Okay, my current car (a 1984 Honda Accord) is on her last legs, so I’m trying to find what I should replace her with. Unfortunately, I haven’t found anything that I really like, as far as cars go, so I’m asking for help. Whatever I get is going to be a used car, and not a new one, since I can’t afford a new car. (Can’t really afford a used one, either, but since the list of things wrong with my current car is growing longer than the things that still work, it’s time for me to replace her.)
I’m looking for suggestions, only. Not an actual car at the moment.
What I want is a coupe, not a sedan, and I’d prefer something that has an “open” interior, that isn’t crammed with a lot of plastic or gizmos. I really like a car interior to be rather spartan. I don’t care about things like heated seats, googlephonic stereo systems, controls that work by waving your hands in the general direction, or 8 billion storage compartments. I want simple controls, and more or less basic transportation. I’m also not interested in a “penis mobile” (i.e. Camaro, or other high performance sports car) or anything bearing the name “Ford.” (Waaaaaaaay too much bad luck with those, for me to even consider one.)
There’s always a Tucker…failing that, my mother can’t really complain about her Hyundai Accent. It’s small…cheap…its got a 10 year warranty. Kias are cheap and spartan too. I don’t know about their reliabilty, but they have the 10 year warranty too.
My Saturn SC2 was pretty cheap and spartan, if that’s what you’re looking for. It was efficient, fast, and very quiet… but everything was made of plastic, and it felt like it.
Toyota…I swear by them. I have owned mine for 8 years and have been in 2 major accidents. This car held up better than I would expect for a compact. I have never been let down by this car. I have a '95 Celica which may be a little expensive compared to most cars that age, but there is an excellent reason. You can find the basic models for under $2000 if you buy from a person rather than a dealership. Edmunds values it at $1800. Its also a dream to drive and parts are easy to find.
I second the Hyundai Accent. I drive one myself, andhave found it to be quite a good value for money. Also, the '85 Honda Prelude is realyl good. I drove that before the Accent.
I had a Ranger pickup truck that got decent gas mileage and never had a problem, I drove the odometer up to 196,000 miles before giving it to some married friends who needed a second car. But you said no Fords, so howsabout a VW Golf? Better yet, a TDI Golf, you’d get great fuel mileage and it’s a solid car with a lot of mileage life on the engine. www.tdiclub.com is a great resource to read through if you’re interested in it, and they have a used car sales forum. VWs are often pissed upon on these boards, and it’s true that VWOA knows crap-all about customer service, but if you check out the VW you’d be getting very carefully, maintenance, any recurring problems, why is the owner selling, you can get something inexpensive and really fun to drive. You can get a 1.8T which looks inconspicuous as any other hatchback but it’s a real kick in the pants to drive.
Can I interest you in a 1992 Acura Integra GS hatchback coupe, one owner, only 135k miles? White with black interior, five-speed manual, power windows, locks, and moonroof (all working), no rust, no rattles, and only a few parking lot scrapes. It’s running just fine right now, following a year that saw a new exhaust, extensive brake work, new CV boots, conversion of the A/C to R134a, and a complete tune-up. (I’m on the brink of a new Accord.)
What can I do to put you in this fine vehicle today, Mr. Fan? Why don’t you step into my cramped, windowless little office, while I pretend to go run your offer by our sales manager? Can I get you a cup of coffee?
Ringo, I guess I should let Tuckerfan speak for himself, but if a new car of any description is pretty much out of the question for him, a slightly-used BMW probably isn’t going to do the trick! For the price of a 5-year-old 3-series with about 60k miles on it, you can buy a brand-new Accord. And the price of BMW repairs is breath-taking, unless you can find a good mechanic outside of the dealership.
Honda Accords come in coupes too if you want another one. It’s very possible to find a good early 90s model for a decent price if you look around carefully and act quickly.
Tortuga, I had a 1986 Ford Ranger that was nothing but problems, none of which could be fixed by the various dealers I took it to or mechanics who looked at it. I won’t even discuss the 1988 Edsel–er, Lincoln Continental I owned. If I ever meet a Ford engineer, I fully intend to beat him to within an inch of his life.
I don’t particularly like Saturns, because their insides tend to be filled with huge amounts of plastic crap which takes up space for no discernable reason. VW’s (at least the late model Jettas I’ve ridden it) tend to have the same problem. Honda’s are nice, have an open interior (though the Acura I drove once seemed to be littered with plastic), but I don’t really like the way they look on the outside.
My price range depends upon exactly when my current Honda decides to give up the ghost. I’m hoping that she’ll hang on long enough for me to save up $2k (I have no desire to make payments, my income’s too erratic for that.), but I may not (and knowing my luck, I won’t be) lucky enough for that to happen.
Hyundai accent L is somthing you should look into. its spartan, inexpensive and a coupe. Plus if you shop around you can get a 2001 model with 20-30k miles for $5000.
In my opinion, German cars in general have rather Spartan interiors (I would call them plain, actually). But you don’t like VWs, and I don’t think you’re going to find a reliable BMW or Audi for $2K. You should probably stick to the Toyotas and Hondas, and I would like to throw in Mazdas as well. Good luck.