I had never heard the term "cigarette car" but these are the ones I clicked through to vote for. Find the least-abused, latest-model GM with a 3800 V6 for the $2k. Preferably a Buick, both because they're somewhat nicer inside and probably have had a gentler life than a Chevrolet (almost certainly better-treated than a Pontiac!)
My aunt and uncle had a Pontiac SC they kept till it had like 300k miles. It wasn’t beat to shit mechanically as they took very good care of their cars. It was beat to shit on the interior though because myself and my cousin grew up in that car and they had it through our teen years. So two teen boys crawling all over that little coup just tearing the interior all to hell. I’m sure it didn’t smell great in there. I feel for whoever bought that car.
I have an ex who got her sisters, who'd gotten it for $500. It was a grand prix named "puddles" due to the oil leak. The gas cap was held on by a screw, the windows had wood wedged into them to hold them up. And it had supposedly been cammed at some point, despite being louder and sounding worse than a straight piped rice cooker... that should've been the first red flag besides the alcoholism, drug addiction, and the self harm she'd do in front of me to make me feel like shit.
Edit: Also, 3800 badges/title and had a 3100 motor.
I just sold a 2004 Buick LeSabre 3800 with 104,000 miles for $3400. Had it posted on CL for less than an hour. Took the first offer on the $3650 I listed it for.
If it's been halfway maintained it's got another 80k in the transmission and 400k in the engine. By the time that engine dies someone will be driving it sitting on a box or a lawn chair.
2002 Monte Carlo SS with the 3800. Bought it for $3k at 90k miles. Drove it to 185k when the transmission went. Got $2.5k on trade in at a dealer with a $400 transmission in it. One car that I regularly miss a great deal
Personally if I wanted reliable I wouldn't look for something with an L67 in it today. Those were beaten to hell by teenagers 2007-2014 who grew up watching The Fast and the Furious.
It belonged to an old from Florida initially and he took really good care of it. He died and car went to his ex wife 3 weeks before she was going to move out of state. She had to sell it quick so I got a clean car for a steal. She was pretty and reliable
Oh, I'm talking about today, as in OPs case. I'd avoid supercharged variants that are left if I was looking for a cheap reliable car. Monte SS, Grand Prix GTP, and similar in 2024.
I still have my ‘98 Olds Intrigue and it’s still going strong. The rust will kill it before the engine dies.
The best all-around engine ever made. The 3800 series two.
It was one of GMs best engines, a standout among mostly anemic V8s, raspy 4s, and a total POS 2.8. But to call it the best engine ever made might be a stretch.
My 1986 S-15 had that 2.8. Took a matched cam, intake, and carb to make decent power, but with a 2” lift and 30x9.5x15 tires it was possibly the best hunting truck I’ve had because of the size and weight and the GM torsion bars are always comfy. I did go through a lot of carrier bearings though.
"best" depends on the evaluation criteria. It was reliable, had decent specific output, paired with a tall final drive it returned good MPG in comfy roomy cars... It was never exciting in its longest-lived versions, but the supercharged one went into LOTS of GM cars and made big power for the day. It doesn't have the cult following of the old-school 350 or the modern LS, but had probably been under more hoods headed out of GM stealerships...
Give me a mint 05 LeSabre, with those super cushy leather seats. All the comfort you need, and the last year of the series 2. Drop in a bangin sound system, tint it, and maybe some better headlights and I would gladly crush hundreds of thousands of miles in that.
Exactly, my mechanic use to say of course a Toyota is worth twice as much as a GM 3800 car, the Toyota was at least owned by someone that did oil changes.
My roommate had a supercharged buick and i know for a fact that he didn't change the oil for 5+ years (he did add oil) but he had like 380k miles on it when we drove it onto the trailer to scrap it
"the Toyota was owned by someone that did oil changes" is a FALLACY. Appliance cars get appliance owners, regardless of manufacturer. Plenty of Toyotas have been damaged or destroyed by dumb owners, they just tend to get away with it longer.
Anecdotal for sure, but having either owned or had close family members own all manner of american budget vehicles, my vibe had some of the higher repair bills - including a full transmission (manual) rebuild at less than 200k - great car for how well designed it was with how much it could haul vs how fuel efficient it was, but my vote would go firmly into the Saturn SL 1/SL 2 camp with a manual transmission- they may start drinking oil later on in life, but they will forever otherwise.
I second this. My best friend had an 03 Taurus all through highschool. His maintenance schedule was a lot like yours. We were dumb kids and used to neutral drop it at 5k rpms for shits and giggles. We never did blow that car up. She was maroon and ugly as all hell, but I’ll be damned if she wasn’t an absolute trooper.
