My son is looking for a good $5000 car
 

he might be tempted by a benz, bmw or vw.

He says hondas and toyotas do nothing for him!;)

Take as look at my MB 420SE Euro post: FS RARE GEN II EURO '86 420 SE; this section; best buy for the money because of solid driver and all the money spent in maintenance.

Get him a 2000 Jetta 2.0. Simple, reliable, 115 hp so he won't kill himself. You could get a nice one for 5k. Good crash safety, side airbags, and ABS standard.

-J

What will the car be used for?
 

Commuting to work? Hauling a family of 4? Does he like stick shift or auto? Is MPG a priority or is he more into the "feel and performance" of a car?

VW reliability has not impressed me. Not so much in the drivetrain department (although I am not that impressed there) but in the interiors. My friends Jetta and my wifes Beetle both had interiors where parts would just come off in your hand and in general, were cheaply made.

How old is your son?

Prolly a bit too old and too much gas using and too far away from Indiana. Thanks anyway though!;)

Sorry, a little more info. My son is 32 and has three kids and a wife. He will be buying it for himsef. I am just putting out feelers. Safety is good. A nice wagon would be good but a sedan may fill the bill too.

I think he would buy either a stick or automatic.

I know of a 97000 original mile 1995 E320 wagon. Good friend of mine is looking to sell. He bought it last year with 85-ish thousand in Houston where it spent all of its life. White with Gray Interior.

I think he wants around $6000. He's put alot of work into it.

That caprice wagon of yours would have fit the bill nicely for him...

Ya, a Mk4 Jetta would be too small for his needs.

-J

For $5k, there should be lots of options. He can get a reliable Mmerican car / SUV or Honda with intergalactic miles.

A '94-'95 e320 sedan or wagon in that price range is a great car-- esp. if the head gasket, engine harness and evaporator have been dealt with. Very solid engine and a pleasure to drive. I shoulda-coulda-woulda on one last year, but I couldn't come up with the cash at the time.

C36 AMG or M3

What's your daily commute/target MPG?

He is a realtor and really does not commute.

I will tell him about the e wagon. Mileage is not as important to him as it would be to me.