Rumble

I'm looking to buy a Used car for about $6000.

My #1 choice right now is a 1996 Infiniti I30 that I see at the dealership. It has perfect maintenance records (I checked with Infiniti myself, it was serviced at the local dealer). It has 90,000 miles, a power sunroof, heated leather seats, 200 watt bose sound system, wood trim, power seats and power everything, alarm, ABS, V6, etc.

Other car I'm looking at is a 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer ES with 55k miles on it. It has next to nothing. It has power windows and locks, and doesn't even have ABS. It looks a lot nicer on the outside and is a lot more compact car. It would get better gas mileage. It's also a far newer car with less miles but I've heard Mitsubishis arent the most reliable to begin with.

Any input? Other car suggestions in my range? I'm definitely not interested in American cars - I'm a college student and do not want to deal with much maintenance. I only plan to keep the car for 2 years and most probably will use it to roll around town with friends, that's why I'm digging the spacious and luxurious I30 right now.

cefiro8701

iTrader: (7)

depends on what youre going for...the infiniti is for luxury and performance while the ES is very very tuneable....your choice...i'd go for the i30...i just beat the *** of a ford lightning the other day.

anton9881

i want to hear some more information on this lightning you beat. i just cant imagine in my mind how an infiniti would beat a ford lightning seeing as it has almost triple the hp and torque of your car.

mikeI302k

well thats possible if the guy in the kightning doesent know how to race. but i would go with the I30 simply becasue they are more reliable and they last longer than a mitsu. but thats just my opinion. also it depends on the power and comfort you are looking for. however either a compact or a midsize sedan thats a weird range try looking at a g20 if your looking comfort and fuel economy. $00.02

I30tMikeD

iTrader: (8)

The I30 would need some real strong mods to do that, unless the other driver did not know what in the hell they were doing. I can hang with a stock lightning assuming they are not on slicks or drag radials, but I have some decent mods.


Lancer ES.....very tuneable? Unless the E stands for EVO. The ES in stock form is a mid 16 sec car at best.

Rumble

I am looking to keep the car stock.

I am looking for a comfortable car that I can roll around town with my friends in for about 2 years and have no worries about maintenance. I don't plan to race in it but it would not be bad if the car handled well and had good acceleration.

I also do not want to worry about the car being broken or stolen into - I live in a bad neighborhood and if I get a Lancer I will certainly have to invest in an alarm. The no maintenance issue is also really big on my part because I am on a pretty tight budget right now being a college student.

I looked at 1999 G20s and loved them but they are out of my price range. Even 1998/99 I30s are out of my range as are 2003 Lancers.

Oh yeah another thing - considering I get either car, about 4-5 days after I get it I am planning to drive it right to the East Coast. What would you recommend doing before I made a drive like that after purchasing a used car? Would a Mitsu or Lexus dealer probably take care of draining the fluids and changing the oil and filter before putting the car on the lot, or is that completely my responsibility after purchasing?

mikeI302k

thye should take care of that themselves before you buy at the dealer but who knows some dealers are scumbags.

I30tMikeD

iTrader: (8)

Sorry, but maintenance is just part of owning a used car. Brakes, belts, oil changes, fuel filters, air filters, fluid changes and such will have to be done no matter what car it is.

Gates

iTrader: (2)

IMO you will be much happier with the I30. It's faster and roomier. 90,000 is just the beginning for a VQ. I would check the records to see if the car has been serviced on time. You might want to change the oil, spark plugs, and fuel filter right away unless you have evidence that they have been changed recently. I have a 98 and haven't done any maintenance besides regular oil changes and I haven't had one single problem (I've had the car for about 35,000 miles). Of course since the Lancer is newer chances are that it will be cheaper to maintain. Keep in mind that I know absolutely nothing about the reliablility of the Lancer, but you're comparing an 8 year old car to a 2 year old car. I really think the I30 is a good choice in your price range. You might want to look into a Maxima as well. You might be able to get a newer GXE for the same price, but without a lot of the bells & whistles that the I30 has.

Rumble

I'm pretty sure I'm getting the I30. 2000+ Maximas will not fit into my price range and I don't like the look of the old ones at all.

i30ds

iTrader: (8)

I was down at the Mopar event at the race track in Denver, and there were about four or five of those new Dodge SRT-10 Rams that have the Viper V-10 and a six speed that ran the 1/4 mile. About half were in the mid 15s and the others that were probably moded or just got a really good start were in the mid 14s, and those numbers are beatable for a 4th gen VQ30 with some mods! They were racing at 5000 ft. though.

flthere

iTrader: (2)

How can Idetermine if the spark plugs in my car are fine ? thx ..