Need a cheap reliable Car ASAP!

Mygrainman · Dec 30, 2019

My wife just got a job that is going to be a long commute...and My son starts community collage classes in a week.. we need another car. A reliable budget auto gas saver would be ideal.

I have some $ and some AR parts etc to trade.

I also have a 06' Jeep Grand Cherokee that need some work to trade.
Missing on one cylinder(needs the heads gone through I think)

If you have an extra reliable car to sell/trade... let me know.
Has to be Auto and 30+ mpg.

HELP!

Flymph · Dec 30, 2019

You're looking at a Prius if you want 30+ mpg... just saying. My Camry only gets 29-30 if I'm lucky.
Just saying.

Mygrainman · Dec 30, 2019

Flymph said:
You're looking at a Prius if you want 30+ mpg... just saying. My Camry only gets 29-30 if I'm lucky.
Just saying.

Well as close to as possible.our daughters civic gets around 30... just don't want a sub 20 guzzler.
it will be mostly highway miles from Kelso to Vancouver and my wife drives like a granny....so 30 should be doable.

MannyGlocks · Dec 30, 2019

Bicycles get good milage....jus sayin...

I'd walk (admittedly with a limp) before I'd drive or be seen in a pry-us...I'd rather give a speech in front of thousands naked before I'd anything to do with a pry...excuse me, I can't finish this word...blech...

DB is Here · Dec 30, 2019

So I guess my 1967 Ford F250 that gets 7MPG is a hard no then...

Mygrainman · Dec 30, 2019

Ya not quite what I'm looking for

Member 34319 · Dec 30, 2019

Look on Craigslist for Toyota Yaris's. Used they are very well priced and they get 30-50 mpg depending on how you drive.

Rickenbacher39 · Dec 30, 2019

MannyGlocks said:
Bicycles get good milage....jus sayin...

I'd walk (admittedly with a limp) before I'd drive or be seen in a pry-us...I'd rather give a speech in front of thousands naked before I'd anything to do with a pry...excuse me, I can't finish this word...blech...

I don't even want to know how you feel about a Smart car.

Honda Civics and some Mazda models get very good gas mileage.
The Toyota Corolla is also fuel efficient.

Mygrainman · Dec 30, 2019

MannyGlocks said:
Bicycles get good milage....jus sayin...

I'd walk (admittedly with a limp) before I'd drive or be seen in a pry-us...I'd rather give a speech in front of thousands naked before I'd anything to do with a pry...excuse me, I can't finish this word...blech...

I'm with you there... but I like speaking in front of crowds in the nude.
Especially on cold days when there is shrinkage...

We're just looking for something super cheap that she can drive for a couple months, then hand off to my kids for a college commuter that they can use until it dies...We are pretty broke until she gets a few paychecks...She starts in a week.
I'm Looking at the >$1000 section in CL. But if I can trade into something all the better.

Flymph · Dec 30, 2019

90's era toyotas are where it's at, cheap to buy and cheap to fix. Fuel efficient and reliable.

ps; just get a steering lock.

ilikegunspdx · Dec 31, 2019

Mygrainman said:
My wife just got a job that is going to be a long commute...and My son starts community collage classes in a week.. we need another car. A reliable budget auto gas saver would be ideal.

I have some $ and some AR parts etc to trade.

I also have a 06' Jeep Grand Cherokee that need some work to trade.
Missing on one cylinder(needs the heads gone through I think)

If you have an extra reliable car to sell/trade... let me know.
Has to be Auto and 30+ mpg.

HELP!

My suggestions which u can feel free to ignore (I've owned over 500 cars from every make except ultra exotics like lotus and ferrari and currently own 9): look on CL for a subaru outback/impreza or older corolla/tercel. Reliable and running costs are low. Maint./repairs cost a lot more than a few MPGs saved. Average recondition cost after purchase is $600 so keep in mind maintenance and wear items like tires and brakes. I will pay up to 30% more for a well maintained car with documentation of maintenance compared to a car with unknown maint. history.

For any car check oil before and after test drive to make sure not milky. Do tight slow turns and listen for CV joint clicking. Test on highway and listen/feel for anything weird.

