possible car hunt

[unclehobart]

I may be in need of a new (read: used) car in a few months. Give me your reccomendations.

Budget: keep it under 8,000 us

Specs:
up to 6 years old and <100,000 miles
sedan would be good, but the cargo aspects of a station wagon or minivan/van would be best
auto or manual, doesn't matter
diesel or regular, doesn't matter
engine... no preference, but decent mileage would be a plus
4 door, but will take 2
needs a workable roomy back seat, bench, or modular captains chairs like a van
something with a good repair and reliability rep
Presentable exterior as I live in a hoity toity neighborhood, but the interior can be as stark as a worktruck if need be

 

[PuterTutor]

Don't buy a chrysler van. I'd go something midsize, Pontiac has always been a favorite, plus they're nice and roomy.

 

[Professur]

I swear by Mitsubishi. But for reliability, the Chevy Celebrity was unbeatable. My '85 had the same engine they put into my '91 Sonoma.

 

[PuterTutor]

I love Mitsu too, but the only thing there is they tend to be a tad compact, even up in the bigger cars, there isn't as much leg room or cargo space.

 

[unclehobart]

I was thinking of something large enough to haul around band equipment if need be. My open face truck is a champ... 'cept in the rain. A van would be ideal... but a gas pig. Minivans would be more 'family' useful, but not really tough enough to take a beating.

 

[Kruz]

I'm thinking Pathfinder or X-tera

 

[Inkara1]

Have you considered putting a camper shell on your Dakota?

 

[unclehobart]

Its not a viable idea because the backseat is really lame. Its good for little women and kids under 12 ... but not normal framed adults. I find myself needing such space all the more these days.

 

[Inkara1]

So which type of vehicle do you really want to get? Your first post left all kinds of options open. I like my Neon sedan, but I don't know about the band stuff in it. Perhaps a compact station wagon would work, but you said a minivan might not be able to take the abuse, meaning a small wagon probably wouldn't either. Do you want an SUV?

 

[unclehobart]

SUVs never really did anything for me. They don't seem to do any function well except handle terrain... and thats the least of my worries.

Something with a full roomy backseat is of greater importance than mondo cargo space... but if I can find a refurbished Econoline work van with a back bench, I'd be in pig slop heaven. I would have everything I want except fuel economy.

 

[PuterTutor]

If you know someone that works at the airport, give them a call. They go through tons of shuttle vans of just the variety you're looking for. They usually take good care of them, but get rid of them within two years too.

 

[Squiggy]

If fuel economy isn't a problem, maybe PT will sell you his Burb for $8K.

 

[Inkara1]

Your cutoff seems to be 1998. If you'd be willing to push that back a year, you could get a '97 Honda Accord Wagon which would have a roomy enough back seat (three would be a bit of a squeeze but probably less so than, say, the Neon) and have some cargo space.

Are you going to keep the Dakota as well, or chuck it in favor of the new vehicle?

 

[PuterTutor]

If fuel economy isn't a problem, maybe PT will sell you his Burb for $8K.

 

[Gato_Solo]

Have you tried perusing your local paper for a 'pre-owned' Range Rover? That would fill the bill for the "hoity-toity" aspect, the cargo aspect, the room aspect, and the fuel aspect...If all else fails, you can go to Ebay...

 

[unclehobart]

Land Rovers are pretty pricey. I would rarely if ever use their offroad capabilities. For that kind of cash, I would just assume get something like an Imprezza Rally station wagon with one of the peppy drivetrain setups. Those things are AWD and quite a mother if properly tuned.

Ink, I don't mind pushing back the year if need be. Its just that it would probably make for a 120k+ totured car with any number of mechanical time bombs to chase down.

Whats the current skinny on who has the best reliability rep?

 

[Professur]

Toyota still has the crown. Hyundaii has the warranty, but that's fuck all use when it's in the garage every week for something new.

 

[Inkara1]

Honda's still up there too. Hyundai isn't up there yet, but they do have the warranty and they've come a long way since the Excel.

 

[Gato_Solo]

Land Rovers are pretty pricey. I would rarely if ever use their offroad capabilities. For that kind of cash, I would just assume get something like an Imprezza Rally station wagon with one of the peppy drivetrain setups. Those things are AWD and quite a mother if properly tuned.

Actually, Land Rover's aren't as expensive as you'd think...You could slide into a used one fairly reasonably if you look in the right places.

Sube's are nice, but beware of the viscuous coupling. They aren't as bulletproof as you'd think. Cheaper than a Tor$en diff, though.