ALL "cheap" high mileage cars are going to be expensive as far as maintenance goes. Doesn't matter who makes it. They all break eventually.

But I still think they're pretty cheap for what you get. You can find one in that $3k ballpark he's talking about pretty easily. Buddy of mine just bought one with 78k miles on it for under $4k.


But yeah it depends on what you're gonna be doing with the car and why you're buying it on what I would recommend. No way in hell would I buy an A4 in that price range. They're great cars if you want to drop one off with 034 and spend a bundle. LOL!

 

Yeah finding the right wagon is not easy. But if you think about it you can find a WRX wagon for under $6k right now... so finding an NA isn't really all that hard. They're still out there with under 100k on them.

I'd get the wagon for sure... or a forester.

 

There have been quite a few out there recently, some with decent pricing and condition. My problem is most of them are auto and I'd rather replace a clutch than an auto trans. My 98 was just over $3K about a year ago and is going to need a trans sometime in the near future.

Gary over at Mann said to avoid the older Foresters unless it includes receipts for head gasket.

 

i bought a NA miata in spring for cheaps. definitely a lot of fun and good milage. i did pay a little more than 3000 although i did see some on sale locally in the 3000 range.

 

Yeah... pretty much all of those older NA's have head gasket issue. That's the first thing you look for if it's over 100k...

did you do the timing belt... have you replaced the head gasket.

 

You don't necessarily want a car driven by an old lady...got an infiniti i30 off a lady who couldn't drive legally anymore because of her vision...while the car looked really clean and not beat on, almost every single suspension bushing needed to be replaced, and the engine needs a big tune up...

She had no idea anything was wrong with the car because she was so old, I guess she forgot to maintain it haha

 

Get a Forester.
If you have any questions/concerns about a Miata, PM me. I know them inside out. Owned and raced one for a few years.

 

Me, personally, with that price range and assuming you are not looking to spend a lot on maintenance - I would be looking for an older RWD Celica or a 22R powered Toyota pickup, depending on how big of a trunk I needed. Miatas are awesome and loads of fun - if that is what you want, get a Miata. Do not, under any circumstances, buy an Audi A4. Get a nice picture of one, hang it up on your wall - done. You have been warned. For the GF8 - obviously those are rad, but you could run into issues.

 

A4?

 

If it were me, I'd do a E30 with a Non-Vanos M50B25 swap.....

 

e30 ftw i love my dd e30

 

I vote for a Datsun 510. Light, RWD, and you'll spend less than fixing those cars up! +1 for the Celica too. I love The Audi, but maintenance is outrageous!