What is the single best vehicle to buy if you're a tightwad?

I think tightwads buy used cars and therefore prefer ones with low resale values.
Maybe…

My Wife is a tightwad, but she buys new cars and drives them for 250k-300k miles when possible. She bought a Camry for this very reason a year and a half ago. It’s often cheaper in the long run to buy a quality vehicle and maintain it well
 
The problem with the old Mercedes is they usually need $1k+ in repairs to be reliable
Cheap money today. Actually… that was cheap ten years ago. Maybe twenty years ago, one could balk at putting $1k into a $1k beater, but even then, there were those who thought it wise.
 
Cheap money today. Actually… that was cheap ten years ago. Maybe twenty years ago, one could balk at putting $1k into a $1k beater, but even then, there were those who thought it wise.
Oh i forgot to say, 1k+ in parts. You do the work yourself.

If you take it to a shop make that $3k
 
I’d say the Chevy Spark or Nissan Versa. I’ve been driving my dad’s Spark and starting to grow on me. Auto trans seems to shift a bit wonky, don’t know how a CVT would change things.
 
My daily driver (1997 Chevy Blazer) is valued at $400 and has been a relatively cheap and reliable form of transportation. 🤡

I’m really wanting to get a newer truck next, but will probably find another 4WD Blazer or S10 from down south for my next vehicle.
 
“Just get a small trailer and pull it behind this little car when you need it!” Great, now I have another thing I have to pay to register yearly, it’s yet another thing I don’t have time to maintain, and I have to find a place to store when I’m not using it.
I had a HF 4x4 trailer during the "untrucked" part of my life when I was trying to simplify. It was so light I could grab its tongue and flip it upright for parking. Maine trailer plates were $11 a year and here's the secret, we'll give them to anyone, LOL.
 
Don’t they have parts availability woes now? I recall looking at them like 10 years ago, and you couldn’t get the downpipe for the front exhaust manifold, nor control arms. Looked at an S that had the control arms welded up due to rust holes, and the downpipe was whatever could be hammered into place.
They sure do. Off the top of my head, rear drum backing plates are unobtainable.

Front control arms are still out there, IDK about rear dog-legs.

I spliced universal flexpipes into the front exhaust, which sucked because they were 1-7/8 in, 2" out or something like that. Sprayed a lot of welding rod to fill the gap. :cool:
 
I’m joking a bit. Both my cars are properly maintained and reliable. My philosophy is if you have money to spend on cars that is your prerogative. If you are thrifty you spend as little as possible to ensure reliable transportation. If, however, you find yourself struggling with monthly car payments when you could be spending less that’s when you have to re-evaluate your priorities. To each his own.
 
Sounds like a cheaper alternative to some of the Chevy transmission repairs I've heard about, or the grenading H/K engines, or...
There's a reason why i got my little sister a $500 Mercedes.

Although she's already put another $350 in a throttle body and gas pedal (both were giving inconsistent readings) and air injection valve solenoids
 
Indeed!

Think of the all the money saved on oil changes, since the engine, transmission, and differential had a shared sump. One and done!
I'm sold. Can a poor boy borrow a cool mil, or 2, or whatever it takes?

And I learned something today. Thanks Astro.
 
I'm sold. Can a poor boy borrow a cool mil, or 2, or whatever it takes?

And I learned something today. Thanks Astro.
It looks like 1MM USD would buy you a project Miura or one that's been molested so not original.
It looks like a little more than half that would buy you a very nice Countach.
The time to have bought any Italian exotic was forty years ago, when many of what are now highly valued collectibles were regarded as no more than neat old cars that were expensive to own if you wanted to drive them.
 
Back
Top