Master car, truck, etc... topic

[Thockey17 1]

Go with a mitsubishi Galant. Good power for the price, pretty nice cars.

Except for that transmission and all of Mistu's terrible problems.

[Vapor 0]

A couple of my friends and an ex of mine have all have Gallants and had no problems. All manufactuers have issues my friend, there are always lemons.

[kovalchuk71 212]

The engine seals in Mitsu's have a tendency to leak after 80,00 ish miles

[AnthonyJTa 0]

Go with a mitsubishi Galant. Good power for the price, pretty nice cars.

Except for that transmission and all of Mistu's terrible problems.

Mitsu's have a infamous reputation of a nifty leak in the seal between the transmission and engine. It leads to a loss of transmission fluid.....leading to blown transmissions. Mitsubishi ball joints are garbage as well. I know 2 Galant owners (my fiancee, and a friend) who have had issues with poor ball joints, and my '97 Avenger (Dodge body, Mitsubishi guts) had 2 seperate major ball joint separations... there was a major recall, all Chrysler did was a "5 point inspection"... I was driving home and my whole driver's side front tire ripped apart, tore off the wheel well and slammed the car nose down.

I got over $3k in work done for free...

[Chadd 916]

Go with a mitsubishi Galant. Good power for the price, pretty nice cars.

Except for that transmission and all of Mistu's terrible problems.

Mitsu's have a infamous reputation of a nifty leak in the seal between the transmission and engine. It leads to a loss of transmission fluid.....leading to blown transmissions. Mitsubishi ball joints are garbage as well. I know 2 Galant owners (my fiancee, and a friend) who have had issues with poor ball joints, and my '97 Avenger (Dodge body, Mitsubishi guts) had 2 seperate major ball joint separations... there was a major recall, all Chrysler did was a "5 point inspection"... I was driving home and my whole driver's side front tire ripped apart, tore off the wheel well and slammed the car nose down.

I got over $3k in work done for free...

MY mother in law drove her Galant forever without any problems. Mom put about 130k miles on her Eclipse before she ran into any problems on hers and that was only because she didn't keep up with basic stuff.

[TBLfan 25]

High mileage E36

A high milage engine that will cost an arm and a leg to fix, not exactly the best bang for the buck.

Bang for your buck in performance, didn't specify whether he wanted a car that was cheap to maintain... And they aren't too bad to maintain when you have friends that are BMW mechanics. :D

[DamnLocust 0]

Even if you've got mechanic friends, or are good with your hands yourself, the cost of parts on a beemer or other german car are killer.

Want bang for you buck and a car that's reliable and cheap to maintain? It's all about Japanese cars. Honda, Toyota, Nissan is the way to go. Mitsu and Mazda motors get tired after around 80k, and start to burn/leak oil all over the place.

Edited April 28, 2007 by DamnLocust

[TBLfan 25]

Depending on your age Hondas and Toyotas will be somewhat expensive for insurance because of the amount of theft... a car alarm will help lower that cost. A 4-banger stock civic will cost you as much as the E36 for insurance(of course dependant on coverage, age, sex and driving record).

BMWs aren't THAT bad, especially if you have a few friends that get parts cars... BUT that isn't too common for most(although there are a lot of BMW clubs where you can get involved with and meet people). That's why networking is soo important!!!

But you are exactly right that Honda and Toyotas will go forever if you take care of them. The aftermarket is also soo big with japanese cars that you can find parts for dirt cheap too.

Edited April 28, 2007 by TBLfan

[EBondo 233]

2006 Cobalt SS/SC

How's it treating you? Cause I'm looking at one of those and a 2006 Ford Fusion as my next car, which I plan on getting around this time next year.

[Thockey17 1]

And they aren't too bad to maintain when you have friends that are BMW mechanics. :D

Yes, they are. I have an M3 thats been terrible with maintenance. Albeit, mine is boosted, but i've been having problems with it since i bought it. I would not touch a used BMW unless its CPO'd, and especially not an E36.

Edited April 28, 2007 by Thockey17

[Cue 0]

82 accord(rust bucket/loud/smokey)

92 civic hatchback (got it for a bargain and paid for it myself too so I'm proud of it, should hold up til I graduate college)

[pat19 0]

can anyone suggest a good first car that's fun to drive and will work good for around 4-5 thousand maybe.. i was looking at maybe a high milage mid-late 90s audi a4 but i don't know if that's a good idea.

i was also looking at something like this. I'm not getting a car until august anyways, I'm just trying to get an idea of what to get.

Edited April 29, 2007 by pat19

[TBLfan 25]

And they aren't too bad to maintain when you have friends that are BMW mechanics. :D

Yes, they are. I have an M3 thats been terrible with maintenance. Albeit, mine is boosted, but i've been having problems with it since i bought it. I would not touch a used BMW unless its CPO'd, and especially not an E36.

Maybe you should stop running it soo hard. As long as you do basic maintenance they keep running fine. Occasionally, you'll see some issues with the cooling system but besides that no big deal.

('97 M3)

[Thockey17 1]

Maybe you should stop running it soo hard. As long as you do basic maintenance they keep running fine. Occasionally, you'll see some issues with the cooling system but besides that no big deal.

