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You do not want to get into an accident with an overweight trailer. You'll have a bad time.
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Jan 28, 2016 17:21
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I found a used 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier LS Sport with 175,000 miles on it. I've done some research on the car and I can't see any huge problems. People say the interior sucks, but I don't care about that. The repairs I looked at were pretty cheap. It's listed at a reputable dealer for significantly less than bluebook value, probably because it's a manual. Are there any problems with this particular make/year that I may have missed in my research? Is there anything I should look out for beyond the normal used car stuff?
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Jan 28, 2016 21:13
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The Cavalier was a long-running butt of many automotive jokes. They are awful, awful cars. It is usually a bad sign when a car company, in an effort to distance itself from the failings of a previous model, completely changes the name of the new model. Especially when you consider that GM did it again because the very-much-improved Cobalt that replaced it was still garbage. I don't care how far under the (horribly inflated) 'dealer book' price it is, it's a bad idea.
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Jan 28, 2016 21:16
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IOwnCalculus posted:The Cavalier was a long-running butt of many automotive jokes. I knew they were mediocre, but I didn't think they were that bad. Guess I'll post a template. Proposed Budget 2,000. New or Used Used. Body Style Anything but a compact or a convertible. Would prefer something with some cargo capacity, but it isn't a deal breaker. How will you be using the car? Just for getting around town and getting to work. Maybe 15 miles a day, if not. What is most important to you? Reliability, affordable repairs, not a being a screaming metal deathtrap.
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Jan 28, 2016 21:27
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NerdyMcNerdNerd posted:I knew they were mediocre, but I didn't think they were that bad. Guess I'll post a template. If the cavalier is under $2k and in good mechanical shape, buy it and start saving for a replacement. Don't repair anything expensive, drive it until something big breaks then sell it to a junkyard for $350. You probably shouldn't be buying cars that cheap from dealers. I've never seen anything that cheap on a dealer lot, it seems like they should have booted it to auction and sent it to Mexico by now.
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Jan 28, 2016 21:41
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Twerk from Home posted:You probably shouldn't be buying cars that cheap from dealers. Very much this. The only dealers that routinely have cars this cheap on the lot are buy-here pay-here garbage lots where they really want to make the money on assrape financing / extra fees, or they literally bought it at an auction for a few hundred bucks and made it stop rattling long enough to sell. Does it actually have to be a car? The best cheap vehicle I've ever owned was a '98 Ranger. A tiny bit above your price point (bought it for $2300 in 2011, sold it for $2500 in 2014) but the only time it stranded me was when I went too long before replacing the dryrotted tires. It tried to strand me when I put a lovely waterpump on it that exploded, but it still got me home. By being a truck, they also seem to hit a higher minimum value, so you might not lose all that much if you end up selling it in the future (instead of junking it). With a $2k car, condition trumps most* things, so be prepared to inspect anything in-depth. And buy it from a private seller. *never buy a Cavalier, or anything German, unless you specifically want a project car.
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Jan 28, 2016 21:52
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Twerk from Home posted:If the cavalier is under $2k and in good mechanical shape, buy it and start saving for a replacement. Don't repair anything expensive, drive it until something big breaks then sell it to a junkyard for $350. It's listed for 950. It being a manual probably has something to do with that. The car itself is not for me, but for a relative who really doesn't want to get stuck with a car payment. IOwnCalculus posted:Does it actually have to be a car? The best cheap vehicle I've ever owned was a '98 Ranger. A tiny bit above your price point (bought it for $2300 in 2011, sold it for $2500 in 2014) but the only time it stranded me was when I went too long before replacing the dryrotted tires. It tried to strand me when I put a lovely waterpump on it that exploded, but it still got me home. By being a truck, they also seem to hit a higher minimum value, so you might not lose all that much if you end up selling it in the future (instead of junking it). It could be anything vaguely car-ish. His 86 Blazer is about to die. The frame's about to crack or the engine's going to plonk out. Either way, it's shot. I'm in a somewhat rural area so I'm not spoiled for choices. I'd like to go find a nice private seller, test the car, take the car to a mechanic, etc, but most of the cars are simply too far away, too expensive, or too broken to be worth buying. Can you tell me anything concrete about the Cavalier that would dissuade him from buying? He was also looking at a Buick Sebring and didn't buy it only because it was a convertible.
