Young Man Turns To Reddit For Car Buying Advice…

 
I was browsing the /r/Cars subreddit this morning, when I came across a thread with the poster looking for some car buying advice. The person states that are 23 and looking for their first car. The budget is $5,000 or less. The poster then goes on to add that they’d just like something that’s able to get through a minimal amount of ice and snow while also possibly being able to carry a bike in the back.
Here are some of the suggestions from the thread:

  • A Chevy Cavalier/Pontiac Sunfire
  • A Crown Vic
  • An AWD Volvo S60 or BMW 3-Series
  • A BMW E36 or E46
  • A Toyota Corolla

I’m not sure any of those are that helpful. Surprisingly, the Crown Vic is the one that comes closest to the needs of the person shopping for a car. I’d probably suggest something like this Subaru Forester (assuming it was well maintained), this Volkswagen Passat Wagon, or this Mazda 6 wagon (use the extra cash to clean it up).
What would you recommend here? Sound off below

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  1. Frank T. Cat Avatar
    Frank T. Cat

    I’m not qualified to give advice as to what car because everything I would suggest is Swedish, and we all know how that goes.

    1. Amoore Avatar
      Amoore

      That’s pretty much how it would go for me as well, so I’ll keep out of the fray…

  2. pork_rind Avatar
  3. I_Borgward Avatar
    I_Borgward

    1) BMW, MB, Audi: Nein, nein, nein, nein, nein. With your first repair bill, you’ll cry yourself to sleep.
    2) Cavalier/Sunfire: too old, too nasty.
    3) Volvo: Rear wheel drive only. FWD, see item 1.
    4) Crown Vic: Do you have lots of friends to haul around? Not a bad choice. Also, Grand Marquis.
    5) Toyota, Honda: Also not bad choices, IF you can find one without a zillion miles for a reasonable price, but it can be very difficult to do so. Deals can be had for the persistent.
    6) Subaru: Decent and reliable, but typically not cheap to repair or purchase.
    7) For the ultimate in cheepness, perhaps an old Buick with a 3.8 liter and 4 speed? Dull but reliable.
    Perhaps more later… as luck would have it, I’m helping a relative with finding just such a ride.

    1. Marto Avatar
      Marto

      As the owner of a 19-year-old car with a 3.8/4spd driveline, I concur.

      1. LeaksOil Avatar
        LeaksOil

        Everybody seems to wax on about the dang 3.8s,… My parents had a bonneville with the 3.8 + 4AT. I briefly drove it with my learners before it was sold. It was the biggest shitbox they ever owned. It spent more time at the dealer and other reputable repair shops because it had nothing but breakdowns and problems. I don’t know details because they never told me, but I got left on the side of the road at least once or twice with mom in it. Her & I both hated that boat. Still hate those old GM fwds because of it. Maybe hers was just a lemon, but I swear the dang thing broke itself just sitting in the driveway ,…(pic from Internet, not actual family car)

  4. Bradley Brownell Avatar
    Bradley Brownell

    Between my wife and I, we had a couple Crown Vics, a Mercury Grandma’s Keys, and a Lincoln Town Car. I love the Panther chassis so much. I’d buy another one in a heartbeat.
    I would also suggest a Saturn SW twin-cam wagon. With a stick, natch. I love those cars, too. Possibly my favorite domestic car ever.

    1. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      The last wagon on the Panther-chassis: The Buick Roadmaster?
      With US gas prices I’d not hesitate for a second.

      1. Fuhrman16 Avatar
        Fuhrman16

        No, the Roadmaster was a GM B body car, the Panther was a Ford product. The last panther wagons would have been the Ford LTD estate and Mercury Colonial Park wagon of ’91.

        1. Sjalabais Avatar
          Sjalabais

          Facepalm, yes, what was I thinking. Still pretty amazing to see that the last wagon on this platform was made about two decades before the sedan versions were done for.

  5. Gee Nick Avatar
    Gee Nick

    My ’02 Mazda Tribute ES. Done.

    1. Hatchtopia Avatar

      I actually have gone from just liking my ’05 4-cylinder, 5 speed Escape to loving it. It’s perfect. And so far, even with 117k on it, been perfectly reliable. I can haul people, lumber, garden stuff. It tows a moderate load just fine. And I’m getting upper 20s on the highway. Best of all, because it was a stick, it was dirt cheap. Grocery getters don’t want to shift.

