Can I find a good car for only $4,000 (and what would you suggest?)

[tash79]

Hiya,

I'm hoping I've come the the right place to get a little help.

I have just moved to Toronto (never lived anywhere that snowed before) and am looking to buy a used car that will handle ok in the cold weather for city driving & the occasional weekend trip out of town.

I have about $4,000 to spend & would like a reliable car that isn't going to cost a million dollars to fix if something goes wrong.
With only a small amount of $$$$ I know I will be getting something older with quite high km's. I'm basically hoping for some suggestions as to what vehicles age well and aren't too dodgy.

We are currently looking at a 2001/02 Ford Focus Wagon as we like the idea of a bit of extra space and Ford has a pretty good reputation.

Thanks heaps
Tash

[Sharpie]

get a honda civic

[bjstare]

Yep, civic.
:closed:

[tash79]

Any particular reason??
Reliable and parts?

While I do like Honda Civic's, compared to something like a Ford Focus it will have to be older with higher km's.

Also forgot to add I would like to be able to fit 2 adults comfortably in the back.....a wagon would be good for luggage.

[Neil4Speed]

Honestly, I would consider an older well maintained Lexus ES300 if you want something different yet reliable.

[slinkie]

get ready to hear twenty million suggestions, mostly by fanboys plugging something from the same brand that they drive.

[Sharpie]

Originally posted by Neil4Speed
Honestly, I would consider an older well maintained Lexus ES300 if you want something different yet reliable.
yeah and if something breaks youre looking at a $600+ bill to fix it where on a civic its cheap

[TE4MFaint]

You`ll hear about a million suggestions. Also keep in mind this is a crowd who mainly loves modifying cars.

Find a Toyota Camry or something. Something practical. FWD. Good on gas and 4 doors for luggage etc.

[Sentry]

Originally posted by TE4MFaint
You`ll hear about a million suggestions. Also keep in mind this is a crowd who mainly loves modifying cars.

Find a Toyota Camry or something. Something practical. FWD. Good on gas and 4 doors for luggage etc.
Yeah a V6 Camry would be a good car.

You can fit 2 adults in the back of a Civic but it sure as hell isn't gonna be comfortably.

[tash79]

Camry could be good....a don't think I will be buying a Lexus, even an old one....too expensive to fix.

I'm not fussed on looks just want something reliable thats going to last me a couple of years.

Would a 2000 - 2002 Ford Focus Wagon be an ok car???
They generally have about 150,000 to 190,000 km's on the clock.

[Sentry]

Focuses have terrible interiors. I personally wouldn't ever want one.

[ReflexFX]

Corollas are the way to go!
My family owned a 1992 corolla, and it had no problems for like, 18 years. The only reason we got rid of it was cause it was in a hit and run.

[Neil4Speed]

Originally posted by slinkie
get ready to hear twenty million suggestions, mostly by fanboys plugging something from the same brand that they drive.

Hahaha, I am guessing that was directed towards me?

3 People after me suggested V6 Camry's, essentially the exact same car as the ES300. From experience from people who have owned a few, they are reliable, comfortable for 4 transportation, FWD good in the winter, Great Crash Test Ratings, cheap to maintain at the Toyota dealer, and cheap parts available from any independent mechanic given if something goes wrong. Also, If it has good maintainence records I would not hesitate for a second with a higher mileage one.

[tash79]

I dont mind if the interior is ugly, as long as it doesn't break down and drive like crap.

I thought Fords were traditionally pretty good cars?

[barmanjay]

Toyota rav 4?

[G-ZUS]

Originally posted by tash79
I dont mind if the interior is ugly, as long as it doesn't break down and drive like crap.

I thought Fords were traditionally pretty good cars?


Ford and good cars do not go together in the same sentence EVER

[J NRG]

.

[suen_boi]

<opinion>

A V6 Camry can be ridiculously reliable, I think even moreso than some Civics you'll find for $4000.

My dad's 95 Camry is at 324xxx and still running like a charm, with only basic maintenance performed over the last 10 years. Anything breaks, and your average mechanic should be able to procure the replacement part - there's no need to go running to the dealer. It's comfortable, powerful enough as a daily driver, and will provide more than enough cargo space than you'll usually need.

To answer your hounding question, Fords are hit and miss (more likely "miss" than say, most cheap non-domestic vehicles).. some will be great, while others tend to be a huge headache. Why take the chance?

</opinion>

[funkedelic2]

Anything japanese although for 4grand you will find something in the 90s and with lots of mileage. Domestic cars will be cheaper and so will the maintenence but it will just be a piece of shit in most cases.

Look on Kijiji, tons of decent cars for under 4g's. Goodluck!

[J NRG]

.

