Announcement

Collapse

Forum Rules (Everyone Must Read!!!)

1] What you CAN NOT post.

You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use this forum to post any material which is:
- abusive
- vulgar
- hateful
- harassing
- personal attacks
- obscene

You also may not:
- post images that are too large (max is 500*500px)
- post any copyrighted material unless the copyright is owned by you or cited properly.
- post in UPPER CASE, which is considered yelling
- post messages which insult the Armenians, Armenian culture, traditions, etc
- post racist or other intentionally insensitive material that insults or attacks another culture (including Turks)

The Ankap thread is excluded from the strict rules because that place is more relaxed and you can vent and engage in light insults and humor. Notice it's not a blank ticket, but just a place to vent. If you go into the Ankap thread, you enter at your own risk of being clowned on.
What you PROBABLY SHOULD NOT post...
Do not post information that you will regret putting out in public. This site comes up on Google, is cached, and all of that, so be aware of that as you post. Do not ask the staff to go through and delete things that you regret making available on the web for all to see because we will not do it. Think before you post!


2] Use descriptive subject lines & research your post. This means use the SEARCH.

This reduces the chances of double-posting and it also makes it easier for people to see what they do/don't want to read. Using the search function will identify existing threads on the topic so we do not have multiple threads on the same topic.

3] Keep the focus.

Each forum has a focus on a certain topic. Questions outside the scope of a certain forum will either be moved to the appropriate forum, closed, or simply be deleted. Please post your topic in the most appropriate forum. Users that keep doing this will be warned, then banned.

4] Behave as you would in a public location.

This forum is no different than a public place. Behave yourself and act like a decent human being (i.e. be respectful). If you're unable to do so, you're not welcome here and will be made to leave.

5] Respect the authority of moderators/admins.

Public discussions of moderator/admin actions are not allowed on the forum. It is also prohibited to protest moderator actions in titles, avatars, and signatures. If you don't like something that a moderator did, PM or email the moderator and try your best to resolve the problem or difference in private.

6] Promotion of sites or products is not permitted.

Advertisements are not allowed in this venue. No blatant advertising or solicitations of or for business is prohibited.
This includes, but not limited to, personal resumes and links to products or
services with which the poster is affiliated, whether or not a fee is charged
for the product or service. Spamming, in which a user posts the same message repeatedly, is also prohibited.

7] We retain the right to remove any posts and/or Members for any reason, without prior notice.


- PLEASE READ -

Members are welcome to read posts and though we encourage your active participation in the forum, it is not required. If you do participate by posting, however, we expect that on the whole you contribute something to the forum. This means that the bulk of your posts should not be in "fun" threads (e.g. Ankap, Keep & Kill, This or That, etc.). Further, while occasionally it is appropriate to simply voice your agreement or approval, not all of your posts should be of this variety: "LOL Member213!" "I agree."
If it is evident that a member is simply posting for the sake of posting, they will be removed.


8] These Rules & Guidelines may be amended at any time. (last update September 17, 2009)

If you believe an individual is repeatedly breaking the rules, please report to admin/moderator.
See more
See less

Good used car recommendations

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 2
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous 1 2 template Next
  • #1

    Good used car recommendations

    I am searching for a used car. No more than $4000. Just a reliable fuel efficient sedan/coupe, that, with good regular care, will survive for at least another 3-4 years. I have found a few seemingly decent ones in my area, but I am having trouble singling it down. I am not much of a car expert. Any recommendations, as to what cars are known to be dependable even at high mileage?
    Last edited by Mizzike; 01-12-2009, 12:22 PM.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Good used car recommendations

    With my experience in working with cars, you cannot go wrong with a Honda Civic or a Toyota Camry/Corolla.

    For what you need, it will definitely last and if it needs any repairs/tune-ups, they won't be costly.

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: Good used car recommendations

      Thanks. As of now, my dad is trying to make me go look at a 99 Camry.......with 220,000 miles on it O_O. I mean, I know Hondas and Toyotas tend to last long, but that seems like a bit...much.

      At the moment, I'm looking at a 2000 Hyundai Elantra, seems to have a pretty good history, good features (a/c, cruise control, power locks, steering, and windows, bucket seats, driver/passenger airbags, antilock brakes, CD player) , 103,000 miles (80,000 on the engine), 4 cyl. - good gas mileage, lots of work done though - new water pump, thermostat, radiator, alternator, ignition coil, spark plugs and wires, crank sensor, fuel filter and others. I just wonder overall if Hyundais are known to last as well as their Asian counterparts. :?

