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Login to post Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » What reliable car for Sister-in-law?

Dec. 17, 2008 9:40 a.m. jrw1621 Reader

My inlaws are planning to help out their daughter who needs to get out of her poorly maintained '97 Thunderbird and into something more reliable. I have been drawn into this by helping find the exact car. Reliability is the key. I am in Northern Ohio but she is 2 hours away and if it needs something i will be the first that she calls. Since her parents are paying, they want something fairly new. In a traditional way to them, newer equals reliable.

I am a little out of my reach here because I buy cars where I can fix the little things. Typically, if this car needs future repairs it will be at retail.

Budget Close to $5k (but can go over, some.) Would rather have a car that is year 2000 or newer. Does need the ability to put 1 toddler in back. MPG should be considered.

I personally am not a fan of small GM's (Cavalier, Cobalt, Grand Am)

I do like Prizms, if I can find one

I may consider a Grandpa car like a LeSabre. My concern is mpg since this will see mostly city driving.

Ford ZX2's are too small (back seat)

Focus' are okay. Should I stay away from first year, 2000?

Saturn SL's. Do they need too much oil checking?

True Examples: What do you think of this 2003 Kia Spectra GSX? How was Kia back then? http://autos.yahoo.com/used-cars/kia-spectra-cars292175204?sortcol=price&sortd...

Escort Sedan: http://autos.yahoo.com/used-cars/ford-escort-cars288568876?sortcol=price&sortd...

Other thoughts?
Dec. 17, 2008 9:43 a.m. SoloSonett Reader

Toyota , Nissan or Honda for reliability and mpg FWD will be good for northern Ohio winters
Dec. 17, 2008 9:53 a.m. P71 HalfDork

I would say Crown Vic for reliability, but the RWD + V8 + inexperienced driver in snow doesn't sound good.

I'd take a good, solid look at the 97-03 Grand Prix. The W-Body is one of the best FWD's out there and has really excellent quality. Get the GT for the 3800 Series II V6, which are indestructible. We bought an 01 GT in 2006 and have since put over 20K miles on it with nothing but oil changes and a 100K mile tune-up (we bought at ~84K, it now has ~105K) which I did myself in an afternoon for under $200. Absolutely stone-cold reliable and it handles great in rain and snow. Plenty of room for car seats in the back and a trunk damn near as big as a Crown Vic's! Mileage is great too, 20's in town and 30 on the highway on regular.

Buy a good one, make sure it has good tires and a good battery, and send her on her way.
Dec. 17, 2008 10:06 a.m. jrw1621 Reader

I have been considering cars with the 3800. It seems to me that grandpa cars like these are pretty well maintained. Buick Lesabres and Centurys get pretty good ratings.

Was the Buick Centruy made in any color other than tan? There seems to be millions of these things out there.
Dec. 17, 2008 10:35 a.m. Travis_K Reader

W-body transmissions dont always hold up too well. My mom has one, and its not bad, but it has a number of little problems that would be a pain to fix (key occasionally gets stuck in the ignition, the stepper motor for the drivers side dash vents no longer works, sometimes difficult to get out of park, even after i replaced the brake pedal switch, etc). Yes, saturns need the oil checked too much for someone who wouldnt remember to do it. My suggestion would be a mid to late 90s camry, corolla or prizm.
Dec. 17, 2008 11:39 a.m. Bobzilla New Reader

03 KIA is about 18 months too old.

My suggestion: Find a 2002-2004 Elantra GLS. greatcar, good gasmileage and very reliable.
Dec. 17, 2008 11:53 a.m. P71 HalfDork

The Buicks are very good buys. They even made a "GS" with the 3800 S/C

I'm in a local W-Body Club and these guys mostly have GTP's (the S/C'd ones) and they hammer them like crazy. No transmission failures and very few problems really with any of the cars. The ignition key thing happens a lot, but all you have to do is zippy-tie some stupid clip and it goes away for good.

Seriously look around and drive some, they were some of the best cars made in the last few years and have loads more performance and character then any craptastic Camaccord. Not to mention the perceived quality issue with idiots and US nameplates makes them a ton cheaper.
Dec. 17, 2008 11:58 a.m. alfadriver Reader

SoloSonett wrote:

Toyota , Nissan or Honda for reliability and mpg FWD will be good for northern Ohio winters

Way overrated. And what you can get for $5k won't be much.

See if you can find a Focus with a Duratec 2.3l in it. My parents have one, and love it. They've been getting +36mpg on the highway with it. 4 doors, 5 seats. Really good car.

Eric
Dec. 17, 2008 12:01 p.m. GameboyRMH SuperDork

Toyota Echo/Yaris, available in a range of body styles and door numbers. Simple, good looking (for a modern car), low displacement, low weight and modern safety, close to 40MPG. Easy decision. EDIT: Oh I see your budget...that could be an issue here.

Also if you check out a Focus, buying American yada yada yada rolleyes make sure you can actually fit people in the back. I don't know if they've fixed it but the early models had rear seats (well the floor area really, picture the rear seating of a tiny 2+2 coupe) that were a total joke and just made the rear doors a hilarious punchline. EDIT: Also I didn't want to start with the American car hate but the first year Focus has a really bad reputation for reliability. One of my mom's friends bought one, it didn't make it home from the showroom before giving trouble.
Dec. 17, 2008 12:39 p.m. pinchvalve SuperDork

Stay away from anything with a Buick Badge in the $5K range. Nothing but headaches await you there. I have heard that Saturns are actually pretty reliable cars, but have no experience with them myself. I can say that a Honda is worth the money you spend. They are roomy, uber-reliable and maintenance-friendly.
Dec. 17, 2008 12:50 p.m. ignorant SuperDork

toyota or honda /thread

a used older crv would work, if maintained.. do not worry about mileage.. 250k is easy.
Dec. 17, 2008 12:52 p.m. 4cylndrfury New Reader

