Not new, not classic, semi-old shitbox car thread

[blacklab 11841]

I have an FJ cruiser. I love it and will probably never get rid of it. But it's not great for long highway drives.

I want to get something 10-20 years old that's sporty and would be good for the highway. Would like to keep it under $10k. Stick shift would be nice. Poking around craigslist and autotrader I've seen some challengers, 350/370z's, a few lexus' and a few mercedes that might fit the bill. 

I don't want a 40 year old car but is there something like a Tarus SHO or Grand National from the mid 2000's? Type-R? May fall back to an E63 AMG like I had before, but any ideas on something I should look for?

Maybe something like this:

Infiniti G35 Coupe 2005 3.5 Low Miles $4500

https://austin.craigslist.org/cto/d/austin-infiniti-g35-coupe-low-miles/7706862436.html

 

 

[Mother mopar 3288]

I have an FJ cruiser. I love it and will probably never get rid of it. But it's not great for long highway drives.
I want to get something 10-20 years old that's sporty and would be good for the highway. Would like to keep it under $10k. Stick shift would be nice. Poking around craigslist and autotrader I've seen some challengers, 350/370z's, a few lexus' and a few mercedes that might fit the bill. 
I don't want a 40 year old car but is there something like a Tarus SHO or Grand National from the mid 2000's? Type-R? May fall back to an E63 AMG like I had before, but any ideas on something I should look for?
Maybe something like this:

Infiniti G35 Coupe 2005 3.5 Low Miles $4500

https://austin.craigslist.org/cto/d/austin-infiniti-g35-coupe-low-miles/7706862436.html
 
 

That's what you're looking for, fun car to drive and parts are abundant, as they made a lot of them. Aftermarket is decent as well, from wheels, to bolt-on engine mods.

The hard part is finding the G35s that's not all ran threw or had teens drive the shit out of them.

[Chewbacca 7667]

59 minutes ago, blacklab said:

I have an FJ cruiser. I love it and will probably never get rid of it. But it's not great for long highway drives.

I want to get something 10-20 years old that's sporty and would be good for the highway. Would like to keep it under $10k. Stick shift would be nice. Poking around craigslist and autotrader I've seen some challengers, 350/370z's, a few lexus' and a few mercedes that might fit the bill. 

I don't want a 40 year old car but is there something like a Tarus SHO or Grand National from the mid 2000's? Type-R? May fall back to an E63 AMG like I had before, but any ideas on something I should look for?

Maybe something like this:

Infiniti G35 Coupe 2005 3.5 Low Miles $4500

https://austin.craigslist.org/cto/d/austin-infiniti-g35-coupe-low-miles/7706862436.html

 

 

I had a G37x before I got my S6.  They could not be more different.  If E63 is your expectation, don't even bother with the Infiniti.

 

They are reliable and moderately quick to drive if that's OK, though.

[Chewbacca 7667]

56 minutes ago, Mother mopar said:

That's what you're looking for, fun car to drive and parts are abundant, as they made a lot of them. Aftermarket is decent as well, from wheels, to bolt-on engine mods.

The hard part is finding the G35s that's not all ran threw or had teens drive the shit out of them.

My fucking neighbor bought one for his son.  In less than a year, he wrecked it 3 times and they got rid of it.  What did they replace it with, you might ask?  Another one.  This time with an aftermarket exhaust.  He drives it like a total asshole.

[Mrs Whiggins 13049]

What about a Honda Accord Coupe? I think they made some sporty models around 2006-2008 that might fit your price if you look around? They made some that are vanilla but I seem to remember seeing some that were a little more vroomy.

[ChickenSandwich 9795]

[locodos 5328]

• 8th gen Maxima  no idea about reliability, but sportier than you think.  300hp 261tq.  Should eat up highway.  Should be pretty cheap
• CTS-V Caddy she's fast and probably loose
• BMW 3 Series Great little ride that's well behaved on the highway (smallish)  buy a good one and depreciation is going to be pretty flat.

[Pato del Muerto 52237]

My first thought was can you get a stick maxima with the 3.5 in your price and age range. Or the equivalent Infiniti I guess (M35?)

