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Recommend a sedan/wagon/van

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Throckmorton said:
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.
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Not really, most sedans will be cheaper to buy, insure, and will be easier to park in the city.

OP, for your price range the best car will be one that you can find that fits these 3 things:
1. It has no huge known reliability problems for that model or known high maintenance costs
2. It wasn't driven by a maniac or have collision damage
3. It was maintained correctly

Specific models won't really be important because the way it was treated will matter more (as long as it was a decent car to begin with). That being said, I have also had good luck with the 3800 V6 GMs that other posters have mentioned. I have one right now, the interior trim is coming apart but the drive train is still going strong.
 
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.
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I wouldn't, either. At that price you should make a list of the least interesting cars you can think to own, the most boring crap and buy it from that list.

Safety frankly means nothing at 100 miles/month. You could drive a sport bike with a trailer and probably be safe you're driving so damn little. Reliability is basically the same, while i'm at it (refuting what I said above). 1200 miles/year is no mileage.

Forget about size. You don't need it and it's just going to limit options. If you want more capacity get a roofbag.com for the occasional trip to parents or a car carrier or something.

Get something small and completely un-fing-interesting like an older focus or sentra.
 
Bignate603 said:
Not really, most sedans will be cheaper to buy, insure, and will be easier to park in the city.

OP, for your price range the best car will be one that you can find that fits these 3 things:
1. It has no huge known reliability problems for that model or known high maintenance costs
2. It wasn't driven by a maniac or have collision damage
3. It was maintained correctly

Specific models won't really be important because the way it was treated will matter more (as long as it was a decent car to begin with). That being said, I have also had good luck with the 3800 V6 GMs that other posters have mentioned. I have one right now, the interior trim is coming apart but the drive train is still going strong.
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Yep, wagon was more of a preference than an absolute. I do like the idea of stocking up on diapers from Costco but Amazon mom/prime's fairly convenient and I could always rent a minivan for a few hours.

I know I shouldn't have this attitude at my budget but my wife finds the 3800 gm models I've been finding pretty fugly. What would you say is a good model to go by for non garish looks? For example, I think I can convince her to go the crown vic route but pontiacs from the early 2000s aren't her cup of tea. She absolutely loves the look of volvos/saabs and even doesn't mind a few Saturns. any saturns use the 3800?
 
No 3800s in the Saturn family, but the 1.9l in the S series Saturns is a darn good engine as long as you keep the oil topped off. The Vue used a Honda built engine and was a very reliable powerplant as well.

I've always thought the Buick Riviera was a nice looking car (looks better in real life than in photos,) but 2 doors is probably a deal breaker.
 
Nope no Saturns use the 3800. They were in Buick Le Sabre, Buick Century, Buick Park Avenue, Chevy Impala, Pontiac Grand Prix, Pontiac Bonneville mainly (at least for 4 doors, although I think a few of the last year Oldsmobiles had them as well but those will take you to a basement.) They're all essentially the same car mechanically.
 
kornphlake said:
No 3800s in the Saturn family, but the 1.9l in the S series Saturns is a darn good engine as long as you keep the oil topped off. The Vue used a Honda built engine and was a very reliable powerplant as well.

I've always thought the Buick Riviera was a nice looking car (looks better in real life than in photos,) but 2 doors is probably a deal breaker.
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There used to be a Buick Riviera in my family, and it was a fun ride. Maintenance was horrid though, I would steer clear.
 
Go the Buick route -

Regal, LeSabre or Park Avenue

All have boring looks - if you want more sport find one that is Supercharged - Regal GS or Park Ave Ultra.

Unsure how the reliability is but you could always look at the Saturn L-Series. The L300 and L200 came in sedan and Wagon form - it was a ported over Opel so they look European.
 
We picked up a '01 Subaru Outback LL Bean edition (V6) for just under $5k. Interior is gorgeous and seems to run very well so far. Plenty of room behind the 2nd row of seats for diapers or whatever. When I was looking, all the good deals on Outbacks were on the East coast. Lots of them in NY and NJ. At only 100 miles/month, it doesn't really matter if the car has 150,000 miles on it.
 
