Give me some advice - thinking about an Integra

[FSUpaintball]

I need to buy a car. I've got about 4k in the bank to spend, and I will be able to borrow another 2k from my parents if need be (but the less I need to borrow, the better).

I'm seeking a car that's fun, reliable, decent looking (for a 21-year-old), and perhaps a bit easy on the insurance. I'm looking at cars from 1995 or more recent. I don't know how to drive a stick, but I'm willing to learn. I'd like a car at least around as fast as the 4 cyl 96 Accord LX I've been driving around. Ability to upgrade a bit is nice. Rims are also a nice bonus

Here's my options.

Right now, I'm looking at a 95 Acura Integra priced at $5,000. It's got 130,000 miles on it, and the paint is wearing a bit thin. I believe this is the standard 2-door Integra. It's got leather, sunroof, AC, CD, alloy rims, stickshift. I liked it a lot when I got into it - but the mileage worries me. It IS an Acura, though, so I guess it would run for a VERY long time past this. I suppose I can get a paint job done to it, but I also should figure that into my costs. Everyone keeps telling me that I should jump on an Integra if I find a good deal. It seems to fit the bill for what I want nicely, but I'm worried about the insurance, too. Any experience from you guys on higher mileage Integras?


The Integra is what I would very much like to have. Here's some more options:

Honda Civic Del Sol '97 - $4000. Alloy rims, AC, stickshift, sunroof. I believe that it is the mid-range DelSol (has power everything, but no Vtec engine). It's red, and is a nice looking car - but it's probably sluggish. I'd like your opinions on that, too.

I also have the option of several Civics from around '95, all with varying options and mileage, from $4000-$5500.


Opinions are VERY welcome! I want to hear your input. If you have another car suggestion that fits my needs (remember, needs to be fun yet reliable), please mention it! Keep in mind I'm a college student on a tight budget of $4000-$6000.

 

[d33pt]

the del slo will be VERY slow even if it has the vtec.. it's just a very heavy little car and not very practical. i would not get that car..

as for the integra, that seems like a good deal if it wasn't thrashed too much...at 130k miles, you need to look into things like timing belt and water pump but for the most part it will still be very reliable to over 200k miles...

 

[Vincent]

I would look around some more to get a car with fewer miles.

 

[ZeroBurn]

i personally don't really like the del slow, the integra was my first pick in that price range and that's what i went for. it's a great car to throw around, although i'm sure you can find one in better condition.

 

[FSUpaintball]

Originally posted by: ZeroBurn
i personally don't really like the del slow, the integra was my first pick in that price range and that's what i went for. it's a great car to throw around, although i'm sure you can find one in better condition.

That's actually a problem I'm having. Although Integras are very popular around here (it's a college town), it's near impossible to find a decent one in my price range. In fact, this is the only one I've found so far, and I've been keeping an eye out for a month.

 

[MiataGirl]

insurance on an integra probably won't be too cheap..seeing as how it's the #1 most stolen car in america.

 

[MiataGirl]

Originally posted by: d33pt
the del slo will be VERY slow even if it has the vtec.. it's just a very heavy little car and not very practical. i would not get that car..

you consider a 2400 lb car to be heavy?

 

[blahblah99]

Do you want a 95+ car because you want a later model car? Or are you worried about reliability?

You can get a 91 240SX SE for around 3-4k. That'll be somewhat fast, fun to drive, and hugs the road like bubblegum on a pair of new shoes.

It also has 4-wheel steering called Super HICAS (very rare in the US). If this isn't enough to convince you, go test drive one and report back

 

[Siddhartha]

I have a GSR:
Positives
Fast:
Good handling for a front wheel driver
It is a Honda

Negatives
High insurance rates, last time I heard this is the most popular car to steal
High repair costs compared to a Honda
Electric windows are slow and the door rattles when shut.
Noisy: High noise and vibration

 

[Rallispec]

Originally posted by: blahblah99
Do you want a 95+ car because you want a later model car? Or are you worried about reliability?

You can get a 91 240SX SE for around 3-4k. That'll be somewhat fast, fun to drive, and hugs the road like bubblegum on a pair of new shoes.

It also has 4-wheel steering called Super HICAS (very rare in the US). If this isn't enough to convince you, go test drive one and report back

this is exactly what i was going ot say-- if your budget is only 5k, and you want a 2door sporty car--- definetly (at least look at ) nissan 240sx's. you can some really niec ones, like the SE that blah blah mentioned.

