Cheap, reliable used Civic? Finding cheap/reliable Civic to last 3 years?

Hi,

I'm going to be moving to Texas for work and will be buying my first
car there. I plan to stay there for about 3 years. The company is
supplying a rental car for the first month, during which time i will
have to find my own car.

I'm looking for a cheap used car. I've been checking out Honda Civic's
and Toyota Camrys on Yahoo autos and houstoncarfinder.com, and the
cheapest prices i've been able to find come in at about $7000.

My question: I would like to get a car for $2000-$4000, that will last
me 2-3 years of driving in the city, and one which I won't have to fix
often.

Is it totally impossible to get a car in this price range at all? Why
can't I find any cars in this price range on the internet? Will it be
easier to find a car in this price range by looking through the local
papers when i get there?

Is it unreasonable to expect not to have to repair it often if i want
it for only a few years and how much would repairs typically run?

If I want a car for only a few years, and want to pay as little for it
as possible, yet want it to be reliable what's the best way to go?


Thank you.

 

I have one of those for sale, but it's not in Texas.

 

Interesting question. You're stuck with the cheap vs. reliable tradeoff
however. If it's reliable and not going to need any repairs, it's not
in your price range. If you *must* purchase a car, first of all it's
good that you're in Texas and not in the rust belt. Secondly, you'd be
looking at a 100k + mile car from the early/mid-90's, that would need
at least some fix'n, whether it's Honda or Toyota. Really, that's the
tradeoff- cost/reliability.

Have you looked at some lease options? I know. Gasp. I hate the idea of
renting and eating the depreciation of the first few years, but if you
choose just about any Asian econocar, you might be making VERY small
monthly payments and have the entire car covered by warrantee.

Just about exactly a year ago, I was looking for the exact same thing
you are. I bought a 92 Civic EX loaded with 126k for $2600. but knew
there were some repairs to make. Engine, trans, AC, and body were all
decent, but I spent over $1k in the past year on suspension, brakes,
tires, etc. You usually get what you pay for.

Good luck.

 

Check out on the local newspaper, where you relocated yourself for your job.

Good luck

 

I nice site to go to would be www.autotrader.com

 

if i was to sell my 98 civic hatch with 52k miles, id likely ask more
than $4000. closer to $6k.

try a newer used kia or hyundai. civics and corollas hold their value
too well.

then theres always the echo!

 

yup- if the OP KNOWS they wont need it more than 3 years, a lease on
something like that would be a good idea.

 

Use www.edmunds.com 's used car appraiser to perform some
iterations based on mileage, age, and condition to get an
idea of what you can reasonably get.

 

I had pretty good luck with the following when buying used cars for my
kids. I made repeated visits to new car dealerships and got to know the
used car sales managers. I kept going back (weekly), asking about cars
traded-in since my last visit. I was able to find high mile trade-ins,
single owner vehicles at low prices. Most dealers do not sell these
cars to individuals, instead they get rid of them via wholesalers. You
have to beat the wholesaler to the dealership (pretty easy since the
wholesaler generally visits the dealerships on a fixed schedule). But
I'll admit this took more than one month. I was able to buy two Accords
at prices close to the trade-in values listed at Edmunds. Don't neglect
to negotiate any required service work at the time of purchase.

Or, as suggested, lease. For example about $3K down and $219/month puts
you into an Acura RSX. If you arrange for a lease like this before you
arrive in Texas your employer may be willing to give you the cash
equivalent of a month's rental car.

 

Not true.

I have a 94 Civic DX 4 door automatic w/air and 58K miles that we're
selling for $3K.

 

I don't think 5K miles per year is that extraordinary. Perhaps it is a
second vehicle that isn't driven much. Or perhaps they live close to
most of their destinations. I barely put over 5K miles per year on my
s2000. I commute to work by bike most of the time, and quite a few
things are close to my house (grocery stores, restaraunts, theaters,
gym, shopping, etc). I really only put on miles on roadtrips and weekend
pleasure drives in the mountains.

J

 

Nope. One owner--my mother.

 

That'd be the used-car buyer's dream car. Kinda like a "barn-find".
You'd get a lot more for that up here in Chicago.

 

if its clean, its going to sell immediately. might wanna ask a lil bit more?

 

if its clean, its going to sell immediately. might wanna ask a lil bit more?[/QUOTE]

Maybe. I'll give it a try.

So far, it's available to family members. This weekend I'll take
pictures and put it on craigslist. I'll probably ask $3500 initially,
and take $3K.

We do want to move it, though.

I guess the $3500 is legitimate because last March we did $1200 worth of
maintenance on it--timing belt et al., brakes, and a couple of other
things. Tires are good, too--so it's ready to roll for someone for at
least 3 years.

 

Maybe. I'll give it a try.

So far, it's available to family members. This weekend I'll take
pictures and put it on craigslist. I'll probably ask $3500 initially,
and take $3K.

We do want to move it, though.

I guess the $3500 is legitimate because last March we did $1200 worth of
maintenance on it--timing belt et al., brakes, and a couple of other
things. Tires are good, too--so it's ready to roll for someone for at
least 3 years.[/QUOTE]

How 'bout offering to the OP? ;-) Your car is *exactly* what I was
looking for a year ago. Sounds like a gem. Can't keep it?