Minivan opinions and going to be applying for my first car loan!

[dustin92]

So here goes the story- I am currently driving a 2003 Chevy Impala with almost 192,000 miles- And it's getting tired: VERY tired. Needs more work than I'm willing to put in it, the main issue being the transmission is likely on it's way out. I would like to step up to a minivan (had one before and loved it) so I can haul appliances and have plenty of room for family and friends. I am looking to spend $4000-$5000 or so (may be slightly flexible on both ends of the price range) and am looking for nothing older than a 2004. My must have list- Removable or foldable rear seats, air conditioning (pretty much standard anymore!) Cruise control, power windows, CLOTH interior (I am allergic to leather) and preferably a cd player. Pretty simple. I am looking to stay away from anything made by Ford, everyone I know that drives a Ford has it in for work more than they are actually driving it, and Fords have major rust issues here. I have been leaning towards either 2004-2007 Dodge Caravan/ Chrysler Town & Country, 2004-2005 Mazda MPV, or 2004-2007 Toyota Sienna. I haven't seen a whole lot of good reviews on the Honda Odyssey or Nissan Quest, and I really dislike the looks of the Nissan Quest's interior. I have driven an 02 Town & Country before and liked the way it drove and rode, and of course the interior space, and a neighbor owns an 04 Mazda MPV which I have rode in several times and really like- Very comfortable ride, quiet, great looks. She said it has been a wonderful vehicle and has no plans of selling it. The Caravan/Town & Country seem to have mixed reviews, but there are millions of them out there- The MPV's seem to be fairly scarce around here, as well as the Toyota sienna's I have found excellent reviews on the Mazda MPV's, and haven't got as far as reviews on the Toyota Sienna. I just want to make sure I'm making the right decision, as I will likely keep this vehicle around for some time- I have done little to no research on buying a vehicle previously, and with really no need to because I've been driving 12-20 year old vehicles with high mileage already on them, and have had the Impala the longest of any- 2 years and really enjoyed it. I had bought it when my previous car died as something to get me from point A to point B until I could get something better, and the time has come.
I will also be applying for my first ever car loan, which is really quite scary- I've always bought my vehicles with cash and paid the interest in the long run...LOL. My Dad will be Co signing with me, as I have NO credit- not bad credit, just none. I will have a steady income all summer, which should make it easy to make payments and hopefully pay off the loan by winter. After things fall into place for the loan, I will likely sell my car and use that as a decent down payment, and I'm planning on doing whatever I can to avoid extra charges. This whole thing is so exciting, but scary at the same time- I will be getting a new car, but the loan scares me. Any opinions on vehicles or opinions on how best to handle the loan? I'm completely new at all this, so anything is appreciated!

 

[whirlcool]

I'd get pre approved for what you want to spend on a car before you go car shopping.
You may want to join a credit union before you look for a loan. CU's usually offer good interest rates for used cars.

Be careful of dealer financing. They can really screw you in the end.

 

[washer111]

By saying no older than 2004 - you've probably gotten yourself out of any of the Kia offerings fitted with that tragic Rover V6 (the KV6) engine, which was renown for its 50% or worse failure rate, at low mileage, from loose cylinder liners (This is what happens when the the Koreans copy a British design being built by machinery that has gotten far too outdated)... 

 

Personally, I would suggest Toyota, as we've got three of them at home:

- '92 LandCruiser diesel with 283K on it (engine rebuilt probably about 10K ago)

- '03 Corolla with 37K and

- '04 Prado with about the same as the Corolla

ALL of these cars are good for their intended use, ALL are super reliable, quite efficient and comfortable, depending on the definition and circumstance. 

 

We have friends with a reasonably new Honda Odyssey - within the last 5-10 years. While they absolutely love the car, they mention the servicing is particularly outlandish, from the dealer, if you chose that option. I think they had a transmission fail, which cost quite a few grand to replace. 

