Used Vehicles Best Values

ghulet · January 2006

...but a nice looking mutt. Nice car, the right size, probably a bit more fun and definitely a bit more luxurious than a 626/Camry/Accord, but downright cheap used. Don't know about the maintenance or gas mileage though, I suspect neither would be all that great. Anyone remember the somewhat unloved (perhaps too unloved) Mazda Millenia? I think you could probably buy a decent one for less than $8k--I saw (in autotrader.com) a '99 S w/93k and a very nice looking '98 non-S w/74k, both for $7k within 50 miles of Columbus. Again, this is a shot in the dark, don't know much about their history or mechanical woes, but seems like a lot of car for the $$.

zodiac2004 · January 2006

Aurora? Alero? Intrigue?

And you were afraid of maintenance and repair costs on a 94 Legend?

qwalls · January 2006

Interesting suggestion. I've always liked the looks of the Millenia, but this scares me: "Occasional problems on this vehicle are failures of the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Valve Passages, the Distributor, 2.5L engine only, and the Lysholm Compressor Oil Seals, 2.3L engine only. Failure of the EGR Valve Passages can cause the check engine light to illuminate. Failure of the Distributor can cause a no start or stall while driving. Failure of the Lysholm Compressor Oil Seals can cause excessive oil consumption. The cost to repair the EGR Valve Passages is estimated at $15.00 for parts and $117.00 for labor. The cost to repair the Distributor is estimated at $358.40 for parts and $78.00 for labor. The cost to repair the Lysholm Compressor Oil Seals is estimated at $4,052.40 for parts and $312.00 for labor. All prices are estimates based on $65 per flat rate hour and do not include diagnostic time or any applicable sales tax."

Something to consider though.

kyfdx · January 2006

I think the Intrigue would be a good choice.. It is relatively reliable for an Oldsmobile... and it has the size and highway ride that you are looking for... It is the most import-like of any of the domestics..

The Aurora and Millenia would both scare me.. I'm also not feeling it for the 626.. That one might bore you to death...

Maybe a '94-'97 Accord... We had one for a couple of years.. It seemed nice at the time..

qwalls · January 2006

Thanks everyone for all of the feedback. Another Accord is definitely in the running since I've already owned 3, just trying to consider all of my options. :-) I may have to drive an Intrigue.

guss · January 2006

switched to the 6 cylinder version of the Northstar engine in 2001 I believe. With the 3.8L you should get about 20 mpg's around town, with the Shortstar about 22 mpg's

We bought three of them as Old's was going away cheap for company cars and the have been very reliable.

isellhondas · January 2006

On Millenias avoid the Miller Cycle engine at all costs! They cause trouble and make everything else a nightmare to work on!

65.00 per hour? Where?

qwalls · January 2006

Apparently that's an old estimate...

qbrozen · January 2006

after seeing that $4k possible failure in the list for the miller cycle car (supercharged 2.3 found in the "S" model), I'd have to agree with isell and say avoid it.

I liked the 2.5 626 i had for a couple of years. Definitely sportier handling than most others in its class. If I had the foresight to get it with a stick, I probably would have kept it much longer.

racer63 · January 2006

My 2 cents:

03-05 Mercury Sable LS Premium. I'm seeing '05's with under 5k miles advertised in the 15's. Figure transaction prices at least a grand or more less. An '03 would be probably closer to 11.

These are all loaded up full of toys like leather, roof 6-cd changer, 4 cams under the hood, etc. I had one for a rental a while back and was amazed at what a decent ride it was. Definitely a shame Ford let the air out of the Taurus/Sable balloon.

ghulet · January 2006

...is there any substantial difference between a Sable LS Premium and a Taurus SEL, other than styling (I prefer the styling on the Taurus, though I guess the Sable has a relative 'rarity' factor)? It's super easy to find more basic versions of both, but those with the 24v and buckets/console seems quite a bit more difficult. Still, not bad choices for a low-priced but reliable, roomy, fairly classy ride, I guess.

ghulet · January 2006

...yeah, I guess I forgot that obscure cars usually have obscure parts (and engines), which usually carry obscure repair bills :surprise:

sagerad · February 2006

My 1996 Volvo 850T was totalled last week. It was invaluable to us as a third car, driven primarily by our nanny to transport our kids around town. I owned the car for nearly ten years, as I bought it brand new in 1996.

