[MovingTarget]

My credit is screwed because of my ex and I have no money for a down payment.

There are a few dealerships offering early 2000 models of Chevy S-10's and cavaliers...etc....for around 5g.

I'm looking for something easy to work on and VERY affordable....any recommendations on what to look for? I even saw a mid 2000 Chevy Colorado that looked decent.... I sorta narrowed it to a small truck/SUV or a foreign car...like a Honda or Mitsubishi... I know they are harder to work on but they are very dependable from what I can tell.......

[Juballharshaw]

How much do you want to pay? What are you going to use it for? Is gas mileage a top priority?

[super_Chris]

I own a 1995 4 cylinder S10, and my old work truck was a 2005 4 banger Colorado.

If you're going to get the Colorado, beware of the 4 cylinder's lack of power(at least in the auto). The thing is a dream to work on though. It's got tons of room under the hood. Oil changes take about ten minutes. We put 25k miles on that truck, and other than a weird brake problem(which Chevy fixed) it's been a decent truck. If you need to haul anything make sure you get the 5 cylinder. The one I had would slow down and feel like a boat if you tried to put 500lbs or more into it. The thing also got mid-high teens for milage, not bad, but definitely not good for something with such a weak engine. The truck was decently fast though, I hit the governor more than a few times(99mph)

I currently own a Sonama(GMC version of s10) 2.2L 4 cylinder. If it's at stock height it supposedly sees mid to high 20 miles per gallon. Mine's lifted a couple inches(3-4) and gets low 20s(it's hard to gauge with the bigger tires). The thing is fairly easy to work on. The oil filter is in a sort of tight spot, as is the air filter. All the fillers are easy to find and read though. My old (1998) S10 had a much better engine layout. The oil filter wasn't too hard to get at, but I don't remember about the air filter. Mine is going 134k miles on the stock engine, stock transmission, stock clutch, pretty much everything is original. The only thing that has failed on it was the AC pump(last owner replaced it at 100k miles) and the alternator died about the same time. This truck is similar to the Colorado when you dump weight on it, it slows down a bit. The top speed on this is about 100(no governor, it just can't go faster). (when lifted, bigger tires, etc) It likes to go about 70-75 on the highway, any faster and you have to push it pretty hard.

I would suggest against the automatic transmission on both vehicles(especially if it's high miles. over 70k). A manual will be much easier to replace and they are usually a lot tougher(and have 2 more gears than the s10 auto).

If you're buying from a dealership get some lessons on haggling. Walk in, offer 3K refuse to let them go higher, walk out after they refuse. Just keep doing that for a while(to the same salesman) and eventually they'll cave at like 3500. I think 5k may be a bit over priced for an S10 too, I payed 2k for my 98.

If the vehicle you decide on has more than 150k miles I would suggest against it. You're going to want a vehicle with 100k or less. I bought mine at 120k, only because I knew the previous owner, and knew he drove like an old lady. Listen for noises, any noise, and question the staff about it. Before you purchase the vehicle ask to take it to a mechanic and have them look it over and give you an opinion on life left/repairs in near future/etc.

[MovingTarget]

Its more about how much I can get financed...I'm guessing I'll be able to get around 5g in financing...not much but its a stepping vehicle - something to get me around until I fix some more shyte in the next few months to a year...depending on the second job....

Just getting around mostly, work - the parents....etc.

I have a bike for me and my daughter so I was thinking a small truck to carry them in..with a cooler.... so we could go up into flagstaff....sedona...etc...

Gas mileage isn't top priority on this one.... It's still a factor so no diesels or huge trucks....just not tops...If I can find something decent then yes... if that made any sense?!?.....

EDIT - Super_Chris posted as I did....... Thats a lot of info. I won't be hauling much so that's not going to be an issue. The 5k was for the more current year vehicles...they had a 98 or 99 s-10 with 60k or 80k on it for 3,800 with some minor body damage.....very minor.... This thing isn't going to be VERY long term....for the next 6 months give or take....Then I can get something better....

EDIT II: They also had a 2001 S-10 Blazer 4wd auto with power everything for 4,885 or something close to it...

[super_Chris]

The fact is, a 2000 should be the same price as a 98, not double. I know it's a dealership, but still, you should be able to pay less than 3k for an S10 in decent condition.

If it's temporary, screw it. Buy a beater civic, throw a strap on bike rack on the roof and have fun for 6 months.

[Chainblade]

you'll get financed for more money than you think. i was also screwed by my ex and I have a 575 credit score with tons of previous debt (all payed off by my parents though so I can get my credit better...i pay them). For a while now, my g/f and I have bought about $2500 vehicles and just they break down and have problems (even imports). maybe we're unlucky but it's cost us so much money to fix these pieces of junk. so i went out and bought a "new" (2007...25,000 miles) car. Got financed for $15,000 (no down payment...stupid dealer bought my 1992 Honda Accord with 170,000 miles and a bad tranny for $2500 lol). really high interest (because of my credit) but so far we have more money now than we did before and we have a way way nicer car. the payments are high because of interest but the cost of fixing the crappy cars we had was costing us more. once we make payments for about 6 months, I'm going to refinance and hopefully cut the percentage rate in half.

