Car purchase advice needed
 

OK, I KNOW this si a Mercedes forum, but...

My son, the musician finnaly got a (parttime) teaching job, so now he needs a better car. He's been driving a hand-me-dowm '96 geo Metro. He says his budget is $11,000. Remember, he is a Tuba player and need to trandsport his horn, and often a passenger. He drives in downtown Philly and NYC to various gigs.
His list pasic parameters:
30+ mpg
reliable
< 30,000 miles
model year 2003 or newer
Sedan vs. Hatch back--either body style has some advantages and other liabilities, so thats a wash.

OK, what would you fine members of the mercedesshop Open Discussion suggest?

Thanks for any help. ( Anxious to see how this thread gets hi-jacked....)

Ford Focus wagon. :) Musicians love stationwagons. He might have to carpool.

I want through a series a questions on cars.msn.com, entered the informationon for the kind of car your son is looking for and they came up with:

2004 Ford Focus Wagon
Blue Book Value: $10,050 - $11,100
Pricing & Specs
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2004 Kia Rio Cinco
Blue Book Value: $8700 - $8975
Pricing & Specs
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2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback
Blue Book Value: $10,950 - $14,100
Pricing & Specs
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2004 Pontiac Vibe
Blue Book Value: $11,550 - $13,100
Pricing & Specs
Search used car listings

2004 Saturn L300 Wagon
Blue Book Value: $12,350 - $14,750
Pricing & Specs
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2004 Suzuki Aerio SX
Blue Book Value: $10,200 - $10,550
Pricing & Specs
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2004 Toyota Matrix
Blue Book Value: $12,700 - $14,500
Pricing & Specs
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2005 Chevrolet Aveo
Blue Book Value: $8400 - $10,400
Pricing & Specs
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2005 Ford Focus Wagon
Blue Book Value: $11,350 - $11,900
Pricing & Specs
Search used car listings

2005 Kia Rio Cinco
Blue Book Value: $9825 - $10,100
Pricing & Specs
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2005 Suzuki Aerio SX
Blue Book Value: $11,550 - $11,850
Pricing & Specs
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2006 Chevrolet Aveo
Blue Book Value: $10,100 - $12,250
Pricing & Specs
Search used car listings

Golf didn't make the list?

Sixto
93 300SD 3.0

The questions only allow you to choose a car that's "nearly new".

I guess 2004 is the cut-off and a 2004 Golf is still above his budget.

A nice Mercedes Diesel wagon, refurbished (sp).

What about the Honda CRV? I have heard good things about them.

Scion xA or xB?

Sixto
93 300SD 3.0

How big is a tuba anyway? I assume it fits in a Geo Metro. I can fit a Geo Metro in the trunk of my SD which isn't worth $11K, ergo... :)

Sixto
93 300SD 3.0

Thanks for all the replies.
He isn't me--he is musically talented; I am mechanically talented. The two may not be mutually exclusive, but he also has no garage, and no tools to maintain a Mercedes. If he were handy, and had a place to do normal maintenance, I'd recommend the 300TD. But he needs a car that is a turn-key.
I'll send him the list.
Thanks again

Honda Element.

I've had a 1990 and a 1993 Chrysler mini van. I put over 200k on both and aside from the expected transmission troubles, which they claim to have fixed now, they both gave excellent service. My family and I took them all over the States a number of times. They are good for kids because you can take out the middle seat, I guess the newer ones fold down, and they can play/sleep in the middle area. The 3.3 Mitsubishi engine is the best I have ever seen. In all those miles I NEVER touched the engine. A couple of water pumps and some belt tensioner, but never any repairs to the engine.

I'm probably going to catch a basket of rotten tomatoes, but my oldest kid just bought a 2nd-hand Toyota SUV. Something named for a tree (I don't know SUV's, okay? But I am a botanist). It is a 2001 ( think) with a bit under 100K miles, all records (dealership maintained), loaded and in extremely good condition. Her BF is a mechanic and owns the pick-up version, which he swears is the best pick-up ever.

She paid $10K incl TTL.

That big-assed MOFO will hold a raft of tubas, and the horse they rode in on.

B

Sequoia. Sort of a clone of a Ford Expedition.

Perhaps a used Subaru Outback wagon would be worth a look. They are quite reliable, get decent mileage and aren't a bad choice for ordinary driving, and the AWD feature is handy in rotten weather and light snow.