I need a cheap beater. Are old cars still a good deal?

[MrKittyCatMeowFace]

Got a 180k Mazda 3 that the only thing I had to do with it was replace the rack and pinion at 120k. That was 100% from me racing it at Colorado high plains raceway more than it should have.

Yeah the Mazda 3 with the 4 banger is great.

[Tarsun2]

I hated my mazda3 2.5 FoMoCo. It was driven hard 5 days a week and was either at idle or full throttle. The only thing i really kept up on was oil changes. the ATF was changed once.
It had something like 220,000 miles iirc. If nothing else, it was extremely reliable. Only got 28mpg though.

[Cdn_Cuda]

Pontiac Vibe. It's a Toyota Matrix with a Pontiac badge.

[ford]

Literally the only Pontiac badged car I still see on the road

[William the Third]

They can only drive 299,999 miles. No, seriously, there is a bug with the odometer that causes it to not count beyond 299,999 miles (or kilometers if set to display km).

[MrKittyCatMeowFace]

Anything in the 2k price range is going to be a crap shoot for reliability. If it runs and can be made to pass inspection it’s worth at least $3k.

Know anyone who works at a dealership. My brother seems to get good deals buying cars for just over trade in prices after the dealers try and rip customers off with pathetic offers. He’s a mechanic tho so knows what to buy and what to stay away from. He can also put the work in to make them right without paying someone $100 an Hr to do the work.

Yeah the old $2000 for a solid beater worked pre COVID. Now it's double. I got 8 grand. But I only want to spend 6-7 total on the car. I need a little money left over in case it's a lemon, and I got to dump it. Or maybe it just needs a little work and it's set for years. Thanks for the tip! I just asked my roommate to call his friend, who is a service writer at a local Acura dealership. See if they got anything used on the lot, that is not a lemon.

[Chuck E Ducky]

You can find something decent in that price range. I would budget around $4k save the rest for repairs. Look it over good the deals are still out there but it takes time finding them. If you’re not picky you can find some nice stuff to do what you need it to do.

[MrKittyCatMeowFace]

Pontiac Vibe. It's a Toyota Matrix with a Pontiac badge.

If I can find a good one. I would get it. My brothers ex had one. They go for less than the Matrix, because most think the Toyota looks better. Or they don't know it's the same car, and just assume its an American made turd.

[Chuck E Ducky]

My budget was higher and I like my euro cars. I picked up an 2016 Audi Q5 TDI for $12500 put $3000 into a tune and delete it’s got 125k on it. But was a southern car and mint all highway. It gets 48-50 mpg and has just under 500hp. Awd and fully loaded with the S line package. I love the thing it’s a beast and I fill it up one time a month 740 miles to a tank. The money I save a year in efficiency more than covers, the added maintenance cost.

[JohnB]

I think old Hondas, Mazdas, Toyotas, are great. Even better in manual. Nissans in manual work too.

[JeeperCreeper]

Any car you're potentially going to buy, it needs to be thoroughly looked over. If you dont know much about cars, you can pay shops to do a pre sale inspection for you for maybe $150ish. Or if you have a buddy, that works, too. I dont buy any car that I cant test drive, jack up and inspect the suspension and undercarriage, or maybe do some tapping with a hammer to check for deep rust issues. Also Google is your friend. Type in the cars year make model, and common problems. It should give you a good idea on how the reliability is by doing some reading in the forums. People can be real shady on the selling side, so check everything. There's even a ton of YT videos on how to check out a car you're potentially going to buy. Good luck and dont get anything Jeep Dodge Chrysler, anything from the Stelantis company really. All junk.

[Glovebox Operator]

I usually like cars with throttle cables, so around 2005 or older. One less system to be neutered by a computer.

[JeeperCreeper]

Honestly they arent too bad until post 15. Ive had several cars with them, including my Jeep which had seen some stuff from my boots, and I've never had a failure.

[Reflex0283]

I drove a 2021 Crosstrek for a week or two about a month ago, I think I hate new cars. The stupid infotainment screen is awful and I don't need everything to be on it, and it feels like it's always too bright or too big or whatever. The throttle is way too touchy and the CVT has fake gears for the stupid paddle shifters. The leather interior is just plastic that feels like rubber, the cloth seats are better in almost every way. I got a 2013 Honda fit last week and I've been loving every second of it

[MrKittyCatMeowFace]

Going to go test drive this in a little bit. Thoughts? It has the 2.3 liter 4 banger with the automatic.

[MrKittyCatMeowFace]

I got a 2013 honda fit with 93k miles for $6.2k last week, I've been loving it so far and I've had zero issues with other hondas from the same time period. Despite the fit having a 1.5L engine, it's surprisingly peppy and really fun to drive. 2005-2015 hondas should serve you well

Going to test drive this at the same dealership as the Mazda 6. It's a stick too!

[Reflex0283]

I really wish mine was stick! Even though mine is autotragic, it's really fun to drive. The gears are pretty short, but it's still very usable for the highway. It cruises nicely at 80 and gets around 30-40mpg on the highway

[Melrosejedi]

I own this year fit and its the same color. We call it the silver bullit as she moves. Solid car, but of course its a Honda.

[gcr]

my $0.02, i would value service history and low owner count with higher mileage over a lower mileage car with no history and like 5 owners. i've gone down that second path and been burned pretty bad.

just fixed my 2013 volkswagen jetta s (base model, 5 speed manual) today. the cost of new spark plugs, ignition coil and dielectric grease came out to under $200. it has 160,000 miles on it and i plan on keeping it for awhile.

look into common problems for your potential vehicle and year and try to price out the realistic worst case scenario. good luck.

[Glovebox Operator]

Look for a 1 year technician warranty. It makes it worth triple.

[ThatBobbyjoe]

Absolutely loved our Honda fit, kinda wish we wouldn’t have sold it.

[Walker]

1994 Chevrolet K1500 Silverado 4x4 Ext Cab, 377756 miles, it's my winter driver and hauler.

2007 Mustang V6 Convertible, 143860 miles, driven anytime the roads are not icy.

2007 Yamaha XVS1100, 78253 miles, for those other times.

[MrKittyCatMeowFace]

Drove this 03 Mercury Sable that has only 50k miles on it. $7500 OTD. A little high, but i was really impressed with how well it drove. Handled bumps and dips like a champ. No squeaks or rattles. Engine is quiet and shifts smooth. The Interior and exterior is very clean. Frame and suspension components are rusty, but only a normal amount. Couldn't poke any holes. It did have a slight oil leak from the part with the waffle pattern on it. I don't know where exactly it is coming from. It looked like it was coming down the side of it. Thoughts? Could it just be a simple oil pan gasket? This is just a pic I found on the web of the part.