Fun auxiliary vehicle suggestions

[stubble!]

It's likely I'll soon be looking for a cheap vehicle, a beater if you will. Its purpose will be to allow me to commute or run errands at times when the bike isn't an option, such as days when I take my son to my sister's house on my way to/from work.

 

From a practical standpoint, the requirements are few. Budget is $3-$5k tops. It should be reasonably reliable, or at least easy to work on. It should be able to hold four (safely and at least somewhat comfortably), including a child seat, so sadly a Miata is out.

 

I know what I just described could be a "tercivirolla", early 90s Japanese SUV, or even a crew-cab Ford pickup, all of which are under consideration. I'm hoping you all can suggest something more fun, unique, or otherwise interesting. What about an old Beemer convertible? What else?

 

[Huzband]

I've heard these are good on gas.

 

[upflying]

Car, '90's Honda Civic.

SUV, '90's Honda Passport (also same as an Isuzu Rodeo)

Van, '90's Honda Odyssey

Best of all three, any Subaru product.

[velomoto]

If fun is the priority then I'd suggest looking used VW's. They're not the most reliable, not the least expensive vehicles to keep running, but every one I've owned has put a smile on my face when I drove it!

 

When gas tops $5 a gallon you should be able to find one to two year old Hummers to fit your budget!

[Joel]

+1 for a late 90s VW Golf or Jetta. If they're still rolling at this point, most of the reliability kinks were probably already worked out, and if not, there should be slew of independent shops in CA that could work on one. I had a '97 Jetta GLS that was like a Timex -- no frills but got the job done for nearly 90k miles when I sold it about 5 years ago. My only real complaint about it was that it was the most appliance-like, soulless VW of the 7 I've had over the last 20 years. That isn't necessarily a bad thing if you just want basic transportation.

[OoPEZoO]

No doubt about it.....

 

'87-'91 BMW 325i 4-door 5-speed , convertables are nice too but will be a real biotch to get a car seat in and out of.

 

They are dirt cheap (2-4K can get you a really nice one, spend 5K and it should be damn near perfect), fast, fun, rear wheel drive, easy as pie to work on, parts are easily available, plus they don't get bad gas mileage either. The motors will run 200k+ with just oil changes and a new timing belt every 60k miles (their one weakness). Then, when you get bored with it, you can gut the interior, throw in a cage, and turn it into a track rat

[Crazy_Canuck]

How about a Ford Pinto? Its unique.

 

[chrisolson]

Another BMW option ...

 

My first BMW car was a 528e 5 spd. Great car! Nice room for 4 and big enough for 5, huge trunk, not a lot of power, but it never felt like you were lacking in torque and got mid to high 20s around town.

 

Handled really great and the ride quality was supurb. Kinda like an old 1100 RT in that it did a lot of things very well. If you can find one in OK shape I'd highly reccomend it.

 

Hmmmm, thinking about it my first BMW bike was an 1100RT

[finallyabeemer]

We've been reviving and driving '87-95 Nissan Pathfinders (3 so far) and '90-'95 BMW 5 series (2 of those) lately. All have been extremely reasonable to purchase and repair (Most around $2-3K, $4k max). And most importantly of all, VERY reliable yet fun. In both cases (as is typical) the 5 speed variants are far tougher than autotragic transmission versions.

 

The Pathies make great off road exploring trucks and are rock solid. I kept one, the other 2 are with my nephew's boys. The 5 series cars went to his wife and daughter. The Pathies get around 15 mpg in real driving, the 5's about 24 mpg.

[Quinn]

I'm going to step out on a limb and suggest a minivan. Prices are dirt cheap because their so unpopular. Plenty of room for child seat and passengers as well as luggage. Also camping equipement and trips to Home Depot. Front wheel drive is pretty good in bad weather and they handle well on the road. The only way they are fun to drive, however, is if you enjoy blocking other people's view of traffic---especially when you pull up beside them at lights.

 

Still, it's probably the best bang for the bucks. A lot of fleet vehicles available that haven't been abused too much.

 

 

[russell_bynum]

I'm going to step out on a limb and suggest a minivan. Prices are dirt cheap because their so unpopular. Plenty of room for child seat and passengers as well as luggage. Also camping equipement and trips to Home Depot. Front wheel drive is pretty good in bad weather and they handle well on the road. The only way they are fun to drive, however, is if you enjoy blocking other people's view of traffic---especially when you pull up beside them at lights.

 

Still, it's probably the best bang for the bucks. A lot of fleet vehicles available that haven't been abused too much.

 

 

I've never been in any minivan that I would describe as "Handles well".

 

Otherwise, I agree with the good points you listed.

[soboy]

I've heard these are good on gas.

 

 

That was my first car, except mine was in British Racing Green!

[stubble!]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I hadn't considered the Volkswagens, so I'll definitely look at them. The BMW E30 series that was suggested holds a lot of interest for me. Looks like theres a big community and aftermarket, and they're great looking cars.

 

The minivan suggestion is a good one for all practical purposes, but there's not much fun factor there, and I think my wife would hitchhike before owning one (thus proving the point of why they're such great bang-for-buck! ) Our main vehicle (Honda Element, glorified minivan, we love it) has the family wagon role, and pulls the trailer, so I've got a bit of latitude on the 'extra' car.

 

Thanks again!

[motoguy128]

IMO - the best bag-for-your buck will be to get a pick-up truck. If you keep the miles low, the 10-15mpg it gets won't be a big deal, but you'll have maximum utiliy. Resale values are at a all time low right now.

 

Resale on minivans has slumped. That's would be my second recommendation. marginally better mileage than a full size pick-up, but a lot more utility and cargo space. However, reliability in the 5000 miles range is hit & miss. You're probably looking at a 5-7 year old Dodge Caravan with over 100k miles. The transmission is the weak spot on those.

 

ALL small 4 cylinder cars are in high demand.

[E30TECH]

The BMW E30 series that was suggested holds a lot of interest for me

 

There are a few of us here that know the E30 series pretty well. I had 3 of them myself.

 

I was going to suggest the Miata, til I read your post completely.

 

 

[russell_bynum]

The BMW E30 series that was suggested holds a lot of interest for me

 

There are a few of us here that know the E30 series pretty well. I had 3 of them myself.

 

I was going to suggest the Miata, til I read your post completely.

 

 

I enjoy mine a bunch...but don't buy one unless you plan on doing the work yourself. For the most part, they're not hard to work on, and parts can be had (not from the dealership) pretty cheap.

 

I have the coupe, which would be pretty tight on space. The sedan would be a bit better.

 

If MPG is your main goal, get an "e". Otherwise, go for the "i" (more power).