Looking for a car

[Aureus]

So my old Volvo 740 decided to become a gross polluter and the Imperial Republik of Kalifornia will be coughing out a grand if I take it off the road. So thats sort of a no brainer. And my 94 540i got rear-ended while it was parked while I was out in Vegas and it is most likely a complete total.

So I'm looking for a cheap, 'cool', old car with some reliability. Like around 2500 or so. First thing I thought of was a Mercedes 300CD or 300 Turbo Diesel sedan. But I'm trying to come up with other options since a CD is something of a rare car. Any input would be appreciated.

 

[skalogre]

Well, what sort of car are you after? Something "sportier", a saloon, an estate,? Give us some ideas

 

[LabelKing]

The '70s Benz Diesels are rather stylish.

 

[rnoldh]

Originally Posted by LabelKing

The '70s Benz Diesels are rather stylish.


Yes, and the 190D and 240D are quite fast too!

 

[Aureus]

I like the mercedes because it looks good, has a good interior and will last for a million miles. As alternatives I'm trying to find some sort of coupe with a manual. Defintely on the sportier side of things.

 

[vc2000]

Be careful with the MB's they can be expensive to keep in the rules for inspections too.

 

[sweetpopi]

Mercedes costs too much to maintain, I'll stick with a Toyota or Honda!

 

[kabert]

At that price ($2,500), you're looking at something with high miles and something old. If you want sporty and cool, then it'll be even be even sketchier. Some possibilities:

- late 80s or early 90s Jeep Cherokee or Grand Wagoneer
- early 90s BMW 318i
- 1980s Isuzu Trooper
- VW GTI
- Audi 4000

 

[skalogre]

I am biased of course but maybe a 5th or 7th generation Celica. Reliable (and at least the 7th gen which I own) quite tossable - lighter than the average vehicle (only about 400 or so lbs more than an Elise IIRC). Aftermarket is so-so as far as engine modifications are concerned if that is important to you but if you are after reliability that is probably not the case. IMHO the 8th generation was the car at its worst, underpowered and obese. Many VW can be reliability nightmares - I would only get one if it were certified preowned (a diesel Golf would be nice though). Mazda3 hatchback (if you manage to actually find one used that is). I agree regarding maintenance of BMW and Mercedes. My mechanic specialises in Mercedes and he has expressed to me in no uncertain terms his view regarding their reliability, especially as far as the electrical and electronic systems are concerned. Acura RSX or TSX are also good bets as far as reliability is concerned and are pretty good to drive. P.s. the first car my wife and I had was a tortured 1987 740GLE. Transmission finally died on us at I think 283k miles (was not maintained properly). P.s. 2 I noticed you price which I missed for some reason. So, lets see, mid 1990's Civic (or Accord). 4th generation Celica (much better than the 5th and 6th IMHO and has the WRC titles to prove it

). DEFINITELY avoid a Merc, VW, Audi or BMW at that price range.

 

[skalogre]

Woah, two more I should have thought of earlier!

First generation MR2 (how can you go wrong with a mid-engined light-weight two seater

) or first generation MX5/Miata!

 

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by Aureus

I like the mercedes because it looks good, has a good interior and will last for a million miles. As alternatives I'm trying to find some sort of coupe with a manual. Defintely on the sportier side of things.
American market Mercedes cars rarely have a manual unless they're a '60s car. However, there are a few European grey-market import cars which have a stick. They also have the advantage of a larger engine due to the lack of emissions requirements in Europe. We can thank Nader for that. The Pagoda Mercedes, while hardly "cheap", are more easily found with a stick. A diesel Mercedes-Benz if maintained well, does not have reliability problems. They will drive to a million miles quite easily if properly cared for. A W123 is the basic chassis for that sort of car.

 

[Aureus]

Originally Posted by LabelKing

American market Mercedes cars rarely have a manual unless they're a '60s car. However, there are a few European grey-market import cars which have a stick. They also have the advantage of a larger engine due to the lack of emissions requirements in Europe. We can thank Nader for that.

The Pagoda Mercedes, while hardly "cheap", are more easily found with a stick.

A diesel Mercedes-Benz if maintained well, does not have reliability problems. They will drive to a million miles quite easily if properly cared for. A W123 is the basic chassis for that sort of car.

Yeah I know a lot about the diesel benzes and benzes in general. Thats why I want other ideas and specified that I'm trying to find an alternative that will have a manual

 

[jesse10]

I like bmw's..they're rather stylish as well..and they shouldnt be as hard to find as the old benz's..maybe like a 93 3 series or 5 series with low miles?

 

[j]

I would go for a late E30 BMW 3-series. Nimble, stylish (better looking than the e36 IMO, and I drive an e36) and at this point, pretty affordable.