I have been thinking I miss driving a car with stickshift. It has been about 8 yrs since I've driven a stickshift car and I want to refresh my memory. I have been looking for a beater car so that my fiancee can learn how to drive stick too.

My budget is $5000 and I have looked online and these are the cars I have chosen these cars, but most of these cars have mileages of 100,000 or more:

1. 97-01 Honda Prelude
2. 00-01 Nissan Maxima
3. 00-01 Toyota Celica
4. 99-02 Infiniti G20

Are there any other cars I should look at? I wanted to also put an Integra, but I am worried that it might get stolen. I like the 00-01 Maxima because it has a 6 speed manual rather than a 5 speed. I also love the Prelude though.

Which of these cars would you pick?

 

Jetta, Golf, GTI?

 

i'd get the maxima.

 

prelude, ive always loved that body. It may be extremely hard to find a 6spd maxima too

 

wow, didnt realize the G20s were around until 02. those came in stick??? seemed to "i want to be a refined luxo" to ever be marketed in something other than an auto.

 

i wanted a VW until I've heard of horrible reliability and expensive repair costs. i want a beater that is also durable and reliable too aside from refreshing my memory driving a stick.

why will it be hard to find a 6 sp manual Maxima?

 

Max! But good luck trying to find a 6mt.

 

Prelude or Celica GTS-- easier to find a stick in those than the Maxima or G20, and both are nice manual trannies to use if my experience w/Honda and Toyota sticks is any indication.
I'll vouch for the Integra, too, if you go that route.

 

Prelude!!!

 

I vote Celica.

I've always loved the way they look. If you decide to get a Celica, and are going for 00-01 YM watch out for the GT's. Some had a horrible issue with burning oil. GT-S' didn't have this issue, and only some GT's did. I think it will be hard to find a GT-S for under 5K with decent mileage.

Second vote goes for the Maxima. But, it will be hard to find one with the 6-Speed. My sister has a 96 Maxima, and it has like 223,000 miles on it without any service. It still gets around 28mpg.

 

I was looking in the same price range.

I think the Max is the best of the group.

 

if you're thinking of integra, and also more luxurious cars, why not a cl?
out of the choices you have, i'd go for the g20, almost bought one of those before the cl

 

You're worried about an Integra getting broken into but not worried that a Prelude will get stolen/broken into? You're rolling the dice with any older Honda.... period. Odyssey aside that is








a beater should never be a nice car, nor should it ever be a car you need to worry about or be a car that you want to mod. If you freak out when it gets door dings or scratches, you bought the wrong car. Personally I'd get the Maxima for a dependable, fun car that I wouldn't care too much about.

 

A friend of mine has a '99 Maxima with a manual...didn't know they were that rare.

 

i liked the G20's

 

I thought the 97-01 Preludes weren't that desirable to steal compared to the Integras? Also, does the 97-01 Prelude have that immobilizer chip on the key so it would be harder to steal?

Well, I do think you're right, the Maxima is just as dependable and it may be cheaper to insure as a beater because it is a sedan vs. a Prelude, which is a coupe.

Then, I guess I should just look at the Maxima, Celica, or G20 now. Too bad Honda never made a 5 or 6 sp manual for the 1998-2002 Accord coupe V6.

 

I'd pick the Prelude, but they do get stolen and vandalized.

Close behind, Maxima...

 

Yeah, Preludes have the immobilizer.

 

+1

 

what about a 6spd legend?

 

 

that is a good choice too, but i can't locate one at all in the chicagoland area. i really only like the either the 93-95 Legend bodystyle though.

 

lude

 

00-01 Maximas did not have a 6MT....the VQ35DE powered 02-03 model did.

 

Not that the other cars aren't any good, but the Maxima would be my choice. It has great reliability and tons of power for what it is. Plus it still looks great.

 

lude

 

alot of the older BMW's were stick.. you could get a decent one for 5 G's V8? 5 spd? i was gonna buy one instead of the TL for 4500

 

I agree, but every car I've ever owned...I've babied...and some have been real beaters.

 

Don't make a Prelude a beater or even worse let your finace learn stick on one.

 

max or lude

 

does that mean it will be harder to steal?

 

oh man, well i thought that the 00-01 Maximas did because I was looking at a 20th anniv 2001 Maxima that had 227 hp and the ad said it had a 6 speed.

 

how come?

 

Have you considered a Subaru Legacy? With your budget, you should be able to find a 3rd gen one (third gen was 2000-2004). The car is very good for winter driving, for example the automatic transmission can lock out 1st gear, so you start in 2nd, easier on ice. Of course there's also a manual version.

 

yes, they're almost impossible to start without the key, the only way is to tow it then break in and fuck with the ECU,negating the immobilizer.

they don't make really good DDs IMO. Gas mileage is pretty crappy cause of the shorter gears, it uses premium fuel and parts are somewhat pricey for a honda...the Prelude shares almost no interchangeable parts with any other honda. and they're cop magnets quite often. I DD mine but if I had the money for second car, i wouldn't.

 

Every Honda automatic since the early 80's lets you start in 2nd gear..

 

Just be sure to get the GT, you'll at least have a sporty car that has AWD. And be sure that you check the maintenance records for a timing belt change. That should be done around the 60K - 80K mark. It's really the only worry with the 2.5 L Boxer. Lose the belt, lose the motor.

 

News to me. My TL can do it by using sport-shift mode, how do transmissions without ss mode do it?

 

By putting the shifter into 2 instead of D...

 

prelude is still hawt