('97 M3)

Most of those problems occurred even before i sent the car down to Active Autowerke for the supercharger. I drove the thing normally for about a year. It was the biggest pain at that time, and this is a car covered under warranty. Its had every single scheduled maintenance, and then some. We have the car in the shop about once every other week to check up on how its running since i started with the heavy mods. Since then i've had some usual problems which were to be expected. But the parts and labor do not come cheap

[GoHawks 0]

can anyone suggest a good first car that's fun to drive and will work good for around 4-5 thousand maybe.. i was looking at maybe a high milage mid-late 90s audi a4 but i don't know if that's a good idea.

i was also looking at something like this. I'm not getting a car until august anyways, I'm just trying to get an idea of what to get.

I wouldn't suggest a foreign car if you live in the states. I have a friend that has a 1990 Audi 100, and he's on his third transmission, and at 3k a pop that's a lot to invest in that car. That, and pretty much all his electronics are fried. He doesn't bother to fix it, because the cost is just way too high. Get a Ford Probe (which i drive, 5-speed, love it) or a ZX2 or something like that. If you're going to school, some idiot is probably going to hit your car or something, and if you have a ton of money into your car it just hurts that much more. Parts and labor are cheap on domestic cars, you can change the oil yourself with about 4 tools (including funnel and oil pan :P ), and they really aren't that bad of cars. That's my two cents, just know that if you run into trouble with a foreign car, kiss your money goodbye!

EDIT : I'm assuming that when you said 'first car' that you are a student, or at least pretty young, and cash might be an issue in the next few years, that's why i'm preaching so much about domestic cars.

Edited April 29, 2007 by GoHawks

[DamnLocust 0]

Both the Probe and ZX2 rely heavily on Mazda parts, which are among the pricier of the japanese manufacturers when it comes to parts. My brother had a probe, and was quoted $180+ for a tiny aluminum coolant crossover. He was able to work his way around it.

I will agree that they are fun cars to drive, however.

The Audi/Subaru are both just asking for trouble, considering the AWD and turbocharged engines.

I'll stick to my guns and say that for longetivity, you want to stick with your lap trio.

Edited April 30, 2007 by DamnLocust

[Cobra2717 0]

I will agree that they are fun cars to drive, however.

The Audi/Subaru are both just asking for trouble, considering the AWD and turbocharged engines.

I disagree about the Subaru, most Subaru's are tanks. Especially the model he has posted, most early/mid 90's Imprezas and Legacys have strong drivetrains, and almost all are N/A. Yes, parts and labor may be a little more expensive, but it is very rare anything major happens. Sorry, Im a Subaru buff, gotta represent! :lol:

[Chadd 916]

can anyone suggest a good first car that's fun to drive and will work good for around 4-5 thousand maybe.. i was looking at maybe a high milage mid-late 90s audi a4 but i don't know if that's a good idea.

i was also looking at something like this. I'm not getting a car until august anyways, I'm just trying to get an idea of what to get.

I would look for one of these. My wife had one for years and I have been driving it since we got her a new car. Ours is over 100k miles and no problems at all. It doesn't have fantastic power but it's a smooth ride, comfortable and my hockey bag easily fits in the back.

[DamnLocust 0]

chadd are you on newcougar.org? I drive a '92 Cougar and am on a different forum mostly dedicated to the older ones, but have seen references to that site, and seems like a good resource if you run into any trouble.

From what I've heard there seems there have been a number of electrical issues with those cars, but I agree, they're pretty solid. For a few bucks less you can also get a focus, which is built on the same platform.

[tokes 0]

Don't even talk to me about parts being expensive for an Audi or VW. Ever tried to get a timing belt, brake pads, tie rod ends, bushings, fuel filters, or electronics shit for a car that was never sold in North America? Or even anywhere outside of Japan for that matter?

The first time you hit boost and blow through the first 3 gears, it's alllllll worth it :D

[Chadd 916]

chadd are you on newcougar.org? I drive a '92 Cougar and am on a different forum mostly dedicated to the older ones, but have seen references to that site, and seems like a good resource if you run into any trouble.

From what I've heard there seems there have been a number of electrical issues with those cars, but I agree, they're pretty solid. For a few bucks less you can also get a focus, which is built on the same platform.

No, never been there. I know someone who had an issue with the throttle sticking a bit on a 5-speed, but it was nothing major. Ours is an 01 C2 and has run perfectly. It's a popular car with kids around here.

I had a loaner Focus when our old car was in the shop and I just didn't fit into it well. Anyone over 5-8 will have some problems with a focus.

[mack 44]

I got stuck in a Focus on a work trip a couple weeks ago. I felt like Hightower in Police Academy.

[AnthonyJTa 0]

I got stuck in a Focus on a work trip a couple weeks ago. I felt like Hightower in Police Academy.

I'm 5'11", 250lbs.. I felt like House in Police Academy. Rolling in my buddy's 3 door Focus is no fun... I love the look, but it's like being crammed in a sardine can. Test drive a Hyundai Tiburon, if you want a giggle....

I felt like Donkey Kong in Mario Kart!

[mack 44]

Jesus, I had to sit in the back seat and put my legs into the passenger seat.

[Chadd 916]

I got stuck in a Focus on a work trip a couple weeks ago. I felt like Hightower in Police Academy.

I'm 5'11", 250lbs.. I felt like House in Police Academy. Rolling in my buddy's 3 door Focus is no fun... I love the look, but it's like being crammed in a sardine can. Test drive a Hyundai Tiburon, if you want a giggle....

I felt like Donkey Kong in Mario Kart!

I had a Fiero for a couple years when I was younger so the cougar isn't so bad. My wife has a Saturn loaner while her Subaru is getting fixed and this thing is a real piece of shit. I'm only 6'1 and at even with the seat as far back as it goes, I feel like I'm in a clown car.