i am 17 and have 4 grand to buy a car what should i get?

Question

I only have 4 grandand i dont wanna sound unappreciative but i dont want an old grandmas car and i know i am not going to get anything to fast and my dad is very strict on mileage wise he thinks anything with 80 or more thousand is trash and no financing any opionions?

Answer 1

I'd buy that Pimto before someone else does.

Answer 2

When I was 17 I bought a 1988 Honda prelude with about 125K miles, I paid $2500 for this car. Now 6 years later I actually still have the car it now has over 275K miles and still runs perfectly (I have 2 new cars but I like keeping it because there is nothing wrong with the car). What I'm saying is go for an older Honda even if it has 100K miles it will still live well over another 175K as long as you keep the oil changed and take care of it. The same thing will happen if you look at an older Toyota. Now you wont have to go to the 1980's 'cause we are now in 2007 and you have more cash then I did but look at a 1995-1998 or so and you could find if you look hard enough for a car with about 80K miles.

Answer 3

You shouldn't be looking for specific models or brands if that's all you can spend but instead for anything that is in your price range and in good condition.

When deciding whether a car is any good it is the condition the car is in and the maintenance history that should determine which cars are the best ones with such things as looks, colour, transmission choice (unless you can't drive a manual), etc being given lower priority (i.e. not cared about much). I'd also stay the hell away from anything that's even close to high performance or modified because as a young driver you'd probably just crash a high performance car (especially if you want one) and the insurance is going to be hell (if you can even get it) while high performance cars are often thrashed so there's a much higher chance of getting a lemon.

Answer 4

My son's first car was a used Saturn. They're basic but nice, good on gas mileage, and hold up well after lots of miles. I don't know the price on them, but I'd say it's definitely worth a look. I myself had a small Hyundai for a while, and it also proved to be a very reliable, if not flashy, car. For either of those cars, if you're willing to drive a standard (which I personally VERY much prefer), you can often get a better car for your money, and with a standard transmission, there's less to go wrong, and less to BE wrong when it comes to buying used cars.

Answer 5

Take $2500 and go to a dealership (not a rinky dink lot either go to a major dealership) and ask where they keep their "wholesale cars". Those are ones that they get in on trade and sell to wholesellers who sale to the rinky dink lots.(The rinky dink lots mark their prices WAY up so don't go there!) My fiance needed another vehicle to drive while his car was being worked on so we got in touch with a dealership here and got a 1995 Ford Ranger with 123,000 miles, cold a/c and the body was in great shape for $1400. Try not to spend over $2500 to $3000 and save the rest for replacing timing belt, serpentine belt, hoses and all fluids. Also, if you take about $800 that should pay for liability for a year.
Good luck and drive safe!

Answer 6

I dealt with this exact situation, except I had less to start out with...3k..

If you want a good economical car- go with a Honda Civic or Toyota Camry...both great cars with good gas mileage

Wanting something slightly sporty and decent gas mileage? Go with like a mitsubishi eclipse or hyundai tiburon. Decent hp decent gas.

But if you don't care about gas, and want full out performance...a 93 Pontiac Trans Am is the car for you...I personally like the 98+ trans ams, but with a budget, you do what you have to do.

If it was me, if it's a first car, I'd recommend just get a small honda car, don't drive like a maniac, and enjoy it. May not be what you want as your first car, but hell it gets you and your friends around town.

If you found this helpful, just fav me :P

Good luck ~Trans Am Man

Answer 7

Ok you may not like it but its a reliable car and cheap to fix if something wears out. I have a 94 Cavalier. I got the 6 cyl and its ok as far as power goes. I bought it for $2g and it had 90K on it. I got the sport package with a rear spoiler and power everything inside. These cars run forever. It starts every morning and runs great. If you can find one with a decent body its worth the money. I'm able to do most repairs myself and the parts are cheap. Good on gas too. My last Cavalier kept running and the odometer flipped twice. It was still running when I sold it.

Answer 8

ok this isnt gonna rock ur world but hers what gets good mpg
toyota scion yes the box on wheels 36-38 highway miles per gallon toyota camry is awesome on gas mileage and can look sporty if you get black and tint the windows and be sure its a 6 cylinder 4 cylinder is bad news also the 90's model saturn has kind of a sporty look but not too hard on gas hopes this helps ps pickups are more expensive to maintain they roll easier they cost more for insurance and it takes more gas to fill up and it uses gas faster

Answer 9

Something that wont break down all the time....a boring small nearly new car is far better than somthing that looks far better but unreliable.

Yes a sensible car is boring, but so is not affording nights out because of car bills!!!!

Answer 10

i would just save up the 4 grand instead of buying a used car, until the day you have enough for a new one. used cars more than likely have problems that will make you end up spending much more than 4 grand.

Answer 11

I have a 1972 Ford Pinto Station wagon with Imitation wood side paneling I'll sell you.