Best daily driver under $2000

I just sold the Karmann Ghia and have started looking for a good daily driver. I have about $2000 to look with because I am trying to save some money for the corvair. The car will be my first car that I drive regularly. It would have to get decent gas mileage and be ok in the snow. The car shouldn't be incredibly expensive to insure.

thanks, Aaron

Insurance rates will not be a huge deal if you're just putting liability on it. If you aren't picky, just get the nicest car you can find on CL. $2k should buy a nice commuter if you aren't holding out for something specific.

Some that come to mind that have depreciated a bit better than the usual Honda are the Saturns (anything ending in 2), Ford Escort GT, and Mazda Protege.

ford zx2 also.

I pulled up the York, PA cragslist and you have some very cool options. Much better than my area.

Answer #1 http://york.craigslist.org/cto/1054088162.html

Very nice looking '91 Maxima 5 speed
http://york.craigslist.org/cto/1030781234.html

ZX2
http://york.craigslist.org/cto/1034559428.html

Colt GT Turbo!
http://york.craigslist.org/ctd/1050840035.html

Clean looking Mirage
http://york.craigslist.org/cto/1045879209.html

CRX HF
http://york.craigslist.org/cto/1032371794.html

Continue the VW theme:
'93 Fox
http://york.craigslist.org/ctd/1022348180.html

Sweet '84 GTI
http://york.craigslist.org/cto/1037161637.html

Quirky:
Toyota Van:
http://york.craigslist.org/cto/1042542497.html

Nothing says fast like an Vanagan w/ an automatic
http://york.craigslist.org/cto/1054659153.html

Don't discount small pickups, either. 2wd minitrucks are a good way to get a 4 cylinder, stickshift, and RWD without having to pay the RWD premium, and they're DIRT cheap to insure. Plus, then you can haul corvair parts around :)

4 door 92-95 Civic.

ReverendDexter wrote: Don't discount small pickups, either. 2wd minitrucks are a good way to get a 4 cylinder, stickshift, and RWD without having to pay the RWD premium, and they're DIRT cheap to insure. Plus, then you can haul corvair parts around :)

That's good advice. Find the nicest Nissan hardbody pickup you can for under $1500 and keep the rest in reserve for the unexpected. You should find a really nice one for that price. Toyota indestructability without the Toyota premium. Get the extra cab if you can - vastly increases the practicality. Snow won't be a problem with some weight in the bed.

Or if you have the luxury of waiting for the right one - e30/e36. Around here, e36 prices are actually lower than comparable e30s. I bought my e36 well under your budget and it needed only a couple hundred bucks to be safe and legal.

jrw1621 wrote: I pulled up the York, PA cragslist and you have some very cool options. Much better than my area.

umm colt GT or GTI.. MkI GTI would be gangsta

My high school and college daily drivers were Rabbit GTIs. That was a long time about (sold my last one in 2000), but the Rabbits were awesome cars.

Does anybody know about a 1991 Saab 9000 turbo. There is one near me that needs a new clutch. How hard is a new clutch to install on one?

I you are considering a '91 Saab, you have to take a look at the '91 Maxima w/ a 5 speed. At the time they were known as the "4 door sports car"

Old watercooled vws tend to run like crap from what i have seen. The colt turbo would be best if its still there, but at that price it would probably sell within hours. The toyota vans are pretty reliable, but they blow head gaskets, and the engine is under the floor. ANd when you replace the head gasket, you have to take it apart again after 3000 miles or something to retorque the head. No thanks.

Nissan Hardbody pickup (2WD King Cab w/ KA24 and 5-Speed)

Mazda Protege (5-Speed)

P71... (somebody had to say it!!!)

BMW e30 325 from the mid to late 80s.. You can find them for 2k in good shape.

The odometer wont work. You may have to replace the drive shaft center bearing. Other than that they are great cars.

I would stay away from a SAAB turbo unless its low miles. A non turbo with a Manual trans is a pretty OK car. Or a turbo one with maint record showing oil changes.Etc..

