looking for used Tercel or Corolla for my wife

[longhaul747]

My wife who is 29 years old just started to learn how to drive. She was never really around cars when younger and came from a country where they drive on the other side of the road. To say its been a struggle and stressful in the extreme is an understatement. In the beginning she did not even know what direction to turn the steering wheel. After several months of working with it we are finely making progress.

We have been learning in my 06 Hyundai Sonata. Its a bit big for her and powerful but if she masters this car she can master anything. For the most part training has been trouble free. However she did hit a few curbs. Luckily no damage but it did make me go eek!!

She won't try and drive the 4Runner. Its to big and tall. This is actually an asset but with her experience I understand her logic fully. When I learned how to drive it was about 2 years into my driving before I would drive my mom's full size GMC van. Of coarse when I finely did I loved it.

When she is licensed we will need a 3rd car. Something cheap and reliable that will return good fuel economy. She can hit a few things with it and maybe in a few years we can look at getting something new.

She is in love with the new Toyota Matrix but its not happening right now. I am trying to find a used Toyota Corrola, Tercel or possibly a Honda Civic for her. However all I seem to find is overpriced and ultra high mileage crap. I am sorry but I will not pay $3,000 for a 95 Tercel DX with 144,000 miles on it. Corolla's are worse. Seen 94 Corolla's with 150,000 miles for $4000. Seen 98 Corolla's with 150,000 miles for $5,000 to $6,000. If a Corolla has 100,000 miles or less regardless of year they want as much as $10,000 for them. Browsing a 94 Corolla LX with 98,000 miles for $8,995. This is more then I paid for my 4Runner for golly sakes...what the heck?

Any sort of strategy for buying older Toyota's or Honda's? I am browsing Craigslist. Seems much better then autotrader. However posted prices are insanse. I know its not difficult to cut these prices down but not sure how much. It seems most people feel there car is special and worth more then book. I am willing to pay book value witch I feel is generous in this economy but a lot of people want more. I know Toyota's and Honda's are reliable but that still does not make up for the high mileage and the fact that these cars are 10 years old or older. My philosophy is if a car is over 10 years old and 100,000 miles its just not worth much. Toyota gets a bit more leeway but only a few hundred dollars not thousands. Last but not least assuming its the original owner they got there use out of it.

BTW, used Civic's are even worse. If you actually find one in good shape regardless of mileage that has not yet been riced out they want a fortune for them. Not uncommon to see used 10 year old Civic's going between $6,000 and $8,000 if not even slightly more. Browsed a 98 4-door Civic sedan with 68,000 grandma miles and they wanted $9,995 for it. I really don't want a Civic as everybody I know who has one has been broken into and/or stripped out for parts.

 

[peter78]

Consumer Reports in their April issue recommends used cars for less than $4,000 (the lowest they go):

Ford F150 V6 2wd, 99
Mazda B-series 2wd, 99
Subaru Impreza 99
Toyota Corolla 99, Echo 00-01

Out of that group, the Echo kind of caught my eye. It you don't remember that, it is a smaller car than a Corrolla and it is kind of squised, it is tall and ugly. It may not be the most popular car, maybe something to think of, along with a Corrolla. I think it turned into the Yaris.
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/cto/1044541917.html

They also mentioned the Impreza, I don't know at lot about them. Squint and you might see a Matrix, well maybe not.
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/cto/1066899790.html

Of course getting down to $3,000, a lot of it depends on the vehicle and how it was maintianed and taken care of. Maybe of members can give other options for you, the more choices you have, you might find something you like.

 

[Jeff Kleb]

Consider a B15 Nissan Sentra (2000 to 2006) as a "cheap" and reliable car. I have a 2002 GXE that is just turning 100,000 miles and has been pretty good to me since I drove it home 7 1/2 years ago when it was new.

No, I am not trying to sell it (it will probably be with me until it dies); but can vouch that it is a less-expensive alternative to a Corolla or Civic. You can probably pick up a nice '02 or '03 GXE for less than 5 grand - probably with 75 to 90 thousand miles on it.

Mine is a five-speed and has plenty of power (126 hp) from the 1.8L DOHC engine, but you can get a 2.5L (165 hp) engine if you find an SE-R (but I would not recommend an SE-R). For 2000 and 2001, Nissan made an SE version with a 2.0L - but they're sort of hard to find.

The advantage of the Nissan Sentra over the Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic is that the 1.8L engine in the Sentra has a life-time timing chain instead of a timing belt that has to be replaced every 60k to 90k miles.