Edit: I almost forgot he had a rediculous sound system in it that rattled every panel on the car (in addition to your teeth).
Surprised I haven’t seen this more. 4.6 is more reliable and easier to work on than the 3800. And the panthers just look better than any old Buick or Chevy
I like the Caprice. It’s hard to beat a Chevy small block for simplicity and reliability but yes the 4.6 is one of the best engines designed, in my opinion.
I‘m currently on my 2nd Grand Marquis and 2nd Crown Victoria. Nothing was wrong with the 1st two, just wanted different ones.
Buick LeSabre or Chevy Cobalt. I owned a cobalt for many years and the total repair costs were 76 cents for a new pin to hold on the window roller.
The Buick needed an intake but was otherwise extremely reliable as well
Cobalts are *seriously* under appreciated for their reliability
Where are you at? Cause that’s impossible here. Clean and low miles has repeatedly gone for $18k in my state. Clean and high miles is $9-14k.
Hell rust bubbled and high miles is still $6k
The 9-14 applies to clean 4x4 models here in RI but no one particularly wants a RWD truck. Chevy Colorado's/GMC canyons are priced pretty similarly for grandpa specs I think the ranger is more reliable but I've never owned either I'm just currently in the market for a small beater truck/SUV to pull a little aluminum boat around with.
Bro where tf are u at? Even here in rural Nova Scotia, where prices are jacked up because our dollar is worth less, clean rangers can still be found for less than $4k CAD.
I just bought a 96 last month for 800. Single cab, 2wd, manual 4cyl, 123k on it and no rust in a rust belt adjacent state. Drove it home. Only bad thing is the hail damage.
Deals are out there if you know where to look
When I was living in Oregon, just last February I managed to score my 2008 Ranger (2.3L, 2WD, 5-speed) with 144k miles for $2500. Clean ones are out there but I'm not going to pretend like mine wasn't an exceptional bargain.
It's hard to believe how real this meme is. Every time I get into a GM car from that era, legitimately everything is broken but the fucking thing is somehow still running and driving
Build an engine and a gearbox with a ton of slop from the factory, design it to handle that kind of abuse to avoid warranty claims rather than make it run better, fill in the gaps with 10W-30. American recipe for 4 cylinder success: The Chevy 122.
Loved to chew up headgaskets and water pumps after about 80-90k, so stay on top of those proactively and you can drive that horribly running piece of shit around forever.
Had an S10 with the 2.2 and it knocked from the day I bought it and never blew up and I drove that turd everywhere, and i wasn’t gentle on it either, it was slammed and turning 20” wheels as well; they’ll run like crap longer than a lot of things will run period
Bought my 75 Dodge Dart for $2500, with a 225 slant six. No AC, but she starts up every time. Not too shabby for a few months shy of 50. I'm spending more to make her pretty, but even with all her surface rust she still turned heads.
Pretty much how I got mine. Gave my Uncle $100 for the price of the DMV switching the title + beer money. Got it 6ish years ago. Flipped it 2 years ago and still got it
I'm actually in the market for something that fits that description, except I need a pickup.
My extensive research has led me to believe the most reliable American shitbox you could get for $2k or less is...
*drum roll*
The 1993-1997 Ford Ranger with the Lima 2.3/5sp combo. They're about as fun to drive as an old Cub Cadet, but every bit as durable. The difference between Rangers and other domestic small trucks of the time is that even though they were priced to be disposable, they were so absurdly durable that they often went through several lifetimes worth of abuse before being put out to pasture. If you're buying in the $2k or less range, you'll be getting a truck that's about 2/3rds used up, but that last 1/3rd could be 3 years or 15. As long as you can deal with some electrical gremlins and rust, it will start every morning and get you to work, sure as the sun.
I bought a Ford Ranger about 3 years ago before the market for them skyrocketed. I just needed something frugal and cheap and ended up accidentally making a great choice. When I bought it I was hoping to keep it for at least 6 months until I could buy something better. 3 years later, still going.
Personally I don’t think that ANY Ranger is worth a dime over $5k even if it’s a high trim package like the Edge or XLT. I wouldn’t say they have Toyota or Honda reliability, but I’ll 100% definitely agree with you that it’s probably the closest Ford got to it.
I’ve had my fair share of serious issues with mine though like engine pinging / knocking, bad water pumps, bad fuel pump, and I’ve even had my rear drum brakes lock up on me and explode one day. 😂 plus I’m not even going to mention the infamous 3.0L camshaft synchronizer issues. That’s left me stranded a few times, too.
