Hello there, I’m in need for some advice. I’m looking for a private party used car. My budget is 8k. I live far from the city so I wanna get something that gives me at least more than 28mpg. I’ve been thinking Japanese or a Fusion. Or I can fix my dad’s 2005 Mercedes e320 CDI that has 255k miles on it but runs up to 40mpg on the highway. The Mercedes needs wheel steering recalibration and probably new shock absorbers so I’ll probably spend >2k on it. I don’t mind driving the Mercedes until it stops, I prefer to save the money if you advise me so
A 19-year-old Benz can very quickly turn into an endless money pit so I'd be wary of that. A Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic would probably be ideal. I would not consider a Fusion unless it had the 2.5 naturally-aspirated engine. The turbocharged and V6 engines are ticking time bombs.
Whatever car you decide on, including the Mercedes if you want to go that route, should be checked out thoroughly by a good mechanic before purchase.
