Best Used Car for Under $10,000

[NoSkillz50]

Re: Best Used Car for Under $10,000

I got a 03 corolla S for about 12k about a year ago. It had like 20k miles but it was in good shape and I've had no problems with it. I'm 6'1" and theres plenty of leg room. You might wana check that out.

[Stu]

Re: Best Used Car for Under $10,000

Thanks for all the advice, but I ended up buying a car today. Kind of went in a different direction than I thought I was going to and bought this:

http://www.autotrader.com/dealers/dda/detail.jsp?car_id=201033458&dealer_id=1361918&car_year=2003&dealership_view_name=bournesleasingandsales&model=&start_year=1981&result_car_id=null&search_type=both&suppressStyle=null&make=JEEP&min_price=&sort_type=make_modelASC&end_year=2007&max_price=&cardist=25

[pistonpete]

Re: Best Used Car for Under $10,000

good choice in the jeep; just thought i'd weigh in on the sonata. i'd have to say that contrary to what other posters have said about the hyundai sonata, it is a fantastic car. my wife has one with 73k on it and it is roomy, has good power (v6 with tiptronic type automatic transmission) the reliability rating from JD Powers and others is comparable with Honda, Nissan, and Toyota. the early years of car sales for Hyundai here in the US were ugly and their reliability was poor, but for the past 7-8 years there cars have been really good. i have not had one problem with my car and look to purchase their top of the line SUV (Terracan) when it comes out in 07. and as far as American cars go, i'd have to disagree with other posters who say US made vehicles are no good; the competition is too stiff with the Japanese, German, and now lately Korean car manufacturers for the US to turn out inferior products. most of the difference you see is in the level of refinement for the dollar. with the Japanese especially you get the highest level of fit and finish and reliability for the dollar of any region, with the Germans you get superior raw performance and sport, with the US you get good dependability, value for the dollar, and a modicum of performance. i guess with the US you'd have to say they do everything reasonably well, without being outstanding. but for most people, that's good enough. btw, with the design of today's drivetrains, with reasonable maintenance, most cars will give you 100,000 miles at least.

[philliesfan980]

Re: Best Used Car for Under $10,000

Thanks for all the advice, but I ended up buying a car today. Kind of went in a different direction than I thought I was going to and bought this:

http://www.autotrader.com/dealers/dd...ce=&cardist=25

Really don't wanna sound like a jerk or anything, but get ready to spend a small fortune in repairs. You'll need new breaks/rotors every 15K approx.

[mjb2124]

Re: Best Used Car for Under $10,000

Really don't wanna sound like a jerk or anything, but get ready to spend a small fortune in repairs. You'll need new breaks/rotors every 15K approx.

Hmmm.... Sounds very early for new brake pads unless he drives the Jeep VERY hard. Also there's typically no need for new rotors unless he doesn't replace the brake pads when they first show signs of wear (and then the rotors can sometimes be shaved instead of replaced).

[burnwood]

Re: Best Used Car for Under $10,000

I need some advice on what car to get. My current car isn't going to pass inspection so it's time to move on. However, my budget is very limited right now since I'm saving for a wedding and a house. I have about $2000 available for a down payment and would like to keep my monthly payment under $200 a month.

I'm not the type of guy who really cares what I drive as long as it gets me from one place to the next. I take public transportation for my job so don't even drive that much during the week. My only requirement is that it have decent leg room since i'm 6'4"

Get a 1995 BMW 525i. They are well under 10,000 and are ultra reliable and rides excellent--even with a good amount of miles on it.

I have a 1995 530i with over 150,000 miles on it and it runs fantastic as my daily driver. I am a little biased since this is my fourth BMW.

If you find one then make sure you've seen the last few service records.




Edit: Guess I should have read ahead. I'm late to the party.

[Stu]

Re: Best Used Car for Under $10,000

Hmmm.... Sounds very early for new brake pads unless he drives the Jeep VERY hard. Also there's typically no need for new rotors unless he doesn't replace the brake pads when they first show signs of wear (and then the rotors can sometimes be shaved instead of replaced).

