What's your wisdom here? $10,000 for a 10 year old "bulletproof" CX-5 (saving $5,000 for whatever), or something older but more affordable (saving about $10,000 for whatever)? I'll be daily driving this, with semi-frequent 90 mile trips between Connecticut & New York City, along with a few road trips to look at prospective properties plus out-of-state work.Which do I buy? Which would (You) buy?$9k>2016.5 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring>175,000 miles$6k>2015 Hyundai Elantra Sport>160,000* miles (engine replaced @ 135,000)$6k>2006 Honda Element>171,000 miles$4k>200X* Toyota Camry or Corolla>~180,000* miles (there are several)$3k>2001 Buick Park Avenue Base Model>95,000 miles...or something else?>tfw that guyThe first and most expensive two options are from a small but reputable shop nearby, but the rest are from a place owned by the best friend of an old mechanic I worked for as an apprentice after High School who was like a second father to me. Check their inventory and lmk if you see anything good.https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/m-Ernies-Auto-Body-Works-sp102891There's also *another* guy who's got a bunch of old clapped out cars for sale, like that 1998 Camry I mentioned in an earlier post, and, of course, there are others.Oh, and, of course, I'm interested in a Pontiac Vibe or a Honda Fit or even a Dodge Caravan... basically, I'm all over the place here.I'm probably buying tomorrow or Saturday. I think I've made up my mind... but I want to know what (You) think.Thanks for your continued good advice.
just get the hyundai you idiot!!!!!!!!!!!
>>28770874The newer Mazdas, the crossovers especially are quite overrated. No inherent achilles heels, just generic and not really good at anything (stiff on road, useless off road). That's also quite high mileage considering it's price, irregardless of the year.The Hyundai you're obsessed with doesn't seem like a good deal by any metric, I personally see the engine replacement as a massive red flag.The Element is decent for that price only if it's AWD + manual, otherwise that's a $3k car at best.The Camry or Corolla will likely get you to at least 300k with no more than some oil changes before they ask for anything else, which unless you're doing courier work is years of driving.The Buick is the most decent thing so far - bulletproof motor, low mileage, bench seats even. Just like other GMs and even Hondas of the era, you simply have to remember to keep the ATF fresh to avoid future shifting issues.I've personally seen a few friends burned by buying cars from their "reputable, trusted family mechanic" where they end up back at the mechanic a few months after when the rest of the car falls apart. I also wouldn't buy a car from a mechanic shop, but that's just me. I never worked at one.Personally I'd be looking at things like picrel - bulletproof, n/a, port-injected I6 with decent power and MPG for a daily, low mileage with under 100k, AWD (which does add a transfer case and axles to take care of - but you are in CT) or RWD. Judging from your picks you're likely the type that would think "but it's a German car, it's expensive to maintain!" and you wouldn't be entirely wrong, you just have to be knowledgeable on specific years and drivetrains. An Audi A4 with a 2.0T? Run. A 2013-2015ish BMW 328i with the direct-injected 2.0 4cyl? Run. The N52 motor in that E90 328i? Pretty solid on the other hand, with plenty of high mileage examples out there as proof.Personally, I'd never even consider something like a Vibe or a Caravan, decent as those may be.
>>28770874(cont) Really don't want something German? Still have to make "semi frequent" highway trips? I'd be looking at something like picrel. Body on frame comfort, V8 torque, couch-like bench seats, proven dependability, all while still having under 100k miles in a car that's very well known for going multiple times that amount.Yeah, compared to something like a Camry MPG is definitely not going to be as good. But you'll be comfy as hell. Highway mileage on these when cruising is also far, far better than what you'll get in city traffic. 25-30mpg is easily achievable on highway runs.
Of that list, the Mazda or Toyota, or Honda in that order. Don't bother with Hyundai. Or go find a Ford Focus Wagon body, definitely just as reliable as the others. They're extremely cheap due to Mk3s killing the reputation.
>>28770932Ok this gets my vote.
>>28770874>a bunch of terribly boring grocery getter shitboxeswho the fuck cares? Buy whatever's cheapest and runs, it literally doesn't make a difference. I don't get people that get decision paralysis over choices like this.
