I am looking to buy a used car under $8000. Looking around, found a malibu, grand prix, alero and sunfire. All 2000's to 2002. Any opinions on these cars? Are they good, cheap to fix, easy on gas? Keep getting told to go with a hyundia or something like that but I am not a fan of the small cars...Any help with comments or suggestions would be helpful. Aswell and other suggestions for vehicles.
ugg.. GM and hyundai..not a fan of either lol. for under 8000.. if your looking for a late model year, your going to have to compromise quality and option etc.. you should be able to find a late 90's car, that is in good shape, low kms for around your price range.. just go around to dealers see whats out there.. what you like.. then make your decision
I have gone around and this is what I have found.Not a fan of toyotas,hondas, acuras. We have always been a domestic car family.Fords and chevys.Most of what I have seen of later models have had ALOT of kms. My fav that I have found so far is a 02 pontiac gradna m gt, ram air(whatever that is)3.4l, v6,auto, alloy wheels, moonroof, rear spoiler, balck for $7995.I rented a grand am lasst year and loved it. A little hard on gas but I dont do a whole lot of drving. Does it sound like something like for that cost might have alot of kms on it? Is it really better if they say the majority of kms are highway ones? I know NOTHING about buying cars. The last car I bought spur of the moment.
highway kms are better, but honestly how can you really prove that?? all i can tell u is have the car checked over by a trusted mechanic who knows what he is doing you can find a lemon for 7995... or a smoking deal for 7995.. just make sure you know what your getting yourself into.. used cars are a hassle but there are some good ones.. just do your research and youll be fine.. dont jump on the first nice one you see.. unless it checks out take your time.. take a test drive and take it to a knowledgeable mechanic who DOESNT work where your buying the car from lol.. the grand am sounds like a good deal as long as it checks out.. and as i stated b4. i am biased, and thats my opinion.. if i were to buy a newer car it would be a acura or honda.. gas mileage, size, parts etc.. but ive never realy looked into a GM car either so itf thats what u like give er nutz!! good luck!
my dad and cousin are both mechanics... they always check em out. but this time my dad wants me to choose one or two to pick from. He said he doesnt want to be out a dealerships all day kneeling under cars. He's getting too old for that he says. I would love to get a newer car, but budget wise and insurance wise I would not be able to afford it. I am just scared to buy a lemon.After forking out $8000 on a car I cant afford to be forking out hundreds later on getting something fixed.
I know someone who owned one it was shitty always broken lights engine lights are always on, brakes go very quick, and its a 02 so 2 years old and its under 8000 arnt those 40 new
thats what I was wondering.. there are a couple of 02;s in the paper for around 10-14k. wondering if the cost could go down cuz of kms
Pontiac's are garbage. Plain and simple. Wouldn't own another if it was the last car on earth. Most domestics are that way in my opinion. They get 4+ years old and go ALL TO HELL. On the Grand Am I had the hub assemblies for the wheel bearing would go every 30k, the rotors would last no more than 1.5 years, the electronics were shit (the car would think it was going into gear and would lock the doors and rev funny). These were not just limited to my car. Every other Grand Am owner I talked to had the exact same problems. But hey, it's your money. Drive the cars and find the one that suits your style and cross your fingers I guess.
We've always driven Chev, Pontiac, GM etc... with the exception of the one toyota... never had a problem with any of our cars, other then the usual wear and tear... great on gas, except for the grand prix, but that thing was amazing... I'd say the grand am sounds great, but check the km's... price is a little low for a 2 yo car... LMAC... Pontiac Grand Am Coupes are going for around $27 G's now...new
If your family is into domestics get a Ford ZX2. Don't get an automatic though, go for the 5 speed. These cars sell cheap and are very reliable. Best bang for your buck around.
Watch what your resale will be like too, unless you plan on driving it into the ground. Domestics are no good for holding value. In 5 years time, that Pontiac will be worth no more than $2K at the most, where a Honda/VW/Mazda etc. will be worth at least $4K. Might not sound like much now, but its a solid trade in on your next ride.
Yeah he's right, watch those depricition values. If you buy a domestic after it's through it's main depreciation and is levelling off then it would be ok. I'd stay away from new domestics like the plague though. Never buy a new domestic off the lot, or even nearly new. You'll be scared to see how much it drops in value the first 5 years. For a newer vehicle best stick to imports. Your wallet will thank you.
actually did some research looking around last night with a friends help and found a 98 toyota avalon xls going for just under $8k. I plan on driving whatever I get till its ready for the junk yard, so not owrried about the depreciation.
In this case you might be right, If its a newer model domestic and its not a v8 or a turbo diesel I wouldn't buy it.
buy an import. there is a reason why so many domestic cars can be bought so cheap 2nd hand. generally speaking the reliability is low and maintenance is high. and obviously resale is not all that great either. i don't mean to offend domestic owners but you only have to check out an auto trader to see that a base model accord/camry sells for as much or often more than a fully loaded grand am.
Nissan is reliable, and high-quality, for 8 thousand dollars you can get a late 90's Altima, or a mid 90's Maxima, both would have reasonably low km's and are great cars! you know you love nissan's pat 8)
lol thats what your think. dsm is no more unrelaibel then any other car, only when 16 year old kids beat them all day every day and dont even change the oil do they break, i must say this isn the one car that not even i can break!
Well if I had my way, I would be driving an import. But right now, I don't have my way. I have a '99 Cavalier and honestly the only problem I've ever had with it was my alternator going after 155000KM. Breaks get changed roughly once every 8-12 monthes, rotors every 3 breakjobs. Still have the original tranny, and my car has 167000KM on it, a lot of it highway KM. If you're going with an American car, make sure you get papers to say the oil was changed every 5K. Good luck!
come on for 6grand you cant buy a faster car! but seriously dont have anything against domectic cars, just he fact that there gutless and break more then anything, and for some reason cost more to fix. hmmm go figure
my buddies parents have an avalon and it is an extremly nice car, comfy, rides good, handles good. Have had no rpoblems with it and its still a very solid car.
my mother has an olds alero 00 12o k on it, its has not been driven that hard. but the there is a never ending list of things to fix on the car. I drive a 96 honda civic with 170 k on it and it has only needed stuff like brakes and reg maintance and i drive the bag off the car. I definatly recomend a honda to anyone looking for a reliable car that can take some abuse and still keep going.
the malibu and alero are the same car also both good cars... it depends on which one you like better.. they have a little bit of power when you want it and are decent on gas... the grand prix... not so good on gas... and the sunfire... unless it's about a 2003 it sucks
Id have to disagree on some points. Domestic parts are ususally cheaper then import parts. And not all domestics are gutless compared to imports.