We will receive about $7000 from insurance, and I figured I could kick in about $8000, give or take a couple to replace this car. I would like a sedan or wagon that is safe, reliable, relatively fuel efficient, not too large, and low maintenance. Styling and performance are of low priority (we have other cars that fulfill these missions

).

I cannot find a decent 2000-2002 Accord or Camry in this price range, but I am now considering a 2005 Ford Taurus or Mitsubishi Gallant from Enterprise Rent-a-Car. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

biancar · February 2006

I'd look at two year old Subaru wagons, or whatever year you have to to find your price. Friends of mine with kids love 'em.

erics6 · February 2006

I'd second the Subaru suggestion. A bit cheaper then Toyota and Honda used, but almost as reliable. Accord and Camry are good but spendy. Taurus is cheap but I'd worry about the long term repairs, especially with a rental vehicle. Mitsubishi is okay, but again, I'd shy away from rentals.

kyfdx · February 2006

...$8000. Won't find too many used Subaru wagons for that amount...

michaellno · February 2006

Remember, he'll be getting approx. $7K for the totalled Volvo, plus the $8K he's adding .. so his budget is around $15K.

Ought not to be too difficult to find a 2-4 year old Legacy or Outback in that price range.

kyfdx · February 2006

I re-read it... He is getting $7K.. but, I think he wants to purchase for $8K total... It is a car for the nanny.. Otherwise.. for $15K, those other choices wouldn't have been out of his price range...

I could be wrong.. happens multiple times daily...

jlawrence01 · February 2006

For 15k, he should be able to locate a NEW Taurus ...

biancar · February 2006

"We will receive about $7000 from insurance, and I figured I could kick in about $8000."

I thought he was talking about $15k total.

kyfdx · February 2006

"I cannot find a decent 2000-2002 Accord or Camry in this price range."

I would think for $15K, you could find a very nice '02 Accord...

osubeav · February 2006

You may be able to find a Honda CR-V in that range, particularly a FWD one. Good mileage (upper 20's), very reliable, good crash results, lots of room, the newer ones have all of the side airbags and ABS, and dirt cheap to insure.

erics6 · February 2006

I read 15k too. I think Camry/Accord/Outback is better for the nanny than CR-V. Easier to drive. I like CR-V's but they are a bit bulky compared to the cars mentioned. I think cars are always a better bet for new/younger drivers. I'm assuming the nanny is younger or not an experienced driver.

osubeav · February 2006

We just bought our CR-V because my wife thought it was a lot easier to drive than an Accord (my wife said the Accord was like sitting in a bucket). Same interior dimensions as an Accord but much more cargo room and you sit up and can see out better.

YMMV

erics6 · February 2006

Really? I'm surprised. I've driven the CRV and Accord. Much prefer the Accord. Actually, I much prefer my Miata. I prefer the handling of the regular Legacy over the Outback. Higher center of gravity = poorer handling. Now the CRV is WAY better than my old Nissan 4x4. It better be ;-)

jefferyg · February 2006

If you buy a car from a rental company, I'd steer clear of Enterprise. I rent from them often b/c they are always cheaper than anybody else and now they are the only rental company in the town where I live. However, they also allow their cars to get a lot more miles than most other companies before they sell them. And my observation when I've been at the Enterprise stores is that there is no way they are keeping the cars serviced the way they should be. I've seen them literally unload a customer on one side of the store, run the car through the wash, give it a quickie vacuum and put another customer in it on the other side, kinda like a ride at Disney World. Out of the cars I've rented, no less than three needed repairs: a Corolla with a broken door stop, a Saturn with no a/c, and a Pontiac Bonneville with a bad CV joint.

osubeav · February 2006

I'm sure the Accord is more fun to drive, but to haul kids around in normal driving (which is what was needed), the CR-V beat it hands down. It also handles pretty well, since it's way more car than truck.

qbrozen · February 2006

heck, i'm reading it as $15k, too.

for that, you could almost get into a NEW '06 Accord sedan VP ($17k, according to carsdirect), or a lightly used '05 or '04.

