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.
The only things that keep that Altima from being the fastest car in the wuuuuuurld is that it’s not on the donut spare and it’s not missing half of one of the bumper covers.
The PT Cruiser. I don’t love them and never have. But as long as it’s in decent shape (a pre-purchase inspection is never a bad idea) , then it’s the best choice for your friend.
The car, Altima with CVT or not, doesn’t matter but I’m guessing that said friend is uncomfortable with the financing because most of these places will screw over the credit-challenged at every opportunity and I’m not sending my friend into that situation. Having a car that is paid for out the door and will hold up for a few years anyway is the better choice.
That transmission in the altima is in the Danger Zone! Get it Lana? Kenny Loggins? Lana? Lana? LAAAANAAAA!!!
It’s going to explode, just like this airship full of hydrogen! *slaps cigarette out of a guy’s mouth*
“Hello Airplanes? It’s Blimps, you win.”
Suddenly it’s oh the humanity!!!!
“And that’s how you get ants!”
In this situation, find the best $6,000 Accord or Highlander (or Altima, if you like Altimas) you can and go to the credit union. Those BHPH lots are predatory.
No, not the accord or any Honda, really. The EarthDreams engines have issues, and their CVTs are no better than anyone else’s for durability and longevity. Plus the fluid service every 30K miles negates the fuel cost savings of using that accursed transmission type.
Camry, RAV4, Mazda 3, 6, CX-5, or CX-30 if you want something fairly reliable and trouble-free in the FWD-based I4-powered space. Corolla and its derivatives are deliberately left off as they went to CVTs which haven’t been flawless.
I think $6000 Accords aren’t the ones with the CVT‘s and the Earth Dreams engines- to get that you’re looking at probably a $10 or $12K Accord- but yes; whatever the super reliable models are is the point.
I can’t really say that Honda has made anything in that category in the last 15 or so years. Even then they had some with “glass” transmissions (mostly on the Odyssey rather than the Accord) but they really seemed to drop the ball on quality around 2007-2008 or so, when the Accord got an overdue overhaul, and not long after the civic was replaced with one that was heavily “phoned-in”. Then they started using CVTs and cylinder deactivation.
That’s too bad. My Fit has been flawless, but it’s a manual, so I guess that helps.
Manuals are a massive equalizer. But they’re so relatively uncommon here that I can’t really categorically include them.
If you buy that BHPH lot Altima over the PT because image is more important to you than keeping your finances in check you absolutely deserve the no mercy behind the wood shed with a 2×4 financial beating you are about to get.
I wouldn’t pay $1500 total for Big Altima Energy. $8K is batshit. It will be on it’s fourth CVT by the time the loan is paid.
The PT Loser sucks, but at least with the top down it will suck somewhat less on a nice day.
PT Bruiser hands down. I’m very familiar with the 2.4 / slushbox combo. Just keep fresh fluids in them and they’ll go the distance. Also watch out for the timing belt.
You know the Altima will be way more than $7,998; even with the $1500 down payment and over 20% APR you’ll likely end up paying almost double of the car’s cost over a 4-5 year period. And there’s no guarantee the car will make it that long (most likely won’t).
At least the guy I saw yesterday who still owed $25K on a 2016 Camry can be certain it will still run after paying that off. Not that I’d ever advise to get into that much debt for an used, non-special appliance, but….
Cash, Credit, or Crusher?
If I had to choose, I’d hold my nose and go with the PT Cruiser
The Altima would go to 24 Hours of Lemons.
None of this is a problem for me, and I don’t fully understand why this is always a sticking point on these cars? I don’t live in CA and would be immediately transporting it out of state.
A $1500 running convertible in decent condition? Hell yes, sign me up.
My vote goes to the PT Cruiser even though it’s the worst version of PT in my eyes… base engine with the slushbox and convertible. I would much prefer having the base 4 door hatch with the manual.
But at $1500, it’s dirt cheap.
If I’m spending $8000 on an Altima, then it had better have the manual. With the CVT, it’s a ‘no sale’ for me.
And for the money, I’d rather have the dirt cheap PT.
I’m a broke person. I m a poor person with good credit. So\nIf I pay cash for a beater and I need to make repairs and I don’t have savings to do them , I make payments to credit cards. Self far, I advise him on what to do via car on credit or pay cash for a car.We talk about different kinds of debt period when you buy a car.Your car is collateral. We broke people sometimes have difficult decisions, and sometimes the peace of mind of having a reliable monthly payment for a reliable car beats the uncertainty of fixing a beater that you buy every 6 months or so you also have to consider the downtime and having to get rides back-and-forth to work, to keep your job. If you have to go the BHP H route, try to get a reliable car like a Toyota or Honda, if they have one available before buying a Nissan with a CVT.
