Cheap, low mileage vehicle, have some questions.
- Thread starter JustinH
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Elantra
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
C'mon Justin, another Buffalonian bailing out on me!?!!
I can't foot the tax bills myself you know!
As far as low mileage, very late model and $9500 max goes, IMO, they are all going to be the same. Not at all like the stuff you are used to. Go with the most you can find at the time for the cash you are willing to spend.
Joel
Joel
Poster mentions new attitude and with a house buying goal.
Why mention speed or fun to drive, etc? Sounds as if the guy wants transportation, the basic reliable type.
No mention of buying in Buffalo or Phoenix.
I would wait and get to Phoenix where Japanese cars are more common and you are unlikely to find a car that has been exposed to salt.
You will see many more older cars in Phoenix than in Buffalo. More likely to find an older car in decent condition for cheap.
Might be better to find a $3,500 car and save the rest for repairs, if needed. If not needed the interest on the savings, and all or part of the savings, may help grab a house.
Why mention speed or fun to drive, etc? Sounds as if the guy wants transportation, the basic reliable type.
No mention of buying in Buffalo or Phoenix.
I would wait and get to Phoenix where Japanese cars are more common and you are unlikely to find a car that has been exposed to salt.
You will see many more older cars in Phoenix than in Buffalo. More likely to find an older car in decent condition for cheap.
Might be better to find a $3,500 car and save the rest for repairs, if needed. If not needed the interest on the savings, and all or part of the savings, may help grab a house.
+1 to what obbop has to say. If you are moving, see if you can delay purchase until move.
Good for you.
Will the last one out of Buffalo please get the lights?
It's the same deal here.
How is the condition of your present cars ,reliability wise? selling and buying may lead to getting a lemon . What can you get for your vehicles when you sell them ? Yes you are 24, what does that have to do with anything. Cut lifestyle spending first.
I'd say you've already made some nice choices. Focus, Cobalt, and Neon can all be had in your price range. CR actually recommends used Neons. Neons are very cheap to maintain, and very easy to work on. Mileage of the 5-spd is 29/36. You won't be able to finds a low-mileage Civic, Corolla, 3, etc. in your price range.
If your goal is to buy a house sooner, this step to spend your free cash is a step backwards. The mortgage market has changed and you need cash to finance your home unless the seller pays the loan costs. Spend as much time educating yourself on loans and home buying as you are doing on which car to buy because spending 10K on a car which I assume is all you have doesn't make sense to me if you changed your priority to buying a house.
Yes deffinitely.
Priorities have changed. I've had all kinds of sports cars, and trucks, and motorcycles.
Now, all I want is a like new car for under 10 grand.
The toyota is out of my budget, same for the mazda 3. The ION is just barely out of the budget. There are so many low mileage used 05-06 cobalts for sale that its easier to find a deal. I have been searching the internet, I wouldn't buy a car in buffalo, all the dealers are absolute ripoffs.
You have to travel to get a good deal, thats how I have bought my last 3-4 cars, via the internet.
Priorities have changed. I've had all kinds of sports cars, and trucks, and motorcycles.
Now, all I want is a like new car for under 10 grand.
The toyota is out of my budget, same for the mazda 3. The ION is just barely out of the budget. There are so many low mileage used 05-06 cobalts for sale that its easier to find a deal. I have been searching the internet, I wouldn't buy a car in buffalo, all the dealers are absolute ripoffs.
You have to travel to get a good deal, thats how I have bought my last 3-4 cars, via the internet.
I've always had fords. My cars are taken care of better than most children, and selling both cars should give me around 14000 cash at the low end. 8-9 grand goes into a new car, and the rest goes into my emergency savings fund earning 5.05 percent.
I bought a 1 year old Ford Taurus w/ 27k miles from Hertz for $9600. It ran great.
x2. Ex-rentals are often a spectacularly good deal.
My old '98 Altima was an ex-rental, and that car was bulletproof until 128k miles when I finally sold it, and I even regret selling it because it was so low maintenance, and never really gave me any trouble. Got it for pretty cheap due to the high mileage when I acquired it at 118k.
Hyundai Elantra. Can be had for your price, and transferable warranty will last till 60K miles. I have found 20-30K mile Elantras for $6-7K. Well in your price range, and my parents are on their third one.
I dunno, man.... a Ford guy buying a Chevy? Seems sacreligious to me, especially when the Focus is as good as a Cobalt. I've driven both and have friends who own both. While the Focus had QC issue when it first came out, that was 6 yrs ago and they're good little cars now. The interior is especially roomy and the car is fun to drive with excellent steering and road feel. Plus its available in a wide variety of body styles, something automakers rarely offer anymore.
The Cobalt is light-years better than the Cavalier it replaced. The interior is good looking but not as roomy as a Focus. The Cobalt feels a little more modern but to me doesn't drive as well as a Focus. The Cobalt has more power and gets about the same mileage.
It's a hard decision but my suggestion is a Focus 5 door hatch and a 5 speed. Even better would be the sporty version with the alloy wheels, performance tires, etc.
Good luck with your search!
The Cobalt is light-years better than the Cavalier it replaced. The interior is good looking but not as roomy as a Focus. The Cobalt feels a little more modern but to me doesn't drive as well as a Focus. The Cobalt has more power and gets about the same mileage.
It's a hard decision but my suggestion is a Focus 5 door hatch and a 5 speed. Even better would be the sporty version with the alloy wheels, performance tires, etc.
Good luck with your search!
Thanks guys.
I'll narrow it down to a foci or a cobalt. Whatever has lower mileage and is cheaper.
I would favor one with a stick shift, over an automatic so that the misses won't want to drive it.
I'll narrow it down to a foci or a cobalt. Whatever has lower mileage and is cheaper.
I would favor one with a stick shift, over an automatic so that the misses won't want to drive it.
I would look seriously at real world mileage versus the EPA sticker. The stickers' numbers are only useful for comparing to other vehicles on the specific tests they do.
Here's why I say this- I recently traded a 99 Ford Contour with a manual and the 2.5l v6 for a 97 Grand Prix GTP (3.8 L Supercharged). I get better mileage in the Pontiac.
A friend of mine traded a 93 Dodge Spirit with the 3.0 for a 2001 Focus with the 4 cyl. Smaller lighter car, smaller engine. Worse real world mileage.
What I'm saying is that depending on driver habits and preferences, the smaller engine/car might not necessarily be a better value.
Here's why I say this- I recently traded a 99 Ford Contour with a manual and the 2.5l v6 for a 97 Grand Prix GTP (3.8 L Supercharged). I get better mileage in the Pontiac.
A friend of mine traded a 93 Dodge Spirit with the 3.0 for a 2001 Focus with the 4 cyl. Smaller lighter car, smaller engine. Worse real world mileage.
What I'm saying is that depending on driver habits and preferences, the smaller engine/car might not necessarily be a better value.
a late model Mazda Protege with a 5 speed manual or a late model nissan sentra with a 5 speed manual. These can be found cheaper than a civic or corolla and have pretty good reliability as well.
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