Mygrainman · Dec 31, 2019

ilikegunspdx said:
My suggestions which u can feel free to ignore (I've owned over 500 cars from every make except ultra exotics like lotus and ferrari and currently own 9): look on CL for a subaru outback/impreza or older corolla/tercel. Reliable and running costs are low. Maint./repairs cost a lot more than a few MPGs saved. Average recondition cost after purchase is $600 so keep in mind maintenance and wear items like tires and brakes. I will pay up to 30% more for a well maintained car with documentation of maintenance compared to a car with unknown maint. history.

For any car check oil before and after test drive to make sure not milky. Do tight slow turns and listen for CV joint clicking. Test on highway and listen/feel for anything weird.

Thanks for the advice...
I have owened and maintained dozens of cars, all of which I had to maintain myself(I'm actually a diesel mechanic in a past life). I've also had to hold cars together on a shoestring budget for most of my life. But my back/neck are too messed up to do much more than change oil and brake pads...
I know from experience as well as many mistakes what to look/listen and feel for...
no more Subaru's ... I've had to replace no less than 3 head baskets on 2.5's
And as reliable as my old loyal 2.2 was...I was in it when Rear ended by a log truck...Bad memories.

ilikegunspdx · Dec 31, 2019

Ah I see. Good u are mechanically inclined. If ur back is up to it getting a minor fixer opens up huge possibilities for $1000 cars. One of my current cars I bought for $1000 (it cost $90k new) but was older and totally depreciated out and needed a water pump. In the last 6 years and 20kish miles it has had total repairs of the initial water pump @$144, a crank sensor at $62, and an 02 sensor at $70ish. Best long distance car ever and wouldn't hesitate to drive it accross the country. Was well maintained by original owner.

madmax · Dec 31, 2019

I have a 2002 Toyota Corolla S that I picked up at a tow yard auction for 1300. Needed new tires wheel, struts, battery and basic tune up. I've put 50k on it in the last 1.5 years. I average 36 mpg. Easily does 90mph.

It gets the job done.

I'm a huge fan of actions

Jonnyuma · Dec 31, 2019

ilikegunspdx said:
One of my current cars I bought for $1000 (it cost $90k new) but was older and totally depreciated out and needed a water pump. In the last 6 years and 20kish miles it has had total repairs of the initial water pump @$144, a crank sensor at $62, and an 02 sensor at $70ish. Best long distance car ever and wouldn't hesitate to drive it accross the country. Was well maintained by original owner.

Ima take a wild guess... BMW 7 series?

Heyjoe · Dec 31, 2019

Flymph said:
90's era toyotas are where it's at, cheap to buy and cheap to fix. Fuel efficient and reliable.

Bingo bango, don't forget about the Geo prism.

Jonnyuma · Dec 31, 2019

Flymph said:
You're looking at a Prius if you want 30+ mpg...

One day I was driving up I-5 and saw a tow truck helping a motorist on the shoulder. As I went by I saw that the "broke-down" vehicle was a Prius and the tow truck driver was putting gas in it.
I was too slow to get the photo, but it woulda been the source of memes galore.

Back to the regular thread.

Heyjoe · Dec 31, 2019

Keep eyes out for Toyota Corolla, Geo Prism, 90's era.

This one shows promise, only 163,xxx miles too:Toyota Corolla 1998-good engine, damaged exterior

Mygrainman · Dec 31, 2019

I do have one nice car... It is the only thing I have to show for having by spine wrecked by a careless log truck driver.
It is my sanctuary.....

The wife had a nice '06 Grand Cherokee but it is running on 7 right now(needs head rebuilt)and only gets 12mpg anyway so we're just going to get rid of it.
We also have a '05 civic that my daughter uses for school....
Call me selfish but I'm keeping my Edge... like I said it's my sanctuary. I drive and listen to audio books to relax. I LOVE my car.
My wife is awesome. Super low maintenance and is happy anything as long as it's an automatic, comfortable, and reliable. I was driving a rusty Datsun pickup when we first got together and she didn't mind a bit. Besides my Edge only gets 18mpg and she is looking at a 80+ mile a day commute...
So a late 90's early 00s import sedan will suffice until she gets a few paychecks from the new job and we can look into something else...
Then my son will get the beater for school...