Car suggestions.....?

Question

I currently am driving a 95 Dodge Caravan with 103,000 miles on it. The AC doesn't work and the paint is chipping, those are the only things wrong with it everything else is great and the inside is like new. I want to sell it and get a car (I am a 21 year old female with nO kids and do not feel like I should be driving a minivan!) The car I want to buy, either used or new, needs to be reliable, okay with gas, "pretty" (like i said I am 21/f), and on the cheaper side.

Where should I look?

Should I buy used or new?

How much should I sell my van for?

Any extra details would help me, Thank you all in advance!!!

(My dad is a mechanic so he will be going with me to look)

kbb value is $1120 (because of the bad paint job)

My dad has provided me with cars since I've started driving (When one breaks he either fixes it or gets a new one, since this one isn't broken I have to buy my own). He is giving me advice, but he doesn't understand why I want to sell my van and like any other daughter out there I would like some more opinions besides daddy lol

Answer 1

LOOK EVERYWHERE..LOL NEWSPAPERS,AD BOARDS,DEALER SHIPS. NEW IS ALWAYS NICE..THEN YOUR NOT BUYING SOMEONE ELSES PROBLEM. USED CAN BE SCARY,BUT SURELY THERES A GRANNY OUT THERE THAT DIDN'T BEAT ON HER MUSTANG GT COBRA...FAR AS SELLING YA GROCERY GETTER..OH MY...WELL IT'S A DODGE..STRIKE ONE...IT'S GOT OVER 100 K ON IT..STRIKE 2...i SUGGEST GOING TO KELLYBLUEBOOK.COM AND ENTER AS MUCH INFO ABOUT YOUR VAN AND TAKE IT FROM THERE. i THINK YOU WOULD LOOK PRETTY SEXY IN MY TRUCK OR A TRUCK OF YOUR OWN LOL..HOWEVER I COULD SEE YA IN A LITTLE 2 DOOR SPORTY CAR.

Answer 2

Well if that picture is a true reflection of you, I would say you're absolutely right! Get rid of that mini van!
I see you driving a Camaro or Trans AM but a Toyota wouldn't spoil the package either!
I would buy new so as not to inherit someone else's night mare!
I would be looking at new car dealers and make sure you bargain! It's a buyers market at the present time so use it to your advantage! Watch out for those "high pressure" sales people and don';t be intimidated by them! Hold your ground!
Your dad won't be necessary for new as a mechanic but a little influence toward the sales people might go a long way!

Answer 3

Get good ol dad to fix the A/c problem first before selling the van. I would expect no more than 5,000 to 6,000 maybe as high as 7000 for the vans selling price and with that money I would go and buy a used Honda or toyota. the reason why is becuase these cars meet all your criteria they are very reliable, very good on gas and conservatively pretty. A Good Honda or toyota from the mid 90's will run about $5000 to $6000 and they resale very high so when you decide to sell it you can get a good return on your investment.

Answer 4

On the cheaper side, good on gas and reliable = Honda Civic.

The new ones aren't bad looking, you could get one with a stick which would be a little sportier.

Other option would be Nissan Sentra, the one that has the killer stereo (Rockford Fosgate) factory installed.

Nothing is sexier than a pretty young girl in a BMW though. BMW 318 or 325, white with convertible top. BMW is very expensive to have worked on, but if your father is a mechanic he could do the work. They are very easy for someone who knows what their doing to work on. Very well engineered machine, very fun to drive.

Answer 5

Insurance shouldn't be bad for you since you're female, so that opens up sports cars, but they don't get the best gas mileage like you're wanting. I would recommend buying used with around 15,000-40,000 miles on it, you'll save thousands and still have the liability you want. I recommend Saturns, they are cheap to buy, great gas mileage, and reliable. Saturn Ions go for under $10,000 with around 10,000 miles on them (usually $7,000 - $8,000). The car is still worth pretty close to what I bought it for.I bought mine used for $6,000 with 32,000 miles on it. 4 years later, it has 103,000 miles on it with only one belt change and usual oil changes. I would also recommend Honda Accord, but they seem to be overpriced for the mileage that's on them. As far as your van, I would consult kbb.com (Kelley Blue Book), because they take into account all of the options on the van and the condition of the van. If you use autos.msn.com, it will give you car ratings, be sure to read the details on reliability, sometimes the bad reliability only relates to certain models or engine types (LX, EX, SOHC, DOHC, etc.) Hope this helps.

Answer 6

For reliability, go for a used 4-door Subaru Baja. You get the best of both the truck and the sports car world. Plus, it's standard all-wheel-drive, so snow and getting yourself out of the ditch is no problem especially with a manual tranny! As for the gas mileage, the are good, better than most Honda cars and trucks I've seen and used. Sell your current vehicle for no more than &2,000.00 and you'll be okay. No one would be willing to pay more than that in my experiance.

Answer 7

Do not take DAD! Buy a new SCION sedan made by toyota so you know it's good. All the other entry level cars look cartoon chacter cars. Buy new if possable full warranty is also good besides DAD doesn't really want to work on cars in his spair time. Honda Civic another good choice.

Answer 8

I think you should buy a used honda civic. You can rely on this car for many years of service.
Sell the van to anyone that will buy it for around $1500-$2000.
Good luck.
Stevo.

Answer 9

Get a Ford Mustang
Sell the van for under $2000

Answer 10

I'd say go for a civic...coupe.
Civic should be nice. Around 2003~2005 Honda Civic.
I could've given you a better price quotation if I had a correct and acurate information about your car.
But....
If you are 21 and if you are bit on the sporty side...go for the civic coupe. looks nice. If you want bit more sporty drive...then go for Civic Coupe Manual = ) It's fun!