Yeah but my civic rattles and bumps over everything. It's at the point with over 223,000 on the body and chassis components that it needs an entire overhaul in the suspension area. Plus, it's been stolen twice so the interior is different colors because I have to go to the junkyard and get new seats, door panels, etc. I'm not willing to go through rebuilding the suspension like I did on my Buick this summer for a car that is worth maybe $1200. Yet, I do know they can be made fast but it's still a civic with horrible hatch rattle. I think the Buick or the Volvo T-5(R) (yeah right) are what I'll be looking into in the future. I just gotta find a Regal GS with low miles for about $5k-ish because I want that supercharger! I need the whine.
What's a good comfortable Daily Driver for $6000 or less?
- Thread starter baller760
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I want to apologize for laughing at a Honda, that's childish. Pardon me.
But I will reitterate that my GS is the best vehicle I have ever owned. That 3.8 is bulletproof. Ever car has it's weaknesses, and I am still waiting for my car to show them. I'm waiting for a wheel bearing to go bad, or the trans to fry, or SOMETHING. Eventually the car has got to show some weakness. If and when it does, I'll go out and buy another one, wouldn't hesitate for a second. A couple years younger, fewer miles, but yeah, I love em.
But I will reitterate that my GS is the best vehicle I have ever owned. That 3.8 is bulletproof. Ever car has it's weaknesses, and I am still waiting for my car to show them. I'm waiting for a wheel bearing to go bad, or the trans to fry, or SOMETHING. Eventually the car has got to show some weakness. If and when it does, I'll go out and buy another one, wouldn't hesitate for a second. A couple years younger, fewer miles, but yeah, I love em.
I vote for the late model Regals
Mine seems smaller than the Camry but parts are everywhere and you can get into one really cheap. I push 32MPG on the highway 22MPG in town with the A/C blasting. The LS (N/A) drivetrain is found in so many GM vehicles, full used engine and trans goes for around $900. I upgraded from my
93 Nissan Sentra 2 dr to an 03 Regal... I miss the 49-59MPG the Sentra got on the highway but I only lost 1MPG on my daily commute to work around 60 miles. And it's much safer if you are in a wreck.
Mine seems smaller than the Camry but parts are everywhere and you can get into one really cheap. I push 32MPG on the highway 22MPG in town with the A/C blasting. The LS (N/A) drivetrain is found in so many GM vehicles, full used engine and trans goes for around $900. I upgraded from my
93 Nissan Sentra 2 dr to an 03 Regal... I miss the 49-59MPG the Sentra got on the highway but I only lost 1MPG on my daily commute to work around 60 miles. And it's much safer if you are in a wreck.
Turbo6Smackdown
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2005
- Messages
- 6,110
+1 for the late regals. they're comfortable, fairly peppy, fairly cheap, and they're solid. I can usually tell how solid a car is, when I have to check the door jam for the tire pressure recommendations (when I used to work in a service station) and I was never more impressed, than when I slammed the door on a buick. They're built like brick s**thouses, and they look dam good too. RUQWKNF's buick is just tits. I want SOO bad to trade my little pain in the a$$ 3 series bmw for a good regal gs. But now that my new job may take me all over the state, I think the N/A regal will be a bit better.
Cuz you know, a buick guy is not going to be able to help himself with a charge air V6. It's only going to be a matter of time, before I start diverting funds earmarked for new clothes, or drinking money, or work boots, for a new pulley, Ubend delete, new t stat, etc etc. Force air buick engines are like crack. Plus, once you do all this crap to your engine, youre committed to 94 oct gas now. Plus forced air cars get a tad lower mpg too. So a N/A engine is the only way to go for me. I don't posess the discipline to not mod a car. It's simply not going to happen. Plus the na regals are tad cheaper too, and you know they weren't beat up by some stupid kid, runnin 87 octane in it, and racing it during the summer like a moron, knocking the hell out of the engine. As long as I can get one that looks like ruqwknf, I'll be golden.
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Cuz you know, a buick guy is not going to be able to help himself with a charge air V6. It's only going to be a matter of time, before I start diverting funds earmarked for new clothes, or drinking money, or work boots, for a new pulley, Ubend delete, new t stat, etc etc. Force air buick engines are like crack. Plus, once you do all this crap to your engine, youre committed to 94 oct gas now. Plus forced air cars get a tad lower mpg too. So a N/A engine is the only way to go for me. I don't posess the discipline to not mod a car. It's simply not going to happen. Plus the na regals are tad cheaper too, and you know they weren't beat up by some stupid kid, runnin 87 octane in it, and racing it during the summer like a moron, knocking the hell out of the engine. As long as I can get one that looks like ruqwknf, I'll be golden.
ditto
GNBRETT
Pelennor Fields
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2004
- Messages
- 15,860
Yea the maxima is the best bang for your buck. It's quick, reliable, roomy and great on gas. They will go as long or longer then an accord and looks better.
88ZNX
Let loose the Boost!!
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2004
- Messages
- 2,025
Another late model W body here..
I have a 98 Olds Intrigue that runs like a champ. The body, fit and finish, and power is excellent. Runs super smooth and quiet, cant beat it. The engine however has some problems that you should watch out for if you plan on purchasing one.
The problems you have to look out for with the NA 3.8 is the tendency for the intake manifold to throttle body gasket to fail and subsequently leak coolant into the engine. I had to redo the top end on mine because of it. I bypassed the TB coolant to prevent it from happening again. I also suggest to immediately flush out the Dex-A-Goo (dex cool) coolant out of the system and go with the cheap green stuff. The dex cool turns into sludge.
There is also a TSB on leaking oil pan gaskets because GM did not leave a smooth finish on the oil pan or block for the o ring type gasket to seal properly. You have to run a bead of RTV to fix it. On my car this also degraded the engine mount and I had to replace that too.
So to sum up the car, I like it a lot despite its shortcomings with the engine. Now that they are all fixed the car runs like a champ. Breezed through CA emissions, and runs like a scalded dog for a stock sedan. Fit and finish is excellent, steering feel is amazing, handling is very good. No rattles. A few engine problems to watch out for. That would be my summary.
I have a 98 Olds Intrigue that runs like a champ. The body, fit and finish, and power is excellent. Runs super smooth and quiet, cant beat it. The engine however has some problems that you should watch out for if you plan on purchasing one.
The problems you have to look out for with the NA 3.8 is the tendency for the intake manifold to throttle body gasket to fail and subsequently leak coolant into the engine. I had to redo the top end on mine because of it. I bypassed the TB coolant to prevent it from happening again. I also suggest to immediately flush out the Dex-A-Goo (dex cool) coolant out of the system and go with the cheap green stuff. The dex cool turns into sludge.
There is also a TSB on leaking oil pan gaskets because GM did not leave a smooth finish on the oil pan or block for the o ring type gasket to seal properly. You have to run a bead of RTV to fix it. On my car this also degraded the engine mount and I had to replace that too.
So to sum up the car, I like it a lot despite its shortcomings with the engine. Now that they are all fixed the car runs like a champ. Breezed through CA emissions, and runs like a scalded dog for a stock sedan. Fit and finish is excellent, steering feel is amazing, handling is very good. No rattles. A few engine problems to watch out for. That would be my summary.
callmeebryan
Member
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2007
- Messages
- 316
For under 6000 you can probably find a Hyundai Sonata V6 in pretty good shape. My mom has one and its a really confortable car and fairly cheap. Gets about 30mpg on the highway. Its a budget jaguar really. Looks just like one.
