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What is a good reliable car that i can get for around $3000? i would prefer
a civic but im not sure i can get one for that low in good shape. I was
also looking at an eclipse but wasnt sure if it was a reliable car.
i am open to any suggestions..
btw, i am more interested in cars that will be reliable that wont brake
down on me and i wont have to often repair, and how it looks.. i could
really careless about speed.
infamous
Every might have there favorite, so here's my :2cents:
No particular order:
Civic
Tercel
Corolla
Sentre
My advise is to stay away from any car that some may think are fast, such
as the Eclipse. They tend to get driven hard by their previous owners. You
really shouldn't have a problem finding a $3000 car. Unless you are
shopping lots. The best deals on these sorts of cars are found in front
yards with a "4-Sale" sign on the windshield.
corbett_auto
Unfortunately, any car can break, and cheap cars are more likely to. I had
a cheap Civic that cost an arm and a leg to keep running, while also having
an even cheaper Chevy Citation that went over 300k miles with almost no
cost at all (just gas and the occasional, and I do mean occasional, oil
change). you can scope out a car and carfax it, and have a mechanic check
it over, but still have a catastrophic breakdown the following week.
And of course, geographic location will have a lot to do with it. In the
midwest and northeast, cheap cars will tend to be weathered and very likely
rusty, needing repairs to the undercarriage way before the engines and
trans wear out, while on the west coast and in the southwest, they are more
likely to wear out mechanically long before they rust away.
Where are you located? That will make a big difference on what is available
in that price range.
ChrisV
im located in Los angeles.. sometimes im in inglewood.. sometimes in
dowtown..
what are your guys thoughts on purchasing a car at an auction?
infamous
I would not recommend an Auction.... You do not have nearly enough time to
make an accurate assessment of the car. Also, most of the auctions that
allow non-dealers do not have deals any better than you can find looking
through your local classifieds.
Have you looked through the local free classifieds? What about craigslist?
I see cars listed all the time for $1000. Any car with some age is prone to
break down..... the less you pay for it the more you will have for the
repairs if the arise.
corbett_auto
yeah ive been lookng through craigslist and autotrader..
what about mileage? ive heard anything over 100,000 miles is too much.. is
this accurate ?
infamous
In your price range, it'll be pretty much the only choice. And with modern
cars, 100k miles isn't even halfway through the useable lifespan. Hell, the
'98 BMW 740iL I bought as a daily driver 2 years ago had 143k miles on it
when I bought it, and has 166k miles on it now... Don't worry about the
mileage, only how well it was maintained.
ChrisV