JCH13 said:
There used to be a Buick Riviera in my family, and it was a fun ride. Maintenance was horrid though, I would steer clear.
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What year was it though? They've been making em for decades.

And personally, if you're looking to only spend $5,000 max, I'd steer clear of stuff like Volvo. One problem and you're likely spending $1,000+ for repairs. A buddy of mine had a 97 V70 that started having intake manifold issues and parts alone were expensive as hell. Then if you're not going to do the work yourself when a problem does arise, you're really going to pay through the nose - and with a $5,000 vehicle, I'd question when something will break rather than if something will break. Figure 100,000 miles (about what to expect at this price point) is about 4 trips around the globe, stuff is going to wear out. If nothing does, then you lucked out.
 
CraigRT said:
If its a Volvo its almost guaranteed to be reliable.
Especially an older 850 or V70
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Friend of mine had an S70 and his exact words to me were, "Do not buy old Volvo unless you have lots of cash for repairs." He had two of them actually. He now has a Honda Accord and a Mazda 6...and a Ducati Sport Classic GT1000.
 
Volvos, especially early 2000's volvos, especially S70s and V70s had some pretty wacky computer issues, lots of complaints about the transmission getting stuck in limp mode and very expensive repairs. There's a reason a 2002 volvo with 80k miles cost less than $5000, it's not the diamond in the rough people want them to be.

Read here:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2053784
 
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kornphlake said:
Volvos, especially early 2000's volvos, especially S70s and V70s had some pretty wacky computer issues, lots of complaints about the transmission getting stuck in limp mode and very expensive repairs. There's a reason a 2002 volvo with 80k miles cost less than $5000, it's not the diamond in the rough people want them to be.

Read here:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2053784
Click to expand...

Point taken, avoiding volvo. Really like this saturn. Thoughts?
http://newyork.craigslist.org/que/cto/2575974877.html
 
I don't know much about the Saturn L-series, but they weren't terribly successful. I'd be more comfortable recommending a S-series wagon or sedan, just be sure to check the oil often.
 
That's not a bad find, and there weren't any major glaring issues with them or the 3.0L V6. I've dealt with a couple with trans issues, but they were both just solenoids so wasn't an expensive fix. If anything, I'd be a bit suspect why he's selling it that low with that kind of mileage, but maybe he just wants to get rid of it quicker. If possible, get it out of the city and make sure it holds gear fine when cruising, also take a look under and make sure there's no grease slung around the axles. If that and the standard NVH check checks out, I'd say that's a good deal for what you're looking for.
 
the deal with volvos is basically this (and this is just a garbled up mix of facts and my opionions):

the 80's was the decade of the 240. it's about as sophisticated as a tractor and not much harder to repair. the 90's were the 850. other things were developed, but as a company, volvo was apparently interested in one thing- moving to FWD 5 and 6 cyl aluminum engines.

while they had their quirks, the 850's were not bad cars. for a mechanic or a decent DIYer, they make great beaters. worst fear, same a the newer ones, is engine sludge. keep it maintained and it should go a long time.

1998 saw the intro of the s70- basically a facelifted 850, but with one major caveat; the brand new electrical system. throttle by wire with some AWESOME (code for donkey shit) magneti morelli throttles, and a few sketchy wiring problems. not THAT bad, but i'd still rec an older 850 simply for the cable throttle.

99 brought the 'flagship' s80, which was basically an evolution of the s70- iirc the chassis was brand new, but the s70 seemed to be a bit of a test bed for its electrical system.

it. was. an. abortion. they did gradually get better, but my general advise for volvos, as far as the general public is concerned- avoid 98-2004 cars with ETM's like the friggin' plague.
 
brblx said:
the deal with volvos is basically this (and this is just a garbled up mix of facts and my opionions):

it. was. an. abortion. they did gradually get better, but my general advise for volvos, as far as the general public is concerned- avoid 98-2004 cars with ETM's like the friggin' plague.
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Funny you should mention the 1998 S70 and 1999 S80, my parents own both. They certainly have had issues, but they won't leave you stranded. Repairing them isn't bad if you don't go to a Volvo dealer but rather go to an independent Volvo shop.

