Selling van for car? Help!

scatterbunny · Mar 2, 2007

I have a 1994 Mazda MPV with frustrating carseat installation issues, and crappy gas mileage. I really want rid of it.

I miss my 1991 Honda Accord that I had before this.

I can sell the MPV for about $2,000 and buy something else, but it's got to be in the same price range, so nothing new for me! I know this means I sacrifice safety, but finances are finances and we can't afford anything else.

So I'm looking at these:

1992 Honda Accord--$1850
http://salem.craigslist.org/car/285282763.html

1993 Honda Accord--$2250
http://eugene.craigslist.org/car/286770870.html

1993 Honda Accord--$2500
http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/car/286827203.html

1996 Mercury Sable--$1900
http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/car/284613894.html

1997 Dodge Stratus--$2000
http://eugene.craigslist.org/car/286555801.html

1998 Chevrolet Malibu--$2300
http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/car/287165936.html

Of course I don't want a death trap, but really there is nothing ultra-safe anywhere close to my price range. So gas mileage and carseat installations are top priorities for me.

What does everyone think? I posted my MPV for sale and had two inquiries already.

LuvBug · Mar 2, 2007

wow! I dunno. Im not good at picking out cars lol!
Are you sure you want to get rid of your MPV?
I kinda like the malibu guy's story lol! Sounds like an old country song

If it were me, Id be tempted by the sable because I am pretty sure that is the same model(year) my granddad had and it was nice and roomy.
Of course Id assume yall would go look at it and have it checked just to make sure it is proper?

lovinwaves · Mar 2, 2007

Honda Accord All The Way Baby!!!! :d

scatterbunny · Mar 2, 2007

LuvBug--I know, the Malibu story is tempting, even though the price is scary-low for a '98. Same with the Sable--excellent price for a '96.

But I LOVE the older Honda Accord, too.

Such a tough decision. With a '96 or newer, I'd have locking belts, which is a plus. But the Accords I'm looking at have headrests, at least, and not the crappy passive restraint shoulderbelts that the '91 Accord had.

Of course we'll go check it out in person, but not sure how to really "know" it's in good shape. We don't know any mechanics and we'd be travelling 2+ hours, one-way, to see any of these. What does everyone do?

I really hate the MPV. I really, really do. It only gets 15mpg in city driving, and barely over 20mph in highway driving. I can't install Hayley's seat where I want it, and to install it where it's safe, I lose two of my four shoulderbelt spots and leave two lapbelt spots open. I'd rather have a sedan and not have to worry about explaining to people I transport why they can't sit here or there.

lovinwaves · Mar 2, 2007

I dont' know much about buying used cars, but if DH I were to we would NEVER buy from a dealer(they seem to jack up the price). We would only buy from an individual. Do you have any mechanic friends, or anybody that knows a little bit about how to tell if the car is in good working order. I would be testing out the transmission if it was me. There is something you can do for that.

Also, if you do buy from a dealer what about an extended warranty that they offer sometimes on their used cars?

Maybe be patient, and start looking in your local newspapers, Craigslist, etc... for an individual selling one. You never know, you might find an older woman that has barely used her car and find it is in great condition with a great price.

Jeanum · Mar 2, 2007

Hmmm, tough call. If you want a car with locking seatbelts, I'd opt for one of the newer post-1996 models listed with the lowest miles. I'm not sure if a 1996 Taurus would have locking seatbelts if you want to avoid using locking clips or have the ability to lock the shoulder belt for belt positioning booster use. The Stratus probably has those infamous Gen-3 seatbelts, so that leaves the Malibu as the other post 1996 option. The Malibu's description doesn't mention if it's a 4-cylinder or a V-6 engine unless I overlooked the engine details in the seller's country song-like desription of why he's selling.

I think a V6 in the Malibu might be more reliable than a 4 cylinder, but it also would burn more gas.

