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marshall, what do you think the best bang for buck for 5K is??
Depends on what you mean by " Bang ".
Reliability......a used Corolla or Civic.
Power.......an old Firebird or Camaro V8 that hasn't been too ragged out.......( Good luck ! ) They generally have more power than Mustangs....but inspect them CAREFULLY. Their build quality is poor.
Sports car......an older used Miata ( they are also very reliable ).
Foul-weather driving......a used Subaru Impreza. Best inexpensive AWD system on the planet.
Utility...a used Toyota RAV4 or Honda CRV.
Light-duty truck.......a used Toyota of almost any model, but avoid pre-1990 ones because of the bed-rust problem.