Auto Trends

Continuing from our list of the best used cars from 1998 and up, we come to the letters N through P of the manufacturers alphabet:

Nissan Altima-

Nissan Maxima-

Nissan Murano-

The Murano was released back in the not so distant 2003. While these are certainly not all that old, you can still get a great price for one at somewhere between $15,000 to $25,000. The Murano is basically a repackaged Nissan Altima which is another great Nissan that hit the Consumer Reports list for best used cars from 1998 and up.

There is nothing too fancy about this car-based Nissan crossover, but it is quite stylish for its class and a good solid reliable vehicle for the most part. It’s simplicity is probably what makes it have such great reliability to be quite honest.

It comes with 18 inch rims, a 3.5 liter V-6 worth 245 horsepower and 246 ft-lbs of torque, and a CVT (continuously variable automatic transmission), which not only makes the gear switching seamless, but saves you a few mpg’s with its stated 20 city/ 24 highway.

One of its only negatives for its crossover status would have to be its four passenger interior, which is a tad smaller than most of its competitors five to seven seating arrangement.

But if your family is fairly small, you can still enjoy a few of its useful standard amenities, like tilt steering and climate control, with room to upgrade to power adjustable pedals, leather interior, navigation system, xenon lighting, and traction control.

This is all the urban assault you should really ever need in your typical city battleground!

Pontiac Vibe-

Porsche 911 (except ‘03)-

High performance sports cars don’t often make it on these lists, so when one does you have to take notice. If you erase the 2003 model out of your mind, the rest of their offerings from 1999 on up were darn near bulletproof. At least as bullet proof as 300 some horsepower engine can be.

It isn’t hard to fathom why the Porsche 911 made it onto the list with 34 some years of refinements under their belts. 1999 marked a new generation that would offer an all new redesigned engine incorporating water cooling and dual-overhead cams and a wider stance by three inches, that would put the meaning of “wide body” back into the Porsche name.

Porsche tends to follow the old saying, “speed costs money, how fast do you want to go?” On the lower end of the price spectrum, $19,000 (in relatively poor shape mind you) could get you the 1999 standard 3.4 liter flat six with 300 horsepower and all the standard Porsche tuning that has made this car practically unbeatable on a curvy road.

If your willing to up the ante on the price by several thousand, you could opt for the turbocharged 3.6 liter, which saw no less than 415 horsepower. 2002 grew the liters of the standard Porsche to 3.6 liters, which boosted its 300 horsepower to an easy 320. 2002 was also the year that the infamous Porsche GT2 was released, which has a potent 456 horsepower at its disposal.

If you can find a 2004 model with the optional “horsepower kit” installed, the horsepower will run you 345 for the base 3.6 liter and 450 for the turbo. About the only way you are going to get much faster, is to take up a 2007 turbo 911 rated at an awesome 480 horsepower.

But as we said, you pay for what you get. If you want to really fly in style, $100,000-plus seems to be the going rate for a newer GT2, or you could go with the lesser GT3 (380 horsepower) in the upper 50’s.

So, how fast do you want to go?

Continuing from our list of the best used cars from 1998 and up, we come to the letters L through M of the manufacturers alphabet:

Lexus ES-

Lexus ES-

Lexus GS (RWD)-

Lexus GX-

Lexus IS-

Lexus LS-

We had interviewed James Bell, editor of Intellichoice last year, and one of his favorite vehicles for 2007 was the Lexus LS. He raved about its bells and whistles and most importantly, its ease of accessing them. You can go from the air conditioning to the radio without any problem or stretching at all.

These are some of the little things that make the Lexus LS 430 stand out for us in particular. Not to mention that to own one of these ultra-luxury edition sedans from the generation of 2001 to 2006, will only cost somewhere in the range of $15,000 to $45,000, which isn’t bad for a vehicle that rates a 10 on comfort, ride quality, interior space, and quietness by most consumer guide ratings.

About the only thing you could have against this car, besides its looks (which is a personal thing), is its gas mileage which ranges somewhere around 18 city/25 highway. But when you are running a 290 horsepower 4.3 liter V-8 with 320 lb-ft of torque, how much more mpg can you really expect.

This type of power and crisp throttle response does not come cheap, but when your talking the reliability of a Toyota Camry, the maintenance aspect will certainly not be much of a wallet drain. One of the finest things about a Lexus is you drop your wad of cash once, then you can enjoy your vehicle for years to come with very little added expenses besides basic maintenance.

