Another car question

[danaeris]

So I went and looked at Kelly Blue Book, and discovered a problem. I don't know what car I want.

Anyone have any hints on figuring this out? Websites that have a variety of ways to pick out vehicles?

I want a car that is an automatic and small. Small is good for city driving. A/C would be very nice, but is negotiable. Other than that, cheap is the key word. Anyone have a suggestion of a particular car that might fit that description?

Comments

[deyo.livejournal.com]

Toyota Tercel.

-c.

[zunger.livejournal.com]

I'd go for either a Honda or a Toyota. Both are efficient and reliable, and run quite well (especially if well-cared-for) quite a bit longer than other cars tend to.

(My Civic has 120k on it and still runs like it just drove off the lot...)

[hastings1066.livejournal.com]

Take a look at edmunds.com you can pick by line item, and get street prices on various used cars. It has reviews on the models, and the like too.

[divineseduction.livejournal.com]

On one hand, leaving yourself open like that can be good. On the other hand, it makes trying to pick one thing difficult.
Consider things like... do you want trunk room? Backseat? 4 doors or 2 doors? Better gas milage, or oomph getting up the hill?
I think, once you narrow it down a tiny bit, you'll be able to focus in on what you want.
Also, stating the obvious, cheap now might be more expensive later. Think about if you want to pay a little more for something reliable, or just go for cheap cheap.
Also, tangenting on warranties, I had one on my car (used). It was completely useless, for the most part. Anything that went wrong, was not covered by warranty. Pick your car, see what things often go wrong with it, and _then_ decide if whatever warranty they offer actually covers the common problems.
If you want to brainstorm carness, lemme know. :)

[nytemuse.livejournal.com]

Nissans rock. I've had mine for almost 14 years and it still runs more or less good. Yeah, the AC compressor is gone, but you have to admit that it's still a pretty good car if it's 14 years old and the only stuff wrong is the AC and the overdrive.
I've also heard reasonably good things about Saturns.

[random-vamp.livejournal.com]

As someone mentioned above, Nissans are good, particularly the Sentras. My mother's been buying used Sentra's for commuting for over a decade, and they seem to get a lot of bang for the buck. The one I inherited in college (admittedly a manual) cost us $3000 for a car with 50k on it, and we put another 100k on it without any serious engine issues.

Also, I don't imagine you have any desire to learn to drive manual? They tend to save you ~25% on the price of a used car, and have less parts to break down...

Join the cult!

[auros]

Your various imports -- Nissans, Toyotas, Hondas -- are decent. A Honda Civic sedan might be a good baseline model to compare other things against -- it's one of the most popular cars on the market. (And they've just started marketing a hybrid version, though since you're buying used, that's not an option.)

I personally cannot say enough good things about Saturns, though. My older brother's first car was a '93 SW1 (wagon, bought new), and it was still in excellent condition when he totalled it in an accident a year or so ago. My car is a '99 SL1 (sedan, bought used). It's large enough to transport four passengers and a good bit of cargo, gets decent milage (~35 mpg), and for most service I can just take it back to the dealership. (I had to get some body work done after somebody bashed up the right rear wheel area, and the dealership was able to refer me to a good shop for that.)

From what I've seen, it really is sort of like the difference between Macs and PCs. You pay a bit more to begin with to get a Saturn -- say, $5500 instead of $5000 -- but for that initial investment, you get a lifetime of better reliability and good service.

Just another Saturn Fanatic..

[kijeren.livejournal.com]

I can't say enough good things about Saturns.
I love mine.
I love the way it runs.
I love the customer service.

I bought a used 96 SL2 in 98, and it came with a 3 year Bumper to bumper warranty. (In car speak, that means ANYTHING that breaks.. including knobs and handles and seats) I never had a single problem with it.
I bought a brand-new 2002 last September... I've put 25K miles on it in 12 months, and the only problem I had with it (steering pulled to the right) got fixed no questions asked.
If you're gonna buy used, which is what you'll need to do to stay in your price range, look at used Saturns from a Saturn dealership... that way it comes with all the warranty goodness.

Good luck!

~G

[dazzlynn.livejournal.com]

Hey there, in being bored at work today, I was poking thru LJ, and found you. I am pretty sure I've deduced who you are ;) This is Lynn. Hello. May I add you?

I can't help but comment on this! I just got a used car. I agree with the first 2 ppl. Toyota and Honda. If you're looking cheap, I got an 85 Toyota with AC/everything works perfect for $800. The late 80's and early 90's Japanese cars rocked. Check out craiglist, and just keep looking. You'll find something in your price range.

[sinboy.livejournal.com]

the tercel is a good car. Civic hatchbacks get my second vote, but I think they're more expensive.