Car help needed

[JPSmit]

I'm located in Central Ontario (Waterloo) and suddenly need a car. I'm not looking for suggestions as much as I'm looking for leads. I drive a lot in my new job and as such want something I can thrash and replace. I need.
1. Good gas mileage,
2. seat 4 adults,
3. diesel is OK,
4. certified & e-tested

If you know of anyone that has anything, or a decent dealer, please let me know, thanks

 

[JPSmit]

BTW my budget is about $5k

 

[R6MGS]

You can get your hands on quiet a nice car for 5k.....firstly check craigslist, then kijiji.com ....both great sites for this stuff. Then don't get too hung up on age, your way better off buying a well maintained older vehicle, than a newer beater....I'll probably think of some more recommendations later on, but for now I've got:
-early 90's BMW 3-series
-Caddilac Catera
-Honda Accord
-Nissan Maxima/Altima
-older Benz(whichever you can find for 5k)
-Buick's(used buicks are dirt cheap, and reliable...great if you can live with the blue hair image)
-VW Jetta/Golf...not my personal favorite, but I had a company diesel jetta for a year, wasn't too bad.
-Chevy Lumina(also dirt cheap basic transport)
Theres many, many more...just look around, it's really not hard at all to find a decent car for 5k

Oh, almost forgot...check repodepo.ca there Ontario warehouse is here in Toronto...Once you sign up on their website you can see the "suggested price"...but when u actually go to bid on the vehicles(best to do so in person) you cna usually knock at least a grand or two of the price, if not more....Just keep in mind that no repo cars are certified or e-tested....but you can get some real good deals there.

 

[jayhawk]

Ford Focus-- After all the recalls you get an economical car that is actually fun to drive, good gas mileage. Ford Escort/Tracers also good and cheap.

 

[JamesWilson]

[ QUOTE ]
...better off buying a well maintained older vehicle, than a newer beater....

[/ QUOTE ]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/iagree.gif

condition is more important than age... or appearance/image.

 

[JPSmit]

well I am carless. dropped off the Passat today. The story BTW is that it was a car I leased in Florida then moved back to Canada. I called VW to get the documentation to license it in Ontario. their answer was "you can't take the car out of the country" My reply "it's a little late for that." They sure didn't mind sending the bills to Canada though. Anyway, I was planning to buy it and even paid all the import stuff and got it certified & etested etc. (the lease was up this month) (the miles were way over ) but with the plates expiring this month and the reality that it would have taken about three months to get the new ownership (they would have had to process it as though we still lived in Florida up to and including getting new tags) It would have meant taking the car off the road for 3-4 months before I was able to actually get it licensed. At this point it made no sense to keep it so back it went and I'll just have to swallow the mileage. Hence the need for another car - cheap this time as my new job drives even more than the old so I might as well rack up the miles on something cheap as expensive.

My tale of woe

PS VW America and VW Canada are in the same building & VW could do nothing. I had to drive to Buffalo to drop off the car.

 

[Steve]

I have a 1992 BMW 525i wagon, full dealer maintenance, the thing is as reliable as you could wish. Early 90's Beemers are a good way to go, and inexpensive as well.

 

[JPSmit]

My problem is that I keep looking at cars that I have no business looking at. Like cars that have no dealer network on the continent. Sigh. At least it's a LBC /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif

https://www.trader.ca/powerpage/details.aspx?vlotid=1258088&adid=5427414

 

[R6MGS]

ok, now that I've never seen....But I've dealt with that dealer for some reason, I definatly recognise that place.