Planning on getting a DD within the next few months....

Required
decent insurance rates
less than $5,000
reliable

Preferred
manual
cheap and easy to maintain
25+ mpg overall
moonroof
largely ignored by thieves/vandals - pretty much excludes most 90s Hondas, though I loved owning my Integra


So far I've started to lean towards an E36 318i/325i coupe/sedan, 90s Toyota pickup, 94+ Celica, 90s Maxima, 3G Integra, 90s Accord or LS400 if that helps. Very random I know, throw almost anything out there because I have peculiar tastes

I don't mind things like radios or moonroofs crapping out as long as there's a fix for them. As long as it doesn't leave me stranded on my way to work or make things inconvenient for me. I can cut fun-to-drive cars/trucks some slack. This is not a beater.... I have to at least semi-like the vehicle if I deal with it every day.

Vehicles I do NOT want: SUVs/CUVs, or something that just sounds bad. By this I'm talking about diesels in this price point. Don't want to drive some rattle trap either. I can't stand that awful sound of older diesels because I drive with my windows down almost all the time.

Thanks

 

I was going to suggest a 1995-1999 Maxima 5MT .. quick little car for it's day (190hp / 200tq VQ30DE) and from what I've heard pretty reliable.

 

+1 on the Maxima, but older Nissans are known for cooling issues i think

 

e36 out of those you mentioned. Or ls400

 

240sx?

 

I have a 1998 E36 328i. Paid more than your cutoff but that's not to say you can't find a 325is in good shape for that price.

If you cannot work on your own car beyond changing oil, bulbs, and rotating your own wheels I would not recommend the BMW.

I had mine checked out and was told it was in great shape. It was in good shape but not great.

Since I bought it in April I have put about $2500 into the car in a new cooling system, rear trailing arm bushings, new headlights/tail lights/fog lamps (to pass inspection). Some of that was because of things that weren't caught and some were just things that needed to be done. This is in addition to the entire new front suspension refresh and new clutch that was done by a previous owner.

The car needs all new door gaskets, rear shock mount reinforcement, new shocks/struts, and probably a new Vanos system next summer. At some point I'm going to have to fix the steering lock mechanism and keep in mind that the guibo could go out.

The car is in great shape overall as a 1998 with 140k miles and there's no reason why it can't do 240k miles.

But BMW parts seem far more susceptible to age than mileage.

If you end up with a $5k E36 325iS it should be PERFECT for a car of that age. By that I mean all the maintenance and a significant amount of reinvestment in new parts.

 

91-95 Acura Legend sedan! Only real issue with the cars is that they are prone to BHG. Stay on top of your maintenance and check the cooling system regularly and you'll be good.

 

I heard there was a Legend sedan that did 500,000 miles or something ... Where did I read that? Hmm



Great suggestion

 

He did say that he would be ruling out most 90s Honda/Acuras because of theft concerns.

Costco, will you be keeping your other car?

Volvo 850 Turbo
WRX? Probably pretty high on insurance and theft though

 

Ahh yes, Tyson's 500,000 mile 95 coupe. Type 2 motor, 6 speed transmission. Pics here: http://forums.acuralegend.org/come-w...21703p29.html?

He also said that he was considering a 90s Accord/Integra haha. Any WRX in this price range will either have very high miles or will have been beat on like hell.

A Saab 9-5 Aero from the early 2000s is in his price range, though manual cars are harder to find.

 

I would recommend an older Volvo as well. The V70 wagons (think 1999 - 2002) are a bit square but have a lot of features for the money. Very reliable I-5 engine, and would be a safe commuter.

 

I really wanted a 2G Legend while searching for my first and second car but back then the BHG issues scared me. A brief search makes it sound like it's actually preventable. I'll do more research. The prices for a clean 6MT back then were ridiculous though, we'll see.

