For our Friday Showdown this week, we’re going slumming. Specifically, we’re going to look at a car from one of those seedy buy-here-pay-here places that only advertises a down payment – and a car from a private seller, for sale for the same amount as that down payment. If you’re in a bind and need wheels, are you better off going cheap, or getting something nicer and making payments? That’s what you’ll have to decide.
Yesterday we went really cheap, looking at two cars that were only $600 each. The overwhelming majority of you picked the Saturn, likely due to the Mazda’s rust issues. That’s fair. That Mazda is really rusty.
But I’m still picking the Mazda, just like nine percent of you did. Why? Because the Saturn isn’t currently registered. If you’re really looking for the cheapest possible wheels you can find, every little thing adds up, and if the Saturn hasn’t been registered since 2024, and wasn’t put on non-op status (which I can virtually guarantee it wasn’t), you’ll have to pay for a whole year of registration when the damn thing was sitting around before you got there, just to put plates on it. And that’s assuming it passes smog. Nope, I’ll take the one that’s ready to go right now, even if I’ll need to shop again in six months or a year.
I actually did buy a dirt-cheap car every few months for about four years, in the mid-1990s. I was making five-fifty a hour doing oil changes and replacing serpentine belts at a garage, I had garbage credit from some stupid mistakes, and I just needed to get around. So every once in a while, I’d drop a few hundred bucks on some clunker, and replace it when something broke that I couldn’t fix. A few times, my boss suggested (after I had called in late because my car wouldn’t start) that I look for something newer that I could make payments on. I eventually did so, and that was a mistake – but that’s a story for another day.
Today, I’m going to put you in a scenario in which you have to give advice. A friend has come to you for help shopping for a car, after their busted old ride finally gave up the ghost. They’ve seen these listings for low down payments and lenders willing to take any credit, and they could swing the payments, but they’re uneasy about taking on debt. You suggest a cheap car for cash instead, but that’s what they did last time, and look where they are now. What’s a cheap-car-needer to do? Let’s look at a couple of possibilities.
2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible – $1,500
Engine/drivetrain: 2.4-liter DOHC inline 4, four-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Torrance, CA
Odometer reading: 129,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
If you go looking for cheap used cars, you’re going to find a lot of PT Cruisers. Chrysler sold literally a million of these things in the US, and they’ve held up surprisingly well, so there are still a lot of them around. But since they’re basically economy cars, and Chrysler products, the resale value is squat, which leads to a good supply of cheap, decent-running, used PT Cruisers in the online classifieds. You don’t see too many convertibles, though.
This PT Cruiser has the most common, and least interesting, drivetrain combination available: a non-turbocharged 2.4 liter four and an Ultradrive automatic. It’s not exciting, but it has proven to be pretty durable; I have friends with PT Cruisers well over 200,000 miles and counting. This one runs and drives just fine, the seller says, and it just aced a smog test, which is a good sign.
This is a later facelifted Cruiser, with the new interior, which in my opinion looks too much like a Dodge Caliber for comfort. I like the earlier version better. This one is in good shape, though, especially for a car this cheap. The seller says everything works perfectly, including the air conditioning and the power top.
It is a little scruffy outside; the front bumper cover is crooked, and the seller says some of the plastic clips are broken. There are enough PT Cruisers in junkyards that you should be able to find a new bumper cover for it. Probably even a silver one.
2013 Nissan Altima 2.5 SL – $1,500 down, $7,998 total
Engine/drivetrain: 2.5-liter DOHC inline 4, CVT automatic, FWD
Location: Concord, CA
Odometer reading: 133,000 miles
Operational status: We’ll presume it runs and drives well
You’ve got to hand it to the Nissan Altima. Yeah, its pratically a cliché at this point: the beat-up Altima from the buy-here-pay-here lot, swerving in and out of traffic at thirty over the speed limit, usually on a donut spare. And just like all clichés, it starts with a grain of truth: a lot of Altimas do end up on buy-here-pay-here lots, and they do tend to get abused. But they seem to withstand that abuse well. What that tells me is that if you buy a used Altima and take care of it, and don’t drive it like a maniac, it should be a very reliable car.