      1. MattC Avatar
        MattC

        Good call. These can be had for a song because the take rate wasn’t high for a 4cyl/5speed (although it is exaxctly how I would spec it).

      2. Gee Nick Avatar
        Gee Nick

        My V6 has inexplicably gone over 150K with no issues. The autobox sucks, though running a custom tune with modified torque converter settings made that a lot better. The low resale value was why I bought it ten years ago, but now it’s a real $2500 bargain.

    2. nanoop Avatar
      nanoop

      Is the knee space (i.e., distance between rows) in the back seats comparable to or bigger than in a Mk.I or II Ford Focus?

      1. Gee Nick Avatar
        Gee Nick

        Backseat room is the best feature. I had it in mind as a purchase after riding in the back of one. A lot of room.

        1. nanoop Avatar
          nanoop

          Perfect reply, thanks! These live a rather step-motherly life in the local market, and look like a lot of AWD car for the money – 20% under comparable state Foresters. Need to figure out if these were sold with ASR or similar, or else, Mrs. nanoop won’t approve..

          1. Gee Nick Avatar
            Gee Nick

            ASR? Don’t know what that is. I don’t think any stability control or brake-based tc was introduced until after the ’05 refresh. Different awd than a Subaru, meant for part-time use when front wheel slip occurs, basically a limited slip diff that sends power to the rear without an actual lsd on either axle. I think you can keep it in awd, but only for low speed maneuvers. Mine is fwd.

          2. nanoop Avatar
            nanoop

            Oh, I meant ESP (electronic stability p..rogram?). Mrs. nanoop has reasons to demand this (a friend’s actual accident scenario), and I won’t argue.
            The level and implementation of 4WD/AWD is not too important, since like most Norwegians here, we’d need 4WD only for 15 feet, to pull out onto the road without having to clean only 1/2ft of snow off the driveway.
            I’m collecting ideas here and compiling a long list – our 2001 Focus wagon, which is completely ok in 1/2ft of snow, won’t survive the next winter in a sense tech inspection could approve.

          3. Gee Nick Avatar
            Gee Nick

            That’s exactly what the 4wd on the Escape/Tribute is good for. I don’t know when ESP was implemented, but I don’t think it was until the second gen, which is not the same great vehicle, unfortunately.

  6. Maymar Avatar
    Maymar

    Ford Focus wagon (hatch if you need to go newer), Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe. I’d say Mazda Protege5 or Mazda3, but living with ice and snow probably means anything under 5k is rusted out.
    For someone’s first car, just a big ‘ol nein, non, nyet to the Crown Vic, certainly not unless snow tires are part of that recommendation and maybe a whole Tour De France’s worth of bikes in the trunk. Still, big and vague aren’t ideal for someone getting their driving bearings. If old people car is the direction they’re thinking, Buick LeSabres exist too.

    1. Scoutdude Avatar
      Scoutdude

      The person is 23 so while they may be looking for the first car they will buy they probably have lots of experience driving their parents cars over the years. However my son and daughter both did much of their learning to drive in a Panther and that is what they currently drive. An 01 GM LS Limited for my son and an 03 P71 for my daughter. Get one with traction control and put proper winter tires on it and it will go just fine in snow and ice. 100lbs of sand or something else in the trunk.

      1. Maymar Avatar
        Maymar

        If their parents drove RWD stuff, that’s fair. That’s not as probable as it used to be though. Anecdotal, but I’m almost 30, and the last time my parents owned something RWD was before I was born. If nothing else, FWD is more intuitive to how most drivers react, right?

        1. Scoutdude Avatar
          Scoutdude

          Well at least around here lots of people have RWD or a RWD based 4wd that their kids drive. In the local HS parking lot there are quite a few pickups, both compact and full size. There are also a lot of mid and full size SUVs. Of course there are also a lot of Camcords and other FWD sedans, along with some Mustangs and BMWs.
          So yeah there are still a lot of people who drive RWDs and so do their kids.

