Good, Cheap Beater Cars & Inexpensive Commuter Cars - how to find one?

kmag · February 2004

Taxes and license are the same for all cars where I live-under 50/year.

Insurance seems to only goes down slightly until you cancel collision. I was paying 80/month when I bought my 94 Escort GT in 1996 for 8500. When I sold it last year for $1200, I was paying 55/month.

Now there was a great beater. If I didnt drive 20K+/year I might have kept it. But it would have needed about $1200 in maintenance already since I sold it-tires, timing belt, front struts, transmission service, rad flush. Plus any repairs that might have occured. It would have over 150K now. Maybe it would make it another year or two, maybe it would even turn over 200k with no problems. Maybe not. Id rather make payments than repairs, and every car Ive kept has needed a good amount of repairs after 75-90K miles, typically costing me 750-1000 a year. That is a $100/month Visa payment, so paying 150-180 for a newer car is better to me. If my Saturn gets thru that time without so many repairs, I'll be really happy and I'll probably keep it going and try for 150K.

jlawrence01 · February 2004

>>Taxes and license are the same for all cars where I live-under 50/year.

That is probably NOT the case on the sales tax when you buy the car. It is 6.5% here in Illinois.

If you are serious about doing all the maintenance, you run into a few repairs around 80-90k and you have to plan to spend about $1500 when you get to the 100k mark.

The problem with the "payments vs. repairs" argument is that MOST people aren't making $150 car payments. They are making $300-500 payments.
EVERY month. And they still have all the maintenance costs - tires, breaks, etc. either way.

Personally, I would take a $1000-1200 in maintenance and repairs per year over $1800 in payments plus higher insurance and all the other costs.

steine13 · February 2004

I've been keeping careful track of car expenses for a while now. And you're right: The cheapest ones were the beaters, and I don't have a horror story either. Never lost an engine, transmission, or clutch. Now AC, that's a different story.

So the stars were: 1988 VW Fox bought for $1700 sold for $1750 35k later. $600 in parts and a lot of elbow grease.
1986 Chevy Van, Carburator and all, bought for $1800 sold for $1650 18 months later. Paid a few hundred for parts, exhaust, and some $300 rust fixes. Absolutely needed a fs van at the time, so it was okay... valve stem seals leaked when I ditched it, so it was gonna need stuff.
1980 Malibu... I almost made money on that after two years... those were great.

Then there were the Audi 4000, the Nissan Pulsar, and the Plymouth Horizon... not super expensive, but troublesome.

And the worst, 92 Aeorostar. 3 years, 26k miles, and I was out $5000 for the pleasure. Bad news. I don't think my 03 Sienna will be any more expensive.

New: 97 Nissan Hardbody, 98 Chevy Prizm. Both served us well for 3-5 years, needed NOTHING out-of-pocket, and cost under 10c/mile for depreciation. Easy sale despite stick shifts, brought good money.

I miss my beaters, and I don't doubt that it'd be a little cheaper to drive those. But my time is more valuable now than when I was a student, and there is real value in having dead reliable cars. So I spent $38k on two new cars last year -- thanks to a deer accident -- and I'll get back to you on total cost when we get rid of them.

-Mathias

autonuts · February 2004

First of all, thanks for replying. I try to respect everyone's opinions/comments when I ask for them. My experience with "beater cars" is new, but I'm convinced that it is the better way to go. You see, I use to buy/lease new vehicles and because I didn't hang on to them long, I paid through the nose when I traded them in. Most currently, I lost about $3800 on a 2000 Camary CE when I traded it in for the purchase of a 2004 Sienna. Needless to say, I'm driving the Sienna until it goes to car heaven. Because my payment is so high $497/month on the Sienna, which my wife and kids use, I drive the '90 Accord EX. Now the truth is that I purchased the car for $1200. I have had a tune-up and new brakes/rotors put on it and that's all. It will be a year in April that I've owned it. It had a 137,000 miles on it when I purchased it and now only has 140,000. It isn't rust free though. I will be driving this until something major goes wrong, but for now it really does the job. What I was getting at was down the road I want to find a beater with the body in good shape but if it may need something major replaced would it be worth the expense. My thoughts have been reaffimed with all your inputs. I guess I always knew that new cars carry a high price tag which include payments, insurance, plates and routine maintenance. I was just hooked on new cars which isn't a cheap thing to be hooked on!

jlawrence01 · February 2004

AC problems - have I had them, sure, Lots of them. However, my philosophy on AC is that once they have been recharged and they still don't work, my car no longer has air conditioning. I won't spent more than $300 on it. That was more of a problem in St. Louis than it was in Detroit, Chicago and Cleveland where the summers are a bit more temperate.

