I'm looking to buy a used car and was considering one of these 2... I dont care much about performance as I'm a student and really care about gas mileage.. The J30 is selling for 1800 with about 150k miles on it.. and I"m searching for people who are selling an SL1.. suggestions on any other car are also welcome..

9/3/2008 6:46:51 PM

more importantly than what kind of car is how are you buying? financing? paying cash?

9/3/2008 6:56:55 PM

Being that you are a student, you should go with the Saturn.

The infinity is going to need a lot of routine maintenance at this point. And nothing on an infinity is cheap.

The Saturn will get you the same or better mileage and will be considerably cheaper to maintain and probably considerably cheaper to insure.

9/3/2008 7:02:33 PM

The Saturn will get better gas mileage, probably require less repairs, the repairs will be considerably less expensive, and you might be able to find one with less mileage or of a newer year for the same price.

The Infiniti will be more powerful, more luxurious, and have more options.

Neither one will likely be a very spirited drive.

The Infiniti is a "nicer" car but it sounds like the Saturn is the better car for you at the present time. They're good choices when you're on a tight budget, as you'll probably get newer/lower mileage than you would going Toyota or Honda. Won't last as long as one of those would though.

9/3/2008 7:09:00 PM

LOL, how in the hell did you come up with those two cars to compare?!?

Go for the Saturn. Have fun with that plastic POS

9/3/2008 7:21:35 PM

I was thinking the same thing.. one of my friends got an SL1 and gets 35 mpg! He got it got 2200 bux with 100k miles on it.. I hope i get a similar deal..

9/3/2008 7:42:45 PM

I got my SL2 for 3500 bucks with 75k on it. It's averaged about 37mpg and now has 167k on it and still running pretty well (I only get about 30-32mpg now though, after 6 years)

9/3/2008 8:05:08 PM

^Why's the gas mileage gone down? It out of tune or something?

9/3/2008 10:55:04 PM

Probably has something to do with him driving it like his lotus.

9/3/2008 11:14:45 PM

The engine is nearing the end of it's life I think. Not really sure what the drop is from, but likely 4-5 culprits I can think of.

9/3/2008 11:18:14 PM

wow! I wana buy a saturn now!

9/3/2008 11:19:32 PM

^^the rings going or something? Maybe fuel injectors are wearing out? (not that I'm suggesting you should fix the problem).

9/3/2008 11:48:43 PM

are you kidding me? J30's are all falling apart, and it sounds like yours is no different. J30's are for wannabe thugs that can't afford the other car for wannabe thugs, Acura Legends. Both were nice cars in their day but have long fallen into depreciation (of both image and the vehicle itself) and disrepair.

[Edited on September 4, 2008 at 2:00 AM. Reason : this is coming from a second generation Q45 owner]

9/4/2008 2:00:28 AM

^^dude, its lasted me almost 7 years, for less than 5k including all the maintenance and upkeep ive had to do. and ive put almost 100k miles on it. that's an insanely good deal. every month it keeps going now is absolute bonus time

9/4/2008 2:02:53 AM

What year is the saturn? In my personal experience I don't recommend them, but that's just me.

9/4/2008 2:14:44 AM

mine is a 97.

9/4/2008 2:28:15 AM

haha, i have two coworkers that have late 90's saturns that are in the exact same situation. They're just driving 'em until they finally give up.

But what's cool is that it's been a year now since their saturns got aids, and they're still limping along.

but that said, go with the saturn. Infinitis are not good on economy (i'm a bit skeptical of 25mpg), and are really expensive to work on. I'm saying this as a former infiniti owner who got rid of his G35 right after the warranty ran out.

9/4/2008 7:18:54 AM

Quote :

"dude, its lasted me almost 7 years, for less than 5k including all the maintenance and upkeep ive had to do. and ive put almost 100k miles on it. that's an insanely good deal. every month it keeps going now is absolute bonus time"

I know that feeling.

When i get home from work and back I think to myself "Wooohoo won again!"

