As Bon Vivant As Possible?...

[SPOProds]

First: Lots of reading here, not many posts. I could ask the opinion of many others but for obvious reasons I chose WT. If this needs to be moved please do.

So, I need a new car. My budget is 5k, I know not very Bon Vivant. I live in Maine and want something AWD/4WD. I also want something luxurious. I have been looking at 01' Audi A6's with turbo and AWD. The ones I've seen in this price range generally have 80k miles on them. My question is: what car/truck/suv would the WT Bon Vivant purchase is he was limited to 5k and had to make it run smooth and for as many miles as possible?

Thanks gentlemen

[Pokeguyjai]

In my experience, Audis and VWs do not last well past 100k miles. It is also common for the repair costs to be so expensive that many people just choose buying a new car.

IMO if your budget is $5k, go utility over luxury.

[Jeremy]

Dude, 80k miles is nothing, you should reasonably expect 300k out of a vehicle now. If you can afford the Audi initial purchase and tags (here in Michigan it's based off of original MSRP regardless of age) and insurance and repairs (won't break if cared for but when it needs repair it will be costly). Personally, I'm a Ford guy and like their product a lot.

[Gabriel Suarez]

For $5K, I would suggest a pre-owned Jeep Cherokee. Some of that type of SUV vehicle. If it is clean it will last you quite well.

On the Audi, I am not sure where the 100K rumor came from but the reason I bought the Q7 was because I liked it better after testing the BMW counterpart. I am personally aware of several Audis whose owners have passed the 200K mark.

[Al Lipscomb]

I know that some of the VW transmissions have a reputation of being very well engineered and just about bullet proof up to the 100,000 mile point, which is the warranty.

Once they get past that point any breakage is fatal as there are few third party resources to repair one in the US.

That came from someone I respect in the transmission world when looking at fixing a Jetta.

I second the Jeep for a used car option.

[randyho]

For $5K, I would suggest a pre-owned Jeep Cherokee. Some of that type of SUV vehicle. If it is clean it will last you quite well.
Agreed. And then hang on to it. It'll make for a nice second car when it's time for something more upscale. I'd open up my search to Grand Cherokees and Wranglers, too. 200k mile + examples are not rare.

[Goodspeed(TPF)]

We sold my Wifes 99 New Beetle automatic with just shy of 300,000 miles on it and still going strong. We had an older (92) Dodge Neon and Caravan with roughly 350,000 on them before trade in. My wife is currently driving a Saab 900se Turbo just shy of 300k and my 2000 Durango 4.7 has 250k on it. We put a lot of miles on our "drivers" before we get rid of them. Trust me, we get our monies worth. For 5k with AWD right now I would be looking at a first year Subaru Forrester 2.5 XT. The force-fed flat-four's combination of torque, gearing, and weight will get you a blazing 0-to-60 time of 5.3 seconds and a quarter-mile of 13.8 seconds at 97 mph, just 0.3 second slower than an $89,665 Porsche Cayenne Turbo. http://www.caranddriver.com/features/2004-5best-trucks-2004-subaru-forester-25xt-page-3

[Mark Hatfield]

I've been thinking about the Mazda CX-5. Anybody have thoughts about those?

[NateR]

I've been thinking about the Mazda CX-5. Anybody have thoughts about those?

I drove one and liked it, but it's a bit short on power with the base engine. Such is the price you pay for 30mpg in a crossover.

N

[Mickey Rourke]

For $5K, I would suggest a pre-owned Jeep Cherokee. Make sure you get the 4.0L inline 6 cylinder engine.

It's a tank.

[Francisp]

First: Lots of reading here, not many posts. I could ask the opinion of many others but for obvious reasons I chose WT. If this needs to be moved please do.

So, I need a new car. My budget is 5k, I know not very Bon Vivant. I live in Maine and want something AWD/4WD. I also want something luxurious. I have been looking at 01' Audi A6's with turbo and AWD. The ones I've seen in this price range generally have 80k miles on them. My question is: what car/truck/suv would the WT Bon Vivant purchase is he was limited to 5k and had to make it run smooth and for as many miles as possible?

Thanks gentlemen

Orono, University of Maine by any chance? One of my college buddies is a professor there.

[Steve Paulson]

+1 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I've not owned one, but it's long been on my list of cars I'd like to have someday. Being that you're on a budget bear in mind that it would probably be cheaper to fix than an Audi...if you have to fix it at all.

[Netpackrat]

For $5K, I would suggest a pre-owned Jeep Cherokee.

This. Buy the cleanest, lowest miles unit you can find with the 4.0 six. It's quite literally one of the most versatile, practical vehicles ever made. LOTS of aftermarket options for making it yours.

[SPOProds]

Orono, University of Maine by any chance? One of my college buddies is a professor there.

Live 2 blocks away!

[sdg3]

Make sure you get the 4.0L inline 6 cylinder engine.

