Used Car Talk

[Tristan]

So you've probably read my recent threats to "sell my SmarTrip and buy a car".  I was half joking at first, then the first word of impending doom came a couple days ago (bye-bye Flxes, apparently) and now I'm only 1/4 joking.

Alright.  I'm keeping my SmarTrip.  But the point is, I'm looking to get some wheels.

I'm looking for a 4-door car.  Absolutely no 2-doors.  I'd like something with a reasonable entry point (price) and reasonable maintenance costs (more on that in a minute), and I'd like something that looks just a tad different; most cars made today pretty much look exactly the same to me and I'd like something that I can pick out of a parking lot -- nothing extravagant, but just ... distinguishable.  And I don't mean National School Bus Yellow, aznboy4305.

My first choice: Mid-90s (pre-Ford) Volvo 860/980 series.  It's a classy looking vehicle, IMO.  I'm not a speed demon, so I think insurance would be kinder to me in this thing than in a sporty car.  Of course, there's the issue of maintenance -- I'm told that parts for these beauties cost a pretty penny...but then I hear that it's a high quality car with high quality parts that break less often.  I don't mind paying $20 for a wiper blade if it lasted twice as long as the $10 wiper blade on another car.  Any thoughts?

My second choice: Jeep Cherokee...not Grand Cherokee, but plain boxy Cherokee (see a pattern going here?).  I'm going to take a minor hit on fuel economy, but these things seem to have a following.  Haven't heard of major problems with these, but then I haven't vetted them as well as the Volvos yet.

Of course, the cheapskate in me would buy any 4-door at a good price.

And the busfan in me would love a 1964 Volkswagen Samba, but they're getting harder and harder to find.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

there's the issue of maintenance -- I'm told that parts for these beauties cost a pretty penny...but then I hear that it's a high quality car with high quality parts that break less often.  I don't mind paying $20 for a wiper blade if it lasted twice as long as the $10 wiper blade on another car.  Any thoughts?

In my experience having been the primary driver of a 1993 940 and now a 1998 S70, I can vouch for this statement.  The cars are great to drive, but should anything go wrong, parts can take awhile to receive, and once you do, they are expensive.  But the cars have long lives, so in the end it may balance out over time.

[rideonrulez]

Of course, the cheapskate in me would buy any 4-door at a good price.

I might sell you my car as I might not need it anymore!! LOL

[LandoverDivision]

7-Letter word, A.U.C.T.I.O.N. That's where I'm going to get my first car from.

[WMAveteran]

Both your first and second choices have the potential to be high maintenance vehicles.

I have a 2005 Volvo V70R AWD and apart from regular maintenance and one warranty repair it has been problem free.  The vehicle was manufactured in Belgium.  About two weeks after I took delivery, the power steering unit expired and the replacement had to be ordered from Sweden.  That process took about two weeks and I was given a loaner for that period - the loaner was a Taurus (lol).  I replaced the windshield wipers recently (front and rear) and they cost $94.26 with tax and could only be purchased at a Volvo dealer.  Volvo parts are only available at Volvo dealers generally and the older the car the more difficult it will be to find parts.  If the Volvo sedan you wish to purchase has a turbo make sure it is also intercooled. The big Volvo sedans are not particularly fuel efficient.

The Cherokee is available in two wheel drive and four wheel drive configurations, as I recall.  Two wheel drive vehicles obtain better fuel mileage and cost less to maintain because they lack the extra weght and drag caused by the four wheel drive mechanicals.  I have never owned a Jeep but I understand they can be expensive to maintain.  Keep in mind that Jeeps are manufactured by Chrysler and that company may or may not be a viable entity in the near future which means you would be stuck with a vehicle that has no support network. 

I will so some more research and report back to you later. 

[WayneNYC]

Tristan,

Here's a topic in which I can speak on a bit.  The Volvos... As much as I've liked them, I'm not sure I'd get one used unless it's a late model that is a certified used Volvo.

