Need help choosing

[QworbO]

Hello all. I have been surfing the net looking for any and all information I can about cars but Nissan in general. I am a student barely surviving off of sstudent aid and I have saved about 2500$ finally to buy my first car! I am very excited and I really like the Nissan brand. If it was my choice, I would get an Infiniti Q45 since it has always been my dream to have one!However, with my budget and lack of a job to support such a luxury car, I need something dependable that will not dig my pocket in a hole. I have heard about the J30's and I see a lot of them for sale in my price range, but I have heard that they are not too dependable a car due to constant electrical issues.Can anybody recommend /give advice/pointers anything for a possible future Nissan family member please?

[Dattebayo]

My advice would be to save up more money. You probably won't be able to buy something reliable enough and still afford the upkeep with that, I think.

[VQpwrdSE-R]

I would not reccomend for you to buy ANY car at this point. Most college towns have a good public transit system that would eliminate the need for one. As a student I remember how tight those times were WITH A JOB. Ownership of any car is not without problems, these problems can be costly and increased when purchasing a car worth less than $3,000. Car Insurance, tires, inspection/ emissions, gas, and oil changes are all costs to be expected after the intitial purchase of the car. How could you pay for it? If you want a car then it would be a good idea to get a job. Most people have a car because of their job (transportation to/from) or the area they live in is rural and public transportation is not an option. Keep in mind all the financial assistance you are receiving will need to be paid back someday WITH interest. I remember all my classmates getting amped up about their tuition refund checks they would recieve and buy TVs and other things with it not knowing or thinking that it's not free money. This guy <----- would sign that check and return it to the registrars office.

Anyways I digress.

My opinion, work hard now in school. Get your degree and a professional job in your field, then buy yourself a nice newer model Infiniti.

[QworbO]

hey thanks for the words of wisdom from everybody but the truth is that i reallly really NNEED a car. I need it to look for jobs and the sort. I Have been looking at a 94 Infiniti J30 with 120k on it and a 97 Maxima with the same mileage. ANy advice on these cars? Are they good cars wit low maintenance? I have heard this about Maximas.

[Bubba1]

hey thanks for the words of wisdom from everybody but the truth is that i reallly really NNEED a car. I need it to look for jobs and the sort. I Have been looking at a 94 Infiniti J30 with 120k on it and a 97 Maxima with the same mileage. ANy advice on these cars? Are they good cars wit low maintenance? I have heard this about Maximas.

When you're talking about models that old, the answer is yes and no. yes, they both have very good reputations for reliability, but if the previous owner(s) did not maintain the cars well, you could easily end up with a money pit. So whatever you look at, you should have a mechanic look it over, because cars that old and cheap tend to have more problems than vehicles that cost more.

Since this is a first car and yourfunds are limited, I would not concern myself with something that might be considered cool, like an Infiniti. I'd suggest starting with something smaller, well made, reliable, cheap to operate/maintain, non-hybrid and 4 cyl. Gas is $4 gallon and it ain't gonna plummet any time soon. So I would advise against a full sized V8 luxury car like a Q45, and look at cars like Corolla, Camry, civic, Accord, integra, RSX, Sentra, miata (if you can fit), Subie 2.5RS

Enthusiasts knock old Corolla's for being old fashioned and non-sporty, but that did not stop me from buying one last year for my teenaged son. It gets 30+ mpg on regular gas, starts everytime, and gets him where he wants to go safely. I could care less that it won't win a drag race.

The only thing you need to keep in mind is given the price of gas and stumbling economy, prices for older well made non gas guzzling cars are not dropping as fas as bigger cars, so $2500 will not go as far as it did just a few years ago.

Good luck in your hunt.

[Mr1der]

luxury cars bring luxury repair prices.

if you want big car with rwd and a V8, i suggest looking for a crown vic.

[QworbO]

Hey thanks for t he replies. I see what you guys mean by the luxury cars and expensive maintenance. I have looked at consumer reviews regarding the Maxima models 95-2000 and they seem to have really good reviews regarding their maintenance and reliability. I have my eye on a few Maximas in between those years with no more than 150k on them. Any opinions/advice on the Maxima models?

[Dattebayo]

Around here all the Maximas that have mileage low enough to seriously consider dropping coin on them (and expecting a reasonable amount of low-cost, non-immediate upkeep costs) are around $3500. I don't see that changing much in your area, wherever that may be. I would start considering another car, and perhaps a non-Nissan should be considered as well....