Edited February 1 by Pato del Muerto

[nolongerU2horn 742]

Mazdaspeed3 or a Golf GTI

[Pescado_Rojo 19320]

51 minutes ago, locodos said:

• 8th gen Maxima  no idea about reliability, but sportier than you think.  300hp 261tq.  Should eat up highway.  Should be pretty cheap
• CTS-V Caddy she's fast and probably loose
• BMW 3 Series Great little ride that's well behaved on the highway (smallish)  buy a good one and depreciation is going to be pretty flat.

Rojo Jr drives a 2010 328i. Fun car, but maintenance heavy and even independent BMW service is pricy. He's done a fair amount of stuff on his own with the help of youtube and an OBD II scanner. 

Edited February 1 by Pescado_Rojo

[Sam Lin 3539]

This is what you want and need.

[thunderlounge 7701]

On 1/31/2024 at 6:56 PM, blacklab said:

Infiniti G35 Coupe 2005 3.5 Low Miles $4500

Looks to have the same problem as a small church…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

no ballroom. 

[Incredulity 11446]

9 hours ago, Sam Lin said:

This is what you want and need.

says Runs Good right on the side, why would they lie?

[blacklab 11841]

Finally got around to getting something

2011 E350 Bluetec with 190,000 miles. Replaced the turbo and fixed some oil leaks and it runs like a top. Mercedes boards say you should get 350-400k miles out of them as long as you fix the oil leaks and turbo, which at around 5k miles a year I should put on it will last me the rest of my life. Oldest boy has already asked that I leave it to him in the will.

Previous owner claimed 38 MPG on the highway, we'll see if he's full of shit when I fill up in a couple of weeks. 

Wanted to get another E63 AMG but they are still stupid expensive. 

 

[tx 3 putt 75959]

1 hour ago, blacklab said:

Finally got around to getting something

2011 E350 Bluetec with 190,000 miles. Replaced the turbo and fixed some oil leaks and it runs like a top. Mercedes boards say you should get 350-400k miles out of them as long as you fix the oil leaks and turbo, which at around 5k miles a year I should put on it will last me the rest of my life. Oldest boy has already asked that I leave it to him in the will.

Previous owner claimed 38 MPG on the highway, we'll see if he's full of shit when I fill up in a couple of weeks. 

Wanted to get another E63 AMG but they are still stupid expensive. 

 

how much for cars ?

for repairs ?

[blacklab 11841]

$4000 for the car, about that in repair 

similar cars on eBay for $10-$12k

[TwiceHorn 31087]

On 2/1/2024 at 9:11 AM, locodos said:

• 8th gen Maxima  no idea about reliability, but sportier than you think.  300hp 261tq.  Should eat up highway.  Should be pretty cheap
• CTS-V Caddy she's fast and probably loose
• BMW 3 Series Great little ride that's well behaved on the highway (smallish)  buy a good one and depreciation is going to be pretty flat.

i might recommend an NA 3.6 CTS.  Not that Cadillacs are unreliable (my experience is to the contrary), but a -V is overengineered like a Krautwagen and I think somewhat temperamental.  Not something I think you want to be driving in its dotage.

[Slacks 6788]

I drive a 3.6 wagon and love it.

[Muny_Tex 290]

Thread resonates for me as I recently did a major "downgrade" that is paying off wonderfully.

I initially bought a brand new 2024 Subaru Crosstrek as a replacement/upgrade for my 2017 Civic.  Drove it for 12 months and never got comfortable with all the safety features (constant alerts, beeps, etc that were hassle to deactivate), along with the giant fucking iPad-sized infotainment system that was always in my peripheral vision. 

Sold it to Carmax (fortunately for close to original price), and bought a 2015 Forester with ~160k miles from a local lady for $3600.  Put $1200 to address some overheating + a/c issues and it's been flawless so far.  Came with a Thule roof rack and the CD player is nails in the mountains whenever cell service is shot...got a bunch of good discs on eBay for couple of bucks each.  I hope to never drive another modern "smart" car for the foreseeable future.

 

Edited August 16 by Muny_Tex

[royiv 9124]

On 8/15/2024 at 11:55 PM, Muny_Tex said:

Thread resonates for me as I recently did a major "downgrade" that is paying off wonderfully.

