NPC - My son needs a reliable car <$5k, UPDATE: buying a 2010 Mazda3 S Gran Touring Hatch 2.5 6-speed Options

[ssuperflyoldguy]

Hands down Miata. Got a 96 for $600, bought a wheel & fixed clutch slave cylinder. Pulled fender out n away from wheel by hand. Shoe horned cheapest WalMart battery in it. Nephew gave it the last of his can o R134 & AC worked fine. Mom stitched in a new plastic window and done. Drove it for a year commuting, loved it! Don't know why I sold it, kicking myself whenever driving on a twisty road. Kids don't let me forget it either.

[2mAn]

You missed the part about him being in the North East... snow... salt... rust.... sleet... rain. I can't recommend a car from the 80s when you can get ABS and other pluses.

Anything from the E36 on the beancounters had a say in things so you saw plastic showing up everywhere giving things a shelf life. The E30 was the last of the overengineered cars.

They all had ABS with the exception of the early 318 models (like mine). None of those problems from the NE should scare him in an E30. If that scares him, he can get an iX but realistically its not a problem even with RWD.

Everyone mentioning a miata is also forgetting that this is a sales job for a microbrewery, Im sure at some point he will need a backseat and a trunk.

http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/5638152174.html totally stock, mint condition

http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/5645990243.html slightly modified

http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/5648988443.html AWD but has some rust though very well maintained

[carr914]

Scott,

For $5K -



2. Although FWD - the 1980's to `91/92-ish Honda Civic Hatchback or fastback Coupe are also an amazingly spritely & good handling car with it's 1.5-1.8L I-4, all with the Honda reliability. There are several run by PCA members in our SoCal AXs, & our son has an `88 Civic HB DX that has been in the family since new with 2 of his uncles, & is now near 200K miles & still a reliable DD for him - he just drove to/from Ft. Carson/Colorado Springs CO to OC/SoCal for leave a couple of weeks ago!

They look really nice & sporty - especially in certain colors & when properly cleaned up & waxed up!

Son's, after we finished the 2008-09 Refurb/Resto....


.


Tom
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I still daily drive a 99 Civic Hatch. You can put a ton of stuff in it, it's quick, fun and gets 38 MPG everywhere I go

[Shadowfax]

E30 ftw! Love my E39 (2003 530i, 5-speed) too but you do have to stay on top of maintenance (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

Agree with the others on the attributes of the Miata and Civic. What about an early 2000s Subaru wagon? They may lack in the fun factor and a manual transmission might be hard to find but AWD, good MPG, reliability and cargo space would be a good trade off to me.

[scott_in_nh]

Well I bumped the needle a bit - he is going to look at a Miata tomorrow.

Tried to get him to consider a Honda, but I blame all the tuner boys, he just can't do it (yet).

I think he might need more room, but he cannot deliver beer, so he says all he needs to carry is a case of canned samples...

[Gearhead1432]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned a VW GTI. The Mk3 2.0 would be my top pick for daily utility, cheap, and reliable.

The Vr6 is fun, but just not as cheap or reliable as the 2.0. For the trade off it's faster than a non-turbo 944 and sounds better too.

[Bulldog9]

Agreed on the E46, very maintenance intensive, more so than the E36. Even the E36 have programmed in R&R (suspension bushings, cooling system every 9-10 years regardless of miles, and I mean the WHOLE system that has plastic. One minor overheat and you are looking at a head gasket job and possible warped head.

The rest of the E36 is pretty solid, particularly the M cars, but even a well cared for one like mine there is always something going wrong....... Very fussy of fuel, maintenance intensive, but worth it if you have the time & $$. E46 has far too many wiz bang gizmos to go haywire.

I'd look at:

1.Celica - My son just picked up a sweet 2000 GTS for 4500. **2000-2005 has timing chain, not belt.
2. Acura Integra -too often overlooked.
3. Mazda 3 - another great car that is underrated.
4. Imprezza Hatch with a Manual.

Not a big fan of Honda, but they get the job done. I'd stay farther away from any VW/Audi product. Just not worth the maintenance headache IMO.

Well, some P content - after the semi-fiasco of his 944 experience, he has been carless, but could walk to work and pay his roommate to use his car as needed.

But now he has taken a sales job with a micro-brewery and while it is local and he won't be a road warrior, he really needs something bulletproof, but hopefully still offers some fun.

He will only drive a stick (taught him well), hates FWD (me too, but he may have to suck it up).

We started looking at E46 BMW's but the more I read, the more I think it will be another mistake like his 944 (maintenance and reliability wise).

So what is out there that is cheap, reliable and fun? What do you or your poor car enthusiast 20 something kids drive daily?

[carr914]

Tried to get him to consider a Honda, but I blame all the tuner boys, he just can't do it (yet).

I get it, as I have daily driven Hondas for the last 20 Years - I can guarantee that everyone except one ( low mileage S2000) has been riced out!