        2. ptschett Avatar
          ptschett

          I’m closing in on 35 and somehow have never owned a FWD, though I’ve always lived in the US northern plains and needed to deal with snow about 4 months of the year. My parents’ family sedans were FWD but everything else was RWD (or 4×4 in the pickups) and the first car I regularly drove was RWD (’73 Mercury Cougar).
          The few times I’ve had to drive a FWD vehicle on slippery surfaces since I graduated from high school and that stopped being routine, I find them a bit counter-intuitive. I’ve had times where I drove a FWD and a RWD on the same icy road on the same day, and the FWD lost front-wheel grip and understeered through curves where I didn’t expect it because the RWD had been fine; and once grip gets lost, the recovery technique is a bit different. I’m used to driving a RWD on slippery surfaces with all-terrain or all-season tires, but if I was going to drive a FWD on a regular basis I think I’d just about have to install winter tires till I got used to the different handling characteristics.

  7. P161911 Avatar
    P161911

    TrailVoy. Decent, body on frame, honest SUV. Reliable, cheap, and roomy.Lots of 4x4s out there in that price range. Receiver hitch is standard for bike racks, good for towing most things too. The straight six has enough power.

  8. Alff Avatar
    Alff

    The best car you can find for $5K

    1. mdharrell Avatar

      I was thinking more along the lines of the ten best $500 cars.

      1. Alff Avatar
        Alff

        Why? Is your wife after you to clear out the driveway?

      2. nanoop Avatar
        nanoop

        Spreading the risk of unreliability – very clever!

  9. CraigSu Avatar
    CraigSu

    Older Honda CR-V or Element. Honda reliability with decent storage capacity and reasonable MPGs. Haven’t checked any prices but I would think something decent would be available for $5000.

    1. Preludacris Avatar

      Currently babysitting one. You’re right, decent ones can be had in that price range. Difficult to find one I would want to keep – 5spd, AWD, well maintained, and low miles. If you can give up one of those elements the shopping gets a lot easier.
      http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z313/ndrwhrnr/559C128C-21F5-4281-8664-02980F6BBB12_zpsh5nrgblh.jpg

  10. Fuhrman16 Avatar
    Fuhrman16

    A Mazda Miata with snow tires and a luggage rack.

  11. Scoutdude Avatar
    Scoutdude

    Panther is as usual the right answer. In the under $5K price range A CV or GM will have lower miles, be newer, in better condition ect than something else at the same price. Actually I’d say spend under $4K and put the rest to a set of craigslist Mustang wheels, quality winter tires and have a still have a few bucks in your pocket. A bike with the front wheel off fits in the trunk just fine. Or you can get a receiver hitch and bike rack if you want to carry a bunch of bikes and use the trunk. You can still get out for under $5K for car in good condition and not that many miles.

    1. JayP Avatar
      JayP

      Qualifier: 2003+ Panthers have the updated front end with rack&pinion, more power and Mustang offset wheels. Try to find zero offset wheels… just try!!

      1. Scoutdude Avatar
        Scoutdude

        Yes I should have said an 03 up car since the 05-14 Mustang wheels are a direct fit. For the earlier cars you can run spacers and the -04 wheels or thicker spacers and the 05- wheels.
        Late model Mustang wheels are cheap on craigslist in my area. The Bullet wheels my winter tires are on were $50 for all 4 with center caps. Not prefect condition but good driver condition and fine for the winter tires. The most I’ve paid is $160 and those even had OK tires.

        1. Sjalabais Avatar
          Sjalabais

          50$ will yield me a laugh and clap on the back trying to buy one wheel here in the cold and salty north…

          1. Scoutdude Avatar
            Scoutdude

            Part of the reason they are cheap is because they are for a Mustang. Lots of people have to put “custom” wheels on their Mustang. That means there are a lot of them for sale. Of course the fact that our climate is generally kind to wheels does play into the supply/demand equation.

