car help...

[Laxer1241]

This mabye a stupid question but im getting to the point where I can get a car, and I need some advice on a car that looks good (you know not some scion crap) that also had older models (because im getting a used one). So I dont know if anyone can help but any suggestions are welcomed and apperciated.

- laxer1241

[:)lax]

scion tc arent half bad

[konkomania]

Go german.

[HdGLaxWarrior]

Go german.

agreed. mid to late 90's VW's are nice. and late 80's BMW's are super nice. plus there are alot of mods you can do to it.

[chsattack22]

any type of jeep, decent on gas mileage plus you can go offroading and mudding...

[frankstoneline]

2 door jeep cherokees are nice, basically any VW jetta or golf, I love them all, from the late 80's on.

[czechinthepipes]

Id go with an older (early 90's or late 80's) BMW, VW, or Mercedes Benz. I don't know what you have against scions in general, I have a tc and its awesome, and super easy to customize.
This also depends on what you like, for example if you like off roading, go with a jeep, if you like to race and go fast then get some sporty car (mustang, bmw, etc...) Also do you like or prefer American cars, European cars of Japanese cars. If you gave more info on your likes dislikes etc.. we can help you out better.

[laxmonster54]

any thing with rear wheel drive or mid engine
Is fast and nice

[indianlaxer24]

BMW!!!!!! you can never go wrong with one they are the most reliable car in the world and if you drive an old one you have class.

[JazzyJake]

i'd have to suggest a 1st/2nd gen RX-7 for cheap, and a 3rd gen if you have more to spend.
they weigh nothing, and have oodles of noodles....i mean power
my uncle has a 3rd gen and i have to say, they are some of the nicest looking, and most fun to drive cars out there
1st gen
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/8/web/656000-656999/656571_2.jpg
2nd gen
http://www.johnr.com/bgwhite7.jpg
3rd gen
http://svennom.00go.com/images/redrx7.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc9KD5wLyl0
there's a video of a 3rd gen doing some dyno pulls
600rwhp
dayumn
and btw the spoiler on that is actually put to use, unlike most cars with spoilers of that magnitude today

[laxitute]

You can get a late 90s Audi A4, A6, or A8 (if you're lucky) with under 100k miles for around 8-10k if you do some looking around.

[cjm3113]

Assuming you are on a limited budget, and can't buy whatever you want, I'd stay away from an older model BMW or Mercedes. While they cars themselves are wonderful, they are getting old, any car that old can begin to rust out, and maintenance work on either of those won't be cheap.

Rx-7s can have a pretty high demand if it is in good shape, if you are looking to make a race-car, it is a decent choice, but I wouldn't fork over the money for car that old either.

I don't know exactly what you are looking for, but you can get a mid 90's Chrysler Sebring Convertible (If you wanted one) for $2,000-$3500 and they are very reliable cars. If you are looking for a tuner, the sport Focuses are pretty fun cars to drive, but a shame they aren't RWD.

It'd be nice if you gave us an idea of what you wanted so I could be more specific.

[Longpole5435]

Do not get a European car. I drive a Volkswagen, and it is a fun car to drive, but it is so expensive to fix the smallest things, and they tend to fall apart a bit as they get older. I would get a Scion Tc, or, if I was feeling particularly adventurous and wanted to do some custom work, an older Eclipse convertible.

[CustomX157]

The inline 6 on the jeep cherokee has been known to run up to 350,000 miles and beyond. Grab a 97 or earlier cherokee and you are good to go.

[laxmandudeguy]

well without a budget, i would suggest a lambo, but assuming there is a budget, i would go with a ford taurus. i inherited (if you want to call it taht) a 1991 Ford Taurus from my dad and it still runs pretty well and would run SUUUPEERRR cheap becuase it looks like Crap quite literally

[Laxer1241]

Yah sorry I was vague because I was in a rush. But im a first time buyer so 8,000 and lower. And I was harsh on the scions only because I hate boxy cars. I dont really like trucks only cars please. Thanks for all the help!

