What's a good/sturdy/cheap car that would be good for an 18 year old?

Question

I'll make things clear. I'm not 18. I've got 2 more years to go. I don't get my license until 2 more years. And when I go to college I'm going to need a car. My mom isn't going to be driving me back and forth. And I really don't want to inherit the mini van! (It's already falling apart)

So, my family isn't made out of money. And I have no problem with a used car. I'm not spoiled. I just need something that's sturdy and will last through bad roads. I'm probably going to end up back in Puerto Rico and the roads there are terrible! So I need something good and strong. Thanks. I'd really appreciate your help. ^_^ (I'm going to start saving up too)

I was thinking the Chevy Cobalt would be a good choice. It's pretty cheap.

Answer 1

look for

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

these are all reliable and will last longer than other cars in this price range.

Answer 2

There is no simple answer to your question because no matter how good the manufacturer is, everything becomes suspect once it is used. If a vehicle has been neglected, damaged by accident or flood, or worse, rebuilt, it does not matter if it was once the greatest on Earth. When shopping used, try to find the real deal, not a detailed, cleaned up, former mess. Serious shopping is work, but it saves real money. Spend some time on dealer lots & ask friends about their cars, in order to get ideas.

When inspecting a used car always check the OIL for level, smell & feel, ATF- color/feel/smell [if it's burnt, so is the trans] COOLANT look for contamination [if ATF in coolant, walk away], BRAKE FLUID-if its black it is overdue for flush, look down the sides for sanding marks, waves or color changes indicating repair, look in trunk for water marks. Run a Carfax & have a shop or used car inspection service check out the vehicle before purchase.

I used to work for a company, in Texas, that inspected Used Cars for the buyer, at their expense. We once worked with a local TV station, investigating classified ads for cars. The disappointing result was that 90% of the ads were run by resellers [aka Curbstoners]. Many of them posing as if they had owned the car for years. So first off be a serious shopper, don't get excited about appearances. I told people that when they called, or if you email, about an advertised vehicle, ask if the car is titled in the sellers state, in the sellers name & will they show you their ID & the title? If you get ANY answer but yes say T-Y & hang up, don't believe the stories about selling for a friend etc., they are usually fiction. Now as to car choice, watch for over-looked cars. For example, Mitsubishi, Suzuki & Subaru build solid dependable cars for a reasonable price, they are cheap used, because everyone thinks of the big players.  In fact domestics can be a real bargain, if the mileage isn’t over 100k. But actually, $7k will nearly buy a new Kia, with a 10yr/100k warranty, according to ads here.

Don't buy any car, new or used w/o reading up here:

http://www.usedcartips.org/

More tips: http://cartalk.com/

Car prices: http://www.kbb.com/

As to "certified" I've seen, 1st hand, where that was nothing more than a piece of paper w/check marks. Not true of all dealerships, but some.

Extended warranties are only good if they are from the manufacturer, still read it closely. All of the others have too many exclusions in the fine print, they're a complete waste of money.

Answer 3

uh...i'd say get a used car...toyota...no american made ones...those are crappy!

Answer 4

Yes the cobalt isn't a bad car. Toyota, Honda, Subaru, Acura, Scion, Nissan  are all Japanese and will get you the best reliability (won't break down as much, and will last longer). They are they best bet if you want cheap used car that will last long. try to get one with low miles that will still be with in your budget.