So what kind of car can I expect for 2 grand?

[WDWisTheBest]

I would not use craigslist. What I would try to do is find someone in my neighborhood who wants to sell their car privately in order to buy a newer car outright.

I would put an add in my local newspaper or AutoTrader. And, I would never go to a user car dealer.

The suggestion about the six cylinder 3800 GM engines used in Oldsmobiles and Buicks is a good one. And, I would look extensively at the Consumer Reports auto magazines to get an idea about maintenance issues.

 

[Fyrefly]

I agree buying an older car that was once high end is probably your best bet, but I'm not sure you can get anything worth your time for only $2000.

That Hyundai sounds frightening. Who knows how long that oil leak has been going on? Lack of oil = damage to engine. How would you like to put in the $$ to fix the leaks then have the engine crap out on you anyway because the previous owner let it run since it was gonna get sold anyway? Also "bearing damage" sounds scary as well. Another thing that could mean huge engine trouble, or trouble with an axle somewhere...bearings are important and shouldn't be taken lightly.

I have a 91 Honda accord my parents bought new that is now mine. It's had a lot of components replaced though. Old accords are near impossible to kill, so if you find that or a similar good old car that has been kept up properly, that's your best bet imho.

 

[hpfan100]

for 2000 budget it will be tricky to find a good car in a short time span.

You should look for lowest miles and newest possible Ideally no mechanical issues.

I would consider either Civics, older volvos, buicks, olds, or models that were cheap when sold new and designed to be daily simple drivers like Neons, Civics etc. (a no bells and whistles kind of car).

When you do find something go look at it, take it for a spin and ask for records of oil changes etc, take a man with you even if he knows nothing about cars, take it to a good mechanic and make sure it is sound, check tire wear and tear and AC/heat stuff.

Don't give up!
I bought a 5 year old low mileage car for 5000 and it lasted me for 11 years!!!

 

[minnie1928]

Passing the smog test, and having a clean title also drives up the price, like 200-300$, automatics also seem to be about 300-500$ more expensive as well.

Can you drive a stick? That will open up your options if you can...if you can't then this would be a good reason to learn.

 

[dfchelbay]

Don't forget www.Usedcars.com

 

[cbg1027]

BTW, my b/f is like 6'7", so he's sorta gotta be able to fit comfortably in the car.

My brother is 6'5 and he had no trouble fitting comfortably in his Volvo 240.

 

[SandrA9810]

Can you drive a stick? That will open up your options if you can...if you can't then this would be a good reason to learn.

There's no one to teach me. I know the concept of it, but beyond that, I've never done it in real life. I really don't want to strip a transmission in a car because I can't drive stick. Trust me, I know it's something every one should learn how to do. Manuals are not obsolete yet.

 

[IDoDis]

sorry you are wrong. every dealer we have spoke to has told us this. And my nephew who is a VP at a dealership said the same thing. Every person I knew got rid of a car no one got rid of a truck. Not too many suv's in the age bracket.

Actually, the mileage on the cars had to be under a certain miles per gallon to take advantage of CFC. We got rid of our van during CFC and the salesman told us lots of people were trying with their cars, but not many cars qualified because of the mpg restrictions. Mostly old very large cars, SUVs, trucks, and vans were the vehicles that qualified.

OP, I don't know about your area, but out here the dealerships are now keeping more of the older trade-ins and selling them in a "back lot" compared to when they used to just sell them at auction. With the economy in the pits, there are lots of people who need cheap transportation and the dealerships are finding they can turn a profit on the smaller, older cars like Toyotas, Hondas and Hyundais.

Some friends of ours just bought their DD a car for her 16th birthday. They found it in a "back lot" at a local Toyota dealership. The cars in that lot all passed their inspection test and were in running order, but sold "as is" with no warranty. They found a really cute 2002 Prius for $2995. There were a few dents in it that they paid extra to have removed. It has high mileage (140K), but runs great.

So check your dealers to see what they may have in their "back lots."

Also, a 2002 Hyundai is not a throw-away car. It's only 8 years old and Hyundais have a good rep and have had a good rep for many years now. It may be a fabulous car! We have a 1996 Geo Prism which still runs great. It's a 3rd car for us just to get around town. People ask me all the time if I'd be willing to sell it. If I decided to put my car on the market, your price range would fit the bill and you'd have money left over in your pocket because I'd probably sell the car for $1300ish -- and it has 96K miles on it! The paint is fading, but it runs like a champ. So there are cars out there -- you just have to keep looking.

Good luck!

 

[SandrA9810]

I don't even remember the last dealership I saw here... all the streets are lined with buy here pay here kind of rip off places.

Thanks IDoDis, I'll keep that in mind, and maybe later this week we can drive around town looking for one.

One more reason that turned me away from that hyundai was she sent me an email saying that they'd "gift" it to me with the DMV. I'm not about to play under the books on it. Taxes, fees, title, insurance, that's already been put into the total. I'm not going to try and be shady about it.

 

[RangerPooh]

To the original poster. I'm not sure where you are located but as you listed Modesto craigslist I'll assume you're in the central valley. While you might want to remain with just looking in Modesto I would also look at ads for vehicles in Turlock, Merced, Tracey,and Manteca. This should open up your selection. I know my girlfriends and I use to look through the ads for cars all over the valley when we use to live in Sonora.