I wouldn't go near any old VW.  They're fun cars, but when you get a bad one, it's really bad. 

Jeep Cherokee  - This has been one of Chrysler's better vehicles as it's been basically the same since the mid 1980s and they simply got good at building it.  However, you can do better. 

In my opinion, you'd do well to go with a sedan from Toyota, Honda, Nissan or Mazda.  These cars tend to very reliable and sip fuel.  I'm personally, biased toward Honda.  I've owned four Honda/Acura vehicles and they have all been excellent vehicles.  From experience I can also speak highly of Toyota vehicles.  The downside to these cars is that they'll be somewhat pricey compared to comparable American cars because Japanese cars again are known to be very reliable, well-built and therefore, they depreciate rather slowly.

My wife has also owned 2 Hondas and one Toyota and again they were great vehicles with her having very few problems outside of regular maintenance.

[Perry]

I loved my Nissan Altima I had.  My boss has a later one and that one reminds me of the one I had. 

The Ford Focus keeps getting good reviews and if you wan't decent reliability that's inexpensive, that may be the way to go too.

[WayneNYC]

he Ford Focus keeps getting good reviews and if you wan't decent reliability that's inexpensive, that may be the way to go too.

Agreed.  If I had to pick something from FoMoCo... Thinking about reliability, I'd pick the Focus or Fusion.

[Tristan]

Focus was my third choice, I think.

[WMAveteran]

Three more recommendations for you Tristan:
1. Ford Taurus: moribund design but for a previously owned car it is bullet proof, has front wheel drive for inclement weather, easy to maintain and absolutely huge inside with a large trunk.  For fun try to find a limited edition SHO version (constructed between 1990 and 1999) that comes with Yamaha V-6 or V-8. 
2.  Ford Crown Vic: rear wheel drive (not good in snow) but huge inside, easy to maintain, easy to drive, bullet proof and it looks like a police car which is a lot of fun.  Comes with a V-6 or V-8 engine.  Find the Mercury Marauder version if you can.
3.  Register on www.dieselstation.com which is a blog for gear heads and motor heads, ask for suggestions in one of the forums and be deluged with answers.

[Perry]

My dad had a Crown Vic once, but that thing sucked up gas almost as much as a bus.  While I felt super safe in it, it doesn't have any practical purpose except for use as a cab or a police car!

Out here the car du joir seems to be the Scion.  It's a hideous looking thing, but for some reason people like it. 

I agree with staying away from VW.  My friends had a Jetta and that thing had so many problems, they finally traded it in for a Honda Accord.  At some point I'll do something with our Pathfinder and either get another Nissan or switch over to Honda.  I'm about a year away from making that decision though, I want to keep this one for awhile as I've had no problems with it.

[Tristan]

The Samba definitely wouldn't be a daily driver, just a show piece :-)

[WMAveteran]

My dad had a Crown Vic once, but that thing sucked up gas almost as much as a bus.  While I felt super safe in it, it doesn't have any practical purpose except for use as a cab or a police car!

Out here the car du joir seems to be the Scion.  It's a hideous looking thing, but for some reason people like it. 

I agree with staying away from VW.  My friends had a Jetta and that thing had so many problems, they finally traded it in for a Honda Accord.  At some point I'll do something with our Pathfinder and either get another Nissan or switch over to Honda.  I'm about a year away from making that decision though, I want to keep this one for awhile as I've had no problems with it.

I absolutely agree with you about the Scion.  There is no such thing as an attractive Scion in any model - they are just boxes with wheels.

[WayneNYC]

Focus was my third choice, I think.

OK - So if you go with something like this in the compact class I'd choose one of these:

Honda Civic
Toyota Corolla
Mazda MAZDA3
Ford Focus

I'd even throw in the Hyundai Elantra as their vehicles have improved tremendously over the years.  The Nissan Versa and Sentra continue to be decent choices too.

[RailBus63]

I've owned two Nissan Sentras - very nice and reliable car, although the newer models have grown in size in recent years.