Help me decide on a used car (>$10k)
 

I'm looking to get a car in the near future, and I need some suggestions as to what makes/models I should look at. I want something that is decently nice - nothing fancy, but not a piece of crap. I want a manual transmission 4-door sedan. I live in Seattle, and will be buying the car here, then driving it to Chicago for school in September. I'm willing to spend up to $10k on it, but I wouldn't mind spending less than that. Here is a list of the makes/models that I have considered:

Honda Accord
Honda Civic
Suburu Legacy
Nissan Altima
Nissan Maxima
Mazda Mazda3

Which of those will be the best value, or what else should I look at? What about brands like Hyundai or Kia? What about Saturn? Lower insurance rates would be nice, as would higher gas mileage for the roadtrip.

I'm definately open to any suggestions. Thanks.

Re: Help me decide on a used car (>$10k)
 

You need to retake Algebra 1.

Re: Help me decide on a used car (>$10k)
 

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I'm willing to spend up to $10k on it, but I wouldn't mind spending less than that

[/ QUOTE ]

Confusing.

Re: Help me decide on a used car (>$10k)
 

[ QUOTE ]
You need to retake Algebra 1. And then kill yourself because you are really dumb

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Re: Help me decide on a used car (>$10k)
 

[ QUOTE ]
You need to retake Algebra 1.

[/ QUOTE ]


What did I say that is stupid?


Oh, gotcha. I hit the wrong symbol. Oops.

Re: Help me decide on a used car (>$10k)
 

They are being nits.

I have a 2001 civic that has done me well for the last four years or so, its resale value is nuts as well.

Re: Help me decide on a used car (>$10k)
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'm willing to spend up to $10k on it, but I wouldn't mind spending less than that

[/ QUOTE ]

Confusing.

[/ QUOTE ]


My point is I don't have to spend the entire $10k. Many people go into buying something with a budget and don't want to spend less than that because they could get more and stay within their budget.

Re: Help me decide on a used car (>$10k)
 

Let's all make fun of a guy for having a typo and using > when he meant <, it's sooooooooo funny!

Anyways, when I read your post, 1 car came to mind right away.

Mazda Protege

Mazda3 is the same type ballpark but you won't find a 3 that cheap. A quick search of autotrader of a seattle zipcode found a Protege :

small link

Re: Help me decide on a used car (>$10k)
 

The cars you listed above are all very solid choices.

The hondas will certainly have the best resale value, but I'm not really a big fan of them.

I mean... civics are realiable, but do you really want to drive a little go-kart of a car with something like 120hp?

Remember, part of the equation of owning a car is how long you are going to keep it. A civic might have good resale value, but if you get sick of it and sell it after 2-3 years, it's not that great of a deal. (when you're buying cars you have to deal with depreciation, tax, titling, etc)

I'd say go a step above the economy cars, and find something that you'll be willing to drive into the ground.

The maxima is an excellent choice, as the engine will run forever, and you probably won't get sick of the car too fast. I'd try for a 2002, the first year they offered the 3.5 instead of the 3.0 engine, and it has a cooler body style than 2004+. Should be able to get one for around 12-13k I think.

Re: Help me decide on a used car (>$10k)
 

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I'd say go a step above the economy cars, and find something that you'll be willing to drive into the ground.


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I would be willing to go a step up for a car that won't cost a fortune to repair as it gets older. How are Nissans for repairs?

Re: Help me decide on a used car (>$10k)
 

Awesome, thanks for the link.

Also - I would probably not be reselling the car when I graduate, but it depends on where I get a job. If I'm living in NYC, I'm not gonna want a car. If I move back to Seattle, I will definately want a car.

Re: Help me decide on a used car (>$10k)
 

Emon:

I'm sure repairs will be a little more expensive than domestics, but overall not too bad.

The reliability should be quite good - very close to toyota/honda. The VQ engine is a derivation of the VG series engine, which has made ward's best engine list for something like 10+ years and is known to break 250k miles easy.

