Need New Commuter Vehicle

[jhol]

Well it is a sad day. My 1993 Chevy Lumina might have finally kicked the bucket. It has 253,000 miles on it and is leaking oil so bad I thought about putting a drip pan underneath it and recycling the oil. Anyway it finally died last night and it is time to start looking for something different.

I have a 2003 Chevy silverado I use for fishing hunting and everything else. This vehicle I want to buy needs to get me to and from work (I live in Delano and my work moves from area to area, currently in Chanhassen sometimes as far away as Hugo) I am a construction supt for a builder but do not need to carry any tools so a car or small truck is great.

I guess what I would really like to know is what gem of higher mileage vehicles have you had or a buddy has had that worked out great. I have $4,000 in cash but would prefer not to spend that much. Right now I am searching for toyotas, I looked at an isuzu hombre, maybe a ford ranger. What do you guys think???

[BoxMN]

I am usually a chevy guy, but friends have driven Honda Accords far beyond when I thought they would last.

I had a Ranger, but back in 87. I would not go that route again based on my experience, but that was a long time ago...

I have 98 Malibu, and its about 130k, but don't get that vehicle too much minor stuff keeps popping up.

[Jeremy airjer W]

97-200? Saturn S series with the dual overhead cams. I get 34MPG with the cruise set at 70 on the highway. Cheap and easy to fix which is pretty rare. The best part is you can pick them up pretty cheap!

You can't go wrong with a corrolla, prizm, accent, aveo, or civic either. You'll have to factor in replacing the timing belts on just about all of those.

I would stay away from a cobalt, contours, noens, & grand ams. After spending a couple years behind the wheel of one of those you'd be more than happy to just have to spend $800 on a timing belt every 5 years!

[jhol]

Well I just got the call from the shop I took the lumina to. Sounds like it is the fuel pump. He said we could do the pump, strainers, and filter (cheaper way) $500 or put in the pump, strainers, filter, and module (right way). Almost $800 for the right way. Now I have a decision to make. Problem is the list is long for what else is wrong with it tires, one front bearing is going out, two or three bad oil leaks, etc. Thoughts from the experts???

Thanks for the earlier responses.

[deadeye]

I echo airjer's thoughts about what kind of car to get.

As far as what to do, get a price for fixing it all. No point putting 5-800$ into it and still have another 4-5 problems to worry about.

I guess it depends on how much you like the car. It may be worth it to you to get it all fixed and know what you got to work with. Otherwise you could be starting fresh with a new, unknown set of problems.

What I do when I'm deciding to repair a car is look at what you would get if it was crashed. If someone destroys it while its parked how much would you get for it? Would you be out a bunch of money for fixing it? If so then it may be time to send the car packing. If not then get it fixed.

[Sonicrunch]

95-99 maximas are bullet proof

[TR21HP]

The Ranger is not going to get you decent gas mileage so I would stay away from that. Any thoughts on fixing the Chev and getting a motorcycle?

[jhol]

Deadeye you are right. The money to put into it would be far greater than what I would get out of insurance if it got totalled. I think I have made up my mind to ditch the old lumina. She has been great to me but I think it is time to donate it for a tax write off or take it to a junk yard.

TR21HP I am not much of a motorcycle guy besides I would still like to drive whatever I get in the winter still. I got a buddy who swears by cavaliers so I am think about that and sonicrunch is also on another possibility with a maxima, I had a buddy in high school who took his to 300k. I guess the search begins. Thanks for the input and keep em come in. It is kind of funny how much people who have higher mileage old cars love em and stand by them, a lot of my friends by them over and over again. I have even thought about another lumina.

Thanks again everybody.

[DTro]

Honda Civic

[Jeremy airjer W]

Older cavaliers you'll want to stay away from the 2.2!

[Supercrew]

The Ranger is not going to get you decent gas mileage so I would stay away from that. Any thoughts on fixing the Chev and getting a motorcycle?

Whoa Whoa Whoa wait a minute here.... I have a 2008 Ford Ranger, 4 cylinder 5 speed 2 whl drive, manual,Air/Cruise/Tilt/CD/MP3/Tint/Loaded and I have pulled 35 miles a gallon out of it on a road trip, normal driving around town is 28-31 and this truck is great. All loaded up except no power windows, and as a third entry to my fleet, an everyday comuter this truck rocks. I would buy another in a heart beat, and keep my Supercrew for trailering the boat. I don't think I will ever get my wife out of her 2006 Fusion with that said yes I am a Ford man, but you can't argue with value and affordability, and reliability, at least for me these cars/trucks have been gas and oil and some insurance.....(the CREW is a 2001, special order and the best thing I ever did) If you can't swing it new look at the used, my guess is you won't find any Rangers with low milage cus nobody gives them up....Any ? [email protected] I have no problem answering your questions.

