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Recommend a cheap, reliable car - Page 2

post #16 of 23
5/14/10 at 6:02am
Second hand Volvo is also good if you want a more luxury car. 1998+ models have leather as standard, run forever, cheap. Parts and servicing does cost more but do not need much work (my dad's 1996 850 still running strong with 200,000 miles only had 1 major service).
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post #17 of 23
5/14/10 at 1:24pm
OP, are you really gonna be happy stepping down from a 335i to a Hyundai Elantra? I think used car fear gets taken overboard in the real world way too much. As long as you find a decent person selling a decent car, anything made in modern times (the mid 1990's onward) should stay running long enough until you find a more permanent car. Also, mpg is on a diminishing scale, so the difference in gasoline expended per year between something like a used 530i and a Camry might be like $200/year max. I think you should look at some clean low-mileage E39 5ers or something, one of the last old-world BMWs made. It'd not be such a step down from your old car and they're still reliable, perhaps more reliable than new if they've been sorted out by the original owners well enough.
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post #18 of 23
5/14/10 at 1:45pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by TylerDurden View Post
Corolla if gas is gonna go to $4-$5 a gallon it gets 40MPG. Nissan Maxima's are nice. Chevy Impala's seem nice. Honda Accord is a reliable choice. What about just a regular 325i? Non-turbo, just the old straight 6 that lasts forever and a bullet proof 5 speed?
I may go with an e46 or e39 BMW if I can find the right one for cheap.
Quote:
Originally Posted by greg_atlanta View Post
You could always lease something new for 2-3 yrs if you don't drive too much, a lot of the cars mentioned may have $200/mo lease with minimal downpayment.
I drive a lot. I really have no interest in leasing something boring for 2-3 years. It would be the financially responsible thing to do, but life's too short to drive a boring car.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Laffertron View Post
Second hand Volvo is also good if you want a more luxury car. 1998+ models have leather as standard, run forever, cheap. Parts and servicing does cost more but do not need much work (my dad's 1996 850 still running strong with 200,000 miles only had 1 major service).
Thanks. Ill add volvos to the list as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by impolyt_one View Post
OP, are you really gonna be happy stepping down from a 335i to a Hyundai Elantra? I think used car fear gets taken overboard in the real world way too much. As long as you find a decent person selling a decent car, anything made in modern times (the mid 1990's onward) should stay running long enough until you find a more permanent car. Also, mpg is on a diminishing scale, so the difference in gasoline expended per year between something like a used 530i and a Camry might be like $200/year max. I think you should look at some clean low-mileage E39 5ers or something, one of the last old-world BMWs made. It'd not be such a step down from your old car and they're still reliable, perhaps more reliable than new if they've been sorted out by the original owners well enough.
No, Im going to be absolutely miserable, but it will just be temporary. Fuel economy isnt a huge concern. You may be right about the used car fear getting taken overboard, as I am extremely leary of used cars in general. Im always on the hunt for a clean e39, especially a wagon. I just havent seen any decent examples locally.
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post #19 of 23
5/14/10 at 2:58pm
It's entirely possible that you could sell a Honda in one year for the same or a little more than you paid for it. They hold value so well plus, as the economy turns up...
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post #20 of 23
5/14/10 at 3:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BBSLM View Post
Im selling my BMW 335i tomorrow via private party, and I havent decided what Im going to replace it with, so I need a cheap temporary car in the mean time.

Criteria:
cheap (<15k, but sub-10k would be preferable)
reliable
no more than a few years old

It would be nice if it would hold its value well so I can minimize the loss when I sell/trade it, but thats not my primary concern.

What cars should I be looking at?

I bought a 2 year old matrix, 5 years ago. very practical - I've spent less than 1 K alltogether on repairs in 4 years, very good gas consumption, all the seats fold down, I can fit 3 kids on the back seat. as far as I am concered, it looks as good today as it did 4 years ago.
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post #21 of 23
5/15/10 at 4:17pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by greg_atlanta View Post
You could always lease something new for 2-3 yrs if you don't drive too much, a lot of the cars mentioned may have $200/mo lease with minimal downpayment.

Ive never considered a lease before as I prefer to drive my cars for longer than 2-3 years, but since this will be somewhat of a temporary car, would using a site like swapalease.com to take over the remainder of someone lease be a bad idea?

The first car I saw on the homepage was an '08 BMW 328 for $98/mo for 9 months. Doesnt sound like a bad deal to me.
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post #22 of 23
5/17/10 at 1:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BBSLM View Post
The first car I saw on the homepage was an '08 BMW 328 for $98/mo for 9 months. Doesnt sound like a bad deal to me.
Swapalease is worth considering, though that particular deal looks fishy to me. The lease mileage allowance looks way too high at 55,000. BMW Financial Services likes to get the cars back before the warranty runs out, which is at 50K. The seller wants $2000 down payment plus you have to pay the BMFS application/transfer fees ($500). If the tires are worn down and after 40,000 miles they probably are, you will need to buy a set of run flats. Figure another $900. There is usually a $400 lease disposition fee as well. A more typical monthly payment for that car is around $450.
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post #23 of 23
5/17/10 at 2:07pm
Thread Starter 
^ Youre right. I only skimmed the ad and missed the details when I originally read it. turns out its not as attractive as I thought.
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