If you were gonna buy a $5000ish station wagon,

[leftofthedial]

what would you get?

An old Subaru?

An older Mercedes?

An old Volvo?

An old Taurus?

I'm not so much into cars, but I need one.

[siligut]

1. An old Subaru.

They seem so versatile and maintenance is low.

[Inchworm]

18. Seconded

:hi:

[TrogL]

44. I've got an old Legacy

... and love it. I've had no trouble with it other than a leaky rad hose (replaced) and a bad door sensor (fixed with chewing gum and a quarter).

It's small enough to get good gas mileage but the back is big enough (with the seats down) to fit all my music gear.

I've lugged major furniture on the roof.

[LeftyMom]

2. An used wagon for $5K?

I'd get a 90's Saturn wagon and have enough left over for another. :P

Seriously, that's what I drive, and they're amazingly bullet-proof, cheap to service on the rare occasions they need it, have a ton of cargo space, get decent mpg (especially if you get a manual, but I get 30ish with the auto and I drive like a maniac) and are actually pretty fun to drive.

I looked at Subies and Volvos before I bought my car, but since used American cars have almost no demand in California, I literally paid 1/4 of the price for my Saturn that a Subaru of the same year and miles would have run me. The Volvos were even more, plus the cost of service and repairs scared me off.

[leftofthedial]

5. I just had a 93 SW2

I was the original owner

it was stolen

:-(

[LeftyMom]

6. That sucks. I'm sorry.

:hug:

[leftofthedial]

24. I found one on craigslist--a 97

but I don't have the insurance money yet, so it was gone before I could buy it.

[LeftyMom]

43. A '97 is what I have.

Good car.

[quakerboy]

3. NOT the Taurus

Do not do it. No. No. Not. No.

[RebelOne]

15. Yes, the Taurus. I own one and I love it. n/t

[quakerboy]

32. I have never met one that didnt die young.

Transmission issues, by and large. The wagon, particularly, even more than the sedan.

[flvegan]

4. 2002 Mazda Protege5.

And then I'd take the leftover $2k and have a party.

[LeftyMom]

12. is that all you got for your trade-in?

:O

I just checked listings out here, and they're all selling for 8K+. As I said above, out here Japanese cars (especially anything that can be modded into a rice rocket for street racing) sell for really over-inflated prices.

Which is why I bought American.

[mainegreen]

16. I second the Mazda rec.

I love Mazdas.

Great cars.

[PBS Poll-435]

7. A Lexus RX300 that they just fetched out of Lake Ponchartrain

[1]

8. what you do is buy the best $5000 station wagon you can...

it doesn't matter who manufactured it.

if a mercedes "sexymobile" was rode hard and put away wet it will most likely not a good investment.

if a chevy "doofis" wagon was lovingly and properly cared for it might be your best bet.


the point is, the entire matter depends on the exact vehicle you are considering. at $5000 you have to look the horse in the mouth. disregard any thoughts about specific countries of origin or manufacturers or models.

at $5000 you need to look at specific mechanical details about the exact car you are considering. engine, brakes, tires, transmission... has it been in a wreck? rust, leaks, funny smells, electrical...


what you need is a mechanic friend. or a "i know a little bit about cars" friend. ask your friends. you might be surprised about what they know.

like that...

[leftofthedial]

25. thanks.

I have a friend who is a Subaru expert

[Ellipsis]

9. An older Volvo for 2500

Find one with a complete maintenance history and budget 400 per quarter for upkeep forever.

[TreasonousBastard]

10. Mercedes and Volvo will kill you with maintenance...

even though they might last forever, and most Japanese cars will cost a bundle when they get over 100,000 miles. (Just replaced the steering rack in my 126,000 mile Corolla last month, and even though I found a junkyard part, it still cost me over 500 bucks by the time it was done. Would have been about $1,200 with a new factory part.)

I say AWD in a Subaru or anything else is not worth it that well used-- much more to go expensively wrong, and wait till you find out about the tire problem. Remember that for everyone who tells you about the 250,000 trouble-free miles in such and such a car, there is at least one person who can tell you about the blown transmission or head gasket problem. And why would you believe someone on the internet who says they got 250,000 trouble-free miles anyway?