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Jan 28, 2016 23:15
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Cavaliers are poo poo poo poo poo poo. If it's 950 totally get it since you can turn around and scrap it for 3 next year when it dies. You are in a tough spot these days 2k gets you a vehicle that will pass inspection THIS year, will start, will run and probably mostly drive straight. A cavalier will probably be okay for someone with a rusted out poo poo heap, but it's going to require constant work, much like his 86 hunk oshit.
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Jan 28, 2016 23:36
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The cavalier is garbage but I will play devil's advocate here for a minute and say that most of the things that are godawful about the Cavalier are related to the interior falling apart, it being noisy, uncomfortable and generally not as good as its peers. The upside is that it's cheap as gently caress, parts are cheap, and the drivetrain is fairly reliable. The electricals were also garbage, so hopefully it's stripper trim and has manual locks, manual windows, etc.
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Jan 29, 2016 01:26
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IOwnCalculus posted:Does it actually have to be a car? The best cheap vehicle I've ever owned was a '98 Ranger. A tiny bit above your price point (bought it for $2300 in 2011, sold it for $2500 in 2014) but the only time it stranded me was when I went too long before replacing the dryrotted tires. It tried to strand me when I put a lovely waterpump on it that exploded, but it still got me home. By being a truck, they also seem to hit a higher minimum value, so you might not lose all that much if you end up selling it in the future (instead of junking it). Sorry to derail but I want a truck like this as a winter beater and home improvement hauler. Suggestions on what to look for? Rangers seem to be the sweet spot for cheap and parts availability, but is there anything else I should consider? I'm seeing 4x4 extended cab rangers in the 01-05 range with 100-150k for about 4000 on local CL. Any engines, transmissions, or years to avoid? antiga fucked around with this message at 02:20 on Jan 29, 2016 |
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Jan 29, 2016 01:33
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The Mazda pickup trucks are the same as Rangers. Toyotas/Nissans are pretty good but you pay a significant premium. The S10 is lovely. Edit: I think the 3.0 for the years it was offered was not any good, but I'm not an expert on the ins and outs of the Ranger.
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Jan 29, 2016 01:45
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The Ranger is, at a basic level, unchanged all the way from 1998 to 2011. The available engines improved over the years - the 2.5L Pinto was replaced by a 2.3L Mazda, the 3.0 V6 eventually disappeared, and the 4.0 OHV was replaced by the 4.0 SOHC. Since there are approximately eleven billion '98+ Rangers on the road, parts are ungodly cheap, every repair possible has been thoroughly documented. I suspect it's a lot like owning a Panther platform except nobody has to deal with de-policing a Ranger. Any '98+ 4WD Ranger is automatically a V6, so your choices are pretty much 3.0 and 4.0. The 3.0 is barely any more powerful than the four cylinders, so go big or go little. Mine had the 2.5L Pinto and while "agricultural" was being kind to the engine, it did its job just loving fine. The truck market is kinda funny in AZ because they don't rust away, so there isn't a dearth of older Toyotas and Nissans like in much of the country. But they still go for a ridiculous premium. The same money I spent on my Ranger would've only bought a 10-year-older Toyota with 50k more miles and worse overall condition.
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Jan 29, 2016 04:29
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Any thoughts on Acura? I am cruising in that low bargain bin car part of Craigslist and saw a 2003 Acura TL Type S automatic for $2000 with about 200k miles on it. The condition seems fine, but I'm unsure if there's anything that would stick out as a red flag for maintenance in an old luxury brand. Given the choice between super versatile storage from something like Fit and paying 5k and up and an old luxury car that's had a long life, I'd consider leaning closer to the latter in this case.
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Jan 29, 2016 08:34
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aldantefax posted:Any thoughts on Acura? I am cruising in that low bargain bin car part of Craigslist and saw a 2003 Acura TL Type S automatic for $2000 with about 200k miles on it. The condition seems fine, but I'm unsure if there's anything that would stick out as a red flag for maintenance in an old luxury brand. Given the choice between super versatile storage from something like Fit and paying 5k and up and an old luxury car that's had a long life, I'd consider leaning closer to the latter in this case. I'm betting that is from the era of exploding acura transmissions. Also if they want $2000 for that, it already has an exploded transmission. (Like every V6 honda of the early 2000s had serious automatic transmission issues. Get a 4 or get a manual.)
