Suggestions of what vehicle to buy - used and cheap?
4A week ago Saturday a commercial truck with no rear bumper backed into my car and wedged my car under it. Since he had a trailer hitch that trashed the radiator which then damaged the engine. I was totaled out. Insurance company is undervaluing me significantly which isn’t helping (still fighting them on it and they are coming up slowly). That kid did not have a good day because leaving the scene he backed into the cop car only fortunately it had this big, high wrack thing on the front that took the damage or her cop car would have looked like my car.
I need suggestions what to buy. Prefer a minivan for the space (and so I can sleep in it when I go to Houston for cancer crap), and if my kid goes anywhere with me I need to seat 6 now (failure of birth control on her part as in failure to use it, now 4 kids 5 and under). I had a grand caravan (aka the ghetto van) that died in 2015 at 25, replaced it with a 2005 Honda Element that didn’t really have enough space and while when I bought it had enough seats it doesn’t now.
Wanted to buy a van back then but the credit union wouldn’t give me a loan on anything older than 10 years and I couldn’t afford any that met their requirements. Still stuck with the 10 year or newer rule. I have only bought 2 vehicles since 1990 since one lasted 25 years and the other is the one that got wrecked so not really up on most of the cars/vans out there. With all my attention on my sick and likely dying cat (well and grading papers since the term ends today) I haven’t really spent much time figuring out what to do/buy and know little about most cars out there.
I need two sets of suggestions. One if all I have is about $2500-3000 (then no age limit on vehicle) and one if I have around $8500 (credit union may not lend me money even if I use my retirement for collateral because I make around $500/mo less than the poverty line (yes hunting for more work, preferably full time) and live in hud, even though I have always paid my current car note on time.
Prefer van (SUV is more money for the same space so that is out), reality who knows what, but preferably big enough I can sleep in it since I do that in Houston when I am there for cancer crap and when I drive 2 days home to see my mom) and can seat 6 when needed. And has good reliability record since I would hope it would die well beyond 200,000 miles and 25 years old.
So far what I have found is (if have loan) is: 2010 Toyota Sienna (been in one accident) and 2010 Honda Element (sliding doors don’t work and one won’t open at all), 2011 Honda Element (but been in 4 accidents). Any opinions on them? Need to get them mechanically checked out and the two that have been in a wreck have a body shop look to be sure no lingering issues with that. Not spending $89 to do that though until I know whether or not I will be pre-approve for a car loan.
Found nothing so far if I am not approved for a loan but that is partly because I haven’t really had the time to really look yet and I know anything in that price range is going to have major issues or be really ancient (the ghetto van needed junk yard parts on occasion and a very nice mechanic hand made me a belt guide since that part was available nowhere) and I’d prefer to be one step up from that since I won’t have the money to deal with it.
Thanks.
- 8 comments, 12 replies
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This is not car related, but birth control related. Can you suggest the implant or IUD?
@RiotDemon Child 3 she was going to adopt out and changed her mind at the last minute, was going to get her tubes tied and then a boy changed her mind. Child number 4 she was going to get her tubes tied and a different boy changed her mind. She picked out the implant before child #3. I think an IUD would be a good idea presuming she doesn’t follow through to get her tubes tied. I adopted her when she was nearly 10 and life with her has been an uphill battle. I told her keep it up and you will have 18 kids by the time you are 40. She looked horrified but so far that hasn’t made a difference.
@Kidsandliz she picked out her implant? Ouch. You must really want a baby to rip that thing out. I wonder how determined she’d be to take out an IUD.
@RiotDemon Despite repeated evidence to the contrary she thinks eventually a boy will support her in the manner to which she’d like to become accustom if she has their baby. So far. Nope. Daddy #4 has 8 kids, 8 different mom’s and is “cheating on her” (sigh).
Did you mean an Odyssey and not an Element? In any case, their transmissions did not have that good of a reputation. Between the one with the dysfunctional door and the other one which seems to have an attraction with other objects, I’d pass on both of those.
@narfcake Yeah meant Odyssey with the sliding door problems. I am stressed out and exhausted.
@narfcake the door repair on the Oddy is expensive last I checked, even DIY, not to mention complicated. Recommend Sienna or Sedona. Have had caravans require lots of repairs, and an Oddy.
