What does /o/ think is the best road trip car for under $5k?
A smooth and quiet ride is extremely important, and I'd like to be able to fold the seats down to sleep in the back. Of course, reliability is extremely important too. wouldn't want the car to die in the middle of bumfucknowheresville.
I've been looking at getting pic related, it looks like a nice car altogether, and the AWD version seems capable.
If I'm on a tighter budget when time comes, I'd probably go for the 240 wagon instead, or an 850/inbetween volvo wagon.
How hard are volvos to work on? Could I learn to work on it myself? I know the 2001 volvo wagon has a turd transmission, how difficult would it be to swap that out if it dies?
>>14969662
Early 2000s Buick Century
Cars are plentiful, well equipped, cheap and reliable
Parts are easy to find, and the car is fairly easy to work on
Comfy ride quality, plenty of space for you and passengers and a big trunk
Not cars that kids thrash, so not a problem
Good ones can be had from 2-4k easily
>>14969679
Thanks, I'll look into that!
How easy is it to sleep in? Could save money if, on road trips, I'm able to skip out on the hotels without a significant detriment to my sleep quality.
>>14969804
The 1997-2005 Century is a 4 door W-body sedan. If you consider one W-body car, You may as well look at them all.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_W_platform
As to my suggestion, I'll suggest the 1991-1996 Chevrolet Caprice and Buick Roadmaster station wagons.
No, they're not fuel efficient. The 4.3L and 5.7L V8s are god-tier from GM's second generation Chebby small block engine family, so they're reliable, so long as you take a few precautions first and remove the entire opti-spark ignition system.
Big floaty comfy wagons that can fold down the seats and even have a rear facing jump seat in the back that also folds flat.
Pic Related. Top Gear USA host Ruttledge Wood owns this one
>>14969679
>Buick century
>reliable, easy to work on
>555-comeonnow
If you're going to blow 2-4 grand on a W-body, at least go for a regal
avoid 60* gm v6's like the plague, and watch for rocker panel rust.
>>14969804
Just get an s80 and stay in a hotel. Maximum comfy.
>>14971497
>hey, I need a good circle
>fuck you, you don't need a circle, here's a square. You'll like it.
>that isn't what I asked for
>>14969662
A4 or A6 Avant.
>>14971382
You're the first person I've ever heard suggest otherwise. I've seen several 200k+ mile examples of those cars IRL. Also, what about it not being easy to work on? I do all the oil changes and stuff on my fiancee's Century, and I just did a valve cover and it wasn't bad. A little annoying, but nothing like working on most Japanese compact cars where everything is crammed into the smallest space possible.
Is that it, because it isn't from grorious Nippon you think it's shit?
>>14969804
The seats are comfy, but I have to sleep sitting up in the driver or passenger's seat. I've only passed one night sleeping like that and it wasn't bad. I would've preferred a bed though, but I have a bad back from a motorcycle wreck, so take that as you will. If you're short you can sleep on the back bench seat pretty comfortably though, my fiancee does it a lot in hers over lunch breaks.
>>14969953
The roadmaster wagon looks perfect. I forgot to mention in OP that cruise control is preferred. How difficult would it be to install cruise control aftermarket in one of those?
>>14971558
Depends on how flush you want it man. I looked into aftermarket cruise control for my '06 cobalt. They have dash variants that are universal and wand variants that are a bitch. Depends on your skill with cars.
>>14971612
I don't care if it looks ugly as fug, as long as it's cruise control and it works.
>>14971620
Probably simple. Never did it as I totalled my balt innawoods. Sad times.
>>14971522
This man gets it.
Here is a (You)
>>14969662
just buy a piece of shit and nigger rig it as you go. stay in back packers as you go. no car is guaranteed to not an hero. if it does, just buy another POS.
backpackers are like 30$/night and you get to meet weirdos and sleep somewhere comfy as you clutch your backpack for dear life while you sleep.
driving back wont be as fun. or maybe. I dont know. there is literally nothing but sand and cows between capital cities in australia. I guess amerifats have a different metropolis every 100km.
>>14971522
I've done the cross country road trip thing. It's nice to have a comfy bed with cold a/c after 10-11 hours of driving and a nice shower and breakfast in the morning.
>>14971742
I understand that, but I'll probably be doing the road trip thing on a low budget for at least a few more years. When a hotel isn't an option, being able to put down a bed in the back of a car and sleep would be a good alternative for me.
>>14971783
How poor are you? Pretty much every hotel outside of major cities is less than 100 bucks a night.
>>14971805
Maybe he just wants to bum it up with his hippy wife
>>14971805
Right now I'm pretty poor, and that doesn't look to be changing any time soon.
>>14971828
That, too. Being able to have a nice shag in the back while the car is parked would be nice.
>>14971836
>he doesnt want to be in a backpackers orgy when the lights go out and you can hear everyone screwing then all the chicks get horny and want to screw and everyone has a good time
you can stay in a backpackers for like 20$/night anon. check it out. its good value. half international students and tourists. half local homeless prostitutes and schizophrenics.
>>14969662
Toyota Sienna
![00j0j_1kCjifNbmMv_600x450[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/yAO7kDP.jpg "00j0j_1kCjifNbmMv_600x450[1].jpg")
>>14969662
https://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/cto/5523874181.html
>>14971912
If he can't afford a hotel he can't afford 80s jag maintenance or fuel economy
>>14971855
Sounds like my kind of people.
>>14969662
quit fucking around and get one of these OP..
>>14972103
Conversion vans (in good shape) are expensive, and they get worse gas mileage than 90s wagons.
>>14969662
Don't you wish this car was real
Just so you know OP, 240 series really weren't that quiet a ride. They just weren't weighed down by 300 lbs of sound deadening I don't suppose.
>>14972180
literal shaggin-wagon
lincoln town car my nigga
>>14973494
fucking this
>>14969662
sorry dude you is wrong. best car for this job is a van. its not that hard to sound deaden a van.
and you can live in a van. still plenty of good ones around so you may not have to put bed in the back if its already got one.