Mines only 1.5 years old and ~25k miles. I paid 2000$ though and average 47mpg

9/4/2008 7:57:33 AM

one of my cowrkers was trying to somehow jig up a carb to his saturn after the injectors went out. thign was pushing 250k miles and he said he changed the oil like once a year or so.

9/4/2008 9:21:39 AM

wickerman, im going to try and do my good deed for the year... I can help you find a car man, just tell me what you are looking to spend.

9/4/2008 10:05:18 AM

Quote :

"It's averaged about 37mpg and now has 167k on it and still running pretty well (I only get about 30-32mpg now though, after 6 years) "

the rings get stuck with nasty buildup, it's a known issue. you can do a piston soak or tear the engine down and it'll run like new again, if that's a good thing (it's a saturn) .

9/4/2008 10:40:30 AM

^How much would that run me?

If I could pay <750 bucks to have the entire car overhauled, I'd do it. Another 50k for that price would be worth it without a second thought

9/4/2008 1:33:46 PM

my mom owned a j30 years ago. i think she got up to around 130k before she sold it with not one issue.

4 wheel steering and rear wheel drive would be more fun, but obviously more money to keep up.

9/5/2008 7:52:30 PM

Quote :

"When i get home from work and back I think to myself "Wooohoo won again!""

Didn't make it home from harris teeter last night! Doh!

My luck streak runs out!

No spark problem to be troubleshot in parking lot....or I get it towed to my house which is <2 miles away.

I have a hard time spending 90$ on a coil/igniter for an engine thats worth 150$ with the transmission.....choices....daily drive the roadster and get a new engine or just pony up the 90$....

9/6/2008 8:24:21 AM

where is your civic?

9/6/2008 1:12:51 PM

new HT on tryon across from walmart sized church

9/6/2008 2:20:14 PM

Quote :

"I have a hard time spending 90$ on a coil/igniter for an engine thats worth 150$ with the transmission.."

I have a hard time not spending $90 if that's all it takes to keep my car on the road, but that's just me.

9/6/2008 2:39:24 PM

i've got a 2002 SL1 with 125k miles on it...i've had it for about 3 years since it had 75k...i paid $4k

since i've had it, i've had to replace the shifter cables ($35, but a pain in the arse when it went out), the A/C compressor ($600 at the mission valley 66), and the spark plugs (can't remember how much, but cheap, of course)...honestly, i think that the cables and compressor shouldn't have gone out so soon, but they both went out around 100-110k, so maybe it's not entirely unexpected

other than that, i change my oil every 5k miles (though in recent months i've found that it's burning a bit, so i have to throw in a quart at about 2.5-3k) and that's it...it's pretty maintenance free

it's by no means quick, but the WORST mileage i get is 30-31 in the city, and about 37-38 on the highway (though i've gotten 40 before, if it's a long trip and i keep the speed between 65 and 70)

parts are cheap, all of the panels except the roof and hood are plastic (which means very little in the way of dents and rust)...i've beaten the hell out of the car (sometimes i drive it worse than i should, the roof is all scratched up because i drove from the mountains with a kayak strapped to it, and there's a bunch of scrapes and missing paint on the bumper where some chick backed into me)...i will probably keep the car until it dies, because it's reliable and efficient

avoid the 2003-2005 (i think) models, because they have some special and expensive oil system (hardware, at least) that you have to get changed at the dealership (or so i was told...can't swear that it's true)

[Edited on September 6, 2008 at 2:54 PM. Reason : .]

9/6/2008 2:48:17 PM

She's alive!

Skack its the fact of dropping the money into an engine that I dont really want. I bought it in good condition with no concern for the stock engine. It's since given me about 25k miles problem free at ~47mpg. I've been planning to pull it out when the timing belt breaks. I guess i'll keep trucking. I'm def making a better effort to source my replacement power plant.

9/6/2008 4:25:53 PM

@optusprimer, I'm looking to spend abouot 2k$.. really appreciate you helping me out..

[Edited on September 6, 2008 at 11:48 PM. Reason : ..]

9/6/2008 11:47:47 PM

and I would be paying cash...

