Looking for a car, =)

Question

I'll be replacing my very old first car.. and just so you know I know NOTHING about cars..

What I need:

safe.

reliable.

able to take trips every couple of months to a place about 3 hours away.

atleast a good 5 years in it with NO major problems. (what mileage should i shoot for?)

decent gas mileage.

my budget is $5k TOPS, cheaper would be a lot better. doesn't have to be beautiful. i can drive stick or automatic.

i know prices vary depending on location... but maybe one of you know some good brands/years to shoot for.

Thanks =)

Answer 1

l would save a little more and buy a no older than 4 year old, Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla, or Camry.

Answer 2

I'd say go with a Toyota. They will keep going and going and going. I had a 91 Toyota Tercel and it is still running today. My mother owned it, then me, and then my lil brother, and now his wife drives it. Granted it is an older car, it is very reliable and very economical. I upgraded to a 2007 toyota Yaris (11 gallon tanks=400+ miles). it is over your price range, but if you can find a toyota in between the tercel and a yaris, you shouldn't have any problems making long road trips.  

Answer 3

90's subaru impreza, awd (most of em) , good gas mileage, decent speed

Answer 4

As far as mileage, it really depends on the vehicle.  Usually, I'd shot for about 100k or less in a used car in that price range.  But some cars can last for a long long time.

I'd recommend a 2000-2003 Chevy Malibu.  You can get nice low mileage examples for around 4k and sometimes less.  They're really well rounded reliable little cars and get great gas mileage too.

Here's one:

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct...

Answer 5

at that budget a honda or hyundai?

Answer 6

Take a trip to your local bookstore or grocery store, and find the consumer reports guide to used cars.  It only costs a few dollars, or you could look through it while in the store.   There's a preview here:

http://autos.yahoo.com/consumerreports/a...

10,000 - 15,000 miles per year is average, so if you're looking at a car that is 6 years old,  60-80,000 miles is common.  Avoid cars that were used as rentals, or driven by teens because there were likely abused.

Once you have found a few candidates for sale, look them up on carpoint (link below).  You can read reviews and see average prices, gas mileage, and ratings for any make, model, or year.  

http://autos.msn.com/home/used_research....

Finally, get a carfax report on any used car before you buy, and preferably have it checked out by a mechanic you trust.  Don't put any stock in "certified used car" programs, it doesn't really mean anything.

Answer 7

98 Acura CL

98 Ford Mustang V6

98 Honda Accord or Civic

98 Nissan Frontier or Pathfinder

98 Subaru Impreza or Legacy

98-00 Toyota Corolla or Echo 00

Answer 8

Nissan Maxima... V6, fast! 18-26 MPG.. Sedan, spacious, comfy, VERY RELIABLE, with a lil luxury, easy to maintain !

If u want better mileage go for a Honda Accord but i say a maxima is a BARGAIN and you will enjoy it.

Mine never had any problems, the first issue was replacing the clutch at  160k miles :)

I recommend the best on which is the 1995 MAXIMA SE

also :

acura Legend, or a toyota if you want better MPG but for the price of the maxima you get mpg, looks, speed, comfort !

Baller Status! lol

it hold 18 Gallons, so it will get you 400 Miles on full tank, Great AC, cruise control, Roomy and spacious can FIT 5 comfy and 6 packed :)

it's agile, it's equipped with one of the best V6 engines ever which is pretty light and small the VQ30DE :)

plz don't look into a ford or chevy, that will cost you more money in long run, and I recommend getting a stick shift and learn it if you dont yet

manual trannys are less expensive to maintain and more reliable, give u better response and MPG