[Riot]

I got a pimpin' Honda Accord for like $1,000 or something. It's fun to drive, and has a spoiler, so the ladies love it.

[Paulvilax24]

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;jsessionid=5HC0ZS1MNWUPFLAYIEXU2VA?tab= photos&paId=217015778&recnum=2&tracktype=usedcc&pageNumber=0&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7CE-%7CM-_48_%7CB-8000%7CD-_445_%7CN-N%7CR-10000%7CI-1%7CP-PRICE+descending%7CQ-descending%7CZ-22124&aff=national

do itttt

[tomtom]

Assuming you are on a limited budget, and can't buy whatever you want, I'd stay away from an older model BMW or Mercedes. While they cars themselves are wonderful, they are getting old, any car that old can begin to rust out, and maintenance work on either of those won't be cheap.

Rx-7s can have a pretty high demand if it is in good shape, if you are looking to make a race-car, it is a decent choice, but I wouldn't fork over the money for car that old either.

I don't know exactly what you are looking for, but you can get a mid 90's Chrysler Sebring Convertible (If you wanted one) for $2,000-$3500 and they are very reliable cars. If you are looking for a tuner, the sport Focuses are pretty fun cars to drive, but a shame they aren't RWD.

It'd be nice if you gave us an idea of what you wanted so I could be more specific.

Au contraire, if you find an old mercedes especially thats been well taken care of, and continue to take care of it with routine basic maintenance and the likes, youll see them run forever. I will agree, though, that rust is a possibility, especially if youre in an area that needs to salt its roads.

Other than that, though, a mid-late 70s model mercedes could see upwards of 300k to 400k miles on them, when properly maintained. Unfortunately, newer cars seem to be cheaper to build new than maintain properly, with the design changes recently.

[3rdPersonPlural]

Yah sorry I was vague because I was in a rush. But im a first time buyer so 8,000 and lower. And I was harsh on the scions only because I hate boxy cars. I dont really like trucks only cars please. Thanks for all the help!

Go Japanese. They never break and are dirt cheap to fix if they do. Insurance is reasonable and (re)resale is better than on non-Japanese cars. Longpole is correct that German cars need to belong to a tinkerer with a bank balance as they get older, and American cars seem to be engineered to crumble when the warranty runs out.

With Gas prices where they are, look at little cars - Civic or something - as there is an understated cool to driving a sipper these days.

If you need the car to parade around town and hope it improves your sexy quotient, get whatever you glom onto. You'll be disappointed. Chicks seem to like guys who are cooler than their cars.

If you want to road trip and perhaps grow up a little, think operating expense and crunch the numbers before you buy. Also remember that if you ever need your insurance to pitch in (before you're 25) because you got too enthusiastic, you'll be paying thousands per year just to be legal.

Get something dull and economical and practical. You'll always be cooler than your car, and the world will be your oyster.

[MACDADDY]

i wouldnt go out and buy the fastest cars out there. sometimes when things get out of hand and theres alcohol, there can be some major problems.

toyotas are pretty nice. my dad got a highlander that he will give me when it is time, and its 3 years old. it runs nicely, and theres alot of space.

my friend has an old vw van that 25 years old or so. its funny because its so ghetto with wooden benches and everything.

[konkomania]

Just get something that you will enjoy driving, it doesn't have to be the most pimped out or fastest thing on the road. I love my VW jetta, and i love to drive it everywhere and I'm always cleaning it. Just get something that appeals to you.

[Live4It]

Well for $8000 and under you have a lott of options, so use a site like cars.com, etc...and you should find something you like, or go to your local used car dealer, becuase they will defanitly have something to suit your needs for $8000 or less.

[HeadHeartHustle]

Go german.
cant beat older german engineering.

I bought a 1989 BMW 325i convert. for $500. Fixed it up (it needed alot) for about 2,000. Now its really nice.

I want to get it repainted, but i have to save up a while for that.

[lax21goalie2008]

I have a 07 civic coupe, and I love it. Japanese cars are the way to go now, expecially because the civics get 30 city and 40 highway mpgs. Not to mention they look tight now.