My star was an '80 Malibu. Father-in-law bought it for me when I flipped my Chevette on I-75 north of Jackson, MI. He bought it for $1500 with 60k. Sold it for $850 after 7 years and 60k miles. Planned to sell it for $500 when a simultaneous auction broke out on my front step in St. Louis at 9 am on a Sunday morning.

I generally don't buy a beater. My car becomes one as I generally get the cars over 100k after six years.

If you go the beater route, it helps if you have a mechanic or someone who is very familiar with the mechanicals to look the car over. Generally, about 95% of the time, they can spot defects and repaired body work.

steine13 · February 2004

"My star was an '80 Malibu."
No kidding. Mine was an '83 wagon with the 305. Bought in '95 for $725; went to town with new belts/hoses/waterpumpt/AC recharge/exh/tires. Total outlay, not much 'cuz I did it all myself.

The Mrs. and I drove that thing all over creation... then, like an idiot, I sold it in Jan '97 for $850 to buy an '87 Audi 4000. That one lastet me a couple years before it needed a lot of stuff.... this past summer, there was an ad for an Malibu wagon.. "drive or for parts"... sounded familiar... IT'S STILL ON THE ROAD seven years later!!!

So much for my automotive judgment...
-Mathias

tomcat630 · February 2004

And they say US cars don't last!!

jlawrence01 · March 2004

All cars will last (with a few exceptions). Hardly a day passes that I don't see a 1985 or older Buick chugging away.

Most people get TIRED of driving their vehicles long before the vehicles become non-functioning.

jrosasmc · March 2004

Jlawrence: I'm just curious, what kind of Volvo was that '02 you had? Was it a V70?

jlawrence01 · March 2004

It was an S80.

ghulet · March 2004

was kinda considering getting my mom into one (used, they're so pricey new), but I haven't heard much good in the way of repair frequency/cost. I want to keep her solvent.

andre1969 · March 2004

was a 1980 Malibu coupe. My mom bought it new, and gave it to me in early '87. It just had a 229 V-6, but that was adequate for the time. It was a pretty good car, and really, the only reason I got rid of it was because I found a '69 Dart GT that I fell in love with, and at the time I was only 20, so I couldn't afford the insurance on both.

I sold it for $500 in 1990, with about 100,000 miles on it. It was still running well, but pretty banged up. Someone snagged the rear quarter panel when I was in high school, and in college I let one of my friends, who was used to a 1980 Accord, drive it. He hit a Chevette trying to park it, and its bumper creased in the door. I was able to pound it mostly out, but you could still see it. Also in college, I rear-ended an '82 Cavalier that slammed on its brakes in front of me. Nosedived under their bumper, which caught me right across the grille. I got a header panel with the grille, lights, etc from an '81 Malibu that was the same color, light blue, and it bolted right up. That hit did crease the hood and driver's side fender too, though. So the car wasn't looking too pretty by the time I got rid of it, and it needed some exhaust work.

I did see it about a year later, at a shopping plaza parking lot. By that time it had 115K miles on it. That was the last time I saw it though...I always wondered how long that car lasted.

mirth · March 2004

andre - that's pretty funny - MY first car was a '78 Malibu(V8). Got it as a hand-me-down from my mom in '86. ;-) Miss that car.

stubborn1 · March 2004

I "inherited" a 79 Malibu back in 94 with the small V8 (283 I think??). My father bought it brand new and it made its rounds around the family until grandma stopped driving. It had 180k when I picked it up.

The speedometer stopped working somewhere around the 200k mark and I probably drove it 1 1/2 years after that. The car never had any major engine or transmission work done on it.

The worst "beater" investment I have made was an 86 Buick Regal. I had to drop a rebuilt engine at 110k miles. I only got 40k more miles before a head gasket blew, then carb problems, then I moved to a state with emission testing and could never get it to pass.

You gotta set a $ limit on repairs for beater cars.

tomcat630 · March 2004

The 78-81 Malibus had a 267 ci V8 available. It was like the Olds 260 and the Pontiac 301 V8's, meant for MPG concerns of the time.

yettibutt · March 2004

Bought a '94 Civic EX coupe from an individual 2 years ago to use as my "beater" or daily driver. When I set out to find my "beater", it was going to be either a Honda or a Toyota, period. I wanted 100K miles, and under 5K in price, to some, that may not be a "beater", but to me it is. It looks great and runs perfect, haven't had to spend very much keeping it up, I will be able to drive this car for 5 more years easy without a major repair.

ghulet · March 2004

At what point would you 'shy away' from a car based on mileage alone? Just saw a really nice '90 Mazda 626 LX 5-speed manual (automatics have been troublesome), one owner (an airline pilot), lots of records, nice body and interior, but with 300k miles. Price is $875, probably somewhat negotiable. If it seems and drives nice enough, would you take a chance?

thel · March 2004

how much money can you really lose vs. a 200k mile car. If it has gone this long, at least you're pretty sure it's been taken good care of...

lancerfixer · March 2004

Aw, heck, what've you got to lose? Especially if it's a 5 door 626...I always kinda liked those. It'd remind you of your Saabs only it'd actually, you know, run. :-)

jlawrence01 · March 2004

One question on that Mazda with 300k miles that I have to ask ...

