Hidden, cheap, and reliable?

"Future next gen S2000 owner" (future-next-gen-s2000-owner)
10/05/2018 at 10:05 • Filed to: cheap cars

In all fairness to Tom, I’m basically stealing his answer on his post on the FP. Sweet, vintage sports car for your time.

People immediately think Corolla & Civic or Honda & Toyota when looking for a cheap, reliable car. Most people on here know that most cars today and the past 20 years are quite reliable when taken care of.

But what about those sneaky, hidden gems of cheap cars that won’t die? What cars are outside the typical market of cheap reliable cars but are exactly that?

DISCUSSION (25)

Ash78, voting early and often > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/05/2018 at 10:13

Most 1990s or early 2000s Saturns, in my experience. Unloved and unbreakable.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Ash78, voting early and often
10/05/2018 at 10:17

Do they fall under the GM small car mantra of run worse longer than most cars will run?

deekster_caddy > Ash78, voting early and often
10/05/2018 at 10:17

Saturn before the GM gentrification was the best Saturn. Great cars.

mostlypedals > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/05/2018 at 10:17

Rangers, especially if they’re:

A) New enough to have a 4.0L SOHC, or

B) Old enough to have a 2.3L dura tec I4.

These trucks were really *claps* well *claps* built. Look around town today, you’ll surely see a handful of ‘ 90s and ‘ 00s Rangers toodling around, likely with a bunch of painting gear or plumbing tools in the bed.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Ash78, voting early and often
10/05/2018 at 10:20

2000 Saturn L-series is still in the family . Somewhat scattershot QC Opel, with a door card falling apart, some weird issues with the ignition, and rear suspension periodically wearing out, an oil filter housing that cracked, and rear brakes that came apart once... but other than that pretty cockroach-like.

Ash78, voting early and often > deekster_caddy
10/05/2018 at 10:20

I assume you mean before GM decided to make them all from metal Opels :D

“Hey, you know that whole plastic panel thing that was the cornerstone of our brand? Yeah, please forget about that.”

Ash78, voting early and often > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/05/2018 at 10:21

Yep. Consistent ly mediocre for longer than anything else is around.

CobraJoe > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/05/2018 at 10:23

Anything 2000's Volvo without a turbo and without AWD .

They were usually taken care of, because they weren’t cheap brand new, that I5 is an understressed gem, the chassis is solidly built, and they’re cheap now because people forgot about them.

The only common problems I’ve heard about from that generation of Volvos is that the AWD angle gear can destroy itself (a 4 figure repair), and the turbo engines had some problems (also potentially a 4 figure repair).

fintail > Ash78, voting early and often
10/05/2018 at 10:23

I go to a local auto auction now and then, usually filled with back lot rejects, estate donations, and apparently abandoned cars, and I frequently see 1st and 2nd gen cars with well over 250K on the clock.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/05/2018 at 10:24

these little hoonboxes

Kinja'd!!!

nearly unkillable.... surprisingly quick too... course that only counts for the bits that make it go... the interior may fall apart on you

Ash78, voting early and often > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
10/05/2018 at 10:24

Wife had a 2003 L200. There was nothing really to break. For 6years there was not one single unscheduled repair. I can’t say that for any car that has been owned in either of our extended families — 50+ cars . We sold it after 6 years for about half of what we paid for it, which defies all logic.

Side note: Sold it in 2 days from a grocery store parking lot, using a flyer and a sign (a fter months and months of dead ends on CL...)

deekster_caddy > Ash78, voting early and often
10/05/2018 at 10:28

Before a Saturn shared platforms with a Cobalt...

deekster_caddy > Ash78, voting early and often
10/05/2018 at 10:29

My wife’s old SL2 (2000) was like this. Unstoppable.

