Used Car Buying

[jayarro]

Hello,  my wife and I are shopping for a used car as a second vehicle.  We currently have only one car but my wife is searching for a job and we are finding that coordinating appointments and job schedules is unworkable.  I am thinking that we would use this second car for 5 years or so, after which we may need to get something larger to facilitate a growing family.

I'm looking for something around $5,000, which I can afford to pay in cash.  Also, I'm leaning toward something with four doors to facilitate children.  Beyond that, I want good gas mileage, reliability and moderate resale value.  My wife wants a car which looks nice, is either white or red and prefers an automatic transmission.  Any suggestions? 

[Jules13]

You can usually find a good Nissan Altima for around that price.  We've sold several in the past for around that price and they were all sound vehicles.  Good luck!

[Cougar]

 you might consider a used prius.

 i looked at them and i think you can get one with about 50k miles for 8-9000.  i know thats over your budget, but if you consider the gas savings vs. something that only gets 25-30 mpg it probably is worth the erxtra money.

[Monkey Uncle]

Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla.  Keep going back in age/up in mileage until you find one in your price range.  At that price you're probably going to be looking at over 150k miles, but since you only need it to last 5 years, that's o.k.  Look for one that appears to have been maintained well and not abused.

[Outlier]

5k is a great buying range for cars. You just have to decide where to look and what mileage range is okay for you.

[norcalmike]

I buy directly from private sellers. I never use dealerships. Hold out for an original owner with service records.
Hard to beat a honda or toyota. Avoid volkswagen. And this is coming from a vw enthusiast.
I wouldn't let 150k miles scare you. With proper care, even a Japanese car built in the 80s or 90s can go 300k easily.
Keep the fluids fresh and make sure the timing belt (if equipped) and the cooling system is maintained.
I drive a 1992 honda accord I paid $1100 bucks for. Looks good and drives great. I expect to drive it for many years.