Well, got my licence recently and I've been looking into getting a car, right now I'm looking at a price cap of $2500.

My short list at the moment has the following;
95 Pontiac Grand AM SE 100k automatic ($1800) and 130k ($1500) for mileage and price
96 Pontiac Grand Prix GTO automatic 140k miles ($2000)
97 Nissan Altima SE 5-spd man. unknown mileage ATM ($2000)
94 Dodge Intrepid ES automatic 120k miles ($1300)
93 Mazda MX6 5-spd man. 160k miles ($1000)

I've also seen some Crown Vics in the $1400-$2000 range, most need to be painted (still have the police look) and my parents are pushing a Volvo S40 to some extent.

Honestly I don't know much about cars, so far my research rates the Dodge as a very good car with the Pontiacs looking to be a bit more fun to drive. I've heard some thing that the Pontiacs dont last that long (160k miles is their end) is there any truth to that? Beyond that however, any reccomendations on what to look for? thanks

Stick with something common and unassuming - in my area that cash could get you a 1997 Cavalier with roughtly 75K miles on it.

Chevy Cavalier
Ford Escort

are both fairly easy to maintain cars

if your into Dodge you could check on the Neon although I dont know much about them....

Foreign with high miles means BIG bucks repairs - domestic with high miles means you go to Billie Bobs auto and he fixed it for $100 and you get to watch porn and pet his dog while you wait.....

Quote: Originally Posted by aaronrkelly Foreign with high miles means BIG bucks repairs - domestic with high miles means you go to Billie Bobs auto and he fixed it for $100 and you get to watch porn and pet his dog while you wait.....

I'm gonna have to disagree...
My 83 Toyota celica cost me $1200 for an engine rebuild... That was doing it myself, but it was cheaper than buying another car.. Just a note, "High miles" on a japanese car isn't 100k+, it's 200k+.. Also, on the topic of Neons, the headgaskets in neons from 95 to... well, I don't remember the year, are extremely prone to blowing. With 2500, I'd go for MX6. That leaves you $1500 to spend on computer mods

Man, if my parents were pushing for a Volvo then that's what I would get however, are they gunna help getting the Volvo and you need to think about insurance, the nicer, faster, cooler, more chizx getter then the more your rates will be.......

Insurance is covered so it need not be taken into any sort of price consideration. Also I do plan to see if they'd kick in for the Volvo as I have yet to see one in my price range.

thanks for the advice guys

oh, and does anyone know on average how many miles a Pontiac (92-96) will last for? I've heard 160k but that seems low, I know owner abuse or care can affect this but on average? thanks

I personly own a 96 dodge interpid that I bought for $300 dollars with 175k miles. All it needed was a plenium and some shocks and it was ready to go. I have never had truble with it since! It is a very fast car and if you hook it up right they look beautifull. also I know people with Intrepids with 200k+ miles and still havent had to replace the tranny or engine.

Proof you say ? go here www.dodgeintrepid.net ( the forum is under maint. but trust me when it comes back online you will be amazed)

Out of that list, unless the milelage is really excessive, I'd go with the Altima. It's a step up in class from everything else you have listed except perhaps the Volvo. And the Volvo would be much more expensive to maintain.

If you want a quality car that lasts, go with the Altima.

AntiM & Gorked, I've heard LOTS of good things about Nissan, hell, my faimily has used Maxima's and an Altima (extend family really :p ) with only good things to say about them. Only downside is I'll really need to learn the stick, I've been getting better with it but it's still a little shakey.

Don't get a police car. They are abused, so they won't be as reliable as some other cars you can get. Granted they are hella cool (I want one), but it's not the best idea. Get something with low mileage and low insurance.

I'd go with the MX-6 5speed. It'll run for forever, and you can turbocharge it easily (maybe it's one of those that came stock turbo'd, if so...that's a good deal) ...if you're in to that sort of thing.

I'd go with the altima, then the mazda, in that order. I'd steer clear of anything domestic. The difference between parts for japs and domestics are minimal now-a-days, especially since most jap models are built in North America anyway.

160k miles sounds about right for the lifespan of a domestic, unless it was immaculately maintained since the time it was purchased. You can guess how often that would be.

I sold my 93 Honda Civic to my mother-in-law...the car has almost 200k MILES (not km) on it now and it's still goin' strong. You'll find jap cars with high mileage are a LOT more reliable than their american counterparts.

You might consider looking into getting an older Saturn although a lot of the cars you listed already are comparable. They have a great reputation for reliability and low maintenance even though they're really ugly. Saturn SL-2's come standard with 124HP @ 2400 lbs which whoops Honda Civic's and the Saturn is a good deal cheaper too.

My advice: Go to the library and get an old Consumer Reports Annual Buying Guide. They rate every area of every car for the past 10 years. If you can't find one old enough, you can at least get an idea of brand reliability.

I'll agree with Joose 100%. For my first car, I did my homework with Consumer Reports, and ended up looking at Honda, Toyota, and Nissan. I finally bought a Honda CRX. Drove it for 7 years before giving it to my brother. It just turned 200K miles with no major repairs (radiator was the biggest thing).

Yes, in general, domestics are cheaper to fix -- but you'll be doing so more often.

Brief history of my friends' cars:
- 1990 Ford Tempo. Engine seized a couple years back. Buh-bye.
- 1988 Ford Crown Vic (Police Pkg). For years, it was my brother's Blue's Mobile. But he got extra attention (not the good kind) from the police. It's become more of a project car now that engine starter spray is required to make it turn over.
- 1995 Dodge Neon. Running fine around 100K, last I heard.
- 1996 Dodge Neon. Head gasket started leaking the day before it was totaled.
- 1989 Caddy DeVille. Only 60K miles, but heat stopped working and some electrical problems. Runs great.
- 1992 Subaru Loyale. Ran great up to 160K, then some transmission problems in the cold. Still going.
- 1989 Honda CRX. Just turned 200K. Fixed some rust recently. Runs great.
- 1994 Toyota Paseo. Owner raved about this car, till it got totaled a couple years back. Even so, I still hear about it every once in awhile.
- 1996 BMW 318ti. Great car, but got traded in due to high repair costs.
- 2001 Kia Rio. Neighbor bought brand new. Has its share of minor problems, but now she owes twice as much as it's worth.

Don't forget the late model Escort ZX-2.

BTW the 2005 Consumer Reports rag lists the Altima as above average reliabiliby since the mid-90's, if I remember correctly...

Quote: Originally Posted by pimp joose BTW the 2005 Consumer Reports rag lists the Altima as above average reliabiliby since the mid-90's, if I remember correctly...

IMHO trust CR as far as you can throw what they're testing. They're great at reviewing vacuums - automotive testing has much to be desired.

Personally, I like to snicker quietly at their automotive articles before picking up Car and Driver. But the buying guides I was talking about are charts based solely on the thousands of responses from their surveys, leaving little to their capacity for automotive reviews.

Even so, I'd love to see car magazines take an active interest in the reliability of used cars, since that's what half of us buy anyway. I know, not where advertising $$$ are made. But just an occasional article would be nice...
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^^^ What he said...reliability ratings are based on responses from owners.

Quote: Originally Posted by pimp joose ^^^ What he said...reliability ratings are based on responses from owners.

But it doesn't weigh them very well. Such as a broken electric mirror weighs against it as heavy as a blown engine.