I won't be driving it hard at all. I have about a 2 mile commute every day and will be using my fiance's car for any trips where gas mileage is an issue. We'll use the Jeep for camping, skiing, etc which we do a good amount of. I expect to put about 8-10k miles on a year.

[philliesfan980]

Re: Best Used Car for Under $10,000

I won't be driving it hard at all. I have about a 2 mile commute every day and will be using my fiance's car for any trips where gas mileage is an issue. We'll use the Jeep for camping, skiing, etc which we do a good amount of. I expect to put about 8-10k miles on a year.

It wasn't really a comment on your driving habits - its just a Jeep problem in general. Jeeps are famous for going through Breaks/Rotors like crazy. Check it out on edmunds.com. I'm also looking to get a new vehicle, and I was checking out an 04 Grand Cherokee, but decided against it for this reason. Now I'm looking at the X-Terra. Good thing gas prices are low!!!

[23]

Re: Best Used Car for Under $10,000

Nope, find yourself a good Honda, or a Toyota... they last for an eternity

[mjb2124]

Re: Best Used Car for Under $10,000

It wasn't really a comment on your driving habits - its just a Jeep problem in general. Jeeps are famous for going through Breaks/Rotors like crazy.

Why not get different brake pads if the factory one's installed by Jeep are that poor in terms of usage?

Regarding the rotors, they shouldn't have to be replaced that often unless the driver is still driving/braking while the brake pads are very low which could warp them.

I don't have any experience with Jeeps so I could be way off, but in my experience working on other cars for fun, there should be a simple solution to brake pad/rotor problems. Just trying to help Camulos out as he's a good guy and hopefully this isn't a big issue for him.

[philliesfan980]

Re: Best Used Car for Under $10,000

Why not get different brake pads if the factory one's installed by Jeep are that poor in terms of usage?

Regarding the rotors, they shouldn't have to be replaced that often unless the driver is still driving/braking while the brake pads are very low which could warp them.

I don't have any experience with Jeeps so I could be way off, but in my experience working on other cars for fun, there should be a simple solution to brake pad/rotor problems. Just trying to help Camulos out as he's a good guy and hopefully this isn't a big issue for him.

Yeah, he's a good guy, I certainly hope that he doesn't encounter any problems. You're right, you would think that a different brand of rotors/breaks would solve the problem, but I think it has to do with general design more than anything else. Again, I don't have any first hand experience, just basing this off of what I've read on many forums and my discussions with jeep owners.

[Stu]

Re: Best Used Car for Under $10,000

Yeah, he's a good guy, I certainly hope that he doesn't encounter any problems. You're right, you would think that a different brand of rotors/breaks would solve the problem, but I think it has to do with general design more than anything else. Again, I don't have any first hand experience, just basing this off of what I've read on many forums and my discussions with jeep owners.

Any idea what year you've heard complaints from? According to this page, there was an issue with the brake calipers in 2002 and earlier. Hopefully Im in the clear.

http://www.wjjeeps.com/brakes.htm

[philliesfan980]

Re: Best Used Car for Under $10,000

Any idea what year you've heard complaints from? According to this page, there was an issue with the brake calipers in 2002 and earlier. Hopefully Im in the clear.

http://www.wjjeeps.com/brakes.htm

Check out edmunds.com, its a great car site. It has many professional and customer reviews, as well as an extensive forum. You can also check out carreviews.com

[Husker_OS]

Re: Best Used Car for Under $10,000

Thanks for all the advice, but I ended up buying a car today. Kind of went in a different direction than I thought I was going to and bought this:

http://www.autotrader.com/dealers/dd...ce=&cardist=25

Good choice. I've got an '04 Grand Cherokee Special Edition. I love it. Rides great. And its a Jeep, so you know what it can do


And if you're buying new tires for it, I highly recommend the Goodyear Wrangler SR-A's.

[Stu]

Re: Best Used Car for Under $10,000

Good choice. I've got an '04 Grand Cherokee Special Edition. I love it. Rides great. And its a Jeep, so you know what it can do


And if you're buying new tires for it, I highly recommend the Goodyear Wrangler SR-A's.

Nice. I got them to throw in new tires so don't have to worry about that for awhile.