Best beater car

[jake2k]

I hear a lot of people saying that they own a beater to drive on the daily. Just wanted some help to define what really constitutes a beater and what the expected price range is. If you were to ask me i guess i would say that a beater should be under 5k. Also what cars are the best beaters wether it's just for putting around town or a cheap older sporty car.

[RL1924]

I would say the same think 5k under anything else isn't a beater its just another car lol. I was trying to look at an older wrangler for the winter, but maybe next year

[TheCarGuy2021]

I picked up a '97 Toyota Tercel a few years ago with 120K on it for $400. IMO a $5K car isn't a beater, just a daily driver.

It's had a few minor issues but 20K miles later it's still running strong.

[J'sS2K]

Honda CRX is a good beater.
RX7 first gen
Prelude

[jake2k]

You might be right carguy 5k is still a bit much. Was thinking about maybe getting an old civic or accord maybe a nice older bmw i have to fight myself away from the 944's that i see for sale here in town lol

[TheCarGuy2021]

Older Civic would be my first choice for a beater.

[gomarlins3]

Civic.

[ZigZag]

For sure a Civic.

[D1sclaimer]

90-02 Accords are where its at. You get a 2.2L or 2.3L for the 4 cylinder versions. Good gas mileage + more torque than a civic = good beater.

I got mine for 500 dollars. 91, 4 door, DX. 219k miles now with perfect compression.

My friends 500 dollar VX civic gets 35mpg in the city, but anytime he hits a slight(and I mean slight) incline, he has to downshift at least 1 or 2 gears. I don't have to.

[J'sS2K]

Does it ever die and need to be towed?

[D1sclaimer]

Originally Posted by J'sS2K

Does it ever die and need to be towed?

Mine? No. Its been very reliable. I've driven it from Omaha to St Louis and back in 1 day. Driven it on many trips on the short time I've had it so far.

You're probably thinking of the main relay issue common with 4 cylinder Accords. The connections crack on the main relay and the car wont run. You can either resolder the connections or buy a new relay. Problem solved.

[DJJSR]

Stick with a Honda or Toyota. My wife's Camry has about 100k on it and it runs and looks almost new. My daughter has a Ford with 80k on it and it has died many times. I don't know why we keep reviving it. It's an unreliable piece of junk.

[s2sk8]

A beater is a car that you don't really care too much about. Drive it however and park it wherever; pretty much a car that you can throw in the gutter and go buy another. To each his/her own on the price range.......$5k if you're rolling in dough. Like most people recommend, I have a civic ex (1990) as my "beater".

[flyingarmadillo]

My choice would be just about any old Subaru - I had an 81 that was still running strong with 300K miles on it when I gave it to my son who made a sand buggy out of it. It's still running 5 years later.

[RayYay]

I agree with DJJSR, I would stick with Honda or Toyota, for longevity reasons. I was in your same shoes a few months ago, I ended up buying a 92 integra with 141k all stock motor for $1200. And $5k is way too high for a beater. I think a beater car is $2k at the most.

[brewerspence]

'01 ranger 5sp with 120000. for me havin a pick up is nice and plus it get about 25 mpg mostly high way. i personally dont care for ford but this truck just never dies and all i have ever done is oil chage and a new air filter

[skatepozer23]

My best friend has a 94 corolla with 250,000 miles on it and still has all 140 horsepower it came with stock. I love toyota

[taners412]

I have a 2003 cavalier with about 125000 miles on the odometer, its a pretty good beater car, has dent on each side to help add to the prestige. The dents werent my doing, but for a hand me down car its not a bad one! 35-38 mpgs highway.

[Htowniman]

Do you guy need a beater because it is the winter up north or just try to save the S for weekend? I have been driving a beater 6-7 years, since I was teens. It give me problem every other months, but at least the repair is cheaper than the car payment.

It seems to me that those Civic and Corolla are cheaper than in here.
$2000 or less car in Houston are nothing but trouble. It always need something to fix or about to break.

[turbosix]

i would kill myself if i had to drive something slow and boring.

just my 2 scents.

[mdjice]

funny thing is my beater car (i would say daily driver) is a benz and My S2000 which is "honda" and should be reliable ...just got out of the shop...so much for reliable....