You drive a car THAT far and long ... why are they getting rid of it NOW???

oregonboy · March 2004

... because it's worn out. Any part of that car that is subject to wear, that has not already been replaced, is subject to failure at any moment.

It might be ok if you buy it really cheap and are prepared to walk away from it as soon as it breaks. If you start putting money into it, it could become a very expensive car.

suvshopper4 · March 2004

lancerfixer: Good one!

jlawrence01 · March 2004

THAT IS **MY** POINT!!

If you have driven a car to 300k (meaning that you have taken the risk that something BIG will go all this time), WHAT is wrong NOW that you want to sell it!!!!! Methinks that something is about ready to die and the guy wants to dump it on a sucker.

I know people that dump all their cars at 100k - automatically. I know that they are getting rid of their car for a NEW car.

ghulet · March 2004

Sometimes people just finally get tired of their old cars, or they come into some money, or find a deal on a new one they 'can't pass up'. People have lots of reasons for getting rid of old cars for new ones, admittedly not the least of which is when something is critically wrong with the old one.

steine13 · March 2004

...also, one has to get used to the fact that the only cars one can buy are the ones that someone else is getting rid off, for whatever reason... -m

lancerfixer · March 2004

You mentioned this guy was a pilot. They come in two varieties: The junior guys who make chicken scratch, and the senior guys, who make money hand over fist. Maybe he finally got that cushy major airline gig that affords him the luxury of no longer having to drive a 300k Mazda.

CarMan@Edmunds · May 2004

When shopping for an inexpensive vehicle to use for commuting or whatever one should definitely take mileage into consideration. Purchasing an inexpensive used vehicle doesn't do one much good if you have to pay an arm and a leg for gas. This is especially true today when the average price of a gallon of gasoline has topped $2.00. Those of you who are in the market for an inexpensive car should definitely take a look at the following new article that is available here at Edmunds.com: Top 10 Most Fuel-Efficient Non-Hybrid Cars for 2004. Since these are new vehicles they are not "beaters" in the traditional sense, but many of them are inexpensive and would make great commuter vehicles. Please feel free to use this area to comment on this list or to add your own suggestions for inexpensive transportation.

Car_man
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Smart Shoppers Message Board

natae · May 2004

is there any web sites where i can find a private owner to purchase a car, i believe that is my last hope

steine13 · May 2004

Spend 75 cents on the local newspaper.
Forget online, the paper is where it's at. If you insist on the 'net, go to cars.com; they search classifieds in major papers.
But, it's a COMPUTER PROGRAM. no good. one typo and you don't see the car... the Chevy Prizm you'll see, but the "Prism" next to it you might not.

For an article on how to buy a good cheap car, see my profile.
-Mathias

ghulet · May 2004

....www.autotrader.com, you can punch in the car you want (and you don't type in the name, so no possibility of typos) and you can specify down to the last detail, including:

distance you are from seller/dealer
price range
year, make, model, of course
even color, number of doors, transmission type

Of course, the more specific you get with the last part, the less likely the site is to show you many cars.

ghulet · June 2004

I found, on AutoTrader.com, the following at a local new car dealer (no price listed, though):

1990 Mazda 626 LX hatchback 5-speed manual (hard to find combination)
tan exterior and cloth interior
power sunroof but no alloys
115k miles

Body and interior look great in photos, haven't seen or driven the car yet. Not sure if everything (notably stereo, roof and a/c) are working. Obviously for a new dealer, this is going to be a 'wholesale' type unit, given the age and relative obscurity. Wondering what a good price on something like this would be?

stickguy · June 2004

I had a '91 LX hatch 5 speed. Great car, and bulletproof. Last I heard, it had 150K plus on it, and doing fine (sold to the mailman).