Future next gen S2000 owner > CobraJoe
10/05/2018 at 10:32

I had a lates 90's/early 00's C70. That car was such red hot garbage. We only had it for about 9 months. The CEL coming on every month and the ABS issue made me throw in the towel. It was a turbo.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/05/2018 at 10:33

1990's VW diesels, god damn things run forever.

punkgoose17 > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/05/2018 at 10:41

2001-2006 Hyundai Elantra they keep going with tons of abuse. There are tons still around. Here in the rust belt they are finally starting to succumb to rear wheel well rust.

Mitsubishi Lancers are supposedly very durable. I don’t see many pre ‘ 07 models around, but when I do I don’t see rust problems.

Suzuki Grand Vitara / Escudo / Sidekick / Chevrolet Tracker

Ford Taurus ‘00 to ‘07

facw > CobraJoe
10/05/2018 at 10:47

The vast majority of those 2000s Volvos were turbos (basically everything other than the 2.4 2nd-gen S40/V5 0 and some S80s), and I haven’t heard the turbos as having a reputation for being particularly unreliable. The shop that did the PPI on my S60 did say that they don’t recommend Volvos of that era due to high-repair costs and electrical gremlins (“If you really want one, go to CarMax and get the warranty”). I don’t know how accurate that assessment is either though.

CobraJoe > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/05/2018 at 10:52

I can’t remember reading about a specific problem with the turbo models, just that you should avoid them.

Our ‘07 V50 2.4i was amazing. It had two repairs that weren’t just replacing wear parts: A tie rod end (which was a fairly easy DIY), and the driver’s door latch stopped working (which was caused by a pin that slipped out of place, and was a free fix). Plus it was a fairly zippy and comfortable little wagon.

Only our Outback has had less problems than that, and it’s new enough to not even be a fair comparison yet. (Though it has some annoying little squeaks that I can’t find).

CobraJoe > facw
10/05/2018 at 11:01

The S60 and V70 were also available in non turbo 2.4i trims, and they’re often cheaper than the T5s.

As far as high repair costs, the most expensive items that I know about are the angle gear (only found on the AWD models, with the heavy XC90 being the worst offender), and the adjustable R shocks (only found on the S60R and V70R, which are also AWD). So, other than a generic fear of the turbo engines, I really don’t know why they’re to be avoided.

This is the first time I’ve heard about electrical gremlins, but I guess I haven’t owned a mid 2000's Volvo for some time now.

facw > CobraJoe
10/05/2018 at 11:13

Hmm, those appear to be more common than I thought. I didn’t see a single one advertised when I when I was looking last year. I had the impression they were CA only.

CobraJoe > facw
10/05/2018 at 11:21

Granted, Volvo didn’t sell a lot of any model in the mid 2000s, so they’re not the easiest to find, but they’re usually cheap when you do find a good one.

I still sometimes dream of finding a V50 T5 with a manual, but when I looked a few years ago, there were only 2 for sale in the entire country.

3point8isgreat > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/05/2018 at 11:40

My mustang seems to fit the bill. ‘97 v6, ~ 230k miles , manual everything (locks, windows, and transmission). About once a year I have to do some non-regular maintance for a failed part. But lately that’s just been fixing prior work done poorly by various mechanics.

And honestly I’d expect about the same of any mustang of similar age. They’re just too stupid simple and understressed to fail.

Future next gen S2000 owner > 3point8isgreat
10/05/2018 at 12:04

That’s a good point. Even the GTs of that era, the 4.6 will run for a long time.

Die-Trying > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/05/2018 at 15:36

luv truck, either the earlier one with the iron duke 4cyl,

Kinja'd!!!

or a later 4 cylinder diesel....... either one are underpowered, but get downright respectable gas mileage, and will run long after society crumbles........

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Future next gen S2000 owner
10/15/2018 at 12:35

Non-turbo versions of popular turbo cars. MkIII supra comes to mind. A manual MkIII with an NA motor is pretty tough all around and will cruise forever. Definitely more GT than sports car but it is one hell of a GT car.