WTB looking to by a car for daughter in college

[ldi]

WTB a car for daughter in college.
$6K max
PM

 

[Golddiggie]

What state is she going to college in?? Needs I FL are different than needs in Maine or Michigan.

 

[cockpitbob]

Get one with a stick shift. None of her friends will ask to borrow it and it won't get stolen

 

[ldi]

She’s in Fitchburg state.
Automatic only)))

 

[snax]

Get one with a stick shift. None of her friends will ask to borrow it and it won't get stolen

This.
And something with 2 seats, or something her friends wouldn't want to be seen in.

Wait...
Why did this let us post? This a classified.
Get a Corolla. Solid all around. Economical. Good auto trans in those.

 

[hminsky]

don't get a Volvo. ask me how I know ...

 

[Dennis in MA]

Ugh. Volvo's are the worst. My wife had 2. Maybe we got 2 lemons, but DAMN something was ALWAYS breaking on those things. Very safe, but it sucks if you are spending a couple thousand on repairs a year. And neither would keep a rear light for more than 12 months. It got so if one went out, we'd have all the rear bulbs replaced b/c they would go out in succession. TWO SEPARATE CARS!!!! And front ends. I thought my wife just liked General Lee'ing it until I got a different make and she stopped blowing lower control arms and the like.

I checked my local guys - possibly the only honest used car dealer in America. Nothing really worth looking at. An 04 Corolla in your price range and less than 100K miles. Reliable, safe, under $6K is getting harder and harder to do. They used to have a half-dozen sub-$5K cars on a lot of 30. Now they have 2. And they aren't too terrific. An old Taurus and an 01 Corolla.

I'll tell you, I worry about buying cars off of anyone. I've heard too many horror stories of buying a car with a massive problem in it that you are screwed on later. Heck, my guys got a car off an auction. The deal is that you can drive it for X miles before returning it. At this particular auction, there is no place to get it up to speed. He buys it. Gets it on the main road and realizes the seller bubble-gum'd something in the drivetrain and it's a POS. Brought it right back. "Once you leave the lot, it's yours." "And if I can't get the car over 10mph in your lot???" He pushed and they gave him his $ back and told the seller to haul his crappy car away. They didn't want the bad publicity.

I might actually overpay a bit for used cars. I have someone I trust and know that the car has been gone through front to back.

But there are plenty of Corollas and Civic's out there right in your price range. Usually very reliable. Fairly safe.

 

[cockpitbob]

Used cars are one of those things were it's better to spend a little too much money and hugely expensive to spend a little too little. The difference between a $5K used car and an $8K one is substantial, and it's easy to see that $5K car needing enough repairs over a few years to equal the nicer $8K car, but you have a crappy $5K one. This has always been my rule and when I broke my own rule buying a '05 Outback I was sorry I did within a year.

OTOH, that car forced my son, who never wanted to learn anything about cars, to learn quite a few things about cars, so maybe I bought the right car after all.

 

[Souljaofgod]

Get her an early 2000's towncar or the like (grand marquis, crown vic)... not the best you can do on gas but they're reliable, super safe, will go forever you can find them on craigslist all day with low miles for under 6k.

 

[ldi]

Ugh. Volvo's are the worst. My wife had 2. Maybe we got 2 lemons, but DAMN something was ALWAYS breaking on those things. Very safe, but it sucks if you are spending a couple thousand on repairs a year. And neither would keep a rear light for more than 12 months. It got so if one went out, we'd have all the rear bulbs replaced b/c they would go out in succession. TWO SEPARATE CARS!!!! And front ends. I thought my wife just liked General Lee'ing it until I got a different make and she stopped blowing lower control arms and the like.

I checked my local guys - possibly the only honest used car dealer in America. Nothing really worth looking at. An 04 Corolla in your price range and less than 100K miles. Reliable, safe, under $6K is getting harder and harder to do. They used to have a half-dozen sub-$5K cars on a lot of 30. Now they have 2. And they aren't too terrific. An old Taurus and an 01 Corolla.

I'll tell you, I worry about buying cars off of anyone. I've heard too many horror stories of buying a car with a massive problem in it that you are screwed on later. Heck, my guys got a car off an auction. The deal is that you can drive it for X miles before returning it. At this particular auction, there is no place to get it up to speed. He buys it. Gets it on the main road and realizes the seller bubble-gum'd something in the drivetrain and it's a POS. Brought it right back. "Once you leave the lot, it's yours." "And if I can't get the car over 10mph in your lot???" He pushed and they gave him his $ back and told the seller to haul his crappy car away. They didn't want the bad publicity.

I might actually overpay a bit for used cars. I have someone I trust and know that the car has been gone through front to back.

But there are plenty of Corollas and Civic's out there right in your price range. Usually very reliable. Fairly safe.

I was looked at the Volvo S60 when I got her previous car and good thing it wasn’t a Volvo)

 

[ldi]

Used cars are one of those things were it's better to spend a little too much money and hugely expensive to spend a little too little. The difference between a $5K used car and an $8K one is substantial, and it's easy to see that $5K car needing enough repairs over a few years to equal the nicer $8K car, but you have a crappy $5K one. This has always been my rule and when I broke my own rule buying a '05 Outback I was sorry I did within a year.

OTOH, that car forced my son, who never wanted to learn anything about cars, to learn quite a few things about cars, so maybe I bought the right car after all.

Bob, this the third car I’m getting - hopefully it’ll last.
She can by the next one)))

 

[ldi]

Get her an early 2000's towncar or the like (grand marquis, crown vic)... not the best you can do on gas but they're reliable, super safe, will go forever you can find them on craigslist all day with low miles for under 6k.

She drove a big Cadillac few times but then we all switched to smaller cars and it was to big for her anyway.
Corolla size is what we’re looking for.
Myself I love boats on the water and on land)

 

[KBCraig]

Fly to Dallas and pick up an older car that has never seen salt. Do check the Carfax for evidence of flood damage, of course.

Drive it home, and enjoy many good years of service.

 

[SeanT]

I had a 2004 Accord that I loved, drove forever, and had minimal problems with. Would definitely recommend. My wife had an 01 Corolla that was similar but showed the wear a bit more at lower overall miles. Both got great gas mileage as well.