Flightoficarus

Well, I ended up getting an increased budget to work with, and ultimately ended up w/an option not even listed. Went ahead and picked up a Mazda3 hatch last week. Seems to be a pretty fun daily driver! Thanks to all who helped out before though.

EDIT: Can't seem to find a delete button, so nevermind this post prior. The search continues, but the questions are over for now.

Ok, so I've been doing a bit more research on my own, and I'm still pretty torn, lol. This seems to be the general opinion that I've been getting from most people I've asked, regarding the European makes I've considered. I won't lie though, I'm starting to place a bit more importance on having a standard transmission than before. I fear I might miss it too much if I choose to go without! Volvo = Bulletproof reliable, but standards are rare (at least here in the US). VW/Audi = More of a drivers car, but be prepared to roll the dice on electrical issues and such. I just wanna know what I might be getting myself into if I went w/the latter, before committing (or should I consult a VW forum?). Are they mostly small issues that would be easy DIY fixes? (window motors and such), or things that can turn into a headache in a hurry? (wire shorts/battery drains, and trickier jobs of that nature).

Good to hear, although I'm in the US, so parts may be a bit more here, but there's always rockauto if worse comes to worse.

Hmm. This seems to continue the theme of mixed thoughts I'm getting from others on European car makes, lol. (Though my dad has had great experience with driving nothing but older Volvos for the past decade or so). The main thing I'm still curious on though - Are makes like Volvo and Audi really the expensive nightmare to take care of that some people complain they are? As in, are basic maintenance parts really that expensive? or is it just people basically getting ripped off from "stealership" service? What if you're working on them yourself? (I typically go this route).

Hey all, So to make a long story short, it looks like I'll be in the market for a new (used) set of wheels pretty soon. Estimated budget I'll be working with is somewhere in the $4-$5K USD range. This will be a new daily driver, and this is a general criteria of what I'm after. - Wagon, small or mid-sized. Something w/enough space for transporting tools/music gear around. - AWD preferred, but not mandatory - Manual preferred, but not mandatory if the auto is dependable too. - Reasonably economical. Here's some of the stuff I've been eyeballing as possible candidates, ranging from mid 90's to early 00's for the model years. - Subaru Outback - Volvo 850/V40/Other models of the era - Audi A4 Avant - VW Passat/Jetta wagon - Ford Focus Wagon What are the pros/cons of these options? Any particular things to watch out for with particular models? I generally prefer to work on my cars myself, FWIW. Just not looking to end up w/something that's too much of a PITA to deal with, since I already have a project car for that!

I never did get back to this topic, but the problem has since been fixed. The o-ring gasket on the filter was damaged. Replaced it and seems to be fine now.

I suspect the the filter as well, but I'm curious to other possibilities, as I think the same area may have had a really slow oil seep for a little while (light coating, but no real oil loss or burning issues, no spots left on the pavement), but it still seems strange to me that a leak would get that bad that quickly. I did change it myself, but I've always changed it myself before without issues. I guess I'll just have to try changing it again tomorrow and hope for the best.

Oh boy, what FUN I've come across now! lol Car is a 1997 Celica 2.2 L. Mileage is 166,000-ish. Never really had issues before, but changed the oil about 1,000 miles ago. Decided to try some high-mileage oil out. Everything seemed fine at first, but then the other day, I noticed a fairly strong oil burning smell come out of nowhere, and even had some steam coming out of the hood. I opened the hood and the whole side of the motor where the oil filter is on seems to be covered in oil. Around the filter looks leaky too, even though it was installed properly. Oil level was very low. I added some oil, but it seems to be leaking out very quickly, as the level was already low again the next day. Is it possible I have a bad filter? Or have some seals and gaskets decided to go out on me? It seems pretty bad for oil to just start leaking catastrophically bad like that out of nowhere.