>>28770877>not sure if srs but checked & possibly fpbp>>28770933>also checked and good advice>>28770932>>28770935>tempting...>>28770928>nice!Thank you for not only your two effort posts, but also this particular find! IDK why I don't look at Craigslist. Like most here on /o/, I love (good) BMWs, and am sorely tempted to take this one!The car I'll soon be buying is to replace (or, hopefully, augment) my 1997 328i convertible with Sand Tan top & interior, Boston Green paint, and pretty much the same engine.Thank you! Looks like I'll call tomorrow.
>>28770938It's a combination of factors.
>>28770949I mean, you could probably get a slightly nicer Kia/Hyundai for 15k with lower mileage and a bit newerI'd look into that. Hyundai/Kia is the best value for money. The Elantra GT Turbo is really nice, if you can find any of those.
>>28770874If you don't want to fuck with it 3800 or Toyota.
>>28770952I don't want to spend the whole $15,000 on the car itself, earmarking the rest for maintenance & cetera, and I want something reliable that I'll drive for several more years. Higher mileage often means that parts which inevitably fail have already been replaced.>>28770957Exactly,,,,
>>28770949That car is going to leak everywhere and every place, I have one in my driveway. That is not a commuter, it is nothing but trouble and impossible to work on.It is a dream to drive, though, and they do not rust, it's a beautiful vehicle in every way other than what you want, I don't think it fits your needs.EDIT: I have a 335 not a 328 but it's going to be the same deal, I can assure you.
>>28770928What a godly post. Everyone deserves to know a guy like you.
>>28770960>I don't want to spend the whole $15,000 on the car itselfI recommend spending as much as you can afford to get the best you can afford. If you can find an Elantra GT Turbo for that money - go for it. If it has the tech package - even more so then you get adaptive cruisebut you could probably also find a lightly used top trim sonata turbo or optima turbo and those are gonna be more moden and comfier than anything else at the pricegetting the top trim available in a used kia/hyundai is the best strategy my dude, especially if you just want a normal sedan
>>28770960>https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/m-Ernies-Auto-Body-Works-sp102891I'm just assuming you are on long island I looked up Optima 2.0T limited and there's a few near you for 10kishhttps://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/767352496?city=Hempstead&listingType=USED&makeCode=HYUND&modelCode=ELANTOUR&modelCode=SONATA&searchRadius=100&state=NY&trimCode=SONATA%7CLimited%202.0T&zip=11549&clickType=listinglower mileage than what you posted too
>>28770972Friends who recommend a BMW as a commuter might as well be an enemy.A BMW is a luxury car, the luxury being you get to lay underneath it every weekend. It is the nicest driving car I have owned but there is no way you can count on it for a daily, there is ALWAYS something wrong. It really does drive like a dream but the OP asked for reliability and a 3 series is not that.
>>28770874For $15k I think you can get a Lexus IS or GS with the 3.5L V6. Should be comfy and completely bulletproof up to 200k miles or more
>>28770974Fuck off, retard.Hyundais are the worst pieces of shit ever sold in America, that includes the Vega and Chevette you fucking liar scum. It's 2025 and these shitboxes die inside 100,000 miles.
>>28770874That Buick is a steal.None of the cars you have selected are exciting cars. The Buick is going to be VERY not exciting. But what it has going for it is simplicity, reliability, it's easy to work on, and its parts are widely available and cheap. The body is not going to rust. The suspension parts that will eventually rust are cheap and easy to replace. There are reman engines everywhere.>But anon, why would I pay $5000 to have a reman motor put into a $3000 car?Because what car can you get with basically a new 3800 for $5000?This thing will basically run forever for SUPER cheap compared to anything else. Just take care of it.
>>28771000you get tons of value and features for your money with kia/hyundaithe ones with a turbo are properly nice and the optima/sonata are cushy in the high trim models
>>28770932Benefit of crown vics is that you can just pick up an absolute pig for $1-2k, run it till it dies, then grab another one and still come out ahead
>>28771015Living comfy, where are you?
>>28771017Let me say this again, the only (ONLY) car made in 2025 that will die inside 100,000 miles is a Hyundai. You might as well flush your $40,000 down the toilet.
>>28771025there's tons of higher mileage hyundais and kias floating around to prove you wrong
>>28771029You can win the tolerance stack lottery on any vehicle, some makes are more of a gamble than others.
