Need A New Car...

[Tespo125]

My 1987 Honda Accord DX is struggling. Right now it's sitting in my driveway temporarily dead. I got the car for free, but I've dropped maybe $400 on repairs in the last 6 months. So I struck up a deal with the mother. She says I have a $5000 spending limit on a new car. However it has to be from a dealer because she needs to finance it, so I can't pay in one lump sum to a private owner. Any suggestions on what I should look for? Right now I'm looking at a V8 Cadillac DeVille, and I must say I'm liking it alot.

[Zenithian Legend]

ya know I've always liked your avatar cuz... man, what is that thing?

[LV-426RS]

you won't find a caddy for 5 grand worth having.

[ig88vsbobafett]

The Cars i recommend to Every one are the

Pontiac Grand Prix (my brother got a 98GT with all options for $5000)
Pontaic Bonniville
Buick Park Ave (old person car BUT AWSOME) and most likly babyed all its life the ULTRAs have a 240Hp V6 and Leather
Buick Lesaber

Any GM (with the 3800 V6 Motor) They last forver and never brake down

www.cars.com
www.autotrader.com




My 1987 Honda Accord DX is struggling. Right now it's sitting in my driveway temporarily dead. I got the car for free, but I've dropped maybe $400 on repairs in the last 6 months. So I struck up a deal with the mother. She says I have a $5000 spending limit on a new car. However it has to be from a dealer because she needs to finance it, so I can't pay in one lump sum to a private owner. Any suggestions on what I should look for? Right now I'm looking at a V8 Cadillac DeVille, and I must say I'm liking it alot.

[LV-426RS]

Not true about the 3800 v6.

Also try the 99-newer altimas. Excellent milage and not too small like the civics and what not.

[ig88vsbobafett]

Ummm have you owned one ? I had a 88 with 213k miles on and and still running great (only changed the Alt and Starter) both 10 min jobs)

and my brothers GP has 105k No problems


Not true about the 3800 v6.

Also try the 99-newer altimas. Excellent milage and not too small like the civics and what not.

[LV-426RS]

I've not had one, however my step-dad has one... garbage. My sister had one... garbage. And a person at work had one... garbage.

Of course I know quite a few people with them that have had no problems. But they are far from life-time engines that never break.

I'm not trashing GM. I've got an lt1 firebird that took 120,000 HARD driven miles to finally break. But thay are far from the best out there.

[Tennisjon2002]

I've not had one, however my step-dad has one... garbage. My sister had one... garbage. And a person at work had one... garbage.

Of course I know quite a few people with them that have had no problems. But they are far from life-time engines that never break.

I'm not trashing GM. I've got an lt1 firebird that took 120,000 HARD driven miles to finally break. But thay are far from the best out there.
Agreed, I am a car geek and I will tell you one thing if u want a car that will last a long time, go asian. No joke asian cars last so much longer than american it isn't funny. Toyota Honda and Nissan are the best. My family owns all 3

[5_Against_1]

you don't need to go through a dealer to get financing...if your mom is a member of a credit union she go there...its just normally easier to go through a dealership. You can get a 99 altima fully loaded for about $5500 around here, I would recommend that, my mother in law has one, and one of the guys I work with just bought one from another guy we work with

[ZForce915]

I just sold my 88 Honda Civic and got a 2001 Saturn SL1. It's not a bad car. It only has 31K miles on it, so that was a big selling point. We were in the same boat, old Hondas that had to go!

[Cornfedwb]

The 3800 is NOT a strong motor. They have major problems with leaky intake gaskets and head warpage. A good running 100k 3800 is a rarity.

And while imports may last longer, they're much more expensive to repair (especially Toyota). I'd look at the midsize domestic cars. Ford Taurus, Chevy Malibu, Chevy Lumina, Pontiac Grand Prix, Dodge Intrepid, Dodge Stratus. All of those have good track records, are relatively reliable, inexpensive-ish to repair and can be had for a good price.

I'd avoid the Cadillac. If you get a 4.1L, 4.5L or 4.9L.. the motors good for a boat anchor and that's about it... if you get a 4.6L, $5,000 is going to get you a junker if anything.

