2002 Saturn Vue V6, AWD from ebay of all places. $3400 plus I picked up a deluxe extended warranty (bumper to bumper, not just drive train) for $2,000 for 5 years (transferable since I plan to sell the car in about 2 or 3 years, makes a nice premium for the buyer). Not glamorous in the least but the perfect size with plenty of space for groceries. Only issues were the need for new sparkplugs (waiting for my wife's grand dad to help me out on that) plus the stock radio was stuck in lock, quickly replaced for a Pioneer which adds ipod integration and bluetooth - all in all not bad at all for just a hair over my budget with the sanity of an extended warranty. It's def. not as glamorous as the VW or volvo we wanted at first but we couldn't afford glamor with our budget, and paying for a car in cash feels great - no car payment!


Thanks for all the suggestions, wasn't even considering GM until you guys suggested it!
 
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I didn't really read your post, nor do I really care, but Swedish and turbo'd is always a good plan. 😀

Edit: With that said, you probably want to stay away from the turbo models if you're trying to find the most reliable motor. Personally I'd stay away from Passats and VW's, but that's just me.
 
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Jumpem said:
If you are driving that little, it would make more financial sense to rent something a couple times a month.
Click to expand...

We used zipcar for a while (hourly and daily rentals) for the 9 to 12 times a month we used it; owning is much cheaper. Rentals ingeneral are very expensive do to huge taxes and insurance requirements.
 
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...e=b&num_records=100&cardist=50&standard=false

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...pe=b&num_records=100&cardist=4&standard=false


http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...e=b&num_records=100&cardist=47&standard=false

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...e=b&num_records=100&cardist=21&standard=false

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...e=b&num_records=100&cardist=49&standard=false

This outback is a hair more but is a quality safe car. Since you have small children dont skimp on safety for them and for you since your now responsible for them. I lived in the upper west side Manhattan and kept a 15 year old honda accord in parking that I had to take the train to. Remember on those cold days when you NEED the car and its been sitting for a while will it reliably start?

Edit added nice clean looking montero a metro north ride away.
 
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I'll toss in GMs with the 3800 series V6 - L36 & L26 or their supercharged variants, basically any 3800 from 1995 on up. Used car prices are a bit crazy now IMO, but these can be had for relatively cheap, have a lot of trunk space, and the 3800 is one of most reliable V6's ever made. Just throwing it out there.
 
03 + Focus wagon, Pontiac Vibe, Buicks, Saturn Vue the plastic won't rust in NYC.
look for the highest trim levels cause that usually means more airbags
 
Saab 9-5s can be very cheap to get, just get one that is a 2004+ to avoid getting one that was prone to sludging.

Here's a picture of a 2000 wagon I picked up last year.

SDC10849.jpg
 
Buick Regal, Chevy Impala, Buick LeSabre, Pontiac Grand Prix.

Basically any GM model with the 3800 V6. They are very reliable, cheap to insure, roomy & spacious inside with very large trunks. They also get decent fuel economy with low 20's combined and upper 20's hwy.

If you can squeeze a few more dollars into your budget - I would recommend a Mazda 6 Wagon or hatchback.

Also may want to look at the Focus Wagon - its compact but has great interior space.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. Looking at GMs and crossing volvos off the list - major transmission problems noted. Any others to look at? Doubt I'll find a subaru in my price range but how old can I go with them without it being a reliability problem? Figure we'll use the car for 2 years before trading up.
 
Didn't the GM 3800 have an intake manifold gasket problem? I know it was corrected with an updated gasket but I'm not sure when it was implemented. Other than the gasket problem those late 90's GM sedans are pretty reliable. You might consider a Taurus wagon as well they were pretty decent vehicles near the end of the production run.
 
does it have to be a wagon? their lack of popularity anymore means you often either have to pony up for a new one or buy a beater.

i would just look into hatches and small SUVS (essentially just compact 5 door hatches with more ground clearance).

might not hold QUITE as much, but i think your combo of cheap, reliable, and safe would be easier to find.
 
An SUV makes more sense. More durability, more safety, gas mileage doesn't matter at only 100 miles a month, and you can use it in a blizzard.
 
I wouldn't buy anything German or anything Swedish for $5000. You are just looking at expensive repair bills with them unless you get extremely lucky and find one that was literally owned by a little old lady from Pasadena with full service history and even then it's a crap shoot as to how reliable it will be.
 
JulesMaximus said:
I wouldn't buy anything German or anything Swedish for $5000. You are just looking at expensive repair bills with them unless you get extremely lucky and find one that was literally owned by a little old lady from Pasadena with full service history and even then it's a crap shoot as to how reliable it will be.
Click to expand...

If its a Volvo its almost guaranteed to be reliable.
Especially an older 850 or V70
 
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