Help me shop for a car!
 

I've narrowed this down to 3 vehicles (though I reserve the right to add more as I find them). All prices are their asking price... not what I would pay.

2002 Ford Focus SVT w/ 72k miles - $5500
2002 VW Jetta Wagon w/ 98k miles - $6300
1993 BMX 740i w/ 50k miles - $4000

The Focus is the only one that is a stick shift but the other two are damn nice, fit the budget, and I would not mind driving any of them.

Jetta Wagon
http://images.craigslist.org/3k93m33...b2b7f71238.jpg

BMW
http://images.craigslist.org/3k63oe3...b398a2112d.jpg

Ford (no image attached... stock pic only)
http://image.automotive.com/f/featur...front_left.jpg

Doing my research but any first hand knowledge on these cars would be a huge help.

The beamer is going to cost more to repair, but with only 50K miles, you could put 200K more on that bitch by just taking care of it. Good value for the dollar, IMO.

Krauts know how to build 'em.

Vote number 2 for the beemer.

What is the repair history? Has the jetta/bimmer had its timing belt replaced? The jetta probably has but how many miles did it have on it when replaced?

Beamer. As was already mentioned, repairs will be more costly but with only 50K on it I don't see where there could be a hell of alot wrong with it if the previous owner even did a half assed job of maintaining it. The cheaper price tag on it as opposed to the others will help to offset any unforeseen costs if they crop up. The beamer is also the best looking of the 3 IMHO.

I'm going to go drive the BMW tomorrow and see what it's like.

This was the ad:

"My car is like new I have 49,804 actual miles on it ,if you are looking for a good car,and a good ride, drive this car .a few things needs to be addressed but nothing major."

I would be cautious about it. Ask him what it was used for. Groceries? Those are going to be tough miles. Also since it wasn't driven much the owner might not have change the oil every three months. The oil does start to break down after three months even if three thousand miles didn't go by. Shoot Sauto a pm. He is more qualified than all of us.

-cost of parts.

-insurance.


I say focus if you're on a budget.

The age of that BMW would scare me.

A friend of mine has a focus svt and raves about it. Take care of the Ford and it will turn 250k as well. Cheapest to repair if anything were to go wrong.

I've never heard anything good about a VW
3,000 miles a year average=stay the **** away
Focus or shop some more

:doh!:

Pay a mechanic to inspect the BMW. If it checks out right, then, buy it. In the long haul, it would be the best value, if you put in the money for maintenance. I don't think its a four banger, so its timing would be geared.

If you don't mind driving a stick and the car vibrating, it's still a lot of money for a Focus. If it had an auto transmission, you'd want to steer clear of it.

VW brags on a 100K mile transmission; if you buy this car, you'll have to drop the pan, change the filter, and you better have the diagnostic tool just to do that, for checking fluid temp. VW's are rust buckets, but easy to maintain, with the right tools. Requires re-initialization of factory engine settings after timing belt and transmission fluid replacement. The price for that vehicle seems too high.

I would start over on your search. Based on the range of vehicles you described, it doesn't sound like you have a plan. Its not a good idea to make a major purchase without first forming a plan. (Don't confuse researching with planning.)

Any of those cars might work out fine, but you need to figure out your needs first.

The BMW's are built like a brick shithouse, but they cost a ton of money to maintain. Something to keep in mind.