Perhaps no worse than some European offerings - but with those, your servicing is setup in such a way that when the "Inspection" (not "Oil Service") reminder appears, you know its probably going to be a tad expensive. 

 

I honestly don't know much about Mazda's offerings. What I do know is several of their vehicles in the present and historical lineup are "badge engineered," and are actually rebadged products from say Ford or GM. E.g., in Australia we have the Mazda B2600 pickup/ute - this is also sold as a Ford Courier. Perhaps Mazda makes one engine, and Ford makes the other, or one makes both. I dunno. 

Do your research, and figure out whether the Mazda is rebadged. Because, even if the rest of Mazda's products are rock-solid, something badge-engineered will carry all the ill-reputed features from the other manufacturer, meaning you get end up with some Eastern-European lemon that doesn't work 75% of the time. 

 

[nmassman44]

Anything by Toyota you should be safe with. I have a 2010 Camry that I love and it replaced a 1997 Camry that was paid off but the work that I had to put into it wasnt worth what the car was worth which was a whopping $500. The car needed a head gasket, fuel tank filler line and brake lines, not to mention the rust in spots. So its nice to have a car built in this century. That said, stay the hell away from anything built by Chrysler. We had a 2001 PT Cruiser that was in the shop every other month and it was expensive. Like $1600 every freakin time expensive. We paid for the car three times over. The final straw was the transmission was going and he wanted to put more money into it. I told him the money pit needs to go so we bought a 2010 Kia Soul and he loves it. You can transport a washer in the back and it may look small on the outside, but inside its not. They do hold their value too, but out of your price range used.
Good luck with finding something that isnt beat to death and have the car looked at by a reputable mechanic before you decide on something. Remember its your money.

 

[retro-man]

I don't know if you looked into it, but if you join triple AAA, they offer very attractive finance rates for a car loan. If you have no credit, they may be able to offer you a car loan without the co-signer. You have to be the member enrolled. Worth a try to check into it and start you on the road to credit scores. As far as the vehicle there are quite a few of Chrysler vans on the road. I know personally 1 that has over 200,000 miles on it and this is her 2nd one and she is getting ready for a 3rd. Plenty of kids and stuff transported all the time and no major issues.

Jon

 

[arbilab]

+1 avoid Chrysler. I drove a T&C for a hotel in 2009. Besides having the most abominable transmission I ever experienced, it went back to the lease company almost monthly for *something* to be fixed.

When the T&C was broken they substituted a Toyota Sienna which operated normally in every way. I would have asked why we couldn't just keep the Sienna but I wasn't 'in charge' of the lease I just drove whatever they gave me for $8 + tips.

 

[polkanut]

To contradict what Rick (arbilab) posted above, we're on our 3rd Chrysler T&C since 2000, and other than routine maintenance, they've been trouble free.  The newer models with the stow & go seats are a godsend.  It's wonderful to be able to just fold them down into the floor, and not have to wrestle with taking them out when you want to haul a larger item.

 

[user 3941]

Chrysler!

Yes I agree that the Chrysler vans are still the best out there. Granted fit and finish is marginal in some of the older ones but the engines are nearly bullet proof. My best friend's parents have had them since they came out. They never had any problems aside from routine maintenance. They are pretty cheap but still stay with Chrysler even when higher priced because they love them so much.

I've had a Chrysler 200 with the Pentastar V6 for 3 years now. 72K miles and not one problem. I just now had to get new brakes and tires. They lasted quite a long time.

 

[mattl]

Credit Union....

I second the earlier post, find a good local CU and start an account with them. They are more than willing to help young people out who are just getting started, and their rates are very reasonable. Another plus is that in most cases the money stays in you community, at this point I and most of my family will have nothing to do with big banks.

As to a vehicle, you will hear many stories " Don't buy X, buy Y". " no buy Y not X" every manufacturer has good and bad options. Do your reasearch, narrow it down to 2 or 3 models, and don't make a decision based on emotions - though I've done that and it worked out well. This is not a forever vehicle, it should serve you for a number of years, but you have time to get your "dream" vehicle. Good luck!