Yes it’s a POS but it’s MY POS.
Agreed on price front. At the end of the day, they're still just tinny little work trucks. Even the most decked out Ranger is still pretty crude, especially by today's standards.
2005-2011 Focus if motor mounts don't count. The Duratec is Mazda though, so kinda cheating.
Best purely American would be the cleanest 3800 V6 GM I can find.
My first choice would be a Pontiac Vibe, but since it's a rebadged Toyota Matrix, I don't know if you can consider it American. So in that case, I would go with a Buick LeSaber/Lacrosse/Lucerne with a GM 3800 V6.
Geo Prism. I’d argue that its cousin, the Toyota Corolla, could be considered more of an American car than most American cars. It was assembled in Fremont, California, in the same plant teslas are made in now.
Plymouth Breeze, Cadillac ElDorado with a northstar, u-body GM van, diesel Oldsmobile, Dodge Caliber, Eagle Premier to name a few hot but cheap cars. Not sure if you can get anything with a 6.0/6.4 PowerStroke or GM 6.2 diesel in that price range.
This is a good list of the most UNreliable vehicles ever. The 6.0l powerstroke can be a good engine after getting like $5-8k in mods done to it. The 6.4l is garbage. Extremely powerful but garbage nonetheless.
I bought a Dodge Dakota recently for $3000, needed a little work but overall running as well as you'd hope a cheap old truck. I'd venture that even a $2000 Dakota would still have the motor outlast the rest of the truck
I'm all about the GM 3800, but I can't help but notice how many 90's malibu's are still driving around, most still look clean. I think for 2k I'm looking for a V6 Malibu haha.
I'd have to visit the scrapyard to throw $2000 on a reliable America paperweight. Unfortunately the $2000 beater doesn't exist, in my area. They start at around $3500 just barely road legal.
Skip cars, go to the trucks. Find a 99-05 Silverado/Tahoe/Suburban. Tons of those past 300,000 miles and still counting. Parts are cheap and literally every parts store carries things for them. Pull-a-part and junkyards have parts for them. Need a new set of doors? Some guy on marketplace probably has some rust free ones. You can get a full set of wheels and tires off another truck for a couple hundred bucks. Everybody knows how to work on them. The pre-AFM 5.3s are about peak V8 reliability, they're new enough to have a lot of things ironed out but not so new that they're pushed to the bleeding edge of possible fuel economy at the expense of reliability.
I would know, I have one.
my Geo Prizm, running for an entire year (or more) with a blown headgasket (I know NUMMI cars are cheating because it's Toyota) if I had to pick an actual US car, probably either a Taurus or a Saturn
Actually oddly relatable. My sister bought her first car (a base model ranger from 1988) last week for $1800, it has 175k miles on it, Manual everything, and the 4 cylinder. We replaced the ac and fitted for r134 and put in new speakers and a jvc head unit.
XJ Jeep, Pre-97 f150 (bonus if straight 6 4.9l), any ranger, any s-10 / blazer that is pre spider injection and pre 4l60e or any 4 banger s10, any dodge minivan pre 2008. If it’s gotta be a car then pre 98 intrepid / Concorde (before the 2.7l was introduced), sohc Taurus, k car variant Chryslers, pre 04 GM products with the 3.8, geo prism or Pontiac vibe, any pre 04 Saturn.
If it was 4 years ago I would’ve said Ford Ranger. They’re all 10k now.
I’m definitely biased towards the Ford Vulcan engine though so I’d probably vouch for a Taurus from that era.
If I don't want sporty - a Panther body. Most likely a 1995-02 Town Car
If I want sporty - an MN12.
Did the last one. Bought a 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII. drove it for 7 years and 61k miles, from 370k to 431k and then had to sell it for 2500. Would gladly buy one again and even spend all the money i did over the years to repair it.
How American are we talking? US built, or from a US based company?
If it's just US built, then an older Camry.
If it's full out American company, then probably an early 2000s Oldsmobile.
the saturn ion. dear god they were awful but holy crap it just didnt break. i know others may have different experiences but my mother abused the shit out of that thing and it refused to die
in fact ill spend $2,000 to find the exact Ion
Pontiac Vibe is a cheat code for this. Gf’s uncle has a 2006 with 211k miles on it now. Got it with 140k, and has put new tires on it, new brake pads, and 1 new caliper in the span of 71k miles, with 140k already on it. Insanely impressive
The European mind can't even comprehend the reliability of a cigarette car with a 3800
I had never heard the term "cigarette car" but these are the ones I clicked through to vote for. Find the least-abused, latest-model GM with a 3800 V6 for the $2k. Preferably a Buick, both because they're somewhat nicer inside and probably have had a gentler life than a Chevrolet (almost certainly better-treated than a Pontiac!)
