shopping for cars $5000 budget.
 

hey guys im looking to get my first car.

budget $5000.

could you let me know how to get started buying a used car around that budget?

thank you.

A bit more info would be useful... what kind of cars do you like? Japanese, Domestic, Euro, etc.... As well as what lifestyle you need: i.e., are you always driving people around or are you mainly just driving yourself and one other person? What style of vehicle do you prefer? Sporty, luxury, 4x4, "track car", etc... you gotta give us more than a budget lol.

That being said, if you don't give a shit about cars and just want something reliable that can take you and 4 other people from point A to B for $5000 you can't go wrong with either a Corolla or Civic.

cheap fast reliable - pick two.

there might be a v6 accord coupe for sale in the for sale threads..... :pokerface:

hey guys,

thanks for the replies.

I understand I was vague because I'm pretty much open to a 4-dr or 2-dr car, no trucks.

if I could stretch the budget a bit more and get a 2-dr coupe of some sort I will do that. I came across a rx-8 for 7000 CAD....thought it was too good to be true.

Having said that I'm a fan of cars. I do care about the car I drive but at this budget I might not have much say.

thanks again.

or maybe i should save up more and get a real one...my dream would be an s2000.

Take a look at this car buying guide.
http://i2.minus.com/iGGRzsM9hA1r5.jpg



edit: updated guide http://i.4cdn.org/o/1400987322990.jpg (if it doesn't show, f5 the page)

thanks very much!

now if I have a car in mind where would be a good place to look? craigslist owners market? I'm afraid of getting scammed there.

2005 smart car passion diesal
2006 Smart FORTWO PASSION ***Spring Clearance Sale***
2006 Smart Car Fortwo CDI

Or even convertible!
2005 SMART CAR FORTWO PASSION CDI DIESEL SOFT TOP CONVERTIBLE!!
2005 SMART FORTWO PASSION CDI TURBO (DIESEL) ***Convertible***

anything but that! :heckno:

Autotrader

Do you find autotrader has more selection or is it the same crossover between craigslist ads.

1994 Mustang GT


Offer $3500


This car will be extremely cheap to fix when things break. The T5 is a great transmission and the 302 is reliable and endlessly upgradeable.

Will it handle great? No, but it will teach you how to drive!

Seriously... everyone should drive a 5.0 Mustang for like a month, you'll either learn or crash.

As a guy who has owned an 88 5.0, 96 GT, 97 Cobra and a 357 rwhp supercharged 2000 S2000, I recommend starting with rear wheel drive and no traction control.

The early S2000 had no traction control that I remember, and it could be a handful to drive. I drove the balls off mine and if it had been my first car, the likelyhood of it meeting a tree violently would have been much higher!

The S2000 is my favorite car that I have ever owned, even better than my T88 1994 Supra. Getting bugs in your hair if you're tall (6'3) is the funniest thing. You also look like Bowser in Mario Kart driving such a tiny ride. Haha!

Not sure if your into euro cars but im thinking of selling my 97 GTI VR6 and maybe i can match ur budget. I know its advertised higher than any other Vr6's but there are many reasons why and i can explain in details if interested. And honestly, I did get a few offers just shy of my asking price however I turned them down as i was firm on the price.

1989 GT Cobra 5 Speed Drop Top convertible

All stock! Offer $4250!

Convertibles are amazing.
Big sky orange sunsets mixing with lush scents. A seasonal fauna as you drive, various colourful foliage, cut grass, flowers and food. Your girl's* perfume will tickle your senses from her perch in the passenger seat, especially when pulling up to a red light. An empty road ahead just begs you to risk a minor ticket. Checking the rearview for cops, your jam comes on the radio and you palm your 5 speed and glide the syncros into first. The green light spelling doom for treadlife, soon you're banging gears to the symphony of which only the convertible is truly maestro of. The echos of your exhaust sing along with the beat of your favorite song as your girl lets out a squeal at the top of 2nd.
Convertibles are amazing!


(*Or chosen life partner if you happen to be a Miata owner or Timpo)

I was :troll:

In all serious, welcome to RS! Check out this thread: http://www.revscene.net/forums/69470...good-buys.html
From time to time, there should be some good suggestions there that would meet your budget.

And remember, $5000 would only get you so far. Plan ahead and budget for maintenance, repairs, and raped by ICBC's insurance costs.

Just browse CL or AutoTrader using your top price as a limit and see what's available. It seems like you are still in the research stage and haven't honed in on one particular vehicle.

The big question is are you looking for a nice reliable daily commuter or a project to tinker with?

A Lexus LS400.

There's actually a much nicer BMW 323i in the classifieds.. :pokerface::pokerface:

Autotrader is good but the pricing tends to be higher. For a first car be sure whatever you get is reliable or you'll go broke fixing it, and IMO don't spend more than 75-80% of your budget on the car in case something unexpected pops up.

Don't get an RX-8.

If you want the best of both worlds, i.e., 4-door, reasonably cheap, and luxurious.... you could always save up another 1-2k and get a Lexus IS300, early 2000s BMW 3 series, or early 2000s Audi A4. Maintenance on any of those likely won't be cheap though so I don't suggest it unless you are good at working on cars yourself.

As I said before, for $5000 and a first car just get something reliable and boring like a Corolla, there's a reason nearly every Asian family owns one and that is because they last forever and don't require any "special" maintenance... if what you really want is an S2000 just start saving up for one now and buy it as a second car 2-3 years down the road.

i've emailed this guy twice. wont get back to me. its no canary yellow like i wanted but close enough.

A well-maintained 94-01Integra should be attainable with your budget. It has more standard options than the Civics and more importantly, more usable torque and hp.

I'm looking for an nissan altima 05

But they have insane mileage like 200k

Auto or manual?
2 or 4 dr?
fwd, rwd, awd?
how important is fuel economy?

you're looking at a midrange car just shy of 10 years and you think 200k is high given your budget?