Recommend me a used car!

I do believe that's the second Saab I've ever seen that I actually like.

I have to put in a reccomendation for the Cherokee/Grand Cherokee series. They've been made forever, parts are easy to find, and for the most part, they're easy to work on. You could actually totally rebuild the engine while it is still in the vehicle. I'm not sure you can do that with too many vehicles today. Also, they get pretty decent gas mileage (17-22mpg) for an SUV. At least my 95 Grand Cherokee does.
 
severtecher said:
..... And understand a car is JUST transportation.......
Click to expand...

Like a knife is JUST a tool? ;)

Any used car can be a good deal if the previous owner had it serviced regularly and didn't "speed tune" it with modifications. And I'd rather have a high-mileage car that had been well looked after than that low-mileage "Sundays only" car driven by my grandmother.

When my kids became old enough to start looking at used cars, I just told them to take their list of "possibles" and find out how much the parts cost. That usually narrowed down the list pretty quickly. :eek:
 
I would look at Crown Vic's and Grand Marquis's.

The people who own them aren't likely to abuse them (unless it's an ex-cop car). They are a good buy to begin with and insurance/parts are cheap for them.

Saabs are great cars but the insurance and parts may become an issue.

Good luck with which ever route you take!
 
I would say take a look at the first generation Mazda Miatas (90-97). They are bulletproof, economical, and the most fun you'll have this side of a motorcycle. They are also elegantly designed...with purpose... AND REAR WHEEL DRIVE!! woo-hoo.

Nitin
 
I've been driving a 1992 Chevrolet Lumina that I got 4 months ago and it's been surprisingly reliable (engine-wise). I just gave it a tune-up and now it runs like a champ. I got mine cheap too, $500. Not a bad car if you can find one that hasn't been abused.
 
Well, since Needle had his question answered, I would like to pose a new question...What is the best used car for ~$2000 (USD)?
 
Just don't forget that a Saab comes from Europe, and buying parts will be a bit hefty. I suggest that you stick to domestics when you start out.
 
NeedleRemorse said:


I don't see why I would need that, I don't have any kids :confused: :D :D
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Your girlfriend would appreciate the room. ;)
 
Since you live in MA, you might think twice about rear-wheel drive vehicles. They are an absolute blast to drive, especially in the corners but unless you're very experienced they can be dangerous in the snow. Front wheel drive cars are obviously not such hot performers in any way, but they're far more predictable in the snow. My first car was a '95 Ford Escort wagon, and it made it from the Berkshires to NYC through a blizzard. I'm certain had it been RWD I would have killed myself.

The third option is obviously all wheel drive. I'm a Subaru whore so I'd obviously recommend an older Sube, maybe a Legacy since I think the Impreza would be too small for you. My sister's old Sube went for 240,000 miles without breaking down once. Subarus are famous for lasting forever, have all wheel drive on basically all of 'em, and aren't hideously expensive to repair. I can testify firsthand to their safety, as I smashed an '04 Imreza into a wall and walked away completely unhurt.

OTOH, they hold their value well and picking them up cheap can be a challenge. There are lots in MA, especially if you're looking for a Legacy/Outback (same car, different body panels). Be careful of rust, as its snowy up there.

I second Toyotas and Hondas, they're all absolute tanks when it comes to Just Working. If you're going to get an american car, look at Police Package Fords, they're built to run forever and are really cheap to fix. Beware of Ford's cheaper models; that Escort had a one-piece aluminum engine block that mechanics were told not to tune up at all after 100k miles. Talk to a mechanic about maintainability, in an old car that's all that really matters.

I personally have never driven a GM or Chrystler car that I felt comfortable in, and I know zero about Saabs before GM bought them. BMWs are a blast but thrillingly expensive to maintain. That's about all my firsthand experience. Oh yeah, Volvo's are safe but incredibly boring to drive.

I really want to get either a Mazda RX-7 or an old Beetle to rebuild. Damn hard to find either of 'em in this city. Nobody knows how to change oil.

Oh one last thing: Any old car needs lots of oil changes and constant lubrication. Don't save your money by not getting for example your differential fluid changed; it's cheaper than replacing the diff. I also recommend putting snythetic motor oil in older cars, it cleans out the motor nicely. Basically, any car will do you right if you take care of it, some are just more finicky than others about when and how much TLC they need to avoid exploding.

OK, I'll shut up now.

[Edit: I can't spell]
 
Hey Skorgu, you should go for the Saabaru 9-2x :D

My dad's '95 900 handles pretty well in the snow, but I suppose that I should give New England weather a little more say in my decision. I really like Subarus, they seem like really solid cars, and I had looked at the Outback in a few used car magazines, but the prices were pretty high. I really seem to be set on getting a hatchback, does anyone know of any FWD early 90's hatches?
 
Early nineties hatches:
Honda Civic EG and EK series hatches
VW Golf, GTI
Mazda 323

None of these are very exciting but they are all FWD.
 
It's RWD, but consider a four-cylinder Mustang. Tough, reliable, incredibly cheap and easy to work on, and there's the massive Mustang aftermarket to support just about anything you'd wanna do to it. Unlike what some people say, a car is NOT just something to get from point A to point B.......it IS the point. :D Here's my sig from my other boards:

1992 Mustang LX, 2.3L five-speed, hatchback, Bright Red paint, black interior - built 10/28/91, one of 12,658

Suspension Mods:
Eibach/Bilstein, 5.0 brakes, Hawk pads, GT swaybars, UPR SFC's, Pro-Thane endlinks and tranny mount, pony rims w/ 225/55/ZR16 Kumhos

Other Mods:
silencer/resonator, Steeda Tri-Ax, UPR quadrant/firewall adjuster, dual Dynomax exhaust, Panasonic MP3/CD deck, T5 swapped, 3.73's

513839_23_full.jpg


I paid $1400 for the car about 2 and a half years ago and it has 160k miles on it. Never left me stranded, except once when the clutch cable snapped (which I had routed wrong when I swapped it from auto to manual). Get some good tires and a little weight in the hatch and it's not even that bad in the snow, if you know how to drive RWD. Don't be a wuss, FWD is a bandaid. :D

The car runs 19.7 @ 68 mph (at 5800 ft) as it sits right now, which is why I'm building a 2.3 turbo motor to put in next spring. If you like tinkering with cars, hotrodding a bit, and not paying out the ass for either the car or parts for it, this is a great choice.

Ash
 
The used car market is fantastic. My choice would be a E36M3, but a Honda or Toyota might make more practical sense. ebay and autotrader.com rule.
 
Before you jump off call a shop in your area and price out some basic repairs, just to see what you're in for.

Water pump, belts & hoses, alternator, distributor, that kind of thing.

You might be surprised.

Be specific with the model you're looking at as well. Engine type can mean hundreds of $ difference in some repairs.

.02
 
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