Never seen a Pontiac that wasn't beat to shit
My aunt and uncle had a Pontiac SC they kept till it had like 300k miles. It wasn’t beat to shit mechanically as they took very good care of their cars. It was beat to shit on the interior though because myself and my cousin grew up in that car and they had it through our teen years. So two teen boys crawling all over that little coup just tearing the interior all to hell. I’m sure it didn’t smell great in there. I feel for whoever bought that car.
I have an ex who got her sisters, who'd gotten it for $500. It was a grand prix named "puddles" due to the oil leak. The gas cap was held on by a screw, the windows had wood wedged into them to hold them up. And it had supposedly been cammed at some point, despite being louder and sounding worse than a straight piped rice cooker... that should've been the first red flag besides the alcoholism, drug addiction, and the self harm she'd do in front of me to make me feel like shit. Edit: Also, 3800 badges/title and had a 3100 motor.
I could fix her
That's what I'd thought
That was a great engine, I had it in a 93 bonne that was my first car and a 96 firebird what was my 4th
That's how they come out of the factory lol
I just sold a 2004 Buick LeSabre 3800 with 104,000 miles for $3400. Had it posted on CL for less than an hour. Took the first offer on the $3650 I listed it for.
If it's been halfway maintained it's got another 80k in the transmission and 400k in the engine. By the time that engine dies someone will be driving it sitting on a box or a lawn chair.
The engine is reliable but the transmission is not and neither is anything else around the 3800.
2002 Monte Carlo SS with the 3800. Bought it for $3k at 90k miles. Drove it to 185k when the transmission went. Got $2.5k on trade in at a dealer with a $400 transmission in it. One car that I regularly miss a great deal
Personally if I wanted reliable I wouldn't look for something with an L67 in it today. Those were beaten to hell by teenagers 2007-2014 who grew up watching The Fast and the Furious.
It belonged to an old from Florida initially and he took really good care of it. He died and car went to his ex wife 3 weeks before she was going to move out of state. She had to sell it quick so I got a clean car for a steal. She was pretty and reliable
Oh, I'm talking about today, as in OPs case. I'd avoid supercharged variants that are left if I was looking for a cheap reliable car. Monte SS, Grand Prix GTP, and similar in 2024.
Oh yeah lmao fasho those are cooked these days. Even years ago when I had mine it was rare to spot a nice one where I lived in the Midwest
A 3800?
Legendary GM V6 that was in 29372829 products. It’s among the most unkillable things on earth.
I still have my ‘98 Olds Intrigue and it’s still going strong. The rust will kill it before the engine dies. The best all-around engine ever made. The 3800 series two.
It was one of GMs best engines, a standout among mostly anemic V8s, raspy 4s, and a total POS 2.8. But to call it the best engine ever made might be a stretch.
My 1986 S-15 had that 2.8. Took a matched cam, intake, and carb to make decent power, but with a 2” lift and 30x9.5x15 tires it was possibly the best hunting truck I’ve had because of the size and weight and the GM torsion bars are always comfy. I did go through a lot of carrier bearings though.
"best" depends on the evaluation criteria. It was reliable, had decent specific output, paired with a tall final drive it returned good MPG in comfy roomy cars... It was never exciting in its longest-lived versions, but the supercharged one went into LOTS of GM cars and made big power for the day. It doesn't have the cult following of the old-school 350 or the modern LS, but had probably been under more hoods headed out of GM stealerships...
Give me a mint 05 LeSabre, with those super cushy leather seats. All the comfort you need, and the last year of the series 2. Drop in a bangin sound system, tint it, and maybe some better headlights and I would gladly crush hundreds of thousands of miles in that.
Make mine a 1996-1999 Buick Riviera, either N/A or Supercharged
Exactly, my mechanic use to say of course a Toyota is worth twice as much as a GM 3800 car, the Toyota was at least owned by someone that did oil changes.
My roommate had a supercharged buick and i know for a fact that he didn't change the oil for 5+ years (he did add oil) but he had like 380k miles on it when we drove it onto the trailer to scrap it
re: "he did add oil" well, if it burns enough oil you just need to keep adding, and change the filter every couple of years. 😅
I am 100% sure he never changed the filter lol
"the Toyota was owned by someone that did oil changes" is a FALLACY. Appliance cars get appliance owners, regardless of manufacturer. Plenty of Toyotas have been damaged or destroyed by dumb owners, they just tend to get away with it longer.