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Jan 29, 2016 08:36
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NerdyMcNerdNerd posted:I found a used 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier LS Sport with 175,000 miles on it. I've done some research on the car and I can't see any huge problems. People say the interior sucks, but I don't care about that. The repairs I looked at were pretty cheap. It's listed at a reputable dealer for significantly less than bluebook value, probably because it's a manual. I'd say go for it. 2004 was the last year for the Cavalier and it will be the best built J-body ever. the 2.2l Ecotec/5sp manual drivetrain was carried over to the Cobalt unchanged and it's OK*. Maybe not everything in the car will work, and if you get into any kind of accident death is almost assured, but you can count on it to start and drive pretty reliably. *The engine is fine, I remember reading some posts by the J-body experts in AI that the Getrag manual transmission is some special made in Italy thing that is impossible to rebuilt for less than what the car is worth, so make sure that the box shifts smoothly and all the syncros are intact. Throatwarbler fucked around with this message at 09:12 on Jan 29, 2016 |
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Jan 29, 2016 09:09
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IOwnCalculus posted:Rangers Went to the dealer this morning with my relative. We called last night and asked to look at the two cars, made an appointment, all that. When we showed up he said, "Oh, those cars are gone," then tried to sell us on a 4,000 dollar pickup.  I did some more digging today and actually found a Ranger for just over a grand. It's a 95 XLT with 200k on it, recently had the clutch redone. I did some research on Edmunds and a few other sites. It seems OK. Would this do as a work wagon? I know a 200k 95 isn't going to last another decade, but he needs more time to save for something better. Called back and found out it has a current inspection. The only problem is that the ignition switch is going. NerdyMcNerdNerd fucked around with this message at 19:45 on Jan 29, 2016 |
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Jan 29, 2016 19:14
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Yes rangers are tanks if it just had clutch done and stsrts/runs it's worth a grand.
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Jan 29, 2016 19:25
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nm posted:(Like every V6 honda of the early 2000s had serious automatic transmission issues. Get a 4 or get a manual.) Well poo poo that explains a lot
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Jan 30, 2016 01:49
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What engine on the Ranger? It will probably run (with the occasional cheap repair) until it rusts to death. I don't know as much about the pre-98 trucks - I know the '98 trucks got bigger cabs and bigger brakes, which is why I went for them. But ultimately it is still a very basic, tough little truck.
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Jan 30, 2016 01:58
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Proposed Budget: $5-15k with excellent credit New or Used: Used 99% Body Style: Leaning towards 4-door hatch or a wagon (Mazda 3 especially). Not really a fan of SUV/crossovers. How will you be using the car?: Errands, some commuting, hauling 2 dogs, one baby and two adults (for now), but something on the "fun" side would be a huge plus as I don't really like to drive. Very much a 2nd car but will see regular use every other day on average. What aspects are most important to you?: Reliability, enjoyability and safety. MPG would be a nice plus but I doubt it will take 10k miles/year. A Camry or other boring sedan is also on the radar but I keep reading about how Mazdas are great 'slow cars that feel fast' which sounds appealing. I don't know how great they are on the used market however. Edit: I haven't driven a stick in ~10 years but I wouldn't be opposed to picking it up again. Not sure a $10k+ car would be the best thing to relearn on though... JohnnySavs fucked around with this message at 22:28 on Jan 30, 2016 |
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Jan 30, 2016 22:24
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Mazda 3's are great and you're very unlikely to hurt the car getting used to driving the stick again.
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Jan 30, 2016 23:02
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powderific posted:Mazda 3's are great and you're very unlikely to hurt the car getting used to driving the stick again. So, I came here with a specific question about these, and Mazdas more generally. I know Mazdas were pretty decent in 2011 or so, and I know that thew new ones are considered some of the best less expensive cars on the market. If this change was due to a redesign rather than a gradual evolution, then what year did Mazdas make the leap from "okay" to "very good"?
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Jan 31, 2016 00:11
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MechaFrogzilla posted:So, I came here with a specific question about these, and Mazdas more generally. I know Mazdas were pretty decent in 2011 or so, and I know that thew new ones are considered some of the best less expensive cars on the market. If this change was due to a redesign rather than a gradual evolution, then what year did Mazdas make the leap from "okay" to "very good"? Whenever the skyactiv cars came out (2011?), mazdas went from fun, fairly reliable cars with rust problems to fun fairly reliable cars with really good fuel economy with rust problems. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a mazd 3 or 6 (not including the speeds) from the last 15 years or so, assuming no rust.
