oppo..what car should i buy?(asking for a friend)

"farscythe - makin da cawfee!" (farscythe)
11/14/2020 at 10:34 • Filed to: None

hey thanks for sticking up for us jalopnik

well...actually the title should have been please tell me what cars i should absolutely not buy

a commenter over on deadsplinter asked me to reach out and ask for oppopinions as her grand prix grenaded its tranny

ill just drop the comment here and hope yous feel helpful today

I guess basically, what I’m looking for is a bit of “which cars should i stay AWAY from”
I.e., how the late 90’s/early 2000’s (iirc) Jeep Grand Cherokees were Jeep Dealer’s “Bread and Butter” vehicles–meaning according to one Jeep worker i knew, they broke down SO often, that that was basically what kept the workers there fed, because it *provided* their bread & butter

And I know in the Grand Prix & Grand Am, that once the tranny started to go, ESPECIALLY if it wasn’t a rebuilt, it was typically because 4th gear was made out of some really weak metal–and once that gear went, it was either rebuild or stop dropping $$$ into her, and get something newer–because with the GP’s & Grand Am’s, once they hit that stage, they basically become land-boats, and you just keep throwing money into the hole, unless you can rebuild it all.
And I KNEW that, going in to the Grand Prix

that either they seemed to hold up GREAT, or they became a money pit. Since I’ve dropped $1200 into her *both* in May and June, and another 520+ this last Tues, and am looking at a 3K tranny, plus at least 1.5K in the maintenence/repairs I listed above, *before* we start talking about the struts starting to go bad…. She’s hitting the money pit/”nickeling & diming you to death” stage.

One question–are 2012-ish era Fiat 500’s OK Engine and tranny wise, or do they run into really common problems–and if so, does that seem to happen at a particular mileage range (like how one can typically get around 100-120K miles out of a Grand Prix transmission, but after that, unless fairly meticulously maintained, they just give up the ghost?)
I.e. I know Chevy Malubus are reasonable, and pretty dependable–much like the Cavaliers were “back in the day” (not a GREAT car, but a decent, solid, and “dependable enough” car, if one was commuting around 20-30 miles a day, round trip)–i’m looking for something on the order of that, recommendation/advice wise, if that makes sense, and isn’t too much?
I’ll be driving 25-50 miles a day 5 days a week (most days 25-ish, a couple days a week 50), with the occasional 200-ish mile trip a few times a year, when i go “up home”

So for the first time ever, I’m open to smaller, lighter, 4 cyl cars (automatic!), and that means I’m completely OUT of my knowledge area/element.
Because previously, I was driving 45-50 miles *one way,* on sometimes snowy/windy freeways in a semi-rural area, and needed both the strength, but also the *weight* of a 6 cyl–since driving a tiny, light, 4 cylinder car in a blizzard means TOO MUCH DITCH–because if the wind gusts just right, and it’s icy, you’re gonna slide riiiiight off the road. (When i lived up in The Exurb for 12 years,all of my roommates with smaller/lighter cars ditched *at least* once, sometimes more–my cars never did, even tho we drove in the same storms, and i drove MORE than some of the roommates)
I’m just ENTIRELY out of the loop for what cars in… probably the last decade or so, tbh(

!) are like, because i bought mine 8 years ago, and the only folks I’ve known who’ve purchased anything have just gotten newer chevy Malibus.
Like, should I stay away from the Dodge cars, because their motors tend toward terrible, like the older-model trucks & especially Durangos were a few years back?… or i.e. the advice I got ages ago to stay away from Coopers, because THEY ended up with all sorts of problems iirc in those ’00 years, once they hit–what was it, the 80-100K mile range, etc.?…
That sort of thing is what I’ve missed keeping up with, since my cousins moved up home after they had their kids, and we didn’t get to meet up and talk cars as often anymore.
On a personal-dtiving note, too, for the sake of honesty, I guess if there are any small, sporty, SUPER-zippy cars, I ought to know (like possibly the Fiat 500, if that fits?), because… i LIKE to drive… and i’ma be honest–i tend to have a lead foot…meaning years ago, when i had access to a roommate’s Geo Metro Sedan, when my own S-10 Blazer was in the shop, i drove her like my Blazer…
Annnnnd seeing a spot the Metro fit in, in traffic at freeway speed…accidentally cut off a bus!

