looking for my first car...need advice!

[horney_goat]

first time to these forums and looking for my first car.

believe it or not, i'm 23. finished college even! long story short, had an accident when i was 16 or 17 and its finally off my record i was on my learners permit i guess u'd call it (G1 here in ontario). so thanks to the miracle of insurance i've been off the road due to cost until now....

so as it stands i have about $3000-4000 CAN to spend on a used car. i don't give a crap about power, speed, etc. just looking for some decent reliability and a cheap insurance bill since i'm now considered a new driver.

here's the catch - again thanks to insurance i'm stuck with one of the big 3. ford, chrysler or GM. that means hondas, toyotas, mazdas, etc. are OUT for those who are half asleep.

anyone have any suggestions for something i can look for? oh yes before i forget looking for a 4 door car, small or mid-size is fine. i don't have far to go to get to work, the car is mainly for visiting my college buddies who are all over the province.

only idea i've got is a '93 saturn SL1 with 161,000 kms going for $2400 and safety, e-testing, ownership is all done for me. i've heard both good and bad about this car. i've read some people don't have any trouble at all and say they're extremely reliable. others, seem to get all the problems short of a piston firing through the hood - which would be quite comical to watch.

so any advice would be helpful! not too much out there it seems...

[h_s]

Originally posted by horney_goat
that means hondas, toyotas, mazdas, etc. are OUT for those who are half asleep.

buy a grand-am or something

edit... good catch quasercav

[5hift]

I dont know about the SL1, but back in my highschool days, my first car was a 91' 5 speed Saturn SC2. Not great to look at, but it was great on gas, and I dont remember ever having a problem with it. Despite it being the car myself and several friends learned to drive a stick with, and being pretty much abused on a daily basis, it had rock solid reliability.

[DoubleLP]

I used to have an 89 Dodge Shadow. Shitty for heat....so avoid them for the winter.

What about an older Grand Prix or Sunbird?

Or even a Dodge Neon? Ford Focus or Escort?

[horney_goat]

great ideas so far, i've thought about neons but been told to avoid them if older than year 2002 or 2003. i'm actually very familiar with them and i know they have some problems regarding the head gasket.

[natejj]

Originally posted by DoubleLP
I used to have an 89 Dodge Shadow. Shitty for heat....so avoid them for the winter.

What about an older Grand Prix or Sunbird?

Or even a Dodge Neon? Ford Focus or Escort?

I had a SUNDANCE, and I have an acclaim. Both are cheap as shit, and run great/cheap to fix, and blow hot.

Slow as crap though.

[CivicTunr]

well isnt a Eagle talon, american? i dunno, i dont know my Eagle's.
also why wont they let you have any imports?

[marko polo]

Originally posted by natejj


I had a SUNDANCE, and I have an acclaim. Both are cheap as shit, and run great/cheap to fix, and blow hot.

Slow as crap though.

i had a sundance as my first car to, it wasnt slow though it had the 2.2 turbo motor in it and was the funnest piece of shit ever

[Darkane]

91-95 Escort GT man. 1.8L Mazda motor have your cake and eat it too. Ive seen many with well over 200k and they even make alright power. great on gas.

[FiveFreshFish]

Since you're going to be driving long distances in Ontario, make sure your car has air conditioning and cruise control.

[3G]

all cars the same price for PLPD maybe a couple bucks diff

[A2VR6]

Maybe a old mid 90's neon will do the trick? A 4 cylinder mustang could also be in your price range. Personally, i've had experiences with a 86 Lebaron GTS with the 2.2L turbo and the car was bulletproof. Made a decent amount of power too.

[Weapon_R]

Dodge neon 2000+. They are surprisingly reliable and great on gas. You can have one for under 5k. Some Saturns tend to creak and make funny sounds in winter because of their plastic construction, although they aren't bad first cars either.

[horney_goat]

for those of you who are wondering, i'm not sure where you live but here in ontario canada there is a HUGE difference in insurance for an import or domestic IF you are a NEW DRIVER.

insurance for an import is out of sight for me.

[mekeni]

Ford Tempo FTW !!!

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by CivicTunr
well isnt a Eagle talon, american? i dunno, i dont know my Eagle's.
also why wont they let you have any imports?

An eagle talon is essentially a Mitsubishi Eclipse, but Eagle I believe is technically an American brand name so perhaps that would fly. However, he needs something more reliable than an older talon would be IMO.

[pinoyhero]

Go with the sayurn, but get something newer with less kms if you have the extra money to spend.

[horney_goat]

just wanted to say thanks to everyone for the input. always helpful

interestingly, i redid my insurance quotes. i don't know who was giving me the shaft, but old imports are now a good option. since i want a beater until my insurance drops when i turn 25, a good old import is the only real logical choice the way i see it now.

sounds insane, but i found a 1990 toyota cressidia with 180,000kms. very cheap and also surprisingly very good condition. i know that maintence was done - i have service records from the previous owner. its passed e-testing and its just being certified now as i write this. i made a deal where i buy it if repairs to put it on the road are acceptable for me. if not, i leave it.