Unicorn Hunt: Find The Best $6-9k Daily Driver
There are plenty of other sites on the interwebs that spout senseless drivel about automobiles, but the best thing about the Daily Turismo is the capability of the regular commenters/tippers. When an Anonymous Maserati owner (Ed: For crimes against DT’s Commenting Commandment II, this commenter will henceforth be known as Persephone) accuses us of just repeating the same old internet chatter about 80s turbo Italian cars being unreliable…well…that’s just…err..true? But — the point is, DT isn’t just about spreading malicious misinformation, it is about helping people; as such we are asking our commenters and readers to help Persephone get out of her daily driver Maserati BiTurbo and into something…better.
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| from http://www.productioncars.com/vintage-ads.php/Maserati/Biturbo |
The prescribed price range is between $6,000 and $9,000 US dollars, but if you find something out of that range, feel free to send it in or put it in the comments below. If you email us, just be sure to put the name Persephone in the subject so we know it is for her, otherwise put your thoughts below. Just be sure to follow the Commenting Commandments please!
Personally, I can’t find anything better than this positively minty clean 1998 Toyota Camry with 5-spd
transmission and only 13k miles on the clock offered for $7,800 buy-it-now on ebay. The biggest concern is; will it be on par with the reliability of the Maserati bi-turbo? It does have a manual transmission with 5 forward gears, 4 rotating wheels and a set of functioning electric windows — what more can you ask for?!?!
Got your own suggestion? Put it below or send us an email. tips@dailyturismo.com
Great question, I seek exactly such a vehicle myself. Need to be able to take coworkers to lunch and fetch kids to activities buy still be interesting enough that I don't want to die having to drive it. E36 M3/4/5 is far and away the leading contender although I harbor a fantasy than an Alfa 75 or 164 could stand in reliably. Looking forward to other ideas to expand my search.
@tian647: The Alfa 164 is a great car, and better than the 75 for all purposes except building a dedicated track car. I've owned both 164s and a 75. The 164 also reliable by all reasonable measures, for a car somewhere between 20 and 25 years old. You do need to treat front suspension bushes, ball joints and tie rod ends as disposable items, as all the torque of the V6 going through a front suspension basically designed for a 2 litre Thema does wear them out. But keep the front suspension in good order, and the car on good tyres, and torque steer is pretty much eliminated.
It's a big car for passengers and luggage, but when you are alone and pushing through a tight piece of road, it magically shrinks to the size of an Alfasud, just with a lot of torque.
I love my 24v QV so much that I still have it in storage back in New Zealand (I'm currently living in California) and use it for three weeks a year when we go back.
Nothing special with this Nissan except you will never have to do anything but drive it and sip gas . With only 60k on it , be invisible in this: floridacars1.com/web/1000/vehicle/1359886/1999-Nissan-Sentra-GXE%204dr%20Sedan
I have bought 3 cars for my kids from this guy and their cars are straight up old folks low miles inexpensive cars. I had them shipped to Cleveland Ohio for 500 bucks or less each and now my kids have the only unrusty cars in town! Check out his other Nissans , Toyos, etc.
@tian647: My requirements are similar to yours and I keep coming back to the Lexus IS 300 (if you are able to drive RWD year-round) or an Acura TL from the 2004-2008 run (for those of us in Minnesota and points north). Both cars available with manual trans and both a nice balance of professional appearance, reliability, and fun. I'm also a safety nerd which removes a lot of fantastic older cars from my list. Absent the need to keep up appearances, I'd pick a Volkswagen GTI if a decent one could be had in the $6-9k price range.
I still want the IS300 crosssport. It's like an RX on the back of an IS 300.
Uh oh Tom, don't get this crowd going on Thunderwagons — we will never stop talking about them! In the late 90s I owned a '66 Galaxie Country Squire myself…..
I own two Alfa 164s, both for about $3K. It's a super car to drive. Only problem is the GM-quality plastic dash controls which are awful and breakable (explains why this was AR's last car sold in America). But it handles better than anything else. Don't pay over $4K.
I'm not sure I would want to buy this vehicle or not… Seems all the curb jumping might have been a little rough on the front suspension…
I know of an '05 Legacy GT Wagon w/118k mi on the clock that is going across the block at some point in the next few weeks for under $9k (shoot, probably under $8k if it goes to a broke enthusiast). I posit this is a reliable, exciting daily driver. AWD, 250bhp and 3300lbs stock, everything works, all dealer maintenance up to date and brand new P-Zero's.
2000 Audi A6 Quattro. $6,000: butte.craigslist.org/cto/4294273037.html It's the super special compressed econo car version, as you will see from the photos.
And then there's this: bozeman.craigslist.org/cto/4291965247.html
Holy Cow, I thought the interior of that AH Sprite had been burned, until I read the description. What were they thinking. A Speedwell Sprite is cool, but I could NEVER risk being seen driving that one!
AbnMike, Thank you for the Sprite. At first I thought they had an old rug or tapestry draped over the top of the car…then I barfed a little bit in my mouth.