I would amend that to “If you have to go the BHPH route, get it inspected.” It doesn’t matter if it’s a Honda or a Toyota; there’s probably a reason it’s there and not at a nicer lot, and it may still need some work. Even if it’s not got any core issues, things like worn belts or bad suspension components still cost money and should be identified.
A lot of BHPH lots will let you take the car offsite to have it inspected at a garage. And, much as with a mainline dealer, they will negotiate repairs into the price of the car.
I would definitely go anything other than Nissan with a CvT, even amongst the Altima Cockroaches that is Altimately the worst one.
However if the altima was some other flavor, I would still take the PT Cruiser. Nobody will steal it, it will likely run for a long time still and I always did like the utility of the little fellers. I would kind of like to consider one for a Bed conversion. I think the new Beetle kit would work with a little adjustment, the convertible top part being the biggest thing to fabricate I suppose. https://www.smythkitcars.com/new-beetle-truck-conversion
Who needs a bed? It’s a convertible! With a judicious application of old clotheslines and some bedsheets, you could fasten all your stuff in a bundle and Clampett your stuff wherever it needs to be! Winning!
Least objectionable PT Cruiser, ever.
A cheapened post-refresh 2 door with a ragtop? I’d argue that’s the most objectionable PT. It started life as a cool retro 5-door utilitarian van with a pretty nice interior. This takes all of those things away.
You are either a convertible person or you are not. To me, being able to lower the top makes just about anything tolerable. And there are few things more useful than a convertible with the top down. I’ve brought piles of lumber home in my Spitfire. And a Christmas tree in my Saab convertible. In December, in light snow. Fun!
I adored my two convertible rentals, but neither of them were 5 door hatchbacks forced into that role. The PT, like the Murano, just feels butchered and mutilated as a convertible.
Meh, it’s still more interesting than a hatchback PT. At least it’s not a jacked up bit of silliness like the Murano, and nowhere near as hideous.
I used to own a Juke with that CVT – it began to shit the bed at 97k miles – just as the CPO was getting ready to expire, and was immediately traded in. The thought of making payments on a car with that kind of ticking time bomb (and no warranty) is terrifying.
Give me the ‘vert
My Buddy Failed to learn his lesson on the First Nissan that crapped out on him at 80k miles. so he traded it for a Nissan Joke since the 8K CVT replacement was not an option. the Joke was on him.
Embrace the suck, buy the PT Cruiser.
I would recommend the Altima financed at a decent rate from a halfway reputable dealership. However that one will be financed at an exorbitant rate from a shady BHPH lot. So it’s the PT Cruiser.
I see myself doing horrible things to that Cruiser.
As a side note – I forget sometimes how awful 00’s era Chrysler (and GM!) interiors were.
I picked the loser-cruiser because I don’t know if you figured in the interest on the BHPH financing for the Altima.
A lot of those places tuck a 20% rate into the fine print, so assuming an interest rate of 20% APR typical for a “buy-here, pay-here” lot, the total cost paid for a $7,998 vehicle would be approximately $11,873.34 (including the down payment).
For a 13-year-old CVT-equipped 4-door sedan.
PT Cruiser all day long. That’s so damn cheap that it’s worth the gamble even if it only lasts you a year.
You couldn’t get me to drive one of those dreadful Altimas ever again. I had one for a a couple weeks back in ~2011 while my old STi was in the body shop due to a kid on campus backing into me, and it felt like punishment every single time I got in it.
PT cruiser seats suck. but that is a low price.
A 13 year old Altima is worth $7K?
The PT Cruiser at $1500 (I can belive I’m saying this) seems like a bargain! That dashboard is so bad, wait, all the styling associated with it is bad. My goodness, PT Cruisers are awful.
Seems odd you say that with your 67 mustang name. You must not be as boomer as it makes me think you are.
Altimas are worse. Waay too much time in those things when they were Hertz’ standard “full-size” rentalmobile.
PT Cruisers were silly and had horrible material quality, but they weren’t actually all that bad. A friend of mine had one for eons. Lots of cheap plastic inside broke, but the drivetrain never did.
Had an Altima just long enough to not feel bad when it was totaled after an accident. Nothing great about it at all even when new. I’d take the PT Cruiser for $1500, besides its a convertible that works for $1500
Gotta be the PT because I’m not making payments to a BHPH.
Yeah, exactly. Those guys are infamous for predatory lending practices and if you are late on one payment they’ll have their repo guy in your neighborhood that afternoon. Pay’em once (only if never is not an option) and be done with them.
Having driven a PT Cruiser: it was like a top & front-heavy Neon.
Which, honestly, was a bit of a complement as the Neon was a decent handling chassis – far superior to anything out of GM at the time at that price. It handled far better than I thought it would.
But that’s not the point of the PT.
The PT is for cruising, and the convertible top would make it doubly so.