[R!zz0]

Japanese cars are mainstream cars.

fuck domestic, they're garbage pos.

[THE GOVERNATOR]

if you want dirt cheap if your lucky try and find the awd or 4x4 tempo/topaz. these models are a bit harder to find but there great on fuel and parts are ubber cheap, best thing is you could probably get one for under $1000. i bought my awd one for $500 only had 181,000kms and for a 1990 i thought that was pretty good. even came with a remote starter lol.

[theken]

what i find funny, is the amount of toyotas at the dealerships requiring service, heninger has not a single spot ever to park, lol, everybody says they are so reliable yet i see more of them at service then on the road.

[narou]

1-3rd gen 4runners will go forever.

[bituerbo]

Get a focus ZX-5 instead of the wagon.
Lots of room and you still get the hatchback, only the suspension is a bit better of a design and in my personal opinion, the 5-door is more attractive than the wagon. I think the focus is a great economy vehicle. Easy to work on, cheap on parts so maintenance will be less costly than any luxury brand or import. Plus there are lots of them out there, so spare parts are plentiful from used sources compared to buying all new parts if you break anything on it. FWD is better than RWD for driving in snow, and if you were to get something AWD/4WD, the maintenance costs do go up. Just invest in some good winter tires, even if you have to pick up some gently used ones.

http://media.motortopia.com/files/7820/vehicle/46e47fcb37f7b/Sep_9_2007_066.jpg

[Kloubek]

Don't buy a Focus. I had two friends who had them, and both hated them very quickly.

As with many, I would suggest a Civic. In your price range, and quality that can't be beat.

[Neil4Speed]

Originally posted by theken
everybody says they are so reliable yet i see more of them at service then on the road.

Wait, your saying that you have seen more at service than you have ever seen on the road, do you mean

a. 1 toyota to 1 other cars (well fuck obviously its a toyota dealership)

b. More toyotas culminated at service than you have seen on the road? (also, ridiculous, Toyota is the biggest selling selling automaker)

[89s1]

My buddy just did this same thing and ended up with a 1995 civic for what it's worth.

[se7en]

and he bought properly.

wouldn't hurt to look at base cobalts....higher mileage ones would be in your price range, and that ecotech engine is pretty good...

[J NRG]

.

[asifka]

if you are going with focus, stay away from 2000-2001. Too many problems. 2002+ focus are good enough to go from point A to point B.
We have a 2005 Focus in family since for 2 years now, it going great so far.
:thumbsup:

[Deetz]

find a 1998-99 Accord. I used to have a 98 myself, 5 speed. I put 200,000k on the car, with the exception of a timing belt, regular fluid changes, set of pads and a light bulb, never had a single problem!!!

Oh yeah, car got 750k in the city, and 850k on the hiway......not many cars on the road that can do that the way a Honda can

[FiveFreshFish]

Originally posted by theken
what i find funny, is the amount of toyotas at the dealerships requiring service, heninger has not a single spot ever to park, lol, everybody says they are so reliable yet i see more of them at service then on the road.

You are making a uninformed assumption and a ridiculous exaggeration.

Some reasons why cars are parked at the service area lot:
- Awaiting repair due to unreliability problem.
- Awaiting repair due to owner negligence or stupidity.
- Awaiting regular servicing.
- Customer stops off to buy parts.
- Customer looking at new cars couldn't find parking elsewhere.
- Service loaner vehicles.
- New vehicle inventory overflow.

This can apply to any dealership, not just Heninger.

[R!zz0]

Originally posted by theken
what i find funny, is the amount of toyotas at the dealerships requiring service, heninger has not a single spot ever to park, lol, everybody says they are so reliable yet i see more of them at service then on the road.

It's the free oil changes they offer when you buy a new car.



I'd buy a used Toyota or a Honda over a new domestic any day of the week. I bet you anything that a new domestic car will have more problems then any used Japanese cars with high mileage.

[Vagabond142]

I have a 1990 Honda Civic sedan. The right front CV joint is going, the engine hasn't been properly tuned for about 4 years, the oil pan is missing a bolt, it's rusting like a mofo.... and yet, it still purrs along, has decent power, and handles excellently. You could probably shoot the engine with a .45 magnum and it'd still run. Hondas and Toyotas are STUPIDLY reliable winter cars.