@Kidsandliz @nasman6 - I had a 1st gen Sienna XLE that I adored but it did wind up needing a new-ish transmission - interestingly it too had been in 1 accident… I would have kept it nevertheless but I stupidly took it to a Meineke for repairs. Anyway I look wistfully at the 3rd gen - if only I needed a new car…
There are used old caravans all over the place, I would think.
What about getting another one if those?
@f00l Worst case I would. They are expensive to maintain because they are less reliable (at least in the age of a vehicle I can afford). I may not have a choice though.
Has the company that owned the truck contacted you or your insurance? I would think they are responsible for the damages and you could negotiate a payout or have your insurance sue them if you had full coverage.
Finding a great used vehicle is part luck, part effort. For 2.5K your looking for someone older that is selling, side of the road or a Craiglist find (You need to act quickly on Craigslist). Also see if your mechanic knows of any. If you get desperite then a buy here/pay here might be a last resort.
Citing specific examples is difficult as your really looking for a decent owner for a car that lasts as previous maintenance is the key. If there is an area that has an older/retired population then that is where I’d look as the vehicles tend to be used less and maintained better.
@reg036 Yes they are responsible, I am dealing with them through my insurance company though. They have already totaled it out, we are disputing the worth at the moment.
I was looking for general recommendations of vehicles that have a reputation for being more reliable than average, or at least reliable. With everything else going on (cat, this and the term ended yesterday so I am in grading hell, and I am exhausted) I am finding it hard to find enough time to actually do a good job of researching this.
@Kidsandliz @reg036 Have all of your receipts for work you’ve had done on it. They helped when my car was totaled.
You’re probably better off looking for an old matrix or camry or accord wagon. mopar transmissions require specific transmission fluid that was not specified on the dipstick in fact the wrong fluid was and as a result the 3rd gen caravan tend to crapout about 150000 due to lazy dumb or dishonest mechanics. And the gas mileage is not great anyway.
@cranky1950 Thanks or the advice. And I appreciate knowing that about the caravans.
This activity will be a lot of looking with very little encouragement, but keep the faith that what you’re looking for is out there.
A few years ago I picked up a minivan to haul my (then) four Labradors around. I found a Kia Sedona with ~100,000 miles on it for $3,000 (asking) and $2,700 (sold). It was, at the time, right at the 10-year mark, in age. A little bit scruffy, but nice, ya’ know?
It was a real keeper. I put a bazillion miles on it. Took it to deepest, darkest Mexico a couple of times. Never a glitch; just gas and oil changes.
Were I in your situation, I’d be scouring the List of Craig for private party sales for another Sedona. I really liked mine, and only sold it because I was offered more than I had in it by a group of traveling musicians that wanted the seating for 8.
Good luck!
@simssj Thanks for the suggestion. I have a friend with a newer Kia Sedona and she likes it. I’ll add that to my list.
If you like the element style, try a scion xb. I have a 2006 scion xb bought it used in 2010 with 92k miles on it. Still driving it daily with 140k miles. Gas mileage is around 32mpg with standard.
I absolutely love it! I’ve slept in it many times with back seats down, still an extremely tight fit even for me who is 5’5. But plenty of headroom to spare!
It is great on insurance since they classify it as a hatchback/van type.
With the bench seat in the back you can fit 3 possibly 4 kids. Trunk space is there but only like 3 feet. Good enough for groceries. The bench seat down gives more space at the cost of a loss seat.
Last time I looked on craigslist they were selling for around $2500 - $4000.
The newer style would probably be more, but maybe more spacious.
Mine is perfect for me right now. Very reliable made by Toyota. Parts are easy to find, and toyota “stealers” have and will fix them. Problems I’ve had was the back hatch hinge rusted away, dealers fixed it fast and cheap. And suspension is gone mostly by rust. Living in NY the rust will be its downfall after I think 5 more years. Shame because it is the little engine that could.
It took me to florida and back and Texas and back. Years apart, with no issues! Besides a blown fuse.
Hope this helps! And good luck!
@lilsrm123 But now it seems with more kiddies on the way, you will need a minivan. If the element is too small now.
You gotta figure if a KIA has lasted 10 years it’s not one of the lemons, of which there have been a considerable number.