Help picking a car?

[Orrex]

I need to buy a car in the next two weeks. I have a currently unavoidable (and un-bus-able) commute of 40 miles one-way, so fuel economy is a factor.

I'm looking for a used vehicle with a sticker price between $8,000 and $9,000.

Any suggestions?

[Midlodemocrat]

1. Get a Honda. Very, very reliable and the gas mileage is good.

[MissMillie]

2. you'll need to buy used

but I recommend toyota or honda.

My corolla, after nearly 8 years and 200K miles, is still getting 35 mpg.

[Orrex]

3. I should've mentioned that I'm an absolute car-snob

If it's not previously owned, I won't buy it. :)

Thank you for the suggestion!

[nickinSTL]

4. Toyota or Honda are your best bets

Go find a used one, as long as it wasn't abused by the previous owner, it'll be good, reliable transport.

My 2nd car is a 1988 Toyota Corolla. Way over 100,000 miles, and running just fine. Only problem I've had was the timing belt breaking...which was probably never replaced by the previous owner.

[BlueWolf]

5. Run the VIN through CarFax.com

Carfax.com is a great resource. You have to pay to get the full history of the car, but it gives you some valuable information for free too, such as where the specific car you're looking at was manufactured. Like the other posts said, Toyota and Honda hold up best, but better if they were actually built in Japan. A lot of newer Toyotas and Hondas are no longer built in Japan, and they have more problems than their Japanese counterparts. That's why I like Carfax.com, because you can see where the car was built.

[petronius]

6. Don't buy anything that might have come from Louisiana lately...

I would second the vote for a used Honda.

[Scoots]

7. Try looking for a 97 or 99 Nissan Altima. Best bang for your buck.

[Deep13]

8. Honda Civic

Dealers usually sell three-year-old models under full warranty and go over them carefully before hand. They usually run about $13,000. Who knows, maybe you can find a bargain. They are safe, reliable cars and get around 38 m.p.g. highway.