Searching for Second Car...need opinions

[stacyRX]

I know I'm definately not the first one to ask, but I need an opinion on my second car. I currently own a 94 Tracer, and I'm looking for something more reliable, a bit newer, with a bit more power. I'm 17 and I've had my license for two years now, and I have my own job so the car will be paid for by me, insurance and all. My price range is up to 13,000 because I don't want to be paying on my car when I'm out of college. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[kman10587]

I'd go with a late 90's Camry V6 or Accord V6, mainly because they are extremely reliable and the insurance won't be all that bad.

[phlygirl1437]

I agree, unless you want something even more sporty. I myself am in the same boat as you are. I have a 4x4 truck, so now I'm looking for something that will fit my commuting needs better.

I, however, am particularly looking for something relatively sporty. Still deciding if I want a four-door or a coup.

Anyway, best advice I can give you is to visit some car lots and test drive some cars that peak your interest. If you find something you really like, ask us specifics about that certain car.

Good luck to ya!

[kman10587]

That's a good idea, check out some used lots and see what interests you.

[MunG35]

99 Accord V6
99 Jetta Vr6
97 BMW 325i

3 cars that rock your world...

[Oldengineer]

For that kind of money, you should be able to pick up a nice 1 year old Chrysler Sebring or Dodge Stratus 2 or 4 door with 200 HP V6 and plenty of factory warranty left. Catch one coming in off a 12 month lease.

Regards and happy shopping:
Oldengineer

[TorinoGT69]

you do not want a used chrysler product, very unreliable.

[Nexagen]

For $13 grand you can buy a good condition 2000-2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT. It's very reliable and I own the 4 Cyl version of the car, but have driven the V6 GT version and it's just fun everytime you get in the car.

I once saw a Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder 2003 GTS on sale on Ebay for $15,000 that was white with tan top and tan interior. It would make a nice car for a girl.

I've put about 88 Thousand miles in my 2000 Eclipse and I've got to say I can probably put another 88 in it and it will still kick ass. It's never let me down and I never let it down because I give it an oil change every 3,000 miles and I am upgrading it every other week.

On highways there's nothing more cool then to see other people who bought their camry's and altimas and sentras and corollas and of course not to mention civics get beaten in daily commuting by my 2000 Eclipse as it weaves through traffic on highways. The 4 Cyl versions also can get MPG as much as 300 Miles on one tank if you take it easy. Not to mention they look sporty and with convertible...

Let's put it this way if you want a cool convertable for less than $15,000 and not spend too much on gas... How could you NOT go with a 2000+ Spyder?

Mitsubishi all the way baby!
-Nexagen

[Oldengineer]

Originally Posted by TorinoGT69

you do not want a used chrysler product, very unreliable.

Sorry to disagree with you. My last 14 business use vehicles have been Chryslers, and, all of them have gone 100K without problems. Bought 2 of them that came in off 1 yr leases at great prices, and, had no problems with them at all. With the some of the money you save not buying Japanese, you can extend the factory warranty out nicely. Most unreliable car of late - bought my daughter a nice used Honda to drive to college. The thing was a black hole for money, and, at 86 K the engine was in need of an overhaul. We swapped it for a new Ford. My son bought a 99 Nissan Sentra last year. This past December, it pucked its distributor at about 50K while he was on a trip. Dealer wanted $800 to fix it. My son also bought a brand new Hyundai a couple years ago. Thanks to the 100K warranty these things have, he didn't have to pay for the valve job it needed at 48K, and, the 4 oxygen sensors that have gone bad , and the other various things that have fallen off of it.

Regards:
Oldengineer

[DinanM3_S2]

Come on, your trying to argue Chrysler's reliability... Im pretty sure there ranked among the Koreans as far as reliability according to consumer reports. I have a hard time believing a well maintained, hell, even an average person's honda would last less then 100,000 miles. They are also absolutely no fun to drive at all. They're practically designed to go to rental companies. The new 300c looks good, but thats about it. (Crossfire is overpriced)

You may be able to find a used BMW E36 3-Series for around $13,000, and they tend to go up to 200,000 miles, and handle very well.

The MK3 eclipses are ok, but the MK2 were awesome. Everything about them is better. Much nicer, much quicker, and should be cheaper. If your lucky you could find a GSX (AWD + Turbo).

Accord's are tried and true. Simply the best sedan underneath the 3-series' price.

Camry is about the same as the Accord, except it will last longer, but be less fun.

[erinmaethompson]

good luck

[TorinoGT69]

Originally Posted by Oldengineer

Sorry to disagree with you. My last 14 business use vehicles have been Chryslers, and, all of them have gone 100K without problems. Bought 2 of them that came in off 1 yr leases at great prices, and, had no problems with them at all. With the some of the money you save not buying Japanese, you can extend the factory warranty out nicely. Most unreliable car of late - bought my daughter a nice used Honda to drive to college. The thing was a black hole for money, and, at 86 K the engine was in need of an overhaul. We swapped it for a new Ford. My son bought a 99 Nissan Sentra last year. This past December, it pucked its distributor at about 50K while he was on a trip. Dealer wanted $800 to fix it. My son also bought a brand new Hyundai a couple years ago. Thanks to the 100K warranty these things have, he didn't have to pay for the valve job it needed at 48K, and, the 4 oxygen sensors that have gone bad , and the other various things that have fallen off of it.

Regards:
Oldengineer

Glad to see you have had good luck with your chryslers but that is far from the norm. I do mechanical pre-purchase inspections on vehicles for a living and I drive and check more vehicles in one week than most people own in a lifetime and trust me chryslers are on the bottom rung of the quality level. Only to be out done by your hyundai, kia, and daewoos.

[Oldengineer]

Interesting comment on Chrysler. I did try a 1991 Accord for business. Bought the car brand new and traded it off at 22K because it sat at the dealer being worked on an excessive amount of time. Thought seriously about trying another Accord when I replace the current car, but, a friend, who is a Honda mechanic, indicated that of late, Honda had a huge problem with the automatics in the V6 Accords. Have had good luck with a number of Fords as well - ran a Fiesta, and 3 Escorts to well over 100K in business use without any problems. In fact, I replaced my wife's Dodge with a new Ford product last May. Did a bunch of research, and, test drove the German and Japanese contenders before selecting it.

Regards:
Oldengineer