OR, how bout a new Scion xA? or Mazda3?

man. makes me wanna total my Volvo (j/k ... sort of). Mine is a '98 and I wouldn't get $7k even private party.

biancar · February 2006

How have you liked your Volvo otherwise? I'm thinking about buying a new C70 and wondered how Volvos hold up over time. If you have good info would appreciate hearing of your experience.

qbrozen · February 2006

well, since I bought it used, i guess it qualified under this discussion.

I bought my S70 about 4.5 years ago. It was a certified pre-owned '98 with 30k miles on it.

The good: I have NEVER found a comparable used car at a comparable price that I thought fit all of my needs and desires so well. Its incredibly comfortable, quite fast, great in foul weather, great stereo, etc.

The bad: it can be expensive to keep up. but i knew that going into it, so it really hasn't bothered me that much. i learned to stay away from the dealership, so it hasn't been a money pit. I would say, over these past 4.5 years and 85k miles (it now has 115k), I think I've put about $3k-$3500 of necessary repairs and maintenance into it. And, coincidentally, I was just looking through the summary of several long-term testers in a particular magazine yesterday. Seems many of their cars had maintenance costs over $1k for their first 40k miles. So I'd have to say the Volvo has been on par with alot of cars on the market.

All of that said, I think alot of manufacturers have caught up and probably passed my volvo in many of my personal "needs/wants" since 1998. I still really like Volvo, but it seems to me they haven't been advancing in leaps and bounds over the past decade like their competition. For example, look at the '98 I30 vs my '98 S70 and I find the S70 to be an absolute DREAM CAR comparatively; HOWEVER, the '05 G35 puts an '05 S60 to shame, in my opinion. I can even say the same for an '05 Accord, which isn't even supposed to be in the same class. Its just SO much better than a '98 Accord, while I find an S60 to be virtually the same car as my S70.

The new C70 looks like it could be quite nice. I'd like to check one out, but I really wish they would have offered the higher output engine from the S60 T5.

rroyce10 · February 2006

.. **I'm thinking about buying a new C70 and wondered how Volvos hold up over time. If you have good info would appreciate hearing of your experience.**

These are pretty nice drivers, especially for a convertible .... they're quiet, ride nice, look good, safe, the chicks love em' and they'll run til' 150k++ .... me personally, I'm not a convertible person but these are pretty nice -- that said, you need to drive one and see if "you" like em' ...

Qbrozen is right, they can be expensive for later repairs ... but ~ we then need to add BMW, Audi, Benz, Saab, etc ..... if you want "cheap" go find a Sunbird convert ..

Terry.

donebeingcool · February 2006

I have a 91 Pontiac Grand am which would be a good beater car for some kid, it has some rust and needs new shocks and struts and brakes in the near future. Because getting this fixed is more than the car is worth, I have to part with it. Plus I'm tired of driving what basically is an old beater.

Is it worth going through the trouble of putting ads in the paper/online to sell this car for $400-500 or so (KBB value for a car in fair condition) or shall I just trade it in for whatever pittance the dealer might give me? Will I get any calls for this car if I bother putting it up for sale in the paper/online?

Also I have followed with some interest the Volvo discussion. I have been kind of enamored with european cars and their reputation for quality and nice ride. I am considering a used Volvo 850 (1995) but I'm really worried if that will turn into an endless pit of money with endless trips to the shop. I am not the do-it yourself kind of guy so I'd be bringing it to the shop for most things. I like the 850 because with so many SUVs on the road I'd like something safe and without jumping to the SUV bandwagon myself and it also is in my price range (~$6000).