[Juballharshaw]

Originally Posted by Chainblade

you'll get financed for more money than you think. i was also screwed by my ex and I have a 575 credit score with tons of previous debt (all payed off by my parents though so I can get my credit better...i pay them). For a while now, my g/f and I have bought about $2500 vehicles and just they break down and have problems (even imports). maybe we're unlucky but it's cost us so much money to fix these pieces of junk. so i went out and bought a "new" (2007...25,000 miles) car. Got financed for $15,000 (no down payment...stupid dealer bought my 1992 Honda Accord with 170,000 miles and a bad tranny for $2500 lol). really high interest (because of my credit) but so far we have more money now than we did before and we have a way way nicer car. the payments are high because of interest but the cost of fixing the crappy cars we had was costing us more. once we make payments for about 6 months, I'm going to refinance and hopefully cut the percentage rate in half.

This post pretty much speaks truth. Also, try to get your loan through a credit union as they offer lower rates initially and I know that mine does credit checks down the road and will adjust your interest rate without rewriting the loan.

If you're able to make the payments, I really recommend getting a toyota pickup if you want to be able to haul things. If you want gas mileage go with a civic, accord, camry, toyota or the like.

[super_Chris]

Originally Posted by Juballharshaw

This post pretty much speaks truth. Also, try to get your loan through a credit union as they offer lower rates initially and I know that mine does credit checks down the road and will adjust your interest rate without rewriting the loan.

If you're able to make the payments, I really recommend getting a toyota pickup if you want to be able to haul things. If you want gas mileage go with a civic, accord, camry, toyota or the like.

A toyota pickup is way better than a chevy or a ford. The problem is that they are expensive. Toyotas go for way more money because they are toyotas. I would have bought one instead of a Chevy, but it would have cost me 4-5k instead of 2. I do agree with you though, if you can find a 'Yota in your price range, snag it up(after verifying that it isn't fucked).

You should be able to get a civic for way cheaper than a pickup though. I've seen them $500, but those are usually the ones you have to constant work on. If you're proficient and have tools don't avoid buying a used car because of potential problems down the road.

EDIT: I'm obviously biased since I own an S10, so take this with a grain of salt. If it's a stick, and if a mechanic says that there's no engine/tranny problems I say get it. If it last more than 6 months, keep it and keep saving. You're in a similar position I was 6 months ago. I could have bought a 'new' car, but i decided that I could live with a beater. It's a good thing too, because I lost my job right after I bought the truck(thank god I didn't have payments).

[tweakmonkey]

I didn't read the replies, but if you want something cheap, gas mileage's probably a big concern as is reliability. The best overall bang for the buck for low price / good gas mileage / reliability is always a ~10-15 year old Japanese car. I'd go for a small Toyota, Honda, Nissan, or Mazda (in that order). Something like.. Tercel, Corolla, Echo, Camry, Civic, Accord, Integra, Prelude, Sentra, etc. Anything under 150k miles shouldn't be much to worry about, but newer/lower is always best.

Another option might be a Ford Focus or Hyundai, but I'd take the Jap cars 10/10 times if you can find one. If you buy a Ford or Hyundai, aim for lower mileage and maintenance records.

[Juballharshaw]

Ugh, Mazda over Hyundai? That's especially whack as Mazda has been partially owned by Ford for years now.

[super_Chris]

Originally Posted by Juballharshaw

Ugh, Mazda over Hyundai? That's especially whack as Mazda has been partially owned by Ford for years now.

Don't talk trash. The Mazda Ranger(B3000) is an amazing truck.

[tweakmonkey]

I said 10-15 years, so that's 1993-1998 models. I think Mazdas from that era are much better than Hyundais then. I could be wrong, but the basic message sticks.

[Juballharshaw]

Originally Posted by super_Chris

Don't talk trash. The Mazda Ranger(B3000) is an amazing truck.

Their trucks maybe, but their cars are flaming pieces of crap. As for Hyundai, I wouldn't buy one made before 2003 as that's when they started getting recognized for their build quality.

[MovingTarget]

I noticed that Mitsubishi was not talked about at all.... Are they not good?

[Jishory]

scooby has one, i dont think hes to trilled with it. my 03 5 speed civic has been a great little car, its about to hit 100k getting 35 mpg consistently

[MovingTarget]

As for the prices on the S-10.... I think it goes with the market that you are in... I have looked around all over the web and the AutoTrader around here and they are all running about the same. Lots of people buy them keeping the re-sell higher.... I found a few that dipped lower but not much....200 bucks...

And I know its the devil but I'm looking for an automatic. After driving the trucks all day I don't want to mess with shifting anything else... I figure since I have 10 gears in the truck all day that compensates for shifting 5 in a personal vehicle....