rosskoss

A very close friend of mine needs a car before the end of the year. Here are the requirements

1) Under $6000 cash (no financing)

2) Performance, handling, sportiness, power etc. are NOT a priority at all. Car must have enough power to get out of it's own way when the occasion calls for it. That's about all the performance needed. It must not be one of those underpowered things with engines that make a lot of noise and doesn't go anywhere.

3) Reliability and durability are of utmost importance.

4) Safety is also an important consideration.

5) Must be automatic transmission.

6) Car must not be subcompact size (echo, yaris, fit, aveo etc.) and should be at least in the next size segment.

So far, I'm looking at 2002+ Hyundai and Kia models. I'm also interested in the Pre-2003 Corolla's as I've owned one of those and the reliability was excellent. Ideally, I'd like the car to have less than 50,000 miles. I don't know much about American cars but I know there are a few models that are reliable and have large depreciation. So I would be willing to consider those. Basically, anything that meets the other requirements would work.

If anyone has a well maintained car that meets the above requirements in the Sarasota, FL or nearby area (Tampa, St Petersburg etc), I might be interested.

Otherwise, recommendations would be very welcome.

jhenty

Toyota Camry seems to fit all your needs, and Im sure you can find one in the price range.

ninous26

91-95 Acura Legend (Everything u basically wanted, except its okay on gas)
earlier Honda Civics
Camry
GM with a 3800 series motor(pretty reliable)
4th-5th generation Accord
Basically any reliable Midsized V6, or a 4 cylinder with some power.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

I vote for the nissan maxia, honda accord, or toyota camry. can't go wrong with any of them. Meets your criteria too!

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

-late 90's camry

-early model LS400 if you can find one with maint. records (if you can your set, motors and trans on these are bulletproof and the car can take an impact VERY well, as my typing this can attest to)

-ANY subaru post 93 w/decent maint.

public auction=godsend.

and try to look for stuff w/maint. as it can add up quick on some cars.

Ramon

I would suggest you reconsider the thought of getting a Kia in that case, atleast not any of their 4 cylinder cars. I drove one once, it wasn't pretty.

ES350Bob

Honda Civic, one that comes with all service documents.

thetopdog

I absolutely abused my mom's 2001 Camry for 260 000 kilometers and it was still running strong when I stopped driving it and got my GS this past summer

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

Camry or Accord, go for the 4 cylinder models - power is adequate but not stunning.

LexFather

Can't go wrong. My bud just bout a 2002 or so Accord I-4 EX with 120k miles for 5k and it is in real good condition

rosskoss

Thanks for the advice all. Anyone know anything about the following cars?

1) GM "W-body" cars
2) Volvo S70

I mostly stick with cars that I'm familiar with when it comes to used car shopping (i.e. Japanese Cars). However, some American cars are reliable and depreciate heavily. So I'm willing to consider those as well. However, before I do that, I need more knowledge about these cars.

LexFather

If you are going to buy a cash, under 6k car, I can't recommend anything but a Japanese car. It is your best bet for a car you won't regret buying. Just make sure it was maintained.

thetopdog

I would not get the Volvo if you're looking for a cheap ownership experience. Not that this is backed up by any concrete evidence, but I just have the feeling that the Volvo is going to be much more expensive to maintain than the other cars you're looking at

Faraaz23

I strongly veto the S70. I own a C70... same drivetrain, electrical parts, etc. and I spend about $2000 a year average fixing stuff. I do not have a unique experience either if you go and check the volvo boards. I strongly recommend a Japanese car. Our 1992 ES and 99 RX runs like a champ. I'd place my money on any well-maintained Toyota or Honda product.

mmarshall

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.