$3000-3500 what car?
 

I have a chance of being given a field job which requires me to have my own vehicle but mileage is paid for.

In England getting a decent car for £1500-2000 wouldn't be a problem but over here I'm seeing engine rebuilds, new clutches! no service history, lots of rust etc.

What cars would you recommend? It's got to be reliable and be able to pick up the mileage. Due to the nature of the driving AC and some power would be nice.

I was looking at Nissan altimas and civics but twice I've been told I need to pay for safety(???) which is 4-500:blink: and emissions for another 100:blink::blink:

Help!

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

92-96, mk1[jzs147] Toyota aristo 3ltr twin turbo jap import roughly 280-320bhp,
prices may be dropping a little as the mk2 [jzs161] has recently arrived in Canada with the 15yr rule,

great car,power, very tuneable

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

where is here?

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

Totally impossible to give any answers until you break down and confess where you're going. Each province is different re: inspection requirements. I've had such good luck with my 2000 Windstar minivan I don't hesitate to recommend it to anyone. Download the free Autotrader app on your smartphone and search Ford vans 2000 - 2005 under $5000 within 300 km of where you're moving to.

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

Sorry I'm in Markham, my work will be based around GTA Toronto

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

I'm done with tuning cars lol. I need something reliable with a little bit of power

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

Subaru Impreza? Check Autotrader.ca at your price range.

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

go lease a brand spanking Civic for like $200/month then you won't need to worry about all the safety/emissions/engine rebuild bullshit.

It will probably be cheaper on insurance than an old, easy to steal, unsafe banger and you've got a nice looking reliable car to turn up to customers with.

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

I was thinking he exact same thing but I have been given a 3 month probation period, I don't want to commit to a lease incase they don't keep me on and I have like 0 credit as I've only been here 9 weeks

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

Don't forget you will pay tax on top of the price, even a private sale.

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

That is the law, all employees are on a probationary period for three months. Employers can do less, but few if any do.

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

What? Why? :ohmy:

Yeah normally I'd take it with a pinch of salt but I was told they fired the previous engineer after a month so not worth the risk imo:unsure:

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

Don't expect much for $3.5k, probably a 10 year old car with 180,000kms+ for that price.

http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/sear...k=&maxAsk=3500

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

I'd be calling about stuff like this with your budget:

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehi...AdIdZ531452866

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehi...AdIdZ531414536

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehi...AdIdZ531398418

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

PT Cruiser, Chev Malibu, both great cars and you should be able to get a good one in your price range even with tax.

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

That Mazda is perfect. Time to make a few calls tomorrow

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

In Canada, you pay tax (GST/HST) on the purchase of used cars, boats, atv's, skidoos etc everytime it changes hands. So be sure to add the relevant % on top of your purchase price. Which probably means a $3k car rather than a $3.5k one on your budget. Around here, you pay the tax when you go to register the transfer at the Dept of Motor Vehicles. I'm sure it's broadly similar in ON.

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

nope

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

on a different thread someone suggested leasebusters.com ... looks like a good way of getting a good car without the longterm committment of a full lease

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

In 2012, I bought a 2001 F-150 for 3 grand, single cab, short box,
perfect little truck.

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

What do you mean by NOPE? You most certainly do if it's a legal transaction. What is your evidence to the contrary?

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

The pro's & cons of what you are trying to do.

Since you have a limited spending budget, the fact that you are going to be a field rep and winter is closing in, the issue with a 13+ year old vehicle is that they likely have high KM, leak oil, the tires are worn etc.

Should you be lucky enough to find a used low KM vehicle stick with a Japanese or Korean brand. By the time you pay the sales tax and any other certification needed, you will probably find you need to do minor maintenance on the vehicle, so $3k-$3.5k for an every day reliable work house is going to be difficult to find IMO.

Given the probationary period of the job, I would as someone posted up thread take a look at leasebusters for a short term about to end lease (3-6 months) take over from lease busters for around $250-$300/mth

On the leasebusters site filter by location (markham postal code), shortest lease period and effective price (this is the price that you'll end up paying)

http://www.leasebusters.com/en/lease...ry-results.asp

Good luck with your search & your job

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

Only if it is being sold by a company, individuals do not have to charge GST; I think. PST/HST is Province dependent.