And for reference, I'm an ASE L2 Master Tech with P2 certification, I work in the automotive field daily.. I do know where I'm coming from here.

[Quackzilla]

Get a hybrid, not only will you save money on gas but I won't have to breath so much exaust fumes.

[Grave_Addiction]

I'd get a DSM if I were you. You can get a first gen for only a couple grand, or you can get a sweet second gen. for about what your looking for. If you look hard enough, you'll be able to find a five-speed turbo all-wheel-drive one, too.

Those things are super sweet. I have a 91 Eagle Talon TSi, and I love it to death. Her name is the Wombat Chow Claw of Destruction!

This is a first gen Eagle Talon like mine.
http://www.engintecs.com/albums1/album21/D.jpg

Here's a nice second gen.
http://www.theautochannel.com/media/photos/eagle/1998/98_eagle_talon_tsi_awd.jpg

[Squirms]

I have a 1998 Dodge Neon, stick shift, DOHC. It runs great, has about 45,000 miles and only cost me $3995. I haven't had any problems with it. It's not super fast, but can get up and go pretty good. Plus there are quite a few things you can do to modify it, if you're into that kind of thing.

[bignick]

The 3800 is NOT a strong motor. They have major problems with leaky intake gaskets and head warpage. A good running 100k 3800 is a rarity.

And while imports may last longer, they're much more expensive to repair (especially Toyota). I'd look at the midsize domestic cars. Ford Taurus, Chevy Malibu, Chevy Lumina, Pontiac Grand Prix, Dodge Intrepid, Dodge Stratus. All of those have good track records, are relatively reliable, inexpensive-ish to repair and can be had for a good price.

I'd avoid the Cadillac. If you get a 4.1L, 4.5L or 4.9L.. the motors good for a boat anchor and that's about it... if you get a 4.6L, $5,000 is going to get you a junker if anything.

And for reference, I'm an ASE L2 Master Tech with P2 certification, I work in the automotive field daily.. I do know where I'm coming from here.

what he said. ^^ The 3800 is old. Malibu and Intrepids are nice. Sice they are american made, they will be cheap to repair, and any mechanic can do it. 97 Ford Crown Vics are good. I use to have a 93, and it kicked ass.

[johnnyoski]

You might also want to consider a Saturn.
It might not be the coolest car to own, but the gas mileage and quality of the car really make it a good deal if you don't mind driving a 4-cyl.
I put 150K miles on mine before I traded it in.

[Tespo125]

The Caddy I'm looking at is as follows:

1995 Concours Edition (a step up from regular DeVille)
V8, 300hp
Options: Leather Int, CD/Cassette, Power everything
80k miles
Flaws: "Transmission whines a bit, driver side door lock broken, and 'Service Ride Control' light is always on"

Price: $2900

Is this a good deal?

[ex0]

No it's not. You really should go asian, but if you MUST go american I'd stay away from caddy's.

[bignick]

tranny will be 800-1500 to fix

[johnnyoski]

No way I pay that much for it. Like BN said the trans alone will cost you over $1K to fix.
Also if you plan on putting alot of miles on this vehicle your gas expenses are going to be extremely high.

[LV-426RS]

I've heard that chrysler's/dodges are iffy on ealry/md 90's models.

And as an above poster stated about the 99 altima, I too have one and strongly recommend it.

[sying]

www.cheapasscars.com Cheapy, get on it.
*cracks whip* :D

[bignick]

I would look for late 90's hondas. Not the best rides, but reliable. My dad still drives his 94 civic hatchback. He wont give it up until it stops giving him 40+mpg.

[Tennisjon2002]

I would look for late 90's hondas. Not the best rides, but reliable. My dad still drives his 94 civic hatchback. He wont give it up until it stops giving him 40+mpg.
I got a 97 accord with 60k on it, been in 2 major accidents and only probablem I have had so far is a new transmition about 2 years ago which Honda replaced free of charge

[jeffreyjrose]

http://www.nctd.com/review-intro.cfm?ReviewID=74

"its 0-to-60 mph time of 8.2 seconds would be nothing to sneeze at even in cars significantly lighter than the 2-ton Concours"

I say get the Caddy. You may have to stick a grand into the tranny in less than a year... but even then, you are only $3900 into a car that will ride like a dream. The car was probably well taken care of by its first owner due to the initial high price tag. If you get in a wreck, this car has much more to offer in terms of saving your life vs. a small "Asian car" as a few posters are so hyped on.

