Need Club Lexus Recommendation - Looking for an inexpensive, reliable car
12-17-06, 06:01 PM
#16
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I basically agree with Dave's recommendation....they're generally good cars for your purpose, but used Camrys and Accords may be a little more difficult to find than used Corollas and Civics in the price range you want....and may have higher mileage on them. Camrys and Accords sold in huge numbers, of course, but were more expensive than Corollas and Civics to start with...and used Camrys and Accords rank very high on the stolen-car list.
Last edited by mmarshall; 12-17-06 at 06:39 PM.
12-17-06, 08:10 PM
#17
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I highly suggest a Subaru! When I got my 95 Legacy LS sedan it had 67k miles on it, since then I've put 25k miles on it in 15 months. The most expensive thing I've done to it is get the 90k mile tune up which invovled changing the timing belt among alot of other since most other tune ups were not done so it was up in price.
I can only asumme that Subaru, got more reliable since 95 with the exception of the 99-02 2.5s. I mean I know late 90s Legacys are nice and a good car to drive, turbo'd too.
I can only asumme that Subaru, got more reliable since 95 with the exception of the 99-02 2.5s. I mean I know late 90s Legacys are nice and a good car to drive, turbo'd too.
12-17-06, 09:47 PM
#18
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Thank you all for the recommendations. I've ruled out the Volvo S70 because of worries about expensive short term repairs. (although long term reliability seems to be superb)
My number one choice would be a low mileage 1999-2002 Corolla. I would also like a Civic from the same period but they seem to be more expensive. I've also recieved multiple recommendations for the GM "W body" cars like the Impala, Regal, Century, Intrigue etc but my lack of experience with these cars makes me slightly leery of them.
My number one choice would be a low mileage 1999-2002 Corolla. I would also like a Civic from the same period but they seem to be more expensive. I've also recieved multiple recommendations for the GM "W body" cars like the Impala, Regal, Century, Intrigue etc but my lack of experience with these cars makes me slightly leery of them.
12-17-06, 09:49 PM
#19
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No. Stay away from 99-02 2.5i non-turbo fours. They had head gasket issues....and some models had rear wheel bearing problems as well.
Other than that, Subarus ARE generally reliable....and they do have what is clearly the BEST inexpensive AWD in the industry.
But if you don't need...or want......AWD, my advice, based on your price, size, and power criteria, would be a used Corolla or Civic. They do have enough power to get out of their own way ( as you put it ) but NOT much more.
For you, I would probably not recommend the Hyundai Accent or Kia Rio because, even with their super-long drivetrain warranties that would probably still be in effect on your car, they don't have quite as much power as a Corolla or Civic, are physically smaller, and, though MUCH-improved from the terrible junk days of the 80's and early 90's, still don't have quite the Corolla or Civic reliability in the model years you would be looking at to meet your $6000 criteria.
If you want even more power, and still want a relatively reliable compact sedan, try and find a Nissan Sentra SE-R from the 90's...though that may take some looking. It was a small sports sedan, fairly reliable ( though not quite as much as a Corolla or Civic), and fun to drive. But if you do fine a nice one, check it out the best you can....it may have been driven hard.
Other than that, Subarus ARE generally reliable....and they do have what is clearly the BEST inexpensive AWD in the industry.
But if you don't need...or want......AWD, my advice, based on your price, size, and power criteria, would be a used Corolla or Civic. They do have enough power to get out of their own way ( as you put it ) but NOT much more.
For you, I would probably not recommend the Hyundai Accent or Kia Rio because, even with their super-long drivetrain warranties that would probably still be in effect on your car, they don't have quite as much power as a Corolla or Civic, are physically smaller, and, though MUCH-improved from the terrible junk days of the 80's and early 90's, still don't have quite the Corolla or Civic reliability in the model years you would be looking at to meet your $6000 criteria.
If you want even more power, and still want a relatively reliable compact sedan, try and find a Nissan Sentra SE-R from the 90's...though that may take some looking. It was a small sports sedan, fairly reliable ( though not quite as much as a Corolla or Civic), and fun to drive. But if you do fine a nice one, check it out the best you can....it may have been driven hard.
12-17-06, 11:25 PM
#20
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Thank you all for the recommendations. I've ruled out the Volvo S70 because of worries about expensive short term repairs. (although long term reliability seems to be superb)
My number one choice would be a low mileage 1999-2002 Corolla. I would also like a Civic from the same period but they seem to be more expensive. I've also recieved multiple recommendations for the GM "W body" cars like the Impala, Regal, Century, Intrigue etc but my lack of experience with these cars makes me slightly leery of them.
My number one choice would be a low mileage 1999-2002 Corolla. I would also like a Civic from the same period but they seem to be more expensive. I've also recieved multiple recommendations for the GM "W body" cars like the Impala, Regal, Century, Intrigue etc but my lack of experience with these cars makes me slightly leery of them.
Civic>Corolla IMO..
Also, my uncle recently bought an 02 accord with 289K Kilometers on it for 5 thousand cash (canadian dollar).. Its still running great and has decent power.
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