WTB for my sister: Used Japanese car for $3k - $5k
 

My sister is in the market for a reliable Japanese car in the $3k - $5k price range. I know that's not a lot of money for a 'reliable' car but this is her budget. Manual or auto trans is fine.

Please no junk. Minor issues are ok but nothing major. The vehicle can be located in VA, DC, or MD.

Please send me a PM if you have a car (or know of one) that fits this description. Thanks!

Car or truck or SUV? Is fuel economy important? How many doors? depending upon the answer, I'd say you should have a lot of choices.

Her preferences:

-Car
-4 doors preferred, 2 doors ok
-25+ mpg
-Cold A/C
-No station wagons or minivans

My next question (and Rick V. don't answer) why not an A2 VW, especially pre-digifant? I know they are old but they are dead reliable and dead cheap. Next question, any preferance as to japanese make? I'd take Toyota and Honda over the others but Mazda isn't bad and should be cheaper.

VW's are ok - my wife's side of the family has about 6 of them ranging from a '72 to '98.

Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Mazda are the cars I've been thinking about.

Ford Focus' can also be a pretty good buy. I like the 4-door hatch models. Very well made and appointed for the money. And roomy to boot. We have 2 right now, and they get driven a lot. ;)
http://images1.snapfish.com/23232323...A295%3A4ot1lsi

Those CIS VW motors run forever. My first car was an old GTI. I bought it with 280k on it, and sold it a few years later with well over 300k miles. Actual mileage at the time of sale was unknown, as the odo broke at 313k!!! As a punk high-schooler, I ragged the hell out of it but it just kept running.

Scott: sounds like no one knows of such a car, and all they want to do is recommend stuff you were not asking about :-) Damn VWs...