• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

looking for reasonable reliable car

For a bit of a different take:

I bought my wife's 1998 BMW 528i four-years ago with 160,000 miles on it for $500 (no, I did not miss a zero!). Cleaned it up and she's driven it ever since with nothing spent on it beyond new tires, wiper blades, two license-light bulbs, rear pads, and a fan resistor ($95). She now has 190,000 on it and drives it to work every day. It has ABS and Stability Control.

I bought my 1995 BMW 525i stick-shift about eight-years ago with 112,000 miles on it for $5500. It now has 240,000 miles and has needed a radiator I did myself for around $100, a clutch slave cylinder (cheap), brake pads (no rotors), and three sets of 17-inch tires. I still drive it every day. It has ABS and Traction Control.

About a year ago I purchased the most perfect 2002 BMW 530i Sport 5-speed I've ever seen with 71,000 miles on it for $10,500. It should last the rest of my life. I had to replace both rear tires. I drive it at least once a week.

Lots of safe, fun, dependable bargains out there if you think outside the Toyota/Honda box! Not that there's anything wrong with a Toyota or a Honda. I've owned a Toyota pickup since new . . . in 1984! It just turned 80,000 miles!
 
1991 Chevy caprice, specifically that model, because it only came with a 305, so it's drastically slow, and unlike slow cars that are fun, it is incapable of being fun. If you try to be aggressive with it, it becomes your dad and slaps you, grounds you, while drinking six martinis and getting to work on time. The wagon version is even more useful and even slower, and even less fun to drive since it has no rear sway bar.

The brakes are phenomenal on them too, rivaling, and beating some modern compacts in stopping distance.

It's as complicated as a slice of plain flavorless cheese, and replacement parts are so cheap that they had to invent smaller numbers. Such is the magic of the small block Chevy.

So it's cheap, and makes you behave. But also, it will not lose value.

The bubble will always be worth money, and will increase in value unlike many other cars made 25 years ago.

But for now, I'd get them for a song.
 
It's tough to beat a Honda or Toyota but you pay more for them in the used car market because of their reputation. My favorite used car bargain is 2000-2004 Buick Lesabre. They have the famous 3.8 V6 that has been around in various formats since the early 60's. They just never quit running. We have his and hers, mine has about 220k on it. Old folks bought them new so the used market has plenty of premium examples available, low mileage, for under 3 large. I get over 30 MPG on the highway and about 24 driving to and from work (mixed sitting in heavy traffic and 80 MPH freeway). Most are loaded with all the creature comforts and they are more comfy than a Cadillac.
 
No you can't go wrong with a RWD car like the Chev Caprice for really low cost parts and super ease of repair. I recently was offered
an 87 with only 120K KM or 75K miles for free by a retired fellow I know, as he was going to have it hauled away. Has the famous
SB V8 too! Just the tough old 305 with a 4BL Rochester carb which sounds mean and powerful (I don't think they are that gutless) on this car because of a rotten muffler. They can be pretty good on gas due to low revs and a car that's not really heavy.

It was last run 5 years ago, but hadn't been moved in 16 years and runs like new (thanks to regular oil changes) and it needs rear brakes, tires, rear exhaust system and rust repair (door bottoms & rockers) and I'm considering fixing (have MIG welder) the rust etc as it needs that for the required safety to register as it could be a good winter car.
They are the last GM with a full frame also and Fuel Injection for V8 was std I believe in 89. 91 was first year for aero styling which should help MPG and body quality was probably improved for rusting etc. Last year was 96 and Buick and Cadillac used the same chassis with longer wheelbase on Cad. Some used optional Chev 350 which in the last few years had lots of power.

The full sized similar aero RWD Ford Crown Vic may be harder to get as cheap as they made them till 2012 and are popular for taxi/police use. 2003 + had nice suspension improvements for better handling. You may get ex police one at auction cheap and 4.6 can run forever if maintained. Lincoln version limo like but maybe room is useful and maybe had cheap in some pl;aces. Parts higher priced, but shouldn't need many.
 
Go cheaper. I don't know why people buy cars for teenagers anyway, but if they insist I always recommend a 1997-9 Jeep Cherokee. I've had several over the years, primarily used for hauling dogs. They're tough, reliable and boring. When they do break, it's usually either cheap to fix or easy to ignore, plus they have remarkable powers of self-healing.

