First car help

[metallicafan18]

Ok, just got my license yesterday. Finally!! Me and Dad have been looking for a first car for me. We need help.

1.I need something under $3000 (obviously I will be buying used)
2.Needs to beable to haull all my bass gear: 4x10, 2x12, 2 racks, 2 basses.
3. Needs to have 5 or more seats including driverse seat. So maybe 2 in front, 3 in back?
4. Best MPG as I can get. I know a a big car isn't gonna have the best mileage, but the more miles, the better.
5. No minivans

Any models or makes you guys think would be good?

[two fingers]

$300 TOTAL or $300 a month?

[Chunk-O-Funk]

Under $300.00 or are you missing a zero?

A very old Chevy Suburban?

[metallicafan18]

Fixed it. I meant $3000. LOL

[two fingers]

Ah....good edit. You should be able to find a V6 Mini Van for that. It's not very cool but it's the only thing (other than an 80's Buick station wagon) that I can think of that fits ALL of your requests. If you find a used SUV that cheap, odds are it's trashed.

[Joe Gress]

Look for a used wagon, or a small SUV like an explorer.

[metallicafan18]

Originally Posted by Joe Gress

Look for a used wagon, or a small SUV like an explorer.

I found a sweet '99 explorer from a friend of mine that would sell it to me for $2200, but the AC doesn't work. He says he thinks it needs to be recharged, but the whole thing could be shot. I really don't want to pay repairs. lol

[fdeck]

Originally Posted by metallicafan18

I found a sweet '99 explorer from a friend of mine that would sell it to me for $2200, but the AC doesn't work. He says he thinks it needs to be recharged, but the whole thing could be shot. I really don't want to pay repairs. lol

Note that a tech isn't allowed to simply recharge an AC without repairing whatever is leaking.

[metallicafan18]

Originally Posted by fdeck

Note that a tech isn't allowed to simply recharge an AC without repairing whatever is leaking.

do you know how much a leak fix would be? I don't know a whole too much about cars, so I'm still learning.

[fdeck]

Depends on what's broke. A tech could probably tell you in a jiffy. Also note that you can live without AC.

[metallicafan18]

Originally Posted by fdeck

Depends on what's broke. A tech could probably tell you in a jiffy. Also note that you can live without AC.

I could easily, now that summer is almost over. It has a sunroof as well, so that would help cool it down.

[hbarcat]

I've been seeing used cars for sale from private sellers all over the place recently - and for pocket change.

I found a decent Ford Escort wagon for $600 and only 120K on the ticker a few days ago. I almost bought it on the principle of the thing except that I was going by tons of other cars just as worthy on the way home from work every day.

You can get a TON of stuff in any hatchback or wagon in the same class as the Ford Escort.

A 4x10, 2x12, 2 racks and 2 basses easily fits into this format - I know from experience.

If you've got $3k to spend, you can buy anything you want. Get a compact wagon or a hatchback with a 4 cyl or a slightly bigger car with a v-6 .


**** minivans !!!

[Kwesi]

I'd say wait till you've got about $8000 then try and find a small/medium sized SUV. I found my 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe (certified used w/ carfax) for a bit less than that and it's got all the space I'll ever need and gets something like 20mpg. Best part is that it only had 68k on the odometer . Check out Yahoo Autos.

[fdeck]

One other note:

2.Needs to beable to haull all my bass gear: 4x10, 2x12, 2 racks, 2 basses.
3. Needs to have 5 or more seats including driverse seat. So maybe 2 in front, 3 in back?

That's way too much gear, and it looks like you're planning on shelling out for the band van. In a couple years, if you are college-bound, you will be wishing you had less gear and a smaller car.

[MJ5150]

Buy something that has cheap and easily available replacement parts. I bought this really cool Lancia when I was in high school, but had to unload it as it was near impossible to find parts for it.

-Mike

[ByF]

You don't need a big car, SUV, or a wagon to haul gear. If you want good gas mileage, look for a smaller hatchback. I can put a lot of stuff in the back of my Acura Integra--I have carried a 2X12, a 1X15, a head and two basses in mine. I could get parts at any Honda dealer, except I have almost never NEEDED parts. Runs great, very dependable, and fun to drive. 25 mpg around town, about 30 on the freeway.

Ed

[kserg]

Look into older Subaru wagon... good cars. I think mid 90s subaru lagacy outback or any other lagacy AWD will run you around 3-4k - plus AWD is always great!


Stay away from Explorer for 3k - It will brake.

[nbw]

5door hatches or wagons. I think you can get a Ford Focus 5door or wagon for 3grand.

just make sure its a hatch of some sort. Even a small hatchback with folding rear seats can suprise with how much they can haul. Even with a passenger I'm almost positive I can haul my whole rig(2 410's head, bass+misc stuff) in my little cracker jack 1985 Toyota Corolla hatch, and its RWD so there is storage room lost to make room for the rear dif/axle. And cars have only gotten bigger since the 80's.

[mwm70]

Small 4 door pickup (s-10, frontier, etc.) then get a cap for the bed. I had a 1987 2 door nissan hard body p.u. in the late 80s early 90s. I put a cheap cap on the bed and would haul an 8x10, my rack, 2 4x12s and heads plus any misc gear. A 4 door p.u. will have a shorter bed but will still have more useable space than an SUV.

[spencer]

you need that much room and you need that many seats for 3000

a truck is almost a no as 4 door trucks are a newer thing

this leaves suvs..

search craigslisst for 4runners and pahfinders