>>28770949Craigslist can be really hit or miss, but it's never worth overlooking. I don't mean to sound like I'm trashing all your picks but mostly just offering an alternative especially as an effort post deserves somewhat of an effort reply.I have owned my share of cars like Hondas and Fords FWIW, but as all cars need maintenance I've found I'd rather pay, say, $120 for a set of brake pads for a 3 Series than $100 for a set for a Focus. Same thing with the (few) dollars more you'll pay on a tank of gas. Smiles per gallon/life being too short to drive boring cars and all that. I did get 35mpg highway with my E90 when I owned it however.>>28770966>I have a 335 not a 328 but it's going to be the same deal, I can assure you.N54/N55 is an early example of a direct injected engine and is no way even in the same league of comparison as the n/a N52, aside from having the same general displacement and amount of cylinders. This goes to the drivetrain comparison I mentioned, as I do recommend an N52-powered car as a daily driver. I've owned one previously, of course. I wouldn't recommend anything N54 powered to anyone except someone wanting a "fast" car for cheap that expects it to be a shitbox project car, on the other hand.>>28770992>It really does drive like a dream but the OP asked for reliability and a 3 series is not that.I'd say the n/a ones definitely are. Similarly, the newer, B48/B58 powered ones have already proven their reliability despite being "new" and "plastic" engines, too. I base reliability off the drivetrain combo, not off of [model] is unreliable as a whole. That'd be like saying the Toyota Tundra and Land Cruiser are unreliable. They're not. But those new, V6 turbo ones that seem to be blowing up and getting recalled? ehhh.
>>28771032you will get a much nicer interior and more features with a kia than some beater old bmw
>>28771021I'm down by Old Saybrook.
>>28771035how about you just post all your talking points as a bulleted list so we can fast track this discussion to its logical conclusion
>>28771045OP should test drive a top trim, engine upgrade Kia or Hyundai to see what he can get for his money. I think you will find you get more features for your money and a newer car getting a lesser brand.
>>28770874>2001 Buick Park Avenue Base ModelNot a good choice,the only good thing about it is the engine the engine is great but the rest of the car is burnt dogshit.I think a Toyota Avalon would be a great choice.
There is genuinely nothing more based than some old 90s/00s boomer cruiser with a V8. Simple, reliable, boring but effortless. No gadgets to distract you. Pure motoring. And this is coming from someone that swears by performance coupes.
>>28770874>$5k GMT800 Silverado/Tahoe/Suburban>$3k for a tranny rebuild>put the rest towards fuel and maintenance/repairs
>>28771085The Buick is not dog shit. There are plenty of SUVs with worse handling and worse acceleration combined with worse interiors that have a million times worse build quality.It is well-built, solid mediocrity. Would it be a astronomically better if it had 3-Series handing? Yes. It has no tossability. But it does have build quality even if what was built might have your enthusiast side questioning why they didn't build something more stirring to the soul. GM had stepped up their build quality considerably from the 80's to the 2000's and were no longer building pieces of shit that fell apart in 3 years.It's a boring car but it's just fine for a boring commute. You can set the cruise control for 65 and not have a care in the world that you're not going faster since it doesn't beg you to do 150 like a certain clownshoe does.
>>28771112its not gonna have nearly the cushy ride, competent handling of modern features let alone the GO of a optima/sonata turboit's absurdly outdated
>>28771113Anon, it's $3000 and it's going to outlast any Kia or Hyundai. It's hard to get across the comfortable lovability of a reliable, inexpensive, "good enough" car. It's not something anyone would lust over, but after you hit 15 years with it you think, "This has been reeeeeeeeally good to me."
>>28771118You can get a MUCH nicer ride for 10k in a Kia. Much newer, safer, more features, brighter headlights etc.
Wait for an LS430 or LS400 to appear.
>>28770874Always try to get a Park Avenue Super or Ultra but if it had to be out of all of those 100% the Buick
>>28770874CX5 is a good choice. Plus you can update the infotainment for like $50 to have android auto. Bit more cargo room and ground clearance than a sedan. Those miles are insane though. It's going to need all the wear items replaced.
>>28770874try this website. It's basically Copart for individual buyers. You can sometimes find cars that are being sold at auction without any accident history / maintenance issues. Picrel may just need a front bumper (not listed as salvage).