I would buy (and have bought) from a new-car dealer who offers a reasonable warranty in case something does go wrong, hoping said dealer would like to see me as a new-car customer. Private sales are really scary now with the cost of repairs on the newer cars.

Aren't many mid-sized wagons that I can think of worth buying-- Camry, Saturn, Taurus/Sable come to mind, but try to get one with a warranty-- most you'll see are older and higher mileage.

[appal_jack]

11. i paid exactly $5k for my volvo wagon this summer

2001 Volvo V40
~126k miles when purchased
26 mpg local/mountains
32 mpg highway

It definitely will take some professional upkeep to keep running. Right now, she leaks a bit of oil, but runs well.

But she takes the curves like no other wagon I've driven (since I don't get to drive Audis or Merc's, this may not be a big deal to some, but she sure beats the Fords, Subarus, and Chevys I've driven) and that turbo lets me pass whenever I need to.

Built like a (smallish) tank: I feel very safe inside her.

Probably best as a 2 or 3 passenger plus cargo vehicle, but will seat 4 or 5 when absolutely necessary.

-app

[old mark]

13. The Subaru. I have experience with them - We and both brothers

have had Subarus over the years, beginning when they were first imported. They seem to last forever with a little TLC, gas mileage is better than most others you listed, and you will get more for your money.

Mercedes are pretty expensive used, parts/repairs are very high, gas mileage not too good, some require frequent repairs.

Volvo - Pretty similar to Mercedes - More reliable, not good on gas, expensive.

Taurus - I don't care much for Fords, but Taurus seems to be the exception.

I'd look at Subaru and Taurus.

mark

[leftofthedial]

26. thanks!

[RebelOne]

14. I have a 1999 Taurus station wagon.

You can probably pick one up for about $3,000 now. It is a great car. All automatic with CD player, cruise control, fully loaded. I love it. I've had it for about 7 years now and it has never needed any serious repair work except for brakes and an alternator.

[madrchsod]

17. early 90`s non turbo volvo

or a honda accord wagon .if you can find a good honda wagon they are the best of the early 90`s wagons.prices range up to 4000. toyota wagons are also a very good.

[leftofthedial]

27. I thought about those too

but I haven't seen any available locally.

[colinmom71]

19. I drive a 1996 Ford Taurus wagon...

And it's still going pretty strong. It's a quite comfortable car for road trips and also quite handy for running errands or loading larger items... The only mechanical issue we had to repair was replacing the alternator back in 2003 I think. We have had other major issues but those are related to the car being wrecked two years ago, and the wagon has recently (finally) begun to show it's age.

You can usually get a used Taurus wagon at a decent price these days. In fact, even within your $5000 budget, you might be able to get one of the later year models that the wagon was still made. Try Yahoo's vehicle search to find one in your area.

Oh, if you go for the Taurus, do look for models that have the "Duratech" V6 engine. Those engines in 1996-2004 models were paired with a different and more reliable transmissions than the regular V6 engine, something my SIL found out personally.

But your other options are also supposed to be pretty good and reliable vehicles. I just think you'll likely be able to get a later model with more features with the Taurus. Hope this helps, and good luck in finding a vehicle you like!

[leftofthedial]

28. thanks for the tip about the engine!

[SoxFan]

20. Subaru

My dad has an Outback, and he loves it. It's dependable and surprisingly roomy.

[Felix Mala]

21. You think you hate it now, but just wait until you drive it! -- Family Truckster

[masshole]

22. Buy an OLD Volvo

Buy any Volvo made up to 1993, the rear-wheel drive 240, 740, or 940 (up to 1996) series wagons and you won't regret it.
They all have famous "bullet-proof" 4-cylinder red block engine.

I own three currently, 2 1987 740 wagons and an 1989 240 sedan. All three are totally rust-free and 100% dependable.

