I'm looking for a reliable and cheap to own car for college. I found a 2002 Honda Civic EX (5 speed manual trans, 122k miles) for private sale and the seller is asking $3500. Will this car last me at least the next 3 years until I finish college? I'll probably be putting on 14k miles per year and driving on the highway a decent amount. Any advice would be appreciated. Also if you have any better recommendations for around $5000 that would be good too; i would prefer a stick shift.
It is 19 yrs old with 122k miles, if the mileage is verifiable can be ok to tootle around for a few yrs. They're simple and easy to work on compared to new cars. Lot's of those gen Civic's out there so plenty of how to youtube videos if you need to work on stuff. I'd try to get 'em down 500-800 from their asking price.
If a mechanic says its in good shape it probably will last you that long but they are asking way too much. Civic or Accord are good manual bets. If looking for an automatic, I would have recommended 2003-2010 Toyota Corolla.
Put no more than $3000 ($2,500 reccomend)
For a car that old, the civics do last for a really long time but to be safe, I would debate less on it. Be sure to check for rust, check for any flaws of some sort, if not then not a cent over $3000, get it inspected right away
Good luck
Start at $2750, cap out at $3000, not a cent more......
If a mechanic says it’s in good shape now, odds are it’s going to last even the next owner’s entire college stint.
Good luck!