That was when I realized that “TINY!FUN!SPORTY!ZIPPY!!” miiiiiigght be a really bad choice for me, simply because I LOVE to drive, but can, apparently(!), get pretty caught up in the *this is FUN* side of driving a small responsive car

(farscys final note....wow..umm..emojis do wierd shit when you copy paste comments)

DISCUSSION (49)

fhrblig > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
11/14/2020 at 10:54

I had a 2012 Fiat 500 Sport and never had any mechanical problems in the almost 2 years I owned it. I did have a few things go wrong related to build quality, though. The recline function of the driver’s seat was broken when I bought it but repaired under warranty. The driver’s side window mechanism tried to disassemble itself over time, also fixed under warranty. Basically, I’d say if she finds one cheap with lower miles, spring for an extended warranty and it’ll save some headaches. Dynamically, I hated the traction control combined with the manual in the winter. You can never entirely turn it off; if you press the button that says “ECP off”, it will still come back on if it decides it doesn’t like what you are doing. It makes starts from stop on icy roads maddening. For what it’s worth, a coworker that had an automatic 500 never had any problems in the snow.

dogisbadob > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
11/14/2020 at 11:00

Mazda 2

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > fhrblig
11/14/2020 at 11:04

cheers mate :)

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > dogisbadob
11/14/2020 at 11:05

uhh..thats a should buy right?

(dangit..this is what i get for being contradictory with my headlines and actual posts)

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
11/14/2020 at 11:10

Blue Mazda 2.

EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme > fhrblig
11/14/2020 at 11:11

“It makes starts from stop on icy roads maddening.”

Would going uphill on ice be difficult?

Our parking garage is below-grade, and the angle on our ramp/driveway into/out of the building—the part that gets icy—is maybe a 14°-18° angle upward, and if there’s a pedestrian on the sidewalk, there ISN’T a flat spot to stop on, before you hit road surface.

Last year, on a couple of the iciest/snowiest storm days, even the Grand Prix needed to slide back down to the garage, before i could get enough “oomph” to get up that slope!

Eta, sorry, somehow I missed the “ m anual” in there! So I guess most of my question would be moot anyway!

EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme > fhrblig
11/14/2020 at 11:11

also, THANK you for this! It's really helpful to know!

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
11/14/2020 at 11:16

Mk 7 VW Golf with the 1.8t? What’s your price range?

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
11/14/2020 at 11:19

i dont know the price range..but shes watching the comments..i assume she’ll pop in to let you know..lol

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
11/14/2020 at 11:46

Small and zippy with some reliability and on a budget - I’d be inclined to say Kia Forte 5 SX.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
11/14/2020 at 12:04

cheers :)

EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
11/14/2020 at 12:11

Personally, *my* preference would be a Black ‘07 Grand Prix, buuuut she bricked on me yesterday....

EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
11/14/2020 at 12:19

R idiculously low, tbh,sorry!

Ideally in the 2-3k range, because i’ve only got about 1k available as a down payment right now

I’m hoping to just get something to get me through the next year and a half or so, which I can pay off QUICKLY, and not have payments on starting next Aug. through Dec.

I’m trying to get back in school to finish out my undergrad—a teaching SPED K-12 is what I’m hoping to finish, and I have 5 classes (3 starting in Jan, 2 over th e summer), and then Student Teaching next fall.

I can’t swing rent insurance, AND a “regular car” car payment on my part-time job’s paycheck—it’ll be a tough squeak through with just rent & insurance, tbh.

So if I DO go for a regular/decent vehicle, and payment, it means putting off my student teaching ‘til it’s paid off... annnd since this was a mid-life career switch, I’d *like* to be in a real grown-up job again (Teaching! ), before a full decade has gone by

dogisbadob > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
11/14/2020 at 12:23

Yes, it’s a should buy :o)

fhrblig > EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme
11/14/2020 at 12:42

You’re welcome! It probably would have helped if I had better tires for snow, to be honest. I don’t see it being a problem at all for an automatic.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme
11/14/2020 at 12:46

Okay, from what you described and the way you’ve described where you live in the other comments, look for an early 00s Subaru Outback or Legacy with the H6 engine (so LL Bean or VTD trim), you should be able to negotiate on one with less around 150k miles for about $3k. They don’t have the head gasket issues that the 2.5 Subaru does and everything else is dead reliable. Plus it’ll give you the ground clearance and winter handling ability you’re looking for along with feeling zippy enough.

