Isn't car shopping supposed to be fun?

Been shopping for a "new" DD for a couple months now and all I find is disappointment.

Current car is a 97 Saturn SC2 5spd w /183K. Car runs fine but after 4+ years and 90k of my own driving, I want something else.

trying to keep the budget around $3500 for a 110ish mile car. I can't find squat. Being a GM guy, the search has been Cavaliers, Saturns, Cobalts and the occasional V6 Camaro.

Why does everyone think a 150K car is worth 5k? Has every car been crashed? Why does this 6 year old car have rust holes? (because Michigan)

Even Atlanta has failed me. (I have family there to help my search) Prices are the same, less rust, more bent with burned off paint.

Maybe I'm too picky. Is 2 doors and a manual trans too much to ask? Expanded the search (and budget) at bit to Integras and NB Miatas.

Somedays it sucks to be cheap/broke.

1st world problems right? Thanks for listening everyone.

I'm in your boat. I missed my chance this year to get anything. Mississippi's worse to find anything useful in. Half the cool old iron has been donked, the other half just ignored and left to rust. I'm stuck in a Nissan with 213k miles for the family. Sucks, but you've got to soldier on.

Why 2 doors? I've had a 2 door Cavalier, I wouldn't recommend it, ever, to anybody, for many more reasons than the doors.

I use to think like you then I realised who drives their cars the least, has the money to get it serviced regularly and will in generally take care of there car? Older people. Look at older people cars. Cadillacs, Oldsmobile's Buick's, Lincolns. This montra served me well when I was broke and I still use it.

Ok so non of these cars are what you are describing but when I had not $$$ I wanted to get the best I could for the money I had and if this means driving a lightly used Fleet-wood brougham or a lincoln town car that were both 15 years old but were mechanically perfect and had complete service history since new. (both were excellent cars) While I dreamed of my 2 door sports coup, well so be it. Also if you are broke you are probably young and lets just say having a really big car with back seat with its own zip code was a good thing.

Your biggest problem is 2 door standard. That's going to be what, maybe 5% of cars?

As the above poster said, if that's all you can throw together for a dd, do like be said. I found a 2000 Buick lesabre in 2007 with 20k miles for 5 grand. No problems decent gas mileage

I'm really liking to 30+ MPG I get with the Saturn, and thats with maybe 35%freeway driving. The value of 3800 FWD sedans is not lost on me, but at 10mpg less over 18K a year adds up quick.

I can't stand the b-pillar blind spot of a 4 door, not to mention whacking my head against it getting in and out of the car. Had a 4 door Grand-Am (quad 4 5spd) for 3 years before the Saturn, never 4 doors again.

With those specs... You just put out a want ad for Mullet Machines R'US mullet not included.

Your in Fox Body/80's IROC territory my friend.

On the other hand I've been looking for a rust free 93-96 4wd 4cyl 5spd reg can Ford Ranger under 4k dollars for over 3 years and have found nothing but garbage. Very rare truck and very frustrating.

dean1484 wrote: I use to think like you then I realised who drives their cars the least, has the money to get it serviced regularly and will in generally take care of there car? Older people. Look at older people cars. Cadillacs, Oldsmobile's Buick's, Lincolns. This montra served me well when I was broke and I still use it. Ok so non of these cars are what you are describing but when I had not $$$ I wanted to get the best I could for the money I had and if this means driving a lightly used Fleet-wood brougham or a lincoln town car that were both 15 years old but were mechanically perfect and had complete service history since new. (both were excellent cars) While I dreamed of my 2 door sports coup, well so be it. Also if you are broke you are probably young and lets just say having a really big car with back seat with its own zip code was a good thing.

Not young, well at least from my view point. (40 is getting big in the window) Yeah, I'll take some heat for that.

Picked nice (small) house and crappy car over nice car and crappy apt. So I won't need the big back seat plan. Hope I did good. Then again the ladies won't give me the time of day anyhow, but that's a different thread.

FranktheTank wrote: With those specs... You just put out a want ad for Mullet Machines R'US mullet not included. Your in Fox Body/80's IROC territory my friend.

uh what? I'm shopping for a 2-door econo-car, how did you jump to V8's? Sure I entertained a V6 Camaro but it was a passing thought.

My mullet machine was purchased at a price far, far less than my DD.

a 98-02 Camaro/Firebird with the LS1 and 6 speed will get around 30mpg if you drive nice and turn the rear tires into a white cloud and chunks of rubber when you need to blow off some steam..

In reply to novaderrik: Bull spit. It's unpossible to drive an LS1 Camaro “nice". At least on a regular basis.

I managed 20ish mpg once. Once. On a long highway trip, with no stop signs to allow me to abuse the tires.