There are two decent looking 325e's on my local Craiglist, one at $1000 and one at $1500.

I followed the Karman down US30 into Ft Wayne last night

I found this 85 318i but was wondering how good they are in the snow and if they are expensive to buy parts for.

2nd-gen probe GT. the 2.5L 24-valve DOHC V6 makes sexy noise, and the hatchback swallows a ton of stuff -- for the '06 challenge i loaded my PGT with four 225/45-15 tires, a small toolbox, a full-size floor jack, four jack stands, a car-wash bucket filled with all my cleaning stuff, another box full of random stuff, and didn't even have to fold down the rear seat. got 27 mpg for the round-trip, including all the racing. typically knocks down about 25 mpg in combined driving, and is good in the snow with four snow tires installed. currently showing 205k, doesn't rattle or smoke and still zings into the red part of the tach (red starts at 7k) every day.

this is not a sales pitch for my car, because my car is not for sale. but these cars are pretty sweet, IMO, and should be available in good condition with decent miles for two grand or less.

it is an excellent parts hauler.

AngryCorvair wrote: 2nd-gen probe GT. the 2.5L 24-valve DOHC V6 makes sexy noise, and the hatchback swallows a ton of stuff -- for the '06 challenge i loaded my PGT with four 225/45-15 tires, a small toolbox, a full-size floor jack, four jack stands, a car-wash bucket filled with all my cleaning stuff, another box full of random stuff, and didn't even have to fold down the rear seat. got 27 mpg for the round-trip, including all the racing. typically knocks down about 25 mpg in combined driving, and is good in the snow with four snow tires installed. currently showing 205k, doesn't rattle or smoke and still zings into the red part of the tach (red starts at 7k) every day. this is not a sales pitch for *my* car, because my car is not for sale. but these cars are pretty sweet, IMO, and should be available in good condition with decent miles for two grand or less. it is an excellent parts hauler.

I put 30K on one last year without doing anything to it except keeping all the leaks topped off. Wish I still had it.

I got a 325e automatic for $600 and just purchased a spare set of wheels for it to run snows on next season(probly studded). without the LSD, yeah, it sucks in the snow if you stop or try to go up a hill. If the studded snows dont do the trick next season ill have to hunt down an LSD for it.

Ive driven RWD in the snow before, with the right tires and some sense its not as bad as some make it out to be.

Look at E30's and test drive a few. You can get a really decent one for $2k. I would advise taking your time and finding a stick/LSD car though.

Or, you know, Miata, P-71..

actually... go to a govt auction and get a P-71 (or wasnt carkid1989 trying to sell his?). More power then a teen shoud posess, but you will probly have more sense then most. They are big enough to TAKE the accident that a teen driver is likely to have, they are durable as all hell, and can swallow friends and parts aplenty (and have plenty of back seat realestate for other teenage pursuits.

Mazda Protege Mazda MX6 or MX5 (turbo 4) / Ford Probe VW Mk3 Golf Nissan Maxima

All cheap, fun, easy to repair and mostly reliable depending on previous owners.

look into a 3rd generation (early-mid 90s) Nissan Maxima. Bulletproof drivetrain, reasonable handling, fairly quick, and they don't hold their value so they're easy to find cheap. Plus FWD so they're fine in the snow, and they get upper 28-30mpg on regular, and can be easily found with a 5-speed. Insurance is low since it's a 4-door and fwd.....check out www.maxima.org classifieds, I'm sure there are some in there in your area.

I'll cast another vote for the probe/mx6. They are dirt cheap in south eastern pennsylvania and are great performance for the investment. Roomy in the front, and under the hatch, not so much in the back seat. Good mileage 27-28, quick, not bad on insurance. The earlier cars 93-95 have distributor issues, 96-97 do not but come with the hassle of obd2 if you want to modify one.

Apexcarver wrote: and have plenty of back seat realestate for other teenage pursuits.

AHEM Yes, yes they do. It doesn't get freaky until the handcuffs come out though...