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Good used car recommendations

        One-way is wise beyond his years

        What are the options you are considering? Sometimes with used cars it is also a matter of luck and what you can find. Certain brands are definitely better but that doesn't mean you should only consider brand. You need a trained eye to look the car over and not just at how clean the paint is ... have to get under it, drive it, look at the engine and various fluids carefully etc.
        this post = teh win.

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Good used car recommendations

          Ok you posted as I was typing ... 220,000 miles is a lot. It may live for a while but also it may not. That one will be a gamble. If it is manual transmission, it may last quite a while but if it's an automatic, the transmission may go at any time (if it hasn't been rebuilt).

          As far as "Asian", you can't classify Hyundai in the same category as Toyota ... the korean cars are decent when new, they are also getting better. But I personally wouldn't buy one with that many miles (over 100,000). It's hard to say without looking at the cars since this one sounds like has had a rebuilt engine ... but still, I'd steer away from the Korean ones that are that old.
          this post = teh win.

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Good used car recommendations

            Originally posted by Mizzike View Post
            Thanks. As of now, my dad is trying to make me go look at a 99 Camry.......with 220,000 miles on it O_O. I mean, I know Hondas and Toyotas tend to last long, but that seems like a bit...much.

            At the moment, I'm looking at a 2000 Hyundai Elantra
            Toyota Camry is your best choice but 220.000 is pushing it. Stay away from the Hyundai. They have a good warranty but the cars are not reliable. You next choice should be a Civic or Tercel.

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Good used car recommendations

              Originally posted by Sip View Post
              Ok you posted as I was typing ... 220,000 miles is a lot. It may live for a while but also it may not. That one will be a gamble. If it is manual transmission, it may last quite a while but if it's an automatic, the transmission may go at any time (if it hasn't been rebuilt).
              Yeah I was thinking this. I never thought seriously about considering it, my dad for some reason is pushing for it. :\


              As far as "Asian", you can't classify Hyundai in the same category as Toyota ... the korean cars are decent when new, they are also getting better. But I personally wouldn't buy one with that many miles (over 100,000). It's hard to say without looking at the cars since this one sounds like has had a rebuilt engine ... but still, I'd steer away from the Korean ones that are that old.
              Yeah that's what I meant - I didn't know if Korean cars tended to last better or worse compared to Japanese ones.

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Good used car recommendations

                Everything that I needed to say has been said.

                In the range of miles you are looking for, making sure you find out what has been done with the car. If it's had a lot of work done, that's probably good considering the major tune-up that was needed has been taken care of.

                It would also be wise to have a mechanic you are familiar with to take a look at the car for you. My uncle owns a shop so if I ever needed a car, I'd have them inspect it and make sure it's running good.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: Good used car recommendations

                  Thanks for the tips.

                  With the elantra and the Camry out of the way, what would you say about a 98 Nissan Sentra with 119,000 miles? I don't have access to the history report yet but according to the basics would you say its something to stay interested in?

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: Good used car recommendations

                    My friend had an old nissan sentra (stick shift) that he would rape on a daily basis ... that thing had nearly 200,000 miles (I think) and it still never missed a beat. For the price range, if you want some order of preferred brands, I would say probably Toyota, honda, nissan, and mazda (the smaller ones like 3) are good choices.

                    There is also carfax that might give you valuable information. Sometimes you can find someone that has an account that can run the VIN# for you and get you the info. If you are on any car forums, you can ask to see if anyone has an active carfax account that can check for you so you don't have to pay.

                    Again with automatics, after 100,000 miles it is a gamble. Many last a long time but you never know. Stick shift is much more predictable since if it's running good, most likely it's ok. A lot of people never bother to service automatic transmissions so if the seller has service records, that is definitely a plus. Other thing you should watch for is timing belt ... on some cars it's 60,000 miles, on others it's every 100,000 miles when it should be changed. If it hasn't been changed, it's another cost you have to factor in which could be a few hundred dollars with labor ... otherwise, that can leave you stranded somewhere possibly with a big repair bill.
                    Last edited by Sip; 01-12-2009, 02:24 PM.
                    this post = teh win.

                    Comment

                    Previous 1 2 template Next
                    Working...
                    X