 

[iheartmaytag]

I would not write off the Chrysler vans

My mother currently has a 2005 which is her third Chrysler van. #1 went for 267,000 miles with original engine and transmission with only routine maintenance and a oil cooler hose having to be replaced.
#2 had a problemsome four cylinder engine that couldn't keep a head gasket on it, complicated by the double overhead cams. Traded it at 112,000.
#3 is still running, no problems beyond the large hail dents from the summer of 2009.

Now I have heard the models starting 2010, which are heavier, but still using the same drive train have had tranny problems.

You can't go wrong with a Toyota. Several people here at work are very happy with theirs. Since it is a Toyota, little problems, lots of service.

Honda--I have not heard much, but I myself would buy one at the right price.

Kia--I wouldn't have one in my garage if I had room for a freight train. Had one as a rental. It was like driving a rubber band. The engine was slow to wind up and then would suddenly launch, mileage was terrible, ride was so-so. Very plasticy, and fragile.

 

[revvinkevin]

#1 Credit Union & #2 Toyota

 

 

Just my 24.6 cents here.  I agree completely with.....

 

#1 open an account at a credit union, #2 take advantage of their financing options and #3 get your loan pre-approved BEFORE you go car shopping.   

 

Vehicle?  I'd suggest going with a Toyota Sienna, they have a solid reliability record.

Hopefully it's been properly maintained and ideally not wrecked.   Then again you want to avoid any vehicle that's been wrecked and repaired, if you can.

 

Regardless what vehicle you are considering, do your homework and look up repair histories at Consumer Reports, Cars.com, edmonds.com and carcomplaints.com

 

ALSO.... when talking to a credit union about an auto loan, find out if it's at all possible to get the loan W/O your father co-signing.   This will build YOUR credit history / credit score.  If he co-signs, my understanding is it does NOT help build a credit history for you because the loan is riding on HIS credit, being that he co-signed.

 

Good luck!

Kevin

 

[ea56]

I completely agree with Kevin's advice. I would add that if when you find a mini van that you are really interested in, with the VIN and $20 you can do a CarFax report online to find out the vehicles history, whether it has been in an accident, ect. It can be money well spent. Also, it is always a good idea to have a mechanic look the car over. I have a few neighboors that drive older Honda Odyssey vans that have given them little to no trouble. But if at all possible, get the loan in your name only. In the end you'll be happier and so will your Dad. And as Kevin pointed out you'll will be establishing your own credit with the payments you will be making.

 

[ronhic]

Brands of car and reliability

...can change from one model to the next.

 

The first of the Kia mini-vans were inflicted with a batch of poor 2.7 litre V6 engines. Kia eventually replaced these under warranty in this country. The later cars with this engine and all subsequent engines have been as reliable as any other Asian manufacturer. As a bonus, the Carnival (that's what it is here) may well be cheaper than an equivalent Toyota so you may be able to buy newer and with less mileage or of a similar age with more equipment.

 

We've close friends with one who initially bought a used Chrysler Voyager.....big big mistake. 18 months later, and with triplets, they were searching for a replacement after basically telling me I was nuts suggesting Kia. Well, they bought a Grand Carnival and 6 years later couldn't be happier.

 

I'm interested that the Odyssey has had issues. My cousin had one for a few years and loved it, but with 2 child seats and a 3rd pending on the back seat it wasn't practical enough....2 child seats with a 3rd child in a seat belt would have been fine. They had no issues at all. Additionally, my boss has one. Now he also has 12 children and 6 grand children. You want to hear a car being held up to high praise, then he's one to shout it. 

 

He simply adores that Honda. 'Best car we've ever owned'.

 

Ultimately, I agree with getting pre-approved and I'll suggest getting approved for a little more than you think you need - you don't have to spend it, but if you find something a tad outside your initial range that takes your fancy you'll at least be able to obtain it.

