Good first car for me?

Question

Im a guy looking to buy his first car - -

ive been looking on craigslist at some of the older bmw's like the 1993 525i, but realize it will be too expensive to mantain....

any suggestions? im looking for a coupe w/ leather interior for under $5000

Answer 1

5k you will have dig into personal ads. no leather there. probably a 1996 toyota corolla or honda civic would be your best bet for 5k

Answer 2

Volkswagen Jetta Or Golf. You can easily find a 5-speed '99 or '00 with leather. They are nice looking cars, comparable to BMW and reliable.

Answer 3

Stay away from craigs list unless you are taking for full mechanic workup.   Most are to make look good until take home or have been wrecked, or modified.

Answer 4

try an eclipse.

...by the way, you cant really be picky about things like leather if you only have a budget of 5K.

Answer 5

How about a Vespa, 60 miles per gallon?

Answer 6

If it is your first car then you should buy the cheapest possible car you can find that runs fine. The reason is that you are going to wreck it and don't want to throw away your money on a car you are going to wreck. Your first car is what you use to learn how to drive in real life instead of what you use to learn how to get your license. 100% of people wreck their first car. It is only the shock of wrecking your car (if you live...) that teaches you to be more careful in the future. So, what I am saying is to get a cheap disposable car and save your money for the second car.

Answer 7

Chevy Vega

Answer 8

Hmmm... you can find older Mustangs for around that price.  It's going to have a lot of wear on it and require some maintenance, but it'll be alot cheaper to drive than a BMW.

You also might be able to find an old Acura Integra or Lexus in your price range if you still want to go the luxury route, but repairs on any imported luxury car like that are going to cost a lot when you need them.  For a domestic equivalent, the mid-late 90s Cadillac El Dorados were actually really nice cars and you can probably find one with leather for close to your price range, but you might not like the size or image.