I need a cheap commuter car....

derrickm · 04-25-03, 07:05

I'm tired of my GTI 337 getting beat up on my commute to work everyday. It's only 9 months old and I'm about to hit 24k miles. I drive 52 miles to work and 52 miles home. I'm sick of my front end getting hammered with rocks and sick of it getting filthy the day after I clean her up. Nothing is more frustrating than spending all day cleaning it and having it totally dirty by the time I get to work the next morning. I'm sure some of you can relate.

So, I finally have my wife's blessing (that's permission for you unmarried guys)to get a cheap car for my commute. I only have around $1,000 to spend. All I want is something semi-reliable to get me there and back. I don't care about appearance or anything else (though AC here in NC would be nice).

What do you guys think I should look for? I was thinking maybe a late 80's or early 90's model Honda Civic?? Any other ideas???

Thanks for helping save the condition of my GTI.

bretfraz · 04-25-03, 08:10

Quote:

Originally posted by ejant
Anything small in half way decent shape mechanically, with good tires will do.

Agreed!

Condition of the beater is lots more important that brand or model. A decent Chevy Cavalier is a better choice than a wasted Civic. Ain't much out there for $1000. Even less out there that will be reliable and safe for a 104 mile daily journey. That's over 2000 miles/month and depending on a clunker to do that safely is a real risk, IMO. So that's why finding a car in good condition is paramount.

Good luck.

Spilchy · 04-25-03, 09:28

$1,000 budget for a 104 mile a day commute? Forget about it! Maybe your folks or in-laws have a car they don't want anymore? If so, you can put part of the $1,000 towards an overhaul tune up. Ain't much for $1,000 these days.

dboat · 04-25-03, 09:58

Unfortunately, I kind of agree with Spilchy on this one.. you could get a bra for yours and use Mobil 1 fluids to keep the wear down.. For a few thou more, buy a new disposable Kia (no flame intended, they are just cheap to buy) or maybe you can find a used one with a warranty and get an ext warranty on it.. reasonable gas mileage, a/c, radio and the tires,etc arent too expensive either.. You may want to consider a used Suzuki as well. They have a good track record on repairs and reliability.
But to get something for $1000, it has to be a rather unpopular brand/car with a decent rep for reliability.. Honda doesnt fit that mold... Maybe a used pickup truck would work for you.. then you have the usefulness of it.. (of course all your friends will want you to help them move).. he he
Good Luck
Dana

Poorboy · 04-25-03, 09:59

get an older truck..they run forever and take a real beating..and they are trucks so who cares if you get a nick or scratch...
probably lots around your area and I'd rather be up higher than in a little car..point of impact is to non-vital organs....

4DSC · 04-25-03, 11:07

Quote:

Originally posted by dboat
But to get something for $1000, it has to be a rather unpopular brand/car with a decent rep for reliability..

Maybe like an older Mazda or Subaru too? They're decent cars AFAIK, but not "popular" so they should be cheap. Domestic cars tend to be cheap too.

Jngrbrdman · 04-25-03, 11:18

The way you can determine how long a car is going to last is by looking at how many beat up ancient versions of it are still driving around. 20 year old Honda, Subaru, Toyota, and even the occasional Nissan can be seen on the roads out here. The problem is that if the car is long lasting and reliable then the resale value of them typicaly stays pretty high. That's why I love Hondas. You will pay them down about twice as fast as they depreciate. My Mustang depreciated at the same rate that I paid on it. That being said, the reliable cars are going to be out of the $1000 range. Even a 1990 Honda Civic DX is going to run probably closer to $1500. Actually, a dealer told me that the Civic DX still holds 75% of its resale value after 5 years. Pretty impressive...

Anyway, I think it would be better to shell out an extra grand and get a car that is somewhat reliable rather than nickel and dime yourself to death trying to keep some POS Geo Prizm on the road or something like that. Hondas and Subarus are like Lego cars and everybody knows how to repair them. If something breaks then there are plenty of them in the junkyards that you can take parts off of. I've owned Hondas and Subarus personally that have seen over 250,000 miles and I've heard of others lasting longer. That is the kind of stamina you are looking for in a car. Unless you can find a 15 year old Honda in good running condition then I think you are going to be looking at spending a bit more to get something that is going to work out for what you need it to do.

medic · 04-25-03, 01:15

with only 1K to spend, the car will probably be so old and with so many miles that you will need to start spending $$ on repairs faster than if you spend a bit more up front to get a better car.

I'd look for something atleast a 93 since I beleive that was the first year driver air bags were required.

eitehr that or spend the 1k on a clear bra for the car

BradNC · 04-25-03, 01:33

Nice to see a fellow NC person here. My dad sold a very decent chevy celebrity he had sitting around for $950 about a year ago. I know that doesn't help but the cars are out there if you keep looking.

Brad

edschwab1 · 04-25-03, 03:25

Quote:

Originally posted by dboat
For a few thou more, buy a new disposable Kia (no flame intended, they are just cheap to buy) or maybe you can find a used one with a warranty and get an ext warranty on it..

Dana

As Dana sound KIA, but would also look at Daewoo, Hyundai, Suzuki, Geo (toyota without the premium price), mitsubishi (my insurance agent told me to stay away from a new one due to depreication).

There are plenty late 80's cavaliers, which should have good exteriors in your area, but the the main thing is the mechanicals. They are cheap to maintain, easy to work on and take a beating. I inherited mine from a cousin who commuted 250 miles per day round trip. This was his third in Seven years. One he put close to 400K on, with little to no maintenance. I would still have the car but the northen winters rusted out the gas lines and body.

Eric

Magellan498 · 04-25-03, 03:35

I would go with an old Civic. They have pretty good gas mileage and are really reliable. My dad bought one for just your reason but drove it a bit farther, from Houston to Austin for about a year and a half. After that it was good bye... Great little cars...

Nagchampa · 04-25-03, 03:51

You can find a decent set of wheels for a grand. Don't look in the auto classifieds, look around your neighborhood. Drive down side streets and when ever you see a car that looks like it hasn't been driven for a while, leave a note on the windshield asking if they would like you to help them get rid of their car with your number on it. My brother does this all the time and the last car he bought (91 Corsica) just died after over two years of service. He paid $250 for the car and $100 on the windshield. After it died, he sold the aluminum wheels for $75 and sold the car for parts for $200.

I would suggest looking for a truck.(S10,S15) They are made to be punished and are generally less expensive to maintain than a car.