Gas mileage isn't astronomical, but then neither is the buy-in -- you can find a decent Cherokee for under three grand. Only get the 4.0 I-6 and only get the automatic. Nothing particularly wrong with the manual, but 5-speeds are too much fun and kids burn up clutches. 4WD or not is irrelevant but for your purposes, not is probably a plus. Don't get an older one -- they mostly seem to be pretty rusty by now. And don't get a newer one -- the 2000-1 final iteration of the 4.0 sported a redesigned cylinder head that was problematic.

Best of luck.
 
Andyman said:
Yep. I drive a 2003 wagon I bought with 114,000 on it for $3500 and now it has 213,000 on it 4 years later, still runs strong, and gets 28 mpg with an automatic. My daughter has a 2003 also I bought on my car's performance and it hasn't let me down either. I do my own work for the most part and it has required some routine maintenance parts, but I recommend Foci to any one looking for inexpensive reliable transportation.

Plus, it handles very well and is fun to drive.
Click to expand...

If I could find such a Foci with automatic for $3500 or less, I'd be buying it if nicely maintained myself. I will be in the market for a used reasonable, reliable car. Downside of living in the South, used car prices trend high. Most likely I will wind up with Buick Park Avenue, LeSabre, or Olds Delta 88 or maybe a Taurus Wagon. Between 3 and 6 weeks from now, I plan on replacing cars. And getting new hand controls for the replacement car, will be putting the old controls on Mom's car, a 2002 Saturn L 200 sedan.
 
It should have the tri-shield on the grille, a 3800 under the hood, and Buick on the rear end. 07 LaCrosse would be in your price range...comfy, capable of 30+ MPG and a nice-looking car to boot.
 
Shadowdog said:
Bigger cars are much safer in an accident so consider that also and RWD to me is the best for reliability,
less chance of getting written off in an accident, and easier low cost repairs/service. More fun to drive also!

RWD is also safer on slippery roads as it's usually very much easier to get back under control than FWD.

That's why the US Goverment mandated stability control on all vehicles in around 2011-12. It's been around since the 90's on many hi-end cars.
Click to expand...

There are SO MANY things in this post that I have to respectfully disagree with.

"Bigger" does not automatically = "safer"--that has been proven too many times to even start to get into documented citations. Maybe in the 70's, but not anymore.

RWD does not in ANY WAY guarantee "reliability" over FWD--that is just a fallacy. Granted, they are generally (and I use that only as a generalization) easier to work on by the average "shade tree mechanic" due to the layout, but has nothing to do with reliability, or overall cost of repair (if done by an authorized dealer).

You must be as old (if not older) than I am, when we all learned how to drive in a RWD vehicle, and how to handle them safely in a skid. Driver training (for at least the last 30 years) has been done in FWD vehicles, so kids these days don' know the difference of how to handle anything other than a FWD in "dangerous" conditions.

Stability control, airbags, and anti-lock brake requirements were all "motivated" by the insurance lobby--NOTHING ELSE--they are all aimed at reducing insurance pay-outs, and making cars easier for "idiots" to drive--try appropriate driver training requirements, rather than having the "black box" under the hood/dash save your ass when you don't know what you are doing.

Now that we have "smarter" cars, we have a lot more "dumber" (or at least, less attentive) drivers on the road--again, relying upon all of the "black boxes".

And throw in the rapid prevalence of AWD vehicles--yes, it is a great feature, and can help out a lot, but is also provides a "false sense of security"--after all "it can handle anything".

As in some of the later posts, I agree that first time drivers are best off in a small/mid-size innocuous sedan (generally underpowered) with at least a few safety features, and a decent reliability record. The mid-size generic GM cars with the bulletproof 3800 are great options--zillions of parts available cheap--so you do want "your father's Oldsmobile"--if you remember that ad campaign.
 
Man I didn't see one obvious choice and a great all around car, one honored in the service community. I have had so many used cars in my life it's not funny and I change cars every couple of years and normally have two cars.

My Mom liked to depend on what the cops used when she divorced my Dad, so she first had a Caprice Classic in 1985. By 1998 the head gasket went bad and needed service so she decided to get a new car, fully loaded.

She bought a sweet 1998 Crown Vic, 4.6L, Dual Exhaust, Air Bag Suspension, 4 wheel disc break. When I started to take care of here more and more the car wasn't getting used all that much and I started to use it to shop on the weekends and take her to the doctors, it had 16,000 miles in 2008. It didn't take long that I started to use the car every day, that I thought at the time was a little old lady car, she didn't need it. When she passed in 2011 I got the car in my name and prior to that I had bought another one.

In all these years the car needed extremely little service tires and batteries, I just changed the alternator and whipper blades a few months ago and the mechanic said I should change the rear breaks. My other Vic was bought from a cop that up graded to a Interceptor, and that car had noisy breaks when I bought it, but was a low milage car. It's kinda nice when your only have to pay $800 for new breaks and rotors on all 4 corners of a car installed.