Lexus RX-

Lexus SC-

Lincoln Continental-

Lincoln Town Car-

Mazda Millenia-

Mazda MX-5 Miata-

Mazda puts out a good product on several fronts of this list, but the Mazda MX-5 has been their tried and true success for a number of years, which makes it one of their best bets for a used sport compact. While this series of blogs is called Best Used Cars from 1998 and up, truth be told, there isn’t a bad year for the Miata MX-5.

There are certainly a few differences, we’ll give you that. But not as many as you would think over its 18 years of existence. But Mazda must be listening to their inner Grandfather telling them to leave good enough alone.

The Miata is basically an adult go-cart to be quite honest. It is super small, nimble, light on its feet, and fast enough to get you a few tickets if your not careful. The Miata has never really been for the true hardcore performance enthusiast, so if your thinking Porsche, you better just get a Porsche.

The 1990 Mazda MX-5 began its humble beginnings with a 1.6 liter 4-cylinder capable of 116 horsepower and 0-60 in just under 9 seconds. In 1994, Mazda upped the ante with a 1.8 liter engine with 128 horsepower. 1996 squeezed out another 5 horsepower from the 1.8, and then in 1999, the MX-5 was boosted with more compression, bringing its total output to 140 horsepower and 0-60 in 7.6 seconds.

In 2001, horsepower was bumped once again to 155, although due to emission restrictions, the Miata still only saw about 142. Finally in 2004, 14 years after its opening, Mazda decided to offer a turbo charged version capable of 178 horsepower. The turbo also received some other nice touches, such as an improved sport suspension and a slicker exterior that not necessarily screamed, but whispered, this is not my Mommy’s Miata.

With 18 years of Miata’s to choose from, you can find one whether your price limit is $1,200 on up to $22,000. Now that’s what we call options!

Mazda Protegé-

Mazda3-

Mitsubishi Endeavor-

Mitsubishi Outlander-

(…to be continued)

Continuing from our list of the best used cars from 1998 and up, we come to the letters H through I of the manufacturers alphabet:

Honda Accord-

Honda Civic-

Honda Civic Hybrid-

Honda CR-V-

Honda makes a good vehicle in general, but in the small SUV market we sure like the Honda CR-V for both its performance, convenience, and overall value. With being one of the first car platform SUV’s out in 1996, Honda hasn’t had to perfect to many faults over the years. But one of its so-called worst faults, isn’t actually all that bad.

The CR-V was slightly underpowered over the years, especially in 1998 ($3,700) at 126 horsepower, but in todays gas crunch, that 126 ponies translates into low fuel consumption (22/26 mpg) and high reliability. 1999 saw a boost of 20 ponies with their stout 2.0 liter, which was later boosted to 160 horsepower from 2002 to 2006 ($8,700 - $20,000) with a more potent 2.4 liter 4-cylinder (all engines have around the same mpg).

The Honda CR-V is a lot more rugged than it would appear and is highly capable of tackling snow, rain, and ice with its all-wheel-drive, and then heading out on the dry highway, where it is every bit as agile and light on its wheels as most any similar priced sedan.

While the CR-V may handle like a car, it does not have the same convenience features as one, and we mean this in a good way. The Honda has quite a bit of space on the inside for passengers, a large cargo area, and a nifty picnic table that folds up from the floor.

The price range of the CR-V ranges from $4,000 to $30,000 from 1998 on up to 2007, so there should be something in there for anyone.

Honda Element-

Honda Odyssey-

Honda Pilot-

Honda S2000-

Infiniti FX-

Infiniti G20-

Infiniti G35-

About $15,000 will get you a used 2003 Infinity G35. These were introduced in the spring of 2002 as infiniti’s newest affordable luxury sedan. While luxury was certainly a focus, sport enthusiasm was one of its key selling points.

Its rear wheel configuration combined with a potent 280 horsepower V-6 for the coupe, could be described best as a family persons version of the Nissan 350Z. While longer than the 350Z, its sport capabilities were still quite impressive for its size.

The sedans were scaled down a bit to 260 horsepower, and both body styles featured a 5-speed automatic transmission and 6-speed manual. Such classy options for both include leather, 17 inch alloys, Xenon headlights, wood interior trim, Bose stereo/satellite, DVD navigation, sunroof, and a premium package with sport tuned suspension and performance tires to match.

The sportier coupes had the additional options of 18-inch wheels, limited-slip differential, heated front seats, and performance rated brakes, while the sedan had the exclusive feature of reclining rear seat back. Safety wise, both body styles had anti-lock disc brakes, power brake assist, and side airbags.

The G35 is second to none in its class, which includes the BMW 3-Series, Audi A4, and the Cadillac CTS.

Infiniti I30, I35-

Infiniti QX4-

(…to be continued)