Another 5k challenge/Craigslist hunt.

"CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)" (ccpbb) 02/11/2014 at 22:13 • Filed to: None

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My parents and I are searching for a 5k and lower vehicle. Trying to find a MANUAL 4 door car. All my family members drive stick, and love it. Auto isn't that great because the feeling of a Manual (even double clutch) isn't there. Here's a BMW 5 series. Yes, I know you can easily get one under 5k. But the maintenance costs could be high.

BeaterGT > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) 02/11/2014 at 22:18

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Saturn SL. Well that was easy, next?

Skif6996 > BeaterGT 02/11/2014 at 22:20

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Cobalt LS FTW!

Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) 02/11/2014 at 22:21

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How about a Fusion or a Mazda6 .

Both are fairly reliable, while not special they are decent enough cars.

jariten1781 > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) 02/11/2014 at 22:22

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First gen Mazda 6 can be had in a sedan, hatchback, and wagon in manual. Had one for 10 years, great car.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > Skif6996 02/11/2014 at 22:24

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My parents aren't very trustable of GM...especially in the pre-bankruptcy era.

Flavien Vidal > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) 02/11/2014 at 22:27

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Volvo 850 T5... tons of fun to drive, very practical, confortable and lots of options... and of course, rather easy to find with a manual gearbox

dogisbadob > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) 02/11/2014 at 22:28

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Any other criteria besides manual and 4 doors?

I have a ton of suggestions.

Infiniti G20Mazda Protege5
Vibe GT/Matrix XRS (but even the base models would work)
Saturn S-series
Civic/Integra
Accord
95-99 Sentra, including the 98-99 Sentra SE with the SR20
Focus ZX5
01-06 Elantra GT
Kia Rio Cinco
Echo

Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) 02/11/2014 at 22:29

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Bimmer

Lincoln LS

dogisbadob > jariten1781 02/11/2014 at 22:29

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The wagon was only available with the V6, which was not reliable. I don;t know why Ford was being so stupid about it not to offer a 4-clyinder 6 wagon.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) 02/11/2014 at 22:31

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Ford Focus, hatch or sedan.Wagon if you can find it, those are like unicorns though. Get the 2.3 Duratec. It's a good engine. With regular maintenance it should be just as reliable as anything else in that price range.

jariten1781 > dogisbadob 02/11/2014 at 22:33

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I had the wagon and did 160k in 10 years with only the factory maintenance schedule. The thing was a tank, most reliable car anyone in my family has ever owned.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) 02/11/2014 at 22:37

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Yeah, I've been thinking of that. Jezza liked it. Wonder if I can get a SVT version...

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > dogisbadob 02/11/2014 at 22:39

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4 door because it has to be moderately practical. But the vibe/matrix, my parents are staying away from those. My dad loved the matrix, but some old lady slammed into the side and totaled it.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > Flavien Vidal 02/11/2014 at 22:40

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I've only found one in my area...think it was a auto. But manuals are like unicorns around the bay...

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) 02/11/2014 at 22:48

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I had a 1989 E34 525i with a manual transmission. One of the best cars I've owned. Some things will break over time (seat belt adjuster cables, window regulators), but those kinds of things are not surprising given the age of the vehicle. If you find one with the M20 engine make sure that the timing belt has been replaced on schedule, and if it hasn't, do it at once. Broken belt on these things means lunched motor. I did have a number of electrical subsystems (seats, windows, trip computer, locks, etc.) go AWOL once, but it turned out it was just a little corrosion on the fusible link - no big deal to fix. There's plenty of support for DIY repairs as these are just old cars, not really classics.

Also note that there is very little power below 4,000 RPM, and not much more above that. But the sound and the smoothness of the straight six makes going slow entertaining. I remember once driving along at 80MPH with the windows and sunroof open and then glancing down at the tach. I was turning 5,000 RPM, but because of the smoothness of the engine I didn't feel it. I upshifted two gears and things returned to normal. High school kids in their mom's Toyota Sienna could beat me in a straight line, but I didn't really care as I had a wonderful, comfortable, luxurious car, even if it was 15 years old at the time.

These cars with manual transmissions are generally owned by enthusiasts, and are probably better cared for than ones with the automatic (BTW - E34 M20 with an auto is a dreadful, dreadful thing. Beyond slow and unwilling to kick down a gear unless you mash the throttle completely). I sold mine to a friend that also has a '92 with a 5-speed. Another friend downshifted mine from 5th to 1st and vaporized the clutch (it did have 231,000 miles on it already, so it would have needed replacement in about 50,000 miles or so), and I couldn't afford to repair it even though I already had the parts. He actually prefers the '89 to his '92, even though the '92 has the stronger, 24-valve, M50 engine. Maybe it was the Dinan chip and lowering springs, Bilsteins and 17" wheels from a 540i that made mine more fun. Either way, he's still driving it a quarter century after it rolled out of the factory. He also has my 320i, so I'm a tad jealous and bimmerless these days.

Flavien Vidal > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) 02/11/2014 at 22:55

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If by the bay, you mean the SF bay area, there is a few ;)

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/432818…

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto/430336…

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/432685…

Don't forget that V70s are pretty much the same cars also...

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) 02/11/2014 at 23:33

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Yeah, don't get an SVT. I have one. I adore it. But, it's not without faults.

The 2.3 Duratec is a much better engine. If you get an 05 or so, the SVT suspension will bolt on.

Also, the SVT 5-doors are hard to find anyway.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) 02/11/2014 at 23:49

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http://kalamazoo.craigslist.org/cto/4286295403…

http://kalamazoo.craigslist.org/cto/4326155658…

http://kalamazoo.craigslist.org/cto/4323944786…

Some example by me

rabidpenguin > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. 02/12/2014 at 09:41

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I could not agree more that e34 are fantastic cars. They are not expensive to maintain, with very low cost of entry. The cars are really easy to work on, and still have a strong, if small, aftermarket. RWD, stick, LSD,-what is not to like?

I prefer the m30 because it doesn't have a timing belt but it does get much worse gas mileage.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > rabidpenguin 02/12/2014 at 10:24

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Here's something else a little surprising - the '89 was rated at 17/24 MPG, but the '92, with the 24-valve M50 engine was rated at 15/23; I would have expected it to be more efficient with the increases in technology. I don't recall what the M30 was rated at, but I'm sure it wasn't all that great.

rabidpenguin > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. 02/12/2014 at 12:00

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They probably changed the way it is tested/calculated. I also think the rear end ratios for the m50 were higher later in the run. 20 years later the M50 will yield much better results in day to day driving. The m30 in my e34 and the m20 in my e30 both get about the same gas mileage.