 

[ddwbi0]

Insurance on civics is usually cheaper than any of the above, and if you do get into an accident its not that expensive to buy parts for.

 

[FSUpaintball]

Is the 240SX reliable? Will their engines last as long as a Honda's?

 

[geno]

Originally posted by: MiataGirl

Originally posted by: d33pt
the del slo will be VERY slow even if it has the vtec.. it's just a very heavy little car and not very practical. i would not get that car..

you consider a 2400 lb car to be heavy?

edit - never mind

 

[Imported]

A '91 CRX would be nice.. I wanted to get one after selling my car and drop in a newer/bigger engine, but I need to be able to seat more tha 2 people..

 

[gogeeta13]

Originally posted by: FSUpaintball
Is the 240SX reliable? Will their engines last as long as a Honda's?

Extreemly reliable. the SR20's(red top) and the SR24's(black top) are very very very good engines. A lot of the time, the reliability associated with Honda's is not so much the engine, but the other parts like starter's and alternators, sensors, etc. As for engines, i would say nissan and honda are equal on the engine reliability. Not to mention the handling on them is simply amazing. Because it is RWD, if you were to get one with 4WS, you would be hard-pressed to find a better handling car in your price range, or even a bigger range as well.

 

[FSUpaintball]

I'm not a big fan of the way the 240SX looks. Do you guys have any other suggestions?

 

[gogeeta13]

MX-6/Probe GT are pretty slick..

You may want to look into a Celica GT?

 

[FSUpaintball]

A bit pricey. Like I said, I'm stuck UNDER $6k. I don't have anywhere to get more money from.

What are good places you'd suggest to buy a car? I've been scoping the classifieds, and I can get in touch with a good private dealer, too. One of my friends works at a performance upgrade shop, so he's also letting me know when they get new cars in. I'd rather not go through a big dealer. Any other suggestions?

 

[CocaCola5]

How about a truck(say a early 90's toyota 4x4), good reliability, not much style though.

 

[FSUpaintball]

I've actually started looking into those. Good suggestion.

In completely unrelated news, my user rating went DOWN by .25 today. I didn't even piss anyone off! I guess I'm just that good

 

[andylawcc]

who just mentioned Celica?

i drive the 96 ST with 130k miles and still loving it. by no means its fast, but it sure look pretty in my book.
I never try the GT, even though I know an integra RS can kill it easily. The only reason anyone would want a 6th Gen (the 4 eyes) celica is for the looks (not many ppl dig it looks though) and above-average gas mileage on the ST. beside, the Celica was Very expensive when it first came out and is still kinda expensive consider the competition (integras, eclipse). Also, the 5th gen (flap up headlites) are quite heavy, but it does have the 4WD turbo version

anyway, back FSUpaintball's topic, I think you will be better off with an integra ONLY if the insurance doesn't bother you. otherwise, get a post-96 Civic hatchback or coupe. pre 95 is a tad bit slower.

many ppl steal the integra just to swap the 140hp D18 motor to the civic.

also, gogeeta, the 2.4l engine in the 240sx is a KA24DE, not SR24. and the SR20 never made it to the 240sx, it was only found in Nissan 200sx Sentra SE-R, infiniti G20, and the Pulsar Gti-R.

talk about a car geek


and FSUpaintball: which 240sx you did not like? the one with flap up headlites or the one with "normal" "rectangular" lights?

 

[FSUpaintball]

I've never been partial to any of them. They all looked kind of...... "boring" to me. Like a standard car coupe. I even like the Civic's looks better.


Edit: I also looked in the paper today, and NOBODY is selling a used 240SX via private party. The only one I could find was from the 80's. They're not real popular down here.

 

[andylawcc]

ever tried autotrader.com?

 

[bcmind]

IMO:

1) The lower the milage the better.
2) The slower the car can go, the better for a 21 year old (Insurance is gonna kill ya).
3) Don't borrow the $ because you might need it to fix your pre-owned car.
4) Get a stick 4 Doors.

 

[blahblah99]

FSUpaintball,

Did you decide on your car yet? If you don't like the older 240sx's, try looking at the 95+ 240sx's... You can pick one up for around 5-6k also, but it won't handle (and drive as fast as) the 91 SE's but is a little more stylish.

As you can see, I'm a huge fan of nissan 240sx's . In fact I'm going to buy my 95/96 SE 240sx sometime this week as soon as I find someone who's willing to let it go for 6k or 7k. I don't care about mileage as long as the interior/exterior is PERFECT since I'll be rebuilding it with forged internals to prep it for a turbo kit