As far as the E36 goes I thought the RSM only plagued the M3. I knew it because it happened to my friend's dad's M3 and it made me go WTF after seeing the destroyed shock towers. I knew about the guibo and RTABs too - funny how the forums have acronyms for the issues. The VANOS I could do myself but I'd rather not buy specialty tools for a one-time use. I may have to exclude the E36

I'll look into the other choices as well, thanks guys. I'm on the fence about the 240 and the WRX though. Those two are the typical high school male's dream cars. Normally I'm not concerned with car stigmas but this has also inflated their price to way more than these cars are worth, IMO. And many of their owners are now said high school kids, I've found.

As far as me getting rid of my car, I am on the verge of saying goodbye to my Camaro. It mostly just sits now, as I've been driving our Civic to save money on gas.... but then it's kinda pointless to keep my Camaro. I'll be surrendering the Civic and I want to get a starter motorcycle within the next year or so.

It was once a car that I've wanted since I was a kid, but now it's time to move on.

 

w124

 

I had a 95 Max. Awesome car. Only big issue I had was with the knock sensor. Didn't matter how often I changed it, it constantly crapped out.

Not for nothing but it seems like you have a nice list of cars that are likely to need some repairs.

 

There are definitely some clean 5 speeds and 6 speeds out there now for under 5 grand. A common swap now is the RL's 3.5L V6. BHG is a very rare occurrence, and they make way more torque. You can get a 3.5RL motor for roughly $500... and could do the swap in under a weekend (if you're mechanically inclined!).

 

How about the always overlooked '97-99 Acura CL cheap to buy, cheap to own, cheap to maintain.

 

 

Sadly, no it's E36s and E46s of all trims ... It's not an expensive fix but nonetheless it's a couple hundred bucks for the mounts and a check to see if the towers need repairs.

 

And just plain cheap.

Its the one car I've owned that I just don't miss...at all.

 

I would go even older....late 80's 325....or mid eighties 5 series.

Still miss my 85 528...even debated about maybe picking up another one as a DD.

bullet proof engines. sometimes prone to the electronics going...but nothing that affects the drivability of the car...more like convenience features bonking out. easy to work.

 

I help a co-worker with a ~4 week ordeal where he was looking for a good car for $5000 or less. I had no idea how difficult that is. For a decent old used car I would say (if at all possible) increase your price point to about $7500. The $5000 or less market is mostly crap.

This may be an obvious point, but I'll say it anyway. Do not purchase a car from one of those independent used car dealerships. They know nothing about what they have on the lot b/c they purchase their inventory from an auction.

If you are going to go through with this purchase I can't stress more to buy from a private owner (1st, 2nd or 3rd owner) and also take the car to a dealership or specialists shop to give it a lookover. $75 - $100 bucks could save you thousands in the long run.

My co-worker gave up the sub $5000 car quest and settled on a newer Camry (2010 I believe).

As far as which car to look for... something small and simple.
Mazda Protege
Nissan Altima
Ford Focus
along those lines

My ultimate advice is not to do it. A sub $5000 car is likely going to cost you at least 50% - 100% more than you pay for it. Also something to consider, what are you going to do with it when it becomes worthless?

 

I don't think its hard to find a car in the price range you are looking for...you just need to know what you want.

I had my mind set on finding a 95 pathfinder for 5g or less....found a great for 2300 and that thing served me well. Still miss it.

 

Del Sol

They don't get stolen unless they're the DOHC VTEC trim.

 

Completely disagree. I rocked a 92 Cavalier before the Accord. The only thing it needed past regular maintenance was new ball joints.

 

^+1
I have a 93 Del Sol purchased new. Runs like a Honda = no issues except roof seal leaks. If you can find one that has not been molested it can be a nice dd. Pleanty of room for two and luggage.

 

I think you can find a nice e36 for that price. My sister's 97 328i has 202K+ miles and it's still going strong. She's put about 45K since she got it 4 years ago and the only things outside of normal maintenance that have been replaced are the valve cover gasket and one ignition coil. She will be needing wheel bearings soon but it does have over 200K miles so I can't complain.

 

Old Jetta diesel

 

.

 

lexus sc400...doesnt come in manual but the sc300s did, albeit rare to find.