IIRC< the alloys were standard, or came as part of th epackage to get the roof. But, I might be fuzzy, or the 90s may have been different (no changes to the car though).

ghulet · June 2004

...that's why I mentioned the strange fact that it had a roof but no alloys (photo shows standard Mazda hubcaps). No biggie. I've always liked this design, and the fact that it's one of the only (if not THE only) midsize hatchbacks out there.

ghulet · August 2004

Saturn SL/SCs are definitely NOT my first choice for a car, but lately I've noticed they're super cheap used. I've checked epinions.com, Edmunds and other sites, and consumers seem quite polarized about these cars, either love them or hate them. I know their seats and interior quality in general aren't the best, they're likely a lot more rattly than your average Honda or Toyota, but they also cost half to a quarter what those cost once they're at a certain age. I've seen plenty for under $2k, and they're not the fifteen to twenty year-old rust buckets that Hondas are at that price. From what I've heard from friends and family, they're at least reliable. Any opinions? In terms of reliability, is the SL/SC1 engine or the twin-cam SL2/SC2 engine better?

Recently, I've seen a decent looking '97 SL1 manual with 122k for $1500, a presentable '93 SC2 automatic with 167k for $1000 and a nice looking '97 SC2 manual with 91k for $2500. Hard to ignore those prices. Again, I don't care about prestige, aesthetics, performance or creature comforts much, I just want a cheap car to get to work and the store (3 miles) and occasionally out to visit relatives, without a payment. Anyone know anything about repair prices versus other domestics or imports?

steine13 · August 2004

I test-drove a 97 SW1 last year... the lady wasn't thrilled when I offered her low $2's, but the car was -- kinda -- fun to drive in a whole-grain sort of way. A bunch of GM, but also a bunch of character. You sit on the floor, which is fine if you're tall, and everything is a little goofy, like someone is doing a Civic from memory, but all the basics are OK. AC should be Delco, you could do worse.

Reliability is decent. Take a flashlight and peek in to oil filler opening... if it looks clean there and the car is fine otherwise, go for it.

And don't forget, until you start walking, you don't know what they'll take....

-Mathias

kyfdx · August 2004

If you like manual shift, then you can really make out buying the quasi-beaters.. the $4500-$6000 stuff.. The dealers basically will throw $2000 at a trade that they would put $5000 in, if it were automatic... You can usually move up two model years for the same money by buying 5-speed Proteges, Prizms, Saturns, Corollas, and Civics (to a lesser degree).

Something else that is relatively new and cheap: Ford Ranger 2WD pickups.. My uncle bought a '99 Ranger in January of '03 for $5700. Automatic, air and V-6. Not much else, but only 41K miles.

If it had been a manual shift, you could probably have knocked $2K off the price.

regards,
kyfdx

ghulet · August 2004

...here in Chicago, there's not much market or availability for them. Almost the only pickups I see here are used commercially. Between their bad traction in snow, the fact that they (and all trucks) are illegal to drive on Lake Shore Drive, and I guess just the general lack of necessity for one, it just wouldn't work for me. Now, if I had a house or a yard, sure. The only way I could see it being useful is for my friends to borrow it when they need to move!

I'd almost rather have an Escort at half the price!

I see your point about manual transmissions. I like to drive them, they cost less to buy and maintain, and at least half my friends can't even drive one. Perfect.

asafonov · September 2004

My (size 2) data sample of older, ca. 94-95 Saturns owned by friends indicates that these cars had huge engine problems - cheerfully fixed by GM under warranty. Now, of course, the warranty is gone. This is somewhat corroborated by what I read in Chris Edmonston's Lemon-Aid (don't remember which year, probably 1999) - he wrote something to the effect that he would take a used Cavalier over a Saturn any day.

jlawrence01 · September 2004

I remember reading that also. I have never considered buying one as I do not believe in the "one price" approach.

I think that I would also pass on the Cavalier, though.

anonymousposts · September 2004

Well I normally stick with Hon-yotas but my sister recently needed a cheap car fast. I found her a 1998 Saturn SL2 with 90,000 miles. Power package, cruise, alloys, automatic and cold AC. Paid $1700 for it. Overall it is a much nicer car than a comparable Honda would've been for that price. I would've preferred to buy her a Honda but the supply of clean low-mileage late-90's Hondas for $1500-$1700 is almost (if not completely) non-existant.

So far the car has been good for her. Got her back to Wilmington, NC and now back to GA and is on it's way back to NC.

jetdriven · April 2005

When I got laid off from my airline job I sold my wife's 3 year old Contour SVT. Our second car became our good car, a 1991 eagle talon with 200K on it.,

When I got recalled in Jan 02 I bought a 1991 Acura Integra from ebay for 3,500$. It had 89K on it and was really nice. no paint work, or ripped interior. air blew cold and everything worked. Soon after I got it home I put in motor mounts, and changed the timing belt. total cost for this was 300$. In the 3+ years I have owned it I put on tires and brakes plus an oil pan gasket.

