Suggestions on used high mileage car?

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RTR
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Suggestions on used high mileage car?

Post by RTR »

I start a new job in a few weeks where I will have a 1.5 hour commute each way and will work mainly off commission so I'm in for a temporary pay cut until I can get some sales going. My current vehicle is a full sized used truck which I use for my weekend job so I cannot part with it at this time but I also cannot afford to commute with it at this distance as I would break even with gas and vehicle maintenance vs what I'm bringing home. So my plan is to buy a dependable model car that gets great mileage (first thought it Accord first). Originally I thought I get spend 5k but MERCY have used car prices sky rocketed since I last checked. Could anyone make any recommendations on particular models I could look out for and possibly what to watch out for on those models? Any help would be appreciated.
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pennstater2005
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Re: Suggestions on used high mileage car?

Post by pennstater2005 »

Well, if you have a longer commute and are looking for more fuel efficient models I would look at Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, and maybe Hyundai Elantras. All have good gas mileage and are known as mostly reliable cars. If you haven't already used Autotrader I would use it for a search. That's how I found our 2009 Hyundai Sonata we just recently purchased. It was at a local dealer and we got a great price.
“If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments.” – Earl Wilson
nordsteve
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Re: Suggestions on used high mileage car?

Post by nordsteve »

I'd be looking at highly rated used cars in Consumer Reports, and figure out which one has the lowest total operating cost per mile, based on implied depreciation in local car pricing plus operating cost plus insurance. The answer to the operating cost question will vary based on used car prices in your area. Highly regarded small sedans like PennStater's suggestions are likely to have a good supply.

I'm assuming that the per mile cost is more important than the purchase price.
surfstar
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Re: Suggestions on used high mileage car?

Post by surfstar »

An older, well-maintained Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla/Geo Prizm.
Saturns are reliable, have low-resale and get great mpg. You want the slower, SOHC engine. Many burn oil, but are reliable as can be, just need to check/add oil as needed.

In my opinion, its helpful to find a manual trans, as I believe them to be cheaper to operate in the long-term (a clutch vs a whole new trans and I've never had to replace a clutch even) and better mpg. (yes the newest autos have higher mpgs, but not older, used ones)
Andyrunner
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Re: Suggestions on used high mileage car?

Post by Andyrunner »

Being in sales. Are your potential clients going to see your car? That may make an impression.

For example, my brother in law sells roofing products to builders and contractors. I don't think he would make many sales if he drove a toyota prius, but now if he drove an F-150...that helps.
harikaried
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Re: Suggestions on used high mileage car?

Post by harikaried »

Doing a quick search on Autotrader for under $5k, 40+ MPG shows these vehicles:

- 2002 Toyota Prius (non hatchback) MPG: 52 city / 45 highway
- 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid MPG: Up to 48 city, 47 highway
- 2003 Toyota Corolla MPG: Up to 32 city, 40 highway
- 2005 Honda Civic Hybrid MPG: Up to 48 city, 47 highway
- 2005 Toyota Corolla MPG: Up to 32 city, 41 highway
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Watty
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Re: Suggestions on used high mileage car?

Post by Watty »

1.5 hour commute each way
That is three hours a day on the road, but some days will have worse than normal traffic.

With all the money you would be spending on gas, higher insurance, and wear and tear on the car it might be less expensive to rent an apartment or room there if you cannot move for some reason. For someone that is looking to rent a room your only being there Monday through Thursday nights might make you a great person to rent to.

If you are not in a expensive area renting a hotel room might also be an option, be sure to talk to the hotel managers to find out what sort of special deals then have. Many chains also "freguent flyer" types of programs and credit cards that might make the hotels workable.
YttriumNitrate
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Re: Suggestions on used high mileage car?

Post by YttriumNitrate »

A little over a year ago I started commuting 130 miles (almost all highway) a day for work. I also drove a truck for a while, but ended up looking for another car to cut down on the fuel bill. Your experience may be different, I was not all that impressed with the price/selection of used cars that good gas mileage. While a gas guzzling used truck can easily be picked up for $500-$1000 in my area, the fuel efficient used cars were ridiculous. I just checked Craigslist in my area and there's a running 24 year old Geo Metro going for $4,500. :oops:

Anyways, I ended up going with a new 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage that gets 50 MPG on a good day. The truecar.com price is now running round $12,000.
Topic Author
RTR
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Re: Suggestions on used high mileage car?

Post by RTR »

surfstar wrote:An older, well-maintained Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla/Geo Prizm.
Saturns are reliable, have low-resale and get great mpg. You want the slower, SOHC engine. Many burn oil, but are reliable as can be, just need to check/add oil as needed.

In my opinion, its helpful to find a manual trans, as I believe them to be cheaper to operate in the long-term (a clutch vs a whole new trans and I've never had to replace a clutch even) and better mpg. (yes the newest autos have higher mpgs, but not older, used ones)
That is a great suggestion. I will look at those cars as well.

What is the mileage cutoff you guys would use to filter out cars? Ie, "I would not look at any Accord/Civic/Corolla with over 150k miles", etc.
Topic Author
RTR
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Re: Suggestions on used high mileage car?

Post by RTR »

Andyrunner wrote:Being in sales. Are your potential clients going to see your car? That may make an impression.