Case in point: S80 T6 ABS computer went bork, as they're known to do. Dealer: $800+labor for R&R. Rebuilding outfit: $80 + S&H, haven't had an issue in 7 years with the rebuilt computer.

I think having a good, honest, independent shop support my parents' Volvo habit has really made them (Volvo's) very enjoyable cars to own (1998 S70, 1999 S80, and now a 2007 S60R).
 
The only things I know about Volvos is most people driving them appear to have drank to much wine and that their parts are apparently crazy expensive. My coworker is complaining that after a minor fender bender he's looking at spending $1000 to replace a single headlamp. I told him to duct tape a flashlight on that side but apparently that isn't legal or something.
 
I was looking at those L wagons when they first came out and I believe the knock on them was they were expensive for what you got compared to the competition. Also 03 was the yeasr of the SUV nobodies wagon sold well at all
Now you have found a decently priced one I don't think they have any issues other than 4 02 sensors causing lots o check engines.
Should be able to give you a couple good years though
 
brblx said:
the deal with volvos is basically this (and this is just a garbled up mix of facts and my opionions):

the 80's was the decade of the 240. it's about as sophisticated as a tractor and not much harder to repair. the 90's were the 850. other things were developed, but as a company, volvo was apparently interested in one thing- moving to FWD 5 and 6 cyl aluminum engines.

while they had their quirks, the 850's were not bad cars. for a mechanic or a decent DIYer, they make great beaters. worst fear, same a the newer ones, is engine sludge. keep it maintained and it should go a long time.

1998 saw the intro of the s70- basically a facelifted 850, but with one major caveat; the brand new electrical system. throttle by wire with some AWESOME (code for donkey shit) magneti morelli throttles, and a few sketchy wiring problems. not THAT bad, but i'd still rec an older 850 simply for the cable throttle.

99 brought the 'flagship' s80, which was basically an evolution of the s70- iirc the chassis was brand new, but the s70 seemed to be a bit of a test bed for its electrical system.

it. was. an. abortion. they did gradually get better, but my general advise for volvos, as far as the general public is concerned- avoid 98-2004 cars with ETM's like the friggin' plague.
Click to expand...

Thanks very much for your post, now it's perfectly clear that volvo's not on my list at all. We've found some great deals on subarus, saturns, and (last resorts) buicks and we'll go with whatever has the least miles on it.

One last question - Saab (2000 to 2005) wagons.. Thoughts? MY wife is big on the euro looks (which is why saturn is a big contender, oddly)... We think we're getting an extended warranty either way but I would hate to spend so much time in a repair shop.

Our minimum mileage use may be going up now that we're considering the baby spending much more time and grandmas (vs. paying for childcare). So our budget may increase accordingly, but my mom's just 5 miles away so we're not talking weekly roadtrips.
 
freedomsbeat212 said:
Thanks very much for your post, now it's perfectly clear that volvo's not on my list at all. We've found some great deals on subarus, saturns, and (last resorts) buicks and we'll go with whatever has the least miles on it.

One last question - Saab (2000 to 2005) wagons.. Thoughts? MY wife is big on the euro looks (which is why saturn is a big contender, oddly)... We think we're getting an extended warranty either way but I would hate to spend so much time in a repair shop.

Our minimum mileage use may be going up now that we're considering the baby spending much more time and grandmas (vs. paying for childcare). So our budget may increase accordingly, but my mom's just 5 miles away so we're not talking weekly roadtrips.
Click to expand...

The underlying Saab parts are all GM anyway, right? Shouldn't be too horrendous to repair.
 
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