 

Also, don't be put off a particular brand or model if there has been a change since issues occurred. Be very specific at looking at the relevant forums to see if one is better than another. The Kia example is a good one. If people tell you 'engines blow up', find out which ones. The early 2.7 litre V6 were known to have coolant (I think) issues. Later 2.7 litre V6's were fine and the current 2.3, 3.0and 3.2 engines very reliable....yet the 'model' is affected by the previous reputation which leads to low prices for no good reason...except it's good buying for people looking used.

 

A car that's up to 10 years old may well have a full service history too....it should, at the very least, have service receipts. Look at them closely. Compare what has been done and when to the service handbook. Has it been serviced regularly and on time. Oil changes in particular are important given the intervals are often as high as 15,000 miles....and a person who changes the oil more frequently than the service schedule is a considerate owner.

 

Drive everything that you THINK you'll like. Look at the condition of the seats. Is the wear a reflection of the mileage? Are the carpets in good condition? Are there food stains? Are the dash and instruments dusty. All can indicate either a well looked after car or a careless owner.

 

Most importantly, don't stress. You have a car so enjoy the journey of finding and buying one you like.

 

[yogitunes]

as for credit building history, I have been on both sides, someone co-signed for me, and I co-signed for some as well......it will show on your own credit report, it will only show on the co-signer as an outstanding loan, and limit to the amount of credit they may get during that period until its paid off.......all in all, it will be considered a joint loan on a credit report....

you want pre-approval, not a pre-loan registration, you want to know how much will be available for you, otherwise, the bank, CU, or even dealer will run a credit report, too many inquiries into a CR can hurt you.....the CR should only be done once a deal is actually set in place....if they insist on running a report first, LEAVE!

for buying any vehicle, or most anything for that matter, if you want honest opinions, seek out the mechanics, and ask them all the questions of vehicles you may be interested in, of how many of those vehicles get returned for service, and what types of repairs are most needed, good and bad of powertrains, and which options seem to be the most trouble prone.....its not an opinion of what they like, its a matter of what they see the most of, and ones that they get the most repair updates for.......

stay away from any vehicle that was a proto type for that model, or introduction of new equipment or change outs of engines and power trains.....proto types are always the first to see major issues, most bugs are worked out after 2 to 4 years...

put a 500.00 refundable deposit down, and ask for that vehicle for a few days, to say, have a mechanic look at it first, whether you do or not......first clue if something is wrong with that vehicle is if they refuse.....if a dealer is confident, they will never have an issue with it......I have had a car for almost a month before buying it...the dealer had no problem with this....

also, be up front with the dealer, and not just to the salesman, but to the manager as well, the price you set and agree on WILL include everything.....not agree on a price, and then tack on tax, tags, dealer prep, DOC fees, secretary fees, that lousy cup of coffee they offer fee....this is all BS.....

save yourself time, as your shaking the guys hand, spell out the price we agree on has EVERYTHING included, including warranty....or I will find someone else.....and you will have roughly three dealers fighting for your business....you will be surprised, your phone wont stop ringing...

I have done this for my brothers truck, my partners SUV and both of my Jeeps.....just keep putting that pen down and get ready to walk out....they will all jump for your attention!....

you may find a vehicle you like a bit out of your price range(6000 to 7000), yet set in your mind of not paying any more than your set budget(4000 to 5000)...stay reasonable, yet firm...and stand your ground....just also be prepared, you may have to walk away...but that doesn't mean you can't hit a few dealers, not spending no more than an hour at each, your a busy person, and got places to be, give them your number...when their ready to deal, they'll call you....now were onto a bidding war....been there

 

[cadman]

Dustin, have you considered private party shopping? Lots of single owner older-folks owned mini-vans are lurking out there at half what a dealer would charge. Look into the credit union angle for financing.

