which car should I buy? college student

doctorman said: need a car to go to college from my apt couple times a week and also to go to back to new york once every 6 weeks or soWhat about the trains and subways?

train an option take way too much time out of my day and kills the point.

if the 2003 corolla is my best option I would try to make it to that amount but I dont think i can get that under 5k$

toyota's reliability and low cost of maintenance is proven

any other choices more in range?

Yugo

Ford Focus

ppatin said: Ford Focus
2001 or later, stay away from the 2000 model year

1990 Honda Accord. Or older or newer depending on what you can afford. It might be older but the Accord is a higher end better built car than the smaller economy versions (Civic, Corolla) and might be more reliable and sturdier. If you're willing to pay more like $5000 you might find a 95 or later Accord.

I am afraid a 1990 accord for 1K-3K$ will cost me 1K$ in maintenance each year without increasing the price of the car what so ever...

doctorman said: I am afraid a 1990 accord for 1K-3K$ will cost me 1K$ in maintenance each year without increasing the price of the car what so ever...

Yes, maintenance costs do not increase the value of a car. That's been a given since cars were invented.

I drove a 1985 Honda Accord until 2004 when I sold it for $500 although still running fine. The only problem was the ac went and that was the last straw for me.

I bought a 2000 Honda Civic because it seemed like a big upgrade, but the 85 Accord was more comfortable, had more features, more powerful, and cost less on insurance because it was older. It had a bigger engine than the 2000 Civic.

A 1990 Accord will save you scores and possibly hundreds of dollars in insurance over a 2003 car.

You might be able to find as late as a 98 Accord for $5K.

doctorman said:

do you think I can trust a 15 year old accord with travel between MD - NY for 240mile each way?

Probably. I drove an 18 year old Accord such distances.

I will look into it

also another cost is the gas civic takes much less gas should I consider that over the accord or is not much?

A valid point. My 2004 Civic gets an average of 4-6 mpg more than my 85 Accord. It also depends somewhat on the year of the car. If gas prices were high the year before and during production of the vehicle they sometimes had better gas mileage than other years


on the other hand no one mentioned if insurance under my dad's name without me being under it will be a problem.

This means the car will be owned by your Dad? I think you will have to be an assigned driver, and the insurance company may ask how much you are going to drive it. It's best to answer truthfully because if the insurance company discovers a discrepancy they can refuse a claim or cancel insurance.

doctorman said: ford doesnt sound that reliable specially in higher mileages

My comment was somewhat tongue in cheek.

That being said, one good thing about the Focus's reliability reputation is that they depreciate VERY quickly. I was able to buy Whitey (my current car) for around $4k with only 55k miles on her.

Are you currently on your Dad's insurance? If not, then the premiums may be a deal killer. They can be very high for someone who is not previously covered and is under 25. You don't want to go too cheap on the coverage if the car is in your Dad's name, as his assests are at risk. If you can put it in your name, then you can get away with state minimums.

I wouldn't completely dismiss Fords. Mine made it to 210,000 miles with very little problems. The parts are cheap and readily available. Lots of mechanics know how to work on them, so labor it typically pretty quick/cheap.

i still like the train/METRO idea

I will look into the ford focus as well. I just dont want to get stuck in the middle of no where between 2 states.

as for the insurance I am very sure it will be a deal killer if I get it for myself. 3K probably just for liability. and on a cheap car full coverage is just nonsense isnt it?

Saab 900

http://www.saabnet.com/tsn/class/900-94.html

Argyll said: doctorman said: I am afraid a 1990 accord for 1K-3K$ will cost me 1K$ in maintenance each year without increasing the price of the car what so ever...

Yes, maintenance costs do not increase the value of a car. That's been a given since cars were invented.

I drove a 1985 Honda Accord until 2004 when I sold it for $500 although still running fine. The only problem was the ac went and that was the last straw for me.

I bought a 2000 Honda Civic because it seemed like a big upgrade, but the 85 Accord was more comfortable, had more features, more powerful, and cost less on insurance because it was older. It had a bigger engine than the 2000 Civic.

A 1990 Accord will save you scores and possibly hundreds of dollars in insurance over a 2003 car.

You might be able to find as late as a 98 Accord for $5K.the late 8os/early 90s hondas and toyotas are the gems of the used auto world. simple cheap and reliable.

of course youre driving a crappy underpowered transportation appliance, but it will do what its supposed to do at low cost

Nike

How about a motorcycle or a scooter, now a girl have no excuses but to hold on.

doctorman said: I am afraid a 1990 accord for 1K-3K$ will cost me 1K$ in maintenance each year without increasing the price of the car what so ever...

Any car, new or old will require maintenance. You either learn how to do it your self, or pay someone to do it.

Any pre-2001 Civics will have a timing belt, which needs to be changed at 60,000-105,000 mile intervals. Almost all of the cars offered for sale in your price range are offered for sale because they are in need of a new timing belt. It is a $600 job at the dealer.

All cars will require oil changes. You can do it your self and make money on it by submitting rebates, or pay a grease monkey to do a subpar job and possibly making your engine lose oil on the highway (search Jiffy lube, or any quick lube horror stories), oil filter should be replaced at that time as well.

All cars will require air filter replacements. Either learn to do it your self and just pay for the filter ($10) or have someone do it ($50)

All cars will require new tires every 20,000-80,000 miles. Don't expect the "beater with the heater" to have new tires on it. ($200 minimum, $500 average)

All cars will need brakes replaced between 20,000-80,000 miles. Don't expect the "beater with the heater" to have new brakes. ($150 minimum, $300 average)

If you are getting automatic, the trasmission fluid, especially on a Honda has to be replaced every 30,000 miles with Honda ATF Z-1 ONLY!!! which is ONLY sold at the dealer. ($20 in parts form the dealer, expect to pay $80 in labor, unless you do it your self)

All of the late 90's Hondas have 105,000 mile plugs, which will need to be replaced. The cost is between $7/plug in parts (NGK only) to $100+ to have someone do it. Replace the wires as well at this point.

Brake fluid should be replaced every 3 years regardless of mileage. Expect to pay $100 or so to have someone bleed the brakes, or do it with a friend for the cost of the fluid ($6).

The list goes on and on and on. Maintenance is what keeps a car running. Once you stop maintaining a car, it will stop running sooner or later. So, regardless what car you get, you have to budget for the maintenance. Add the cost of unscheduled repairs, and you are running more than a $1000 a year to keep driving.

Kind of makes the extra 2 hours it takes on the train from MD to NYC all worth while, doesn't it?

ppatin said: The OP should consider a Hyundai (and this time I'm not joking.) Hyundai has made huge improvements in reliability in recent years, however in many people's minds they're still synonymous with crap so they depreciate faster than Hondas, Toyotas, etc.

hell no. Listen, I support you on the recent quality of hyundai, and I bought a US made Sonata, but its the wrong advice for the situation.

The older hyundais available for 2-3k still suck.