With ANY car, expect the little things to fail - power windows, resistor packs, etc. These will be a little more pricey than domestic, but they are all small beans compared to engine/transmission problems.

Also, if you're not sure, I think I'd recommend a newer YEAR car with higher mileage than vice versa. The engines can handle the wear and tear. I always thought lower mileage would be a better option, but with my current car I'm realizing that wasn't the case.

Re: Help me decide on a used car (>$10k)
 

Alright, thanks for the advice. My friend has a Nissan Altima that we road tripped in over spring break. When I drove it, it seemed pretty solid - how does it compare to the Maxima? Just a little less HP and less amenities inside?

Re: Help me decide on a used car (>$10k)
 

I basically in the same boat. Same price range, looking at the same cars. Although I'm also considering a lightly used 2003 or 2004 Taurus. Can be had relatively cheap, and if taken care of, can go 100+ easily.

Re: Help me decide on a used car (>$10k)
 

I just solved the same dilemma. Looked at all the same choices. I went with the Nissan Maxima. Nissan is a comparable car to the Hondas and Toyotas, but at a more affordable price. The Altima is a solid choice, a bit smaller and with less oomph, but good. If your going to keep it for a while, I would suggest the Maxima. Eventually you will want the extra size. Plus I had 3 mechanics tell me that the Maxima has better overall reliability than the Altima.

Don't ignore the possibilities of Ebay. I picked up a 2000 Maxima GE for $4000 under retail on ebay. Needed $1200 in repairs, but even after that, I'm only 250$ over wholesale.

Re: Help me decide on a used car (>$10k)
 

go older and nicer, so go with an older Accord over a newer Civic. Older Maxima over newer sentra.
Honestly i would go with like 99-00 Acura TL or CL

Re: Help me decide on a used car (>$10k)
 

In my experiences and also based on what I've read in Consumer Reports, the Nissans are less reliable and the Hondas are less sporty. Is there a reason you're not looking at Toyotas? Any Honda or Toyota you buy will run for a few hundred thousand miles with minimal maintenance, and if you look at some used car prices you'll find that both brands hold their value far better than anything else, including the Nissans (which are still good though).

What models to look at are determined by how much room you want, what fuel economy you want, and how much power you want. The Civic/Corolla/Sentra are all good cars, but small. The Accord/Camry/Altima are a little bigger with more power but worse fuel economy. I'd take a look at those models primarily, or if size isn't a problem and you want to save money look for a used Toyota Echo. You also might want to consider the Toyota Matrix- there is a six speed manual version if that floats your boat, and it still gets okay mileage.

Re: Help me decide on a used car (>$10k)
 

Do you just not like the Camry? It does seem a bit odd that it's not grouped within your list, especially given your subsequent posts that seem to indicate your desire for reliability.

Re: Help me decide on a used car (>$10k)
 

[ QUOTE ]
I'm looking to get a car in the near future, and I need some suggestions as to what makes/models I should look at. I want something that is decently nice - nothing fancy, but not a piece of crap. I want a manual transmission 4-door sedan. I live in Seattle, and will be buying the car here, then driving it to Chicago for school in September. I'm willing to spend up to $10k on it, but I wouldn't mind spending less than that. Here is a list of the makes/models that I have considered:

Honda Accord
Honda Civic
Suburu Legacy
Nissan Altima
Nissan Maxima
Mazda Mazda3

Which of those will be the best value, or what else should I look at? What about brands like Hyundai or Kia? What about Saturn? Lower insurance rates would be nice, as would higher gas mileage for the roadtrip.

I'm definately open to any suggestions. Thanks.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've been out of the car repair business for 5 years and am not up to date on what's good and what's junk anymore. From what I recall I would stay away from Mazda, especially their low end models. The Altima seemed like a decent car and will probably be less expensive than the Maxima. You can't go wrong with Honda IMO. I worked on a lot of Outbacks and they were nice enough. Looks like you've got a pretty good list there. I hear rumours that Hyundai has turned the ship around and is producing decent cars now, but that's hearsay. Happy hunting.