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Originally Posted by sarguy01
what are their life (engine, trans) expectancies?
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I've seen these cars (even the 3-cyl versions) go well past 200k, properly maintained. Around here, rust is what kills these cars, not mechanical/drivetrain issues.
Assuming it lived its whole life down south, you shouldn't have the dreaded front control arm mount rot. That's its Achille's heel. (Where the front suspension tears off and wheels go their separate ways, etc.)
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Anything I should look for that would be a flag?
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If you have the opportunity to do a compression check, I would, just for peace of mind (195 PSI is spec, if I recall). About the only other big thing to check is the transmission 2nd gear syncrho can be a weak point. Watch for grinding when shifting briskly (usually worst downshifting from 3rd).
Though that's not strictly a deal-killer, since you could always double-clutch to minimize the problem. But that's a pain in the butt/convenience issue that may have you hating the car after a while.
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The goal for this car is to save money and to use as little gas as possible. [...] the other car options are a Civic HX (manual, 121,000 miles, $3,900, dealership) or any other Craigslist 2 or 4 door Civic 5 speed up to $4,000.
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Good, worthy goal!
Assuming it's in reasonable shape: get the Metro. Since it's a manual, you should be able to squeeze good mileage from it, even though it's the 4-cyl engine. (The automatics sucked, MPG-wise, and that's usually what you find in the sedans.)
If you're handy and can do basic/intermediate level repairs and maintenance, the price difference between this car and the others makes it a no brainer (again, assuming it's in reasonable condition). By spending $1k instead of $4k, you essentially have yourself a $3000 "insurance policy" for repairs/maintenance down the road, should you need it. $3k buys a fair amount of fuel, too.
And regardless of what you get, congrats on dumping the 2nd car payment! I know too many "car rich/cash poor" people paying interest for the privelege of owning a depreciating, money-sucking asset.