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Used car advice

Right now I'm taking a look at two used cars, and I'd appreciate very much any advice that anyone may have to lend.

I'm considering purchasing two cars. One is a 1998 Hyundai Accent, which as

108,000 miles, and it being sold for $2400 cash. It's not an automatic transmission, as it's one of those 5 speeds. It's a 4 cylinder.

Another is a 1992 Chevy Corsica v6 motor, which is selling for $1700 cash. It has 130,000 miles on it, and is an automatic transmission.

Both cars are decent looking. In the sense that they are not all dented up or anything.

If you had to choose between these cars, which one would be the better choice? I know that if you are looking just at the price, the Corsica is more inexpensive. But maybe there are other factors to consider, such as which one will really give me the most for my buck?

Also, wouldn't stuff like oil filters or spark plugs or alternator belts be harder to find for the Hyundai at most big auto parts stores, because it is a foreign car? I know that they would be stocked up for a car like the Corsica, but not so sure about the Hyundai?

Also, which one would be more difficult to work on for the home mechanic? I'm assuming the hyundai would be easier to service because it is a 4 cylinder while the corsica has a V6 engine. But maybe one of you may have more experience with this and can't give an informed opinion.

I'm also concerned about the transmission for the Hyundai. I've generally heard that standards last longer than most automatics, but what about these 5 speed standard transmissions for that kind of car? I've heard talk that these kind of transmissions are a lot of trouble to deal with. so does anyone know if that is true? Which car would you choose?

Reply to
Tysteel40
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You should have someone capable check the cars for their overall condition. The one currently needing fewer repairs and in better overall condition is probably the better deal.

The 5-speed in the accent is relatively trouble-free, but if the clutch has never been replaced, you may need to do that soon.

Can you tell me which v6 is in the Corsica?

Reply to
hyundaitech

By v6, I meant it a V engine with 6 cylinders.

Reply to
Tysteel40

Do you do any of your own work on either a Chevy/GM or Hyundai now?

For me, I'd (probably) pick the Chevy because it's virtually the same underneath as the wife's Beretta and the friend's Cavalier and Celebrity. I'm used to working on the 2.8/3.1s of that vintage and the socket I bought for removing Beretta drive axles would probably fit the Corisca...

If you don't work on cars and have a mechanic, I'd bring them to him to check out - there's a lot of stuff you can't tell from a two line description in a newsgroup that are obvious once the car is in front of you...

Ray

Reply to
ray

Tysteel40 wrote in rec.autos.tech

Yes, we know what a v6 is. What he was asking was what engine is in it. GM made, and still makes, several different v-6 engines. I suspect that you have the 3.1 liter V6. I have a V6 in my car also, however it is the 3.8 liter engine.

Reply to
Dick C

ray wrote in rec.autos.tech

This poster asked earlier about whether some parts could swap between a

94 Corsica, which he has, but blew the engine on, and the 92 that he is looking at. Personally, I would go with the Corsica, short of something major wrong with it. Only 2400 for a 98 car, any car, tells me that there is something wrong with that car. Where as 1700 is a decent price for the Corsica.
Reply to
Dick C

Yes, I have a 3.1 liter for my old 1994 chevy corsica.

This used 1992 corsica I've seen advertised in the paper, I know it's a v6, but I should've asked the guy what kind. I wonder if they made 3.1 liter engines for 1992 brand of that car?

I'm still puzzled why the parts numbers don't match up at the auto parts store, like I mentioned in my previous posting about the interchangability of parts between a 1992 and 1994. Maybe the one advertised in the paper is a 2.8 liter engine/v6, and that might explain why the radiators and alternators don't match up.

But something seems wrong with this. It would seem to me that the parts on a

1994 V6 should fit on a 1992 V6 with no problem, as they are the same brand of car. What I'm really interested in is IF the transmissions can be swapped between the two. If the car I buy ends up having a bad transmission, hopefully I can swap the one out of the scrapped car.
Reply to
Tysteel40

I found out a little bit more about why some parts from a corsica 92 and corsica 94 can't be swapped. From another site:

They're different. The 90-93 V6 Corsicas have 3.1MPFI engines. The 94-96 V6's have 3100SFI engines. What parts would you want to swap? Some parts you can, some you can't. (The alternator, for example, is not interchangable.)

--------------------

*Aly*
Reply to
Tysteel40

The reason the accent is 2400 is that it was only about 8k new. I thought

1700 seemed high for a 92 corsica, but I of course haven't seen it.
Reply to
hyundaitech

Going just from the information we have here I would pick the Corsica over the Hyundai. Both cars at that mileage are going to break on occasion. Parts for the Corsica will be a pittance compared to parts for the Hyundai. Both should be equally available. I imagine it might be a tad easier to get parts and service for the Corsica but have no facts to base that on.

Good luck with whichever one you pick. Ask for maintenance records on them and have a trusted mechanic check the one you decide on out before you buy.

Steve B.

Reply to
Steve B.

I went ahead and purchased the 1998 Hyundai accent. I thought it was a good value at $2400, especially since it's a 4 door car. It drives alright. It's also an automatic transmission, and not a standard.

Reply to
Tysteel40

hyundaitech wrote in rec.autos.tech

Right, it was a cheap car to begin with, has over 100K on it, and now is a cheap car with lots of miles.

Reply to
Dick C

Steve B. wrote in rec.autos.tech

I see he bought the Hyundai, but I have to disagree with you. The parts for the Corsica should be far easier to get, especially if you live in an out of the way place. And since GM sold a few different cars that were identical to corsicas, and since it was a popular car, and it is 12 years old, junk yards should have lots of used parts also.

Reply to
Dick C

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