For the prospective car buyers, there are a lot of things to look at before making the decision. Perhaps you want to get one for your daily commute, or perhaps you are looking forward for those long weekend trips you always wanted to take all by yourself. Interestingly, there are a number of vehicles which are available around the price of $2500 and fairly reliable can take a commendable amount of abuse and still won’t disappoint you at the end of a day.
One primary point about buying a used car is to communicate properly with the original buyer and collecting necessary information about how well the car was maintained and used throughout the years. You can get a bad deal just because you didn’t enquire a fair share about the car and this is exactly why a lot of people don’t opt for used cars. But believe me, once the things are in order, these cars can still give you a reasonable performance without breaking a sweat. Let’s take a look at our list of 10 cars then, shall we?
1. First Generation Hyundai Accent (1995-1999)
Hyundai Accent is a sub-compact car from South Korean company Hyundai. It was announced and available on the market form 1996 as a replacement for Hyundai’s Excel. The car went on to become extremely popular in Australia for a very affordable price tag and reliability. For a car in its class, Hyundai Accent has good safety rating and also gives lovely mileage.
2. Fifth Generation Honda Civic (1991-1995)
Honda is known for making reliable cars through the ages and their Civic is no exception. Honda Civic was launched late in 1991 and was accepted pretty well around the world. The best part of the car is perhaps how well made it is and needs only a little servicing. Civic fits a large group of people who might want to have a large car for carpooling with friends or looking for great fuel economy. Great handling is also another plus point for Honda Civic.
3. First Generation Kia Spectra (2000-2004)
Kia is South Korea’s second largest vehicle manufacturer and known for making reliable cars at a relatively low price. The price is a very important factor here as you can buy a relatively new Spectra for a price that will not let you buy used cars from the same time frame. Spectra is also known for its safety and security for the price and offers security measures at the lowest price which are only available for premium with other car makers. Spectra’s 138 HP engine provides enough horsepower for a strong ride and still covers 25 mpg in city and 34 mpg in highways.
4. Seventh Generation Toyota Corolla (1991-1995)
The redesigned seventh generation Corolla from Toyota belongs to the compact class, a significant step forward from its predecessors as they belong to the sub-compact category. The manual version of the car offers better fuel efficiency and usually gets significantly less mechanical failures over its lifetime. The level of refinement it received was amazing as the chief of Corolla’s development team Dr. Akihiko Saito was striving to make it a mini-Lexus.
5. Chevrolet Cavalier or Pontiac Sunfire (1995-2000)
Chevrolet redesigned their Cavalier to create a new compact car in 1995 and to replace their Sunbird. And this time the changes brought pretty impressive results including longer wheelbase, new styling and dual airbags for more safety. Performance wise Cavalier still gives better acceleration than the most in the same class, it has standard antilock brakes and fuel economy is respectable.
6. Third Generation Nissan Sentra (1991-1994)
A reliable sub-compact which also has good fuel economy, third generation Nissan Sentra is more preferred than the fourth generation by a good number of car lovers. It gives mileages of 21 mpg in city and 29 mpg in highway which is pretty good for its class. Sentra is also known for its good handling qualities which makes it a crowd favourite.
7. Second Generation Ford Taurus (1992-1995)
According to some second generation of Ford Taurus was mostly a cosmetic upgrade over the first generation but I am happy to disagree. It dropped manual transmission and more importantly first generation’s four-cylinder engine for an upgrade with V6. Also Taurus received a complete overhaul in interior design. Although not a very fuel economic car, Taurus makes it up with its amazing reliability. The V6 engine in the car is ready for abuse and gives consistent performance for years.
8. Third Generation Volkswagen Golf (1992-1998)
Third generation Volkswagen Golf debuted in August 1991 and got a upgraded TDI or Turbocharged Direct Injection diesel engine over its predecessors. This piece of German engineering gives fantastic fuel economy. Also the TDI engine is capable of being converted to use biodiesel or vegetable oil which gives Golf a whole new level of eco-friendliness.
9. Geo/Chevrolet Metro (1995-2001)
A compact from Chevrolet, Metro works fantastically well to give an enviable reliability. This small looking car is a real fun to drive which is surprising considering how much power it packs within that small body. The car is an amazing choice for people who are looking for daily commuting vehicle enough for two adults.
10. Eight Generation Pontiac Bonneville (1992-1999)
Eighth Generation Pontiac Bonneville was released on 1992. This 4 door sedan is the longest car in this list and built to last for a long time. The car is one of the most reliable cars in this whole list and the General Motors’ 3800 series engine is fantastically charged and is a pleasure to drive. Though not a car with four cylinder based engine and thus not that fuel efficient but a promised longevity is enough for the deal.
