Advice on Buying a Really Cheap Car (under $2K) ???

Dave N

Dave N

My PC goes to 7...
With gas prices going up, I have ran some numbers on whether or not it would be worth it for me to buy a small car for my work commute. I drive about 50 miles per day round trip, and my truck gets about 18 mpg average. If I could double that (36 mpg) with a small car, I could save between $867 and $1040 per year (with gas priced at $2.50 and $3.00 per gallon, respectively)



I thought that if I could buy a small used car for $1500-2000, I could break even in 2 years. Even if the car only lasted 2 years, I would still come out money ahead since I wouldn't be putting all those miles on my truck.



I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Honda, Toyota, or Nissan with 100-130K miles, but I'm wondering if anyone can tell me about some of the other cars out there. How are high milage Saturns? Mazdas? Any domestics that will go 150-200K?



I'm also looking for any other general opinions about this, so opine away. :spot
 
Have you considered a motorcycle? You can get some great bikes with very low mileage in the 2K price range.



Here is a great example, a 2000 Kawasaki Ninja 250 with only 3392 miles for $1995. You can easily get 50-60mpg with that bike. If you have never ridden before a bike like this is the perfect starter bike.



http://www.cycletrader.com/addetaildriver.html?43736998



43736998_1.jpg




Just a thought :D
 
I know a few people who've gotten 150k+ out of Saturns with just basic maintenance.



I also know people who have over 200k on their Proteges.



My friend Mike has 410k on his 80s Volvo!



You can't go wrong at all with old Hondas and Toyotas, but the trick is to find one that has been decently taken care of!



Good luck and let us know what you buy!:wavey
 
if you get a well maintained 2.8 & 3.1 60 degree v-6 from GM, it will last for 200,000 regularly. It has to be the MPF 3.1, NOT the 3100 series.



I got 230,000 out of mine and friends report similar milage in similar engine cars. (i gave mine up because of steering, not because of engine.)



Corsica, Beretta, grand prix, grand am, certain cavaliers, etc...
 
While I don't know where their prices fall, I know people that have taken HORRIBLE CARE of their 96ish and up Toyota Camrys and still not had any trouble with them. They seem to be bullett proof. Just an idea.



-GT
 
I got 120K miles out of my 1995 Saturn SL1, got over 30mpg, far as I know it's still on the road, but it had started an oil leak so who knows.
 
I got 120K miles out of my 1995 Saturn SL1, got over 30mpg, far as I know it's still on the road, but it had started an oil leak so who knows.
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I had a 1995 Nissan 200SX (= 2-door Sentra) that I sold with 135,000 miles on it. It had developed an oil leak around the timing chain, but otherwise ran great. That car would get nearly 40 mpg on the highway and had a spotless interior -- I sure wish I had it back...



Thanks to everyone for all the comments so far. I didn't know about the longevity of the GM V6, but I'm really lookng for a 4 cylinder that gets 35+ mpg highway. Anything less wouldn't really pay off for me.
 
Dave N said:
I had a 1995 Nissan 200SX (= 2-door Sentra) that I sold with 135,000 miles on it. It had developed an oil leak around the timing chain, but otherwise ran great. That car would get nearly 40 mpg on the highway and had a spotless interior -- I sure wish I had it back...



Thanks to everyone for all the comments so far. I didn't know about the longevity of the GM V6, but I'm really lookng for a 4 cylinder that gets 35+ mpg highway. Anything less wouldn't really pay off for me.
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I had the SE-R version of the 200SX with the SR20DE engine. 2 years and nothing went wrong with it at all during that time.



Don't forget to factor in insurance and other taxes to your break-even price. Could you get rid of the truck and get something in between?
 
OJ_GTI said:
I had the SE-R version of the 200SX with the SR20DE engine. 2 years and nothing went wrong with it at all during that time.



Don't forget to factor in insurance and other taxes to your break-even price. Could you get rid of the truck and get something in between?
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The SE-R was quite a step up from the SE version. I've seen websites where people are collecting those cars.



I've considered tax and insurance and I think I could still come out ahead after a year or two. The truck would no longer be my primary vehicle, so the $2000 car would be primary and I would just have liability on it. Not having any hard numbers, I don't think it would be all that much.



It crossed my mind to sell the truck, but I would have to take a huge hit on it. With the "employee pricing" going on now, the used V8 truck market is really soft. If I had it to do over, I would buy an older truck to haul stuff and a new Corolla (or something similar) to drive daily.
 
our mazda was bought used from a dealer. it's a 93 with ~130K on it. it costs about 5-600/yr in maintinence and will give 30+ mpg on the freeway. even combined city driving is in the high 20s



be careful of cars over the next few months though...you've gotta look for flood damage given the huricaine/monsoon season.
 
Dave N said:
With gas prices going up, I have ran some numbers on whether or not it would be worth it for me to buy a small car for my work commute. I drive about 50 miles per day round trip, and my truck gets about 18 mpg average. If I could double that (36 mpg) with a small car, I could save between $867 and $1040 per year (with gas priced at $2.50 and $3.00 per gallon, respectively)



I thought that if I could buy a small used car for $1500-2000, I could break even in 2 years. Even if the car only lasted 2 years, I would still come out money ahead since I wouldn't be putting all those miles on my truck.
Click to expand...



Just a different opinion, but what if in two years gas prices come down? Also, are you prepared for that car to be a total POS that just sucks up 2 grand? When buying such a cheap car, I'd say you should be prepared/able to walk away from it if it doesn't work out.



That said, I think for $2,000 or less, your best option is not any particular brand, but rather what seems like the least likely to crap out on you of the available selection. If it's an old Chevy, Honda, or VW, condition is more important in that cheapo price range than the badge.



Are you interested in buying a 1995 200SX SE in jelly bean green with 172,000 miles for $2,000? ;)
 
The main problem with buying a cheap commuter is every car is different. There are Hondas that only last 100K and there are Camaro Z28s that last 200K+ and a BMW that is at 320K!!!! It all depends. Look at the drivetrain thouroughly. A lot of Saturns seem to last a long time and its easy to find a mid to late 90s saturn SL1 or SL2 with under 100K for under $3k. Hondas are usually a little more expensive and have more miles and also sell extremly quick. Another thing to take into account is the insurance on another car, yet another expense.
 
97tercel.jpg




;)



My friend had one (1997 Toyota Tercel, 4cyl, 2 door, stick) and got ~28MPG driving around town, I have no idea about highway.



Of course, he didn't have sick rims or fog lights like the one in the picture ;)
 
My 2 cents... I've been commuting to work for over 12 years at over 170 miles at day and have been through a few cars. My preference are Honda Accords, in the 1994 to 1997 range as you can find some old die hard Honda freaks who have maintained them well but are finally ready to get rid of them. IMO it doesn't matter much how many miles are on them as long as they have been maintained well (have papers to prove) and you feel comfortable that the owners have taken care of them. It isn't real easy to find these, but if you can it'll be worth it.



I know some others who commute long distences that have done the same with mid-90's Toyotas with lots of luck.



A key though is if you can take a good look under the hood and at the drivetrain. Fortunately I have a brother-in-law who does car repairs on the side and he has been able to look at each car and give me thumbs up or thumbs down on them...



Now, I made a mistake getting a 99 Saturn for my daughter a couple years ago. *IMO* the older Saturns are not as sturdy as the older Honda and Toyotas.



A few months ago I traded in my 94 Accord with over 300,000 miles for a 05 Honda Civic. I decided to do so only after my air conditioner stopped working and I needed to replace all 4 tires.



docker
 
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