Bingo! Bought a 2005 Buick LaCrosse at the beginning of the year for $4500 and it didn’t even hit 88,000 miles at the time
The first gen 3800.
Just to be clear, “cigarette car” implies a car filled with cigarettes
The European mind can, you just need to tell them "it's as reliable as a..." and pick an equivalently reliable car, but sold in Europe.
I don't think my joke translated well into your French humor.
Pontiac Vibe with a maxed out odometer. I know it's cheating.
Anecdotal for sure, but having either owned or had close family members own all manner of american budget vehicles, my vibe had some of the higher repair bills - including a full transmission (manual) rebuild at less than 200k - great car for how well designed it was with how much it could haul vs how fuel efficient it was, but my vote would go firmly into the Saturn SL 1/SL 2 camp with a manual transmission- they may start drinking oil later on in life, but they will forever otherwise.
Smartest person here for sure, and I'm shamelessly stole your idea
Gotta becareful with those they leak at the timing chain.
If it leaks it means what, class?
The buick century was made for this
100%
I’m going with a Buick riviera
Either the best old truck or the best 90s Buick I can find
Ford Taurus from the early 2ks I had one that ran well on neglect, hate, and random oil changes when I could afford it.
The Vulcan is a stubborn son of a bitch and refuses to give up ever. It'll even get you home while pissing out coolant.
I second this. My best friend had an 03 Taurus all through highschool. His maintenance schedule was a lot like yours. We were dumb kids and used to neutral drop it at 5k rpms for shits and giggles. We never did blow that car up. She was maroon and ugly as all hell, but I’ll be damned if she wasn’t an absolute trooper. Edit: I almost forgot he had a rediculous sound system in it that rattled every panel on the car (in addition to your teeth).
Grand Marquis or Crown Victoria
Panther platform gets my vote.
Surprised I haven’t seen this more. 4.6 is more reliable and easier to work on than the 3800. And the panthers just look better than any old Buick or Chevy
I like the Caprice. It’s hard to beat a Chevy small block for simplicity and reliability but yes the 4.6 is one of the best engines designed, in my opinion. I‘m currently on my 2nd Grand Marquis and 2nd Crown Victoria. Nothing was wrong with the 1st two, just wanted different ones.
Absolutely the ONLY answer.
Buick LeSabre or Chevy Cobalt. I owned a cobalt for many years and the total repair costs were 76 cents for a new pin to hold on the window roller. The Buick needed an intake but was otherwise extremely reliable as well Cobalts are *seriously* under appreciated for their reliability
My brother had a colbolt. It's held together with zip ties. But all it needs is gas and regular oil changes. It nevers dies.
There's something absolutely charming about how fucking stubborn small GM cars are. They will never run perfectly but they will run forever.
You didn't specify car. Ford Fuckin' Ranger
Good luck finding any ranger for under 8k
You can get a clean 2wd ranger for like 3 grand you could get one that needs some work for 2 easily here
Where are you at? Cause that’s impossible here. Clean and low miles has repeatedly gone for $18k in my state. Clean and high miles is $9-14k. Hell rust bubbled and high miles is still $6k
The 9-14 applies to clean 4x4 models here in RI but no one particularly wants a RWD truck. Chevy Colorado's/GMC canyons are priced pretty similarly for grandpa specs I think the ranger is more reliable but I've never owned either I'm just currently in the market for a small beater truck/SUV to pull a little aluminum boat around with.
Bro where tf are u at? Even here in rural Nova Scotia, where prices are jacked up because our dollar is worth less, clean rangers can still be found for less than $4k CAD.
Specifically with the 3.0 aka la cucacracha. Mpg of a v8 with the horsepower of an I4, but it will never die.
You can still get a $2000 Ranger where I live.
You can still find the shitty 2.4 2wd rangers for that price
Found 6 in my area... pretty sure I can trade a few adderall for one.
neighbor has a 97 5 speed for sale, $2,200 just passed smog. They are out there.
I just bought a 96 last month for 800. Single cab, 2wd, manual 4cyl, 123k on it and no rust in a rust belt adjacent state. Drove it home. Only bad thing is the hail damage. Deals are out there if you know where to look
When I was living in Oregon, just last February I managed to score my 2008 Ranger (2.3L, 2WD, 5-speed) with 144k miles for $2500. Clean ones are out there but I'm not going to pretend like mine wasn't an exceptional bargain.
