Need help picking a car for my kids.

"Busslayer" (Busslayer)
03/03/2016 at 20:57 • Filed to: None

Yeah, yeah. I am going to buy my kids a car. I have two kids with learners permits who should have full licenses by summer. And I’ll have a third high schooler in the fall. They have tons of things going on and am tired of driving them everywhere (four, 4!, trips the the high school yesterday).

Anyway, they are getting a beater, more or less. They are learning to drive my manual trans car (05 Focus) but they are better off with an auto at this point in their driving career.

Here is my basic criteria:

$3500 max, but less is better.

Automatic trans

I don’t want to spend a lot of time or money fixing a beater. So something relatively reliable. I can deal with a little rust, but not a rust bucket.

I’m looking in the Milwaukee area, but would consider areas within a couple hours (Madison, Sheboygan, Appleton,Racine/Kenosha).

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/search/cta

What would you consider?

DISCUSSION (53)

S65 > Busslayer
03/03/2016 at 21:02

Kinja'd!!!

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/5475372744…

SC2 Might Be Worth Checking Out

Panther Brown Tdi Volvo Shooting Brake Manual Miata RWD Wagon Stole HondaBro's Accord. > Busslayer
03/03/2016 at 21:02

Ls400 http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/5458805843…

Tom McParland > Busslayer
03/03/2016 at 21:03

Here you go...and you can buy two cars at once! These Buicks are cheap, safe, and no kid would ever be tempted to road race in them These late 90's GM cars can take a serious beating and keep on going. They are like Panthers without the RWD hoonage factor.

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/5475223514…

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Panther Brown Tdi Volvo Shooting Brake Manual Miata RWD Wagon Stole HondaBro's Accord.
03/03/2016 at 21:04

As long as OP is willing to shell out a chunk of money every 60k miles for a timing belt.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Busslayer
03/03/2016 at 21:05

3rd gen 4Runner. Lots of space, safe enough, and they’re really cheap now. And they’re really slow.

Panther Brown Tdi Volvo Shooting Brake Manual Miata RWD Wagon Stole HondaBro's Accord. > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/03/2016 at 21:06

Worth it.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Busslayer
03/03/2016 at 21:06

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/5470178988…

This was my first car, right down to the color, although I had a 95. This thing will do a great job of protecting your kids if they do something like drive into a parking lot at 45 mph, not like i’ve ever done that before. do not get them an old intrepid. They do not hold up well if something like getting hit while parked in a parking lot.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Tom McParland
03/03/2016 at 21:10

Those bench seats.

AM3R shamefully returns > Busslayer
03/03/2016 at 21:11

Get the nicest Lexus you can find/afford. It’ll keep running, be comfortable, safe, and relatively nice inside.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Busslayer
03/03/2016 at 21:11

1994 Corolla wagon

1992-1997 Camry

Dirt cheap, reliable, disposable, and mindless

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
03/03/2016 at 21:12

Have they tanked in price recently?

jkm7680 > OPPOsaurus WRX
03/03/2016 at 21:12

Best suggestion so far.

Those Explorers were fucking tanks.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/03/2016 at 21:13

2Wd ones that aren’t cosmetically perfect can be had for a little more than $2000. Ones in pretty good condition or 4WD are around $3500/

Busslayer > Panther Brown Tdi Volvo Shooting Brake Manual Miata RWD Wagon Stole HondaBro's Accord.
03/03/2016 at 21:14

I like it, for me. I know the Lexus reputation for reliability, but I think I’d get nickled and dimed to death by this. If it was for I could deal with it. I hate timing belts too. I don’t understand how Honda has gotten away with using them for so long.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
03/03/2016 at 21:15

Really, because that is what second gens are going for still?

yamahog > Tom McParland
03/03/2016 at 21:16

My dad will vouch for Buicks and Olds of that vintage, he’s on his 3rd right now.