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Jan 31, 2016 00:51
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nm posted:Whenever the skyactiv cars came out (2011?), mazdas went from fun, fairly reliable cars with rust problems to fun fairly reliable cars with really good fuel economy with rust problems. These cars from maybe 2012 or so rust out a ton in the northeast, I've walked past many a newer mazda 6 that's been rusted worse than a lot of the 7-10 year old cars in my area. If you live in a land of snow and salt avoid these cars (not sure if it's one year only or not other AI folks can say exactly for sure) Also I just hopped in a civic si, after 7 years of automaric, drove it no problem, it's like riding a bicycle. tater_salad fucked around with this message at 03:52 on Jan 31, 2016 |
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Jan 31, 2016 03:35
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The pre Skyactiv cars got OK but not class leading fuel economy. They've moved production of the 2/3 to Mexico since 2014 which should resolve the rust problems.
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Jan 31, 2016 03:54
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^^^^ You could only get the hatchback 3 with the 2.3, which brought down the FE as buying a compact sedan is stupid. The 2.0 skyactiv makes nearly as much power and has quite a bit better economy. tater_salad posted:These cars from maybe 2012 or so rust out a ton in the northeast, I've walked past many a newer mazda 6 that's been rusted worse than a lot of the 7-10 year old cars in my area. If you live in a land of snow and salt avoid these cars (not sure if it's one year only or not other AI folks can say exactly for sure) I will note that the ford built Mazda 6s (early to mid 2000s?) should have better rust proofing than the japanese ones. Now that I live back in california (instead of MN), I don't have to worry about these things, which is great. nm fucked around with this message at 07:48 on Jan 31, 2016 |
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Jan 31, 2016 07:42
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nm posted:^^^^ The 2.3/2.5 FE was at least as good as competing 2.4s, like the Matrix and a hell of a lot better than the 2.4l Dodge Caliber and 2.5l Golf(VW, Chrysler, fish in a barrel, etc). The 2.0l still lagged behind the 1.8l Honda/Toyotas and was about on par with the contemporary Focus/Cobalt.
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Jan 31, 2016 08:20
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Throatwarbler posted:The pre Skyactiv cars got OK but not class leading fuel economy. They've moved production of the 2/3 to Mexico since 2014 which should resolve the rust problems. Why does manufacturing in Mexico resolve rust problems? Because it is dry there? Are you implying that all cars which are manufactured in Japan are susceptible to rust?
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Feb 1, 2016 00:20
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Okay so nearly all the deals I made to see cars today flaked out, but I found one that looks really good but is risky. It's a 2007 Ford focus ses with ~110,000 miles on it, and the body looks like it's in really good shape, for $2400. The issue is the guy wouldn't let me bring it to a shop to get checked out first; he said I could bring a mechanic over to look at it but he won't let me take it in. I don't know any mechanics personally who could do that for me, but I want the car a lot. What's my best course of action?
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Feb 1, 2016 02:00
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Wowporn posted:Okay so nearly all the deals I made to see cars today flaked out, but I found one that looks really good but is risky. It's a 2007 Ford focus ses with ~110,000 miles on it, and the body looks like it's in really good shape, for $2400. The issue is the guy wouldn't let me bring it to a shop to get checked out first; he said I could bring a mechanic over to look at it but he won't let me take it in. I don't know any mechanics personally who could do that for me, but I want the car a lot. What's my best course of action? Tell the guy no deal then, he can drive it to the shop instead if he's afraid you are going to steal it (probably the case) if not move on ,guy is trying to hid a major issue that a rack may show.
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Feb 1, 2016 02:12
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That price also seems suspiciously low for a 2007 with 110k miles - which makes me think unreported salvage. Out of all of the Focuses (Foci?) on Phoenix Craigslist, the only two that seem to be newer than '03-'04 at under $3k are one that looks like it was beaten with an ugly stick (and seems to be for sale by a dealer trying to operate under the radar), and one with an awful ad that doesn't show poo poo.
