nranly

Ford Probe. Fun cars that can be had for less than $3k.

mac11

iTrader: (1)

mid 90s saturn with a single cam and a 5speed. should be a high 30s MPG car and run for half a million miles with regular oil changes.

m477

90's Nissan Sentra, you should be able to find a pretty decent one for $3k, and more fun to drive than say, a corolla or something. The other good thing is that it's not in as much demand as a toyota or honda, so you could probably find one with lower miles for cheaper

MyRXdrug

I have an '89 Corolla Wagon 4WD. Best beater ever (30mpg, oil burning 85hp 4 speed auto), except that sometimes I feel it isn't the safest car in the world. The head restraints seem wobbly at best, and a few problems including me patching up 3 gas tank leaks!

But man I know I won't get stuck in winter like I did once on a neighborhood street with my FWD '88 Corolla GT-S (another awesome beater with even better gas mileage!).

CarAndDriver

I suggested an Infiniti G20. Fun, frugal, peppy, and reliable with great dealers if you need anything. I also like the Sentra SE-R from that period too.