Need some ideas

[beem]

Hey guys,

I am helping my girlfriend in finding a car and I am having a hard time. She is looking to spend around 5-7k. At first I told her let's get an Audi TT or something but those were a little over the price range. She loves Euro cars but what can I get for that much that would work well? Oh and she said she wont mind having a manual tranny either i definetly smiled! But yeah, any tips??

[defkon99]

hmmm... so many to choose from!

i have a consumer reports account and found this for you guys maybe it can narrow down your search.

hey also if u need LIKE MORE INFO ON A CERTAIN YEAR AND MODEL FEEL FREE TO PM ME SO I CAN SEND U A WORD DOC WITH THE COMMON PROBLEMS ETC.. THATS FOR ANY OF YOU!

Reliable used cars

These are CR's lists of reliable cars from the 2005 survey. These are the specific models with above-average Used Car Verdicts, spanning the model years 1998 through 2005. CR Good Bets are cars that have multiple years of above-average Used Car Verdicts. (Also see our lists of used cars to avoid.) CR Good Bets and Bad Bets include only the models for which we have sufficient data for at least three model years. Models that were brand new in 2004 or 2005 do not appear. Problems with the engine, engine cooling, transmission, and drive system were weighted more heavily than other problems.

Listed by price group and alphabetically within groups. Price ranges are what you'd pay for a typically equipped car with average mileage
Less than $6,000
Chevrolet Prizm ‘99-00
Ford Escort ‘01-02, Mustang (V6) ‘98, Ranger
(2WD) ‘98-99
Honda Civic ‘98
Hyundai Accent ‘03
Mazda B-Series (2WD) ‘98-00, Protegé 99-00
Nissan Altima (4-cyl.) ‘98, Frontier (4-cyl.) ‘98, Sentra ‘99
Saturn SL ‘01
Subaru Legacy ‘98
Toyota Corolla ‘98-99, Echo ‘00

$6,000-$8,000
Acura CL ‘98, Integra ‘98
Buick Regal ‘00
Chevrolet Prizm ‘01-02
Ford Crown Victoria ‘98-99, F-150 (2WD) ‘98-
99, Mustang (V6) ‘99-00, Ranger (2WD) ‘00
Honda Accord (4-cyl.) ‘98-99, Civic ‘99,
Odyssey ‘98
Hyundai Accent ‘04, Elantra ‘02
Infiniti G20 ‘99, I30 ‘98
Mazda 626 ‘00, Millenia ‘99
Mercury Grand Marquis ‘98-99
Mitsubishi Galant ‘00-01
Nissan Altima (4-cyl.) ‘99-00, Frontier ‘99,
Frontier (4-cyl.) ‘01, Maxima ‘98- 99,
Pathfinder ‘98, Sentra ‘01
Saturn SL ‘02
Subaru Impreza ‘99
Toyota Avalon ‘98, Camry ‘98, Camry (4-cyl.)
‘99, Camry Solara (4-cyl.) ‘99, Corolla ‘00-01,
Echo ‘01-02, RAV4 ‘98-99, Sienna ‘98, T100
'98

[defkon99]

Used cars to avoid

These are CR's lists of unreliable cars as of the 2005 survey. Below are the vehicles with below-average Used Car Verdicts covering 1998 to 2005 models. Listed alphabetically by make, model, and year.