Tom McParland > yamahog
03/03/2016 at 21:18

They are not fun, but they are durable and easy to fix. Perfect for teenager.

bobbe17 > Busslayer
03/03/2016 at 21:18

You should check out the state auctions. My dad got my sister a Focus (which then became my car) for a first car that way. You know maintenance was kept up with on most of those.

Busslayer > Tom McParland
03/03/2016 at 21:18

They don’t look to bad. They are typically rusted to hell around here.

Cheap enough to probably not care if they kill it.

My parents had an HBody when I was still living with them. I dished out a lot of abuse on one Delta 88.

OPPOsaurus WRX > jkm7680
03/03/2016 at 21:18

Yep, I was in 4 diffirent accidents, 2 mine 2 not. I also may have slid on a hill covered in ice and stopped half over a wall leaning against a tree. I balanced the thing on a giant pile on snow with all 4 tires off the ground . replaced the drive shaft cuz it somehow cracked. a couple jumps. mud. rebuilt trans. I’m sure theres more

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/03/2016 at 21:19

Some are still more expensive, but there are some cheaper ones

http://bham.craigslist.org/cto/5425181636…

http://bham.craigslist.org/cto/5447462479…

jkm7680 > OPPOsaurus WRX
03/03/2016 at 21:20

Oh yes, I have been in my share of Explorer hooliganisms over the years.

They’re like cockroaches.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
03/03/2016 at 21:20

my girls will have bucket seats.

DKerstan > OPPOsaurus WRX
03/03/2016 at 21:30

I can attest to how bulletproof these are! I started driving in my parents 96 Explorer, it currently has 270,000 miles with only routine maintenance. the only parts we’ve had to repair are the fuel pump and catalytic converter. Ive owned many cars, but these are still my favorite.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Busslayer
03/03/2016 at 21:30

A GM W-Body (Impala, Grand Prix, Regal, etc..) with the 3800 Series II will be reliable and almost indestructible, pretty fuel efficient too.

Something like this: http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/5475018729…

Busslayer > OPPOsaurus WRX
03/03/2016 at 21:30

That seems like a screaming deal. I like the color and always thought that vintage Explorer was rather handsome. I will be thinking about that.

Rico > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
03/03/2016 at 21:34

I wish I had a bench seat in highschool.

OPPOsaurus WRX > jkm7680
03/03/2016 at 21:34

I had to dig deep into the vault for these

Kinja'd!!!

Under_Score > Busslayer
03/03/2016 at 21:35

Get a 1997-2001 Camry from a good dealer instead of messing with the sketchy world of Craigslist. Those are great cars, and I still see a bunch on the road. Also, consider investing in an aftermarket backup camera; it’ll be a savior.

jkm7680 > OPPOsaurus WRX
03/03/2016 at 21:36

Noice, haha.

Think its still out there?

Rico > OPPOsaurus WRX
03/03/2016 at 21:37

Minivan with all captain chairs! Set the arm rests with loctite.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Busslayer
03/03/2016 at 21:37

yea i think that was the bet looking generation of Explorer

Gone > Busslayer
03/03/2016 at 21:39

2004-08 Malibu w/3.5L V6. Wife has one w/241k+ and her cousin has 260k+ on one that actually runs better than ours. Pretty damn tough to kill. Wife’s finally probably needs replaced, but we’re gonna drag it out a little longer. It needs some things at this point, but I just feed it gas and change the oil and it runs really good. I would think/hope these are sub $4k by now...

It’s never had a major service or mechanical. It just gets brakes, tires, gas, and oil. It’s also got a timing chain, not belt.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Rico
03/03/2016 at 21:41

the minivan itself will probably do the trick but i like your thinking

Sneaky Pete > Busslayer
03/03/2016 at 21:46

Any Accord with the F22. It’ll run FOR.EV.ER. Good gas mileage too.

Busslayer > Under_Score
03/03/2016 at 21:50

I saw a really nice 98 a couple weeks ago that looked almost new for dirt cheap -$1500. I’m kicking myself for not pulling the trigger on it.

I’ll consider dealers as well. Certainly less skesketchy, usually at least. It isn’t as easy to get a deal though.

