[OHP]

My wife and I have decided to get rid of our Z71 Tahoe. No need for 2 gas guzzling SUV's. I've done a lot of internet shopping and I'm trying to stay below $10K for something used. I keep coming back an Altima.

What are you all's opinions and suggestions?

[BucknutBob]

It's hard to go wrong with your desired Nissan, or similar-sized Hondas or Toyotas. All are proven players, with reliability, economy, comfort, good handling, etc.. I'm a Honda guy where cars are concerned, so I would lean toward an Accord in your situation (Acura is also Honda, although likely more expensive).

[IanB]

Agreed with the above, if you lived somewhere further north I would also recommend Subaru for the AWD. You could likely pick up a nice Acura TL in that price range as well, might be worth looking at.

[OzarkRunner]

I've found that Altimas are very nice, and are a little more engaging than their Toyota or Honda counterparts. I would, however, stay away from the V6 with the 4 or 5 speed auto (non-CVT); there's a known issue on the V6 / auto with the transaxle getting stuck in high gear.

[OHP]

Thanks for the info and opinions. I went yesterday and drove a 2005 Altima 2.5 that a local lot had. I'm sad to say that I was not at all impressed with the car. Drive and acceleration was fine for a 4 cylinder, but the interior finish and material quality was very poor in my opinion. I have also driven a 2007 Altima 2.5 which is the newer body style, it's quality seemed to be much better. However, 2007 and up starts getting past my budget.

I really like the TL as mentioned above but pre 2005 TL's were prone to transmission failure. Not the greatest MPG's either.

The Mazda 6 looks good but I have never seen one up close nor do I have any experience with them. Anybody have an opinion about them?

[IanB]

Originally Posted by OHP

Thanks for the info and opinions. I went yesterday and drove a 2005 Altima 2.5 that a local lot had. I'm sad to say that I was not at all impressed with the car. Drive and acceleration was fine for a 4 cylinder, but the interior finish and material quality was very poor in my opinion. I have also driven a 2007 Altima 2.5 which is the newer body style, it's quality seemed to be much better. However, 2007 and up starts getting past my budget.

I really like the TL as mentioned above but pre 2005 TL's were prone to transmission failure. Not the greatest MPG's either.

The Mazda 6 looks good but I have never seen one up close nor do I have any experience with them. Anybody have an opinion about them?

I drove a 4cyl Mazda 6 recently as a rental, it was alright. No where close to my Dad's '05 TL Dynamic though, not even in the same ballpark. Check out a Legacy or Outback Limited, they are very nice, we have an '05 Legacy 2.5i Limited wagon that the wife drives, it's been a great car.

[JohnsD90]

Should be able to get an early MK5 05-06 Jetta TDI 5 speed for that price, nice interior, decent styling, Should run ya about $9-10k, 45mpg.

[Lineman]

I'd go with a Camry LE. They are a dime a dozen. Ride very well and very dependable. Could probably find an 2006-2008 with less than 80K for $10K.

[RandyDaytona]

Should be able to get an early MK5 05-06 Jetta TDI 5 speed for that price, nice interior, decent styling, Should run ya about $9-10k, 45mpg.

+1 on the TDI's. My wife has a 2005 Passat and it regularly gets over 45 MPG. And despite the outward appearance, it's extremely roomy inside.

[One04FourRrunner]

I just got my wife a 2013 passat tdi. She gets 48 average mpg. Car is awesome I don't know why we never owned a vw before .

[ndcent]

My father in law had a Altima 3.5 sedan with a manual and I thought it was fun as hell to drive. I was actually impressed with the finish of them as well compared to Toyota/Honda.

My neighbor has a Honda Accord that is older, near 2000 me thinks that I think is very attractive. Black, leather, nice alloy wheels, I'd push one of those around.

[helo-mech]

Originally Posted by BucknutBob

It's hard to go wrong with your desired Nissan, or similar-sized Hondas or Toyotas. All are proven players, with reliability, economy, comfort, good handling, etc.. I'm a Honda guy where cars are concerned, so I would lean toward an Accord in your situation (Acura is also Honda, although likely more expensive).

Could not agree more. I am Honda all the way when it comes to cars. I am currently driving a 1994 Accord that I bought for $500 and my wife is driving a 2002 4 door V6 Auto with leather that we picked up with 92k miles for 7,000.

We looked at the Altima and the Maxima back in the day but the interiors always felt a little cheap to us. We have always had the same thoughts about the Toyota interiors.

[OHP]

Thanks to everyone for their input. As a former BMW owner I thought I would consider an older 3 series. So I did a bunch of research and of course there are a couple of huge forums that have tons of information about the 99-06 3 series. I educated myself about what to look for when buying one and known issues. A couple of days ago I drove a 2003 325i 5 speed with 89,000 miles. Very fun to drive and 29mpg on the interstate. The car is for sale by the original owner and BMW serviced for the first 7 years of its life. It is in prestine condition. I think we have settled on $7800, waiting to hear back from him.

Any of you guys have any experience or opinions regarding BMW 3 series?

[Thai]

Originally Posted by JohnsD90

Should be able to get an early MK5 05-06 Jetta TDI 5 speed for that price, nice interior, decent styling, Should run ya about $9-10k, 45mpg.

How about repair bills? That will negate any MPG gains.

Originally Posted by Lineman

I'd go with a Camry LE. They are a dime a dozen. Ride very well and very dependable. Could probably find an 2006-2008 with less than 80K for $10K.

x2. Easy to repair and/or find a shop to repair.

Originally Posted by OHP

Thanks to everyone for their input. As a former BMW owner I thought I would consider an older 3 series. So I did a bunch of research and of course there are a couple of huge forums that have tons of information about the 99-06 3 series. I educated myself about what to look for when buying one and known issues. A couple of days ago I drove a 2003 325i 5 speed with 89,000 miles. Very fun to drive and 29mpg on the interstate. The car is for sale by the original owner and BMW serviced for the first 7 years of its life. It is in prestine condition. I think we have settled on $7800, waiting to hear back from him.

Any of you guys have any experience or opinions regarding BMW 3 series?

Personally, i would stay away from any bimmer past warranty. (Yes, i am a former BMW owner.) You will be in for a world of hurt financially. For someone who is trying to stay within budget, i am not sure that BMW is a good choice.

[GMZ]

I would an as new as possible Corolla.