If you haven’t seed on the Forum yet, Pinkunz was in a pretty bad car accident last month. He was in the hospital for about three weeks, recovering from two major surgeries on his leg (which he won’t be able to move for a while still). He is currently back home, doing rehab. You can find the whole step-by-step info on this thread:
With Pinkunz/Dan back home, him and Heather are starting to get things back on track, and they would like to ask for a bit more help with figuring out a more permanent transportation option, as Heather’s job requires it and their previous vehicle is unsalvageable. It has become a pressing matter.
The Used Car market sucks right now, with little options because of a tight market where they are (anything with less than 100k miles is over $6-7k). Neither of them is a mechanic or knows enough about cars to feel confident about what to get, and they don’t know anyone locally who they could trust. So they’re going in pretty blind.
Because of his current state, Pinkunz is not able to go with Heather to look for cars, and she has a limited ability to look for a vehicle (job - not a lot of people to ask to take her to see the cars). Some important info: Heather cannot drive stick (manual) and they can’t drive very large vehicle (petrol hogs, also scary to handle).
get a $1-2.000 car with serious issues and use the res of the budget to fix it (unknown cost)
or find something around $3.500, with nothing left for repairs.
Notes: the financing route is not possible, since their credit is not great nor could it work with their current expenses (only Heather has a job).
The rest of the money donated is going towards expenses (rent and such). Since the goal of the GoFundMe is met, Pinkunz is able to have access to the funds. So any further donation will be able to reach him too!
Since decision making is really scary, and they have very little room for errors, they would like to get some feedback from the community to see if stuff they find is a good deal or not, discard the obvious bad choices, and increase their change of success.
I highly recommend Hondas if there are any available! I learned to drive on a Civic that had over 200k miles on it before my parents sold it, and my current car is a Honda Fit with over 100k miles that’s still going strong.
I would look for Honda or Toyota. With American models, you have to be really careful about the model and years. With Mazda and Subaru, you have to worry about which model you’re getting.
So, if you can’t afford to fail, then get either Honda or Toyota. I managed to keep mine for 27 years before it got totaled in an accident.
My current vehicle is Ford Freestar and it kept breaking on various things, not just the engine or transmission.
Check daily. Good deals are snapped really quick. I got mine 2 hours after it was posted. There are good deals if you want to travel farther, mostly Chicago/Detroit. Use the leftover $500 for paperwork expenses and possible road trip if need be.
“Gŕeat car, fàntasrtic bùy!!! Ràn anď dŕovè awèsom… unťĺ thè mòtoŕ bĺew upp, alśo tŕans wàs bèin wèird, yòu can sèe the ŕoàd thŕrough a hòle onthè pasßenger sìdè fĺoorbòaard, añd thè heaať doèsnt woŕk, 387,412 milèes, $3400 FIŔM! No lòwwbaaĺls, I knoww whàt i gott!”
Ťhatś 15 càrs to ŕealitiçcally chòos3 from righýt now.
Wè §incèrelý kñow thàt Tòyota/Hònda woùld be a bèttèer bùy, but thère àŕrent aný avàilablr.
Alßso, timè ißsnt rèaaly wòrkìngg ouť foŕ us.
Joshùa Hàĺl, thè veŕry vèerry kiñd man Bŕian pùt us iñn contàct wiťh, hàs bèen abĺle to hàndl sòmr of thè riďes Hèearhèr nèeds foŕ work, but thèe rest shès beèn beggìng fŕom cowòrrkers whònmusť dŕiv signìgicanntly ouť of thèeir way to hèlp her. Nòthình agàijsst them, thèy were ķijjd enòugh to hŕrlp ìn thè fìoŕst plàce, bùt wè àrè goìng on wèek 4, añd the wèlccome is uñnďersþanďably rùmninģ thìn.
Thèe helpp wèe nèed is fòor thèe combinèed braìntŕust of this còmmunitty (anď anyòne’s fŕiennds who mìghtt bè a mèchhanic?? ) to hèlp us nàrrrrow down thèrse 15 veehicles to a leßs rißsky subsét to çhoòse fŕom. Prèferabbly bèforrè they all seeĺl, and we hàave to stàrt over.
