Need a cheap car

[AJ Dual]

My advice is to look for a used Scion XD or XA. Toyota longevity/reliability in the engine/powertrain, but doesn't have the value holding ability that actual Toyota branded used Toyotas have. And because the brand is "dead" it is also taking a resale value hit. However it's all just Toyota parts of course.

I absolutely despise my 2008 XD because it's a "poor kids car" and has zero creature comforts and a few cosmetic things that are my fault, and it's got a lot of road noise. However, I love it in that it's never given me any trouble whatsoever beyond normal wear items like brakes and spark plugs.

And they're actually a teeny bit fun in manual too.

https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/ctd/d/everett-2006-scion-xa-base-4dr/7073478193.html

[Northwoods]

Co-worker has a 2010 Subaru Forester.  80k miles, base model with heated seats and mirrors, sunroof but no nav or other fancy electronics.  Minor parking lot rash on drivers front quarter panel.  Tires aren't bald but close to needing replacement.  They were going to ask $8000 on Craigslist, expecting $7000-7500 actual sale price.

Good deal?  Anything from that vintage to be wary of?

[charby]

Co-worker has a 2010 Subaru Forester.  80k miles, base model with heated seats and mirrors, sunroof but no nav or other fancy electronics.  Minor parking lot rash on drivers front quarter panel.  Tires aren't bald but close to needing replacement.  They were going to ask $8000 on Craigslist, expecting $7000-7500 actual sale price.

Good deal?  Anything from that vintage to be wary of?

https://www.carcomplaints.com/Subaru/Forester/2010/

[Jim147]

I have one for sale but you will hate the mileage.but it is all hiway mile with synthetic oil changed on time .
2008 Saturn Aura with 325k on it run great has an emission light that pops up monthly.

[Jamisjockey]

Co-worker has a 2010 Subaru Forester.  80k miles, base model with heated seats and mirrors, sunroof but no nav or other fancy electronics.  Minor parking lot rash on drivers front quarter panel.  Tires aren't bald but close to needing replacement.  They were going to ask $8000 on Craigslist, expecting $7000-7500 actual sale price.

Good deal?  Anything from that vintage to be wary of?

Subarus are known to eat head gaskets.

[K Frame]

"Subarus are known to eat head gaskets."

Not as much as they used to. The situation with the head gaskets started getting better in the mid 2000s.

One problem with the H-4 engine, though, is that some of them tend to use a lot of oil, as in a quart per 1,000 miles.

My 2012 had that issue, and my 2015 that I picked up yesterday is also in that band, but Subaru has extended coverage on those engines and will do a short block replacement to correct the issue if it's bad enough.

[brimic]

"Subarus are known to eat head gaskets."

Not as much as they used to. The situation with the head gaskets started getting better in the mid 2000s.

One problem with the H-4 engine, though, is that some of them tend to use a lot of oil, as in a quart per 1,000 miles.

My 2012 had that issue, and my 2015 that I picked up yesterday is also in that band, but Subaru has extended coverage on those engines and will do a short block replacement to correct the issue if it's bad enough.

My 2014 used about a quart every 5000 miles, its actually gotten better after around 50,000 miles.

[K Frame]

Then you engine is in the "standard" range for most cars. You'd expect to see that kind of usage over about 5,000 miles, depending on the kind of driving. A quart every 1K miles? That's excessive and was apparently traced to a particular ring design used on some engines.

[Ben]

Then you engine is in the "standard" range for most cars. You'd expect to see that kind of usage over about 5,000 miles, depending on the kind of driving. A quart every 1K miles? That's excessive and was apparently traced to a particular ring design used on some engines.

I'm not sure if that's the case anymore. I had a 2000 Isuzu Trooper that ate a quart every 4K miles or so and it was apparently considered normal for that design. Neither my 2014 4Runner nor 2016 F150 go through oil in any measurable way (as in, visible enough on the dipstick to say, "I need to add oil") in the ~7500 miles between scheduled oil changes.

[K Frame]

"Neither my 2014 4Runner nor 2016 F150 go through oil in any measurable way"

That's due to a neat design feature that, as the oil is burned through the cylinders, a balancing valve replaces it with coolant from the reservoir...

Wait... whut? That's not normal?

 

[brimic]

Then you engine is in the "standard" range for most cars. You'd expect to see that kind of usage over about 5,000 miles, depending on the kind of driving. A quart every 1K miles? That's excessive and was apparently traced to a particular ring design used on some engines.

Yes. I heard the 2013-2014 4cyl engines had problems with oil consumption, and noted a bit with mine, but never was concerned about it.
The last several cars I've owned consumed no oil over that many miles, but they were't boxer engines either.