Agreed. There is no practical benefit to the V8 and it is more expensive to maintain.

Many will gasp, I'm sure, but I would also consider a 2001 or older 4WD or AWD Explorer. Personally, I would look for the overhead valve 4.0L or the 5.0L(V8). The newer overhead cam 4.0 runs great and makes lots of power but fuel economy suffers because of it.

The older 4.0L's have few problems and I have personally driven several of them well past 250K and sold them in perfect running condition. I also find them more comfortable to drive due to their low end torque. They are no speed demons but get the job done well.

The 5.0L in the Explorers is the most refined 5.0L (302) ford ever produced. It makes good power and is capable of decent fuel economy, too. This one can be a speed demon if you wish.... The rest of the drivetrain holds up very well, too.

Really clean an well-maintained 95-2001 Explorers can be had VERY cheap if you look around. 94 and older even cheaper but I don't know if you're interested in something that old (I actually prefer).

FYI: 95-2001 has A-arms in the front. 91-94 has Twin I-beams or Twin Traction Beams (4wd)-These can be made to work incredibly well off-road... don't know if you're interested in that but I can give you much info on it if you are.

As had been said, buy the cleanest one you can. Also don't forget that you'll have to spend some money on catching the thing up on maintenance. Most used cars are not up to date on all their services & if it's something you're planing to keep, get that stuff done as soon as you can.

Good luck with the search. Post if you have any questions.

-Steve

[Francisp]

Live 2 blocks away!

I was in woodmans the night it opened.

[Tyler]

You can't beat a cherokee. I have a 2000 sport with 220,000 miles. I would drive it anywhere. Should beable to find one for well under 5k.

[BESEPUL]

For $5K, I would suggest a pre-owned Jeep Cherokee. Some of that type of SUV vehicle. If it is clean it will last you quite well.

On the Audi, I am not sure where the 100K rumor came from but the reason I bought the Q7 was because I liked it better after testing the BMW counterpart. I am personally aware of several Audis whose owners have passed the 200K mark.


Ermmm... Like Gabe says. I'm on my second A4. The first one had 164,000 miles on it. The only significant repairs were a fuel pump and some minor interior electrical work. I beat the crap out of that car. My current 2009 A4 has 87,000 miles on it (as I am obviously beating the crap out of this one also), and.aside from scheduled maintenance and replacement of required parts, I haven't had any issues. And I can assure you, as a prior BMW owner, that parts are way cheaper than other luxury brands.

Keep calm and return fire...

[Glock45]

Look at grand Cherokees first. Early ZJs may be in your price range. If you look at an XJ Cherokee make sure you check the rear leaf spring shackles. I'm from Maine and I know how much salt they use on the roads. The unibody rusts around the shackle mounts and they break up through and sit on the underside of the body....not good.

[SPOProds]

Look at grand Cherokees first. Early ZJs may be in your price range. If you look at an XJ Cherokee make sure you check the rear leaf spring shackles. I'm from Maine and I know how much salt they use on the roads. The unibody rusts around the shackle mounts and they break up through and sit on the underside of the body....not good.

Salt....yes. Too much along with that brine spray crap.

[Mjolnir]

On the Audi, I am not sure where the 100K rumor came from but the reason I bought the Q7 was because I liked it better after testing the BMW counterpart. I am personally aware of several Audis whose owners have passed the 200K mark.

I think the reason some people have issues with some of the higher end European cars is because they don't properly maintain them and then expect them to last forever. I have a friend who only works on Audis/ BMW and his experience is if they keep up on their scheduled maintance they last a long time. He claims that his shop only repairs a major part (engine rebuild/tranny rebuild) a few times a year and almost always on neglected vehicles.



Boards don't punch back.

[of dust and nations]

My vote would be a late 90's infiniti Qx4. Essentially a more bon vivant rebadged nissan pathfinder. You can find examples right around the 5k mark.

The cherokee is an excellent choice as well.

I would stay away from any 4.0 explorers with an automatic transmission as they are the weak link and are expensove to repair.

[Lucky Jackson]

I'm still driving a 1996 Jeep 4.0 inline 6 cylinder that I bought used in 98' with 35,000 miles on it. It was a trade in from a rental company from Colorado.

Doing the normal maintenance and servicing the rear end and transfer case fluids this Jeep will continue to virtually run forever IMO.


Make sure you get the 4.0L inline 6 cylinder engine.

It's a tank.

[Mickey Rourke]

I'm still driving a 1996 Jeep 4.0 inline 6 cylinder that I bought used in 98' Mine is a '95 I got in 2004.

[Dakar]

So I'm just curious, how did the OP do on his 5k vehicle challenge? I think at that price point you better know your way around a wrench set.

[Steve Paulson]

Something around the corner from me caught my eye. A '99 Mercedes E320 wagon priced at just under $5k. Don't know details--miles, etc...but according to Edmunds a car of that vintage with 150k miles should be south of $5k. Interesting. Not a bad looking car......