Time for a new daily driver... What to buy for $10k or less?

[Kompresshun]

So we've decided that it's time to sell the Maxima and move on to something else. It has been nothing but a pile of problems since i've had it and it goes back to the shop again tomorrow for the second time in the past week. While it may be a good car for the next owner, especially after all i've done, I can't make sense of investing any more in it. After spending nearly $4,000 this year trying to make it reliable, i've finally given up and my wife wants me to find a new car.

So moving on... It's time to start car shopping, but with a $10,000 or less budget, i'm not really sure what to look at. One thing I will say: Nissan/Infiniti vehicles are absolutely out of the question this time around. Anything else I will consider, but this time around i'm steering clear of Nissan. I want something that gets reasonable fuel economy and is roomy enough to take a trip in comfortably. I'd also like to have something that is fairly easy to maintain. He's a few i've come up with, but i'm open to other vehicles as well.

- Lincoln LS(the later models) - I really like these a lot and they're easy to find in that price range.
- 98-02 Lincoln Continental - I know very little about these, but the reviews seem good on them and they're packing V8 power, even if they're wrong wheel drive.
- Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego - We have a few of these for company cars at work and they're quiet reliable and usually priced low because of their short run.
- Volvo S60/V70 - I know it'll be more difficult to maintain and more expensive to repair, but I really like Volvo's a lot. They seem to be fairly reliable and pretty tough vehicles from what i've seen.
- Lexus IS300 - I don't know much about these either, but I like them a lot too.
- Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan - A little smaller, but a great all around car.
- Honda Accord - Bland, but reliable and economical.

I'll also consider SUV's, like a Ford Escape, Highlander, and ect, but probably nothing full size. I'd like to have something bigger, but we already have one gas guzzler and a truck or bigger SUV just isn't practical for me right now. I commute 2-3 times a week to Louisville and then my normal commute is 30min away, so i'd rather have something that gets in the 20's on the highway at minimum. Anyways - any feedback would be appreciated. I'm planning on starting to shop for a vehicle here pretty soon, unless something changes.

[Jesda]

95+ Continentals have one weakness, and that's the air ride, but you can replace the bags for cheap or do coil springs all around. Otherwise, they're very dependable, plenty powerful, and pleasing to drive. I do wish the seats were a little bit more comfortable. 98+ paint finishes are much improved over 95-97.

If you get an S60, go for 03 or later. Earlier automatics aren't that dependable. The electronic throttle modules are also nearing the end of Volvo's ten-year warranty extension, and it's massively expensive to fix when it goes bad, so check to see what years are affected.

I think the Fusion/Milan is an underrated car. I'm not keen on Ford's button-crazy center stacks, but they're a lot of fun to drive, the base sound system is awesome, and the seats are quite comfortable. The 2010 and later Fusions switched from Mazda to Ford 6F35 transmissions and they are known for self-destructing. Avoid the 4-cyl and 3.0 V6 which use the 6F35. If you do get a later one, go for the Aisin gearbox mated to the 3.5. If you get one before 2010, it should be fine.

I greatly enjoy driving the Lincoln LS. I like my Ram a lot but if I get rid of it the LS is the next car on my list.
Details on the LS courtesy of MoD:
mod-and-friends-tell-me-more-about-the- ... 62023.html

[krash]

Mercury Marauder? Guily pleasure of mine

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale ... 3587&Log=0

[Kompresshun]

Jesda - Thanks for chiming in as usual. The Continental really has my interest at the moment, because you can get them for dirt cheap with 75k miles or less on them. I also am trying to talk a friend of my wife out of her silver V70 turbo wagon, since i've been dying to own a wagon for a while now. The LS is high up on the list as well, if I can find a good one.

Mercury Marauder? Guily pleasure of mine

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale ... 3587&Log=0

I actually just saw that one earlier. It's about 20min from where I live. I showed it to the wife though and I don't think she was too interested, but that is one car i've ALWAYS wanted to own. I think it might not be too far fetched though - especially if I could talk them down to $9k

[TurboSauce]

I daily drive basically a japanese is300, just with the 3sge, ( not the 2jzge in the is300)
the good of the altezza, = everything motor wise,performance, sound, feel of the throttle, pull, etc.
the bad= the squeaking of every damn near corner of the car. But it seems like i need bushings all over so, meh.
go figure.
fuel economy is dependant on your foot.
If I drive slow and keep rpms low, and keep it in snow mode with traction control on, i can manage to burn a quarter tank of gas in 2 days.
if I drive rushing, high rpms, and speeding, i can visibly see my gas gauge go down significantly over the time span of 30 minutes to an hour.
I'd say the fuel economy is around 15-20mpg. I haven't cared enough to carefully notice exactly how much i get.

Now for the size of the vehicle, it's a sedan, that thinks it's a coupe, or at least emits that general feeling.

Not much space in the rear of the vehicle, not much trunk space, front seats take up majority of the cabin, so very little leg room in the rear.