I do get respect from the Ricers when they see how clean my car is. But you know what I don't really care - I can drive it anywhere with so little maintenance it's scary. Oil Changes, a Belt every 75,000. In the last year I have done 3 Synthetic Oil Changes, and I just replaced the O2 Sensors. The last Civic Hatch I had I drove close to 400,000 Miles and all I did was Oil Changes, Tires, 3 Timing Belts, Gas - then traded it in for what I paid for it!

[Steve]

Are these cars you don't have to work on? My 2003 Acura RSX with 185k miles just died recently with a blown head gasket and cracked plastic radiator. Blue book on the car is $3000. We sold it to pick a part for $500.00. My daughter also needed a cheap car, but I don't want her stranded on the side of the road so we leased a new RAV 4.

[zipedadoo]

I'd go for a 2000's era 1/2 ton chevy truck. 4x4 and a manual transmission can be alot more fun than any car, if you use it right..(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[rwilner]

Scott
Just throwing this out there. Cheap, safe, good in the snow, relatively local.

Bring a checkbook for gas...but it least it runs on 87.

I thought about buying this for my DD. Still am, I guess.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5816024

[billh1963]

Good grief.

He said early on that the car needed to be manual, RWD, and fun.

Reliability was a factor as well. He's young so he needs something that can be inexpensively fixed.

In what universe does 90% of the cars mentioned fit that criteria?

30 year old BMW's? Sheesh..give me a break. I've owned several. Great cars but not for a kid on a budget.

Japanese econoboxes may be reliable but are FWD and not all that exciting.

Old luxury cars? Really? One major issue and the kid is down for the count.

I would love to recommend an early Boxster. But, that's not realistic either.

Hell, if we want to talk sense get a used small truck and be done with it. Reliability, RWD, and practicality all rolled into one! Or, a Jeep. But, that's not what he wants.

I've never owned a Miata but have driven several. Awesome cars for the money. And, I can't think of any other inexpensive car that meets the original criteria.

[MMW]

I agree with a Miata but if it is not enough room & you can talk him into fwd then look at a VW golf or Jetta with a 2.0, manual. Great reliability, sporty, forum support, cheap parts, etc. If he absolutely needs rwd then a Miata is all I can think of.

[r_towle]

Scott,
Have you considered being the coolest dad ever and selling him the 914?

[Tom_T]

You missed the part about him being in the North East... snow... salt... rust.... sleet... rain. I can't recommend a car from the 80s when you can get ABS and other pluses.

Ummm .... Really!? .... no ABS & other goodies on the 914s either! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

No ABS - then you go old school & learn to drive it yourself without nannies, & learn to pump the brakes & learn to counter-steer in snow/ice. Then his son will know what to do when the ABS goes out in wet/snow/ice!

My E30 has PS - the Honda Civic & 914 not - & all were great in rain, snow, ice - as well as sun.

You'd think the 70's & 80's were the dark ages! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

BTW - our son's 88 Honda Civic has been in Watertown NY / Ft. Drum in Lake Effect ice, snow & salty roads 2011-14, & is now in Colorado Springs Co 2014-present also with snow, ice & salt, & had been in Little Rock & Fayettesville AR for it's 1st decade & a half - so it does just fine in the winter weather.

The E30 does fine in snow & ice for me in the CA Mountains, as well as for many folks I know in the Northeast still driving them.

And if you're driving anything in salty roads country, then you should be washing off the cars - running gear & undersides included - as often as possible!

For Bill & Shadowfax - my `85 325e is not a problem to keep up - usually <$1000/yr & probably $2,000 a year at most when something needs replacement after 30 years & 200K miles.

In fact, it has been 1/4 the costs over the past 28 years as our `88 VW Westy, & far less high-tech shennighans than any of the late-90's - 2000's BMWs, where you can't change a battery without a dealer to reset the OBCs! My neighbor across the street had a 2006 323 wagon, which he traded for a Kia, after it ate him up on the BS maintenance items.

A car budget of $5K is NOT going to buy what most of you are recommending here, in a reliable, relatively low mileage for the year, & well made cars!

Personally, I'd stay well away from any BMW made `95-98 on!

Scott - after he drives the Miata, try to also find some of the other Honda Civics, E30s, GTIs & other likely suspects mentioned here, & also try to find some old Consumer Reports yearly test results for their reliability & reccos for how well they've served.

Car test driving is always a fun sport! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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[colingreene]

What happened with the 944?

[Shindog1961]

Subaru WRX. Might be hard to get the WRX for $5000, but super reliable and by far the best cars on the planet for snow.

[ripper911]

Super Beetle.

[billh1963]

http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/5657080117.html

http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/5640349975.html

http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/5621954634.html

http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/5644143265.html

http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/5624293037.html

http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/5640099547.html

With hardtop: http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/5610997296.html

http://nh.craigslist.org/ctd/5651473161.html

Just a few......

[mgp4591]

You live in NH... your son needs to get to work etc.... why would you consider anything other than a Subie? The other AWD cars are spendy to fix and cost more to begin with while the Subaru is all around less expensive. Parts are everywhere - they seem to be the SBC of the Japanese car market too. Even if you get an underpowered one, you can swap suspension pieces with the more robust ones and have a lot of fun tossing it around while still dashing through the snow..
Just speaking from experience. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)