10 yr old, $5,000 cars

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I find cars in this range to be a great value. If they have been well maintained....
 
I've put 100K on my Civic. Bought it for $4900 in 2005. Quite a bargain, especially considering all the mileage/depreciation it took off the Sienna, as well as the fact that it gets 10 MPG better. Hoping to put on 100K more. I agree they can be of great value.
 
I have to agree. I got my 2006 Nissan Xterra with 90k miles for 6k and had full service records but owner was shocked at the dealer prices for the full fluid change and spark plugs so she sold it to me and bought a new Nissan. Dealer getting $400 to change plugs? Won't get into how bad they were going to charge for the fluid change out of the 4 wheel drive system.
 
They can be if they are already not rotting out here in the rust prone areas. My car is 10 years old and the quarters are already starting to go.
 
Got my 10 year old Ford E150 extra long wheelbase (holds 10 foot long plywood) with 78K miles for $2900. Two new front tires, $400 worth of other parts and a weeks labor got me a pretty nice cargo van. The body has virtually no rust. Everything else is pretty rusty.

The guy I bought it from was a market farmer who used it to sell his food during the summer. Then it sat in his shaded driveway all winter without moving. The cargo door hinges were frozen and the tranny shifter was so tight it took all my strength to shift it. After three years it's finally starting to loosen up. Also gave it a tune up, wheel speed sensor, isolator bolts, front brake hoses and pads, fluid changes and a good going over, and probably some other stuff I forgot.

Runs and drives beautiful. I don't even want to think about the replacement cost. I can't count that high.
 
Originally Posted By: ET16
I find cars in this range to be a great value. If they have been well maintained....


The problem with this should be, people who are driving 10year old cars that are worth $5k and actually maintain their cars ARE NOT SELLING THEM.
 
Heck I bought the car I drive now when it was about a year old. 98 Taurus with closing on 250K miles. I agree you can get something decent for that price point. If you look carefully.

I think I'm going to buy one for over $5,000 , but I'm not spending more than about $7000 max.
 
I've been finding 99-06 GMT800 platform SUVS for a steal on craigslist. Around $3,000 for a regular Tahoe/Yukon and just above $5,000 for a fully loaded Suburban/Yukon XL.
 
Originally Posted By: Robenstein
They can be if they are already not rotting out here in the rust prone areas. My car is 10 years old and the quarters are already starting to go.


That's why you fly out to LA, buy a nice used car, go to Disneyland, drive it home
laugh.gif
 
I agree. All of my cars have been around this price point and had served me well.

The only exception was a S60 I got when it was 3 years old. Considering what I paid, I could not tolerate looking at the thing and sold it shortly after purchase.
 
Originally Posted By: bowlofturtle
Originally Posted By: ET16
I find cars in this range to be a great value. If they have been well maintained....


The problem with this should be, people who are driving 10year old cars that are worth $5k and actually maintain their cars ARE NOT SELLING THEM.



If a BITOG'er can get an un abused vehicle that had a decent minimal of stuff done (5k oil changes and a seldom air filter) at 100-150k miles we can usually keep it on the road a while longer. Maybe they parked it in a carport and got a yearly carwash or something and we could have a gem that just needs polishing.

We just have to accept to being more prone to breakdowns than a pre-100k car.
 
Originally Posted By: bowlofturtle
Originally Posted By: ET16
I find cars in this range to be a great value. If they have been well maintained....


The problem with this should be, people who are driving 10year old cars that are worth $5k and actually maintain their cars ARE NOT SELLING THEM.


This is actually an example in Gresham's Law.

It took me two months to sell a 15-year old Saturn that passed inspection, drove straight, etc for $900. People want something better than they "suffered" with during the recession.
 
Originally Posted By: ET16
I find cars in this range to be a great value. If they have been well maintained....


Indeed. I have just bought 9 years old Opel Vectra Estate with 189k km under 5k€. One owner, full service history (dealer), and full year of insurance / tax. Cambelt was done two years ago, new Sportmaxx RT 17 inch plus Michelin Alpine 16 winter tyres (2015 dot). Lot of kit too; xenons, park sensors, rain sensors, etc. 150hp, 6 speed MT. Car is based on a GM Epsilon platform, this is my first GM car, it's better than I thought it was going to be.
 
Originally Posted By: bowlofturtle
Originally Posted By: ET16
I find cars in this range to be a great value. If they have been well maintained....


The problem with this should be, people who are driving 10year old cars that are worth $5k and actually maintain their cars ARE NOT SELLING THEM.


Very true. We won't be selling our 97 civic for a whike. It's in very good shape (we've owned since new).
 
2006-2009 Focuses around here - yes two different generations - are selling for nothing around here. 100K miles for $3000 or $4000. I've spotted a few 5 speeds, I think eventually one is going to make a good supplement to my current Focus. What I really need is a truck, and even in poor shape those are not cheap.
 
Originally Posted By: Miller88
2006-2009 Focuses around here - yes two different generations - are selling for nothing around here. 100K miles for $3000 or $4000. I've spotted a few 5 speeds, I think eventually one is going to make a good supplement to my current Focus. What I really need is a truck, and even in poor shape those are not cheap.

A ten year old Caravan is a pretty decent pickup for the money... Comparing to a 2wd 4cyl ranger I think the towing specs are the same and its got more bed length, equal mileage. Kind of low on the "cool" factor though...

If I could sell the Focus for $5k I probably would, and jump into something with 40-50% better mileage, Cruze Eco's are getting cheapish here still in drivetrain warranty.
 
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