But from the drivers seat the car feels like a glove, as if everything is just the right distance away.

and in terms of get up and go, it's a very peppy little sh*t, accelerates quickly and has a genuinely sporty feel to it.

[nissangirl74]

Something with a warranty

[MinisterofDOOM]

I'm driving it.

- Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan - A little smaller, but a great all around car.

Don't forget the Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ. Best-looking of the three (especially if you get the earlier years with the sculpted trunk and smaller tail lights).

[frapjap]

Off the bat I can think of three cars that would fit your budget, fuel targets, and reliability standards.
1) Subaru Legacy GT (or 2.5)- Sporty, turbo, manual transmission, Very well equipped ample room for the family.

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale ... 4507&Log=0
The lady friend has one (sadly, with a CVT) but everything else is actually damned decent about the car. Solid build quality, good looks, spacious back seat. I'm a Suby believer now (though you still couldn't sell me a WRX). Its a solid car with all you need and nothing that you don't with packages that make sense.
There are PLENTY more in your area, these two are really exceptional though.
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale ... 4150&Log=0

MazdaSpeed3- wagon, as mentioned with the Volvo; albeit WAY more reliable. Quick, fun to drive, space for family and more! Various years available for your budget.
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale ... 6505&Log=0
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale ... 7534&Log=0
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale ... 1116&Log=0

MazdaSpeed6- Harder to find, but the same attributes as a Legacy. However, they were VERY expensive vehicles when they came out so only those who could afford them owned them and thus maintained them. They're also hatchback, but don't look like it!

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale ... 7637&Log=0

[frapjap]

You could also do a search for a Pontiac G8. Here is a sweet, low mileage convertible available in your area for a steal.




http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale ... 1726&Log=0

[300ZXttZMAN]

LOL^
------

Yea Jesda is right. I sell the crap out of the bags for the the air ride suspension on the Lincolns and everything else involved with the bags.

Don't get a Volvo. When problems happen if your not working on it yourself then the shop that does the work is going to rape you.

Chris my suggestion if you can afford to squeeze a little bit more out of your budget: Get a G35 sedan. I'm sure you could talk this guy down a little to get closer to 10k.
http://lexington.craigslist.org/cto/3354785037.html
or if your wife is cool with you getting a coupe:
http://lexington.craigslist.org/ctd/3353428167.html

just a suggestion.

[Kompresshun]

Ray - I'd love to have an MS3, but it's a little small. Wait... I didn't realize they were that cheap though. I think the MS3 is going to the top of the list now!I've found a few Lincoln LS's too, but i've been dying for a hatchback or wagon, so the MS3 would be awesome.

Mark - I'm not doing another Nissan/Infiniti this time around. Maybe for a project later, but i'm just burned out on Nissan for now. The past three i've owned have been nothing but money pits. I still love Nissan, but I need a change for a while for my daily.

[300ZXttZMAN]

ok.

[Kompresshun]

Don't get me wrong - I really like the G's a lot, but one in my price range is going to be ragged out or have high mileage(or both). I'm also trying to stay around 100k miles or less. I also wouldn't buy an older one, because '06 and up models had 306hp, where the older ones had a lot less. The newer ones had the bugs worked out, so the ones I could afford may be another potential problem child for me. I've gotta be careful with this purchase, or my wife will put me in a clown car next time around, or a Prius just to pay me back for all of the trouble the Maxima has been.

[frapjap]

I'm going to urge you to check out the Legacy GT in addition to the Speed3. Its a pretty sweet ride with plenty of up and go and no major compromises. No canyon wide panel gaps, good materials (no where near as lame and spartan as a WRX), good ride quality, simple maintenance. That back seat will be awesome come time for the chill'ens to get bigger, too.

[Bubba1]

Three cars not yet mentioned:

Acura TSX: I bought one for my wife. 2008 and earlier avoids the ugly smiley faced front end. It's peppy, handles well, very comfortable, every luxury item, reliable, 30+ mpg. Very happy with it.

Acura TL: if you want something a little bigger (and you mentioned Lincolns), they're quite nice too, and the S version, if you can find it, is quite fun

Mazda miata: Why not commute with a big grin? Fun to drive, reliable, great gas mileage.

If you're looking at commute worthy SUV's that won't go seriously off road

Midsize: Toyota Highlander. Same size as the truck based 4 runner but based on a Camry. Tops every list for reliability, reasonably comfortable and gets decent gas mileage.

Small: The best two used ones are the Toyota Rav4 or Honda CRV. They're not as small as you think.

Happy hunting.

[Jesda]

Yeah, the Legacy is awesome. Friend of mine has an 09 2.5; love the ride, the handling, and the huge back seat. I hear head gaskets on the 2.5 are a concern and like Cadillac's Northstar, the engine has to come out. Something to chew on.