And johnnyoski, gas expenses won't be high... the newer motors in full sized cars have been keyed to run at such low RPMs that they can do almost as well as compact cars with four bangers. Check out: http://www.carsurvey.org/review_14903.html. I had a 95 Buick Roadmaster that hit 28 mpg consistently on the highway (23 in town)... and the engine in this Caddy seems to be comparable.

Try getting power everything on a compact car... yeah, I know, it almost doesn't exist. The Deville will have more features then you'll know what to do with, and that is always a good thing. I can't believe how often I wish my Chevy Prizm (Toyota Corolla) had power windows.

[Trakan]

Dodge's are shit, man stay clear away from those. If I were you I'd go with a honda, my mom's has 252,000 miles on it and it's still running strong. I've heard of some honda's going with 300,000 milles and no problems. If not honda definitely go with a different asian company.

[Tennisjon2002]

http://www.nctd.com/review-intro.cfm?ReviewID=74

"its 0-to-60 mph time of 8.2 seconds would be nothing to sneeze at even in cars significantly lighter than the 2-ton Concours"

I say get the Caddy. You may have to stick a grand into the tranny in less than a year... but even then, you are only $3900 into a car that will ride like a dream. The car was probably well taken care of by its first owner due to the initial high price tag. If you get in a wreck, this car has much more to offer in terms of saving your life vs. a small "Asian car" as a few posters are so hyped on.

And johnnyoski, gas expenses won't be high... the newer motors in full sized cars have been keyed to run at such low RPMs that they can do almost as well as compact cars with four bangers. Check out: http://www.carsurvey.org/review_14903.html. I had a 95 Buick Roadmaster that hit 28 mpg consistently on the highway (23 in town)... and the engine in this Caddy seems to be comparable.

Try getting power everything on a compact car... yeah, I know, it almost doesn't exist. The Deville will have more features then you'll know what to do with, and that is always a good thing. I can't believe how often I wish my Chevy Prizm (Toyota Corolla) had power windows.
"Transmission whines a bit, driver side door lock broken, and 'Service Ride Control' light is always on" Clearly it was well taken care of by its previous owner!!! And about power everything u got a fuckin chevy that is why. my accord has power everything standard and i ahve the base model and about the safe thing I know how safe Honda's are in a wreck (believe me) the car is specially designed to crumple and save you!! they are very safe!

[hiccupleftovers]

I dont' know why everyone is raggin on the Cadddies. I know my uncles have had one, and grandparents had one (an old one at that i believe it was somewhere between 87-90ish I wanna say) and they never had any problem with them. I would actually say that of all of the American made cars, it is one of the more reliable. I know that I if and hopefully when I get enough money am going to get an Escalade or a CTS. Probably the CTS. But truly by the sounds of that CAddy, it sounds that the previous owner didn't take care of it or that he was in many accidents with it. Try another place. If you want some other cars try the mid 90's Impalas.

[johnnyoski]

The gas mileage wouldn't be as bad as I originally thought, but I highly doubt that it is still as efficient as it was 9 years ago.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/noframes/12016.shtml

And what's with all the bashing on American made vehicles?!?!
Sure you can end up with a piece of garbage if you don't do your research, but I've never had a major problem with any of my vehicles (Grand Prix, Saturn SL2, Jimmy, and now a Jeep Grand Cherokee).

[pimp_daddy_smurf]

well i got my liscence suspended for 2 years so i sold my integra(97) for 12 grand.i bought it for 3,599$ and put about 4k in it in subs, paint job, neon lights so i actually made a profit on it

[karmapolice]

I need a car too...problem is I actually have to pay for mine...you people are damn lucky when your parents buy your cars...I have to pay insurance and buy a car...and dont say my moms a bitch for not paying for it...were not very wealthy and I dont expect her to pay...its my shit I have to pay...