This Altima has the basic 2.5 liter four, coupled to a CVT. I know everybody is supposed to hate this gearbox with no gears, but honestly, they’re not bad to drive. And after my colleagues’ recent hijinks with the taxi and the Murano CrossCabriolet, I have newfound respect for their toughness, too. I’d rather have a manual, of course, but this generation of Altima wasn’t available with one. The seller is too busy talking about the financing deal to proffer any useful information about the car itself, but I think it’s safe to assume it runs and drives fine. These places don’t have time to deal with bad-running cars; they just dump them for cheap.
It’s the fancy SL model, so it has a bunch of power options and what look like leather seats. It’s in good shape, and has been freshly detailed; these places want cars looking their best, so they clean them up nicely. You’d be wise, though, to try out all the power stuff before signing anything, because I doubt anyone at the dealership has done so.
One advantage this has over a cheaper, older car is that it doesn’t look like a cheap old car. If image matters to you, that can be an important consideration. Condition-wise, it’s fine, with just a little blemish on the rear bumper. Personally, I’d rather have something besides plain white, but a lot of people seem to like plain white.
So your homework assignment for this weekend is this: Which is a better way to spend that $1,500? Do you buy a cheap, beat-up but good-running car outright? Or do you put it down on something newer and nicer? Which one will be a better deal in the long run? Discuss, debate, and vote, and I’ll see you back here on Monday.
Never thought I’d choose a Cruiser over, well, anything. But here it is.
Seven K for an Altima with a CVT? Notgonnahappen.
When you’re in the buy-cheap-and-drive-until-it-dies stage — I’m all too familiar with that — the Chrysler seems shinier than average. All it has to do is run. For a while.
Anyone else look down at “2007 PT Cruiser” and think “2007?!”
In my Mandela Effect-riddled brain, these were only built from 1997-2000 or so.
2001-2010 actually.
I’ve been considering a PT Cruiser convertible for a long time. One of the cheapest ways to get into a convertible and parts are plentiful.
People like to crap on these PT’s and I get it because it sure looks like would be terrible to own. But I know of four that have each gone over 200,000 miles and the owners have had no major issues. They seem to be a cheap car that just keeps going
PT for me. That Altima add is the text version of the wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man.
If I absolutely needed a DD today, then the Altima would be a contender for my vote.
However, I don’t, so I won’t.
PT Cruiser — at least for Teh Lulz. It won’t depreciate from here, and it’s at least somewhat interesting.
I drove my aunt’s PT Cruiser for two weeks in 2010. What a shit vehicle. Front-heavy, poor handling, lots of blind spots and a rough ride. Just because a car is cheap doesn’t mean it has to be shitty.
Even if the PT were up against a bus pass, the PT would lose.
Having owned a 2012 Altima with impending CVT failure well before 100K miles despite fluid changes, I’d go for the Michael Scott special. It’s a $1500 running car in decent condition.
Regarding Big Altima Energy, I’m curious if others have noticed that Big Optima Energy is providing serious competition.
Ohhhh, Yes.
It’s a thing.
For the first time in my life I will recommend the PT Cruiser. I don’t even like convertibles.
But if you need a cheap beater, and your finances are such, go with the cash option. BHPH? Hell no. I’ve been in this situation, go with the cheap option until you can afford something better.
I chose the PT. I know people think it somehow looks embarrasing, but I don’t care what others think. It’s a funky convertible and it looks like it’s been maintained. Having learned first-hand some hard financial lessons when I was younger, I am strongly of the opinion that, if this car is as advertised, it’s the better deal. The Altima is newer, but it costs 5 times as much with equivalent mileage, and that’s before you get into the BHPH shenanigans.
If you twist my arm hard I will go with the PT Cruiser. But not happily.
Well this brings back memories.
My 17 yr old dumb ass has just relocated to LA area on my own. Flew in, got a job building custom Vans for the best place in LA area. But it was a few miles from my apartment, so a ride was needed asap.
