During high school, a friend and I bought a car together to go to bike races with. The car was as old as we were (1975), and cost us 500$, plus several hundred dollars in needed repairs. It ran fine for the 2 years we used it.
The last time I was in the states, I borrowed my parents' '87 camry (which I had owned previously). Great car - it was pushing 200K miles a few years ago when my dad got into a minor accident that had the unfortunate side effect of ruining the seal on the trunk, making it useless for hauling his camera gear around in rainy Oregon. It was still running great after all those years and miles, though. You could probably pick up a car like that for less than $2000, no problem and drive it well beyond just one summer.
Now, with a family, I'd consider getting something nicer, but before having a kid, there's no way anyone would dissuade me from getting an older car that runs well.
During high school, a friend and I bought a car together to go to bike races with. The car was as old as we were (1975), and cost us 500$, plus several hundred dollars in needed repairs. It ran fine for the 2 years we used it.
The last time I was in the states, I borrowed my parents' '87 camry (which I had owned previously). Great car - it was pushing 200K miles a few years ago when my dad got into a minor accident that had the unfortunate side effect of ruining the seal on the trunk, making it useless for hauling his camera gear around in rainy Oregon. It was still running great after all those years and miles, though. You could probably pick up a car like that for less than $2000, no problem and drive it well beyond just one summer.
Now, with a family, I'd consider getting something nicer, but before having a kid, there's no way anyone would dissuade me from getting an older car that runs well.