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Feb 1, 2016 03:09
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silence_kit posted:Why does manufacturing in Mexico resolve rust problems? Because it is dry there? Are you implying that all cars which are manufactured in Japan are susceptible to rust? I'm not exactly sure why, but when Japanese cars get made in north america somehow rust less. Like subaru legacies (Indiana) rust less than Imprezas (Glorious Nippon). Maybe the factory engineers understand rust proofing better, I have no idea, but it could actually be true. edit: Even if you're not going to do it, asking about taking a car to a mechanic for a PPI tells you a lot. If the owner freaks, you don't even have to think, just walk.
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Feb 1, 2016 03:12
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IOwnCalculus posted:That price also seems suspiciously low for a 2007 with 110k miles - which makes me think unreported salvage. Out of all of the Focuses (Foci?) on Phoenix Craigslist, the only two that seem to be newer than '03-'04 at under $3k are one that looks like it was beaten with an ugly stick (and seems to be for sale by a dealer trying to operate under the radar), and one with an awful ad that doesn't show poo poo. Yeah it's way lower than the rest I've looked at. My second choice was basically the same exact car but an '05 instead of '07, it was at a dealership and a grand more expensive, and that already seemed like a better deal than most I've found so far. The only thing the guy mentioned is that the back right ball joint would need replacing eventually but I'm pretty sure that was like a $300 repair the last time I had it done and that doesn't quite balance it out on it's own.
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Feb 1, 2016 06:42
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Throatwarbler posted:The pre Skyactiv cars got OK but not class leading fuel economy. They've moved production of the 2/3 to Mexico since 2014 which should resolve the rust problems. I thought the sedan version was always made in mexico?
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Feb 1, 2016 16:54
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nm posted:You do not want to get into an accident with an overweight trailer. You'll have a bad time. What I'm saying is: Don't tow a shed on a little trailer. Lawnmowers and motorcycles only.
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Feb 1, 2016 17:43
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IRQ posted:I thought the sedan version was always made in mexico? They were made in other places but the US market ones were always imported from Japan. The old Mazda6 was made in Ford's plant in Flat Rock, while its platform mate the old Fusion/Loncoln MKZ was made in Mexico, maybe that's what you are thinking of. After the Ford/Mazda split the skyactiv 6 moved back to Japan, the Fusion back to Flat Rock, and I think the MKZ is still in Mexico? Last one makes no sense but you know Found on Road Dead. I've made posts about the Japanese rust issue before, you can click on my posts to see them but really it's all conjecture and heresay so who cares. Bottom line is that US made Japanese cars seem to have much fewer rust issues, and the forums seem to report no rust issues for the Mexican built mazdas, to the extent that anyone can know after 2 years or so, while certain Japanese built models did start to exhibit minor rust even after 2 or 3 years.
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Feb 1, 2016 18:11
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Throatwarbler posted:Bottom line is that US made Japanese cars seem to have much fewer rust issues, and the forums seem to report no rust issues for the Mexican built mazdas, to the extent that anyone can know after 2 years or so, while certain Japanese built models did start to exhibit minor rust even after 2 or 3 years. I wonder if the cause is the humidity level in the factory. Like maybe they use less air conditioning in Japan. IRQ posted:I thought the sedan version was always made in mexico? i Trim is Mexican, s Trim is Japanese, I thought.
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Feb 1, 2016 22:14
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silence_kit posted:I wonder if the cause is the humidity level in the factory. Like maybe they use less air conditioning in Japan. Well, I mean Japan is literally an island nation
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Feb 1, 2016 22:30
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silence_kit posted:i Trim is Mexican, s Trim is Japanese, I thought. Turns out you can tell from the VIN. If it starts with a J, well, use your imagination.
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Feb 2, 2016 22:42
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Is it kosher to post Craigslist ads in here to see if the actual listing is a legit good deal, or should that be posted elsewhere? I saw a single owner 2006 Mazda 6 S, manual transmission, hatchback with 103k miles on it somewhere a little higher than KBB "Very Good" condition - $5850 (ask) vs. $5543 (KBB). Additionally, it had a non-specific crack on the windshield somewhere that I can't see from the pictures. I tried digging around and it had red-colored gauges on the dash, which might imply it is a GT? It's not really clear how much room I have to bargain with.
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Feb 3, 2016 09:00
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