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[Turbowaffles]

I'm looking for my first automobile. I am not a well off man, so I'm looking for something used and $5k or under. But looking for cars/trucks in that price range is not a fun venture. Everything you find either has insanely high mileage or needs a lot of work. All I want is a nice Ford Ranger or Focus or maybe a Honda Civic for under $5k that's in decent shape. Is that too much to ask for? :/

What was your experience like buying your first car?

 

[rtcn63]

Are you doing private or dealer? You can get good deals with private, just make sure to have the car inspected thoroughly before signing anything.

And older Japanese cars can do up to 300,000 miles and beyond with proper care. For 5K, looking at cars with 100-150,000 mileage isn't unreasonable.

 

[ColdPizza]

Don't necessarily be afraid of a Honda Civic with high miles. Look at manuals online to see what repairs they might need for the amount it has (such as timing belt).

 

[NoblesseOblige]

My first car was a 16 year old (at the time) Jeep Cherokee with 320,000 miles. Bought it for $500. Lasted me 3 years. Sold it for $750.

My dad's an auto mechanic with his own shop. I learned how to repair and maintain cars through him. So I'm cheating.

 

[Lagamorph]

My second car, and my favourite small car, is/was the Suzuki Swift. It never let me down and was surprisingly nippy for a 1.3 engine. If I ever got a small car again, I'd go back to the Swift in a heartbeat.

 

[QuantumSquid]

Can it also be soul-crushing?

 

[4444244]

Not well off, but you got 5 grand to spend on a car?

I got an old banger like everyone else for my first car and it cost me a monkey I think, mind you the insurance was almost a grand.

 

[Prez]

My second car, and my favourite small car, is/was the Suzuki Swift. It never let me down and was surprisingly nippy for a 1.3 engine. If I ever got a small car again, I'd go back to the Swift in a heartbeat.

I have a Suzuki Alto, very basic car but incredibly reliable and no electronics which I'm sure save me a lot of money in the future.

 

[Dai101]

The ten best cars for poor people

http://jalopnik.com/5838349/the-ten-best-cars-for-poor-people/

 

[dc3k]

Got a 1999 Jetta Wolfsburg. 130,000km, liked to pop out of gear when hitting the gas in reverse. Engine ran flawlessly. Handled like a pirate ship. Bought for $2000, sold 9 months later when I no longer needed a car for $2000

 

[hobozero]

Searching for your first car can be exhausting

I see what you did there

Only Ranger I ever owner was hilariously underpowered, but that was a while ago so things might have changed. Civics hold up well though. Be sure to budget for repairs when buying a used car though, chances are, no matter how good shape it seems, it will eventually need work.