Originally Posted by VWBoss85
I hear all bad things about 2nd Gen Eclipse's, and considering I'm a college student without a ton of cash to worry about buying new trannies and engines every 2 months I'm scared to get one. I'm not really worried about pushing the car to it's limits or street racing like an idiot, I just want something fast and good-looking.
I guess my really question is how bad is it, are the horror stories really true, and how broke will I really be trying to take care of this thing?
O I'm looking at two GSTs with around 50k miles on em and GS with 60k on it, all 1996 or 1997.
The horror stories are severely overrated. However, that being said, they can become a reality if you don't do your proper maintenance (these cars can be money pits). The car may also give you problems if the prevous owner abused the car.
Honestly, if you are in college, are worried about having a reliable car, and don't have a lot of cash, you may want to look elsewhere. You need to figure out your finances and determine whether you can really afford one or not. I haven't even brought up the gas price topic. Turbo models require premium, of course, which now costs an arm and a leg.
Do some research on the internet for our cars. Alot of information out there. vfaq.com is a good start.
In your situation though (unless you find a good source of income), I'd get a different car. Preferrably something that gets good mileage and solid reliability. Put your "need for speed" on hold for a little while. Get your college degree, then get a good paying career. You can then afford a much nicer car than the vast majority of people here own.