[Merle]

I have spent the last five years driving a Toyota pickup truck 30 miles each way to work. I hate it. I am going to buy me a nice, comfortable sedan. I want something that is comfy, has good get up and go and is dependable. I've always liked Maxima's. I can see the appeal of a nice Buick. That being said, I really don't know much about cars. Say I was looking used, under 18K. I want comfort, power and I don't want it to be in a shop for repair every three months. What should I be looking for?

[jqp]

May as well check out a certified used caddy.

[TomS]

Sounds like a Toyota Avalon would fit the bill, though the $18k mark depends on miles and age.

[Marbles]

Sounds like a Toyota Avalon would fit the bill, though the $18k mark depends on miles and age.

My first thought was an older Lexus LS400, but that Avalon might be a better choice.

[John Ryder]

Great bang for the buck, comfy ride, great warranty (even used), lots of bells and whistles for not a lot of $$$$.

[strider]

Do you have a Tacoma, Merle? If you have a '96-'00 Tacoma, you may be eligible to have it bought back by Toyota. They extended the corrosion warranty to 15 years because of problems with the frames rusting through. They're paying 1.5 times the KBB value in excellent condition. I'm holding on to my '99, hoping the frame rusts out on me; just saw paperwork go through on one similar to mine, they got a check for $15300. Not a bad down payment!

Far as a replacement car, Camry or an Avalon would be nice. Available V6 in the Camry, reliable, many choices in levels of equipment to suit your budget and taste. Stay away from the '05 Avalon, though. First year in a new design, it has some problems.

[Danberg]

I'd also chime in on a Toyota Camry V6 or even better yet a Toyota Avalon.  Avalon, peppy, excellent ride and mechanically superior for it's price range.  Have owned several Toyota's, and with only routine maintenance, have driven them well past 250k miles (no major repair bills).

Stay away from the Cadillac's.  My wife has owned 4, and all had some sort of major (re: very expensive, thousands of $) mechanical problems.  She keeps purchasing them on the status of the name and ignores the cost to drive, much to my dismay.

[Scott F.]

Be careful with Cadillacs. If you look at them avoid the Northstar motor at all costs. I had an 04 SLS with the Northstar. At 70k several of the head bolts popped and in turn it sucked all of the antifreeze into the crankcase. No big deal, it was covered under the 100k bumper to bumper warranty. I even got a free DTS to drive for a month. Then at 107k it happened again. The head bolts let loose and sucked all the antifreeze back into the crankcase. This time, no warranty. Just out of curiosity I asked the dealer how much it would be to fix it and they said the only way they'd warranty the fix was to replace the motor for $9k. Keep in mind the car at the time on the used market wholesaled out at about $8k. So what did I do? Sold it to a junkyard for $2.5k.

As I understand it, Canada has a class action lawsuit in process covering this exact issue with the Northstar motor. Don't know if it will filter down south to us in the States. Hope it does. I wouldn't mind getting about $6-$8k from GM because of their shitty design leaving me with a 4000 pound paper weight.

I know it isn't sexy, or even stylish, but the Ford Taurus (or Mercury Sable) with the 3.0L V-6 are absolutely bullet proof (only the 3.0L). Change the oil and tranny fluid on a regular basis and you can get some serious mileage out of those things. To date I've owned 6 of them all of which either got bought for or handed down to either my kids or other family members. With the single exception of one that had the 3.8L V-6 (it cracked a head), we got in excess of 250k miles out of each of them. In fact my old 96 Sable is still on the street motoring around with close to 350k on it (and it still doesn't use any oil). It went through my old employer (whom I bought it from), me, two kids and one of my kids friends (who still drives it daily). Best part, these things are dirt cheap on the used market. Not a one of them ended up in a junk yard because they wouldn't start or had engine trouble. Most times it was because somebody (my kids) wrecked them or they were so ugly you were embarrassed to drive them.

[KS]

Go to your public library and get the annual "Consumer Reports" Auto edition (April?).  It has run downs on used car makes, models, and years to look for and which to avoid.

Check your financing situation.  If you can pay cash, drive a hard bargain for a very good deal.  If you need financing, check out what your status is in today's financial world.

I don't know how to buy out someone's lease.  Find out how to do that and if it is a good deal.  They might have to put up some money to make it happen, so know how to do that if you buy from an individual.

Arrange ahead of time with a local independent mechanic to check the car you're interested in before you buy, or buy a certified used car from a dealership (costs more but might be worth it).  If you buy from a dealership, read and re-read, and understand everything before you sign it.  A couple of common scams are to print the contract with a magically higher price than you agreed to plus add-on charges.  "Accidentally" spill a cup of real hot coffee in the lap of the finance & insurance dirtbag if this happens.  Be wary of the old scam of promising financing too good to happen, then a few days later they tell you that you need to bring them more money.  Tell them to either honor this deal or bring your trade-in back at your home at a time convenient to you.

Look at the vehicle history report from Carfax.com or Autocheck.com before you buy.  It'll show major repairs and problems on the title...flooded in a hurricane, totaled with salvage title, etc.  Dealerships of that brand can get the history of work done by dealerships, so that's worth checking.

[cryoparts]

I have to agree with the below.  I love Caddy's, but the Northstar engine has not been very nice to me either.

Peace,

Lee

Be careful with Cadillacs. If you look at them avoid the Northstar motor at all costs.

[Christof]

Do you have a Tacoma, Merle? If you have a '96-'00 Tacoma, you may be eligible to have it bought back by Toyota. They extended the corrosion warranty to 15 years because of problems with the frames rusting through. They're paying 1.5 times the KBB value in excellent condition. I'm holding on to my '99, hoping the frame rusts out on me; just saw paperwork go through on one similar to mine, they got a check for $15300. Not a bad down payment!

