Would a 1997 Cutlass supreme be a good first car?

Question

it is white it has a sunroof, 135xxx and is in mint condition $2200

Any advise?

Answer 1

You literally could not pick a better first car.  If you don't wreck it, you could probably drive it for 10 years.  That's $220 a year, you know. You'll get tired of it way before that.

I had one too - I sold it to a 16 year old for his first car.  It was really nice.  Performed and looked just like a new car when it had 185,000 miles on it.

Answer 2

Would recommend. Cheap, cheap insurance, cheap taxes, good reliability, pretty decent mpg's too. My 1991 cutlass had 220k miles on it, only thing that went wrong was an EGR valve, and the sunroof seal, and I admittedly, did NOT take care of it at all. I also work with a fellow engineer who refers to her 1997 cutlass as the "car that wont die". She refuses to buy another car until this one dies, and so far that hasn't happened, and she has wrecked it twice already.

Change the transmission fluid when you get it though, I had a shifting problem that went away when I finally changed the fluid at 200k miles.  

Answer 3

Each of my sons have had a Cutlass Supreme, one 1996 and the other a 1997. My youngest son still has his 1997, which has about 76k miles. I think it's a great first car. My oldest son attended college about 600 miles from home, and got about 31 mpg on the interstate. Most have the 3.1 V6. A common problem with these GM engines is the failure of the intake manifold gaskets, due to a poor design. The failure can occur any time between 60k and 135k miles. We just paid $475 to have the repair completed. Do you know whether the gaskets have been replaced? I would ask for receipts if they say they have been replaced. As to installing an aftermarket radio, it's quite easy, assuming the plug on the new unit matches the GM socket. You carefully pry loose the plastic trim that surrounds the instrument cluster, hvac controls and the radio. Any other questions?

Answer 4

Price too high.  Not a bad first car.  Strange rear brake problems.  Oil leaks.  Offer $1000  Stereo install is about average.