We have a 2004 Cavalier sedan in FL that, at $800, seemed like a great car when I drove it down last year. Now, the brake lines are busted, and the fuel lines are next. It runs well, A/C works, I JUST PUT NEW TIRES ON IT, but the last thing I want to do when we visit is put new brake lines on it. My wife knows this.
This evening, we are looking at a 2002 MINI Cooper that someone in UA is selling since they bought it new from MAG. It's only got 82k miles, and looks pretty cherry. Love DAT BLUE. Stick, non-S. Asking $4k obo, KBB looks like $3400 for excellent examples. I can't find the screenshot she emailed me but it looks exactly like this:
http://www.usedcarsgroup.com/2002-mini-cooper-potomac-md-1336065095951624448-2.jpg
PROS: Seems to be a really solid car from a good, one-owner home. I need a f**king solid-but-cheap car for FL and we all know on this board that those cars are rare birds. I do have a standing offer from the greasemonkey at Goodyear on Immokalee Blvd that they'll give me $900 for the Cavalier.
CONS: When I drove the non-S MINI a few years ago at CarMax, it was a huge POS with warped brake rotors and an A/C system that blows ice cold...on your hands. I'm also nervous about first-model-year cars, like they haven't worked the kinks out.
However, I do feel that pretty much whatever car my wife OK's I just need to buy, knowing the ask doesn't come often.
WWCRD?