used car suggestions

[denn454]

i tryed doing a search on this, but it just gave me a blank white screan telling me my computer is going to blow up... hopefully it will.

anyways i'm needing a car to drive, the buick needs a break, its tired. i'm looking for a newer car (doesnt' have to be a car) something i can get financing on and help build up my credit. i just got a $600 beater that got me home. a total of 5 miles and its done. so i'm looking for something newer so a bank will be willing to finance me (or i'd have a typhoon right now!) and i'd like to keep it right around $10k, but under 13.

heres what i'm concidering right now in no particular order.
newer vw golf or jetta tdi
00 pontiac gtp
00 buick gs
96 bmw 328i
98 chevy truck 1500 or 2500

any other ideas? i'm going from driving a turbo buick every day, i've become very used to having plenty of power and dont' want to give that up, and everything there aside from the posibility of a truck has plenty of power. dont' say srt-4, i already thought about it and 1st off insurance is too high. secondly its a cheap fast car i'm not too sure i'd want to buy one used there likely to be beat in my price range.

 

[GNeric]

I've got an 85 T I have to sell. Pretty much new everything. I barely have over 1,000 miles since rebuild. Need to pay the wife back for the shop she built me.

 

[denn454]

tempting, it really. but no can do.

i just had another thought, ls1 camero or trans am. im finding some z28's and ta's with decent miles going for around $11-12k. i know insurance and the price of all the tickets i'd get will kill me, but they are good looking and fun to drive cars. does anyone know what fuel mielage is on them?

also whats the difference between the z28 and ss camero? aside from about $1-2k.

 

[John Larkin]

2001 Jeep Cherokee, the small boxy ones. I hear they are very popular in Colorado. Dealers tell me they can't get enough of 'em. Being that they're out of production, their prices have settled and have remained static at about $10000 retail for the past year. You'd likely be able to sell it for not much less than you paid for it a few years down the road. They go pretty good with a 4.0 inline 6.

 

[kh440]

Stay away from the bmw's.....(bmw stands for "break my wallet")
expensive to maintain and when they break it REALLY hurts. A camaro ss vs z-28 is almost like the difference between a GN and a T-Type. Pick of the litter would probably be the chev truck. THere are a bunch of z-71 4x4's out there and prices are fairly soft. If you can find a good deal on a 99-00 (new body style) go that way because they are better vehicles. With all the giveaway offers GM has had to put out to move new units, the used market is pretty soft as well.

 

[87 Pete]

As far as the 00 GS goes, they are cheaper than the GTP's, the insurance is low, and decent on gas, 24 mpg in mine, tho you have to use 93 octane. From a standing start till about 30 mph, they are nearly as fast as a stock GN, IMO.

I haven't had to fix anything on it either. Only bad thing is the average fwd regal driver is in their 60's, I believe.

Just my .02


Pete

 

[Pablo]

Originally posted by denn454
tempting, it really. but no can do.

i just had another thought, ls1 camero or trans am. im finding some z28's and ta's with decent miles going for around $11-12k. i know insurance and the price of all the tickets i'd get will kill me, but they are good looking and fun to drive cars. does anyone know what fuel mielage is on them?

also whats the difference between the z28 and ss camero? aside from about $1-2k.

GAK!1!!!!!!!!111!!!! you said camEro numerous times in that post!

Stand by for God to strike you down with a bolt of lightning.. he frowns on that kind of insolence!

 

[Kingsford]

Just say "NO" to VW's!!!

Avoid VW like the plague!!! They are too expensive to maintain and repair. Total pieces of junk! Check out VW's ratings in Consumer Reports . . . not pretty. Your options for $10K are almost limitless. I would look for a decent Jap car as everyday transportation but that's just my opinion. I would skip the supercharged grand prix and regal because they require premium fuel. Good luck and take your time searching.

 

[Marc87GN]

I was in the same boat and bought an 02 nissan Sentra SE-R. it will give you the little kick you need with Nissan reliability and 28-30 mpg on the highway. It's a quick little car that handles like it's on rails. I bought it used with 28K 02/04 with a Gold package 6/75 warranty and it also has side air bags.

I think you can find them for about 9-11K and if you want to go crazy, get the Spec V with 6 speed. I never owned a foreign car before this one, but my sister has 140K on hers and it's all original including the clutch. Hard to beat the Nissan reliability.

 

[BLACK6PACK]

Stay away from the bmw's as was said earlier. I had a friend that leased one, in the 3 years she had it (2000 325i) it was in the shop 24 times.

The camaro's and ta's are cool cars, just be ready to get bent over on gas and insurance. Insurance is usually more than the payment on the car.

 

[denn454]

lord please forgive me for i have spelled camAro wrong. please dont' send me to hell for that one. haha.

anyways i'm going out today car shoping, just the fun test driving part today. thats so true about the gs, there pretty cool cars my friend had a regal in hs, 01 i think; very nice car but me being 19 and a gs made for someone no younger than 55, sounds like a bad mix.

i was looking at a few nissans but really couldn't decide which one i wanted to look into, i liked those se-r's but i don't want a big red R on the side of my car. sounds like trouble.

thanks for the idea on the jeeps i'll have to look into that. it completely escaped my thoughts, i'm not a big fan of the cherokee looks or mopar reliability, but the prices are right. i'll have to take a look at a wrangler too.

i'm going to use the 4 letter f word here, but any thoughts on a lightning? i'm not too sure i want a full size truck with no back seat and 2 wheel drive. or a ford for that matter but they are good looking trucks, i don't know much more than that about them other than the buick has torn up a few of them.