[RMurphy]

Originally Posted by jake2k

I hear a lot of people saying that they own a beater to drive on the daily. Just wanted some help to define what really constitutes a beater and what the expected price range is. If you were to ask me i guess i would say that a beater should be under 5k. Also what cars are the best beaters wether it's just for putting around town or a cheap older sporty car.

My definition of a beater and yours may differ. For me, a beater is a car that I can literally beat on and it just doesn't matter. You can haul sod in it, take it to the tightest parking lot in town, park it anywhere and you aren't worried about door dings or such like because it's already pretty beat up. The idea is it's a disposable kind of car. That stated, disposable depends on each person's amount of discretionary income. For me, I think a beater would be anything valued under $1000. Maybe $2000.

My daily driver isn't a beater (and it isn't the S either). If I drove up to client sites in the S, it would not send the right message to my clients. Also, I can't haul around my tech stuff easily in the S and I sure couldn't toss a 21 inch CRT in the back of it to haul off to an e-waste site either. So my daily driver is a 2007 two door hatchback Yaris (5-speed; I just can't bring myself to go automatic) owned by my company.

Best beater... well, I'm partial to Toyotas (Corollas, the 4 cylinder trucks, that kind of thing) but Nissan Sentras are great little cars and there are scads of other "affordable" vehicles you can put through the wringer and they keep coming back for more. Kind of like a Dodge Dart slant six, you know?

[turbosix]

Originally Posted by mdjice

funny thing is my beater car (i would say daily driver) is a benz and My S2000 which is "honda" and should be reliable ...just got out of the shop...so much for reliable....

the guy you bought your car from was an idiot, i wouldnt say your situation was anything close to normal.

[fltsfshr]

I vote for a 1960 falcon sprint. Best beater car I ever owned. Nothing else ever came close for hanging in there and then some.

fltsfshr

[JOECHY]

The best beater isn't a car but rather a small/midsize pickup. I have always said that every man needs a pick up truck in their arsonal unless they don't mind paying delivery charges or bumming for help from friends. Nissan,Toyota, Chevy and Ford make decent small/midsize trucks that can last well over 100k miles. If you are looking for a beater I say get a truck!

[H20]

Originally Posted by mdjice

funny thing is my beater car (i would say daily driver) is a benz and My S2000 which is "honda" and should be reliable ...just got out of the shop...so much for reliable....

You have no idea how that car has been treated, and you have no idea what was the cause of the problem or what the problem even was.
Buying a used S2k is a crapshoot and you lost.

[RealJoKeR]

AP1......j/k

[mdjice]

Originally Posted by H20

You have no idea how that car has been treated, and you have no idea what was the cause of the problem or what the problem even was.
Buying a used S2k is a crapshoot and you lost.

well I bought the car from a very good friend of mine and I know even though he was push it a bit sometimes, he didn't misstreat it. I never heard him having any problems in the 3 years he had it other then a bad cluth and flywheel which he got fix. I guess i was unlucky anyways, i got the car back today

[Not Sure]

I have a 90 CRX with a B16 engine that will be a great beater if I ever get it running.

[s2sk8]

Originally Posted by JOECHY

The best beater isn't a car but rather a small/midsize pickup. I have always said that every man needs a pick up truck in their arsonal unless they don't mind paying delivery charges or bumming for help from friends. Nissan,Toyota, Chevy and Ford make decent small/midsize trucks that can last well over 100k miles. If you are looking for a beater I say get a truck!

Good call!! I should trade my beater civic up for a beater pickup (w/ a cab). A pickup is way more useful.

[RMurphy]

Originally Posted by JOECHY

The best beater isn't a car but rather a small/midsize pickup. I have always said that every man needs a pick up truck in their arsonal ...

Agreed, but I wouldn't limit it by saying "every man should..." When I had my Miatas, I had a toyota pickup (with extra cab) as my second vehicle and it was the BEST all purpose vehicle to have. It was made when the only kind of truck you could get from Toyota was a mini-pickup and so they didn't even bother calling it anything other than the pickup. Had that thing for about, oh, 17 years. Selling it was the hardest thing I've done with a vehicle. It had lasted longer and had been more reliable than any relationship I ever had, that's for sure! I only got rid of it because I needed something enclosed and that got better gas mileage (mine was a 6 cyl). But every year about Christmas time when we're talking about getting a tree, I miss that thing. Oh do I miss it!