I'll second the CRV. My brother's '97 has 200k and we've taken it all over the country this year. It's tough as nails, comfy, decent on gas, and surprisingly spacious. Gutless though, but that's made up for with real utility, nice handling, and AWD. You can't go wrong with a Highlander either; mushy but solid.

[Bubba1]

I agree Legacy is a solid car too. If you live in a snow prone area, its AWD can give one peace of mind. The only minor drawbacks to them is that they run on premium gas, and the fulltime AWD consumes more gas than its competition, but it's a good choice for bad weather commuting.

[Eikon]

does mpg matter? if so, skip legacy turbo.. they are really bad on gas

[Kompresshun]

EDIT: Scratch the Exploder - it's already gone.

I'm also trying to talk her into letting me go look at these as well:

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale ... 8676&Log=0

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale ... 9919&Log=0

[PapaSmurf2k3]

What about BMW?
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale ... 2461&Log=0
5 speed bro!

[Kompresshun]

What about BMW?
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale ... 2461&Log=0
5 speed bro!

I'm all about a BMW, but how much of a nightmare would a 3 series be to maintain?

[Eikon]

If you're dumping a Maxima due to reliability issues, I wouldn't go BMW. They may be decent in reliability, but the cost of parts for when they do break down.. eek.


Holy crap.. You can get a MazdaSpeed3 for under $10k??? Wow.. never would have guessed.

Do some research on the reliability of the turbo.. or find one that's already been replaced.. other than that they should be excellent for reliability.. and a blast to drive!

[Jesda]

What about BMW?
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale ... 2461&Log=0
5 speed bro!

I'm all about a BMW, but how much of a nightmare would a 3 series be to maintain?

You'll have to rehab the suspension and bushings every 60k, otherwise they're quite dependable. Kind of gutless unless you get a 330i or a lighter coupe. Lots of fun.

[WDRacing]

BMW parts are pretty affordable these days if you can DIY. If you ever plan on taking it in you'll get raped. I just did a bunch of front suspension work on my 540, I use buyauto.com.

Things I would change after much reading on any BMW close to 100k. The entire cooling system including the pump. Front and rear control arms, and basically anything with a rubber bushing. Timing chain tensioners. The VANOS seals are almost always bad, not an easy fix. The VANOS can be left unfixed, but you'll have a ticking noise at idle, similar to a diesel. Mine ticks but I'm not fvcking with it. Supposedly you lose low end torque when they go but I don't "feel" any lack of power. Then again the 540 is the V8, it may be more apparent with the inline 6.

The Marauder would be my first choice so far, I have wanted one for awhile.

[krash]

I just found out that people have done M/T swaps into Marauders.... hmm..........

[gwoods]

If you really are tire of buying parts and turning wrenches I don't see many cars on the post that will meet your needs in your price range.

Why not a 4 cylinder Camry? We had a 2003 that was a extremely dependable comfortable car. For your 10k your looking at 2004-2007. Mom has a 2007 V6 that is actually pretty quick without being any fun to drive.

The Volvo/BMW look like fun but you might as well keep the Maxima and keep dumping money and time into it without the car payment.

If you have your heart set on a luxury car start looking for 07+ G35 sedans. I had a 07 for over 5 years and it was completely trouble free I sold it with 123,000 miles on it for $11,700 cash last month. It was the cheapest 07 G35 withing 1000 miles so look for a deal like that. The Lexus IS300 is also pretty trouble free and has a great aftermarket.

A nice car that didn't make your list 2001 Mercedes E55 AMG, they have pretty much bottomed out for the 1999-2001 year and can be had for under $10,000 in pretty nice shape/miles. The AMG engines are hand built and have a reputation for reliability. Find one that is not modified and has records, 1-2 owners with nice paint and interior. Buy it for $10,000 put 30 miles on it and sell it in 2 years for $9,000? Plus they are fast 350hp fast!

[gwoods]

Here ya go... I looked around and there are E63's for sale with over 200k miles on them still on the original drivetrain.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2001-MER ... 416d8f8468


2001 with 88k miles $10,995 OBO and clean with a 3month/3000 mile warranty.

[Jesda]

Oy, W210. Not a high point for DaimlerBenz.

[gwoods]

I love them, especially for 10k. E63 was very very high on my list of cars to replace the G35. There were 2 problems with the E63. The Jaguar XF has a wider back seat, I could get a 2009 E63 with 40k mile for 2011 Jaguar with 10k miles money.

Here is the back seat of my XF with all three car seats installed its huge!

[Bubba1]

I love them, especially for 10k. E63 was very very high on my list of cars to replace the G35. There were 2 problems with the E63. The Jaguar XF has a wider back seat, I could get a 2009 E63 with 40k mile for 2011 Jaguar with 10k miles money.

Here is the back seat of my XF with all three car seats installed its huge!

The other problem with technogical terrors like E63's is not the driving experience or comfort, it's the post warranty repair costs.

It's a shame the G35 off the table. It's one of the better sedan values out there.