Look at the hyundais. Our 2004 sonata has 174k on it w/ no real problems beyond routine maintenance.

Thanks, but no way do we want a car that old. And I think those are over-priced for what you are getting and the risks you take with an old car. We had two 2001s we know just what was wrong with them and how to hide it. Cars that age and mileage are worn out imo. Asking for trouble. Glad you got lucky with the cellar car, but I want a little less on the clock and in time.

Yah, I'm just messin with ya at this point

- however -

Every car I've bought and expected to drive to death, I just got totally tired of what was wrong with them. Another year with these stupid stuttering brakes and I will rip my hair out.

On the Cellar Car I knew there would be things wrong, but I would fix them, get them fixed, or just live with it. It was a surprise that I then felt ok about them. The things wrong are almost fun quirks, not the pain-in-the-ass problems that might be the death of the car in 6 months.

Last winter J shoveled the snow off the Cellar Car with a shovel, and she put a bunch of nice lines on it where she took off a layer of paint, as you will do if you shovel snow off your car with a shovel. And I was like, ha ha, wow, if I was making payments on this I would be hugely pissed. Instead, it's just a laugh. It's car character. It's an improvement. What a revelation.

Wow, you sure got more than just transportation out of the Cellar Car, didn't you?

Still do.... most days it is still the second best thing in my life.

I can't make a good suggestion, being as I haven't driven a small car since the Chevrolet Dent Magnet -er- Cavalier, but I will pass on a word of warning not to buy the Aveo. Everyone I know who had one (note the use of the past tense) has hated them and gotten rid of it as soon as possible.

Dad had 2 Kia Picantos, did not serve him very well.
They were new cars, (bought as finance deals traded in as opposed to buying new off the forecourt). The electrics seemed to go every 3-4 months, back to the garage.

The Vauxhall they have now is too large for your needs, but so far it's been heads above the Kias. They bought it when the money from Auntie Alice came through, but it was well worth it.

I loved my Nissan Micra, the gearbox went but I had no other trouble.
And my two Peugeot 205s were still going even after I'd driven them into the ground. This is years ago now though, they're literally different cars.

One thing I noticed then and still do now is how many OLD Peugeots you still see on the road.
They seem to age well.

If you decide to look at the Versa, I can be of some small assistance. I've never driven one, but as I recall it does do pretty well when compared to the fit and the yaris. Mortie git a fit, razz got a yaris. Maybe they will chime in.

My brother had a beater truck for messing around with (his main car is a work SUV), it was an old JEEP truck. Rusty, ugly...so ugly I loved it! Pieces falling off! If we got anywhere near it my brother would run over and act like he was buffing out where we had touched it. He'd say "sheesh, you can't have anything nice!" :lol:

Nuthen like a good beater

I'd love to have an old Jeep CJ7 for a beater.

If I had a beater, I'd want it to be a pickup truck. Not too much of a beater. It would need to start when I wanted to use it. But it could look like absolute hell, and I'd be fine with that.

Hey Monster, what about something like a Toyota or Nissan pickup truck? Small, good gas mileage, reliable, and usefull as all hell!?

Ps...my first car was a Honda CVC. Just about square and could park it on the sidewalk, practically. Loved it! (But they don't make them anymore).

You literally cannot get one for less than $4k though. No matter how rusty and tired. Much better off going with a grand cherokee. You can get a daily driveable one for $3500, and a beater for $1500.

Oh, if I get one I'll be in a position to get one. It would have to be free, or cheaper, to seriously consider one now.