What Should "I" Buy?: Reliable Mid-Sizer for 5 Grand
One our Edmunds staffers is in search of a new car. His 1988 BMW 535i is on its last legs and he's in need of something new/old.
Here's some of his requirements, needs and/or wants...
Maximum price is $5,000.
It has to be a car large enough to hold his keyboard and other musical equipment. A hatchback would be OK.
He would prefer six-cylinder power and a five-speed manual, but he's realistic about finding the latter in Southern California.
Finally, he wants it to be reliable. Maybe your Saab 900 hasn't caused you any problems, but let's face it, reliability often nixes quite a few cars off any used list.
We've been suggesting various entry-level luxury mid-sizers from the late 1990s, such as the Acura TL and Infiniti I30. We also liked the idea of an Integra hatch, but finding one that hasn't been destroyed by some crazed wannabe street racer is getting harder with each passing day.
But our hard-working, piano-playing staffer (let's call him Emmett) needs your help. What should he buy?
James Riswick, Automotive Editor
- Posted by
- James Riswick September 30, 2008, 6:00 AM
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- FAQ Friday, Used Cars
Ford Taurus. Seriously. Reliable, safe, cheap to fix. Low resale value means you'll get a good deal.
Probably not sporty enough for Emmett. Anything that says Acura is going to be way overpriced and expensive to fix.
At $5K, Emmett isn't allowed to be a snob.
Ford Crown Vic. Cheapest to buy, large, easy to fix. Virtually indestructable.
Is fuel economy important?
Consider a 4th Generation Maxima (or I30). Generous interior, quiet, capable, and can be tuned inexpensively for decent handling. Many have manual! Very reliable. My '97 had only one repair up to 120K miles. Perhaps I've averaged $500/year after that.
Ford Taurus?
Actually, 1998 SAAB 900 (and 99-02 9-3) is extremely reliable. 300k miles easy. Find a basic one (the "S") with cloth interior and manual HVAC controls and it will seldom require attention other than regular maintenance.
Mid-size, six-cylinder, manual and under $5k? Wow these are tough requirements.
German-made Passat GLX and Golf GTi VR6 come to mind.
Mazda 626 V-6 -- automatics were junk but manuals should be very reliable.
Toyota Camry V-6.
Lexus ES300. Believe it or not, it was initially available with a proper manual gearbox.
Subaru Forester
Lemme guess. "Emmett" the keyboard playing 535i driver is really Doug Lloyd?
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2006/11/not-on-the-camry-band-wagon.html
Late 1990s Honda Accord, perhaps? It might be hard finding one with a 5-speed, but I'm sure LA has plenty of used Accords available...
I30, TL, and ES300 are also good choices...
The Taurus isn't a bad choice, either...
WK, I've heard a lot of enthusiastic SAAB 900 owners, but since the late 90's, Consumer Reports has recorded a lot of poor feedback regarding reliability. Do you have a theory as to why that is? Easily correctable issues that die-hard fans find no-sweat to fix? I'm intrigued by the older SAABs, but all those black dots are worrisome!
Mazda Protoge 5? 90s Nissan Maxima?
jederino,
I do:
1. The original 900 was introduced in 1977. The last one sold in the US was MY1994. Continuous improvement made that latter ones far more reliable and enjoyable to own and drive. The new generation 900 was introduced in 1994 and sold thru 2003. Once again, the latter models are far more reliable. The best model year of the 900 was 1998 -- by far. It included major improvements such as revised brakes and clutch mechanism. The 9-3 was a thorough rework, with major changes in many areas.
2. People in the US tent to buy the bells and whistles when buying "luxury" cars. If you buy a loaded 900SE HO with leather, electric seats, automatic climate control, etc., you are exposing yourself to more complex technology that can fail. If you buy a basic 900S or 9-3 with manual HVAC controls, cloth/manual seats, manual gearbox, 15" wheels -- you will significantly minimize the chance of an expensive component failing. There are areas that are known to be weak, no doubt about it. However, if you read saabnet.com regularly and keep up with things that are known to cause issues, you will enjoy many years of trouble-free ownership.
The 900/9-3 is extremely comfortable, safe, practical and durable family car. I do not consider it to be a luxury car in the same league as Mercedes or Audi, for example. Do not expect razor-sharp handling, either -- it is no BMW. It does handle in a secure and predictable matter even at very high speed. And the turbocharged versions WILL put a smile on your face while still being extremely frugal. Mind the torque steer, though :)