Good luck to you, and try the link below to search vehicles:

http://www.vehix.com

 

[longhaul747]

Interesting list above...

I actually like the Toyota Echo. I think they would make one heck of a commuter car and come in handy when gas shoots up to $4 a gallon again. They do look funky but they also look like they have a lot of room in them. They are not sporty but they I know a few people who own them and they all claim to get high 30's to as much as 41 mpg.

Problem with the Echo is they seem to go for a premium in this market. Not saying sellers are getting it but they seem to list them from $6,000 to as much as $7,500 for one low mileage model. I would love to buy an Echo from 00 or 01 with 90K to 100K miles for $4,000 but they just don't show up often.

The Sentra is not a bad option either. I think having a timing chain instead of a belt is a huge plus. They do seem to go for more sane prices as well.

Also know some people with Mazda Protege's that have had some good luck with them. They go for sane prices as well.

 

[Thai]

x2 on Sentras, esp. the good-looking old ones!

Protege is an excellent choice...it was one of the best driving econobox back then.

 

[longhaul747]

We pretty much ruled out the 92-98 Toyota Tercel. I always kind of liked them. Especially the 95-98's. They had a nice style to them that year. Reason why we ruled them out is mostly my wife just does not like them much. Plus they seem to be a bit costly and its almost impossible to find one in good condition.

We also ruled out the Echo. It seems to be just a tad bit to expensive for our budget and my wife does not like the style. Interestingly she likes the Yaris witch is not that much different looking then the Echo. I think the reason is her brother owns a Toyota Vios. The Thai version of the Yaris. I actually like the Yaris as well. Last month on a trip to Thailand we drove that car from Bangkok to Phuket then back to Bangkok then Surin then Bangkok then to Chiang Mai back to Bangkok then south to Koh Chang for a few days. The car got freaky good gas mileage. We only filled up 5 times during our travels and most of the time it was not empty. Only once was it running on fumes when all the gas stations were out of gas.

The problem with the Yaris is it has not been out long enough for the used market. Those that are out there are far to expensive for our budget. Really we are just looking for a well maintained older car thats cheap to buy so my wife can bang up during her first few years of driving.

Yesterday we browsed used Nissan Centra's. She did not mind the style but she is a bit hesitant about Nissan. Apparently they don't have the best reputation in Thailand however here they are close to Toyota. Enough not
to worry about it. They are definitely priced less then a comparable Toyota and far less then a comparable Honda.

The Protege is also on the list. One of her girl friends bought one about a year ago and bought it for dirt cheap. So far it has been a pretty solid car. If the price is right and the car is in good shape this is on the list. Again she is a bit worried about Mazda but I said they are great cars. Reliability difference between a Honda and Toyota is insignificant.

She still seems hung on Toyota and Honda but we will have to look really hard. Sometimes deals come up. A 1999 Toyota Corolla loaded with 69,000 grandma miles for $4,500. We called 5 minutes after it posted on Craigslist and it was already sold...what the heck???

Deals like above come up often. So I am not worried about it.

 

[longhaul747]

The hunt is still on. It seems before we had the money Craigslist was full of deals but now we got the cash to make a move the deals dried up. Funny how that works!!

On Friday I did check out a 1994 Geo Prizm LSi. Remember those? This one was very clean for a car its age and the motor ran well for 138K on it. It drove straight and stopped well. This one was equipped with anti lock brakes witch is a plus. It was priced at $1,500 and I was thinking it might suit its purpose. However it had to many minor issues so I ultimately passed up. First I could not get the drivers door to open with the key. The Radio did not work. It said LOK on it. The right side power mirror did not work. Plus 2 out of the 3 climate control knobs fell off in my hand during a test drive not to mention the volume knob on the radio was missing. Last but not least the car was a little loud and when pulling away from a stop you would get this very loud and obnoxious drone sound that resonated through the whole car. My guess is it needs a new muffler and perhaps motor mounts.

I was confident it would hold up but it was definitely falling apart. I know they say they are the same at a Corolla and built on the same assembly line but I would not say they are the same. Less features and less sound insulation to start with. Plus I think the Corolla has a 1.8L engine vs the 1.6L in the Prizm. My sister had a 94 Corolla at it was far more refined then the Prizm.