>>28770874Also, I think a CX-5 would be good, but 175k miles is really high. Try to get 100k or less, or pay way less so you have money to fix issues. >picrel, 100k miles and much cheaperHere's a CX-5 in CT for $5k with the same mileage. https://www.salvagereseller.com/cars-for-sale/95619795-2016-mazda-cx-5-gt-east-granby-ct
>>28771750>buy an out of warranty Stellantis era Alfa fucking Romeo with >30k miles per year
>>28771222Quality trips.These seem to go for a bit more up north than they do down south, but they're excellent cars. They've got an impressive amount of features that rival the BMW 7 Series and MB S-Classes of it's era, yet offer that much-memed Toyota reliability and dependability. Lots of these are options, but you can find them with things like adaptive cruise, ventilated seats front + rear, massaging rear seats, a built-in cooler, soft-close doors, oscillating AC vents, air suspension and such. I love things like those boaty FWD Buicks, BMWs like the E46/E90 3-Series too, but something like an LS430 would be on a whole other level despite being from the same years (yeah, I know it doesn't compete with any of those, but as a used, potentially sub-$10k car it does).LS400 counts too, lots less to go wrong on them (there's a famous million-mile example) but you'd almost have to import a Celsior from Japan since 99% of LS400s in the US are now super roached out unfortunately.>>28771771I mean, I'm the one that posted >>28771034 and an out-of-warranty Giulia is what I primarily daily now instead of the E90. Definitely not with 30k miles per year and not trashed from an accident, on the other hand (never buy a car from Miami, either). OP could definitely get into a decent, one-owner, low-ish mileage example for a budget of $15k, and there are factory extended warranties they'll sell for those scared of the Alfa/Mopar meme, but I'd have to see what happens when clapped, 3rd-5th owner BHPH examples with neglected maintenance start reaching 200k miles, since I think that's where reliability is proven. It's actually exactly why I recommended the E90, because there's now some really ratty, poorly-maintained high mileage examples that are still kicking.
Hang yourself, 2015 Hyundai Elantra schizo, as I said.
>>28771848Yeah. I have an '05 CL LS430 with tan leather and black paint. Its beautiful when clean. For speed, I have an '10 BMW M6 with the V10, which is also funny enough in OP's price range. Its only good a second car though, never the primary one.
>>28770874>$10,000Easy.GM Volt, then save for an M3 Tesla
Thank you all for your advice, commentary & participation in this thread as well as the others I've recently posted.>ctrl-f 'buick'>>28770928>>28771015>>28771085>>28771112>>28771232>>28771848>>...and also each & every one of (You)I went to check out the CX-5, and it's nice, but then I inspected & test drove the 2001 Buick Park Avenue, and fell in love with it. Both exterior & interior are immaculate, no bad smells, it started right up immediately on the first turn of the key without touching the pedals after having sat for days, just a fantastic car. Driving it was weirdly familiar, as it's been a while since I've helmed landyacht.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCqKI3bPnE8I'm buying the Buick; celebration is being held in the following thread:>>28772434>still gonna buy an additional car with the remaining $9k to switch back & forth between like another pair of shoes just because, so feel free to provide further good/cheap suggestionsNow, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to sleep now, and dream of driving this magnificent, comfy vessel.
>>28772519>picrelThat car is NOT worth 4 grand you're getting fleeced
>>28771112Im not talkingabout that,i'm not expecting it to be a sportscar for example we all know how GARBAGE that transmission is it's not really that good even as a comfy reliable cheap to run cruiser
>>28772536I'm getting it for 3 grand (the sticker says 4 grand but they dropped a grand off the price about a week before I showed up to look at an entirely different car).It's a good deal either way; check out these prices on like the only Park Aves available listed on CarGurus:https://www.cargurus.com/search?sourceContext=carGurusHomePageModel&zip=10022&makeModelTrimPaths=m21%2Fd274%2Cm21&distance=50000&sortDirection=ASC&sortType=BEST_MATCH...then check out all 6 available east of the Mississippi on Craigslist in pic related.
>>28770951>I really can't decide, do I get the bacon egg and cheese mcmuffin, or the sausage egg and cheese????>please send help!
