Some Car Help

Midnight_Raven

Midnight_Raven

Legendary Member
Joined
21 September 2002
Messages
2,039
Location
Lawrence, MA
Well its been a while since I posted anything here but since this is a forum where most people are car enthusiast I thought it would be good to ask here. Currently I'm a student in college, and I have no car. I want a car just for the reason that I'm sick of relying on other people for transportation and I don't like being restricted to one area. I want to be able to go out when I feel like it, I hate feeling bored during the weekend and knowing oh yeah there nothing you could really do about it. I am considering getting a car in the price range of $1500-3000. I have a couple of cars that I'm considering.

The cars that are #1 on my list would be the Legend and the MR2, would like either or. I like the 1991-1994 Acura Legend just because its such a luxurious car. It has easy and comfortable seating for 5 and it looks good too. The only thing is it has low gas mileage compared to the other cars on my list.

I would like to get a 1991 Toyota MR2 because it is a sporty car, which is something that I really want. It would also be the closest thing I could get compared to a NSX which is one of my future goals. The downsides are its a two seater and if I want to bring more than just one person it can't happen. This car has the same gas consumption as the eclipse and is worse than the civic.

Although a more sensisible car for me would be a 1996-1999 Honda Civic Sedan since it has very good gas mileage and easy seating for 5. Although I dislike the look of the sedan civic and I don't thinks it is as nice of a car.

Another car I was considering is a 1997-1999 Mitsubishi eclipse but I have heard mitsubishi are expensive to service if a problem comes up. I do like the looks of the eclipse but I have heard it feels cramped up in the drivers seat. The gas consumptions is on par with the MR2 but is worse than the civic.

So the problem is the car that would best suit me, a college student with not a huge amount of cash to spend, is something that I rather not have, but the car that I rather have just doesn't really help a college student out financially. What do you guys think is a good idea for me? Anything would help, even other car recommendations would be good.
 
How are you going to get a 91-94 legend that is in reasonable shape for 3k?..I just sold a 92 legend sedan with 124k miles in nice shape for 5600$ and I had my phone ringing off the hook for it..so I prolly could have asked for more..also a legend Is going to cost you a noticeable amount more$ in service and repair costs...Mitsubishi??..Forget that Idea right now..only pain and despair down that road....1993 Honda Civic 4 dr or coupe sounds about right for your needs.
 
I'm in the same boat as you buddy.

Look around, you'll be hard pressed to find 96+ civics or eclipses worth buying for less than $3000. The fact that civics last so long keep their used car value up even at high mileage, and young kids with a little money keep the eclipse values above where they would be without the explosion of the tuner market.

I really don't have advice for ya, because that's not alot of money.

is there any way you can $3000 down and finance something in even the $6-7000 range? With such a large percentage of the car price down it would ease financing a little (if you find a dealer that will finance that little, it's spotty).

They're a tad girly.. but personally I'd buy each of them if i wasn't 6'5"... Honda del Sol, or early Mazda Miata.
 
Well guys just to let you know I'm not looking for a mint condition car, I just need something that can drive and is in decent shape. Trust me I have already seen a couple of cars that I have listed that are in good shape selling for below or at the price stated. I know you guys have high standards but then again I'm a college student that is not requiring that high of a standard. Sounds like the civic would be the best shot from what you guys have told me. Any more opinions would help with the new info I gave.
 
For more info on the Legends go to acura-legend.com which is an enthusiast site and forum similar to NSXprime.

I'm a big fan of the Legend and have even owned three at one time. I currently own a '94 Legend sedan which I use as my daily driver.

Vehicle prices will vary somewhat based on your location. The Legend was a very popular car during its production life so there are many available.

Gas mileage for me is btw 18-20 mpg. I agree that repair costs can be expensive should anything go wrong but in my experience the Legends are very well engineered and require little beyond routine maintenance (oil, filter, tires, etc).

I run a website for Legend enthusiasts that serves as a reference for some simple repairs at LEGENDtuner.com Feel free to peruse the site to get an idea of some of the repairs. Timing belt and water pump at 90K is one of the biggest and most costly of the routine services. Other areas to look at are the CV joints, radiator, head gasket, and rear quarter panel rust. All servicing can be done by third party mechanics and not at the dealer which will save money. You could use some of the shops recommended here or on the legend forum. I've also had no trouble having my Legends serviced at Honda dealers.

As part of your consideration you may also want to find out about insurance rates. Narrow your choices down and then give your insurance company a call. They will be able to quote you rates for each car.
 
To further the Legend discussion, remember that the newest Legend is 11 years old, so be sure to allow some room financially for wear and tear items; the most common of which Motegi has listed. They are great cars. I have owned three over the last 11 years, and still have 2. Just be mindful that at this age, wear and tear has set in to these cars, and especially to those that would fit into your budget.
 
I just SOLD my 97 Accord Sedan LX with 127K Miles for $4K...its a GREAT CAR for the money and should be good in gas mileage and easy/cost less to maintain.

A camry is also a good option for you sir.

Good luck
Mike
 
NsXMas said:
take your $3k, go to Vegas, put it on Black, and double your money!!

Then you'll have $6k to buy a vehicle of your choosing!!

:D

j/k I don't advocate gambling.
Click to expand...

Hehe, I'll make sure I don't do that then. Actually I'm considering getting a 1991-1994 honda civic. The 1993 get really good gas mileage but right now I'm interested in a 1994 Honda Civic Sedan about 23 miles away from here near my sister's college, selling for 2,600 and it has around 145,000 miles on it which is good for a civic. I emailed the owner to see if I could get more picture of it. I can actually just show to you guys.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...1994&start_year=1994&isp=y&lang=en&cardist=23

Looking at it it seems that the vehicle has some slight rust near the bottom of the doors, but the car looks clean all around. It seems pretty good. I hope he doesn't sell that way maybe if possible we could test drive it to see if its running good.
 
Although there is one problem with the whole thing. I can't really drive standard. I know how it works but I don't know how to do it. I have been trying to learn for a while but no one is willing to let me learn in their car, surrounded by lots of stingy people who are afraid of letting someone else learn in thier car. I would love to test drive it but it would kind of be a problem right now, since I wouldn't actually be able to test drive it. I was thinking of possibly having a friend that does know manual test drive it for me, and tell me what he thinks. Then again it would just be weird in a way having it done that way especially for the seller it would be like "OK, the guy that is test driving isn't even buying the car...". The main reason I want manual though is I think it would be more fun to drive and you get better gas mileage with a manual car, which is a big + for me. :biggrin:
 
Look for a Miata, of all the cars mentioned, its by far the most fun to drive and responsive. Other pluses include very good gas mileage, excellent reliability, and its a convertible. They're not difficult to find in the $3k range, though $4k-$4.5k will buy you a much nicer example that will likely cost you less in the long run. The only negatives I can think of are limited people/storage space (though no worse than the MR2), and less than ideal in snow.
 
Yeah I have considered the miata but I don't like convertibles, I feel safer in a hardtop car than a convertible, just my preference.
 

Similar threads

Ron1999
Passenger footwell light / Interior light fade-out (1996, Targa)
Replies
12
Views
308
Ron1999
Ron1999
Track Addict
So, I imported my NSX to Japan.
Replies
22
Views
553
Track Addict
Track Addict
D
Her name is Natasha
Replies
9
Views
570
nis350
N
GGawaran
91-94 Steering
Replies
10
Views
254
Old Guy
Old Guy
W
NEED HELP: Dropped wrench in engine bay
Replies
11
Views
382
Driver's Therapy
D
Back
Top