Car buying advice wanted!

Car buying advice wanted!
I kind of like the following models - These are approximate
RANGES available in my area.
I've looked them inside and out but have not driven them except
for Chevy Classic rental cars.
I'll be doing all my own work on them.

03 Infiniti G3.5, 2dr, $20k, 50k miles
05 Mazda 6, 3.0, in 4dr only, $15k, 25k miles
03 Honda Accord 3.0, 2dr, $15k. 40k miles
05 Chevy Classic 3.5, in 4dr only, $15k, 30k miles
01 BMW 3x, 2dr/4dr, $15k-$20K, 50k miles

Any thoughts and recommendations?
Or any other decent cars with 6 cyl or more?
I saw a Saturn Sky yesterday - its pretty nice, but 4 cyl only.
I may have to test drive one though.

Please excuse the top post, but in this case it may be easier to
read and still leave your options below. These decisions are
'turkey shoots'. All of these cars have some devout followers.
Not every owner maintains his car well. This has been one of the
big complaints - that too many people just get in a new car and drive
it, often not having it serviced regularly, cutting corners, etc.

I would probably dodge the BMW. Good engines, usually, and running
gear, perhaps less body integrity than one would hope, but fairly expensive
for repair and maintenance.

Mazda is often faulted for expensive repair parts as well.

The Infiniti has a relatively good reputation, but not as highly considered
as Lexus has been.

The Accord has a very good reputation, but if the original owner did not
maintain the transmission as Honda mandates, they can be a weak spot.
Since your target only has 40,000 miles, maintenance is not likely to have
affected the tranny yet.

Some people like the Chevvies... I have very mixed emotions about GM
cars right now, and would probably be hesitant to buy one of any type.

You didn't mention Toyotas, but many like them and the 2003's seemed to
have good reliability and economy, body integrity, etc. Might be worth a
look.


"« Paul »" <"« Paul > wrote in message
...
> Car buying advice wanted!
> I kind of like the following models - These are approximate
> RANGES available in my area.
> I've looked them inside and out but have not driven them except
> for Chevy Classic rental cars.
> I'll be doing all my own work on them.
>
> 03 Infiniti G3.5, 2dr, $20k, 50k miles
> 05 Mazda 6, 3.0, in 4dr only, $15k, 25k miles
> 03 Honda Accord 3.0, 2dr, $15k. 40k miles
> 05 Chevy Classic 3.5, in 4dr only, $15k, 30k miles
> 01 BMW 3x, 2dr/4dr, $15k-$20K, 50k miles
>
> Any thoughts and recommendations?
> Or any other decent cars with 6 cyl or more?
> I saw a Saturn Sky yesterday - its pretty nice, but 4 cyl only.
> I may have to test drive one though.

The cars are wildly different...Chevy Classic, BMW, Honda and Infiniti,
so it is kinda hard to pick among them. But my choices based on style
would be BMW if it had a manual transmission and Infiniti.

Edmunds will give you a very good reading on how realistic those prices
are in your area, so run the numbers as the saying goes. Be wary of
cars that are priced well below market - you may be buying someone
elses hidden problems. But the key to buying a late model used car is
to find out in detail how well it was maintained from the owners
documentation. Also, consider having a good local mechanic familiar
with the particular brand perform a thorough pre-purchase inspection.

Finally, having driven many rental cars, I would stay away from resales
unless the price is significantly discounted, because they are driven
constantly, exhibit a lot of wear for the miles and I'm not confident
about rental car company maintenance procedures. They have no
incentive to do more than the absolute minimum to keep the car on the
road. Also, some features are missing from rentals to be sure to check
the car out thoroughly.

«» wrote:
> Car buying advice wanted!
> I kind of like the following models - These are approximate
> RANGES available in my area.
> I've looked them inside and out but have not driven them except
> for Chevy Classic rental cars.
> I'll be doing all my own work on them.
>
> 03 Infiniti G3.5, 2dr, $20k, 50k miles
> 05 Mazda 6, 3.0, in 4dr only, $15k, 25k miles
> 03 Honda Accord 3.0, 2dr, $15k. 40k miles
> 05 Chevy Classic 3.5, in 4dr only, $15k, 30k miles
> 01 BMW 3x, 2dr/4dr, $15k-$20K, 50k miles
>
> Any thoughts and recommendations?
> Or any other decent cars with 6 cyl or more?


Sure - there are tons of V-6 engines. Toyota uses a highly regarded
one in the Camry and Avalon lines.

> I saw a Saturn Sky yesterday - its pretty nice, but 4 cyl only.
> I may have to test drive one though.

Buy the car that puts the least amount of strain on your left arm as it
dangles out the winder.........LOL

harryface

"they say", pick the car you want, get on the web, and let it be known,
the dealers / sellers

will will bid on the sale, makes it easy - if it works, and some swear
by the method.

>mho
>v fe

>"reduced driving habits - conserves gasoline"