Here's a 240 From the Denver Craigslist
http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/911887893.html

[1gobluedem]

23. Any of them should be okay

Although the Mercedes maintenance costs might be high. My SO always buys used Volvos and loves them. My co-worker has a 2000 Taurus wagon and has had very little trouble with it.

What are their respective mileage figures?

[leftofthedial]

29. I'm just doing background research

most of the cars available seem to be Subarus

fair number of Tauruses

Living in Colorado, the AWD is popular.

[underpants]

30. I bought a Volvo from some Afghans under a bridge

$5000

Great deal

Solid car

Expensive repairs but those tend to be few and scheduled

[JCMach1]

31. Buick Century Estate

I had an 1989 up until I left for UAE. It wouldn't die! Ran great! And fuel efficient 25-30MPG with a V6.

If you can find one... get it

Virtually gave it away for $500... Clocked over 200K with no major breakdowns EVAH


http://www.auto123.com/en/buick/century-wagon/1996?carid=960900202


Mine was the maroon thank the gods... the faux wood is YUCK!

[old mark]

33. The late '80's Buick - Olds - Pontiac v6 cars were some of the best ever made

by GM. I had a 1988 Olds, and it ran great despite very high mieaage and heavy use by previous owners.
I know someone who owned an 88 V6 Buick sedan, got over 25 MPG, never got stuck in snow, and never had a problem with the car.Engine was the 1500cc V6, a great engine GM used for about 10 years.
After about 1990, all these cars went downhill, but from about 85 to 90, they are gems, and they are cheap to buy.

mark

[dembotoz]

34. had an escort wagon and i loved it

was supposed to be mazda based and better than the sedans....

[fizzgig]

35. i would go volvo, but that's what my family has always driven

ten years ago, my parents bought me an 82 240 wagon. i don't take the best care of her and she still runs really well. i would get a 740 (NOT a turbo) if i could, but they are so damn hard to come by because they are such great cars and no one wants to part with them.

my dad's not too hot on the 850s, he's heard some maintenance horror stories from our volvo guys.

[leftofthedial]

36. I've never had a Volvo.

I'm thinking though, that the AWD Subarus might work better for me in the snow here in Colorado.

Volvos are great though. A friend has had one for what seems like 30 years.

[madrchsod]

37. here ya go--best car survey site on the net

http://www.carsurvey.org/

[WritingIsMyReligion]

41. Volvos work quite well in the snow up here in the northeast.

But then again, so do AWD Subarus. :D

[fizzgig]

50. i live in northern colorado and there have only been a few times when my car could not make it

and both those instances involved more than three feet of snow on unplowed roads

[gmoney]

38. If you get the Family Truckster...

resist the temptation to take it out of the crate...

[leftofthedial]

42. mine had a dead old lady on top

[WritingIsMyReligion]

39. I drive a new-ish Volvo, and I love it.

('00 S40 Turbo).

HOWEVER, we've had Volvos forever, and the older ones really do run like a charm--great cars. The maintenance can be a bit ridiculous, but it seems to happen very infrequently, and if you can get a great deal on it upfront (without there being serious defects, of course, to account for the "great deal"), I would definitely look into one.

[Schema Thing]

40. You can get a lot of Volvo for that money.

[Gold Metal Flake]

45. I am very happy with my Focus wagon.

I've been getting 32mpg on my mixed commute. It's plenty powerful with the 2.0/auto. Comfy on long trips, holds the road well. You can get them for 5K. Now I am a long time wagon man (we still have a 1990 Colony Park) and the Focus has really impressed me.

[leftofthedial]

47. thanks.

I've heard good things about the Focus.

I wish I could find one available....

[midnight armadillo]

46. Subaru or old Accord wagon

The Accord wagons might be a little long in the tooth these days.

Go for the Subaru. Just don't expect great gas mileage. The Legacy wagons have the same AWD as the Outback but have a regular (i.e. not raised) suspension and tend to be cheaper than the Outbacks.

[leftofthedial]

48. thanks!

about 80% of the used wagons available here in the sub-$5K price range are Subarus.

[LuckyTheDog]

49. Taurus

I really like the generation that came just before the current Taurus X. Nice vehicle.