How would a 1999 Toyota corolla compare to a Volvo 850? A newer (2000 or 2001) Ford Taurus or Nissan Altima? (I found what seems like a good deal on a Nissan Altima (2001 with 60 K miles) for $6000, it was a rental car after running a carfax check.

Sorry for so many questions. Many thanks for any feedback!

Kirstie_H · February 2006

I'm in a somewhat similar situation - time to trade in on something else. I'm not an expert, but I think you'll hear a rousing chorus of "run away" in reference to the Volvo. Buying an 11-year-old Volvo is a good way to turn a $6000 purchase into a $10,000 purchase pretty quickly.

You'll see that a lot of folks here recommend the Taurus - if nothing else, parts & service are readily available and not at a premium. I'd be interested in hearing others' opinions on the Altima, as that's one of my list as well.

As far as the car goes, if you're only hoping to get $500, max, for it, is it really worth the effort of placing an ad, having people call you and stop by your house? If it's worth the extra few $$ you'd get, then by all means, do it. But it might be worth a trip to the dealership just to see what they'd give you for it before you go through the hassle.

kyfdx · February 2006

Realistically, this car is worth $50-$100 MAX on trade-in..

While I agree with Kirstie, that the hassle may not be worth it... If the car runs decently, putting it on the corner with a sign that says $895 on it, might bring you a cash buyer in a big hurry... maybe only $500 cash, but worth it, I think...

Every time someone posts in the forums, asking how they can find an "under $1000" beater... they get told that the "under $1000" beaters are now $1500-$2000..

I'm betting there is a pretty good market for an under $1000 car... and that you can sell it in one weekend, if you put the car where it can be seen..

Umm.. CASH ONLY.. no checks or money orders..

regards,
kyfdx

sandman46 · February 2006

We had this car and it was a great car until we got in the 70k range. Little things started to nickel and dime us and as we were looking to buy our next car, the a/c started to act squirrely around 79,800 miles. At that point we decided we'd had enough and cut her loose. A nice daily driver though. It was that cool Titanium color with the Special Edition Package.
Have her checked out real good though!

The Sandman

biancar · February 2006

I can't speak to your other choices, but sounds to me like the Altima is a good deal. I've had Nissan products since 1980 - the old 326 (now the Sentra), then a Stanza (now the Altima) for 8 years, and currently a Maxima (since 2000). (Also had a Camry and a Grand Cherokee for a while in the mid-90's).

Only reason I got rid of the Stanza was because someone hit me running a red light and totalled the car (not hard to do on an 8 year old car).

Have a mechanic look it over, and be prepared that you might need new brakes soon at that mileage if they haven't been done yet, but IMHO, for $6,000 that Altima should be a good driver for you for several more years.

isellhondas · February 2006

If you must have a Volvo, the 850's are a must to avoid

Taurus - O.K. cars for the most part, especially the newer ones. Can be a lot of car for the money.

Altimas - A good choice. Good cars that never hold resale values like a Honda or Toyota.

Kirstie_H · February 2006

What do you think of the Solara Convertible? I'm thinking of buying one in the 2001-03 range, and Edmunds rates it as a "best bet" used vehicle. I'm kind of looking for my mid-life crisismobile, but I need to make sure I can afford the crisis.

The one I looked at today was red/black top. I'll probably look again on Monday & perhaps Wednesday, but would love another opinion on this particular vehicle.

isellhondas · February 2006

Excellent cars. Prices on 'verts tend to be soft this time of year too so it might be a good time to move on it.

steine13 · February 2006

Good cars, an absolute snooze to drive in convertible form, and absolutely ridiculous resale values.

I wouldn't waste my time, but maybe you'll get lucky, since it's February.