[tiplax]

i'm in the sameboat as you.
i'm looking at saving up to get a used PathFinder.
i just like the look

[twin58]

... American cars seem to be engineered to crumble when the warranty runs out.

Number one choice of vehicles for demolition derbies: big sedans or station wagons from the 1970s. GM tops the heap (so to speak), as do eight-cylinder engines and rear-wheel drive, of course. Those things get smashed into over and over again, and they keep running.

Speedo - A Demolition Derby Love Story (http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2004/speedo/index.html)

Demoliton derby entry at Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demolition_derby)

I had an autobody instructor who owned three 1974 Chryslers, which were about the biggest cars on the road. He felt that with the way people drive, he didn't want to drive anything any smaller. After all the years he accumulated repairing crumpled wrecks, I thought he must have gained some insight on the matter.

... think operating expense and crunch the numbers before you buy....
Get something dull and economical and practical. You'll always be cooler than your car, and the world will be your oyster.

Agreed. A remanufactured - in Canada, not China - master cylinder for a 1976 Oldsmobile Cutlass (http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=1976+Oldsmobile&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2) is $15 at the AutoZone. It's even cheaper mail order. Go ahead; price one for a German or Japanese car.

Whatever else you may think of Consumer Reports, take a look at the frequency of repair tables, especially for German cars. They tend to be loaded with problems. Those parts won't be cheap, either.

[ColtsLax]

American cars up until recently are notoriouly unreliable, gas guzzling, and over priced. This goes double for Gm and its subsids. Your best bet is a 90's Civic or Accord, maybe a camry. you wont be disappointed in a japanese car. they are and have been the best value on the market for a decade or so. German cars are nice, but BMW's had a sting of electrical problems you dont want to deal with in the late 90's. Im rolling a Toyota Avalon with 170k+ miles and it still spins like its a new car.

[murch#53]

dude, im telling you straight up, you can't go wrong with a jeep, i have a 2000 grand cherokee and that thing is boss, and decent gas mileage and definitly durable

[hockeyandlax]

LOLLL people suggesting German cars for the first cars...mid 90s and such are NOT reliable.

Go Japanese for sure. Hondas and Toyotas are the best. If you want something different, get a nice Acura, like a 200 TL or something.

I feel hypocritical because I myself own a Saab 9-3 as my first car. O well, It's fast as hell.

DO NOT get a RX-7 LOL they eat up oil and always have bad o rings

[cjm3113]

Saab 9-3
60 mph in 8.1 seconds
Quarter Mile in 16.2 seconds

..Fast as hell.

[konkomania]

Saabs are nice, just chip it when you get it and you will be blowing peoples doors off.

[cjm3113]

I would never chip a Saab. They are 'quick' cars stock, they are also very nice cars that get good gas mileage. Why sacrifice how the car runs for a few more horse? Definitely not worth it.

[HeadHeartHustle]

everybody whos saying "Honda accord" or "Nissan" Im pretty sure he wants something nicer. He said hes got about 8K to spend. You could get an Accord for like 2K.

Id go with a jeep wrangler! lift it ( Just a bit) put some nice tires on it, and go offroading. Its really good fun. Also, the ladies love no doors and the top off. muddy flaps are ballin' (never thought id say ballin')!

[dillz18]

I would definitely either get a Japanese car, more specifically a Honda Civic (newer model) or a Jeep Liberty. Both run great, pretty reliable, and look nice.

[laxgoalie66]

jeep liberty is more of a ladies car imo, jeep wrangler or grand cherokee is what i would get if i got any jeep

[RedHawk23]

Ford Bronco.
safe.
reliable.
looks B.A.

but they are gas hogs

[SullyLax]

LOLLL people suggesting German cars for the first cars...mid 90s and such are NOT reliable.

Go Japanese for sure. Hondas and Toyotas are the best. If you want something different, get a nice Acura, like a 200 TL or something.

Hondas and Toyotas are good cars, but that gen TL has more transmission problems than you can shake a stick at.