Being 17, and with no credit at all, what cha gonna do?
Went to the BHPH lots for a day looking. Found a piece of shit Dodge, for like $700 down, and $50 a week until my first kid graduates high school. WTF? I can handle that, right? After all was making a whole 2 bucks an hour at my new job, with a promise of 3 bucks soon. LOL
The piece of shit had over 100K and a totally worn out front end, suspension, brakes, etc.
And a rolled over odometer. Which led to other issues. When I tried to get tags, etc. learned it was a salvage title shit show, a theft recovery car….
Drove that pice of shit for 10K mies with a puckered butt every mile, a total death trap. Felt completely stupid and screwed. Then found out it was illegal to sell a car on credit to a 17 year old kid…
So I quit making payments.
Lesson learned early.
Never did BHPH game again.
Ended up driving shit boxes for another decade, but at least I owned them and was not paying 18% interest on them forever.
50 years later. Have paid cash for every car since 1991.
Thanks (?) for the memories? YMMV.
As cringe as PT Cruisers can be, they’ll get you where you want to go, at least, and it’s for sure better than being in debt to a buy-here-pay-here for a stupid Altima of all things.
Gotta be the PT. The embarassment is gonna be way better than dealing with slimeball BHPH nonsense. I’d probably keep eyes out for a GT trim, at least the turbo would make it kind of a fun ride.
the Altima hands down is the best choice here.
if you get the PT cruiser you’ll still end up walking or taking public transit because you don’t want to be seen driving it. so it defeats the purpose of actually buying a car in the first place. at least gas and insurance will be cheap.
with the Altima, it comes with a certain stigma that the driver doesn’t care about the state of the appearance of their car, or indeed life at all. when another driver sees an Altima, they get out of their way and let them go do crazy driver farther down the highway away from them. this is a bonus feature as you will be guaranteed to get places quicker.
“…if you get the PT cruiser you’ll still end up walking or taking public transit because you don’t want to be seen driving it.“
You need to believe in yourself more, my dude.
Put the $1500 down. Run the Altima 600. Leave the remains parked in front of the BHPH and never make another payment.
I picked the PT Cruiser, BUT, if my buddy only had $1500 and needed a dependable ride AND they’re in California, my REAL answer would be…
Spend $200 taking the MSF course, spend $300 on a decent helmet, and buy a cheap motorcycle. Cheaper to buy, cheaper to insure, cheaper to operate, and in CA, you can lane split and avoid traffic!
A $1500 car is a $1500 car. While this is something that I would not normally be caught dead in, if I was desperate for a ride that I can find that didn’t require financing, the PT cruiser would be it.
i would much rather pay 1500 for a car and be done with it than a 1500 down payment + whatever,but I cannot stand convertibles. Altima energy it is..
Never thought I’d pick a PT Cruiser but here I am. And bonus for being a convertible? Not sure. Maybe I don’t wanna be seen driving it 🙂
– Rust free
– Weird convertible
– not at a BHPH lot
Easy choice, time for the flames and Autozone tack on chrome bits
When you want a car people will blast in the comments section…
8 grand for a 133k Altima with the dreaded CVT? You don’t need that heat, drop the top and ironically rock the PT.
Especially considering you can find a decent 2nd-gen Fit for $8k, and that’ll still be running when the only things left on earth are irradiated cockroaches.
That’s $8k before the interest from the high interest loan kicks in! You definitely don’t want the Altima at asking price…
For such a low price, the PT would be worth it even if it only lasted one summer. You don’t see cars this clean for this price, this one was parked in a garage.
You could even justify selling it when weather gets too cold/wet for the top to be down, and would likely break even.
Some days, there is no wrong choice. Today, there is no right choice. I abhor the PT Cruiser. That Altima is overpriced. Altima gets my vote, but I feel dirty.
Not a chance in hell I’d make payments on any Altima, much less one w 133k miles.
It’s the PT Cruiser today.
Yeah it’s like Chip Dillard “Thank you Sir may I have another (payment)?”