Captain of the Enterprise > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
11/14/2020 at 12:48

Civic or Corolla would be my recommendation. Probably the Civic as they are supposed to be a little more fun but still reliable. That said the price range is a big factor. She may be able to get a civic si if it’s in budget.

EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
11/14/2020 at 12:53

Fwiw , if it helps to understand what i can live with/future with, my previous vehicles in order were

1987 S-10 blazer with a taped-in back window.

She was a TOTAL rustbucket, but she got me everywhere I needed to go—IN Minnesota winters! for 3 years—driven into the ground at over 200K miles

1993 S-10 Blazer—because i loved the first one—drove this one into the ground, too, changed out the Fuel-injection “ spider” at least 3 times before my mechanic told me it was time to let her go—second vehicle taken past 200K, & driven into the ground on an original engine & tranny.

1997 Ford Explorer—di d NOT love—semi-rustbucket. S he wasn’t as tight or responsive as the S-10's had been, but she was VERY adequate, gave me a couple years, before being literally hailed-out (total damage from a hailstorm, plus a previous reported but never fixed accident meant I MADE money off that truck!)

‘04 Pontiac Grand Prix—black, glass roof ( TOTALLY didn’t want that after the hailstorm!), b ut grew to love it, when i realized i NEED heat in the winter but can 100% deal with the hot/humid MN summers as long as I can roll down my windows and/or open the sunroof Also driven into tge ground, in 3 years, with more than 100k miles added by me in that time (I drove 100+ miles round trip in my commute each day back then)

‘ 07 Grand Prix—she was basically the *previous* GP, but newer, and with unexpected but nicer features. I chose her, because she was 3 years newer, and at *about* the same mileage as the previous one.

We’ve been through a second motor, *two* rebuilt transmissions (the tech who installed the second motor forgot the bushings bet ween the motor & tranny), and about 150K miles, in the past 8 years.

I have LOVED driving her. She was smooth on the road, had a great center of gravity, so even in the snow/ice/rain, I always felt like I could drive safely (if MUCH more slowly than the typical “freeway speed” we did when the roads were clear & traffic was moving! ) and she was just really responsive, to whatever I asked of her. Plus, being short and a woman, that pontiac “driver’s cockpit” design was REALLY comfortable—everything was within *my* arm’s reach, there were very few blind spots, even though my seat had to be waaaay forward, etc.

And she was basically driven into the ground as of yesterday.

This time around, I’m NOT looking for *something i LOVE to drive,* I’m just looking for adequate.

Decent Tranny & Engine, has heat, has a working exhaust system... not a full-sized truck (too big), not an I mpala, ** not a minivan (because too big for my parking options, I HATE their steering wheels inability to tip “down” enough to be comfortable for my short self, and again *too much vehicle* for my needs)

I’ve driven multiple M alibus, because previous roommates had them, and a couple Ford Focuses, those were good & dependable. The Geo Metro that previous roommate had was FUN, but perhaps a bit *too* fun

This one, I really just NEED “Decent, Dependable, Adequate,” and “With good heat”

Thanks to ALL OF YOU, for the help, and i appreciate all the suggestions!

** too many blind spots, when i get the sest forward enough for me to reach the pedals and *comfortably* hold the steering wheel!

i tend to hold the wheel in an “ 8:00" position, rather than a “ 10:00& 2:00"—one hand on top of the wheel guiding direction most of the time, with the other at the 8, to keep her steady, with the wheel tilted nearly ALL the way down, so i can see clearly over it —that’s IMPOSSIBLE for me in an Impala (had a few as loaners, so i know it’s just the model’s design)

I KNOW, I know, *not* how one is *supposed* to hold the wheel nowadays... but i ALREADY have to sit far enough forward, that I’m only 6-8" from the wheel... so broken arms would be th e LEAST of my worries

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Captain of the Enterprise
11/14/2020 at 12:54

Camry Solaras are dirt cheap and tended to have a clientele that cared for them better.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Captain of the Enterprise
11/14/2020 at 12:54

cheers

budget seems to be about 3 grand...soooo...itll be a used civic

(but really..the best ones are 90s ones anyways...so we good.....what do they go for nowadays?)

EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
11/14/2020 at 12:57

THANK YOU FOR THIS!!!

This helps a TON!

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme
11/14/2020 at 12:59

Older Civic coupes from the 2000s are supposedly pretty good for shorter drivers and pretty cheap. Manuals tend to be worth less than autos and I don’t really follow the auto prices though.

My recommendation would be a Camry Solara coupe. Because they don’t have four doors they’re worth less but they also attracted a more cautious clientele (meaning old people) but they had some serious get up and go with the V6. Was just talking to someone who owned one and they are apparently surprisingly heavy too.

If you send us a craigslist link to somewhere in your general vicinity I’m sure we could suggest individual cars to check out too. Good luck on your hunt!

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme
11/14/2020 at 13:00

lol...newest car ive ever owned was 1990 chrysler voyager

now that was a comfy cruiser...thirsty as fuck tho

best car ive ever owned was an 83 panda

Kinja'd!!!

now that was a trusty little shitbox..never left me stranded...occasionally bits fell off...only car ive ever sold in still running condition

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
11/14/2020 at 13:20

You don't have a car right now, right?

Hahaha, didn't know that about the Voyager. The Panda looks like a lot of fun!

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
11/14/2020 at 13:25

i do not...havent had one since i sold the panda a couple years ago

i dont actually need one...but atmo i also just cant afford one

Svend > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
11/14/2020 at 13:30

Compact, ‘zippy’, etc...

circa 201 Seat Ibiza 1.4.

Either 3 door, 5 door or estate.

Kinja'd!!!

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Svend
11/14/2020 at 13:58

and thats why i posted here...coz thats the kind of thing i would have suggested

unfortunately doesnt work so well for the car market state side

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
11/14/2020 at 14:10

I understand that. Cars are expensive and if you don't need them they drain a lot of resources.

EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
11/14/2020 at 14:51

But I LOVE the look of that, and that green one would be cute & sooooooo much FUN!

(I know NOTHING about the make/model, though, sorry—so thst is an ALL shallow & looks based!)

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme
11/14/2020 at 15:07

lol oh the problem is they are not sold stateside

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme
11/14/2020 at 15:17

kinda like the kia picanto

its cute...i think you’d like it....but its just not available in the states

Kinja'd!!!

CRider > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
11/14/2020 at 15:33

Miata, of course.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > CRider
11/14/2020 at 15:34

always the answer :)

EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
11/14/2020 at 15:44

That one would be pretty fun to drive, too

Not gonna lie, though, i prefer a trunk-style to the body lines, over hatchbacks,though!

If I had an unlimited budget, and could go *simply* off looks, my absolute preference would be one of the “American Muscle Car” styled vehicles (Dodge Dart, Challenger/Challenger SRT, New-style Camaros, etc) , or the “stupidly cute, tiny & sporty” (Smart, Fiat 500, Mini, or if old-school, MG**)

**fell in LOVE with MG’s, back when i was in high school, because th ere was a yard-car that was an MG, over close to the nursing home where my grandma l ived—so i saw it every week, and it just looked like a FUN little blip of a car to toot around in

Especially as someone who grew up in a "1970's Chevy Truck" and "American Land-Yacht" family

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme
11/14/2020 at 15:52

welp.. going for stupidly tiny.....i think you need an autozam

Kinja'd!!!

EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
11/14/2020 at 18:03

Oooooohhhh!!!!

THAT would be SO fun!!

TOTAL Death-on-Wheels...

But WHAT a fun way to go!

EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
11/14/2020 at 18:08

thank you for this!!

I got a call back from 0ne of my cousins, and it turns out the dealership he works for is ridiculously slow right now, due to covid.

So there’s a chance I might be able to drop a *used* tranny in the current Beastie, and driver her a bit longer... but I’m DEFINITELY writing down the recs y’all are giving me, for things to look for, if I can’t do th e used transmission-and THANK YOU!

EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
11/14/2020 at 18:16

“ now that was a trusty little shitbox..never left me stranded...occasionally bits fell off.”

This sounds SURPRISINGLY similar to my first S-10 blazer—and looks like her, too

Except mine was MUCH more rust-buck et, instead of black at tge bottom, I had rust...

And she DID leave me stranded twice... once when I blew a tire on the freeway, and the other when I didn’t get her checked after someone hit me when they were changing lanes...