-Mathias

pocono35 · February 2006

If you put $3500 into maintenance on a Volvo and you think most cars require $1K maintenance for the first 40,000 miles you are an majorly being ripped off. I owned a Nissan Maxima for 110,000 miles, never let a dealer put a wrench to it and changed only fluids and brakes through an alternative garage. They see you coming! I might have done $1,000 in maintenance for the life(110,000) of that car!!!

biancar · February 2006

I'd agree with that. My Maxima now is coming up to 80,000 miles, and the only significant maintenance we've had to do is change the brakes (normal for the mileage) and replace all the coils about 5,000 miles ago. Apparently the coils are a weak spot on Maximas. That cost about $600 or so.

Also it's got new tires, again very normal for that many miles on the car.

Other than that we've been very dedicated to changing the oil every 3 to 4k miles. Maintenance costs have been very low on this car.

Kirstie, don't know if you're reading in the Convertibles topic? I was considering a Solara too, but now have just about decided to buy a new Volvo C70.

You might also want to look at a newer Mustang, if fun to drive counts with you. If reliability and practicality counts more, the Solara looks like a good choice. It has a HUGE trunk for a convertible; that's a plus if it's going to be your only car.

donebeingcool · February 2006

Many thanks for all the replies. It has been most helpful. Your comments have made me decide against the Volvos. The 2 Volvos I checked out all had check engine light problems and whatnot and that seems to be the overall consensus from what I've read elsewhere. I guess I will have to go the dealer route as I am busy finishing up graduate school and don't really have time to show the old beater to lots of people. I'd like to buy a car from a private party because it's easier to get better deals but it involves a lot more time commitment.

I did see a nice looking 1999 Toyota Corolla with 90 K miles for $6000 from a private seller. Toyotas seem pretty long-lasting from what I've read. The only thing with them is they are quite plain and boring looking.

Also compared to that somewhat old Toyota, would a Hyundai Accent be a better deal? I saw a 2001 from a private person for $6000 and it only has 56 K miles. It looked fine, with the only "defect" being a few scratches on the paint and their dog tore up the rear door handles. Would that be a good deal? Or will this also be a car that I'll have to start sinking money into soon? Many thanks again for all the feedback. It's very useful for someone like me who's not all that experienced with all the car makes out there.

atlvibe · February 2006

If I had to make a used car purchase isn't a year old Chevrolet Malibu worth the look? After all, it's priced usually $8-k less than new w/under 20,000 miles. It still will have factory warranty. Consumer reports gave it a RARE thumbs up. To me it makes worth while to look. It has V-6 power w/30 mpg hwy. Granted you will look non descript and like a weekend renter......but....For the bucks...I think it has alot of value. Most manufactor's certify their vehicles so....look into a program id offered.

isellhondas · February 2006

It seems like they ALWAYS have some kind of a warning light on! I try to steer people away from them if possible. We had one recently with an air bag light on. 1600.00 for the dealer to fix this!

I do miss my old PV 544 though. Anyone know what these were?

sandman46 · February 2006

If you are a lower back pain sufferer, nix the Malibu. I rented one 2 years ago and was forced to swap it out the next day. Had to exit the car every 2 hours and was stiff as a month old pretzel. Turned it in for a Grand Am with a power seat. Made all the difference in the world!
The Malibu drove nice, but the seating position without the power seat was abyssmal!

The Sandman :sick:

jeffyscott · February 2006

I'm sure the Accord is more fun to drive, but to haul kids around in normal driving (which is what was needed), the CR-V beat it hands down.

So...your kids fit in the back seat of a CR-V, but not in the back seat of an Accord :confuse:

Kirstie_H · February 2006

Yeah, the advertised price is below TMV, and it's been sitting around for awhile... PLUS, it's cold & snowy this week

Keep in mind that I'm trading in a minivan, which generates the lowest rating on the excite-o-meter. I drive 22K+ miles per year, so I'm looking more for reliability, comfort, & safety than an exciting experience.

biancar, the Mustang? Good mid-life crisismobile, but not practical enough for me.

isellhondas · February 2006

That Solara will give you the things you are looking for in a car and now would be tim time to strike a good deal given it's the dead of winter.

kyfdx · February 2006

How are you going to fit all of your toddlers in a Solara? Where will all the car seats go?

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