What's your definition of a car that "Won't fall apart?"

So, my college kid brother (the one who doesn't know or care about cars, not the one with the cool Escort and ratty 924) texted me this morning. "What's a reasonable price range for a used car that probably won't fall apart?"

Me, being my annoying self replied "Depends on your definition of 'Won't fall apart.'"

I consider the $<2k beaters I've kept on the road with blood sweat and mechanical hackery to be reliable but somehow I don't think that's what he's looking for.

What does GRM collective think the minimum $$ is that you'd have to spend for a used car that will be essentially trouble free from the get go and remain that way for a long time?

Only a crystal ball can tell you that. I would think a $5k Camry would fit the bill. Anything else is a crapshoot. I don't think dollars is a good way to judge reliability in a used car.

3k. doesn't matter how you spend the 3k, could be 1 on car and 2 on catching up maintenance, or 3 only on car, but that is generally where I tell people who are not car inclined and looking at a minimum. don't spend 3k on the wrong car.

I also tell them that they need to expect some ongoing bills. If they plan for 50-100 bucks a month, they will likely be very happy.

P71

$3k is what I was thinking, obviously provided you find the right car that's been well taken care of. I guess that was an implied part of the original post.

XJ Cherokee in the $3-5k range.

Even the most solid cars, in those price brackets, can have serious issues. Buy a toyota/honda/hyundai and look for one that has high mileage and was taken care of by a single owner.

crown vic or econo box toyota/honda gets my vote

Oh, and I totally didn't mean for this to turn into a "what car" thread I'm more curious as to different opinions regarding the point where keeping a cheap car on the road becomes more trouble than it's worth.

90's civic with manual everything. Simply put, there's not much to go wrong.

If you want something made in the last 20 years, 3k. Either a 2k car with 1k in maintenance or a 3k car that needs nothing.

The 2k "needs nothing" car is a myth. The 1k "cheap beater" doesn't end up being 1k either, and over a long enough period of ownership costs more than the 2k or 3k car.

The_Jed wrote: P71

After driving my boss's Town Car I've already decided that I think I want one of those when I inevitably get tired of the $900 Saturn in a year or so.

You need to put some context into the question.

If you want cheapest transportation, I believe that the old adage of "buy two year old cars for cash and sell them when they hit five years old" is a hard formula to beat. Pick your own level of luxury for this approach.

If the question is really, "What the best odds car to buy for $3000 that wont ever leave me stranded regardless of how I maintain it" Then I would go with a 7-9 year old Toyota Corolla.

One of these for about $3k.

P71 or Astro.

mr2peak wrote: 90's civic with manual everything. Simply put, there's not much to go wrong.

Except terminal cancer of the sheetmetal.

3K Camry or Corolla is going to be pretty reliable.

Certainly not my old TR4, where people would drive up next to me and say "pieces of your car are falling off back there".

I'm going to also say what most people here said, Camry, Corolla, Civic...but make sure it has been taken care of. I saw a Buick advertised the other day for around 2k. It was a 2000 I believe with 50k miles, and still looked new. Grandma owned according to the seller, and it looked that way. Grandma cars can be great buys for non-car people.

You can find $2k cars that would likely be reliable as gravity with $1k or so in maintenance. Most every $2k car I see needs tires, brakes, shocks/bushings and a general going over in the engine compartment. Change all the fluids, button up the leaks, catch up on recommended change interval items like timing belts? After you spend that time and money, with the right car and luck, you should do fine.

Civic. Corolla.

These are the only two I would outright trust to someone with no mechanical abilities even if there were gaping rust holes throughout the car. Any other car is suspect.

These two cars can be purchased for $300 or higher and be dead reliable for 10's of thousands of additional kms with only oil changes.

Swank Force One wrote: XJ Cherokee in the $3-5k range.

I thought you owned one of those things. I've never been on the side of the road more often than during the 2 years my exwife insisted on owning one of those. I had to buy an ancient Volvo 740 turbo to get a more reliable thing.

wrongwheeldrive wrote: If you want something made in the last 20 years, 3k. Either a 2k car with 1k in maintenance or a 3k car that needs nothing. The 2k "needs nothing" car is a myth. The 1k "cheap beater" doesn't end up being 1k either, and over a long enough period of ownership costs more than the 2k or 3k car.

I would agree with you 90% of the time. But I have had my volvo for almost a year now and besides a leaky radiator, which the seller gave me a new one with the car, it has yet to let me down, and I picked it up for $1000. I have spent $0 on it besides routine maintenance.

It also doesnt have AC, no cruise, and odometer and speedometer dont work but are not necessary for daily driving (my brains guess-o-meter has worked for a speedometer so far). You can only expect so much from a $1000 car.

The cars are out there, just hard to find

I would tell him to plan on budgeting $4000. Spend $3000 on the car, and set the rest aside. Even the best $3000 used car will need repairs and maintenance. He just needs to understand that going in. Setting aside money up front will take a lot of stress and potential frustration out vehicle ownership.

Newest Corolla he can afford.

Streetwiseguy wrote:

Swank Force One wrote: XJ Cherokee in the $3-5k range.

I thought you owned one of those things. I've never been on the side of the road more often than during the 2 years my exwife insisted on owning one of those. I had to buy an ancient Volvo 740 turbo to get a more reliable thing.

I so second the Motion. I poured 3X the value into one (XJ) thinking that this is the end, but never found it. Had a 1996 (ZJ) Grand Cherokee the same way, and ended up currently with my sons 2004 (WJ) Cherokee chasing everything with $$$. No more J's for me.

I'm not hard purposely on cars, but 3 I tried to destroy and they never would quit was an old Corolla, a 1986 Mustang SVO, and a 1992 Mustang GT. They are still probably reliably on the road somewhere.