Thoughts, OPPO?

by "dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford" (dtg11)
Published 01/08/2017 at 00:17

No Tags
STARS: 0

I’ve decided, that despite me falling back in love with my car, I will sell it in a couple months. The reason being that I’d like something I can completely trust for the next 5 years, while I’ll be in college. Age and mileage are catching up with my current car, a 1998 Lexus GS300 with 265k miles. My top college choice is 300 miles from home and road trips in college are a requirement. With that in mind, my current thoughts for a replacement car is the following, requirements in order.

Reliable

Good on the highway

Practical

Good fuel economy

Quick

Some nice things (good audio, heated seats)

Other requirements is a budget of $4000-4500, at current savings rates. Also it should be 2000 or newer and have less than 250k miles, preferably less than 175k.

Ideas in no particular order, as well as an example(s) of each, if find-able:

*NOTE* I won’t be buying these exact cars, these are just examples of what’s available for the price.

Acura RSX + (safe, reliable, fun, quick, good fuel economy, practical [more cargo room than my Lexus] and nice to look at, VTEC) - (potentially poor on highway, a bit small and slow at low RPMs, hard to find a clean one)

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

2003+ Honda Accord with leather + (safe, reliable, V6 is quick, good fuel economy, as much cargo room as my Lexus, good highway cruiser) - (4-banger is slow, boring, potential transmission issues with the V6, higher mileage in budget)

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

2002+ Nissan Maxima with leather/Infiniti I35 + (safe, pretty reliable, quick, fun to drive, decent fuel economy, practical, good highway cruiser) - (can have head gasket or transmission problems, kinda boring to look at)

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

2004+Acura TL/TSX + (safe, reliable, good looking, quick, fun, comfortable on cruises, fuel economy, VTEC) - (small trunk, transmission issues, hard to find a good one in budget [either high miles or cracked dash])

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Scion TC + (fun, reliable, safe, good looking, fuel efficient) - (small cargo area, 4-speed is slow, base models don’t have cruise control, boy racer image)

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

2000+ Toyota Avalon + (roomy, best highway cruiser I can think of, practical, luxurious, reliable, one of my favorite early 2000's interiors [very quiet too], available bench seats, fuel efficient) - (transmission problems begin to occur after 275k, higher mileage for 2005+, old person image, boring exterior, hard to find a good one in budget)

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

2004+ Toyota Solara + (great highway manners, good fuel economy, ultra reliable, quick with the V6, I like the styling) - (higher mileage, hard to find in budget, not practical)

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Mazda 6 Wagon + (pretty reliable, fun to drive, nice to look at, wagon, practical, good on highway, fuel economy, quick with the v6)-(Some minor reliability issues, impossible to find)

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Any other potential suggestions would be appreciated, but please no crap (base camry, corolla, civic, yaris, echo, etc).

Replies (30)

"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck)
01/08/2017 at 00:22, STARS: 3

Any other potential suggestions would be appreciated,

but please no crap

"dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford" (dtg11)
01/08/2017 at 00:23, STARS: 0

No Tercel SR5's are available, as they’ve all rusted away.

"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck)
01/08/2017 at 00:24, STARS: 3

That’s not a vehicle I’d ever recommend to another adult, unless you were cross-shopping a Justy or something.

"dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford" (dtg11)
01/08/2017 at 00:25, STARS: 0

Well I’m 17 so no adulting yet

"ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)" (adabofoppo)
01/08/2017 at 00:25, STARS: 1

05-ish Focus hatch with a stick and bolt on the SVT suspension and maybe some SVT seats.

Parts are cheap. It’s reliable. Cheap on gas. Hauls far more crap than you ever think possible. Tons of fun to toss around on curly roads.

"S65" (granthp)
01/08/2017 at 00:26, STARS: 0

* Loyale

"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck)
01/08/2017 at 00:26, STARS: 1

You’re adulting, that’s good enough.

"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck)
01/08/2017 at 00:27, STARS: 0

Trust me, I looked for one of those for a while. And a first gen Legacy wagon, which I learned to drive stick on.

"dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford" (dtg11)
01/08/2017 at 00:28, STARS: 0

Not that your biased :P

"gmctavish needs more space" (gmctavish)
01/08/2017 at 00:45, STARS: 1

Of that list, I’d guess the Avalon would be the most reliable. Also the comfiest for commuting.

"dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford" (dtg11)
01/08/2017 at 00:55, STARS: 0

I’d agree, although it’s a bit boring. But I think I’ll have to settle for boring. Which would you say would be better, a 2000-2004 with 150k miles or an updated 2005 with 240k? Newer looks much better and has a lot more nice features, but obviously the mileage.

