I know what you mean, but with some fixing up even a very cheap car can give decent service as long as the model hasn't earned a bad reputation and there is no sludge under the oil filler cap or rust (even a trace) in the cooling system. I drove a $500 car for five years and a $650 car for almost ten years... although both needed engine rebuilds off the bat. (The Plymouth had a bad rod knock and the Volvo had broken rings from detonation.) Even with that each was under $1500 total.
Mike
Perhaps but if I recall the person was counting on the vehicle to get to work daily. A car that is only worth only $1,500 would not be my choice. ;)
mike
I used to own a 1982 Prelude... rusty & unreliable, underpowered,
*imaginative* engineering (CVCC Engine & 2-speed Hondamatic tranny)... compared to my 5-speed 1979 Celica GT Coupe, it was a total POS. I won't even compare that *thing* to my 351 '79 Tbird, or my current 1999 Grand Marquis LS...Could be worse, could be a Contour :)
The 'Ludes don't have a sparkling reputation, even among Honda enthusiasts. I like the "imaginative" engineering observation!
Mike
I have a '95 Crown Vic and a '93 Cougar (MN12) - both are solid, strong, good cars. I'd suggest a Vic or Grand Marquis (almost bulletproof) but a youngster might prefer the MN12 TBird/Cougar...
PoD
ifwant to spend 1500$ for a car get a japan car because they are good in callity i recomend you honda, toyota or mazda, i have a toyota tercel 1.5L motor, cheap on gas, and they are good cars i have tercel
92 with 285 000km in this 2 last years i had only change suspenssion and the alternator. or get a honda civic they are also 1.5L but the car is a little more spensive..ONE MORE THINK NEVER BUY A AMERICAN CAR AT LEAST IN CANADA FOR LEAST THAT 2000$, BELOW THAT THEY ARE FOR SCRAP!. PERSONAL EXERIENCE.
That's really stickin' your kneck out. If you can buy right, there ARE some pretty decent so-called "american" cars you can pick up cheap in Canada. Any Japanese car you can buy, normally, for under $2000 is beat. They hold their value too well. Again, if you know what you are doing, and are not in a hurry, you can find some of the less popular models in not pretty, but decent mechanical shape, for a decent price. Any civic in southwestern ontario that is in any shape at all gets snapped up by the "rice rocket" boys at what I consider to be a premium price. Find a decent late model Escort. It's a mazda in disguise and not a high demand vehicle - particularly a 5 speed wagon.
That's pretty much what I was thinking. Even mid-80s Hondas are selling for more than $1500 here, and Toyotas are rare. I know buying unfamiliar cars is a minefield - that's why I asked. I've had a lot of great responses here, giving me a better sense of the good, the bad and the ugly. Escorts had been off my list because of friends' and family's experiences with older models. It's a pleasant surprise that they can also be good bets.
Do you know when the "late model" started for the Escort?
Mike
reading your retry it seen that they are alot of diferences of prices, in every province because in QC i find alot of pretty good shappe tercel92, mazda protege 92 and hondas, 91 for around 1500$, american cars of the 80's are strong, but for a someone that needs a car cheap on gas is not the best idea, 90s cars, well personaly i had 92 corsica135kk, 93 escort188kk, and 95 cavalier197kk, and let me tellyou i had soo many problems with them. my father has a cavalier 99 185kk oil leaking , bad bearring, my friend has a neon 2000 138kk burring oil. i explain what i see my self. maybe is bad luck i don't know but is is my point of view.
reading your retry it seen that they are alot of diferences of prices, in every province because in QC i find alot of pretty good shappe tercel92, mazda protege 92 and hondas, 91 for around 1500$, american cars of the 80's are strong, but for a someone that needs a car cheap on gas is not the best idea, 90s cars, well personaly i had 92 corsica135kk, 93 escort188kk, and 95 cavalier197kk, and let me tellyou i had soo many problems with them. my father has a cavalier 99 185kk oil leaking , bad bearring, my friend has a neon 2000 138kk burring oil. i explain what i see my self. maybe is bad luck i don't know but is is my point of view.
Problem with '92 tercels is the body on a $1500 one is usually just about gone. There are SIX tercels, 1990 to 1992 in AutoTrader in ALL of ontario under $2000. All are in the GTA, and none are certified or E-Tested. Only one is a 1992, and it is $1700 with 270,000km on it. eight 90-92 protoge in all of Ontario under $2000. About 32 Civics. Virtually all 1500 and down are rusty or damaged (need windsheild, etc)
'96 escort wagon,e-tested, $800. 95 escort LX wagon, etested, 1295,
1996 Escort LXE with 122000km, $1200. 1993 escort coupe, 135,000km - needs work for safety-$999. 1995 LX wagon, $875. Can't remember, but IIRC 1995 and up are the best.
Maybe that is why prices are staying up so much here in Arizona. Rust is very rare, even here in the mountains. Until recently the roads were not salted, but were spread with volcanic cinders that are so plentiful here. Many roads are not salted even now. We have literally mountains of cinders.
That gives me something to go on. Thanks!
Mike
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