novaderrik wrote:
Kenny_McCormic wrote:
I can't think of anything a Corolla can't do better for the same money.
i do have low standards as far as appliance beater cars go, but of the 3 Cavaliers i've had (97,98, 04), the only one that was an unreliable rattletrap POS was the '04- and that had the lowest miles of the bunch... maybe a Corolla could do better, but there are none of them around here more than a few years old and Cavaliers are everywhere...
See the important factor highlighted above.
A 10yr old, beater-ish Corolla or Civic will sell for literally double what a 10yr old beater-ish GM product will. Its the same reason I drive a Saturn. Cavaliers are even cheaper though.
nocones wrote:
In reply to gofastbobby:
???
I get all kinds of excited talking about beater cars. I have no idea why. I guess it's the inner hillbilly in me. I was realizing that what you're looking to get is much more than a beater. Not as exciting to hillbillies like me, but good for you. You'll be able to find many nice cars in your price range. One good option could be a vibe/matrix. I work with many people who commute long distances (longest commute is 85miles one direction). It seems they all drive either tdi jettas or vibes.
In reply to ProDarwin:
Depends how patient you are, you'll easily spend the difference as the GM nickels and dimes you to death anyways.
Kenny_McCormic wrote:
In reply to ProDarwin:
Depends how patient you are, you'll easily spend the difference as the GM nickels and dimes you to death anyways.
Probably not the thread for discussing this, but I can assure you that is untrue, at least on the models mentioned above.
I've had both a J body and a Prizm/Corolla. I spend far less time and money fixing the corolla, the parts are the same price if not cheaper if you know what you're doing(e.g. $13 vs $130 OEM slave cylinders). The Corolla rides better, handles better, built far better, rusts less, gets better gas mileage, doesn't sound like its gonna explode if you wring it out, has a nicer gearbox, is more comfortable, has equal if not better HVAC, and is just more pleasant to use in general.
When it does break there's a lot less broken glass and rusty razor blade type construction to deal with. Guess how much I bled today changing a belt tensioner pulley? Pulling the glovebox to cut the DRL wire? None and none.
Our experience in this house has been exactly the opposite.
That's why we buy 2-3year old GM's as our daily's. I would have made the recommendation if somebody hadn't already. Cobalts are cheap, and ours has been 100% trouble free.
In reply to Zomby Woof:
That might be true if you buy them 2-3 years old and dump them at 8 or 9 years. Past that point, things go downhill rapidly in my experience.
ProDarwin wrote:
novaderrik wrote:
Kenny_McCormic wrote:
I can't think of anything a Corolla can't do better for the same money.
i do have low standards as far as appliance beater cars go, but of the 3 Cavaliers i've had (97,98, 04), the only one that was an unreliable rattletrap POS was the '04- and that had the lowest miles of the bunch... maybe a Corolla could do better, but there are none of them around here more than a few years old and Cavaliers are everywhere...
See the important factor highlighted above.
A 10yr old, beater-ish Corolla or Civic will sell for literally double what a 10yr old beater-ish GM product will. Its the same reason I drive a Saturn. Cavaliers are even cheaper though.
there are almost no 10-15 year old Toyotas around here for sale for any amount of money- but you can't drive 10 miles in any direction without seeing a fwd GM car from that era sitting in someone's driveway for sale...
novaderrik wrote:
there are almost no 10-15 year old Toyotas around here for sale for any amount of money- but you can't drive 10 miles in any direction without seeing a fwd GM car from that era sitting in someone's driveway for sale...
That wasn't the case when I bought my Saturn. A typical day of searching would find equal amounts of GM beaters and Japanese beaters.
Typical search results:
- 98 Civic: 190k miles. Hit in front right. Needs headlight, fender doesn't match rest of car. Wheel-wells rusting. $3000
- 98 Corolla: 210k miles. Rusty wheel wells. Trashed interior, all the paint on top of the car peeled off. $3000
- 98 Camry: 250k miles. Has a rod knock and no reverse. Needs a hood. $3000
- 98 Saturn: 100k miles Leather and all options. Everything in very good condition, new tires. $3000
- 98 Cavalier: 90k miles. Runs great. $3000
I have a spreadsheet that will sorta do what your asking. I made it to compare salaries when moving from a job that was further away form home to one that was closer. You can also compare savings with different vehicles. Google Docs link. Just download it to your PC and open in Excel.
Most everyone in my family drives big Buick/Oldsmobile sedans with the 3800 engine. Most do essentially no maintenance and get 30mpg highway in something comfortable. Most are 10-12 years old and cost @2k.
That all said, for my 58 mile round trip commute the 3 options I am torn between are the new Mitsubishi Mirage, the Prius C, and the Leaf. If the Prius had the rear wheel assist already or if I had a garage for the charger for the Leaf my decision would already be made, but without either of those I still vacillate.