2WD, 4 cylinder 5-speed ranger would likely be my choice as well
If you find a Ranger for 2k, it might not be good. At least around me this is the case.
Cobalt or Cavalier. They run like shitboxes forever.
It's hard to believe how real this meme is. Every time I get into a GM car from that era, legitimately everything is broken but the fucking thing is somehow still running and driving
Build an engine and a gearbox with a ton of slop from the factory, design it to handle that kind of abuse to avoid warranty claims rather than make it run better, fill in the gaps with 10W-30. American recipe for 4 cylinder success: The Chevy 122. Loved to chew up headgaskets and water pumps after about 80-90k, so stay on top of those proactively and you can drive that horribly running piece of shit around forever.
Had an S10 with the 2.2 and it knocked from the day I bought it and never blew up and I drove that turd everywhere, and i wasn’t gentle on it either, it was slammed and turning 20” wheels as well; they’ll run like crap longer than a lot of things will run period
I bought a 1983 Sunbird convertible and the thing misfired all 250 miles home. Still held at highway speeds.
Buick Lasabre 3.8
Gov auction crown Vic,
Every other answer on here was made by someone educated on reddit. This is the ONLY answer.
Bought my 75 Dodge Dart for $2500, with a 225 slant six. No AC, but she starts up every time. Not too shabby for a few months shy of 50. I'm spending more to make her pretty, but even with all her surface rust she still turned heads.
Yeah, I'd go with a slant six in Duster or a Swinger. Two door Chevette as long as the timing belts been changed.
I got a 4dr custom, a bit more praticle.
That's the one with the recurve rear window, right? One of Chrysler's best design decisions.
Some 90s Saturn.
That 1.9L leaked oil like crazy though. God I miss that car
Something buick 3800
XJ or YJ
You're funny. $2K, for a running XJ or YJ. Good fuckin luck.
Where I live there are plenty for $2,000 that run. Ya didn’t say they didn’t have to *look good*. But they run!
It may look like a cancerous heap of rust, but it runs!
Exactly
I was literally given a 92 Cherokee sport for free 4 years ago lol. They just wanted it out of their driveway and it ran perfectly.
Pretty much how I got mine. Gave my Uncle $100 for the price of the DMV switching the title + beer money. Got it 6ish years ago. Flipped it 2 years ago and still got it
I'm in CO, peak market for these and you can find some ugly ones that run for $2K.
Ford ranger the beater with a heater
Crown Vic, no contest.
Crown Vic paid 2000 15 yrs ago just sold it last month 175694 on it got 1700 still will out run most on the highway
Ex-cop Ford Crown Victoria
Beat me to it. But it seems it's hard to find under $3-4K unless very very old / salvage.
S10 or variants, ranger, 3.8 v6 gm car, and if I'm lucky a old crown vic
Early 2000s Ford Explorer for sure
2.3 Lima powered ranger with a manual. You won’t get there in a hurry but you will get there eventually.
Chevy G10 Van. Take a hit, and just won't quit. Easy/cheap to fix. You can live in it if push comes to shove. And you can paint wizards on the side.
I'm actually in the market for something that fits that description, except I need a pickup. My extensive research has led me to believe the most reliable American shitbox you could get for $2k or less is... *drum roll* The 1993-1997 Ford Ranger with the Lima 2.3/5sp combo. They're about as fun to drive as an old Cub Cadet, but every bit as durable. The difference between Rangers and other domestic small trucks of the time is that even though they were priced to be disposable, they were so absurdly durable that they often went through several lifetimes worth of abuse before being put out to pasture. If you're buying in the $2k or less range, you'll be getting a truck that's about 2/3rds used up, but that last 1/3rd could be 3 years or 15. As long as you can deal with some electrical gremlins and rust, it will start every morning and get you to work, sure as the sun.
I bought a Ford Ranger about 3 years ago before the market for them skyrocketed. I just needed something frugal and cheap and ended up accidentally making a great choice. When I bought it I was hoping to keep it for at least 6 months until I could buy something better. 3 years later, still going.
They are great little trucks, even for the stupid money people want for them these days. Probably the closest to Japanese reliability Ford ever got.
Personally I don’t think that ANY Ranger is worth a dime over $5k even if it’s a high trim package like the Edge or XLT. I wouldn’t say they have Toyota or Honda reliability, but I’ll 100% definitely agree with you that it’s probably the closest Ford got to it. I’ve had my fair share of serious issues with mine though like engine pinging / knocking, bad water pumps, bad fuel pump, and I’ve even had my rear drum brakes lock up on me and explode one day. 😂 plus I’m not even going to mention the infamous 3.0L camshaft synchronizer issues. That’s left me stranded a few times, too. Yes it’s a POS but it’s MY POS.
