Ok, I want it all and I want it cheap .  Just need a good, reliable 4dr car to commute with.  Would like new b/c of the warranty.  Any ideas?  BTW, cheap means 9k-13k if there is such a car.

Edited to add:  Lets call it inexpensive....not cheap

My gf's cavalier has 100k on it. No major bugs. 0% financing, $3000 minimum trade-in at most dealerships for anything you can tow in...

Look around for a Chevy Lumina with the 3.1L V-6. I had a 2-door version, and it was a great car; the best part is you can get a good one for less than 4K.


Edited 'cause I got carried away with the "o" in door...

Reliability = Toyota

Get a Camry or Avalon... slightly used.

I have a 4 cyl. '98 Camry LE

I get awesome gas mileage and still have adequate power.

Crown Vic ex-cop car. i needed a beater for my 2hr commute. the Rover gets horrible mileage and the missus' WRX gives me "clutch knee" so i found a former cop car 1997 with 130,000miles. i paid $2500 for it. it took about another $1000 to make it reliable. fuel pump, brakes, tires, belts and hoses, tranny flush and fill. so far its got 170,000 on it and its still going strong. these things go to 300,000 as taxis with routine maintenance. its got A/C, power windows, locks, mirrors etc. only thing bad about it is the seats. they SUCK. so i bought a nice set of buckets out of a lincoln for $350.

A used Toyota Camry, preferrably with the V6.

Don't worry about the warranty much.  They're extremely reliable cars and the repair costs are reasonable in the rare event that something needs to be fixed.

I would personally not buy a surplus police car. Most of them have been ridden hard and put away wet one too many times.   Oh, they CAN be good cars, but I've seen a lot of them show serious reliability problems, too.  

Fleet vehicles in general are not something I'd recommend, because nobody assumes individual responsibility for keeping their clean and healthy when it's not THEIR car but is the company's car.

CJ

You should be able to get a new Hyundai Elantra for less than $13,000, with some amenitities.  

My GF was looking for a new car...we shopped around, and Hyundai by far gave her the most car for the money.  She ended up getting a Tiburon, but we drove the Elantra and Elantra GT.  A buddy of mine's wife has the Elantra GT, and she loves it.  MY GF lovers her Tiburon.  

I was impressed with the room in the Elantra, compared to the other stuff in its class, like Honda and Toyota.  

Now, I know some will argue the Hyndai is a POS, but they've made vast improvements over the last few years, and the 10 yr warranty is hard to beat.  

Go drive one...if you're looking for a new car, I don't think you can beat if for the money...and you won't think you're driving a cheap tinny POS with the Elantra...take one for a test drive, and compare it to the competition.    

The ten year warranty....

Do you know what that says to me?

Here's what I hear when that's pitched to me:


"We're so desperate to sell you this piece of shit that we'll even agree to keep fixing it out of our own pockets whenever needed in order to keep it running, and we'll keep doing it for the next DECADE."


I'd rather buy products that don't NEED to come with a life support system!


With so many truly GOOD brands to choose from, why on earth would anyone buy a KIA (Killed In Action) or a Hyundai or a Daewoo or a Daihatsu or some other newcomer?    

Don't we have ENOUGH good brands to choose from already?

I'm not saying those brands are all crap. But I'm surprised people would buy a brand that nobody has heard of and doesn't have an established track record, not when even a cheap car costs so much money.  

CJ

Another vote for a Chevy Lumina.  I am on my third one.  The first two had close to 250,000 on the clock before I got rid of them.  Aside from common maint. I had to replace a fuel pump, water pump hose, an alternator, and a radiator (I hit a stick on the highway, not really the car's fault).  They are comfortable, get good gas economy (28-30 mpg), and are a reliable car.  Just my $.02.

Buys:
Honda Civic
Toyota Corolla
Nissan Sentra
Chevy S10

Conditional Buys:
Saturn
Dodge Neon
Hyundai Tiberon

Run away screaming:
Chevy Cavalier/Pontiac Sunfire

Need 4x4?
[img]http://thesnipersnest.com/jeep_1.JPG[/img]

The Lumina badge has been around less than 20 years, and you're already on your third one...that's a dont buy recommendation.

My mother just got rid of a 93 Olds Cutlass.  power windows quit working and both outside door handles broke off. Wasnt a single cutlass in the junk yard with it's door handles in tact.

My father just got rid of a 94 Buick regal.  Power windows wouldnt work in cold weather.  

I got rid of a 97 Pontiac Formula WS6. constantly blew speakers, intake manifold gasket leaked, window seal leaked, tail lamps were improperly fitted...

You couldnt give me an Olds, Buick, or Pontaic right now.

My Brother has been driving a 79 Ford Bronco and 83 Ford F150.  I'm Driving a 93 Chevy S10.  Dont know why the trucks last so much better than the cars?

if you are looking for cheap commute car look for a used saturn. I buy them for around 3k with 80-100k miles on them an trade them in around 200k. The on i have now has 172k on it and the only repair has been a belt tensioner at around 150k.

They are 100% reliable and get aroun 30mpg

mike

I had a 1993 SL2.  At the 125K mark the tape deck quit working, some interior molding had snapped lose, had to replce the alternator and 3 batteries, Catalatic converter needed replacement, and the tranny started slipping when in reverse...