$5k ... buy a used car or use as a downpayment on a new car? (1 Viewer)

[Michael Silla]

The old school of thought is that cars are only good for 100,000 miles. Not true. Any car built from the 90s up should go at least 150,000 if not more with maintenence

I sure hope so Mike . I just finished sinking a total of $1300 into my '97 Nissan 200SX SE-R with the hope that It could last for ANOTHER 100,000 miles. Currently it has ~98,000 miles and it just asked for a new Clutch lever, cable and plate as well as a new alternator. It made two requests, once it left me stranded in a residential neighborhood, the other time on the freeway.

As others have mentioned, I have begun to look at cars in general as ugh, appliances. It pains me to say it - you really have no idea how much it does. I travel a minimum of 67 miles a day, sometimes more. Yah, it would be nice to travel in the utmost comfort and yah the market is filled with vehicles choices that make me want to buy.....

Nissan 350Z
Mits Lancer EVO
WRX STi
Maxima 3.5se
Heck, even the Mazda 6

To name a few.....but I digress. Owning a home changes your priorities quickly. Saving for a home is one of the smartest things I did. As others have said, you seem to be on the right track.

Michael

 

[JohnRice]

Frederick, I sympathize with the height problem. I am 6' 6" 250 and I find virtually all Japanese cars are pretty uncomfortable. It is often not just legroom, but kneeroom in particular I have a problem with. The dashboards tend to go too low where I find several American models have the bottom of the dashboard higher. Think about what your legs and knees will do if you do happen to get in an accident.

The reason I mentioned the Cavalier is because my ex bought one used for a very reasonable price and it was a pretty nice car and fit me much better than any of the Japanese models we saw. She also looked at a Grand Prix, which I think was even more spacious, but she didn't like it as much.

 

[DavidAM]

I think you can get something like a 1999-2000 Honda Accord LX which is very reliable for around $10K or so. Put the $5K down and you'd have a $100 car note and a good reliable car.

 

[Eric Kahn]

Here is my opinion

you can get a really good used car for that $5000
you do not need to spend any more than that
toyota camary 4 cylinder varieties are great cars and very reliable, so are the honda accords
the mid 90's GM front wheel drive sedans with the 3.8 v6 have been very reliable cars,
as much as I like chrysler, they have had a rash of bad transmissons and they keep changing the design every year so its not getting any better, you should avoid any of the LH series sedans
any minivan with over 80,000 miles on it is ripe for a tranny failure
I would avoid the SUV thing since you live in a large city and need to take insurance cost into account even though the small ones are the same size as mid sized cars, the operating costs will be higher

 

[Steve Schaffer]

5k will buy a mid-90s Corolla or Civic you won't fit too well in. 9 or 10k will easily get you into a two year old Toyota Echo, which is actually shorter and lighter than a Corolla or Civic but very much roomier inside.

The Echo is built tall, has a high roofline which allows the seats to be higher thus giving much more room front and rear than the Corolla or Civic, which are basically 3/4 size Accord/Camrys.

The Echo has a 1.5 liter DOHC 4 banger with variable valve timing, pretty spritely even with an automatic, and gets excellent fuel economy. There are gobs of nifty nooks and crannys to store stuff. It's about the only car it's size that is fully usable as a family car for a couple with 2 pre-teen or younger kids.

The styling is a bit funky due to the high roofline, but it's a very practical and economical car with Toyota reliability and resale value. Unlike the Honda, it has chain drive for the cams instead of a belt--no need to change the timing belt at 60k or so or worry about trashing the engine due to a broken timing belt.

No, I don't own one but I do work for a Toyota dealer service dept and know these little cars pretty well.

If you don't want to go over 5k, look at early 90s Camrys or Accords. Get a 4 cylinder--these don't need V6 engines like most Domestic mid-size cars. These both have belt driven cams, but if you break the belt on a Camry it will not damage the engine as the pistons will not hit the valves, you just coast to the side of the road and have it towed in for a new cam belt for about $200. On Hondas if you break the cam belt the engine is toast as the pistons will hit the valves and bend them.

 

[Francois Caron]

For those who feel they're too tall to fit in a small car. Try out a car with NO SUNROOF. That option alone can gobble up 4" of headroom.

 

[Carl Johnson]

If you do your homework it's possible to get a good deal on a used car for less than $5000. A couple of years ago I bought an '88 Dodge Daytona off of ebay motors for $660. With the exception of replacing the radiator a few months ago the car has been flawless. I wouldn't trust it to drive cross country but all I use it for is back and forth to work and errands around town. If you've learned to survive with no car at all any cheap P.O.S. will do.

 

[Reginald Trent]

I suggest a used Accord, Camry or Maxima all are reliable and decent sized cars. I would choose a Japanese make over American for reasons of workmanship and dependability. Given your scenario buying a new car incurs unnecessary debt. Why buy new when you lose $5000 on your new car the minute you drive it off the lot?

Go used or should I say pre driven if that makes you feel better.

 

[hari001]

Hi,

I want to know more about it,

Thanks

Jimmy


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