For example, my brother in law sells roofing products to builders and contractors. I don't think he would make many sales if he drove a toyota prius, but now if he drove an F-150...that helps.
Luckily most of my clients will be out of state, so I will travel a good bit but won't have to rely on my vehicle for that luckily. This is just strictly to get me to the office and back. That's a great heads up though.
heyyou
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Re: Suggestions on used high mileage car?

Post by heyyou »

Consumer Reports has a list of good used cars in its annual car issue in April. If this year's issue doesn't, go to a library for last year's April issue.

I've had good luck buying older Toyota cars with about 10K miles per year, a RAV4 with 110K and a Prius with 91K, so they are old but not highly used.
Bidwell
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Re: Suggestions on used high mileage car?

Post by Bidwell »

[quote="surfstar"]An older, well-maintained Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla/Geo Prizm.
Saturns are reliable, have low-resale and get great mpg. You want the slower, SOHC engine. Many burn oil, but are reliable as can be, just need to check/add oil as needed.

In my opinion, its helpful to find a manual trans, as I believe them to be cheaper to operate in the long-term (a clutch vs a whole new trans and I've never had to replace a clutch even) and better mpg. (yes the newest autos have higher mpgs, but not older, used ones)[/quote


+ 1 Look for the best maintained car. Do you have a local mechanic that can check before you buy that would be critical for success.
surfstar
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Re: Suggestions on used high mileage car?

Post by surfstar »

Well, as a data point, I purchased a 2000 Civic HX w/ 140k miles and didn't consider that too high mileage. It wasn't well-maintained either - more like minimally-maintained. I brought it up to par with a tune-up and fluid changes, front brakes the following year. I'm at 170k now and need to do the timing belt (previous owner claimed it done around 70k, but not sure b/c no receipts). I am self-taught (ie internet) DIYer and its a great money (but not always time) saver. I drove this car 12+ hours away on a road trip without hesitation. I average 41 mpg.

There are deals to be found.

Another tip: Corolla's may have a chain vs timing belt (1998+) http://toyota.custhelp.com/app/answers/ ... g-chain%3F vs a similar Civic. Money saver if you plan on driving the car for a while.
sunnyday
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Re: Suggestions on used high mileage car?

Post by sunnyday »

harikaried wrote:Doing a quick search on Autotrader for under $5k, 40+ MPG shows these vehicles:

- 2002 Toyota Prius (non hatchback) MPG: 52 city / 45 highway
- 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid MPG: Up to 48 city, 47 highway
- 2003 Toyota Corolla MPG: Up to 32 city, 40 highway
- 2005 Honda Civic Hybrid MPG: Up to 48 city, 47 highway
- 2005 Toyota Corolla MPG: Up to 32 city, 41 highway
Good recommendations but a few questions about the hybrids:

How is the battery life For old hybrids? Do you ever need to replace the batteries and how much does that cost?

Also, how much lower mpg would a 10+ Year old hybrid get compared to when it was new?
Quickfoot
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Re: Suggestions on used high mileage car?

Post by Quickfoot »

Will your company allow you to work remotely and VPN into the office at least some of the time? That would save you both the expense and lost time. In addition to gas you have vehicle maintenance and tires cost to consider.

My wife works in sales and a lot of their sales guys work from home both because of commuting as well as the ability to have a much quieter work space while talking to customers. When customers are on onsite and a couple times per month they have to log some in office time.
Jack FFR1846
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Re: Suggestions on used high mileage car?

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

I would stick with a civic manual. If you find a 4 door it will be cheaper and closer to stock than a coupe. Older hybrids are great for a diy engineer enthusiast but if you need to change the battery in your $1000 insight, you probably dont want to spring for a $6000 battery
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MattE
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Re: Suggestions on used high mileage car?

Post by MattE »

I second the Saturn suggestion. They're very bare-bones cars, but the early 2000s manual SLs get 30-40 MPG (depending on driving type and condition of the car), will generally run you $3000-$4500, and run for forever with minimal maintenance. I drive a 2001 SL that I bought in 2008 with 109K on it; it's still running strong at 164K now with only oil changes and fluid flushes done on it. I know several other people who also had early 2000s SLs and all ran theirs well past 200K before something serious broke or they finally upgraded.
at ease
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Re: Suggestions on used high mileage car?

Post by at ease »

...i just went over 350,000 miles on my 2003 Corolla...it's still getting over 30 miles a gallon.....only real problem i've had was transmission rebuilt at 212,000 miles and that was MY fault.....just changed oil, tires,breaks as needed and it keeps going and going.....i've never had ANY dealer warranty work done (you know---at 12,000 and 15,000 and on and on..) nor have i ever changed the original spark-plugs...hey, they keep on working so i let them.....it has a timing-chain so never had any belt work to do...never changed water-pump cause it hasn't broken...did have to put in a new starter last year ($225.00 ish) and a right rear wheel bearing last month also $225.00 ish , both done at Firestone, and that is it..... i traded in a 1984 Honda Accord on it back in 2003, the Accord had 426,000 miles and was great...BUT, this car is amazing...it is tough.... so, for commuting like i've been doing for 10 years, i sure do recommend it.....if you can find a used one that hasn't been wrecked, you will likely be very happy...good luck...
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