Another example: My brother had an older 1986 Celica that had one of the cylinder walls actually gouged by something, like a 4 mm deep gouge, and yet it kept compression (mostly) and still ran as if nothing was wrong. He only found out about it because he wanted to do an engine rebuild to put new gaskets on. The engine gave the same power, same torque, same everything, with a freakin hole in cylinder 3 o_O

And, there is the example of the Top Gear Toyota destruction test from one of the earlier seasons. They took a Toyota Hilux Diesel (I think we call them Tacomas over here) from the mid-90's, and: hit it with a wrecking ball, set it on fire, submerged it for a full tidal cycle (with it getting buried in sand too) in the sea, ran it into a church, crashed it into a tree, dropped a caravan trailer on it, and lastly put it on top of a 20 storey apartment building which was subsequently demolished. And it still ran. And the bodywork held the frame together. I don't need to say any more. :P

[cityhunter2501]

shame we dont have Focus SVT or RS here in North America.

what about Nissan Maxima/Altima? the car depreciate like crazy..is nissan that bad compared to toyota or honda?

+1 for honda/acura

[Jim Rome99]

Go with a Camry, Corolla, Civic or Accord. I'm a big Civic fan myself but it may not be big enough to suit your needs. The things run forever. Spend $120 and get the car checked out before you buy.

[black300]

Don't get a Ford Focus, they are such bad cars my friend has on the coolant started leaking from the hose, so not a big deal replace the hose for around $60 and problem is good to go. But the hose was leaking really close to the radiator. And only way to fix that was replace the whole radiator $600 to fix.

[Tomaz]

The Toyota Camery was probably the best suggestion i have seen on here. It's big enough, lots of room, handles well, decent power, and great reliability. I have a few friends with them and it holds up after being put through it's paces.

I have seen a few ford focus' do well, but overall I have found mostly lemons. Some I have found were flood recoveries, repaired write-off's, and just plain old garbage.

[igotacookie]

Originally posted by tash79


We are currently looking at a 2001/02 Ford Focus Wagon as we like the idea of a bit of extra space and Ford has a pretty good reputation.

Thanks heaps
Tash

Hey bud,

You are on the right track with the ford focus. Can I suggest you take a read of the used reviews section over at http://www.canadiandriver.com/usedcars

They compile trouble spots in used cars from consumer reports and community forums, and have quite a bit of unbiased information in an organized fashion.

To be honest at your price range of $4k, there are lots of potential bargains. Don't get caught up with the idea that "i have to get a civic or corolla". My general advice would be to stay with as new of a model as possible.

Another useful site that I use when I buy used is http://www.vmrcanada.com/

They can give approximate values of retail vehicles, they are a bit on the low end, especially here in Alberta but it may be more accurate for the Ontario region.
Anyways good luck with your purchase.

[aristocrat]

ford is garbage. i would rather buy a kia than a ford.
go for a toyota 4 runner or honda civic. you can get a good condition 4 runner for well under 4000.

[thetransporter]

Originally posted by tash79
Camry could be good....a don't think I will be buying a Lexus, even an old one....too expensive to fix.

I'm not fussed on looks just want something reliable thats going to last me a couple of years.

Would a 2000 - 2002 Ford Focus Wagon be an ok car???
They generally have about 150,000 to 190,000 km's on the clock.

a es300 and a camry costs about the same to fix. they are almost the same car

[ricki65]

Not sure if any one has recently looked into actual repair bills of a domestic vehicle? Here is my opinion. I own 3 cars, a 1999 Porsche 911, my biggest repair bill (not counting upgrades) is $1800 for 2 oxygen sensors. I also own a 2003 Cadillac STS (one of the best GM car according to GM) it has 126,000 km on it, babied since day 1. Parked most of the time due to gas milage. My front shock cost $1072 per side, not include labor, recently my Security system is locking me out. The estimate was 1100 for new computer. I also own a 1999 Acura TL, with 254,000 km, I is my winter beater, and I truly beat the car every day. It runs like a clock. So Germans, (great job, wow quality is second to none), to the Japanese or Acura (unbelievable quality), to Americans, (go back to high school, and learn to design and manufacture better)

[KrisYYC]

I love all the domestic hate on here. Beyond living up to its ricer reputation.

Honda Civic and Corolla's are a good choice, but don't think that one that price range is going to be 10 times more reliable than a Focus in the same price range. Especially considering the the imports will have way higher mileage. My sister has a 2000 Focus and although it's had some issues (mostly recalls) the engine has never had a problem. It's never left her stranded anywhere.

You can actually find some good deals on low mileage domestics. I picked a 1998 Neon beater for $1000 that had only 110,000km on it. Been using it as a daily driver for over 2 years now.

I'm not a big fan domestics (I like German) but don't completely rule them out because of some import tuners have a hate on for them. They're not as unreliable as people make them out to be.

[JZS_147]

Originally posted by Neil4Speed
Honestly, I would consider an older well maintained Lexus ES300 if you want something different yet reliable.

agree. all of the older lexus's are great. i've got a 93 GS300 for my winter beater.

an ES300 would be prime for the winter.