 

[BLACK6PACK]

Being 19 I'd check on insurance before buying anything. When my brother bought his 97 ss camaro, he put 10k down and financed 11k (this was in 98). His car payment was $295 a month and his insurance was $310 a month.

 

[denn454]

0 gtp's in my price range
didn't see a single gs
decided not to go for a truck, i don't want something big.

i ended up looking at a 97 z28, low miles nice car, $10k but i'm wanting an ls1.

at the same place i drove a 01 z28, sopoused 500 hp low 12 sec. car. had bald et streets beat to hell interior, not a good car at all. AND it was a slug. i couldnt' break the tires loose without dumping the clutch and.

then i got to look at a 99 ss camaro, bone stock 61k miles black, 4 door dings in the whole car, only one could be seen without looking down the side. beautifull car, but they want $14.9 for it. they do have matching down up to 1,500 so that helps but still too much money. thats about $280 a month, and another $250 for insurance. that is starting to scare me away.

the last thing i want is a honda or some other jap car, but i might be getting one soon. with a 5" muffler and a NOS sticker it should be pretty fast right?

 

[BLACK6PACK]

I have a 95 Eagle Talon TSI turbo as my daily driver. I get 20+ mpg in town, its pretty spirited, but not "fast". Being a small car makes it easy to get around town in. I can whip it in and out of traffic, hammer on it and still get good gas milage. I bought it used in 2000 for $8900 with a 4 year warrenty and 20k miles on the odometer. The insurance was $1300 a year, and cost me $40 a month to add the GN.

My suggestion is to find a small fun car that you don't have to worry about too much and doesn't break the bank on car pmt, insurance and gas, that way you have money for the GN.

 

[BOOSTBROTHER]

I have a 1999 ford Taurus that has 223,000 miles on it it runs good not real fast but good I get 25mpg everyday and 31mpg on longer trips with price of gas I love this car. If you are looking to get a loan you can one on a taurus in a heartbeat, insurance is cheap and my wife and I just keep driving it. I am not a big ford fan but I have done my best to kill this car and it just keeps taking it and coming back for more.

hope this helps
BOOSTBROTHER

 

[bishir]

Originally posted by John Larkin
2001 Jeep Cherokee, the small boxy ones. I hear they are very popular in Colorado. Dealers tell me they can't get enough of 'em. Being that they're out of production, their prices have settled and have remained static at about $10000 retail for the past year. You'd likely be able to sell it for not much less than you paid for it a few years down the road. They go pretty good with a 4.0 inline 6.

I 2nd this. Wife has one and loves it.

 

[UNGN]

I'm buying a '91 Cherokee from my Brother in law this weekend. Rust free, 4X4 4.0L HO 5 speed sport for $1000. I'm going to use it to haul my crap around when my wife won't let me borrow her Yukon XL (she made me get rid of my Grand Wagoneer 7 years ago)

Parts for these are not only plentiful, but also downright cheap. You can buy New exhaust manifolds (stainless header style) for $70 shipped. Rebuilt heads for $200 shipped and Rebuilt Short blocks for $1000 and rebuilt 5 speeds for about $500... all WITH WARRANTY.

 

[ghall]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=31831&item=4520004676&rd=1

In this price range ----this is as good as it gets.I bought one very similar a few years back on ebayas proved to be and has proved to be one of the best vehicles i have owned.This seller that has this one is a proven dealer that has sold--MANY cars on e-bay.


Geoff

 

[87GN_ponykillr]

Originally posted by denn454
tempting, it really. but no can do.

i just had another thought, ls1 camero or trans am. im finding some z28's and ta's with decent miles going for around $11-12k. i know insurance and the price of all the tickets i'd get will kill me, but they are good looking and fun to drive cars. does anyone know what fuel mielage is on them?

also whats the difference between the z28 and ss camero? aside from about $1-2k.

If the wheather in your area is not bad, Then GO LS1!!! LS1=Fun If you can get away with the basic coverage on it the insurance should not be that bad, I have the Buick, Formula & a 91 Explorer on my insurance and I only pay around $78 a month for the Formy with all the minimal requirements + theaft & roadside. My payment is $265 and well worth it! All you need is a header back exhaust and some tunning and look out! They are not GN's but man they are a blast! If you still cant swing a LS1 thik about a 6 banger FBody or a used SRT4, They might not be your thing but they are kinda cool and quick IMO.

 

[dragonational]

I just picked up an 01 silverado ls ext cab for 15,000. It has 45000 miles on it but you should be able to find one maybe alittle older for your price range. You said no more then 13k so its a good start. I get 20 to the gallon and its the 5.3 so its not a bad option in my opinion but then again its just my opinion. Harry