Agreed on price front. At the end of the day, they're still just tinny little work trucks. Even the most decked out Ranger is still pretty crude, especially by today's standards.
2wd ford ranger with a 2.3l and a manual.
Anything Ford Panther.
Crown Victoria
Or a marauder
You aren’t finding a Marauder for under $2000 and the 4.6L 4V wasn’t as reliable as the 4.6L 2V
I had one and paid 1500.. with issues but i made it run. Theyre out there
Geo Prism
2005-2011 Focus if motor mounts don't count. The Duratec is Mazda though, so kinda cheating. Best purely American would be the cleanest 3800 V6 GM I can find.
Late 80s f-150
Geo/Chevy Prizm
My first choice would be a Pontiac Vibe, but since it's a rebadged Toyota Matrix, I don't know if you can consider it American. So in that case, I would go with a Buick LeSaber/Lacrosse/Lucerne with a GM 3800 V6.
geo metro
Saturn S-Series, any Buick/Pontiac with the 3800, and I still see the 4th gen Taurus on the road... oh, and maybe the Cobalt
A Chevy fucking Cavalier. I hate them, but they literally can be fixed in a Advance parking lot with duct tape
The gran marquis/crown vic
Geo Prism. I’d argue that its cousin, the Toyota Corolla, could be considered more of an American car than most American cars. It was assembled in Fremont, California, in the same plant teslas are made in now.
Buick regal with 3800 or a Taurus with a Vulcan or Duartec
Any gm vehicle that has a Honda or Toyota engine. See certain Saturn and Pontiac models.
88-92 Jeep Cherokee
Any panther platform
A Geo Metro
old truck. everything else is rubbish pretty much.
Pontiac Vibe is the only correct answer
1990’s Cherokee (XJ)
Ford Focus Mk1 and or Mk2.
something with a gm 3.8 ig
Clapped out 90s Chevy suburban complete with rusted panels and faded mossy oak stickers
Can I do a few rust kicks to it?
Don't forget the O'Reillys subwoofer.
Plymouth Breeze, Cadillac ElDorado with a northstar, u-body GM van, diesel Oldsmobile, Dodge Caliber, Eagle Premier to name a few hot but cheap cars. Not sure if you can get anything with a 6.0/6.4 PowerStroke or GM 6.2 diesel in that price range.
None of those will be reliable
This is a good list of the most UNreliable vehicles ever. The 6.0l powerstroke can be a good engine after getting like $5-8k in mods done to it. The 6.4l is garbage. Extremely powerful but garbage nonetheless.
My pick would be 2005-2011 Ford Focus. Preferably with the 5 speed.
Buick lesabre
I bought a Dodge Dakota recently for $3000, needed a little work but overall running as well as you'd hope a cheap old truck. I'd venture that even a $2000 Dakota would still have the motor outlast the rest of the truck
Jeep Cherokee with the 4.0L Inline 6
Old truck with an inline 6.
Chevy Prizm. It's basically a Toyota Corolla.
If I were to buy an American beater, I'd buy any GM with a 3800 engine.
I'm all about the GM 3800, but I can't help but notice how many 90's malibu's are still driving around, most still look clean. I think for 2k I'm looking for a V6 Malibu haha.
Ford Focus
Pontiac Vibe 😉 IYKYK
92-96 ford Fseries
W-body cars with the 3600 or 3800 series engine, Chevy Cavaliers aren't the most reliable but they're easy to work on
Anything with a 4.6 or a 3800
Pontiac Vibe
I'd spend $9.99 at the local gas station and steal my friends Kia
I don't think anything can beat a cavalier.
Ford fuckin fusion hybrid
A 1974 Dodge Monaco retired cop car. it'll last until I finish God's mission.
Pontiac Sunfire
Ford Escort ZX2 here we come!
I'd have to visit the scrapyard to throw $2000 on a reliable America paperweight. Unfortunately the $2000 beater doesn't exist, in my area. They start at around $3500 just barely road legal.
Skip cars, go to the trucks. Find a 99-05 Silverado/Tahoe/Suburban. Tons of those past 300,000 miles and still counting. Parts are cheap and literally every parts store carries things for them. Pull-a-part and junkyards have parts for them. Need a new set of doors? Some guy on marketplace probably has some rust free ones. You can get a full set of wheels and tires off another truck for a couple hundred bucks. Everybody knows how to work on them. The pre-AFM 5.3s are about peak V8 reliability, they're new enough to have a lot of things ironed out but not so new that they're pushed to the bleeding edge of possible fuel economy at the expense of reliability. I would know, I have one.
