> They're so much trouble and yet, it's very difficult to live without one! I'm trying to buy a car(price range up to $1800) and was wondering ifanyone could give some advice on what kinds of cars are good(dependable, good mileage, etc.). I was thinking of buying this one(see link below) and would like advice on that, also. Please help; thanks!
> --mpython"lemon--that's a fruit, right?"girl

You've already gotten some good advice, so I'll just add a couple of random thoughts.

Toyota. You may pay a little more for a used Toyota, but you'll get more for your money. Other Japanese brands are good cars. I had two Subaru cars that were great, and Hondas have a good reputation too. Avoid General Motors cars like Chevy and Pontiac. I don't trust Fords with more than about 50,000 miles and small Fords that I have rented have been miserable cars. I drove a rented Nissan clear across the USA after 9/11 and it compared very well to my Toyota Camry.

As for that 39 year-old Rambler, I assume you were kidding. That is an orphan. It might be a nice car to drive around in on Sunday with the top down, but the rest of the week you will be working on it. I have a 39 year-old motor scooter that is more reliable than that car would be. Collector cars are not for everyday use.

The biggest problem with used cars is that they don't last as long as the payments. You would be wise to ride the bus until you have enough cash to buy a car.

New cars have staggering price tags, but the best deal on a car is a new one. The best finance plan is 100% down and $0 a month, but who can afford that?

Being a lousy mechanic, I buy a new car and drive it until it is worn out. I get a new one about every 10 years and run it a couple of hundred thousands miles. Maybe I have been unusually lucky with Toyota and Subaru (2 of each), but they don't seem to give much trouble the first 200k miles. My truck is also a Toyota with 107,000 miles on it and it has never been in the shop. The battery is 7 years old and it recently sat for two weeks without being started. But when the time came, it started normally.
How"love what they do for me"ard