Car buyers guide: choosing the cheapest car you'll be happy with

Finding a car to fit your budget may be easy, but finding one you'll be happy to drive may be more challenging.

We've all seen them at one time or another-the jet black $70,000 Jaguar in a restaurant parking lot or the $40,000 Earth Destroyer 3000 screaming down the highway. Most of us probably muttered 'Don't hurt my car!' or 'I wish I had one of those!' under our breath as we headed towards our 20 year old lime green AMC Pacer. It's easy to see what sort of cars and trucks we could buy if money were no object, but it can be harder to find the least-expensive car we could still enjoy driving.

The important thing to keep in mind while shopping for an affordable car is form follows function. Before checking the classified section or traveling to the car dealership, determine precisely what you value most in a car. Select one word or short phrase to define this quality and use that as your overall guide. If you're looking for reliable transportation, you'll know not to consider cars with high mileage. If a sleek appearance is your main motivation, then you'll be able to eliminate certain utilitarian models right away. Obviously most people have more than one reason for buying a different car, but there's usually one quality that determines happiness better than others.

Here's a guide to finding the cheapest car you'll still enjoy driving, based on the most important quality you've selected:

1. "Reliable transportation". Many car buyers are
searching for a reliable vehicle which will take them to and from work with minimal problems. Style and manufacturer are not major considerations when looking for reliability. Some may prefer foreign cars to domestic or vice-versa, but in general what matters is mileage and engine condition. If reliability is your main motivation, then you'll probably be happy with a car less than five years old with low mileage. Assume 12,000 miles a year on average and you should have some idea how much wear and tear the previous owner has put on the car. A three year old car with 100,000 miles is probably not going to remain reliable for long. A five year old car with 40,000 miles has probably been driven conservatively and should be more reliable in the long run. To find an inexpensive car with lower mileage or better engine condition, look in the classifieds for a single owner vehicle or cruise through an older neighborhood for cars marked for sale. Car auctions and police impound sales may also yield more affordable cars with reliable engines. Body condition is not always a sign of reliability, so you may be happy driving a beater with a solid engine and few mechanical problems.

2. "Cargo Space". If you plan to use this vehicle for transporting cargo and passengers, you'll want to look for the largest car or van in your price range. One possibility would be retired service vehicles such as delivery vans, ice cream trucks and shuttle vans. They may not be the most attractive cars on the road, but retired service vehicles were designed to maximize storage space. If this car or van is intended for commercial work, you may find that buying a retired vehicle and making a few cosmetic changes would be cheaper than buying a newer model. If you're planning on transporting passengers in a carpool or to and from after-school events, a retired shuttle bus may be a worthwhile investment. Some churches or other non-profit social agencies will sell older vans at cost in order to upgrade to larger or newer models.

3."Style". If your primary motivation for a new car is style and appearance, then you may be looking at buying a newer model instead of the standard 'used car'. Typically, a brand new sports car will be priced at $25,000 or more. Top-end models such as Vipers and Jaguars could cost as much as a small house, not including the insurance rate adjustments. But most of the major automobile manufacturers now offer more affordable sports models with virtually the same power and handling of a top-end vehicle.

If style and performance are your motivation, then consider some of the midrange sports models put out by Nissan, Mazda, Ford and almost every other manufacturer. In order to appeal to as many customers as possible, manufacturers offer two or three different models of the same basic sports car. You'll save thousands of dollars by opting for the lower-end model with the same power as the beefier cousin. At some point, consumers begin paying less for the technology and more for the image.

4. "Safety". If your primary motivation is a safe car for a new driver, then you may save some money through research. Consumer and car magazines usually publish safety test results on most car and truck models. Once you've determined the safest car in your style and price range, you can search the internet for bargain vehicles or scour the classifieds for that specific model. Older drivers tend to buy safer cars, so you may benefit from an estate sale auction or cruising through an older neighborhood for private sales. Advertising your search at your house of worship or other public places may help you connect with a responsible owner. You'll want to avoid the bargain basement price of a extremely used car. Cars with little evidence of maintenance and a lot of visible structural damage are simply not safe. The brakes may need a major overhaul and the transmission may be close to failure. A cheaper car may be perfectly safe, but you have to accept a certain base price in order to feel secure. Minor body work shouldn't affect safety, but damage to the seatbelts or brakes or steering system can be a deal breaker.