And while I'm not saying buy a lemon, never forget there's more to car shopping than reliability ; ) Just ask the Maytag haters... LOL!

 

[rapunzel]

What's the interest they charge you on a car loan? The smartest thing to do is buy your car with cash and avoid interest payments and bank fees (unless you require a car to run your business). Go with what you can afford and start out modest.

Never borrow money for consumables. Only ever borrow money to buy something that appreciates in value, like a house, apartment or business. Everything else can be bought more cheaply with cash and, if you can't afford it at the time, make it a savings goal and find a more affordable alternative in the meantime.

 

[cadman]

Olav, I had a rather rude awakening recently after attending a 'lunch and learn' type course this week. I've always been one to buy used and pay cash, but the recommendation was that in today's market you are better off taking that cash and putting it towards your mortgage (if you have one) or invest it and take out a loan on the car (at 2-4%). The idea being both the home and even a non-performing stock will outpace the depreciation on a used car. Of course this assumes you have the $5k on hand to start. I'm old-school so I'm still not sure what to think of that...-C

 

[dustin92]

I already belong to a credit union, and I will definitely be checking there first. I haven't done a whole lot of research yet, just browsing and weighing my options. Although with the most recent trip I took today, I may have to hurry up... my car is really acting up- I think I have a wheel bearing going out and the transmission is shifting really erratically, along with some unpleasant noises. I'm 3 hours from home and hope I make it back. Does anyone have any opinions on the Chevy Uplander or variations thereof? (Buick, Pontiac, Saturn, all the same basic vehicle) Not a huge fan of the looks, but if they are reliable, I could look a little closer. I'm not really looking at Kia, they look and feel cheap to me, although friends had one with 220k on the clock before the transmission gave out. I don't think the Mazda MPV is rebranded, if it was that would be immediately off my list- My last car was a Mazda 626, which I found out a little too late was basically a Ford Escort or Focus (can't remember which) and I had nothing but trouble with it. From what I've found online, the Honda Odyssey has a lot of transmission problems, and while it's ont even on my list because I can't stand the layout of the interior, the Nissan Quest has engine problems.

 

[user 3941]

The GM vans are ok. I liked their styling for the most part. I never drove one but road in a few and they seemed fine. GM makes really really good transmissions and the engines they used in those vans are very solid as well.

 

[lakewebsterkid]

Buy the Sienna!

In short, get the Toyota. The seats are comfortable, and the ride is plush. On top of that, reliability.
My cousins have an Odyssey with out AC, the rear doors act up (power), the VCM system makes a noisy rumble when functioning in their 07. The second gen can have trans issues, so be careful. Although the first gen Siennas had the 3.0 V6 that supposedly sludges up. All in all, make sure anything you buy checks out well. My father worked for Chrysler and would never own a Chrysler product, ironically. Another cousin of mine had a Saturn Relay and it was an absolute nightmare. It basically fell apart after 5 years, and consumer reports supports this buy listing them as an "avoid buying used" vehicle. All of these could be coincidental, but you really can't go wrong with a Toyota. Hence, why I drive one! Good luck.

 

[fan-of-fans]

My mother has a 99 Pontiac minivan. It has been reliable, granted she only has 70000 miles on it. But even the latest GM vans in 2007/08 were very similar. The crash ratings weren't the best compared to others, I don't think. They never had curtain airbags, but side airbags were available, my mother's has em.

I used to ride around in a 2005 Sienna a lot and loved it, granted it was a Limited trim, but it was a nice van. I don't know much about them, but in your price range they and the Honda in the year range you are looking for are going to be basically nil.

Personally, I'd get the Chrysler or Dodge. We had a 98 that had a lot of issues, but I think most were taken care of by the 2001-07 generation. I would particularly look for a 2005 or newer model - as those have Stow N Go if you are looking at a long wheelbase model. You could probably find one around the top of your price range. I would get an SXT if it's the Dodge version, as those also have the bucket seats in the center row that fold flat. SE models got a bench in that row that had to be rolled out if you wanted clear floor. But both SE and SXT have stowing 3rd row and the bins are there in the second row too. SXT will get you power sliding doors and liftgate typically, which you may think aren't very necessary, but they are very useful to have, IMO.
Some of the later ones in that gen were even available with navigation and bluetooth!

