soltero

Hello All, I am in the market for a compact to help me save a lot of money on gas. I drive 80 miles round-trip every day for work, with 10 extra miles on Wednesdays, for a total of 410 miles between Monday and Friday.

I have been reading all that I can on the Civics, and the general consensus seems to be that they are great cars, but suffer a lot from excessive road noise.

My budget is $3000 and I have been looking at the 2005 and 2007 model years, with less than 200k miles and (preferably) a 5-speed tranny (but I will take an auto if the price is right). I would be OK with an earlier model (2002-2004, etc) provided that it does not have excessive mileage, and is not a money pit due to its age and wear-and-tear.

What suggestions can this community provide to me in my search for the perfect used compact car on a budget? I am also considering a Corolla as its reviews don't seem to mention the problem of road noise. Why should I choose Civic over Corolla (or any other similar compact car for that matter)?

Thanks for the feedback.

-Soltero

mac25

You seem to already know what to do.

-low km
-before you buy it have it inspected if you are not able to do so.
-bring a negotiator if needed.

brags

Soltero sounds like You been doing some searching on what You want.?
Civic's in general are great all around cars... however if Your looking at earlier Civics
Your getting into high mileage best advise i can recommend You do is.?

- get a car fax report on any accidents?

car fax is good IF big IF the previous owner got it fixed through his insurance company.
then it will show up on car fax. but if he got it fixed somewhere else on his own other than
through the insurance it won't show up on a car fax report making it useless so be carefull and
carefully inspect the vehicle for things like overspray , cheesy looking panels or out of place
things that don't look right

- Service Records?

ask for service or maintenance records on the vehicle.? this to me is
a big one.! because it gives You a general idea of how well the vehicle was
maintained through the Years and what parts were repaired if You can find
any records it can save You $$ money down the road

-Get it inspected

and finally get it inspected. if Your not familiar with vehicles
strongly recommend doing if Your seriously wanting to buy it.? always
get a second party inspection (second party meaning outside the dealer
or buyer that your buying it from}

Toyota Corolla..? a little on the small side for me and the looks aren't as
Nice as Civics in my opinion but great dependable car as a Civic from what i know..?

- GOOD LUCK...

RIPSAW

Get one with a chain on the cam or has just been changed out and they can prove it if it has a belt. Even that is risky with 100,000 miles with chain stretch. 5 speed is probably better then an automatic. Not sure how wise your investment will be. When these cars get old, repair maintenance is coming.

brags

Ripsaw i know what You mean mine is a 5speed and has a metal chain
for the timing belt i haven't heard too many probs with the Automatics though..?

RIPSAW

Meant to say above, if it has a belt, make sure it has been changed with OEM parts and service with proof. Then you have 100K of miles left on car.

Depends on how car is driven, a chain appears just as much problems as a belt.

And same with transmission. They have gone to CVT because of transmission failures. These cars are reliable only with treated with respect. Racing from one light to another makes junk out of them. From what I see, over 50% are driven that way. It's a crap shoot to buy a used one for a cost savings unless you have no choice.

cj1

Better chance of getting a one owner well cared for car, if you go with the Corolla or Camry. Especially if the choice is an automatic.

Its always pay me now or pay me later when buying 10 year old vehicle.
2004-2006 good years for the Toyota.