If you don't mind non-locking seatbelts and really would prefer another Accord based on your previous ownership experience, I'd probably pick the newest Honda with the lowest miles on the odometer due to Honda's higher reliability reputation. The '93 Accord with 167K miles has the lowest mileage if I remember the listings correctly. I can't remember what year Honda began offering a V6 option in the Accord, so you might want to double check whether it's a 4-cylinder or V6 for fuel economy reasons.

You could try getting the VIN from the sellers before traveling to see any of the cars, and buy a CarFax.com report to check the car's history. I think CarFax.com will let you look up cars from the 1990s but I'm not positive. The report would have details about any accidents, flood damage, salvage titles, and number of previous owners, whether the car was a rental car or commercial vehicle, etc. Then if nothing scary shows up, check out the car in person and ideally have a mechanic inspect it before buying.

Sorry, I'm rambling with my thoughts upon reading the listings. Hope it helps a tad.

twokidstwodogs · Mar 2, 2007

DH had a 1998 Malibu. (I said on another thread that it was a 99, but now that I think about it, it was a 98.) The car drove nicely, and was easy to install car seats in. Gas mileage was mediocre, though he had the V6 engine which made that worse.

But one of the things I *didn't* like about it was the fact that it has pretty bad side impact crash tests ratings. In fact, that was one of the reasons we got rid of it. (That, and baby #2 was on the way, and the Malibu definitely cannot hold two adults, two kids in seats, and two big dogs

) I have no idea if the Accord has better side impact ratings, but I have a feeling it does.

Reliability was pretty good, though we got rid of it below 100K miles, so I can't say what would have happened later on. I never liked the car very much, but while we owned it, I was driving an 89 Corolla and later a 99 Forester, both of which I liked better than the Malibu.

Amaris · Mar 2, 2007

When I made the appointment to look at the car I would start calling mechanics and trying to make an appointment for the same time if the person will let you test drive the car. Take it and have it looked at. It will cost a bit but it's worth it to keep you from buying something that needs a lot of money put into it. That said, before we got our odyssey we had a 97 malibu and the only problem we ever had out of it was that the a/c quit, but that was in southwest texas so it was, for us, a big problem at the time! We put several seats in there including snugrides, a touriva, a graco something cargo (there's too many to remember exactly which one), an evenflo something or other, and both of our marathons. All of them installed well. When I traded it in they gave me $3800 for it, but it only had 38000 miles on it! The chevrolets and mercurys won't hold their overall value as well as the honda, but depending on how long you plan on having the car that might not mean too much. We have the odyssey, but resale value doesn't really matter as we plan on driving it until it's not worth anything anyway!

Edited to add: our malibu was a 4cyl and got great gas mileage. Way better than the odyssey ever has!

scatterbunny · Mar 2, 2007

Thanks for the opinions, everyone--keep them coming!

I'm not sure if the Accord is safer in side impacts than the Malibu, I can't find any side impact testing on models this old.

Locking belts are nice, but not a necessity. I just want something with tall enough seatbacks that it won't be a problem for someone to ride back there that's too big for a booster (my 1991 Honda had high enough seatbacks that it was fine for most people, and the '93 appears to have real headrests).

I hate going "backwards" from a 1994 MPV to a 1993 Accord, but I want a CAR again so badly!

I don't want Gen3 belts, so the Stratus is out (don't really like those anyway, it's just a good year for a good price, and it's roomy).

twokidstwodogs · Mar 2, 2007

It's hard when you don't have much data, isn't it? NHTSA has frontal impact ratings for the older Accords, but nothing on the side. There's a bit of a range on the Accords, but it looks like both the Malibu and the Accords average 4 starts for frontal. The Malibu gets three starts for rear passenger side impact, but only 1 for the driver. (That was the part that freaked me out.) But whether that's better or worse than the Accord, I don't know. IIHS also has data on the 1998 Malibu (under Malibu/Classic) that might be of interest, though it's just the frontal offset crash. IIHS has no data on the older Accords, but the 03-04 ones without SAB perform really badly

So maybe the Malibu is a better choice....?