My steering wheel ended up with some “play”... buuuut I didn’t think too much on it...

UNeil one night I went to leave work at 10pm, Annnnnnnd th e wheel fell right into my lap when I went to shift into reverse!

Luckily, the same car-god cousin who called me back today was a car-god back THEN, too—and he had me towed to the dealership, they welded my steering column back together (they figured the bolt must’ve cracked/ broken when I got hit a few weeks before), and i was back on my way in a few days

She was a GREAT little truck.

Loooooked like a hoopty...

But she. was. AWESOME

EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme > Svend
11/14/2020 at 18:17

those ARE cute, and look really fun to drive!

EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme > EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme
11/14/2020 at 18:29

Update, as of Saturday afternoon;

I got a call back from one of my cousins, and it turns out the dealership where he works is RIDICULOUSLY slow, due to Covid, so they’re kiiiinda lookin for work.

He *might* be able to get me in there, and be able to drop a USED tranny in her, for just about the amount I was going to try to do as a down-payment on a $ 3K beater

I’ll know more after he’s been able to do some looking-up and pricing-out, once he gets back to work Monday, so i don’t know if I’ll be able to give y’all an update or not, with the Kinja-nuking...

But a VERY sincere , THANK-YOU, to ALL of you!!!

I’ll keep Farscythe updated, on which way I end up going (hopefully keeping her on the road, if I’m lucky!), and I’m ALSO writing down all the Recs y’all were kind enough to give me, in case the used Transmission *isn’t* an option—and I’ll be researching those recommendations in the local market here, so that i know which places to go, if that is the option I needa go with

Just got back from cleaning out the Beastie—as a just-in-case for Monday, because i want to be prepared for either option happening...

And again, THANK YOU ALL, for being SO awesome, helpful, and kind!!

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme
11/14/2020 at 18:48

If you can repair the car you know you really like for less than its worth, I’d stick with it. The car know that you’ve just fixed is better than a car worth the fix that might have the same problems.

It’s hard to find the hard tops but this is about what you can expect from a Camry Solara. High miles but very dependable.

https://greenville.craigslist.org/cto/d/greenville-2007-toyota-solara-sport-for/7229345475.html

Previous gens are cheaper but often more worn. Here’s a good one.

https://huntsville.craigslist.org/cto/d/madison-toyota-camry-solara/7230487405.html

Probably none of these are close to you. Good luck!

Captain of the Enterprise > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
11/14/2020 at 19:42

A 90s one is probably in range. Early to mid 2000s would probably work too.

Svend > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
11/14/2020 at 20:40

Oh, right. So my brain thought you meant in Europe. Doh.

Svend > EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme
11/14/2020 at 20:41

The Ibiza is just a little bit smaller than the Seat Leon. They are good honest cars that have more than enough get up and go for spirited driving.

zipfuel > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
11/14/2020 at 21:41

Buick encore might be a good fit, compact but not too small, pretty well kitted and the turbo version is actually quick. It’s a buick sedan so not super in demand these days.

My coworker had a Chrysler 200S that she loved enough to get an identical replacement when it was rear ended. 300hp got her into some trouble though.

The budget described seems more beatery than these tho.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > zipfuel
11/15/2020 at 03:58

cheers mate :)

Svend > EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme
11/15/2020 at 08:15

A colleague pulled into the car park this morning in a 5 door Seat Ibiza in that green. It’s a great colour.

This Mk4 Seat Ibiza is equal to the Mk5 VW Polo, Audi A1 and Mk3 Skoda Fabia.

They are the smaller siblings to the Seat Leon/VW Golf/Audi A3/Skoda Octavia.

Kinja'd!!!

Metallic

Kinja'd!!!

non-metallic

Kinja'd!!!

EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme > Svend
11/15/2020 at 10:15

That Metallic Green one is GORGEOUS!

Those lines are great, and with that color—she’s a BEAUT!

I wish we had more cars like that over here—we get sooooooo stuck in “safe & boring” shades—with the *occasional* bright blue or orange, and of course red/maaaaaybe yellow , it feels like here in the Midwestern US (i’m in Minnesota).

Svend > EmmerdoesNOTrepresentme
11/15/2020 at 10:56

Green is a Skoda colour.

The Fabia above isn’t the best looking of them and is the previous gen.

Scala

Kinja'd!!!