[bhfgamer]

Definitely get a Toyota or a Honda even if they are several years old. You wont regret it... everyone in my family buys japanese cars only and they love them. And next June, I'm getting an 01 Accord (Ill be 16). So go Japanese

[jeffreyjrose]

http://www.nctd.com/review-intro.cfm?ReviewID=74

"its 0-to-60 mph time of 8.2 seconds would be nothing to sneeze at even in cars significantly lighter than the 2-ton Concours"

I say get the Caddy. You may have to stick a grand into the tranny in less than a year... but even then, you are only $3900 into a car that will ride like a dream. The car was probably well taken care of by its first owner due to the initial high price tag. If you get in a wreck, this car has much more to offer in terms of saving your life vs. a small "Asian car" as a few posters are so hyped on.

And johnnyoski, gas expenses won't be high... the newer motors in full sized cars have been keyed to run at such low RPMs that they can do almost as well as compact cars with four bangers. Check out: http://www.carsurvey.org/review_14903.html. I had a 95 Buick Roadmaster that hit 28 mpg consistently on the highway (23 in town)... and the engine in this Caddy seems to be comparable.

Try getting power everything on a compact car... yeah, I know, it almost doesn't exist. The Deville will have more features then you'll know what to do with, and that is always a good thing. I can't believe how often I wish my Chevy Prizm (Toyota Corolla) had power windows.
"Transmission whines a bit, driver side door lock broken, and 'Service Ride Control' light is always on" Clearly it was well taken care of by its previous owner!!! And about power everything u got a shaq-fuin chevy that is why. my accord has power everything standard and i ahve the base model and about the safe thing I know how safe Honda's are in a wreck (believe me) the car is specially designed to crumple and save you!! they are very safe!

A broken door lock and a 'ride control' light continually on? Those are two problems that aren't very serious. Neither of these have anything to do with how well the previous owner took care of the car. Electronics and latches tend to break, that's what wear and tear is. At 80k miles, the car isn't going to be perfect.

Your comment about Chevrolet vehicles is absurd. My first car was a 79 Caprice, and as of last year, the power locks, windows, and seat all still worked. 25 years old and still running like new?!!! It also had a remote trunk opener, adjustable rear view mirrors, rear window defrost, cruise control, and air conditioning. They ALL worked. Does your Accord still have power 'everything'?

Too many of you have entered this topic with one car company or car model in mind. Judge a car for its true value, not on your level of attachedness to it. If you do any car repairs yourself, you will bless the day you own a full size car where you have room to work under the hood. If you just take your car to the shop all of the time, compact cars work just fine because you can let the mechanic worry about how he's going to work on anything.

This topic has too much fanboyism running amock and unchecked. OP, you would do better to go elsewhere for car recommendations... perhaps a site with a slightly older user base, rather than a site dominated by hormone driven male teen-agers. I wish you the best of luck in your car searching and purchasing.

[Tennisjon2002]

http://www.nctd.com/review-intro.cfm?ReviewID=74

"its 0-to-60 mph time of 8.2 seconds would be nothing to sneeze at even in cars significantly lighter than the 2-ton Concours"

I say get the Caddy. You may have to stick a grand into the tranny in less than a year... but even then, you are only $3900 into a car that will ride like a dream. The car was probably well taken care of by its first owner due to the initial high price tag. If you get in a wreck, this car has much more to offer in terms of saving your life vs. a small "Asian car" as a few posters are so hyped on.

And johnnyoski, gas expenses won't be high... the newer motors in full sized cars have been keyed to run at such low RPMs that they can do almost as well as compact cars with four bangers. Check out: http://www.carsurvey.org/review_14903.html. I had a 95 Buick Roadmaster that hit 28 mpg consistently on the highway (23 in town)... and the engine in this Caddy seems to be comparable.

Try getting power everything on a compact car... yeah, I know, it almost doesn't exist. The Deville will have more features then you'll know what to do with, and that is always a good thing. I can't believe how often I wish my Chevy Prizm (Toyota Corolla) had power windows.
"Transmission whines a bit, driver side door lock broken, and 'Service Ride Control' light is always on" Clearly it was well taken care of by its previous owner!!! And about power everything u got a shaq-fuin chevy that is why. my accord has power everything standard and i ahve the base model and about the safe thing I know how safe Honda's are in a wreck (believe me) the car is specially designed to crumple and save you!! they are very safe!