"gmctavish needs more space" (gmctavish)
01/08/2017 at 01:01, STARS: 1

That is a lot more miles, but the 3.5 has a lot more power, and a 5 speed auto is mich nicer than a 4 speed auto. I’m not sure. Fwiw, a family friend has had a ‘98 for 10 years with zero problems

"dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford" (dtg11)
01/08/2017 at 01:05, STARS: 0

One of my brother’s friends has a 98 with a few problems but it also has close to 300k miles. I don’t know if you saw the listings I included, but the 2005's I’ve seen have been MINT

"gmctavish needs more space" (gmctavish)
01/08/2017 at 01:15, STARS: 1

Oh wow, that one is seriously clean

"tacogx" (tacogx)
01/08/2017 at 02:08, STARS: 1

Older Impreza or G35 Sedan?

"Bytemite" (bytemite)
01/08/2017 at 02:10, STARS: 1

I’d suggest a Hyundai Accent.

For around 4k, the 07-11 Accent hatchbacks are amazing value for money.

First of all, you’ll be getting a car about 5 years newer than comparably priced Japanese cars. +++ to reliability.

Second of all, you can get these cars at around 80k miles for 4k. To find a Japanese car at that price range, you’re looking at 100k more miles than that. ++ to reliability again.

And if wear items need to be replaced? Parts are dirt cheap!

Super practical hatch with folding seats, and like 30 mpg combined fuel economy can’t be beat. If you don’t like the look of the accent then fine, but I really suggest looking at the Koreans from 2005 and up. They depreciated like shit thanks to brand image but they are actually extremely reliable and well made. In other words, it’s like ‘80s Japanese cars all over again. Bargain.

"GS400SV650CB350-4" (gs400sv650cb350-4)
01/08/2017 at 02:35, STARS: 1

My first thought honestly is a newer GS300, especially if you wrench on your current car. You seem to want to make the jump to Honda/Acura which I can dig if you are exclusively considering manual transmission cars. The automatics leave performance/reliability to be desired IMO. If you are transmission agnostic, the Avalon actually may be the best tool for this job. As long as you don’t need a hatch-sized cargo opening or ground clearance an Avalon with 90-120k will be rock solid throughout your entire college experience.

"ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)" (adabofoppo)
01/08/2017 at 07:18, STARS: 1

Not at all actually. I just happen to know what a great car one of those can be.

Avoid the SVT. They aren’t as reliable or cheap to maintain, require premium, and around town do rather poorly fuel mileage wise.

Find one with the 2.3L Duratec. It uses regular gas, has more low-end torque than the SVT, is more refined since that is a newer engine than the Zetec in the SVT, and is way less complex. The SVT was tuned about as far as you can go from the factory. It’s highly stressed and the ownership experience is proof. I owned one for 10 years. Wonderful cars, but not something you can neglect while you’re focused on (classes/social life/getting naked with a girl/guy you like/etc) college.

"ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)" (adabofoppo)
01/08/2017 at 07:30, STARS: 1

Honestly if you have the cash, putting it back into your GS should get it up to spec to last you through college.

That engine is gold. I’d visit your local Lexus dealer or a good independent guy you trust and see how much it would take to make it trustworthy to get you through school.

If you’re really looking for something different that’s fine too. But it is a Lexus. They have a reputation that is well earned. I think you’d be surprised that it won’t take as much as you expected to keep the GS around.

"kgman" (kgman)
01/08/2017 at 07:56, STARS: 0

I second this. You’ll do better with a car that is a known quantity than buying another high mileage car that you don’t know

"dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford" (dtg11)
01/08/2017 at 09:46, STARS: 0

I’ve already spent $1400 fixing it and don’t want to pay a dime more.

"dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford" (dtg11)
01/08/2017 at 09:50, STARS: 0

Hmmm, I’ll give it thought.

"dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford" (dtg11)
01/08/2017 at 09:54, STARS: 1

Current plan is to stick with an Auto. I’m also having trouble finding clean GS300's nearby. Ground clearance is useless to me and just wastes mpgs. At this point an RSX or an Avalon appear to be the best 2 choices.

"dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford" (dtg11)
01/08/2017 at 09:56, STARS: 0

They are good, honest little cars, but highway manners and NVH are a bit lacking for my tastes.

"dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford" (dtg11)
01/08/2017 at 09:57, STARS: 0

Potentially, although headgaskets and a high mileage VQ are concerns.

"dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford" (dtg11)
01/08/2017 at 09:58, STARS: 1

Also when they say highway miles, it actually would be highway miles. It’d be hard to get that many miles on in that little time.

"jkm7680" (jkm7680)
01/08/2017 at 10:20, STARS: 1

Tip 1, stop buying cars with over 200,000 miles on them. There’s plenty of cheap Avalons out there haha.

"tacogx" (tacogx)
01/08/2017 at 15:39, STARS: 0

Not 2000 or newer but you could get a Roadmaster

"Bytemite" (bytemite)
01/08/2017 at 16:55, STARS: 1

If being quiet and plush is a main concern then none of the above mentioned cars would be best for that.

You could get a Lincoln Town Car easily for 4k. It would have some ridiculous miles like 300-500k, but they run forever and they’re plush and meant to be highway cruisers.

"dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford" (dtg11)
01/08/2017 at 18:18, STARS: 0

I’d like a mix of highway manners and back road composure.