        2. JayP Avatar
          JayP

          I’ve see sooo many 03+ Panthers with Mustang wheels and they look good.
          There’s a set of 255/18’s on black Torque Thrusts I can’t use since the offset won’t work on my ’02. The good thing- the stock Sport wheels have a nice dish to them and look good.
          2002 Sport
          http://www.unclebillsgarage.com/crown%20vic%20close%20up.jpg
          2003 Sport
          http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/fuf0awcik33d6pseexja.jpg

          1. Scoutdude Avatar
            Scoutdude

            I put some LX Sport 17’s on what is now my son’s GM.
            I’ve ran SN95 17″ Bullitts and 18″ aftermarket Mach 1 on my 92 with Spacers. I ran 3/4″ in the front so I could tuck 255s in front and out back I used 1/2″ spacers so I could tuck 275’s

  12. wunno sev Avatar
    wunno sev

    a Honda Civic is a better and more reliable car than anything anyone else here has suggested. it won’t break and it’s easy to fix when it does. it’ll be cheap to own and drive. make sure the timing belt is replaced on time and you’ll be happy.

  13. karonetwentyc Avatar
    karonetwentyc

    XJ Cherokee. 4.0, AW4, 4WD. Properly-maintained, it will last pretty much indefinitely. Parts are cheap and available more or less everywhere, and doing the majority of the maintenance work yourself is a realistic proposition. Fuel economy’s not exactly stellar, but not terrible either for what you get. Offset that with the lower cost of running over time and they make for a decent runner that fits the criteria outlined by the original poster.
    Just don’t buy one that’s been modified; there’s no way to know the quality of the work or components unless you’ve fitted (and used) them yourself. $5K should get you into a *very* nice original example.

    1. LeaksOil Avatar
      LeaksOil

      I had a ’97 4×4 5 speed XJ. That price estimate is very accurate and maybe even a little high. It was super reliable (typical: the crank angle sensor dos leave me stranded, only time it ever did though). Definitely enjoyed owning and driving it, did okay in snow/winter weather. Our Subaru Forester does/did much better, imho.

  14. Sjalabais Avatar
    Sjalabais

    As many others here, I’m one of the points in my network people gravitate towards when they need a new car. And from discussions like this, I know it’s always going down the same route: People tend to recommend what they know. So it ends up like a “stick to your camp”. I’m not heading over to reddit, because I’ve always found it really hard to navigate sensible. But what I’d start with would be asking if he wants an appliance that moves him reliably from A to B, every time, or if he wants to infuse joy into that process. That’s a sliding scale with different choices in both extremes and in between.
    From my experience, most cars work nicely on ice and snow, it’s the drivers skills that matter – and snow tires, of course (went back to add this d’oh-insight because America). Only with FWD vans have I had more trouble than necessary (front wheels far up front and little weight overhang on these). Every car can be versatile, this is just a matter of (lack of) respect:
    http://s26.postimg.org/7hjc9ci5l/P1180981_Kopi.jpg

  15. Rust-MyEnemy Avatar

    Import a 25 year old Ford Scorpio Cosworth station wagon.

    1. Monkey10is Avatar
      Monkey10is

      With advice as bad as that I think you should just stick to being a regular writer and commenter on Hooniverse…

      1. Rust-MyEnemy Avatar

        Citroen C6, then?

        1. nanoop Avatar
          nanoop

          No Leyland products yet?

          1. karonetwentyc Avatar
            karonetwentyc

            Let’s just sidestep all of this and recommend the Lancia Beta HPE.

        2. Monkey10is Avatar
          Monkey10is

          If the stream of imported Peugeot 605s and Renault Safranes is drying up, then I guess that leaves the C6 as the obvious choice.

          1. karonetwentyc Avatar
            karonetwentyc

            Or the Alfa 164, which is at least available domestically.

          2. Monkey10is Avatar
            Monkey10is

            A simple plan for Reddit Kid:
            1. Spend the $5000 buying all of the above suggestions.
            2. A lifetime ‘career’ as a Hooniverse contributor describing what broke this week and how many months it will take to get a spare.
            3. Prof… oh. I think I see the problem now.

  16. tea party jesus Avatar
    tea party jesus

    This is easy, mid 90’s Lexus LS. She’ll go for 300k, just make sure the timing belt and water pump were done at 80k.

  17. Hex_disqus Avatar
    Hex_disqus

    Cavalier, Sunfire, and Corolla are actually great options for winter and, since I’m assuming the OP doesn’t have much experience with RWD because they’re asking Reddit, FWD is far better for them than a RWD (Crown Vic). Clearly this author doesn’t know wtf he’s talking about.