I initially bought a brand new 2024 Subaru Crosstrek as a replacement/upgrade for my 2017 Civic.  Drove it for 12 months and never got comfortable with all the safety features (constant alerts, beeps, etc that were hassle to deactivate), along with the giant fucking iPad-sized infotainment system that was always in my peripheral vision. 

Sold it to Carmax (fortunately for close to original price), and bought a 2015 Forester with ~160k miles from a local lady for $3600.  Put $1200 to address some overheating + a/c issues and it's been flawless so far.  Came with a Thule roof rack and the CD player is nails in the mountains whenever cell service is shot...got a bunch of good discs on eBay for couple of bucks each.  I hope to never drive another modern "smart" car for the foreseeable future.

 

[blacklab 11841]

Went 525 miles on a tank of gas, filled 19 gallons, 28 Mpg of mostly city driving. 

It has a little MPG monitor. Get going 70 on the highway and it goes to 40mpg when not going uphill.

 

[baboso 6043]

Being stupid as shit, but I am pondering purchasing an 82/83 280ZX.  Had one that I traded in on a Maxima in 1986 because the T tops kept getting stolen.  Man, I love driving that car though.  Lot of fun to drive.

[Hamttx 419]

On 8/1/2024 at 6:33 PM, blacklab said:

$4000 for the car, about that in repair 

similar cars on eBay for $10-$12k

No shit? You got that for $4k? 

[Hamttx 419]

On 8/17/2024 at 4:30 PM, blacklab said:

Went 525 miles on a tank of gas, filled 19 gallons, 28 Mpg of mostly city driving. 

It has a little MPG monitor. Get going 70 on the highway and it goes to 40mpg when not going uphill.

 

You did well on that car.

[52-80 19047]

4 hours ago, baboso said:

Being stupid as shit, but I am pondering purchasing an 82/83 280ZX.  Had one that I traded in on a Maxima in 1986 because the T tops kept getting stolen.  Man, I love driving that car though.  Lot of fun to drive.

Yes ZX. 

[TwiceHorn 31087]

That is a nice thing about an older Benz.  They have good paint and historically interiors that hold up nicely over time.  And, their adherence to design "language" means it can be hard to tell that it's old.

 

[TwiceHorn 31087]

On 8/17/2024 at 3:30 PM, blacklab said:

Went 525 miles on a tank of gas, filled 19 gallons, 28 Mpg of mostly city driving. 

It has a little MPG monitor. Get going 70 on the highway and it goes to 40mpg when not going uphill.

 

I'm a car guy, pretty much.  And that means I appreciate a certain level of performance and driver engagement.  That said, it's funny how gruntling getting good mileage out of a car that is either fun to drive or comfortable, or both, can be.

[blacklab 11841]

I have long legs and don't feel comfortable in many cars. Toyota and Mercedes are the two that constantly seem right. Honda used to be that way but my wife's element and crv give me back pain on long trips.

After driving toyota trucks for the last 5 years it's fun to take corners and curvy roads again. I sped up to get through a left hand turn at a yellow light and my son commented, "you would have flipped the FJ if you had taken that corner at that speed", and he was right. It's not my E63 AMG but it corners great.

Even though it's a diesel it's pretty snappy once you get going.

Agree on "design language". Never could quite describe it but there is something different about Mercedes. This is my 5th. I've had an 1984, 2000, 2004, and 2010 before this one. They all have differences, but each felt similar in comfort and ergonomics. Stupid little things like how the doors slam shut have been constant for over 27 years.

[Parliament 14086]

I used to own a Honda Accord.  Heater core died and I drove it an an entire North Dakota winter that way.  I win.  Close thread.

[locodos 5328]

6 minutes ago, Parliament said:

I used to own a Honda Accord.  Heater core died and I drove it an an entire North Dakota winter that way.  I win.  Close thread.

pfffft  Nice try.  I had an Isuzu Impulse Turbo that drank oil, overheated at stop lights, and then the window actuators broke.

It was August in S Florida and I drove that POS to work, in a suit, with the windows up, and the fucking heater on to keep the motor from cooking...  I did that shit for a month.

