Driving Across America. What is the coolest vehicle I can drive for $3000 or less?

Will there be any snuggling?

Illinoisphotographer wrote:

What's your plan of action if the radiator breaks down in the middle of Utah?

Then you'll be surrounded by rural Mormons, the most generous and hospitable people in the USA. If it breaks down in the middle of New York you would have a point.

for about $2k you could rent a box truck and drive it cross country one way (I checked LA to NYC). Maybe too much $$ but you could throw a few couches in the back and live in it, saving all hotel/motel/etc expenses.

If you really plan to sleep in it you're probably limited to a van, large wagon, or pickup with a cap. The best bang for your buck as far as reliability, gas mileage, and comfort would be a minivan. Not exactly cool, but your job is to make it cool. Strip out the rear seats and deck out the interior, then doing something crazy with the exterior that will really draw attention.

This Lexus. Which is also one of the best craigslist ads I've seen.

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/5103300547.html

Many posters have mentioned the possibility of a $3,000 car breaking down and that definitely exists but you can minimize the risk by having whatever you buy checked out by a mechanic. And I think the risks and problems of breakdown, while real, are overstated.

You're looking at maybe 6,000-8,000 miles of driving or about half of what the average car covers in a year. If you bought a 175,000 mile car and used it for normal day to day driving right now there's a very good chance you could drive it until the end of the year, i.e., 6-8k miles without any problem. Of course if it did break down in that time you're probably pretty close to home and the breakdown is less problematic than if you're in western Kansas.

But I once broke down in western Kansas in the 70s and survived and that was before cell phones. Get AAA with the extended towing option and if you break down you call for a tow truck and go to a garage. People advising rentals though are correct. If a rental breaks down the company pays for the repair and tow and there's a lot to be said for that.

If you don't want a rental and want to sleep in your vehicle you'll want a wagon or van. What's "coolest" really depends on what you think is cool but you'd probably do better looking at what models are most reliable and cheapest to repair before what ones are cool and that usually leads to Japanese cars or vans.

Older Jag XJS (maybe not convertible) you can pick up for $3K. Of course if you make it, you'll need $10K of work afterwards but if it holds together there's no smoother cooler ride....

A small car with a working air conditioner. Nothing like Utah or Texas, or Louisiana without air conditioning.

A prius is actually a terrible idea. They are designed for start/stop urban driving to charge. Load one up and drive it for hours only to arrive at your destination with a dead battery.

Maybe a Toyota Yaris though?? I know it's small, but travel light and it should be reliable.

fisky wrote:

Subaru Legacy Outback or Volvo V70 wagon. Both should get 20-22mpg. The rear seat folds down. Old campers are a money pit... stay away from them... plus the gas mileage can be really bad: 8-12mpg.

Another poster mentioned a minivan. That's a good choice, too. Strip out the rear seats. They have a quick release so it's easy to do. Avoid any Dodge or Chrysler minivan unless it has a rebuilt transimission because they are prone to transmission problems. Gas mileage will be a LOT better than any comparible year of SUV.

20 years ago we used to run that route.

- Forrest

Your lack of posting disturbs wrote:

1994 Jeep Cherokee

Funny you say that. I currently drive a '95 Cherokee and love it.

I should clarify. This trip isn't for any particular reason other than pure adventure. I live in Hawaii (which is why I can't take my current vehicle), and have an Australian friend who I haven't seen in a few years, so we're meeting in LA and giving ourselves a month to just free style it. Yeah, breaking down in the middle of Utah would suck, but I'd rather take the risk and rock something bad ass, than play it safe and drive a Mazda 2 for 6,000 miles.

I like the idea of a vintage volvo wagon (whoever pointed that out, thanks). I know those things are bullet proof. I've also seen a lot of vintage Cadillacs and Lincolns on craigslist. Gas mileage would blow, but we could sleep in the back, and imagine how legendary it would be to roll up in a classic limo. Try this on for size:

fsdfsdfsd wrote:

1980s BMW 3 series

I've also owned two of these in the past. One 1988 4 door and a 1991 325i coupe. Absolutely love those things. E30's have got to be the best sports car for your money. A little small for two guys and a month on the road though.

If you can find a Honda Element, you can do it all in there. AWD, take the rear seats right out (which takes 5 mins) and build a sleeping platform in back with storage underneath (literally 100 designs on the internet and youtube on how to do this) Spend the money to do that instead of paying for hotels and sleep 90% of the time in the Element. I've traveled/lived in mine for 22 days and never paid for a hotel. Used a solar shower and/or rivers to bathe. Left my seed all across the West.

pop_pop! wrote:

Load one up (a Toyota Prius) and drive it for hours only to arrive at your destination with a dead battery.

If ignorance is bliss, you might be the happiest person in the world.

Get yourself a Lincoln Town Car with a lot of miles on it. Why a lot of miles? Because Ford engines last when they are driven regularly. Starting in LA is perfect. Find a limo company that is about to dump one. It will have been regularly serviced and maybe had its transmission already rebuilt. You can get 25 MPG on the highway and you've got two couches on air ride suspension.

Do not buy the low mileage estate sale town car. These cars were driven twice a week and not at all for the last 3 years after grandpop crashed up a few shopping carts and the kids took the keys. That car looks good on the outside but is deteriorating for lack of use.

I went east-west in an 87 and a few years later, west to east in an 86. Nothing better cruising through America in an American luxury vehicle.

Rad McNally wrote:

We will be starting in LA, and probably finishing in LA as well.

Holy Cow! Is traffic really that bad?

Illinoisphotographer wrote:

You are much, much better off renting a new econo car for this trip.

What's your plan of action if the radiator breaks down in the middle of Utah? Or if your fuel pump goes in Montana? With a rental from a big name company, they will pay to fix and or have you a new car within a day.

Gonna have to agree with this, OP.

Buy a junker if you are just driving around town, but not to drive across the country. Rent a well-maintained car from a major car rental place.

enough of this wrote:

Jeep would be a great choice, if you can find one for cheap. The motors will run forever and the gas mileage will be shitty but it won't break down. A Toyota Sienna (preferably early 2000s) would also work - plus it's a total chick magnet.

Good luck trying to find a Sienna for under 3 grand!!!! Another good option would be a Hyundai Mirage, great gas mileage and as stealthy as the name implies.

Boom

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/5123703792.html