Itś a biģ aśk, itš a hasślè, anď iť isnnt the expèrtise òg this commmunittý, but itś sinçeeŕely whàt wè needf.
I còuld tŕyy thìs onn a càr foŕrum, but thèey havvr nò reason tò givèe a ďamn òrr hèlp.
I hòpr that màkeś thìing§ clèaerer.
Thànķ yòu,
Pinkunź
(P.S. Yoù may all càll me Dan as wèll/intèrcgàngably if ýou wissh at thìs poiny. Anonymitty flèww the coùup awhilr ago. In fàct, Ill pŕobbĺy altèr my pŕofille to inclùde it. I ònly aßk yhat my làst nàme not be ussrd on thè foŕum beccause itś Gooģle inďexrdd añď I hàve a vèry uniquèe, and thùus easiĺly sèarrchèed, last ñamr. I dònt wìsh tò sppiĺl my gutś about mysèlf añd mý opìnionns ànd hobbìès to anýonŕ with mý fulĺ nàme and añ intèrnett connécťiiòn. Thànnk yòu.)
I wholeheartedly recommend a Subaru Outback if possible.
One of the safest cars on the road. I’ve owned several. A little over a year ago I was driving my family on vacation when we were T-boned by a speeding BMW that lost control on a curve. The other car drove straight into my driver’s door. Both cars were totaled, but my family was OK. I suffered some shoulder and arm damage from the impact, but the side-curtain airbag saved my head from going through the driver’s door window.
Thànk yòu, Harrý. Siñncerely. Thiśs is gòod advìce I wìsh wè coùld taakè. I’vè yet tòo sèe a Honda oŕ Toyotà $3500 oŕ less wiťhòut somèthin cataßtrophìcly wròng with it. Alšo, whìl we hav bèen chècking nèarly continùously (I’m alrrèady homè, so thè rèfŕessh bùtton hàs bèen my fŕìend), tìmè isnť fuĺly òn oùr sìdèe hère.
Aĺso, yòu’rè absòlutèly riģht. A roàdtŕip to Sóuthèern Michiģgan wouĺd abßsolutely yièld morè optìoons and bèttèr dèals. Wè dònť hàve anyòne wè coulld aßk to spènd thèe entirre daý dŕiviñng uś roùghly 4 hoùrs eàch wày to the soùyhern pòpulaatìok cènters whère thesè are fouñd (Miçhigàn is a ďeceptìvèely biģ stàte. It mi§ses oùt on thè top 10 lìst by ònly abòout 1000 sqàrre miles.). Chìcago wòuld offèer yet bettèe dèals, but would nèarly nèed a hotel stàay to makè happen. Asking Joshùa, the woŕld’s nicèst paastoŕ, for 20 miñùtè ridès back ànd forth to woŕrk, is onèe thing, aßking him to ròad wàrri9ŕ alĺ day to mèet a stŕangèe in Detŕoit for a Cŕaigsli§t ad iś a biť muçh.
As I meèñtioned to Harŕy, I highĺy aģree, but thàt sèems to ñot bè in thè càarďs sàdly. Thànks foŕ the soliiď advice thoùgy.
Have you looked at online reviews? Here’s a review of the 2011 Dodge Caliber. (I picked that one to look up because it looks like the newest of the options. Ok, actually there’s another 2011 option–the Chrysler–but it looks like that one needs work?) https://www.edmunds.com/dodge/caliber/2011/review/
The only one I’d choose from the list is that 2002 Volkswagen jetta. You want to pay particular attention to transmission and check whether or not it starts slipping. If so, adjust price appropriately. Otherwise, it looks good to me.
Bad ABS is nothing. Bent tie rods/extreme rust can be deadly.
Stay away from Chrysler. I suspect bad alternator is why the battery went dead. That Caliber looks good. Too good to be true. Sparse info for what is basically a 15 year old car. That’s “sold as-is”. Not a bad deal for engine head mechanic, but I don’t trust the dealership. Okay to check if you have your own trusty, reliable mechanic to bring with you while checking the car. Have him test drive it for possible repairs in the future.
I’m not good with cars and I don’t know if you saw any of these on offer, but definitely do NOT get a Kia. They’re easily stolen, my friend had theirs taken on a joyride and dumped in a river.