9/6/2008 11:48:37 PM

when you sell a car you get cash one way or another. It doesnt matter if the buyer has a loan or not.

why do people insist on saying "Ill buy it with cash!"

Has anyone ever given someone they didnt know a loan on a car?

Not to call you out, i just see it a lot in "WTB" craigslist car posts.




[Edited on September 7, 2008 at 10:38 AM. Reason : *This is assuming a certified check from the bank that does the notary for the title swap is "cash"]

9/7/2008 10:37:26 AM

I think he's referring to the fact that he has money on hand, ready to do a transaction. Not that the seller will get cash, big surprise. The seller gets paid in full at the sale of the car. This way, the actual time that the transaction takes is far less, because they don't have to wait for the buyer to apply for a loan, get approved and get the money from the bank.

9/7/2008 6:02:01 PM

It's easier to bargain with real cash imo.. it's not exactly easy to tryto knock a few hundred bucks off the price if you can't do the deal right then (and its not like you can pull a certified check out for any amount you want without going to the bank first..). Also, for some people it's a way of not having to report as much tax wise so sometimes it helps for that as well.

9/7/2008 6:18:58 PM

how are you getting the title notarized?

9/7/2008 6:20:52 PM

How do you get a title notarized? sorry for being a noob

9/7/2008 6:57:22 PM

I did it at the bank while the certified check was getting made there.

I thought that was the normal transaction order. I guess you could physically carry 2,000$ and go to some other notary.

9/7/2008 7:43:52 PM

would I have to pay the notary?

9/7/2008 7:44:46 PM

its like $2

9/7/2008 7:53:56 PM

Quote :

"how are you getting the title notarized?"

have a few friends that are notaries so that isn't an issue

9/7/2008 7:54:28 PM

Is this a good deal?

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/ctd/823953953.html

Its got no dents and has done 156k miles..

[Edited on September 7, 2008 at 7:55 PM. Reason : ...]

9/7/2008 7:54:38 PM

^ 11 years old and 156k miles? for $2500? i wouldn't think so, no

9/7/2008 9:20:56 PM

you want to find a Saturn in the 65-85k mile range. At about 125k is where the engines start burning oil, and from all ive heard 150-175 is where they need major engine work

9/8/2008 1:13:28 AM

one thing I don't understand is that some sellers don't post the mileage on their ads. Do they think that the buyers just forget to notice about the mileage?

9/8/2008 3:09:20 PM

yup that can be really annoying..

9/8/2008 5:40:47 PM

I know everyone is talking about how good saturns are, I have some of the opposite.

I purchased a 1997 SC2 in 1999, it had about 46,000 miles on it.

During my period of ownership from 1999-2006 I replaced

The Alternator (twice)
The Starter (three times)
Battery
Valve Cover gasket
Radiator (twice)
Sunroof rails (twice)

Not to mention all of the oil burning.

In my opinion, I wouldn't get one. They're good from 0-70k or so, but after that, you're fucked. If you wanna get something cheap, get one of those box kias or a hyundai. The koreans seem to have gotten their shit together recently.

9/8/2008 7:24:34 PM

Might get the J30 for 1200 is that worth it?

9/8/2008 10:42:52 PM

92-95 honda civic

9/9/2008 8:05:25 AM

^ agreed! then mileage really is no longer an issue as long as it has been taken care of.

9/9/2008 11:27:53 AM

Quote :

"The Alternator (twice) The Starter (three times) Battery Valve Cover gasket Radiator (twice) Sunroof rails (twice)"

Unless you were using factory Saturn parts for the alternator, starter, and radiator then it really doesn't matter how many times they failed. It isn't Saturn's fault if you put the cheapest junk you could get from Autozone or eBay on the car.

It really doesn't sound that bad considering you bought an inexpensive used car and drove it 7 years. It would be different if it dropped a transmission or threw a rod unexpectedly. I mean, what's that...$2000 in repairs over 7 years? That comes out to less than $300 per year.

[Edited on September 9, 2008 at 11:39 AM. Reason : l]

9/9/2008 11:37:53 AM