I can't say much about the Mazda MPV and 6, they are quite uncommon around here too, but I find them interesting mini minivans.

As far as building credit, I've found it's best to start small. A secured credit card often does the trick - your credit union likely offers one, maybe not even secured. You don't have to pay interest - ever. Just charge a small amount to the card each month, and pay it off in full every month. Soon you will have a credit file established, and after a while of on time payments, you will have a good score and will begin to build a file. Then I would open another credit card and do the same thing with both.

 

[washer111]

Toyota Sludge

The problem back then with Toyota was they were pushing something like a 7,500 miles interval on conventional oil - which might be alright if you followed the schedule, but throw in short trips, and people who don't care about their cars and you have a problem. 

 

If the car is serviced regularly, and with a synthetic oil, there should be no issue. But check under the oil cap, just in case. You can often get a good look at the valvetrain by doing so. 

 

And unless a car was placed in severe service, (as stipulated in the owner's manual), there is no reason to service more than what the manufacturer recommends, unless you are 100% positive it is better for the car. Recent research suggests changing your oil very frequently (i.e. 3000 miles/5000 km) produces more wear on the engine than changing at longer intervals. Besides its incredibly wasteful and/or anal-retentive with today's technology. 

My vehicle has run 7,500 mile intervals from the factory in 1993, with conventional oil, initially, than the later synthetic offerings. Although... The sumps in many Euro cars hold astronomical quantities of oil compared to Asian/American offerings (we're talking about 7.0 quarts for a simple I6), so that gives it an unfair advantage. Still, no sludge! And still going strong at 122K miles!

 

[super32]

I have to vote for the Chrysler/Dodge. Im a 6'4" male. Import cars dont seem to cater to tall or large men very well. At least i have never been in one that does. The Chrysler was the only one i could fit in reasonably. The stow and go is great! Open up, fold down, boom its done. No lifting, or finding a place to hide or store the seats. And if your out, and happen to come across a machine that you just HAVE to have, you wont have to run home and dump the seats. We all have had those "have to have it" moments....lol Chryslers reliability has been spotty thru the years. The earlier generations could not keep transmissions. That seems to be better in newer generations. Im currently driving a 2013 TC with about 25k. So far so good. 

 

Before this TC i had a 08' Sienna. I will never own another Toyota product!

 

Many in this thread have mentioned the credit union which is a great idea. I would not totally dismiss dealer financing. If the dealer is reputable and also sells new products, they often will have good used car financing. After all, it is their business to sell cars. I have found the interest rates to be very competitive. 

 

[mattl]

The wheel bearing is a non issue. I drove with a bad one for almost a year, annoying but it's not going to fall apart.

I to would look at single owner vehicles, especially from olde folks - they are more likely to have done the mainline as recommended.

 

[norgeway]

CHRYSLER!!!

Or Dodge is to me the ONLY van, the stow and go sears will let you haul anything you want, and they ride and drive great.

 

[norgeway]

SPELL CHECK!

Sears-= SEATS!!!LOL

 

[combo52]

I would diffently only get a Chrysler product

Between my brother and I we have bought 15 Chrysler minivans since 1984through 2015. We still have 8 of these vans. None of these vans have been lemons and all that we have gotten did of had 150,000-300,000 miles on them.

While a Toyota van is a good. Van they are much more expensive new and a poor value used because they hold their value much longer. For 4,000-5,000 a Toyota would probably have 200,000 miles on it, while you could still get a good Chrysler for this price.

 

[washer111]

A vehicle holding value longer is a sign of high demand - and there is a good reason for that. 