Busslayer > Sneaky Pete
03/03/2016 at 21:53

but what about the auto trans with those? I reber driving a couple 5 speed ones a decade or more ago and they were nice drives.

Busslayer > Gone
03/03/2016 at 21:55

I probably should have put “no timing belts” in the requirements. Give me a nice maintenance free chain. NVH be damned.

I do see these around for cheap that look in decent shape. What about 4cylinder ones?

Busslayer > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
03/03/2016 at 22:00

I’ve seen some nice ones around, but people are really proud of them. I’m not finding any deals on them.

Sneaky Pete > Busslayer
03/03/2016 at 22:05

I don’t have any personal experience with the autos from back then, but they had to be better than anything Honda makes now. The 1990 Accord my family owned was a 5 speed. 200k+ miles and no real issues...drove great until it was totalled by a red-light runner.

Funktheduck > Busslayer
03/03/2016 at 22:11

Corolla. They run forever and are great on gas. Little to no aftermarket so they are less likely to screw it up with things teenagers like to do to cars that ruin them

Gone > Busslayer
03/03/2016 at 22:16

I have no direct knowledge of the 4cyl, as these are both V6s. The 4cyl is the 2.2L Ecotec that GM put in damn near every mid-00s onward GM FWD car. It also has a chain, no belt, BTW.

I can’t imagine it’d be much different as I see more of these around then you’d think. Not all can be V6s I’d think.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Gone
03/03/2016 at 22:23

The Ecotecs will run essentially forever regardless of upkeep, based on close personal experience. The cars themselves are total crap, but the engine will probably still be running when they go to the junkyard. I know of one that went 15k miles between oil changes once and to my knowledge it is still running. It didn’t sound happy after that, but it was still running. I was actually the one that noticed and said, “your engine sounds horrible, you really need to change the oil”, and that’s when they mentioned they hadn’t done it in over a year...

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Tom McParland
03/03/2016 at 22:27

My brother went through a bunch of these before he died. They were all wrecked by his wife, but they ran with practically no maintenance. I know of one that became a beater ranch car when it was about 15 years old with 250+k miles and it was still going strong. The 3800 is a bulletproof motor.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Busslayer
03/03/2016 at 22:33

Have you considered possibly the fastest depreciating mid-sized car around: Ford Taurus? These things sell for peanuts in most of the country with surprisingly low mileage. I know in SoCal you can get them on CL in great shape with low miles for 2-3k all the time. Even where I live now, with the mysterious “running car tax”, they sell for 3-4k, which is pretty cheap...

Here’s one asking $3400: http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/5473648526…

Your boy, BJR > Busslayer
03/03/2016 at 23:02

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/5475467425…

Boom. Perfect.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Busslayer
03/03/2016 at 23:16

Well..... if you can find one cheap, i love them and they get a good recommend

smobgirl > Busslayer
03/03/2016 at 23:31

I picked out a 9-year-old V6 Accord coupe for my little brother for right around that price when he was 16. We sold it with around 200k miles on it when he moved out of the country, but he drove the hell out of it. No expensive maintenance issues and it was cheap to repair when he had his inevitable young driver accident.

jasmits > Busslayer
03/04/2016 at 00:55

How set are you on the whole auto thing? My dad felt the same way when I was your kids age but now(only like 6 years later) in retrospect we both think either would’ve been fine but I wouldn’t have been wanting to move on to a stick nearly immediately.

911e46z06 > Busslayer
03/04/2016 at 02:04

Just putting it out there: It’s super difficult to use a cell phone whilst driving a car with a manual transmission.

Kailand09 > Tom McParland
03/04/2016 at 06:10

Can confirm, friend drives one.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Busslayer
03/04/2016 at 15:51

Older Echo or Corolla....can’t go wrong. ‘06-’10 Accents are widely regarded as very reliable as well, they just don’t have many “toys” (which I can’t imagine you would want your kids playing with while they were driving anyway).

Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection > Busslayer
03/28/2016 at 11:30

All of those are timing chains.