Really Dependable Car?

Question

Im looking for a cheap dependable car... any suggestions... like...
Year-Make-Model... whatever... if you have any suggestions on a dependable vehicle that you can load a baby in please answer

oh yeah.. nooo Lumina or cavelire(Sp?) lol i have had BAD expirences with both of these

Oh and.. i thought it was obvious that i didnt want a brand new car... im looking for a USED car (otherwise you wouldnt really know if it was dependable... )

ok people ill tell you what i want:
i like the way a mitsubishi mirage is, and i like it big inside... i do not like ford taurus or dodge intrepid... or chevy cavaleir or lumina... i HATE those four... stratus is OK...
i want it to be big inside without looking huge outside... lol as in... ROOMY... thats it...



like i said.. im looking for a USED car that is valued at around $4,000 that is a dependable vehicle... that means there is no way i can get a new one...

thanks though!!!

Answer 1

The 1997-2002 Ford Escort were a very reliable vehicle. They sell for around the price you are looking to spend and go forever with only maintenance needed. I work for Ford and have owned many Escorts and have recommended them to a lot of people.
They are not the biggest vehicle but should carry 2 adults and 2 children no problem.
A website to try is AutoTrader.com. You can punch in your region and the amount of $ you want to spend and choose all makes or individual car makes and locate a good car.
Since you only want to spend $4000 you are fairly limited. With that low amount you may have to stick to domestic cars or buy imports with high mileage or older imports.
I went on www.autotrader.com and found over 84,000 cars under $4,000. Good luck.

Answer 2

If you live in the Good ol'USA you should get a "CARFAX" report on any used car that you buy if it's a salvage title or if it's been in any accidents. Do not buy a car that has been smoked. it.

Brand doesn't matter any longer in 2007 at least not the way it did before. It's possible to buy a Reliable Ford (like mine) or a Toyota Lemon.

Some pre-owned cars are certified. Some still have warranty coverage.

Shop around. Besides being reliable are you looking for compact, large, midsized or what? You didn't Specify.

2002 was a very good year for the Ford Taurus if you want mid size.

You can't go wrong with a corolla, civic, Protege, or sentra for a compact.

For a large car there is always the Avalon so long as you can stand the looks. A used Buick LeSabre, Sable, Century is not a bad choice as we hardly ever see those in the shop. And when we do it's usually something minor.

Go with Toyota if your OK with your car getting dented and dinged all over. The body is paper thin.

Go with Ford or GM if you have a way to do regular maintainance and you want to keep it for a long time. American cars just handle battle scars so much better.

Avoid Chrysler, dodge, and most GM products. A used Ford is a lot more reliable than a used GM. Avoid Mitsubishi as well.

Answer 3

Any low-end Toyota, most of the more expensive ones.

Same with Honda.

Mazda (except the 626), Subaru (anything but 2.5 liters made before 2001 or so), Suzuki (not the Reno, Forenza, or that other one that's made by Daewoo, though) are the second tier, along with the Ford Escort.

Mitsubishi and Nissan are the third, along with RWD Ford V8s (Tbird/Cougar, Crown Vic/Grand Marquis), Buick Regal, Olds Cutlass Ciera, Chevy Impala/Monte Carlo (After 2000 or so).

None of these cars are bad ideas. Honda Civic & Toyota Corolla are the best, though.

You can load a baby in anything. My parents drove me and my brother around in a 79 or so Dodge Colt hatchback.

Hey, you could use it as an excuse to get a convertible. Drop the top and you've got perfect access to the back seat.

Answer 4

Yes, if you can get hold of a Chrysler Town & country LIMITED van.
the 1998-2000 models are good if you can get one with relatively low miles.

My father makes plenty of money, but still has his 1999 t&c. The leather is still in perfect condition, the interior parts/seats are completely intact, which is rare for ANY car that age.

It is fantastic if you have children. The person in the passenger seat can walk to the back seat while the driver is still driving, if they need to check the kids.

I personally would recommend the chrysler Pacifica....there weren't any that far back in time, but I have a year old baby, and it is great for driving a small family around. Since they aren't super popular (don't know why), you can get them for a decent price. I bought my 2003 AWD pacifica(38000 miles) for 15,000 in Missouri.

I would also have to recommend ford Taurus SES. I have never liked fords, but I recently rented one, and I loved it. It was sturdy and all the controls were placed logically, and the seats were comfortable, and I could EASILY get my baby's rearfacing carseat in the back.

I am sure you know how hard it is to find a standard sized car that you can put a kids carseat in where you DON'T have to move the front seats all the way up!

Good luck.

Answer 5

Here, in Romania that is, we have a car called Dacia 1310 (the Renault 12 actually). I make no fun of you...but it's one hell of a car. With basic car repairing knowledge you can get it to work with almost anything... Also...you might want to try the ARO - this is a jeep-like car... very dependable... If you're from the US I know some were sold in the US some 2-3 years ago so you might find one second-hand. They have the basics - nothing fancy. You'll find a Dacia for 1000$ and the ARO should be no more than 2000-2500$. They run forever and don't require servicing at regular intervals...you can go another 1000km over the limit with no problems...

Answer 6

Cheap and dependable. I would have to say mid 90s GM cars like lumina 3.1L 4dr. or cavalier 2.2L 4dr. plus if they do break the parts for these are very affordable.

Answer 7

Any kind of Toyota would be good. How about the Scion Xb if you want cheap... it's $15,000 brand new and it's made by Toyota.