A broken door lock and a 'ride control' light continually on? Those are two problems that aren't very serious. Neither of these have anything to do with how well the previous owner took care of the car. Electronics and latches tend to break, that's what wear and tear is. At 80k miles, the car isn't going to be perfect.

Your comment about Chevrolet vehicles is absurd. My first car was a 79 Caprice, and as of last year, the power locks, windows, and seat all still worked. 25 years old and still running like new?!!! It also had a remote trunk opener, adjustable rear view mirrors, rear window defrost, cruise control, and air conditioning. They ALL worked. Does your Accord still have power 'everything'?

Too many of you have entered this topic with one car company or car model in mind. Judge a car for its true value, not on your level of attachedness to it. If you do any car repairs yourself, you will bless the day you own a full size car where you have room to work under the hood. If you just take your car to the shop all of the time, compact cars work just fine because you can let the mechanic worry about how he's going to work on anything.

This topic has too much fanboyism running amock and unchecked. OP, you would do better to go elsewhere for car recommendations... perhaps a site with a slightly older user base, rather than a site dominated by hormone driven male teen-agers. I wish you the best of luck in your car searching and purchasing.
If the owner really took car of it they would get these fixed or not let them happen in the first place. and I would take the transmision as being pretty major? anyone else? ever thought of why they are selling this car? and 80,000 is alot for an american car but it really isn't on an asian car. My bro just bought a 4 runner with 80,000 miles on it and it took it 2 his friend who is a mechanic and had him look at it and he said he is good for at least another 150,000 miles without any mojor problems and he said he nevers sees 4 runners before 200,000 miles. And yes my accord does still have everything and let me tell u this it has by far been the most abused car anyone has had on this forum (believe me).
" If you do any car repairs yourself, you will bless the day you own a full size car where you have room to work under the hood. "
last time I checked an accord was fulsize and with an asian car you ahve so many options with engines. if his engine does go bad he can easly get a new aftermarket engine cheap. Try that with a caddy

[Tennisjon2002]

Definitely get a Toyota or a Honda even if they are several years old. You wont regret it... everyone in my family buys japanese cars only and they love them. And next June, I'm getting an 01 Accord (Ill be 16). So go Japanese
same my parents now have all asian cars my family has 5 asian cars and 1 american
the american gets driven like none but still spends more time in the sop than any other car

[LV-426RS]

If you want some other cars try the mid 90's Impalas.

Good luck getting a good one of those for cheap.

[Cornfedwb]

Ok, noone has mentioned this.. that little "ride control light" is a serious problem. At the very least you're talking a couple electronic air struts (around $400-$500 a piece, plus labor).. usually on caddilacs you need to replece the dryer ($100) and the compressor ($750)... to fix that so it actually rides halfway decent.. you could easily be talking $2500.

The transmission is probably going to be well more than $1000. A GM 4T65E is a pretty advanced tranny.. the rebuild itself is going to run you around $1000-$1250, minimum.. and again that's plus labor.. so figure $1400-$1600 at the least to fix the transmission.

The Concours (4.6L Northstar motor) Deville does not get good gas mileage, brand new off the line they were like 24 highway.. with 86K and some wear and tear.. you'd be lucky to get 18-20mpg on the highway.

And finally, cadillac's have a lot of very expensive pieces... the more toys, the more that can break. They have a common problem with blower motors going bad ($750 repair), heater cores clogging up ($600 repair), ride control (already has the problem), water pump disasters ($250 if you're smart, $1000+ if you're not), etc. The electrical climate control system is highly expensive to repair.. hell even an alternator for the vehicle will run you $175 plus labor.

Stay away from the thing, its just going to be trouble.

[Indiana]

At that price you are probably going to be the 3rd or 4th owner of the car. You need to buy the car from a person not a dealer. Get financing through your Mom's bank. You want to find a 1 owner car that the person is selling you will have better luck than dealing with a car dealer since they mark things way up on the cheap cars.

[danh920]

get a honda or toyota, they don't die

remember, you can buy from a private owner, you just need to go to the bank 1st and get the financing, my girlfriend did that and it's worked out great thus far for her