Overhaulin' - What kind of car would you never buy and why?

What kind of car would you never buy and why?

Hi, I am wondering what cars people really have turned out NOT to like. I am looking for a new car (well, used actually), but I really don't know what to look for -- and for some strange reason have no real idea of what I want, other than the part where it has to have really good leg room, cuz I have long legs. Also, unfortunately, at this point, I need to keep it at or under $15,000 -- so if that helps. Anyway, I want to avoid ones that people have had a lot of trouble with, so I just want your opinions on what you would NOT buy. Well, I guess you could tell me what you would buy too -- but most importantly, tell me WHY. I need to know why, so I can factor it into my figuring. Yeah, even at my age, I have no real experience buying cars, as I have had the same one for like 8 years and I never even picked that one out in the first place...before that, I had a 1983 Nissan Sentra that a friend sold me for 200 bucks - I loved that car... Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Public Comments

Get another Nissan. Many foreign cars run forever (well to like 300,000+ miles). I would personally never again buy an American car, sorry they are just not made as well as foreign. I would stay away from Buick in particular. Grand Am's are garbage too. I am actually looking for another car too, only my budget is less than 1K. I will most definitely buy foreign though.
Go for a car that has fuel efficiency (top of the list), the enough space for your needs, easy to drive, and not too bulky in size. There are 2nd hand cars that might still be in good condition that you can use. Because when you're stuck in the middle of traffic - its doesn't matter if you're driving a BMW, Benz or Audi - you're all stuck in traffic anyway and you're using up the same amount of gasoline... so go for something that doesn't "drink" up your gasoline too much.
Here a link with recommendations. http://autos.yahoo.com/consumerreports/article/best_used_cars_under_15000.html Buying used is smart. Buying new you always end up upside down in the car. Only car I ever had under $15,000 was a neon. Wouldn't recommend it. I think squirrels on a wheel would put out more power. Good luck!
Never buy a Pontiac Montana ~ (Thats a minivan, not a car, just incase you're wondering.) We had one and it litterally ran us to the poor house with never ending, costly repairs. These things are known for cam shaft failure as a result of bad valve cover gaskets. (They're plastic and they break easily, causing dex cool antifreeze to mix with your oil. Dex cool is highly corrosive.) Stay away from any GM car, truck or van with a 3.6 liter engine ~ Especially if it has dex cool coolent. (pink antifreeze.) Here's a good website to check out.. http://www.carsurvey.org/ It's basically a forum that lists every kind of car on the market and it's open to all vehicle owners to report their satisfactory with and their personal experiences with their vehicles.. You'll see that every car out there has it's goods and it's bads, but doing your homework may very well save you a whole lot of headaches, frustration, and money before making a final purchase. I wish I would have found this site before we bought that dreaded van.. (For the record we ended up letting the bank repo it because it was costing us more to keep it going than it was worth. If it wasn't one thing, it was another.) Good luck, I hope this helps, and happy hunting.
Mazda's are nice, but when something goes wrong, you're paying extremely high prices for parts. Mitsubishi's are good, except for the fact that they have way too many electrical problems, among other things...
I'd never EVER buy a Hummer... but of course with a $15K limit, that's not really an option anyway. For me, though, any truck or SUV is out. Too much prick-waving and environmental unfriendliness. I'd also never buy a Saturn because anyone I've known who's had one has had problem after problem with it. You'd have to put a gun to my head, too, to get me to drive a Neon, Chevy Cavalier or Pontiac Sunfire-type car. In fact, most American cars would send me running in the opposite direction - unreliable and just as expensive to fix as many other cars, if not more. I'm sad to admit that different Honda and Toyota models are reliable and reasonably priced. Personally, I drive a diesel Volkswagen and couldn't be happier... especially since I get over 600 miles to my 14 gallon tank (and a potentially easier conversion to waste-veggie-oil as fuel). I drove American until about 9 years ago, when I bought my first Volkswagen (a '94 Jetta). I drove that thing to 204,000 miles, then sold it to my mechanic who fixed a small electrical problem, drove it himself for awhile, then sold it to someone else. That car is still on the road. Now, my '05 Golf has 60,000 miles on it and nary a problem with that one either (knock on wood). VW's are just getting broken in around 100,000 miles, or so I'm told - and I suppose that's been my experience, too. The only money I've put into my two VWs has been routine maintenance and the typical stuff that wears out from the ridiculous amount of driving I do and our harsh Wisconsin winters - tires, brakes, exhaust, and suspension. If you do go with a VW, one word of advice: Don't get an automatic. Most people I've known who have problems with their VW have an automatic. So, it's worth it to learn to drive manual if you haven't already. The best part, with a $15K limit, you can find yourself a very nice one. One thing: leg room may be a problem... but, then again, my partner and his brother, who are both over 6', have been enthusiastic, devoted VW drivers for about 14 years. Good luck.
I would avoid getting a Pontiac Grand Am, Volkswagon Passat, Volkswagon Jetta, Oldsmobile Alero, Ford Taurus, Mercury Sable, Dodge Strattus, Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Intrepid and Chevrolet Cavalier.
Ford...or anything made by Ford (Mercury, Lincoln, etc). Why? They are absolute crap; Fords are low-quality junk heaps!! When you buy a Ford what you are really buying is a giant, steaming heap of $hit with four wheels attached. Every Ford I've ever owned had tons of problems and defects, broke down all the time, and/or fell apart (literally...knobs come off in your hand, upholstery unravelling, sunvisor falls out of the ceiling, etc). Every Ford my family and friends have owned was like this too. It's amazing they are still in business... So, far I've owned: - 2 Fords (Well, 1 Ford and 1 Mercury...but they are pretty much the same): Crap! The freakin' Mercury is literally in the shop like every 4 months; It's like clockwork! I can't wait to sell that heap... - 1 Dodge: Eh...not bad. Not great, but not bad. - 1 Nissan: Pretty good, but not spectacular. Still better than the Dodge, Mercury, and Ford. - 2 Toyotas: Amazingly good vehicles! Best cars I've ever owned! Get a Toyota. They are like the Energizer rabbit; they run forever. You just can't kill them! P.S. Oh, and I'd never get one of those giant, obnoxious "I have a small penis so I'm compensating with this" Hummer vehicles! How idiotic are those things?? Ugly, pretentious, over-priced, trendy, gas-guzzling land yachts...*Barf*!
Your question put a smile on my face as I remember back in the 80's and 90's selling used Nissan Sentra's - yes they were good value for the bucks and still are today. I like your detailed question, but yours is asking what suits someones lifestyle "not yours " if they had a lemon Sentra they will tell you to stay away - and if they had a Sentra they loved your answer will be buy one... buying a car is a process with study and test drives only you can decide whats suits your needs. Having answered thousand of questions through my website http://www.usedcartips.org/index.html I love your line - ""unfortunately, at this point, I need to keep it at or under $15,000"",,, your a diamond and can buy but you want. Summary...study my website...go shopping for what suit your needs for those long legs and all the pets , if and when you find the car, contact me through my website if your not sure about something.
ive driven my fathers corolla before and thats a real nice car. he never has any problems with it, he drives around 24,000 miles a year, and its still like new. he bought a 2005 corolla le 2 years ago, and i think he only paid around 16000, so you would probably be able to get a 2007 corolla ce for under $15000, especiallly with the 2008's coming out.