Far as a replacement car, Camry or an Avalon would be nice. Available V6 in the Camry, reliable, many choices in levels of equipment to suit your budget and taste. Stay away from the '05 Avalon, though. First year in a new design, it has some problems.

Strider & Merle

Are your Taco's showing any signs of rust?  I have a 99 and it seems clean with only a little surface rust on the frame

[Se7en]

I'd look into a v6 Honda Accord. They're reliable and you'll find one in your range. For me the most important thing is not the cost of the car but the cost of ownership. After a good number of year and a bunch of miles the Honda will still be worth something. You can get them pretty much equipped with most of the worth while amenities. It may not be quite as nice as the Maxima but it will hold its value and IMHO is a more reliable car.

My .02

[Philistine]

I have spent the last five years driving a Toyota pickup truck 30 miles each way to work. I hate it. I am going to buy me a nice, comfortable sedan. I want something that is comfy, has good get up and go and is dependable. I've always liked Maxima's. I can see the appeal of a nice Buick. That being said, I really don't know much about cars. Say I was looking used, under 18K. I want comfort, power and I don't want it to be in a shop for repair every three months. What should I be looking for?

Merle, I'm a BMW guy but drive my wife's Highlander (so have a sensible head sometimes).  I would test drive any of these recommendations first though, my take on what I've driven:
Avalon - comfy, reliable, boring, old farts car that handles like a Buick.
Camry - great value, sports version is a relative term, safe and boring as hell.
Maxima - more fun than the Camry, the big engine version is great to drive.
Taurus/Sable - low profile, great fun to drive hard (white knuckle stuff driving close to death).
Buicks - lost for words.

If you want comfy, stylish and fun I'd probably check out an Audi A6 - but then (luckily) I'm not your typical driver.

 

[DaveC113]

Toyotas are out for me because they have never in the life of the company made a decent motor. I would much rather have an Accord than a Toy sedan, or look at Acura if you want something more upscale. As far as performance, the '06 and later Subaru WRX are fun cars (not the older 2.0L motors). They have tons of low end torque for a turbo motor, get ok gas mileage, go 0-60 in the low 5 second range. The handling and safety are also really good. Downside is they are easy to dent and the paint scratches easily. 

[Wind Chaser]

I've owned a  number of Honda's and Toyota's over the years and while Honda retains better resale value, my experience is Toyota makes more reliable product.  I've had far less repair incidents with Toyota than any other auto manufacture, and to me, that's more important than resale value.  A car must first and foremost be reliable.

[TONEPUB]

I had excellent luck with my last RAV-4, but in all my years of driving coast to coast,
I've never seen a Honda product on the side of the road dead and I've never met a honda
owner who was unhappy with their car.

I love my 3 series BMW (which has been remarkably trouble free for 196 thousand
miles) but I'd do the V6 Accord thing in a heartbeat.  Completely no fuss no muss.

I think either way though, Camry, Accord or Maxima should be pretty safe!

That being said, I have a few friends with very high mileage Subarus as well.

The japanese stuff is hard to beat!

[Imperial]

Maybe this is a bit old or something but Mercedes E-class between 93 and 95 is just about as indestructible as they come.
They are great rides and come in diesel and gasoline engines.
A quick look at eBay gave a -95 300E W124 automatic with a 3.0L Diesel engine, 95k miles... Wow! 

Anyway... I think the Merc E-class is awesome! and these years will cost like just under $10K
Granted, the diesels, unless they are 300 turbo-diesels, are not very fast, but not so bad either!!! (It's possible to retro-fit turbos kit's  aa...)
The chassis really are superb, and these cars a COMFY!!!  The 1994 models are the most desirable, as this is reputed to be
the year that Mercedes built it's best cars.

Two things will break on these cars... The ignitions (Just where the ignition key is..) have to be replaced every 100k miles or so
The door locks - Will last just about the same amount of open - close cycles.. That sums it up!
Other than this, nothing usually breaks! 

Imperial

[Bob in St. Louis]

Pontiac Grand Prix. Any year is very good. Medium size decent "sport factor", but still has a "cush factor". The 3800 is a monster bullet proof engine. 22-28MPG depending on your right foot.

Honda Accord is another good one.
Toyota Camry ditto.

Proper maintenance is paramount regardless of what you get. Remember, every single vehicle on the road has a short list of problem areas. None are perfect.

Bob

[strider]

Strider & Merle

Are your Taco's showing any signs of rust?  I have a 99 and it seems clean with only a little surface rust on the frame

Mine's got some signs of rust on it, the worst is just ahead of the spring perch on the L/R. Nothing that's unsafe, but enough to get my hopes up.  It seems the '96 and '97 years had it the worst.

Maybe in the spring; one more northeast winter and a few trips to the beach at Assateague Island may help.

[jmc207]

I prefer the 4 cyl. Honda Accord over the V6 at least in the '06-'07 models. I find the 4 cyl. version to be more responsive, more comfortable, with plenty of power, and gets excellent gas mileage (22-23 city, 32-34 hwy).

This comes from comparisons between my 2007 Accord V6 and my wife's 2006 Accord 4 cyl. version. The V6's in '06-'07 have 17" wheels with V-rated tires vs. the 16" wheels with V-rated tires on the 4 cyl. Accords. To me, the ride comfort suffers with the 17" wheels and crosses to far over the line into the harsh, thumpy/bumpy variety that makes the dash and doors rattle and buzz as well as giving all of this road kick back noise. I'm really tempted to try going down to 16" wheels and possibly H-rated tires to help smooth out the ride of my 2007 V6.

I do like the Honda Accord very much and find it to be a better car for me than my 2003 Camry, which though comfortable, was sometimes scary in it's lack of road feel, and not as reliable as I had expected.