EIC Vince
Quick, somebody alert James May. His dream car hath arrived.
I replied to tian654 about a few excellent low mileage cars under 6K and many under 10K. This comment is about the ease of commenting on DT . You would get more comments and therefore more helpful comments, hopefully, if it was easier to comment !! I realize budget constrictions, but you would have more hits and comments if you had your own login recognition added which would not need the "tell you from a computer" code using other sights logins. Increase traffic, increase budget…….excuse my oversimplification DT, but the comment section is my favorite and it should be easier.
Forgot: individual logins will give you more dedicated fans that may have more interesting things to add other than "fix it again Tony". Your presented cars and intros are excellent, and for most of the non "investment grade" hobbyists you are the best.
Here is the best way to buy a car cheap: Go to eBay Motors and click on "ending soonest". This allows you to buy an orphan that no one has bid on. It is amazing what you'l find. I do it every day, with particular attention to Mercedes.
When hunting on cars.com or traderonline, I use a similar tactic only I set the miles between (10k-80k), set the money to a realistic range like (5-7K), then cap the year at like 1998 so you weed out all the tinny little cars. Cars.com will let you pick just the models that appeal to you, then sort them by oldest cars first, cause I'm looking for the oldest, lowest mileage car (but you gotta set that minimum miles or you'll be inundated with tons of ads which have NO miles in the ads). '60s full size coupe or a little sportier '91 MB 500SL Roadster , or your basic cowboy-coupe parts and trailer-hauler '97 Chebby Shortbed Truck
Guaranteed to get more attention than the Maserati BiTurbo for credit card money.
Link: ebay.com/itm/310855055096?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
Now about the handling difference….
Don't worry guys, I found the perfect one: a one-owner, five-speed manual, turbocharged convertible for only $6,800 reserve not met.
I'm watching it-probably at least 8500.00 reserve though…
A Fleetwood Brougham with only 27,000 miles for $9,000 or this Wrangler with a Maserati tow hitch for only $3,550?
Just in defence of the Maserati – it's no less reliable than a 10 year old Audi. AMHIK.
Very true….
not much is going to beat a 13k mile, 5-sp camry for this mission – reliability and repair cost, you'd really have to stay with toyota, honda or maybe nissan, and what do they have that's better than this? accord is the same thing, maxima is a possibility, and a smattering of acura, lexus or infiniti options – manual transmissions on a few of those, but really, good luck finding them in any condition, let alone this kind of time warp – if it's got to be a beige camry though, i'd still have to look into performance and appearance upgrades to make me want to get into the damn thing
On the style over substance side of the equation, how about a 71k-mile original BMW E12 528i with 3-spd auto and turbine wheels for $4k? Perfect for a soul-sucking teenage chick like Persephone.
BMW 5 Series E12 528iforcerrptr=true&hash=item2ecdf13390&item=201023632272&pt=US_Cars_Trucks
A beige Camry with a slushbox. Why dont I just kll myself! Or buy the Maserati BiTurbo
Right- I'd rather push a Maserati than drive a Camry.
remember, this one's a 5-speed – make an ultimate sleeper beige camry – got to be some TRD parts you can slap on there, upgrade wheels, tires, clutch, brakes, bars, springs, etc
I'd rather walk than drive a -newer , less than 15 years old.. – Camry, Corolla, Malibu, etc.
Life's too short to own and drive something that doesn't at least get me a little excited – hell I'd settle for marginally interesting…
Here are the results from the search in my corner of the world:
1947 Willys CJ2A – $8900 Looks decent, a little on the spendy side for a jeep though.
duluth.craigslist.org/cto/4296725046.html
Probably not much of a daily driver, but Firetruck!
1951 Mack pumper. $6900 duluth.craigslist.org/cto/4202563266.html
Why are firetrucks always pumpers? I could find more uses for a ladder truck.
v-12 Jag for $8k duluth.craigslist.org/cto/4284460052.html
Maybe get your sbc au natural:
bitchin' '77 camaro $9k duluth.craigslist.org/cto/4297052937.html
'81 T-top vette. $7k, "no rust" duluth.craigslist.org/cto/4271592728.html
There is a reason they sold a gorzillion Camrys. My 87 5 speed got 40mpg and the majority of my speeding tickets. I've had cars that have done one thing or another better, but nothing that has done everything as well.
One other type of search could work: the independent specialist garage. That's how I found my 300TE.
You ask the question if a Maserati Biturbo is as reliable as a Camry. Dude. Seriously? You have to ask that? A Lancia Beta sedan is more reliable. Or a Zastava Yugo, or a Vega…
Here is my candidate: Alfa Romeo 164. One of the last Alfas sold in America in mint condition. A fabulous European sports car for a reasonable price. The seller asks $7K OBO. I'd offer him $5.5K. These are great drivers; I own two of them.
ebay.com/itm/Alfa-Romeo-164-LS-Sedan-4-Door-1994-alfa-romeo-164-ls-sedan-4-door-3-0-l-/221363875828?forcerrptr=true&hash=item338a50aff4&item=221363875828&pt=US_Cars_Trucks