I had a bad day at work and walked out to the parking lot and chose violence.  Turned the heater off and turned on the AC and hit the highway for the 6-ish mile drive home.   3 miles in overheating, 4 miles in dash lights up, I just kept my foot down and grenaded the motor just before my exit.   

Fun car to drive buy I had a smile on my face as I strode down the shoulder of the highway with my brief case the the license plate.

 

[SurlyGator 858]

This is probably more suited to the help board than here, but this thread tends to attract plenty of opinions.  I am researching pre-owned mid-sized luxury SUVs for the wife (no pics).  Looking to stay under $25K, and things like adaptive cruise control and emergency autonomous braking are musts.  Currently leaning toward Lincoln Nautilus and Acura RDX, but a loaded Nissan Murano might do the trick.  Any others that I need to look into in that size range whose long term reliability ratings are good?  Thanks, I'll hang up and listen.

[Pescado_Rojo 19320]

46 minutes ago, SurlyGator said:

This is probably more suited to the help board than here, but this thread tends to attract plenty of opinions.  I am researching pre-owned mid-sized luxury SUVs for the wife (no pics).  Looking to stay under $25K, and things like adaptive cruise control and emergency autonomous braking are musts.  Currently leaning toward Lincoln Nautilus and Acura RDX, but a loaded Nissan Murano might do the trick.  Any others that I need to look into in that size range whose long term reliability ratings are good?  Thanks, I'll hang up and listen.

Nissan CVT transmissions are notorious pieces of shit. Of the 3 you listed I'd probably try to find the newest/lowest mileage RDX. 

[Sam Lin 3539]

2007-13 BMW x5 diesel. Delete the diesel emissions crap and they are utterly bulletproof engines, 23-25mpg, and very nice inside. Easy to find under 10k and the delete stuff plus some maintenance like valve cover gasket, vacuum lines, belts and you're always out well under 15k.

[Harrison Stafford 3323]

I drive a 2010 Lexus RX 350 with only 70,000 miles on it. I’ve never owned a car for 14 years, but this has been a solid luxury SUV and has given me absolutely no issues at all. So, I’ve made the decision to keep this car until further notice. Here’s the deal. My wife’s Lexus sedan gets the spot in the garage, so my ride is exposed to the elements. Since I’ve made the decision to keep the RX 350 long-term, I want it to look as good on the outside as it possibly can. No worries about the interior as I keep that pretty darn pristine. Soooo the plan is to use compound on the paint that’s oxidized followed by a lite ceramic coating on the vehicle.  Have any of you had a ceramic coating on your vehicles and what are your thoughts in regards to that?

[SurlyGator 858]

On 8/28/2024 at 12:20 PM, Pescado_Rojo said:

Nissan CVT transmissions are notorious pieces of shit. Of the 3 you listed I'd probably try to find the newest/lowest mileage RDX. 

This is essentially exactly what I did, and I got bit in the ass on one detail.  2018 RDX Advance, 42,xxx miles.  The online details put out by the dealership said it had Apple CarPlay, which was one of the must haves in my mind.  I didn't discover until driving off the lot that Acura RDX's started getting Apple CarPlay in 2019.  I have complained to the dealership, but I'm not holding my breath on that resulting in anything.  A local car stereo place said they can install a kit that will give me everything for $1,400 installed.  Looks like I will be living without Apple CarPlay.  I am not gruntled.

[ChickenSandwich 9795]

See if dealer will split or do it themselves. 

[Armybrat 40648]

1991 - My driveway & front curb full of shitty cars:

 

 

[locodos 5328]

2 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

1991 - My driveway & front curb full of shitty cars:

 

 

I can smell the leaking fluids from here

[Armybrat 40648]

I think it was declared a Superfund site after we moved.

[fattyflattie 4636]

On 9/15/2024 at 8:10 AM, Armybrat said:

front curb full of shitty cars:

Bruh.  Shitty, yes, but also awesome. 

[randomhorn 1579]

Debating a possible second car (used) for use in-city. Don’t want big because it’s really for on street parking primarily. And not super nice or expensive because I already have a nice sedan and, again, on street parking. But it can’t be a shitbox. It does need to move a couple people plus household items to/from a storage unit with possible day/weekend trips. So heavy bias to hatchbacks with fold down seats.