Gearheadotaku wrote: trying to keep the budget around $3500 for a 110ish mile car. I can't find squat. Maybe I'm too picky.

Yes, I think you are. You need to either go up on the price or mileage requirements to get what you want I think. If a car with 150k is in worse shape than u want, then it has probably been too badly abused to be worth it anyway. The last car i bought had 373k on a broken odometer and im still driving it 2 years later lol.

To stay 2 door and fit some of what you want, maybe you should add Ford Probe to your search. Highly overlooked.

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/3744169269.html

Another good choice; MX3 http://flint.craigslist.org/cto/3751972538.html

B pillar blind spots? You can fit a full size SUV in the blind spots of a 2 door J body, I dealt with one for 2.5 years. You can get a whole lot of Prizm for $3500, that's a car with a fine greenhouse. I just picked up a turnkey 99 5 spd with minimal rust, 127,000 miles, and no oil burning problems for less than half that, it knocks down no less than 31 mpg, beating it around the city on winter fuel. The equivalent Corolla or Civic will do the same.

To be fair, I'd honestly rather hang myself with an extension cord than put up with a GM basic transportation type car ever again in my life.

My grandma Buick gets right at 30 mpg on my 130 mile per day commute.

Jeff, Given your advanced age (you brought it up), try one of these.... http://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/cto/3685010554.html

IDK, I find the hunt as much fun as the buying of the car. I usually shop in the same price range as you, so I understand that it can be frustrating wallowing through so much muck. But then you find that one right score and it's very satisfying. Found my current '01 Saab 9-5 for $2900, with full maintenance history.

Keep plugging away, you'll find "it".

DeadSkunk wrote: Jeff, Given your advanced age (you brought it up), try one of these.... http://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/cto/3685010554.html

Wow, that thing is super clean! Too bad the gas mileage would kill me...

I commute about 40 miles a day. Some days I put 100's of miles on my car other days I work at home so there is no real constant. I very rarely shop for a car based on millage. Comfort, utility and road feel are where I start. Millage seems to be 2nd. Maybe I am weird. Another part of it is that although it is only 20 miles to my office it can some times take 1.5 hours with traffic so I would much prefer to be sitting in a larger more comfortable car. This is where my 924s falls on its face for commuting.

That brings up another option how about a 944? for 3500 you should be able to get a decent NA one. The bad thing is that prices are going to start to go up for the 2door manual cars as summer is rapidly approaching and I am sure that there are a lot of other people thinking like you are.

Also something to consider. Take $1500 and put it in to your current DD? Make it better / newer by investing in it.

I'm glad you guys are around, I really don't have anyone to talk to about stuff like this.

JohnRW1621 wrote: To stay 2 door and fit some of what you want, maybe you should add Ford Probe to your search. Highly overlooked. http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/3744169269.html Another good choice; MX3 http://flint.craigslist.org/cto/3751972538.html

I'd be jumping on that MX3. That's a pretty uncommon example with those options. Those wheels are the best that ever came on those cars. Every other MX3 owner will be jealous.

You're not the only one - I had been poking around for clean, inexpensive, maybe 2 door, stick shift cars in Atlanta that don't totally suck to drive. Found a $6,000 budget might get a 175,000 mile Honda Civic. I think I'm going to put the money into keeping my 200,000 mile BMW on the road until the wheels fall off.

I think the lack of new car sales over the past couple years has really pushed up the price of used cars.

I'll add one more thought. You're buying at the wrong time.

This is tax season. Used car prices are often artificially high for the next few months as sellers and used car lots know people have tax returns to blow.

I've been on the other side of this coin, and sat on a car for a few months, and listed it for too much money, and sold it succesfully.

If you can afford to wait it out, bide your time and keep looking. The right deal will pop up. That's a healthy budget.

Swank Force One wrote:

JohnRW1621 wrote: To stay 2 door and fit some of what you want, maybe you should add Ford Probe to your search. Highly overlooked. http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/3744169269.html Another good choice; MX3 http://flint.craigslist.org/cto/3751972538.html

I'd be jumping on that MX3. That's a pretty uncommon example with those options. Those wheels are the best that ever came on those cars. Every other MX3 owner will be jealous.

How many winter till the body is full of holes? Would you condone a rare car to such treatment? 165K and full of expensive, hard to find parts. Not what I'm looking for in a DD. I need something common and disposable.

Part of the mental block I have is spending 5k on a car that will be worth 2k in a couple of years. A "loss" of 3k. Buy a 3k car and its worth 1.5 -2k in a couple years. I paid $2500 for the Saturn, a great deal at the time, and I bet I could sell it for 2,000. While I doubt I'll come out like this again, I managed to do it in the past. Bought a 1992 S-15 in 2000, drove it 4 years, (90K miles) and sold it for a grand less than I paid.