So for a 2,000$ car it has been great, we still drive it daily, in fact. 25 city and 31 Hwy. it does use a quart of oil every 1000 miles though.

I'd recommend one of these for a cheap dependable car that will get on the freeway without drama. they can be had on ebay and autotrader for around 1500-2000 dollars.

lhess · May 2005

here in WV (lots of snow, cinders, and salt) so I bought a 1997 Geo Tracker (in 2001), 4wd, 5 spd with 60K miles, new tires, super clean vehicle, ran as well as a Tracker can, paid $5000 for it. Drove it 3 winters, took good care of it, and sold it for $4500. The only downside to it was the insurance was almost as much as my 2001 Eclipse Spyder. Still, it was worth it to keep my car off the nasty winter roads and it saved mileage on it!! I just bought an rx8 and hope to do a similar thing for the upcoming winter.

natalicious · May 2005

Hello all, I have a question. I currently have a 1993 Plymouth Sundance duster with 130,000 miles, it recently started giving me problems and I was told that it's the fuel pump. The Mechanic is trying to charge me $500.00 to fix it but the car only cost me $600.00 4 years ago. I am currently in grad school and i'm so broke..yes very broke. I'm currently have $2200.00 that I can spend, i'm not looking for a fancy car I just want a good, reliable car that can get me through my last year of grad school. THe question is this, What are the best USED American and Foreign cars? How much should I spend on another used car? What years are the best to get for that price? The dealers are always trying to sell me crap or something that I can't afford, so please help me. P.S. I've been looking on Ebay, have any of you ever purchased a car on Ebay?

lancerfixer · May 2005

Well, at the $2,000 price point, I wouldn't expect miracles, but I would expect something better than a '93 Duster!

At the $2,000 price point, I'd look for the following:

Mazda Protege
Ford Escort
Early-mid '90s Ford Taurus
Mid-90s Chevy Lumina
Volvo 240
Early 90's Toyota pickup

Your profile says you're in Buffalo...I've got family there, and I know what those roads (and salt) can do to a car. At $2k, finding a rust-free anything will be a challenge. Also, don't expect the car to be maintenance-free...the best thing to do would be to have it checked out by a mechanic prior to purchase. Also, do not, repeat, do not buy a car with a "salvage" title. Even though it looks like a better deal (more car for less money,) these cars are problems waiting to happen...usually, they've been totalled in an accident or flood, and someone has "fixed" them (I use the term loosely.)
I'd also recommend, if you don't know how to already, learning to drive a manual transmission...at this price point, going with a stick will save you some money.

I'd recommend a Camry or Accord for reliability, but good examples of these cars would be hard to come by for $2,200 or less.

Good luck, and let us know how it turns out.

andys120 · May 2005

An old but not too abused Crown Vic or Grand Marquis could give you good service for cheap money, they seem to last a long time and aren't expensive to fix but take up a lotta space and get poor gas mileage.

A musician friend of mine carts his Moog around in an ex-State police CV.

asafonov · May 2005

Great list of the usual suspects. I would, off course, add the ubiqitous Geo Prizm (probably 94-96 vintage, maybe a 97 with high miles), and possible the discontinued Mitsubishi Mirage, but I have heard that the latter have poor crash test ratings.

sf3010 · February 2006

I'm on the lookout for a 1995 Acura Integra SE (or even LS). Any ideas on the price? Preferred 75000 to 80000 miles.
By the way, :confuse: what is the difference between LS and SE?

mikel56 · March 2006

Getting white build up on oil cap and valve cover, and just wondering if this is due to an intake manifold gasket cracked or leaking. 125k, no external anti freeze leaks. Been adding anti freeze about every couple of days to the over-flow bottle. Any related problems with the 3.1's out there?

koba1879 · May 2006

Sounds like the head gasket. There is currently a wide spread problem with them. There was an article on AutoBlog about it a while back. Hope it helps.

http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/15/gm-to-handle-intake-manifold-gasket-problem-o- n-a-case-by-case-ba/

fastbutslow · May 2006

the first generation of integras are getting scarce, but i own one and love it. it currently has 220k mile on it and still gets over 30mpg in the city. i do drive extremely slow to get that. it only takes a timimg belt and oil changes to keep it running. from what little i know about them they are very reliable.

Good, Cheap Beater Cars & Inexpensive Commuter Cars - how to find one?

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Good, Cheap Beater Cars &amp; Inexpensive Commuter Cars - how to find one?

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Good, Cheap Beater Cars & Inexpensive Commuter Cars - how to find one?