After passing that deal up I decided to up my budget and look for something newer and cleaner. So I checked out a 99 Corolla LE with all options with 85K miles for $5,500. Other then a few minor scratches here and there the car was in perfect shape. In side was very clean except the owner smoked in it. However it was fairly well hidden. The fellow was nice enough to let me drive it on an extended test drive. It stopped well and was straight. It drove just like a brand new car. I drove it out to my wifes work and she test drove it and liked it. However she did not like the smoke smell. I said yeah but its clean and only has 85K on it. She almost wanted it but on my way back to return the car she called me and said to pass on it. I really liked this car and tried to talk her out of it but could not.

Before the test drive I pre negotiated. I had it down to $4500 for it being a smoker car and it will need the 90K tune up soon. I thought this was a pretty solid buy but my wife wants to find one like it that has not been smoked in. So we are still looking!!

 

[Jeff Kleb]

For a car owned by a smoker, try using Febreze. That stuff works rather well, I must say.

Sorry you missed out on the Corolla; but there are other cars out there in the 3k to 5k range that will still have a lot of life remaining. Don't be afraid of a Sentra or even a Ford Focus. Those little DOHC engines can really run a long, long time if they are maintained properly.
:awais:

I just turned over 100,000 miles on my 2002 Nissan Sentra and she's still running strong. I won't have my '08 Mustang long enough to put more than 30k on it (because it is a leased car), but know it would easily go 150,000+ miles without any trouble if I did keep it 10 years; primarily because of how well I maintain my vehicles.
:bigok:

 

[BROOKLYN]

what about 2dr like celica's and solara's

 

[longhaul747]

For a car owned by a smoker, try using Febreze. That stuff works rather well, I must say.

Sorry you missed out on the Corolla; but there are other cars out there in the 3k to 5k range that will still have a lot of life remaining. Don't be afraid of a Sentra or even a Ford Focus. Those little DOHC engines can really run a long, long time if they are maintained properly.
:awais:

I just turned over 100,000 miles on my 2002 Nissan Sentra and she's still running strong. I won't have my '08 Mustang long enough to put more than 30k on it (because it is a leased car), but know it would easily go 150,000+ miles without any trouble if I did keep it 10 years; primarily because of how well I maintain my vehicles.
:bigok:

Febreze is the great stuff. This car was not a strong smoker. The guy claimed his wife smoked in it occasionally and he was a none smoker. Interestingly the cigarette lighter was virgin. I am confident if I left the windows cracked off and on for a few weeks and a dose or two of Febreze the smell would go away.

Trying to talk my wife into a Nissan Sentra or Mazda Protege but she seems gung ho about it being either a Honda or Toyota. I can't seem to break it. In Thailand you have 3 makes people depend on. This is Toyota, Honda and Isuzu. Everything else is considered sub standard. Now this is mostly B.S. now days but she is culturally stubborn about this belief.

Today they have a 2000 Corolla with 101K miles for a pretty good price at a dealership I have done some business with in the past. They usually discount fairly easily for repeat buyers. The marked price is only about $300 above dealer list and is new enough that it can be financed. This way I don't have to blow my savings. Also with 101K miles on it hopefully it had the 90K service done. Something a lot of people don't think about. A lot of used Corolla's out there with 85K to 89K and I doubt they had this costly service done. Something to use as negotiation tool when looking at these vehicles.

Last night I tried to talk her into that Corolla I looked at the other day again. She said it would have been perfect if it did not have the smoke smell. She basically said if I can find a similar deal with out the smoke we can buy. So hopefully this one I am checking out today is in good shape and not a smoker car.

She pretty much wants a 4 door for practical reasons and we both don't want anything that is considered a mid sized or larger car. We want something that we can drive when gas skyrockets to $4 plus again. A know plenty of Corolla owners who pull off 31 to 35 mpg or even more. My Sonata gets 21 if I am lucky and my 4Runner is a steady 18.

If she does not want this car I am looking out today I am getting pretty burned out looking. So if nothing today or tomorrow then I might put the idea on the back burner for a month or two. After all she is not even licensed yet. She should be though in about a month. She can drive forward with confidence but we need to work on that parallel parking.

I think I want her car in place and be comfortable with it for the road test. If you not careful doing the parallel parking test you will get minor scrapes and scratches on your bumper from the old and worn out post they have.

 

[longhaul747]

Made my move today. Stopped by a dealership that I have done a lot of business with in the past had one used and after a great deal of wheeling and dealing I bought a 2000 Toyota Corolla CE with 101K for $4600. Original price was $6,499 but I got them down to book pretty quickly and then some. My salesman who is now a part of the sales management staff went to bat for me. I am sure they still made a killing but I got it for a fair amount below what others are listed for.

