So I've been shopping around for a replacement for the GTP, and not sure what I want yet. So let's play a fun little game. Here's the list of requirements:
And all within a budget of around $5k-ish (see?? I TOLD you it would be fun!). I might go a bit higher for the right car, but I'd prefer to keep it in that range for now until the whole being laid off thing is resolved.
So far, the only cars I've found that meet everything above are the Mazda Protege5 and early Pontiac Vibes. Yeah, I was thrilled to. I'd prefer the P5 out of the 2 looks wise, but both have been getting excellent reviews from what I've read as far as reliability (so long as you stay away from the AWD Vibe). I definitely wouldn't mind something a little...."nicer", though.
Then I stumbled upon this, and actually really like it as far as a vehicle that will fit the bill. I like the exterior design (by wagon standards), I like the interior, looks like plenty of cargo room, from digging around a bit, it appears to get almost exactly the same MPG as the GTP, it's an '04 so it's newer than my car, it has under 100k miles, and being a Florida car is a huge plus. Only thing I'm concerned about is cost and difficulty of repairs (as with most European cars). If anyone has some knowledge about them, what do I need to know about these?
2004 Volvo V40 773-865-9071
A. At least an '01, or newer (would prefer my new car not be older than the car it's replacing)
B. Has some room inside (either a midsized+ with trunk space, or a wagon/hatch) because I will be doing a lot of junkyarding with it.
C. Gets as good MPG or better than the GTP (for the same reason as above).
D. Reliable (I understand this will be an older car, and things will break, but the less often they're known for doing so, the better).
E. Relatively cheap/easy to fix/find parts for.
F. At least SOMEWHAT decent looking. I know you can't get all the above into a jaw-dropping body style, but I at least want something I don't mind looking at everyday.
B. Has some room inside (either a midsized+ with trunk space, or a wagon/hatch) because I will be doing a lot of junkyarding with it.
C. Gets as good MPG or better than the GTP (for the same reason as above).
D. Reliable (I understand this will be an older car, and things will break, but the less often they're known for doing so, the better).
E. Relatively cheap/easy to fix/find parts for.
F. At least SOMEWHAT decent looking. I know you can't get all the above into a jaw-dropping body style, but I at least want something I don't mind looking at everyday.
And all within a budget of around $5k-ish (see?? I TOLD you it would be fun!). I might go a bit higher for the right car, but I'd prefer to keep it in that range for now until the whole being laid off thing is resolved.
So far, the only cars I've found that meet everything above are the Mazda Protege5 and early Pontiac Vibes. Yeah, I was thrilled to. I'd prefer the P5 out of the 2 looks wise, but both have been getting excellent reviews from what I've read as far as reliability (so long as you stay away from the AWD Vibe). I definitely wouldn't mind something a little...."nicer", though.
Then I stumbled upon this, and actually really like it as far as a vehicle that will fit the bill. I like the exterior design (by wagon standards), I like the interior, looks like plenty of cargo room, from digging around a bit, it appears to get almost exactly the same MPG as the GTP, it's an '04 so it's newer than my car, it has under 100k miles, and being a Florida car is a huge plus. Only thing I'm concerned about is cost and difficulty of repairs (as with most European cars). If anyone has some knowledge about them, what do I need to know about these?
2004 Volvo V40 773-865-9071