No idea where to start

[Fatalstryke]

I have just under $3000 and I'm looking into buying my first car. Some of the cars that are popping up in my price range are Jeep Grand Cherokees and it made me think... maybe I could someday have a nice green JP SUV.

One thing that immediately comes to mind is that I would be getting an automatic which probably limits my options but I'm sure I could find something, if nothing else somewhere takes payments I'm sure.

I'm not sure what the actual SUV that was used is, isn't it a Ford? What year?

The other thing that comes to mind is how much it would cost altogether. Especially the paint.

I live in New Hampshire, if that determines anything.

[jbc455]

If your heart's set on an SUV you might take a look at this one. Looks like it has lots of new parts and the price is in your ballpark. I see it's on the other side of the country though.

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=1557

[Fatalstryke]

Yeah that far away is a major problem. I'm definitely interested. Too bad you can't order cars like pizza delivery.

[Boomerjinks]

edit: Not really relevant to this thread.

[fantomas]

The tour vehicles were 91-92 Ford Explorers XLTs. I've seen people use Jeeps, Subarus (http://imgur.com/a/wCzyT) Fords. So whatever you get will get the point across. To be "screen accurate" you would have to go with the 91-92 XLT with a custom glass roof, etc. Either way, a 4 wheel drive car is probably a good choice given your location so any of those vehicles I've mentioned would work for you. You could easily find some older Subaru wagons up there for your price range. The only downside is maintenance costs when things go south.

[Fatalstryke]

Don't need screen accurate at this time, I need budget.

The other thing about Fords is, don't they have the shifter on the steering wheel? I don't think I could get used to that. I don't like that idea at all.

The Jeep Grand Cherokees look pretty close, are there any others that are that close that would be available in automatic? I've not seen any Subarus that look all that close but I could be entirely wrong.

[fantomas]

Don't need screen accurate at this time, I need budget.

The other thing about Fords is, don't they have the shifter on the steering wheel? I don't think I could get used to that. I don't like that idea at all.

The Jeep Grand Cherokees look pretty close, are there any others that are that close that would be available in automatic? I've not seen any Subarus that look all that close but I could be entirely wrong.

I'm not sure how old you are, you say first car so I'm assuming in high school. Not for nothing, learning to drive a manual transmission is a good skill to have. Aside from that, why are you against the shifter being on the steering column?

This is the Subaru I was referring to . It's not supposed to LOOK like the tour vehicle, just had the same theme.

As far as budget, a professional paint job would cost WAY more than the car itself if you paid $3,000 for the vehicle. You could certainly DIY the paint like they did with the Subaru. Just keep looking on craigslist for cars you're interested in. Seems like you're leaning towards Cherokees. The best thing about Jeeps (and Subarus for that matter) is that there are a plethora of forums dedicated to them, so if something breaks on the car, chances are someone's repaired and documented it.

After a quick search, I found this http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/3788409712.html

Good luck

[Fatalstryke]

I'm 22 but I've never had my own car. I lived with my grandmother and she had an 03 Carolla and has a 01 Civic, both automatic, that I've been driving since uhh..15 1/2. Now that I've got a job with some actual steady hours, I've saved up enough that I can think about buying a car. I just despise the column shifter idea. Hell, I don't even like how the lights/wipers are. in fact, the only control that's on the steering column that I like being there is the directionals.

[fantomas]

Well at the end of the day, you'll be the one driving the car everyday... So pick something you're happy with.

Just be warned sellers are going to think you're nuts if you're asking where the shifter is

[heartyfield]

I'm a little perplexed by the column shifter bias. Is there an advantage to having it located elsewhere?