Used Cars - What's Reliable and Cheap?

My oldest niece and nephew are twins, I want to give them high school graduation gifts but I'm a not exactly flush with cash, their parents are already strapped and trying to figure out how to pay to their college education so I am not asking them to contribute. I won't finance two cars I don't own but I'm entertaining the idea of buying two used cars to give as gifts. If you had a total budget of $5000.00 what two cars would you buy for kids that are going to college in the fall and in desperate need of transportation?

My first thought is to look for domestic cars that might not get the best mileage but also don't command the highest prices, the parts and knowledge needed to effect repairs are cheap and easily available anywhere in the country:

- Ford Crown Victoria (ex-patrol car, taxi, or even better Grandma and Grandpa owned and low mileage)
- Lincoln Town car (ex-patrol car, taxi, or even better Grandma and Grandpa owned and low mileage)
- Buick Rivera or Le Saber
- Cadillac, no particular model but mileage and price are of concern

Then again, there are a lot of higher mileage, lower priced imports on the market that do get good mileage but parts and repairs might be an issue depending on your geographic location:

- Volvo, many models are well known to run into the 300k mile region before a major overhaul is needed; when you need to overhaul the engine and transmission it will be expensive
- Subaru, I like them for the same reasons I like Volvo but I think the repairs would be a little more affordable
- Honda, like Sony, I feel like the consumer pays an extra 10% for the brand name even if the quality is worse or equal to other brands
- Hyundai, I like the domestic manufacturing and quality that this company continues to produce but I'm a little skeptical of the early year models
- Kia, I like their new vehicle warranties but I don't know how well their products have done in the used car market, I'd like more information about their early models
- Suzuki, they make motorcycles right? I'm not at all confident that they have progressed beyond the "crash and die" Samurai

Which cars did I miss and why are those used vehicles a good value for the minimal dollar? Should I just cut the twins checks instead and save myself the trouble of trying to find and rebuild two used cars that are going to need some work?

Hyundai and Kia are developed by the same manufacture and both are affordable and reliable.
If you want to purchase a GM product..shoot for Saturn! Saturn "SL" and "SC" series serve consumers well on a tight budget that need reliability...just don't buy one that has over 200,000 miles on it (unless it's a steal),
Get something with good fuel economy. The following you had mentioned:
- Ford Crown Victoria (ex-patrol car, taxi, or even better Grandma and Grandpa owned and low mileage)
- Lincoln Town car (ex-patrol car, taxi, or even better Grandma and Grandpa owned and low mileage)
- Buick Rivera or Le Saber
- Cadillac, no particular model but mileage and price are of concern
These vehicles may look nice, but may prove to be high maintenance since they were service vehicles. The fuel economy will be less than impressive.
My suggestion...any late model (89-98)--
1- Honda or Acura (Civic or Integra)
2- Toyota (Camry or Corolla)
3- Ford (Focus or Taurus)
4- Chevy (Prizm or Cavalier)
5- Dodge (Neon or Stratus)
6- Hyundai (Accent or Elantra)
7- Subaru (Legacy or Outback)
8- VW (Jetta or Golf)

Make sure you check Kelly Blue Book before purchasing any used (esp. late model) vehicles.

Buy them Subaru's.

Built in Indiana.

The items that need replacing after 160,000 miles are affordable and the work can be done by yourself. Almost nothing needs to be done before 160K- except the timing belt at 80K.

Subaru's are reliable- good in bad weather- low center of gravity.

Subaru's rate right up there with Volvo's in vehicle crash safety.

Find the ones that have not been abused- and they will have a good, affordable, reliable vehicle for years to come.

I'd talk to the parents and see if they have expressed any preferences. You're going to find lots of opinions, but the ones that matter are the ones held by your niece and nephew.

If they show any mechanical aptitude, you could go older and less technology - they could do more of the work themselves should anything break. That's a big plus for someone on a college budget.

For basic useful transportation, don't overlook small pickups. Ford Rangers, Toyotas, Chevy's... Some are low miles since they're only used for weekend warrior hauling jobs. Granted, some are hacked and driven to death, but those are pretty obvious.

Older Jeeps are also a good bet. XJs have proven to be long lasting vehicles and have huge aftermarket support. Wranglers might not be the best choice, but one with a hardtop might suffice if they've shown a preference for them. I wouldn't get a soft top - security is a concern, and soft tops only last so long before the zippers are trashed.

We got some awesome Rat Rods for sale, they would be the hottest things at school.
And easy to work on. But they don't need no working on. Made in Oldschool America.
Check the website.

Science Chic wrote: When in doubt, buy a Consumer Reports car buying guide - they list the best used cars by vehicle model and year too (and the ones to avoid).

I quit looking at them when they got so biased towards foreign cars. I use other sources instead - Edmunds and JDPower for instance.

Before you purchase ANY used car, take it to a preferred certified auto mechanic for a vehicle inspection. You do not want to find out later that it needs around $1,500 worth of repairs avoided by previous owners. Important maintenance repairs include tune-ups, regular oil changes, timing belt, transmission services, brake system check, steering and suspension parts, and all fluid levels are correct. Most every automotive repair shop will provide a vehicle inspection under $100. Some may do the inspection for free with a repair.

AlpineMike wrote: Before you purchase ANY used car, take it to a preferred certified auto mechanic for a vehicle inspection. You do not want to find out later that it needs around $1,500 worth of repairs avoided by previous owners. Important maintenance repairs include tune-ups, regular oil changes, timing belt, transmission services, brake system check, steering and suspension parts, and all fluid levels are correct. Most every automotive repair shop will provide a vehicle inspection under $100. Some may do the inspection for free with a repair.

I considered myself to be a competent shade tree mechanic back in the 1970's and 1980's but cars continue to get more and more electronic and less and less mechanical. Most of the post 1985 vehicles I have worked on are more about electronic modules and expensive analyzer tools instead of finding a vacuum leak or making fine adjustments to tune an engine.

After talking with my little brother, the twin's dad, we decided it makes the most sense to give the kids the cash and let them decide how they want to spend it. Thanks to everyone for your input, I may need to pick up a summer daily driver that gets better mileage than the WJ I am driving now.