Looking for a sub $10k car

Chevy Cruze or Nissan Altima.

Hondas and Toyotas are great, but 10K don't go far on them. You can pick up a Cruze or Altima with about 60K miles and 4 years old and get a lot more for your money thanks to worse depreciation.

Pre owned Toyota 4Runner.

Big, safe, 4WD

you can get a CPO Hyundai Elantra for about that price with low miles.

They are fairly solid cars, and the CPO warranty is pretty good, and once youre out of warranty, parts are dirt cheap.

Depending on where she's located and availability of a mechanic nearby I'd seriously consider a 2002 or 2003 Saab 9-3 5 door. You can get a low mileage one for half your budget, and there's a cult of independent mechanics who do very good work for next to nothing. I know of a great one in every city I've lived in. They are also right up there w Volvo for safety. I was in a horrible accident in on, dodged a deer and hit a tree that had been cut down and left at the side of the road to be picked up the next day. Rolled it 2x and got out without a scratch on me.

civic or camry. Both reliable and cheap to maintain. Come on OP this is a no brainer....

'79 impala.

Mywifes335 wrote

E36 M3

i knew someone would suggest this. please don't give advice that is absolutely false.

BimmerRookie wrote

civic or camry. Both reliable and cheap to maintain. Come on OP this is a no brainer....

Honestly I haven't shopped in this price range in 15 years, so I don't know what the status quo is anymore. I used to think Hyundai's were cheap and unreliable, but now I am hearing they are pretty good. Same with Ford and Chevy. So reading all these posts are helping me more than one might think. Of course Honda and Toyota are still good contenders, but their reliability also leads to better depreciation, which means I'll be paying a bit more for a used car. What I am really looking for is that gem that is both reliable and dirt cheap!

omega145 wrote

Surprised you were the first to mention a Subura. One that's been taken care of will last a while and having AWD is a nice bonus. Could go with a Forester for additional room instead of the Impreza.

Subaru's are expensive for anything more than an Impreza. And they rarely offer any incentives (at least around here).

Someone mentioned a Mazda3, and I would second that. Awesome cars! But you'd have to lease.

John Tanglewood wrote

Subaru's are expensive for anything more than an Impreza. And they rarely offer any incentives (at least around here).

Someone mentioned a Mazda3, and I would second that. Awesome cars! But you'd have to lease.

OP never said anything about it needing to be brand new, at least I didnt catch that in the original post. Plenty of choices under 10K for a used Subaru.

rjd598 wrote

i knew someone would suggest this. please don't give advice that is absolutely false.

Absolutely false? A bit extreme of a statement, no?

I've quite a bit of experience with people whom have E36 M3s... But after re-reading OPs criteria, I retracted the suggestion. Since its for someone whom won't DIY.

I since suggested the Subaru Impreza.

Anyway, moving on.

Mywifes335 wrote

Absolutely false? A bit extreme of a statement, no?

I've quite a bit of experience with people whom have E36 M3s... But after re-reading OPs criteria, I retracted the suggestion. Since its for someone whom won't DIY.

I since suggested the Subaru Impreza.

Anyway, moving on.

a sub $10k e36 m3 will not be reliable and at that price point probably not safe either due to lack of maintenance. i had experience with my own e36

TheYoungConnoisseur wrote

lease a brand new chevy cruze for 150/mo zero down. do that for 8yrs or so for the total of 10k in lease payments

Also zero maintenance costs for 2 years and 3 yr bumper to bumper. 24 mo and 36 mo leases run pretty close so with 2 24 mo leases, never pay maintenance and you're only out 7200 after 4 years of school.

rjd598 wrote

a sub $10k e36 m3 will not be reliable and at that price point probably not safe either due to lack of maintenance. i had experience with my own e36

Yeah, unless you're willing to go through the car and update all the consumables, it's probably not good.


For me, personally, it's THE $10k car.

What did you do/spend on yours?

Mywifes335 wrote

Yeah, unless you're willing to go through the car and update all the consumables, it's probably not good.


For me, personally, it's THE $10k car.

What did you do/spend on yours?

just preventative maintenance. i spent some good time researching common issues with the car and addressed them accordingly. nothing ever broke on me.

the OP never said lease is not an option.........so my vote is for a lease

you'll be getting her a brand new car with a warranty. it'll end up being cheaper for you...and gives her a piece of mind.

Honda Fit?

dragonsi wrote  

Honda Fit?

Great choice, provided it has a manual. I've had two Mazda3's and they're great little cars too. Would have bought a Fit, but supply issues meant there weren't any when I went shopping.

rjd598 wrote

just preventative maintenance. i spent some good time researching common issues with the car and addressed them accordingly. nothing ever broke on me.

I'm sayin! That's how most of the E36 guys I know do... Several have multiple M3s with one track whore/star.

Something about TC Kline...

dragonsi wrote

Honda Fit?

+1

Although I believe the Impreza scored higher in safety.

A stick Fit is surprisingly fun to drive.

My only comment on Impreza's is that unless something has changed, the 2.5L NA engines are usually due for a headgasket replacement around 100-120k miles.

So the OPs sister is on a fairly tight budge and people suggest an M3 and a new "hire" car.
Oh dear.

Go Jap, go simple, go unfashionable so you get loads more for your money.