Currently considering the Lexus CT200h, the Audi A3 e-etron, and even maybe the Audi A4 allroad (wagon). I have a Lexus now so understand their reliability and that the CT200 is the least Lexus car there is in terms of tech and creature comforts. Are Audi’s really POSs when it comes to long term reliability? Do they just need regular maintenance like a normal car? Or should I avoid them altogether? Are there other alternatives I should consider?

[Prepuce of Doom 20955]

Used Outback (or Crosstrek, if you want smaller). 

Edited October 3 by Prepuce of Doom

[nolongerU2horn 742]

Mazda CX-5

[Dignan 355]

I've been looking at older Tacomas. They definitely hold their value don't they?! Geez. 

[dcbc 14368]

On 10/3/2024 at 10:40 AM, Prepuce of Doom said:

Used Outback

Stay away from 2010 unless you like replacing head gaskets and chasing gremlins.  Bought one for my older son.  He drives an Accord now.

[Okie State 3747]

On 9/14/2024 at 5:29 PM, Harrison Stafford said:

I drive a 2010 Lexus RX 350 with only 70,000 miles on it. I’ve never owned a car for 14 years, but this has been a solid luxury SUV and has given me absolutely no issues at all. So, I’ve made the decision to keep this car until further notice. Here’s the deal. My wife’s Lexus sedan gets the spot in the garage, so my ride is exposed to the elements. Since I’ve made the decision to keep the RX 350 long-term, I want it to look as good on the outside as it possibly can. No worries about the interior as I keep that pretty darn pristine. Soooo the plan is to use compound on the paint that’s oxidized followed by a lite ceramic coating on the vehicle.  Have any of you had a ceramic coating on your vehicles and what are your thoughts in regards to that?

I did a DIY coating years ago and it seemed okay. It was Opticoat I believe. There are tons of options now. Using a random orbital for a light polish is pretty foolproof, but a decent amount of work. I don't have time for any of that these days. My cars are lucky if they get washed twice a year now.

Edited October 5 by Okie State

[blacklab 11841]

On 10/3/2024 at 3:27 PM, Dignan said:

I've been looking at older Tacomas. They definitely hold their value don't they?! Geez. 

It's nuts what happened to them. Before covid there would be 3-5 twenty year old ones with 150-200k miles on craigslist for $2-3k. During covid those same ones were listed at $10k. They've gone down a little but still stupid prices for a 20 year old truck with 200,000 miles.

[blacklab 11841]

the three lowest priced ones currently on CL

[USCATX 1065]

I love a good shitbox convo.  What about an S2000?  You could probably get a driver grade higher mileage one for mid teens and that transmission is about the sweetest shifting piece on god’s green earth.  Nothing ever broke on the one I had and consumables like brakes and tires are very inexpensive. 
 

You could also get a 2.0 manual trans Cadillac ATS in the mid teens.  I’ve only driven a V but it’s a very competent chassis if a little boring on the motor.  
 

If you’re city parking it then I’d avoid anything that you see in street takeover vids.  The G35/37 is the king in those other than Chargers and Challengers.  

[NYTransplant 143]

On 10/3/2024 at 9:54 AM, randomhorn said:

Debating a possible second car (used) for use in-city. Don’t want big because it’s really for on street parking primarily. And not super nice or expensive because I already have a nice sedan and, again, on street parking. But it can’t be a shitbox. It does need to move a couple people plus household items to/from a storage unit with possible day/weekend trips. So heavy bias to hatchbacks with fold down seats.

Currently considering the Lexus CT200h, the Audi A3 e-etron, and even maybe the Audi A4 allroad (wagon). I have a Lexus now so understand their reliability and that the CT200 is the least Lexus car there is in terms of tech and creature comforts. Are Audi’s really POSs when it comes to long term reliability? Do they just need regular maintenance like a normal car? Or should I avoid them altogether? Are there other alternatives I should consider?

Audis and VW's with the 2.0T just seem to have way too many issues. I love the design of the A3 and A4 wagons, but can't justify owning one. I've worked on two of the VW/Audi 2.0T motors and would not recommend it.

CT200h is a car that seems good on paper and just fails utterly in real life.

Given your current considerations, I'd strongly suggest a Mazda 3.