I'm not sure what vehicles are going for in the area anymore but eons ago (ok late 90s, early 2000s) I was able to pick up an 11 year old VW fox for $2500, and it lasted me a few years. VWs are great cars if you can find them at a reasonable price in good condition. I also purchased an 8 yo Toyota Tercel for $2500 (after the VW got totaled...hit a deer). Both were sticks so that might have helped with the price. Good cars too.

 

[SandrA9810]

Yeah, I've tried expanding my search a bit on Craig's list, but Modesto seems to the the middle city for as far I want to travel. But I do expand on occasion when I've looked through everything in Modesto.

And people can be so rude. A post for a nissan specifically stated "text me at this number". So I sent a basic text asking a few questions about the car. Then I get this brilliant response "How r u gonna buy a car from florida. Dont waste my time scammer." When I lived in Florida, and especially in Orlando, you knew people with area codes from all over the place. And half the time, cities were broken into like 5 area codes, Miami had I think 3 when I left. It's strange to me here, that you don't have to dial an area code with the phone number, and it stretches for several cities.
But seriously, do people have to be so flipping rude to some one that wants to give you money?? If anything, just ignore it. BTW, I have unlimited texting, while my bf (who has a local area code) has to pay 25 cents for each text message because it's not a feature he uses.

 

[lilfroggie]

Honestly...I would think you could find something pretty decent for $2000. Last year, my husband and I were looking for a $1000 or less car for him to drive back and forth to work. We found a 1995 Saturn SL1 - 5 speed manual. The only issue, no car stereo. Our mechanic looked it over and said that we got an awesome deal ($800) and that the engine was sound. When we started looking for our new car over the summer, every lot we went to wanted our Saturn! LOL

It ran great until our 18 year old wrecked it in the fall.

Anyhoo...we got it off Craigslist. It did take a couple of weeks and we looked at several cars and called/emailed about lots more! You just have to be dilligent and check everyday! And also be willing to look at cars regardless of the make/model/year. You never know what gems you may find!

 

[SandrA9810]

I'm trying to watch the car size, a civic is a tight squeeze for him, but a Toyota Corrola is big enough. Hatchback or two door might be too tiny, but I'm not ruling them out. Gas hogers, like pick-up (which he doesn't fit into the little trucks like a Ranger, Frontier, S10), or SUVs. Minivans, I'm not ruling those out, I'd love one. But people put too much of a high value on them when KBB and Edmunds list their value so low.

 

[Pigeon]

I'd go to the public library and look at the car issue of Consumer Reports. I think it's April, but I'm not sure. They do a "best used cars" for different price ranges, based on feedback from readers.

 

[IDoDis]

My '96 Geo Prism is actually a Toyota Corolla (they were built on the same platform). My DH is 6'1" and fits in it fine. Geo Prizms are no longer produced, but they are still on the road. If you can find a Toyota Corolla in disguise (ie -Geo Prizm), you can get a great bargain.

Years ago I used to sell new cars at a Chevrolet dealership. Back then the Chevy Nova was also the same car as the Toyota Corolla. I remember once I had a customer who was looking at a new Nova that had just arrived, but the car had not gone through inspection yet. The seats were still covered in plastic wrap. I opened the car for the customer to look inside and I saw the little name plate on the dashboard said, "Corolla" instead of "Nova." Oops!

Get to know the "sister cars" which are the same car but sold under different labels.

http://www.johnfoxauto.com/2007/12/what-are-sister-cars.html

 

[bdcp]

My DS (27) is 6'1" and when we picked up a used car for him in HS and college, he chose an Accord with less bells and whistles over a loaded Civic due to the fact he is 6'1" and felt there was better legroom in the Accord. He has a CR-V now and that has plenty of legroom also.

 

[herdtoDisney]

My dh is a fan of Chevy Cavaliers-I drive a 1997 as my commuter car. He likes that the engines have timing chains rather than belts. (whatever that means, lol). These cars are availble often for around 2k. Good gas mileage too. We've had it 3 years and only had to do an alternator (which go out on any car).

 

[SandrA9810]

A Honda Element is my "dream car" at the moment. I heard that it's plenty big for a guy of any size. At first, the whole boxy look turned me off, but over time now it's grown on me. Of course those are wayyyy to new for the budget.

 

[SandrA9810]

I think I might have a yay. We took a look at this one tonight, it's got low mileage, the interior is good, and the engine looks pretty clean for a 15 yr old car.

http://modesto.craigslist.org/cto/2135961637.html

I'm debating about pulling a carfax report. But the cost is kind of scaring me. Of course I'm looking at spending 10 times the amount.

 

[cbg1027]

I think I might have a yay. We took a look at this one tonight, it's got low mileage, the interior is good, and the engine looks pretty clean for a 15 yr old car.

http://modesto.craigslist.org/cto/2135961637.html

I'm debating about pulling a carfax report. But the cost is kind of scaring me. Of course I'm looking at spending 10 times the amount.

Seems OK, but I would be worried about the oxidation on the hood. Maybe you should get an estimate from a paint shop before buying. You wouldn't want to have the hood get a rust hole in it six months from now.

I think the paint job on just a hood would be fairly cheap though. I had my 93 Volvo re-painted about 2 years ago at Maaco. Their cheapest option is $250, and that's for the entire car. So it might be an under $100 dollar fix.