Its very clean inside and out with all service records. What few scratches it had I was able to get out with Scratch X. Oil changed religiously and the timing chain and water pump replaced during the last major tune up. It also has very new Michelin Destiny tires on it. Likely not the best tires but at least they are new. Oh it had the VIN stickers on all body panels as well and a clean car fax. So its doubtful it has been in any collision beyond a scratched bumper.

Being an CE is fairly loaded. Power windows and door locks plus A/C however no cruise control interestingly. All other CE's I have checked out had cruise control. A cruise control would be nice but to be honest I rarely use them so it was not a deal breaker. No tachometer either. CE is basically a mid level Corolla and the most popular trim level. LE's are the cream of the crop and you get a tachometer plus power mirrors and usually alloy wheels but they are kind of hard to find. I think the price skyrocketed on the LE's so must people passed them up and dealers never ordered in quantity. The VE's are the opposite end of the spectrum. You basically give up all frills for a rock bottom price...NO THANKS!!

After purchase I drove around all day in it doing my errands. Put about 60 miles on it and the gas gauge has just started to move now. So its definitely a frugal little car compared to my Sonata and 4Runner. I usually burn at least a 1/4 tank on days like this.

My wife called me and I told her what I did. Only thing she asked was how much did I pay and has anyone smoked in it. After telling her how much I paid and no nobody smoked in it she was pretty happy. She has agreed to cover the insurance and most of the payments since it will be her car. At least she is happy about it but I am sure she will find something she does not like about it and give me a bad time. However being a Toyota it should relieve some of the pressure.

 

[Ron Helmuth]

good find

you talked it out and you found what you wanted

cool to see it. that one has been babied and I would want a guy with your negotiating skills next time I go for a raise.

nicely done. Hope the wife likes it. she oughta...you did your homework


My suggestion for a car to take abuse and a new driver would have been a small pickup. You don't mention kids or extra passengers.

For me the sensation you get in feeling the drivetrain run to the rear wheels is unequalled. That feeling you get when the rear loses traction and begins to slide the back end out is not duplicated in a front wheel driven car.

However-having said that-we just picked up a 83 Subaru DL wagon for my 16 year old last weekend.

It is normally front wheel drive but has the selectable 4wd to engage the rears. For $200 I could not say no!

Enjoy the new ride

 

[longhaul747]

We have had the Corolla for 3 weeks now and so far it has been great car. Its my wifes car but its growing on me....OH BOY!!

The 98's - 01's were known to burn oil (some cases a lot of oil) but this one so far has not burned a drop. Fuel economy is a definite plus. Last tank we got 33 mpg and that included about 3 hours working in an empty parking lot working on backing up and parallel parking. Lost a 1/4 tank of gas that day with little gain in miles. I am thinking under ideal conditions I could get 36 to maybe as much as 40 with a bit of luck. Driving the Corolla around a bit more and commuting with it definitely will keep my wallet a bit fuller.

Unfortunately my wife failed her first driving test at the DOL. I was a bit flabbergasted because she has been doing remarkably well. However the lady administering the test was a real wrench. I was not optimistic since the lady literally yelled at us for not being in the car even though we were 15 minutes early for our appointment. Then when she had my wife start the car she did not hit the starter long enough and had to try again. When the wrench shook her head and wrote something down she was doomed.

On the test drive my wife was doing well then came to a complete stop and a stop sign. Looked all ways and then went. At that time the lady said your done you just ran the stop sign. My wife said no I did not but the lady said yes you did. When my wife got back to the DOL the wrench quickly ran out of the car. My wife was pretty upset and for a moment I wanted to go yell at the wrench but they have this big sign saying "Intimidating a Public Servant is a Felony". So I ended up telling my wife the lady was a b!tch and not to worry about it. We will practice again for a few weeks and then try again. A lot of people flunk the 1st driving test. In fact the 1st question the wrench asked us was this her first driving test? You were likely doomed right there.

 

[mklttdv]

No need to yell but you should raise some hell... I would. They can expect a formal complain letter from me. One letter might not do anything but it keep a paper trail. A few of them and she is a goner

 

[MikesToy]

what about 2dr like celica's and solara's

If she had one of those cars, she'll drive forever. She also might turn heads around. lol j/k