No PST in Alberta (where Haggis lives).

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

I owned a PT Cruiser and while a neat car had some issues, big one every bushing the car had. Used ones may have had this done already though. Listen for rattles.

I'm rec'ing Crown Victoria (not ex cop cars though) or Grand Marquis. As usual :) Bulletproof, comfortable, inexpensive.

Pete

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

Because you do in Ontario, you pay when you register the vehicle


https://www.carproof.com/car-advice/...-used-car-sale

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

This is a good idea. For that money brand doesn't matter, what you want is a car that's been looked after. The Grand Marquis, or any sort of Oldsmobile, Buick or Caddy is likely to have belonged to someone very old and not been thrashed. Besides, driving an ancient giant vehicle is going to be way more fun than some griege rice burner.

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

I don't think a lease take over is going to be viable for someone with no credit rating.

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

Older civic (2000ish), reliable, cheap to own and run, lots of parts out there if it does need fixing and not too soul destroying to drive.

There are reasons its been top seller for the last umpteen years. Find one with winter tires and they are fine in the winter too, up to the point where the roads are so bad that you are probably better off staying where you are anyway.

Its rust that kills cars here, not highway mileage. If I was on a tight budget I would pick a high mileage later model year vehicle over an older low milage vehicle for the same money every time.

Its tempting after paying UK petrol prices to not really care about driving a 5l V8 here, but over time the fact you are paying twice as much a week for gas as you have to starts to wear, so I would steer clear of things like the crown vic , it will kill you for gas costs. Taking over a lease with no credit history is likely a non starter too.

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

We've had 5, no probs with any, the last one we bought, at an auction, we were all told the clutch had gone in it. Bought it dead cheap, only 60k on it and drove it home no probs. Of course this was only weeks after buying a manual one to replace the auto one we had also bought just a few weeks prior (I prefer manual), so I will be driving the higher milage hail damaged :unsure: one throughout the winter than get a smells like brand new one in the spring.

Surely listening for rattles is prudent when buying any used car???

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

Mazda 3s and proteges have a terrible reputation for rust perforation.

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

Piff, I got'cha, I suspect they've all been replaced by now. When I mentioned rattles I was specifically thinking of control arm bushings. They were the deuce to change.

dbd I prefer the rear wheel drive monsters, but the big GMs are ok :)

Pete

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

Many thanks all for the tips. I've spotted a Nissan Altima which is within my budget. Hopefully I get the job today

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

Good luck with the job and the car.

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

We'll I got the job. I'm being told the winter here is insane and it's not worth dealing in a 2nd hand car..so off to Honda I go to get a leased crv:fingerscrossed:

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

I think you said "here" is Markham and the GTA is in general your travel zone?

The winter, while far from pleasant, is not insane. I drive a perfectly ordinary manual front wheel drive hatchback on all season tyres all year round. I've never had a problem in or around the GTA. Moreover I can't really see the relevance of whether your car is second hand or not.

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

in the dead of winter in Markham & having to travel around the GTA with the wind chill it can feel like minus 30C

After a good snowfall & drifting snow when the snow plow has blocked you in & it takes 20 minutes to clear the snow from your car, de-ice the windshield get stuck in traffic - you'll know you are in Canada.

Then by mid summer when you are doing your rep job in/out of your car the humidity is +38C you'll feel like a wet rag. Then getting stuck in traffic on hwy 404 or 401 in rush hour due to accidents, every driver is peed off, your gas gauge is dropping fast - you'll know you are in Canada.

Your work day including travel will likely be at least 10 hours & you'll be thankful that you are driving a newer vehicle

Congrats on the job

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

Because, Canada.

Welcome. Enjoy your uber expensive motoring experience.

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

Girl in work has one of those protege efforts. Thing is literally turning to dust and it's not more than 8 yrs old by the sound of it.

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

True. But cars don't get windchill.

Also true, but irrelevant.

True again. Equally irrelevant.

Re: $3000-3500 what car?
 

Not sure whether Ford dealers in ON are offering the same incentives they are here, but we leased a Ford Escape AWD for slightly less than $350 taxes in recently. A CRV would have worked out about $100 more per month. Might be worth checking out.