These Are The Most Reliable Cars You Say You Can Buy For Less Than $5,000

It is usually a bad idea to buy a car for less than $5,000, unless you are buying it to wrench, or unless you've had it inspected and are going into it eyes open, or unless that is simply all you can afford, full stop. That's because cheap cars are unreliable cars, and, if you spend a small amount of money now, you're probably going to be on the hook for a lot more later when it breaks. And yet.

We asked you all for your best purchases in this vein; the responses were some of what you would expect (lots of Toyotas and Hondas) and a few things that you wouldn't. By the way, the best (only) car I have ever bought for under $5,000 was a 1991 Chevy S-10 that I bought for $700 in 2003 which simply refused to die, and which I used throughout college and for a good time after.

I don't really know what happened to it, in the end. I parked it at my mom's house and moved to New York City and one day I came back and it was gone and I didn't ask why or how, probably because I didn't want to know.

A programming note: Most of you answered this question hypothetically, others provided examples of cars that you actually bought or have bought. The answers are a mix.

Back in 2004, my dad bought me my first car for just over $5000. A 1995 Honda Prelude. I drove it throughout highschool and wasn't the nicest I could have been on it. I loved that thing. When I was going to college, we actually sold it (in part to buy back his old Z3 that I begged him not to sell) for just under $5000. The only reason we didn't sell it for the same price was because the struts needed replacing and my dad felt bad for not doing it himself. It had 150k miles and was as tight as a car around 60-70k miles.

By Thirdmort

Buick LeSabre. Nobody ever plans to buy a Buick LeSabre, and that is why they remain a bargain even in today's market.

This is definitely true nowadays, as they haven't made a LeSabre in over 15 years, but back in the day my grandpa went through three of them. He loved 'em.

By smalleyxb122

1998-2011 Crown Vic P71. Nice ones are getting harder to find, but, they're out there. Under $5K gets you one with around 150K miles. You can still find super clean ones with under 100K miles for under $8K as well.

There's a reason cab companies would buy these things at government auctions, slap some paint on them, and run them for another 200,000 miles in city traffic.

They're big, reliable AF, comfortable, cheap to maintain, great parts availability, and easy performance upgrades if that's your thing.

It is here that I must note that Crown Vics aren't any more reliable than other Fords of its time; the reason cabbies preferred them is because they are big as hell but, more importantly, parts are plentiful.

By factoryhack

I will stick with what I know.

Nissans with the VQ35DE and a 5sp auto. That will get you an Altima, some Maximas, and maybe an Xterra. Some will have a 5 or 6 speed manual.

They are reliable, no matter how much people hate the interior kit. At 5k, you are before a lot of the terrible ICE, so you can install your own stereo and be done.

I would also recco a plain-ass Kia Forte.

The nicer the interior gadgets and gizmos, the less reliable it becomes with time.

By Krymdog

When you start plumbing the depths of 20 year old beaters, individual care, attention, and maintenance records are worth 100x more than factory build quality.

I'd take a Jaguar with a reliable owner and a stack of paperwork over a Camry that was neglected or beat to hell.

In an otherwise close contest though, the usual suspects seem to still be the best though. Toyota anything. 3800 powered anything. Vehicles typically driven by older owners. Trucks. Things without CVTs.

That's good advice about service history versus factory build quality!

By V10omous

I've been asked this question several times over the years, and the answer is ALWAYS GMT800, hands-down. Be it a pickup, Tahoe, or Suburban, the '99-'06 trucks will run badly longer than many cars will run at all, and parts are dirt-cheap and plentiful. Sure, the paint might be peeling and the leather eating surfaces are garbage, but if you absolutely, positively need to get where you're going for under $5k, this is the way.

By Krautwagen

In the sub-$5000 market, there is the mileage factor that affects reliability.

So while something like a Prius is one of the most reliable vehicles, the ones you get for under $5000 have a lot of miles.

So what you want for under $5000 is something that is reliable and available with relatively low miles for that money. And having something that is simple and basic is a plus.

So thus, my top 'best chance of reliability' pick would be a Toyota Yaris. Very reliable, very simple and undesirable since North Americans don't like small cars.

You can easily find solid examples in good condition without too much mileage for under $5000.

And an honorable mention goes to the Honda Fit... especially if you need a decent amount of trunk space. The Fit has around double the trunk space compared to the Yaris Hatchback.

I have to co-sign on the Fit as well, fantastic little car, yes, I own one, why do you ask.

By Manwich – now Keto-Friendly

One bright spot in this price range, at least in my area, and my experience: Toyota Avalons from the early 2000's. Older Avalons seemed to have first owners who actually took care of them, and they tend to be in better condition than similar examples of the usual favorites in this category, Camry/Accord/Corolla/Civic. Between my household (three young drivers and a current driveway count of five) and my in-laws, three '00 to '02 Avalons have proven to provide reliable transportation and reasonable maintenance costs. For $5K , you should be able to find reasonable examples of the Avalon that are a few years newer than mine.

Did not expect an Avalon!

By Phil_L

A reminder that things are different in Europe:

In my neck of the woods, $5K buys you a fully restored Renault 4 (frame, body and engine). Mine cost me the equivalent to $1.2K and it's been way more reliable than I could ever expect. Not only that, with the exception of a couple of bits of trim, most parts can be found for unbelievably cheap, and many are still in production, simply because there's a lot of them still being driven daily like mine. So my vote, relevant only to wherever these still exist in great numbers, goes to the best sub-$5K Renault 4 one can find. This one is $4.4K and looks impeccably restored. It has a couple of blemishes that mean it could probably be haggled down a bit.

https://www.olx.pt/d/anuncio/renault-4l-restaurada-IDGA1Wb.html#2e17ad954a

That or literally any old Toyota. I'd go with an 80s HiAce, but you do you.

By Comment Box Sanitation Dept. – never sticks to cars

Ford Ranger. (Up to 2012). These trucks were solid, and the common problems they had weren't the kind of problem that would keep them off the road. Plus, they are so plentiful parts are still cheap. I've had a couple and they were inexpensive and easy to maintain... and they can take a beating. They had such a ridiculous range of options and configurations, you can find one at most budget levels.

By Sid Bridge