I thought the answer is always a miata

You can find pretty nice corollas for 5k. My 95 has 225k miles on it and still runs great. 4 doors=easy for kids, decent interior/trunk space, very durable mechanicals, and pretty easy to work on. Mine has served me very well over the last 4 years. All Ive had to do is breaks and other standard stuff. Only once have I had real problems with it, and all I ended up replacing was the radiator and hoses (< $200). Its been a great car, and Im getting 28/29 mpg in mixed driving. Also, prisms = corollas with a geo/chevy badge.
Dec. 17, 2008 1:05 p.m. Salanis SuperDork

I'd say Focus. For the same price as a Corolla/Civic, you get a car that is 5 years newer with 60k fewer miles on it.

I would personally look for an 03-04 with the 2.3L Duratec engine... but those were only standard in the liberal hippy states (California, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, and Maine). The Duratec provides better power and economy and gets the Focus a PZEV rating.

I think a ZX5 will be my next appliance.
Dec. 17, 2008 1:15 p.m. 914Driver Dork

I always thought the Escorts were about bullet proof. Buy a set of steel wheels and four snows and she's ready for any winter out your way. With two sets of wheels and tires, OK she has to visit every six months, but you get unbelievable mileage out of each set. With a wagon she can haul lotsa junk around.

Dan
Dec. 17, 2008 2:40 p.m. Evan_R New Reader

Listen to me and pay close attention.

The exact car you want to find is a 2001-02 Chevrolet Prizm.

The smart folks here know it's really a Corolla, with all the reliability & durability that Toyota has to offer.

The ordinary folks in the real world don't know this fact. A Prizm will sell for $1-2k less than an equivalent Corolla.

Buy one. Don't listen to anyone but me :)
Dec. 17, 2008 2:44 p.m. fiat22turbo SuperDork

Yep, dad bought one for his significant other and she loves it. All the reliability of a standard japanese econobox without the price markup that some have.
Dec. 17, 2008 6:46 p.m. MCarp22 New Reader

Evan_R wrote: The exact car you want to find is a 2001-02 Chevrolet Prizm.

THIS
Dec. 17, 2008 7:48 p.m. 92dxman Reader

2000+ Escort wagon or sedan would be my recommendation. Slushboxes are plenty in the Escort world and you can pick one up with low mileage on the cheap. How about a Protege sedan?
Dec. 17, 2008 8:08 p.m. jrw1621 Reader

I have put two other relatives into used Prizms in years past. I agree that they are a fine choice.

In perfect comparison, I thought my sister's '97 Saturn with 100k miles was in better shape than her '90 Prizm with 100k miles.

For her, alot of that better condition was attributed to plastic panels and her constant parking in parking lots. Mechanically they were about equal but the light blue interior on here Geo did not wear as well as the cloth in the Saturn. That sister currently drives a '02 SL1, purchased used at a very good price when it came off GM employee lease. That Saturn purchase represented the right buy at the time. The '02 Saturn was three years old with 24k miles for under $8k. Now at 70k miles, it is still holding strong.

I also put a niece into a '00 Prism. It was a fine choice. The story was cut a little short since the car was totaled in an accident (no one hurt) but lasted her many years and kept her safe.

I agree that a Honda or Toyota would be nice but may be outside of the price/mileage equation. I am looking on the immediate outside fringe. I have a line on a '99 Altima (small style) with 75k.

I am loosing interest in Buicks.

Thanks and keep it coming,

John
Dec. 17, 2008 10:33 p.m. ReverendDexter Reader

I'm surprised no one has mentioned late '90s Subarus. First-gen Outback prices depreciated like mad and can be had for under $5k easy. AWD is ultimate win in the snow, and with the 2.5 and an automatic my mother (who does drive aggressively) would get 26mpg or better. An Impreza with a 5-speed and the 2.2L certainly couldn't do worse, and could easily be found in a 4-door, or even better as a wagon (Outback Sport).

Just stay away from the first year or two of the 2.5 if you get one.
Dec. 18, 2008 8:57 a.m. Wally SuperDork

Escort with snow tires. I wouldn't wish my Cavalier on anyone.
Dec. 18, 2008 9:35 a.m. belteshazzar Dork

KA24DE altimas can get leaky but are otherwise pretty stout. No timing chain to worry about, same(but different) transmission as the more powerful and heavy Maxima. Not too small, not too big. Bad news is, fuel economy isn't what it should be. Expect 20 in town and 27, MAYBE 28 on the road. The buick with a 3800 will do better than that.
Dec. 18, 2008 10:00 p.m. Trans_Maro New Reader

+100 for old Corollas. My wife's daily is a 1982 Corolla SR5 and it's been absolutely reliable with no big problems (other than an expected clutch job) in the last 5 years.

If it were for my mother in law I would recommned an early Ford Pinto, maybe a 1'st gen Samurai or one of those new Cherys that we're supposed to be getting from China

Shawn
Dec. 18, 2008 11:55 p.m. Travis_K Reader

W-body GTP = a fast rental car with a nice interior. If thats what you are looking for its fine, but it doesnt handle well, the interior stuff is rattly, it leaks alot of oil, but it does look nice, and it is pretty fast for a 10 year old 4 door pontiac. Mileage is from about 16 mpg for short trips in town, to 28 on the freeway with the cruise set and a tailwind. Its not a terrible car i guess, but i wouldnt buy another one.

As far as subarus go, they are pretty nice, but read my post from a couple of days about about mysterious driveability issues and how much a new cat costs.

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