Audi A4 Avant ‘99, 01; A4 sedan ‘98-00, '02; A4 sedan (4-cyl.) '01; A4 sedan (V6) '05; A6 Avant ‘99-00; A6 sedan (V6) ‘98-00, ‘02-05; A6 sedan (V6, Turbo) ‘00-01, '03; A8 '04; Allroad ‘01-03; S4 '00, ‘04-05; TT '03
BMW 3 Series '04; 5 Series (6-cyl.) '04; 5 Series (V8) ‘98-00, '04; 7 Series ‘98-04; M3 ‘02-03; X5 (V8) ‘01-02, '05
Buick LeSabre '05; Park Avenue '98; Rendezvous '02; Terraza '05
Cadillac Catera '98; CTS '03; DeVille ‘00-03, '05; Escalade '03; Seville ‘98-03; SRX ‘04-05
Chevrolet Astro ‘98-03; Avalanche '03; Blazer ‘98-04; Camaro ‘00-02; Cavalier Coupe & Conv. ‘03-04; Cavalier Sedan '03; Cobalt '05; Colorado (2WD) '04; Colorado (4WD) ‘04-05; Corvette '05; Equinox '05; Express ‘98-04; Impala '01; Malibu ‘98-01, '04; Malibu Maxx '04; Monte Carlo ‘00-01; S-10 (2WD) ‘98-99, ‘02-03; S-10 (4WD) '98, ‘00-03; K1500 '98; Silverado 1500 (4WD) '03; Suburban ‘98-99, '03; Tahoe ‘98-99, '03; TrailBlazer ‘02-04; Uplander '05; Venture ‘98-02; Venture (ext.) '03
Chrysler 300 (V8) '05; 300M '99, '03; Concorde '99; LHS '99; Pacifica ‘04-05; PT Cruiser Turbo '03; Sebring Convertible ‘01-02, '04; Sebring Sedan ‘02-03; Town & Country ‘00-03; Town & Country (ext., AWD) '99, Town & Country (ext., FWD) '04; Town & Country (reg.) '98; Voyager (4-cyl.) ‘01-03; Voyager (V6) ‘01-03
Dodge Caravan (4-cyl.) '98, ‘01-03; Caravan (V6) '98, ‘00-03; Grand Caravan ‘00-03; Grand Caravan (4WD) '04; Grand Caravan (AWD) '99; Dakota (2WD) '98, '05; Dakota (4WD) ‘98-00, '02, '05; Durango ‘98-01, ‘04-05; Intrepid ‘98-99, ‘03-04; Neon ‘98-99; Ram 1500 (2WD) '99; Ram 1500 (4WD) ‘98-02; Ram Van/Wagon '99;
Stratus Sedan (4-cyl.) ‘98-99; Stratus Sedan (V6) ‘02-03
Ford Contour '98; Econoline '01; Excursion ‘03-04; Expedition ‘03-05; Explorer ‘02-05; Explorer (4WD) '00; Explorer Sport Trac '04; F-150 ‘04-05; Focus Sedan '00; Focus Wagon '00, '05; Freestyle (AWD) '05; Mustang (V6) '05; Ranger (2WD) '04; Ranger (4WD) '01; Taurus Sedan '05; Windstar ‘98-01
GMC Canyon (2WD) '04; Canyon (4WD) ‘04-05; Envoy ‘02-04; Jimmy ‘98-01; Safari ‘98-03; Savana ‘98-04; Sierra 1500 (4WD) '98, '03; S-15 Sonoma (2WD) ‘98-99, ‘02-03; S-15 Sonoma (4WD) '98, ‘00-03; Suburban ‘98-99; Yukon XL '03; Yukon ‘98-99, '03
Honda Passport ‘99-02
Hummer H2 ‘03-04
Hyundai Accent '00; Sonata ‘00-01; Tiburon '03; Tuscon '05; XG300 '01
Infiniti QX56 ‘04-05
Isuzu Rodeo ‘99-02
Jaguar S-Type ‘00-04; XJ Series ‘98-00, '04; X-Type ‘02-04
Jeep Grand Cherokee ‘98-03, '05
Kia Sedona ‘02-03, Sorento '05; Sportage '01, '05
Land Rover Discovery ‘99-01; ‘03-04; LR3 '05; Freelander '02; Range Rover ‘03
Lincoln Aviator ‘03-04; LS ‘00-01, ‘03-04; Navigator ‘01-05
Mazda B-Series (2WD) '04; B-Series (4WD) '01; MPV ‘03-04; 6 Hatchback '04; 6 Sedan (V6) '03, '05
Mercedes-Benz C-Class (4-cyl.) ‘02-03, '05; C-Class (V6) ‘01-04; CLK ‘01-05; E-Class Sedan ‘01-05; E-Class (V8) '98; E-Class Wagon ‘01-02, '04; M-Class‘98-03; S-Class '00, ‘02-04; SL '04; SLK '02, '05
Mercury Cougar '99; Mountaineer ‘02-05; Mountaineer (4WD) '00; Mystique '98;
Sable Sedan '05
Mini Cooper Base ‘02-03; Cooper S ‘02
Nissan 350Z '03; Armada ‘04-05; Quest ‘04-05; Titan ‘04-05
Oldsmobile Alero ‘99-02; Aurora '98, '01; Bravada ‘98-00, ‘02-03; Cutlass ‘98-99;
Silhouette ‘98-03
Plymouth Breeze ‘98-99; Grand Voyager '00; Neon ‘98-99; Voyager (4-cyl.) '98;
Voyager (V6) '98, '00
Pontiac Aztek ‘01-03; Bonneville '98, ‘00-03;Firebird ‘00-02; Grand Am ‘98-02; Grand Prix '98, '01; Grand Prix SC '00; GTO '04; Trans Sport Montana '98; Montana ‘99-02; Montana (ext) '03; Montana SV6 '05; Sunfire ‘03-04
Porsche 911 '02, '04; Cayenne ‘04-05
Saab 9-3 ‘03-05; 9-5 Sedan ‘99-00; 9-5 Wagon '99, ‘01
Saturn Ion '04; L-Series (V6) ‘00-'02; Relay '05; Vue ‘02-03; Vue (AWD) '04
Volkswagen Cabrio '99, ‘01-02; EuroVan ‘02-03; Golf (4-cyl.) '98, ‘03-04; Golf (4-cyl., turbo) '01; Jetta (4-cyl.) ‘98-02, '05; Jetta (4-cyl., turbo) ‘01-03; Jetta (4-cyl., tur-bodiesel) '02; Jetta (V6) ‘99-03; New Beetle ‘98-04; New Beetle Convertible '05; Passat (4-cyl.) ‘98-02, '05; Passat (V6) ‘99-01; '04; Passat Wagon (V6) '03; Passat W8 '03; Touareg ‘04-05
Volvo C70 '00, '04; Cross Country ‘98-01; S60 (AWD) '03, '05; S80 ‘99-02; S90/V90 '98; V40 '00; V50 '05; V70 (FWD) '01, '03; V70 (AWD) '98; XC90 ‘03-05

[celsdogg]

heh, i trust CR as much as i trust . . .

anyway, i dont take cr too seriously just my 2 cents.

[xsperf]

dude you can get a mid-90's 325 for that much(in excellent condition) or possible a 328, is she not looking at BMWs?

[beem]

well she likes them of course, i guess for some odd reason we never considered it! Ill look into those and see if she likes them or not

[mullethunter3]

yeah, i happened on mine for $3940. on accident. it was the best thing that ever happened to me.