Japanese imports have outsold many domestic car makers (both in Australia and the U.S., from what I understand) for quite some time now; vehicles that are very cheap on the used market are either lesser-known vehicles that never sold well in the first place (for whatever reason), or vehicles that had bad reputations - where so many people are selling their cars they over-supply the market and push down the prices. 

 

The good thing about buying a car that is likely to hold value is you get more of your money back in the end - not that you'd sell a very reliable car until it became utteryly impossible to repair economically. You should expect plenty more miles out of a well-cared for car than 200K, our older LandCruiser is an example of that, and would still fetch at least AU$7000 in its condition - the 1HZ engine was and still is practically bulletproof, so you could reasonably expect double the mileage it has now with the rebuilt engine. 

 

[ronhic]

Firstly

The Mazda 626 was, and has always been, a Mazda design.

 

Yes, Ford had part ownership of Mazda for many years....and FORD used to effectively badge engineer the 626 in a couple of markets, most noticeably here in Oz where it was marketed for a number of years from 1983/4 until about 1996 as the Ford Telstar. It was never as well made as the 626 until Ford began importing them direct from the Mazda factory in Japan.

 

I find it quite gob-smacking that Americans have found Mazdas of any sort to be unreliable. I've yet to hear a negative report about them here....and the same goes for Hondas. Nissan, on the other hand, have started to go to pot here....especially Thai built ones.

 

[hydralique]

Hondas and Acuras are usually very reliable, pretty much on par with Toyotas. However, they had a nasty bout with bad automatic transmissions about ten to fifteen years ago in the V6 products, especially the Odyssey minivan and well optioned Accords. I’d research that one very carefully before buying any of those products.

Nissan is usually pretty decent. A buddy of mine recently got a new Mazda 3 to replace his 2003 Nissan Altima 3.5. The Nissan didn’t have a huge number of miles on it, a little under 150,000, but it had lived its’ entire life battling West LA traffic: his commute is about 10 miles on the 10 into Santa Monica but that usually takes 45 minutes in peak traffic. What finally killed the Altima was a bad coil on number five cylinder, this is up against the firewall and requires removal of the intake manifold to replace. After spending $800 to do that it ran fine but two weeks later popped another check engine light that turned out to be a bad catalytic converter, which made sense given that a failed coil would cause incomplete combustion that could damage the cat. Unfortunately nobody but Nissan makes catalysts for the Altima 3.5 that are CARB (California Air Resources Bureau) approved so it could have required three new OEM cats at $600-$700 each plus installation. Given that it was due for a smog check anyway the owner found it simpler to just buy the new car. Aside from the coil and catalyst problem and some oil usage the Nissan still ran well, the transmission shifted fine, climate control worked, etc.  It was also quite powerful if not economical.

The above illustrates one problem with the common transverse installation of V6 or V8 engines: accessing the rear bank of cylinders can be a real PITA. Transverse engines work very well with an inline four, five or six but just don’t make much sense with a V, those should be longitudinal. If I were looking for an inexpensive used car I’d much prefer to avoid the V6 in favor of an inline four because if something does break it will be far simpler and cheaper to fix.

Chryslers are an attractive used buy because their resale value is often well below that of other major makes. Another friend of mine got a great deal on a low mileage Dodge Caliber about four years ago that has turned out to be a very solid and reliable car. Hopefully Fiat has done something to fix Chrysler’s spare parts problems. Back in the nineties or early 2000s they were just awful with supplying anything in a timely manner for a car more than 4 or 5 years old. My mother had a ‘92 that went nine months with the brake alert light on under warranty because Mopar was back ordered on the part needed, and a few years after that they were able to supply a new water pump in two days but it took ten days to get the O-rings needed to install it!

I’d not count Ford out. There is an ‘04 Ranger (badged Mazda B-2300) truck in my family that has been the most reliable vehicle I’ve ever known from new. It was built in New Jersey and based on it I’d be happy to rely on anything built there.