MommyofBoogieBear · Mar 2, 2007

well...i am a bit biased. I am VW girl. so jettas and passats would be my dream car. HOWEVER....we just bought a '98 Honda Accord, and we love it! i had an '89 Accord a few years ago...didn't have much luck with it...b/c it wasn't taken care of well. i have friend of mine that has worked for Honda for many, many years...and if treated well...they can last past the 300,000. soooooo.....all that to say, I would get an Accord. (i personally liked the tan one...but that's jsut a color fav.)

nisi · Mar 2, 2007

here are my thoughts in no particular order...

It's just about impossible to find side impact ratings on cars of this vintage. Unfortunately, I think they're pretty poor across the board. It sucks to have to have to lower your standards to fir your budget but you gotta do what you gotta do. Don't beat yourself up over it. Keeping everyone properly restrained goes a LONG way in keeping them safe no matter what car they're in. (I know you know that, but sometimes it helps to hear someone else say it

)

As far as other crash ratings go, the Taurus/Sable has always been a solid performer. Plus the back seat of that generation is huge. 3 across shouldn't be that difficult. I'm pretty sure you could even manage it with a Husky in there.

As far as getting a car inspected, could you find an auto shop in that town and call to see if they'd inspect it? I also know that CarFax has an inspection service. They'll send someone out to look it over for you and report back. No idea what it costs, though.

CarFax has data back to the early-mid 90's. We got the unlimited package and ran one on everything we were considering. A few we were able to eliminate before we even test drove it, which is especially valuable if you're talking about driving a long distance

I'd be cautious with the gotta-sell-it-now Malibu. Being in a huge hurry to sell something below market value is a big red flag. Could be a great deal, could be a scam. Just be careful and make extra sure the title is clear, etc.

The Stratus will have gen3 buckles, long buckle stalks, and lightweight locking latchplates that don't usually hold. And, as dh is fond of saying, "Chrysler doesn't know how to build a transmission". On the bright side, you can get TAs installed for free.

Good luck and keep us posted.

scatterbunny · Mar 2, 2007

The darn cheaper Accords (the first two I listed) don't have contact info!

scatterbunny · Mar 2, 2007

Thanks, Nisi.

I will talk to Mark tonight about CarFax and having what we look at inspected.

I emailed about the $1900 Sable and the $2500 Accord, I want to ask some questions about the cheaper Accords, too, but no contact info. The Stratus is out of the running now, and probably the Malibu, too--as much as I like it, and as much as I'd love such a new car.

nisi · Mar 2, 2007

scatterbunny said:
The darn cheaper Accords (the first two I listed) don't have contact info!

I didn't check these listings, but if there's no contact info there's usually a button waaaaay at the bottom that'll let you email them.

scatterbunny · Mar 2, 2007

I found it, thanks!

(the button at the bottom)

I found a 1998 Taurus for $1950!
http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/car/287320440.html

scatterbunny · Mar 2, 2007

And a '99 Taurus for $2100!
http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/car/284244372.html

scatterbunny · Mar 2, 2007

A 1997 Taurus for $1700
http://eugene.craigslist.org/car/274569997.html

nisi · Mar 2, 2007

Another thought -- you could concentrate on older luxury cars. You'd be getting something older with higher miles, but you'd be more likely to find some safety features. Maybe an older Volvo? Just brainstorming.

Amaris · Mar 2, 2007

Oh yeah, be sure to look under the floormats and carpet underneath them as best you can. Rust under the edges of the carpet and rust under the seats are signs of water damage. It's sad but people will get cars from LA and other hurricane hit states that haven't yet been slavaged and sell them in other states as if they are in good condition. The peole selling them are usually in desperate need of money and the people buying them are willing to pay more than insurance companies and pay it quicker so sometimes the title is clear because it was never claimed on insurance. Definately do a carfax to see where the car has been also!

Selling van for car? Help!

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

Senior Community Member

New member

New member

Senior Community Member

New member

New member

New member

Senior Community Member

New member

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Sponsors

Forum statistics