Need Help With Choosing a Car

[JoshMcMadMac]

My mother's car may have just had a terminal breakdown. It's a 1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass Siera with 110K on it. I picked her up from the driveway she limped into, and it very well may be a blown headgasket. If so, it really isn't worth fixing. So now I am starting to look for a replacement for her, just in case the car is finished.

She is looking for a four door sedan. There is no preference in the make or model, just so long as it has four doors and is not an SUV, truck or van. Preferably a 1995 or newer, with less than 80k on it, for less than $10,000 and probably even less than that. I am thinking a 1998 or earlier would be nice, too, as the taxes are cheaper on a car older than six. I am hoping to get some input on good cars to look into, and cars to avoid. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[codewize]

Boy do I have a deal for you....Just kidding.

I'm sure you can get a nice Deville for that. I paid $10,500 for my Brougham 4 years ago with 70k on it. I guess the real questionis how dependable does it have to be?

If you're looking for a car you never have to work on, and I really hate to say this here, but I'de be looking at Honda.

 

[Sifrino3]

Cadi's Suck! Get her a Lincoln!

 

[Joeychgo]

you can get a 98-99 town car for about 10k

Or a Seville ---

really, at 10k most 98's are available to you.

 

[jdlmkviii]

Boy do I have a deal for you....Just kidding.

I'm sure you can get a nice Deville for that. I paid $10,500 for my Brougham 4 years ago with 70k on it. I guess the real questionis how dependable does it have to be?

If you're looking for a car you never have to work on, and I really hate to say this here, but I'de be looking at Honda.

I'd hate to say this too... but I agree. I highly doubt your mom cares about a powerful V8 under the hood. Everyone I've known that owns a honda has hardly ever had any problems with it. They run good, last a long time, and most of the time are trouble free. A 4 door Accord might be her best bet... could probably also get a V6 version for decently cheap also.

The reason I personally love american cars such as the Mark VIII... the american muscle type of sound, american made V8... and they are quite unusual in my area. I just wanted to be different aside from all the eclipses, civics and all that around. My grandma owns a '98? toyota Corolla.... PERFECT car for her. I personally wouldn't be caught dead driving it (well, now at least, but I drove it when I had my permit and I took my driver's test in it)... but it works out perfectly for her. Never has any problems, she doesn't put a lot of miles on it and she likes it. And suprisingly, has more pickup than you'd think for a 105 hp engine.

 

[JoshMcMadMac]

Cadi's Suck! Get her a Lincoln!

That's really not necessary. I am looking for constructive posts in here, PLEASE.

As for a Honda or Toyota, I just don't think I can bring myself to do that. And my father would prefer an American ride parked in the dirveway, too. I think a TownCar might be bigger than she would need, or want. I would have to ask how she feels about something smaller, like a Contour or something similar. A panther chassis might be ok, or a Continental or Cadillac equivalent. How big is a Deville? But she won't care about big HP or major luxury. A simple car with four doors, automatic transmission, and AC will be sufficient. Not that I want he driving around a $hitbox, but I don't want her to spend a ton of money either. Simple is the key, while remaining easy to work on and reliable for years to come. Thanks for the input thus far!

 

[Pepsi2185]

I think i would go for an early nineties crownvictoria. It is a lincoln frame, with a 5.0 and an AOD tranny. The reason i pick the car is it is simple. It is cheap to buy and well made. I would not touch one with the early 4.6 in it, I believe they added it in 92 or 93. The transmission put in the early 4.6 is a little shaky. The 91-92 lincoln tranny can be troublesome.

The lincolns have a lot of things that can casue trouble as well. Air Ride, ABS brakes, Climate control issues, on top of regulare maintenance and the possible car fires. Just to keep mom happy and simple. If your mom is like mine she would not tell the difference between the lincoln and the crownvic. Try to get one without ABS, and air ride and all of that.

You will probably have to do water pump and heater core and some front end work, but the car has remained the same all the way through the eighties, the parts are common and easy to change. So that translates to cheaper and easier repair.

the deville is front wheel drive and if she ever has to take anything with a cadillac symbol to any shop they are gonna bust out the "other book" with the "special prices" Or if you have to buy parts and work on yoursefl it may not be as practical.

Other than that you could try a Caprice classic or a cadillac fleetwood brougham. That has a old 307 in the late eighties and a chevy 305 in early nineties with an optional 350.