buy a cheap car????

mr.loverman · Jul 9, 2008

so at the end of this summer i will have about $7,000-$10,000. i'm moving off campus for my senior year and i need to buy a car(my parents are paying for rent).

what would you guys recommend for a car?

part of me feels like i should just get a beater for less than $3000 and save the rest of my money for travel or living expensese.

sonick · Jul 9, 2008

I'd suggest going the beater route. You could probably get a fairly decent late-90's american car, or early 90's Japanese car for under $3k

NoVaguy · Jul 9, 2008

i'm currently going the beater route - i drive a 1999 ford escort (escorts are generally crappy cars, but the last redesign is fairly decent). it's holding up fairly well, and is actually in good condition (it's only got about 66K miles on it, was previously my mom's car and my parents always used the company car for long trips), but on the other hand, i really don't drive it enough to justify having it. i've been debating getting a zipcar account.

but yeah, what sonick said.

hobbes874 · Jul 9, 2008

You could easily pick up a decent, late 90's japanese car for that price range. Accords, Civics and Camrys to name a few, great reliablility and good on gas too.

LabelKing · Jul 9, 2008

I'd get a 1970s Cadillac.

FidelCashflow · Jul 10, 2008

^
I think it would defeat the point of a cheap car if you spent more on gas every year than the car costs

Xericx · Jul 10, 2008

Originally Posted by mr.loverman

so at the end of this summer i will have about $7,000-$10,000. i'm moving off campus for my senior year and i need to buy a car(my parents are paying for rent).

what would you guys recommend for a car?

part of me feels like i should just get a beater for less than $3000 and save the rest of my money for travel or living expensese.

NO. At the $3,000 price level you are likely to get a beater with MANY miles in which you have to do maintenance which would cost more than a $5-7k car.

MY suggestion, is that you find some poor sap trying to dump a gas guzzling SUV, get a STEAL on it, and just eat the gas prices for the short term. People are thinking in the short term now, and while gas prices may not drop..the panic is causing many people to take real hits and make stupid financial decisions on SUVs.

Alternatively, spend 5-7k on a Honda or Toyota with lower miles.

ms244 · Jul 10, 2008

A crown vic cop car in the 2000-02 range should run you about that much.

acidboy · Jul 10, 2008

As a starter, and I have a sibling who had the same experience, I'd start with a subcompact, probably an early '00s Corolla or Civic. They're cheap to maintain, you get decent mileage, and have a nice resale value.

TUspiv · Jul 10, 2008

You could always resort to grand theft auto.

Shraka · Jul 10, 2008

Originally Posted by acidicboy

As a starter, and I have a sibling who had the same experience, I'd start with a subcompact, probably an early '00s Corolla or Civic. They're cheap to maintain, you get decent mileage, and have a nice resale value.

Corolla's also take a beating, and missed services (although I wouldn't recommend missing them anyway). Honda's need to be serviced more carefully but will hold up well if you treat them well.

brissyboy · Jul 13, 2008

That's a good amount for a first car. I got a 2001 corolla and it is great little car. The earlier models are great too. Always demnd a log book

JayJay · Jul 13, 2008

Originally Posted by Xericx

People are thinking in the short term now, and while gas prices may not drop..the panic is causing many people to take real hits and make stupid financial decisions on SUVs.

I know people who have taken severe hits trading SUVs for more fuel efficient vehicles. In some cases, the mpg improvement hasn't been too significant.

Skip87 · Jul 14, 2008

I wouldn't count on a reliable car for 3k unless you know what your way around cars and how they work. For 3k, I'd say that would put you in the range of Mid 90's Civics or Early 90's Accords.

Xericx · Jul 14, 2008

Originally Posted by JayJay

I know people who have taken severe hits trading SUVs for more fuel efficient vehicles. In some cases, the mpg improvement hasn't been too significant.

If you have a short commute, this is an awesome option.

buy a cheap car????

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