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I have $2000, married, 2 kids, back to college.
I need a car that is reliable, cheap parts, easy labor (I've done some auto-repair and have my own tools [no garage tho]), 4 door preferred.
I will be holding on to that car for maybe 2-3 yrs, maybe more if I really like it 
I will be driving mostly in town, nothing too far away. I'd say the farthest might be a 2 hr drive, if ever.
So, considering the above, what would you knowledgeable people buy?
1963 ford falcon 4 door.
I occasionally see Merc W123 turbodiesels and W116 turbodiesels for that sort of money...
Sanity is vastly overrated.
I have to recommend the Nissan Maxima.
Bought mine with 108000 miles for $2500 4 years ago, no issues other than maintenance items and the sun roof.
Great cars, but they will rust out if your in a high salt area, so be weary there.
Italian cars are like Italian woman, expensive and only beautiful on the outside.
Chevy/Geo prizm. Can't kill the damn things. And they're cheaper because the general populous refuses to believe they're Toyotas in disguise.
Go fast or go broke.
I bought an Rx7 for $1200 and drove it for 2.5 years during college. I bought a Taurus SHO for $2000 and drove it 1 year during college. I bought an XR4Ti for $800 and drove it for a year. I had no problems with any of these cars.
I bought a 280zx and let's just say that rust is a bitch. I bought a Mk1 GTI for $1200. It's an awesome little car, but stuff seems to be pretty fragile due to age. I made the mistake of buying a NYG Neon ACR. It was fun when it worked, but I now understand why the stereotypes against American cars exist.
At that price point, much of it comes down more to condition of an individual car than the reputation of the brand/model Even a car with a less than steller record, but a very well maintained example, will probably be a more reliable car than a car with an excellent reputation that has never had an oil change and has been ragged on. Keep your options open and look for the best overall car.
That being said, I agree to look for a Geo/Chevy Prizm...a Corolla with a rubbish badge on it, so people don't pay anything for them, even though they are from when Toyota was still building extremely reliable cars.
Chris - 2007 BABE champion, 2008 2nd place. Miata, MGA, DiscoII 2010 - Trifecta of Crap in the Wartburg. $2002, $2006 $2010 challenger
How fun do you want it to be? 
Would you condsider a (far superior IMO) wagon instead of a sedan?
I think the Maxima is a good suggestion, as is the Prizm. You might also look at an E30, or Crown Vic (surprising mileage out of those, though watch the spark plug threads).
Depending on if you need AWD or not, you could also look at a 2.2L Impreza, or if you're down doing the occasional CV shaft, an '80s GL Wagon.
I'd stay away from anything with a Honda badge, myself. Not that they're bad cars, but there's a premium for the badge that you really don't need to direct your money towards.
--There is no turd more polished than the Ford Mustang--
Ford Taurus or Dodge mini van. Millions made so they are cheap.
I completely missed the fact that I am now a dork and no one told me.
Sonic wrote: That being said, I agree to look for a Geo/Chevy Prizm...a Corolla with a rubbish badge on it, so people don't pay anything for them, even though they are from when Toyota was still building extremely reliable cars.
ding ding ding winnar winnar
clubber lang is my friend
Welcome. I see this is your first post.
What area are you located so that we too can look at your local Craigslist and give suggestions?
Any other requirements?
Automatic or stick?
Do you have a goal for mpg?
First gen neons are ok too, but you have to plan on putting another $250 or so into timing belt, water pump, etc to make it last very long. MK2 or MK3 VWs are close, but they usually have a bad clutch.
Ford Taurus.
"Don't Sweat the Petty Things." Yes, and Don't Pet the Sweaty Things.
I have owned about 20 Town Cars and Crown Vics, only paid over $2K once, the latest is a 95, with new tires, brakes, suspension and steering linkages with 98K on it. Everything works and shows no rust, I expect to get at least 150K out of it before it becomes a parts source. I use them for work cars.
Easy to repair, cheap parts, simple fixes, almost never leave you stranded and if they do it is going to be a fuel pump.
Comfortable, strong, reasonable economy, seat 6 legally, fit 6 bodies in the trunk....
Cornering is like bringing a woman to climax. Jackie Stewart
A Corolla/Prizm is going to be pretty hard to beat. You should have no problem finding a decent Ford Escort Wagon or Sedan in that price range as well.
09 Yaris hatch & 05 Fuji Cross. Maybe more bike to come..
Obvious answer--4-door Civic.
For beaters, I've had a $1000 EG Civic (a steal, tipped off by Sonic that was actually worth 2-3x that) and a $2100 EG Civic. Both were very reliable. A few minor issues here and there (primarily on the $2100 one toward the end of its usable life with 300k+ on the chassis)
There are only a trillion of them on the road, so finding one that suits you is very simple.
91-96 Ford Escort LX-E/91-96 Mercury Tracer LTS
Mazda 626
And pretty much everything else that was mentioned above.
SCAVENGE THE SEA FLOOR FOR NUTRIENTS
Saturn SL series would fit well too.
Dave
GM W bodies are tough to beat for a great beater with cheap parts.
Welcome. I'm assuming by your screen name that you're in New Jersey.
I would cruise Craigslist a tad south of Jersey to find a less rusty example. If I were in your situation and your kind of budget I would look for the best Honda possible.
Dan
BMW -- You don't need a hibachi to cook rice.
93gsxturbo wrote: GM W bodies are tough to beat for a great beater with cheap parts.
J-bodies as well. Just skip the loaded models and get as few options as possible. The power windows in my '96 Sunfire all died years ago, but it rolled over 235k last week. Last year the car cost me $20 in maintenance (brake pads). I change the oil...sometimes (Mobil 1).
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My vote is for a Sentra. My 96 is dead nuts reliable, and will deliver over 40MPG on a road trip. Call it Spunky, fun to drive. 235,000 miles.
I'll actually second the Taurus one as well- I bought one for 100$ about 4 months ago, beat the hell out of it daily, and am seriously considering autocrossing it for hilarity factor.
One other consideration, and maybe these are w-bodies (not real good on GM nonclementure) but the Cutlass Cierra/Buick Century/Pontiac 6000 triplets. In-freakin'destructible. Most of the ones in the rust belt have gone to the earth long ago, but my god are they strong cars.
Go fast or go broke.
02-03 Elantra Hatch or sedan. Good mileage, easy to work on, cheap parts and indestructible.
At that kind of price point, just find the best looking anything thats been well maintained. I know around here you can be into a sub 100k Neon for that money, with cash left over for catching up on timing belts etc
What’s your favorite British sports car?
Triumph
MG
Austin Healey
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Morgan
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