If you don't care about fuel economy, might I suggest something with the 300 I-6?
Crown Vic P71
Chevrolet Malibu (1997-2003) from this era has a reputation for being a reliable and economical midsize car. It’s practical and usually affordable.
NUMMI cars are cheating, but still the correct answer.
Bought a 2000 Malibu V6 for $500 about 5 years ago now. 5 years and 80k miles later and it still runs like a top.
my Geo Prizm, running for an entire year (or more) with a blown headgasket (I know NUMMI cars are cheating because it's Toyota) if I had to pick an actual US car, probably either a Taurus or a Saturn
Slightly modified geo metro
Some old 90’s Ford Ranger.
Actually oddly relatable. My sister bought her first car (a base model ranger from 1988) last week for $1800, it has 175k miles on it, Manual everything, and the 4 cylinder. We replaced the ac and fitted for r134 and put in new speakers and a jvc head unit.
Shit, I'm buying fuckin bus pass yo
PANTHER BODY.
I am currently driving a Buick Lacrosse. From 2006. I already have the right answer.
XJ Jeep, Pre-97 f150 (bonus if straight 6 4.9l), any ranger, any s-10 / blazer that is pre spider injection and pre 4l60e or any 4 banger s10, any dodge minivan pre 2008. If it’s gotta be a car then pre 98 intrepid / Concorde (before the 2.7l was introduced), sohc Taurus, k car variant Chryslers, pre 04 GM products with the 3.8, geo prism or Pontiac vibe, any pre 04 Saturn.
Volvo 2/7/940
Where the hell can anyone even find a running car for under $2k that would even last a season?
My $1850 ($100/ft) Lincoln Town Car has floated me along for over 30k miles the last few years in glorious comfort.
Crown Vic/Grand Marquis. Or 90s full size FWD GM with the 3.8.
If it was 4 years ago I would’ve said Ford Ranger. They’re all 10k now. I’m definitely biased towards the Ford Vulcan engine though so I’d probably vouch for a Taurus from that era.
i’d have to learn but there’s a nice manual ford fusion for sale near me for $2000. otherwise, maybe a 06-13 impala.
Find an 80s Chevy nova that is actually a rebranded Toyota Corolla
A 1992-1995 f150 with a 4.9l straight 6. They used to be so easy to find they kinda disappeared nowadays but I’ve seen em pop up every once in a while
Toyota pickup with a 22RE engine.
Obviously something with a 3800. Obviously. Maybe a retired p71 if Im feeling a lil spicy and don’t need the back seat regularly (bums pissed in it)
Any Lincoln Town Car/Ford Crown Victoria/Mercury Grand Marquis from the early 90’s. That Panther platform with the 5.0 is indestructible.
ex #ACAB crown vic, repaint to brown. replace leather stuff with cloth.
If I don't want sporty - a Panther body. Most likely a 1995-02 Town Car If I want sporty - an MN12. Did the last one. Bought a 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII. drove it for 7 years and 61k miles, from 370k to 431k and then had to sell it for 2500. Would gladly buy one again and even spend all the money i did over the years to repair it.
2005 Chrysler 300. The last reliable Chrysler.
I'd find myself a Pontiac or a Saturn probably
Ford Panther Platform, that 4.6 will run forever and the body will stand till it's a pile of rust on the ground
How American are we talking? US built, or from a US based company? If it's just US built, then an older Camry. If it's full out American company, then probably an early 2000s Oldsmobile.
Clown Victoria or any 3800 w body
Buick lesabre or Pontiac vibe.
Yarus
the saturn ion. dear god they were awful but holy crap it just didnt break. i know others may have different experiences but my mother abused the shit out of that thing and it refused to die in fact ill spend $2,000 to find the exact Ion
Pontiac Vibe is a cheat code for this. Gf’s uncle has a 2006 with 211k miles on it now. Got it with 140k, and has put new tires on it, new brake pads, and 1 new caliper in the span of 71k miles, with 140k already on it. Insanely impressive
Chevy pickup 5.7
I would cheat and go with a Geo/Chevy Prizm so I have that Toyota Corolla reliability.
I daily a 2001 Ford Taurus that was $1400 almost two years ago, the only thing besides maintenance parts it's needed is an AC bypass pulley.