Posted by TheVicariousVadder Fast. AWD (you live in Canada),

Yup... all that snow.


(It's snowed here once so far this winter)

I'd also vouch for a Subaru or an Accord, but personally I'd avoid the turbo Subaru if you're not planning on rally racing it, they do have some reliability issues, especially if the car has been babied it's whole life.

What about a Jetta or Golf? The diesel gets amazing mileage and is pretty much bullet proof.

All the Accords in our family have been dead nuts reliable and comfortable. Throw in a 5 speed, and they're even fun to drive. My grandfathers '90 Accord is getting passed down to my sister with 275k on it. Car doesn't even squeak yet! You can easily get a mid-90's accord in the 3k range.

They're not exactly fast, although some argue that anything with a v-tec will automatically smoke a Ferrari.

Posted by DelbertGrady They're not exactly fast, although some argue that anything with a v-tec will automatically smoke a Ferrari.

or an SR71... (groan)

Posted by Samurai or an SR71... (groan)

Hey, pot to kettle: You're black!

Posted by DelbertGrady They're not exactly fast, although some argue that anything with a v-tec will automatically smoke a Ferrari.

Only if it has a racing stripe and a NeuSpeed sticker

Here is what I find an interresting option, from a car dealer :
2001 ford focus 43 200km 3,800$

What do you think ?

Posted by vince Here is what I find an interresting option, from a car dealer : 2001 ford focus 43 200km 3,800$ What do you think ?

no.
early Focus' sucked.
especially with that mileage (i'm assuming 200k is around 120,000 miles)
the Focus never really got it's bugs worked out until the 03 or 04 model year and even then, the european Focus was a MUCH better car.

especially with that mileage (i'm assuming 200k is around 120,000 miles)


The milleage is 43,200 km

Apparently it was own by some old men

Posted by vince especially with that mileage (i'm assuming 200k is around 120,000 miles) The milleage is 43,200 km Apparently it was own by some old men

still, i am leery of that vintage Focus.
drive and see if you like it. It's the least you can do.

Asking for an opinion on a board like this is bound to get you 90 different answers and 90 different cars thrown at you. I myself am guilty of it. I am GM centric, but do know a bit about most cars having been a mechanic and into cars for most of my life. I say that listening to the collective here (which is pretty good, despite the bickering) will arm you with some info, but in the end, it's YOU driving the car, it's YOU paying the money, it's YOU that are stuck with it, good or bad.

i may say that vintage Focus is crap. Twelve other guys will get on here and say that vintage Focus was sweetness and light... at some point, you've got to climb behind the wheel and see if it's you.

look for a honda or toyota, its boring but it works, even a 2.0 golf is allright but they can be a bit expensive

Posted by jeepdave I'm gonna recomend a Jeep Cherokee

http://www.youtube...atch?v=LFybwg4wadI

i concur

No Focus!

Posted by vince Ok, I finnaly pass my DL and I want a car.Fast.But I don't want to make a mistake and buy some piece of shit.I have 5000$ or less.My ideas are the following.I want a spacious car ,comfort matters more than speed to me.Something I can sleep into during my exploration road-trips.Any sugggestion, << do not buy this >> etc ? Thanks - Mazda 3 - Chevrolet Lumina, Impala - Pontiac grand prix

I don't think you can sleep in any of those, and would def stay away from the mazda 3.

I'd recommend Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, reliable, big enough to sleep in, cheap parts, and all around tough car.

Posted by gambino I don't think you can sleep in any of those, and would def stay away from the mazda 3. I'd recommend Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, reliable, big enough to sleep in, cheap parts, and all around tough car.

not a bad choice, i hate to say. with a police interceptor, make sure you get one with service documentation. Also, not sure if the design continued on the newer 4.6L's, but the heater line from the water pump to the core is a douche when it fails. It was a metal line that ran THROUGH the intake valley and was prone to rot and failure.

I'm thinking if you're talking about sleeping in something on a semi regular basis to maybe consider an older small SUV?!
Explorer or Blazer.... or maybe a decent size hatch back so you can fold down the seats and stretch out?

Posted by oddspot I'm thinking if you're talking about sleeping in something on a semi regular basis to maybe consider an older small SUV?! Explorer or Blazer.... or maybe a decent size hatch back so you can fold down the seats and stretch out?

if you're going the SUV route, go with an older FourRunner or Pathfinder. The S10 Blazer and Ford Explorer are kind of crap with some miles on them, or if they haven't been taken care of. That and they SUCK to work on should you have to.

as your attorney, i recommend you stay with a car.
(lol)

Posted by Samurai if you're going the SUV route, go with an older FourRunner or Pathfinder. The S10 Blazer and Ford Explorer are kind of crap with some miles on them, or if they haven't been taken care of. That and they SUCK to work on should you have to. as your attorney, i recommend you stay with a car. (lol)

Cherokee? I can has reliable? (nothing against pathfinders or 4runners as I have had both, but would take a Cherokee any day, more power, less techno gadgets to go bad)

My sister had a Focus, it overheated and suffered from uneven tire wear due to alignment issues.

No Focus!