would you suggest this car for a 18 year?

Asked by cluelesscarbuyer09 Jan 03, 2009 at 12:20 AM about the 1998 INFINITI I30

Question type: Shopping & Pricing

I'm looking to but a used for a budget $3000. I found this infiniti and i was wondering is it reliable and worth the money. i need something to last me through college.
Also what other cars would you recommend for someone on a this small budget

21 Answers

5,155

well something thats reliable and cheap would be like a civic,corolla something like that i dont think you will find a used infiniti for the 3000 that wont have something wrong with it

2 people found this helpful.
7,385

Get an old chevy s10 or something like that. They have great mileage, very simple, reliable engines if you get something before the mid '90s, and they are usually inexpensive. I would'nt touch an infiniti with a 10-mile fork. Not really reliable, may as well be made of tinfoil, and as a general rule anything less then 15-20 years old is a pain to work on.

2 people found this helpful.
3,930

I'd avoid the Infinity for the simple reason that they are expensive to repair. Also, that is more than average power for an unsupervised 18 year old. The suggestion of a used older Chevy is not a good one. The engine and drivetrain may remain somewhat sound; HOWEVER...the fit and finish on a Chevy that old is sub standard. In fact, they will have so many creaks, leaks and rattles that it's frustrating to drive. Your best bet is to find an old Civic or Corolla as Fred suggested. They are reliable even with higher mileage and when they break, they are reasonable to repair.

3,930

For a college kid? Reliable???...whatever.

2 people found this helpful.
1,935

an old S-10 is and isn't a bad suggestion... Parts for them are DIRT cheap... however, for College, I'd reccomend something that isn't a truck... an early 90's escort would be a good college car... hatchback and the seats fold down so there will be lots of room for books and moving and all that stuff... you can kick the shit out of them, change the oil when you feel like it, and pull handbreak turns at 80 k with no damage to the car (unless you can't drive lol) my last one had over 400,000kms on it... so I'm sure if you find a decent one it will last through college...

70

I just bought my 18 yr old a 1997 i30 with 170k for $3500. I bought it because it gives better protection than a smaller car, has airbags, and is mechanically a Nissan Maxima so lots of parts are available. I bought it from a guy who owned it the past 10 years and took care of it. I expect it has at least 50-70k left in it and it is beautiful both inside and out.

7 people found this helpful.
115

I'm 18 and actually have an Infiniti I30...I personally love this car and I never have any problems with it. Mine's a '98 but it's made better than a lot of the newer cheaper cars!!

11 people found this helpful.
25

Well I own the exact same car and I'm 18... The stock Bose speakers in it are great in audio needs, but like the bald guy above stated infiniti's can get rather costly to repair, mine has been in the shop a lot but i drive mine quite hard... (around 188k miles on it), it just depends on who was the owner before you was and how delicate they were in handeling it, O and don't skip out on repairs... IF YOU CAN JUST GO TO THE DEALERSHIP... saves tons of money in repeat unneeded repair costs.. But the bottom line is if your 18 year old is responsible then its a nice luxury car, but if he/she has a sweet tooth for speed that car will deliver without a doubt, its DEFINITELY got some kick to it lol

2 people found this helpful.
535

The 95-99 Infiniti I30 is not "expensive" to repair because it is not really an Infiniti, it is a NISSAN Maxima, with a few extra features. I have owned mine for 5 years, during which time I needed to replace a battery, a starter, an alternator, and tires (I like to have fun with it)... not too bad overall. I am an ASE-certified mechanic though. The amount of "rip-off" for such repairs will vary based on your location and mechanic's integrity, as is the case with all independent shops. The most important performance difference between the Maxima and I30 is the viscous limited-slip differential that the Infiniti has. This gives the I30 excellent handling in the snow, and wet weather in general.

8 people found this helpful.
35

Yes i would, I have had mine over a year and i love it. I had a 05 neon before this and glad i ditched it and bought this. the VQ30 is one of Nissan/Infiniti's most reliable motors for over 20 years, and still is. Mine has about 136000 Miles and still runs excellent, i get good traction in winter, and best it has overdrive function, and heated leather. Only bad is headlights suck so i suggest getting a HID converion kit on the fogs (3k temp) and about 5-8k in headlights.

2 people found this helpful.

it depends on what climate the college is in. if its lets say northern illinois then go with a small truck, or maybe like florida then go with a small car.

375

infiniti i30 is a really nice car, but just buy your kid a civic or a corrolla, its cheap, reliable, and fuel efficient. Plus it will motivate your kid to work up from there.

1 people found this helpful.
10

i have a 96 infiniti i30 and it cost me 678 to change the water pump because it sets inside the motor with the timing chain but they are awesome cars if i were u i would take it to a mechanic and have it put on a machine but regardless when u buy older cars u will have problems i recommend a honda very cheap to fix and cheap on gas!!!!!!

1 people found this helpful.

old imports are expensive to maintain. Imports in general are expensive to maintain.

185

I own a 1998 I30 and it now has 222,900 miles on it. Original engine and tranny! Runs great although transmission now shifts sluggishly when it is cold! Another good option is 1995-99 Maxima!

1 people found this helpful.
14,905

sporty, fast, college kid= not responsible (behind parents eyes) sorry, repairs on such a vehicle can be hard...hate to recommend the imports as such, but don't just look at dealerships/online, consider any local auctions, although citizens pay a door fee, it is well worth it, when buying. if you would like info on them, ho w they work, message me.

I had a 1997 Inifiniti I30, I bought in 1999 with 24k on it. Gave it to my 18 year old daughter when she left for college two years later. My daughter moved to Alaska and drove the I30 until June of 2013 when she sold it with 288,000 miles on it. The car still drove great and harsh Alaska winters didn't stop it, she drove like a 4-wheel drive! We did replace the starter 4 times and the alternator once. I would buy another one in a heart beat!

3 people found this helpful.
30

My 2000 infiniti i30 sat for four years before being on the road. I had to spend a couple of thousand to restore some things and i am glad I did because it runs great now and I do not have a car payment so that is a good thing.

3 people found this helpful.

I used to own a 1993 Infiniti j30 bought it brand new I owned for 15 years it was a fun car to drive I love it and I still think about it today I still would like to own one but they're too expensive to repair ,get something cheaper that is easy to maintain but I still dream about that car is the best car ever had

I owned an Infiniti i30 limited 1999 from 2007 to 2015. I bought it with 69k miles and managed to put an additional 140k on it. Issues I had with the car were mostly electrical. Starter died, battery died, and the ac compressor broke. I delivered pizzas in the car as my main job. That's mostly where the starter death came from, but the only reason I got rid of it was because a uhaul clipped me and the engine mounts broke finally. If I could go back in time, I would've just kept fixing that car. Absolutely loved driving that thing

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