Reliable & Inexpensive Older Cars? + pics

knowledge

knowledge

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Stuff keeps breaking on my civic and I'm thinking of fixing it one last time and just selling it.

I was originally planning on a mini cooper or csx, but I realized that I'm not at a point in my life where I care enough about what I drive to spend ~11k.

Are there any older cars that are reliable, good on gas, & aren't boring? An example would be something like an e30? Here are some pics of my buddy's car that inspired my new taste:

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Doesn't look like a car from 1990, at all.
 
One thing to keep in mind, is that some insurance companies don't want to insure a car more than 15 years old.
I am with Allstate at the moment and they said if I had a car that was insured with them that turned 15, that is fine, if I went out and bought a car 15 years or older they won't cover it for me. I think Belair Direct has a similar policy, but I am not sure. So first thing you should do if you see an older car you like is call your insurance company and see what they say.
 
Do you know what BMW stands for?

"Break My Wallet".

I like European cars, too, but I also know that they have their foibles, and there is a distinct possibility that a nice-looking car that is for sale, is for sale for a reason - be it never-ending electrical problems, or rust setting in somewhere that is terminal, or maybe someone hasn't been on top of scheduled maintenance. German cars are designed hand in hand with their maintenance schedule, and if that maintenance schedule says "thou shalt use oil meeting standard XXXX, and coolant meeting standard XXXX", then thou had better deviate only with extreme caution, and if someone has taken the car to a quickie lube, those requirements probably weren't followed ...

I have 400,000 km on a Mk5 VW Jetta TDI, but I also know that those particular engines are known for eating camshafts and lifters if the wrong oil is used. I know what has gone into that crankcase from day one. If you are buying used, do you?
 
Knowledge, you're kidding right? BMW's are known for a sporty yet cushy ride...this comes from use of MANY bushings....i can tell you right now, 75% of E30's on the road need their front lower control arms replaced.

Its a great car, very solid feeling, but the M20 is an OHC, 12V outdated engine. Fuel consumption....around 10 to 12L per 100km....

If you're tired of fixing a Civic, then dude a BMW is the LAST car you wanna buy...well maybe a VW...:D
 
You are asking about buying an older reliable car, thats good on gas and not boring? Your Civic is up there as one of the most reliable,good on gas cars you can buy.
Any Honda is a good buy.
If you look after it.
 
Red_Liner740 said:
If you're tired of fixing a Civic, then dude a BMW is the LAST car you wanna buy...well maybe a VW...:D
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Lol, quoted for emphasis!
I've got an e46 for sale right now

Sent from my phone using my paws
 
knowledge said:
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Doesn't look like a car from 1990, at all.
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Yeah you're right. It looks like a car from the 80s when boxy styling and straight, unimaginative lines were the norm.

Also, theres a reason why BMW have horrendous resale value and why they depreciate so quickly.
 
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Best car I have ever owned. Bought it 3 yrs old with 58,000 kms on it. 27 days later it had 67,900 kms on it. 2 yrs later it had 335,000 kms on it, was still rust free, and even the floor underneath was as red as the rooftop. Still had all orig balljoints and tie rod ends etc, with no measurable slop. My mechanic was fascinated, as he had assumed the plastic cupped "lifetime" steering parts with no grease fittings were junk.....till he asked me when I last repalced the crap with no grease fittings, and I told him never......and I had owned the car for the past 280,000 kms,LOL. Diesel was 49 cents/litre, and a fillup was $30, and I drove to Sudbury and back from Brantford on one tank. It got 55-60 mpg all day long, and towing two sportbikes at 70mph to Deals Gap or Daytona, it would still get 40 mpg. The door handles broke every winter, a starter failed, and one injector pump shaft. The rest was just maintainace.
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You can get an MK4 Jetta for well under $4000, i have one with 300,000+ kms and it runs great and looks pretty damn good. I have it in Silver which seems to look newer longer in my opinion.
 
If you really want a reliable older car, I happen to be selling a 2004 Toyota Echo with 200k on it. Parts are dirt cheap for toyota echos if anything ever breaks - for example, you can get an entire brake job including (quality) pads/shoes/roters/drums for less than $300 -- even cheaper if you got the junk off of ebay -- hell, a replacement motor is often less than $500, same for the tranny. In the 2.5 years I've owned it I have only had to replace a wheel bearing (in addition to the regular maintenance).
 
seriously consider an older minivan such as the previa.
your insurance will be cheaper
it can hold a bike easily in the back along with 3 adults easily and some gear. I saw it for myself and was amazed just how much storage there was.
 
PSY said:
seriously consider an older minivan such as the previa.
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Interesting styling, but ... Thirsty, underpowered, noisy due to the hard-working engine being right under you, dubious handling. Weak (probably nonexistent by now) A/C systems. Hard to work on due to the under-floor engine.

I had a Toyota truck for a long time, and it was good except for rust. But, my truck was a bare-bones contractor special with manual transmission, no power steering, no A/C, vinyl on the floor, vinyl on the seats. The 4-cyl engine was fine in that. In a vehicle weighing 1000 lbs more and generally saddled with a 4-speed automatic ... not so much. I test drove a 4-cyl 5-speed 4runner when it came time to replace the truck ... no thanks, and auto tranny would be miserable. Ended up buying a VW TDI diesel and never looked back. I have found the VW diesels to be good, but I am not crazy about the new ones - too much emission control crap.

If you want cheap ... beggars can't be choosers. If you are finding a Civic to be unreliable, one that's old enough to be cheap is going to be pretty much thrashed ... and unreliable. Better the devil you know, unless the floors are about to rust through.
 
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