Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I wouldn't be caught dead in an old man car. I want a car that I LIKE to drive.
Sorry, I didn't read beyond post #2 or so before I posted that. Still, I think this thread could be of use to others in a similar situation as you.
As for me, even though I am 23, I LOVE old-man cars! I recently had the opportunity to drive a 2006 Pontiac G6. Although I didn't change the owner's settings (she's much shorter than me), I HATED the feel of it. The stiff, hard seat, the long door length, etc. On the other hand, I loved my '96 Park Avenue, and the even plusher seats of my first car, a '78 Park Avenue, but de gustibus non est disputandum.
You could keep going but the rest of those cars would be crap too. "No frame damage - Carfax will prove that . . "
You are kidding, right?
Those rigs you posted are already beyond their useful life, or are wrecked POS.
And your point is...?
Don't you think I know what I'm getting myself in to? Technically I could finance a car for $30,000 (I have before!), so obviously I'm going this route for a reason.
Like I said before, I'm not looking for free life lessons
You were looking for help, right? I was not giving you "life lesson" as you put it. I was telling you that the only Toyota or Honda suv you can get for $3,000 will be a POS, which I told you before and you chose to ignore. So get a CRV with 188,000 miles on it or a wrecked Rav4 with "no frame damage" . Good for you!
My advice was and is that you can get a near perfect low mileage Jeep Cherokee for less than your budget.
I would go with the CRV. I've owned around 40 cars, and the Hondas have always been the best(gas mileage, most reliable, can beat the hell out of them and not maintain them if you don't want... lol) and had the best resale value.
besides the bronco if you don't mind a little less MPGs a GMC yukon is great and cheap to operate and find parts for and it can be reapired by any independant mechanic.
I am just not a fan of uni-body FWD based SUV. I like the old school truck based full frame RWD based 4x4 with a proper high and low range transfercase
another fun little suv is the jeep YJ and TJ as long as you get the hardtop they are a blast in summer crusing with the top off and will go anywhere in winter with proper tires
besides the bronco if you don't mind a little less MPGs a GMC yukon is great and cheap to operate and find parts for and it can be reapired by any independant mechanic.
I am just not a fan of uni-body FWD based SUV. I like the old school truck based full frame RWD based 4x4 with a proper high and low range transfercase
I'd buy that Bronco in a minute. That's a real SUV. But someone who is interested in a CRV is not gonna drive a Bronco.
The main issue I see is that in this price range, it's best to compromise your preferred body style, if you're not going to use the additional capability SUV's provide, in order to seek out a vehicle that's well taken care of. Apart from me being partial to "old man" cars myself (in spite of being just shy of 30), they are in fact more likely to be well cared for, and I can't really imagine a Rav4 being any more enjoyable to drive than an Avalon in the first place.
That said, people are free to spend their money as they wish, and if one insists on buying an SUV for $3,000, my best suggestion stands with a Ford Explorer or Jeep Grand Cherokee from the mid-1990's.
I'd buy that Bronco in a minute. That's a real SUV. But someone who is interested in a CRV is not gonna drive a Bronco.
I would say they should atleast test drive a stock one because one in good condition will hold it's value and in a few years they could sell it and get back what they paid for it and in XLT/eddie bauer trim it is quite luxurious and overall it is not that much bigger than a CR-V it just has a higher ride height.
since the OP only commutes 4 miles to work gas mileage won't be to bad on it and it will be great on long road trips
I'm looking for credible (well, as credible as an online forum can be) suggestions for small SUV's to look for with my $3,000 budget.
I'm leaning towards: Mazda Tribute, Ford Escape, Honda CRV, Toyota Rav4, and any 4-door Jeep.
Honda and Toyota would be the obvious choices, but you can't find many with my small budget, and people who own them tend to hold on to them for years.
While reliability is not a HUGE issue, I do need a good, solid car I can take on occasional road trips. Mostly the car will be used to drive to/from work which is only 4 miles one-way.
There are literally thousands of listings for SUV's that fall into my search on Phoenix's craigslist, especially Jeeps.
Mileage doesn't matter (to an extent) and the year doesn't matter at all (I'm looking around 1993-1997).
(Edit: I'm not interested in sedans...or any life lessons.)
Why not buy a motorcycle???
You can get a really nice motorcycle for that amount.
It will save you a ton on gas!
P.S. I had an Isuzu Trooper once that was great all the way around.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