[Sonicrunch]

sonicrunch is also on another possibility with a maxima, I had a buddy in high school who took his to 300k.

Mine just kicked over 200k. There is no end in sight. I also use this car to pull my boat and my snowmobile. The brakes are awesome. The engine is the real highlight.

The real problem with cars is never any of the internal engine components. What goes bad are the sensors, injectors, and etc electronics. This is where the Japanese cars shine, because their electronics last much longer than the domestic and European cars.

[Scott K]

I was going to sugguest the Fusion, but with a 4K max, that would be pushing it.

[TR21HP]

Supercrew,I was basing my observations on my son's 1999 Ranger XLT, 4x4, off road with the 4.0 litre V6. It gets 17 mpg at best. I apologize, I should have mentioned the specs. It is a great truck though I get better gas mileage with my F150 with the 5.4.

[Supercrew]

Don't get me started on Son's driving habits. My oldest son stores his 1972 Chevy lowrider for the winter and drives my Crew to and from school(and girlfriends house) and for some reason can go through more gas in a week than I can in a month....I love my F150 and the Ranger allows me to keep both. I only wish I had more room in the cab of the Ranger, to stay on the thread my Bro-in-law is going on 300K on a late 80's Toy pickup... the body is shot but it runs like a swiss watch.

[Jeremy airjer W]

A Fusion, really?

[brrrr]

I have had good luck with the Geo /Chev Tracker - Suzuki vitara if you can find one with lower miles. I use to get 25 mpg with the 4x4 5 speed and it was a great commuter. However it is not a family car it gets "crowded" in a hurry. I have heard of several of the 1.6 enginges going to 170K miles but I wouldn't trust post 200k on the engines. parts were pretty cheap as I recall and the 4x4 would get you through most snow and muddy parking areas. The v6 they used was supposed to be a good motor also but I have no experience with them.

You may want to post questions of what vehicles you find "available" for opinions because in your price range finding a suitible candidate is giong to be hit and miss.

about 6 months ago I was looking for basically the same thing as you in the same price range. what I got ($2000 explorer) was not at all what I originally started looking for. If you waould have told me on the onset I would get another explorer I would have said "No"

but I drive about 60 miles a day (consistently) and the mpg vs. price of the vehicle and the utility just worked out as a good deal.

good luck with the hunt.

[jhol]

airjer Why do you say that to a Fusion??

I have found a couple nissan sentras, a couple hondas, boy I am not sure, everyone I talk to has a different opinon on stuff. I had a friend in high school who used to drive the [PoorWordUsage] out of buick's I even have looked at some of those.

[Scott K]

A Fusion, really?

I have found them to be a very reliable car. Good gas milage, comfortable, roomy, and if you get the v6, they have some pretty decent power.

[CJH]

Fusions get pretty good reviews.....

[Scott K]

If I was in need of getting a different car right now, the Fusion would be it.

[deadeye]

Ya, Im not really a Ford guy myself but I have never had anything bad to say about the Fusion. They are easy on gas, comfortable and reliable.(boring IMO but at least you can get it in AWD with a v6) I would get that before a comparable GM for sure. Like said it might be a little tough to find one in the 4k price range but if you look through all the channels it is possible.

Remember too, that a lot of those small cars that have been listed are going to be a timing belt car. Make sure you either get a record of that being replaced or get it replaced when you get it. It is the achilles heel of a lot of cars out there.

[skolfoppa]

Volkswagon TDIs have good engines and get amazing mileage(38+mpg). I don't own one but would check them out if I needed a commuter. My.02. Skol.

[Jeremy airjer W]

airjer Why do you say that to a Fusion??

I haven't run into to many of them. If I had to put money on a Domestic vehicle breaking into the import niche Ford will probably be the one to build it. If they could just think ahead and not mount a fuel pump control module with an aluminum heat sink directly to a cross member!!

[Jeremy airjer W]

Volkswagon TDIs have good engines and get amazing mileage(38+mpg). I don't own one but would check them out if I needed a commuter. My.02. Skol.

Not the most user friendly and do it yourself oriented vehicle on the road. If you bust a t-belt on a 1.8 turbo your looking at $3,000 easy! I've never found European cars to be ergonomic or functional and sometimes there just backwards in the way they do things.