Well, hopefully I don't stir up any brand loyalty fights here! . but simply put, I'm for sure trying to sell my daily driver this time so I can buy a truck. I have a project car that I'm working on to eventually turn into my nice ride/good weather car, so I'm just looking for a cheap, reliable older truck to use as a main daily driver/use to move belongings around (larger/heavier things mainly, so a truck would be nice to have). It doesn't have to be new and perfect, just dependable. Looking to spend $2500-$4K USD or so. I'm just curious which of the 3 main domestic options would be my best bet? Mainly looking for the most daily driver friendly option (reliability, comfort, fuel mileage). I want a 5 speed if that matters. Something easier to work on is a big plus. The heaviest stuff I can see myself using the truck to move is furniture, or an engine (for the project, eventually), so I'm eyeballing a V6. Mainly considering the Ranger, but looking to hear other's experience/informed opinions. Thanks in advance!

/\ I'll be buying used. And a couple of small delays in selling my DD still have me doing some last minute pondering on this decision. But the time is coming soon, so I will ask for a final opinion from those here. Basically, my research on what truck to go with has lead me to this consensus. But I'm basically just asking, is this is all true? Ford Ranger - Very dependable, but the 2.5 L 4 banger is pretty gutless, and that the 5-speed manual is the better trans to go w/(what I would get anyway). Chevy S-10 - I've gotten more mixed opinions on this one, but more so less favorable opinions on them. Most people are telling me they pretty much suck unless you go w/the 4.3L. Dodge Dakota - An option to consider if you're after more of a mid-size-ish truck, and some have V8's. Toyota Tacoma - Good trucks, w/excellent power from the 4-banger versions, but even older ones can be a bit spendy, due to astronomical resale value. I'm pretty much 90% sold on a Ranger w/the 3.0 V6 and a 5-spd, RWD version, despite a few dissenting opinions to not go w/Ford (bad experience or unfounded prejudice?). What do you guys think? I'm leaning towards a domestic anyway, in the interest of more accessible/cheaper parts too (a bit of a problem w/the current daily). The 3.0 should be a good blend of usability, and economy, I'm guessing? Thanks!

So you're basically just looking for a simple point A to point B machine then? Are you interested more in things like features and power? or just something basic and fuel efficient? Maxima's supposedly have engine issues, according to multiple people on here (who are regulars) that have helped me out. Accord is good. Also consider Toyota Camry/Corolla, or a Ford Focus. Those would be my main picks for a simple, dependable daily driving machine for >$5K P.S: If you go Accord, try to avoid the automatic tranny if it's a 98-02 model.

Oddly enough, the price of gas seems to have gone down over here... It's always higher in the summer, but we'll just have to wait and see how this BP thing plays out to see what really happens IMO. Perhaps one of the biggest things to watch out for in the short term is the upcoming storm season in the Gulf.

Hey! I thought I'd reply to my old thread instead of starting a new topic (novel idea, eh? ) Anyways, it looks like I'm getting closer to the time to post my DD up on CL, so I'm definitely looking into a trade/purchase soon. I've narrowed down my main choices to the Ranger/B-series, or a Tacoma/older Toyota truck, but am somewhat open (Frontier, perhaps?). I just had a few quick questions I need answered before I go check stuff out... - Will a 4WD truck get similar gas mileage to a 2WD w/the 4WD mode disengaged? I know that ultimately, MPG will suffer on a 4WD anyways due to more weight, but I'm curious. - Do I really need 4WD? I'm only planning to drive this truck on paved roads, so I'm not really looking for an off-roading beast. I have had some concern if it would be handy in rain or snow, but I'm also told that a 2WD will do fine in less than stellar weather if you throw a few sandbags, or other things in the bed to add weight on the rear wheels (And driving the firebird I bought in rain has given me a basic idea of how RWD behaves). - And lastly, will a 4-banger suffice? I know a V6 would be nice if I decided to use the truck for something else later on, but for now, MPG is important since it's going to be a daily driver, for a while I might add. Also, I cannot see myself moving any loads more than 400-500 lbs. I'm not planning on towing anything, I just want to be able to easily transport small loads is all. Thanks for all and any input!

Stupid that people fail to realize there's barely any 305 aftermarket? Or stupid in that there should be more 305 aftermarket?