I now think of these cars as a modern day Muscle Car, kinda like the 1966 ford 7 liter Galaxie. With way more comfort from that car and 90% of the new cars out today. How ever if you find a nice car like this and get it for your son, you just might get bitten and really want one for yourself. These cars still don't look old, a 18 year old design that is very commonly seen on the streets. There is very good reason ford made the car for so long, it was a true winner. Cops still want them for their personal cars and wish they still had them at work.

I only have my moms Vic now and my neighbor has two and one being a Interceptor since he'a a cop.

IMG_0821.jpg IMG_0825.jpg
 
hjames said:
My old CRV died in September
Click to expand...
How does one kill a CR-V? :D I have mine after 19 years and 286k miles (bought new) and it's still running. If it wasn't for rust (from road salt) in this crappy state I live in, it'd still be in good shape body-wise. Easy to work on, parts are cheap (age and wear), and the original engine and trans are still going at it. Tempted to buy another locally for $600 for my kidlet to drive--only needs a minor repair to get it back on the road. My kidlet is going to need something to drive for her last year of high school, so I sort of have my feelers out for something we can live with. So many cars out there have problems due to simple neglect by the owners.
 
Wildcat said:
How does one kill a CR-V?
Click to expand...

Only takes one statement--"lack of routine maintenance"--that's it, PERIOD. I know people that buy new cars, and basically only know how to start it, where to put in fuel, how to use the telenav and infotainment system, and what 800 roadside assistance number to call if it stops working. If it weren't for the dealer sending out "friendly reminder" cards for regular service (or maybe time to look at a new one), they would drive it til it drops, and then go ahead and buy a new one (wash, rinse, repeat). I have a friend that is a mechanic for a Honda dealership--he always has a CR-V of some sort--they get them in on trade with 200-300K and he buys them for a couple hundred bucks, drives them for a year or two and sells them (or scraps them) for what he paid for them.
 
4-2-7 did you know that the cv,s were so popular with some police dept that they made arrangements to keep them.Austin texas apparently ordered duplicate or triple wear parts so they could keep the vic and London Ontario ordered extra cars and parts .Very successful car for ford wether civy,cop,taxi .Many interceptors were auctioned off to the public.
 
I should have said that RWD is cheaper to keep running in the long run as you don't have as many wear items/expensive parts, not less reliable unless you can't afford to repair it or don't care. One problem I noticed on older FWD cars it's hard to get good axles now that last as most come from overseas and are poor quality. I have issues with the throw away hubs also.

As for bigger cars being safer, they have to do better than the really small & light FWD ones out there due to mass etc. which I was thinking of. Some small ones do better in crashes just like the big ones also so it isn't simple. How the vehicle handles in a emergency situation is important also so it should be researched. There are death rates for vehicles listed out there and of course it depends on how they are driven also as some sporty types may not do so well, but you can get an idea there also.

Tires can be an issue in the winter ( winter ones needed in icy conditions instead of all season) and keeping them properly inflated due to temperature changes is another expense to possibly add. FWD or AWD won't help you avoid an accident without the right tires for the conditions.
 
Last edited:
BMWCCA said:
For a bit of a different take:

I bought my wife's 1998 BMW 528i four-years ago with 160,000 miles on it for $500 (no, I did not miss a zero!). Cleaned it up and she's driven it ever since with nothing spent on it beyond new tires, wiper blades, two license-light bulbs, rear pads, and a fan resistor ($95). She now has 190,000 on it and drives it to work every day. It has ABS and Stability Control.

I bought my 1995 BMW 525i stick-shift about eight-years ago with 112,000 miles on it for $5500. It now has 240,000 miles and has needed a radiator I did myself for around $100, a clutch slave cylinder (cheap), brake pads (no rotors), and three sets of 17-inch tires. I still drive it every day. It has ABS and Traction Control.

About a year ago I purchased the most perfect 2002 BMW 530i Sport 5-speed I've ever seen with 71,000 miles on it for $10,500. It should last the rest of my life. I had to replace both rear tires. I drive it at least once a week.

Lots of safe, fun, dependable bargains out there if you think outside the Toyota/Honda box! Not that there's anything wrong with a Toyota or a Honda. I've owned a Toyota pickup since new . . . in 1984! It just turned 80,000 miles!
Click to expand...
Just glanced outside the box. I don't see any deals like you ran across. while i believe they may be out there with a little patience (and i'll look a little further), I don't think time frame will allow too much patience.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom