so, I'm a new driver, looking for a cheap beginner vehicle that fits me...the Ranger fits me and I've a line on a 2002 Basic for $1700 that has 250K KM (156K miles).

the price is attractive, but I'm concerned for the wear/tear that much mileage may have had on it, so I'm looking for comments on what I should be looking for or watching out for to see if it's worn out or just nicely broken in.

I'm all thumbs, so I'd need a mechanic to fix anything that goes wrong, so any thoughts on what possible expected repair costs could be would be appreciated.

when i was shopping for my truck, i wasn't looking at anything over 100k miles, i felt like that was a good cut off for making sure the wear-and-tear parts weren't too worn out. from what i found, 98-02 with that were what seemed to be in my price range (4000-6000) but i was also looking for an extended cab minimum. also, i wasn't just looking at rangers, but i ended up finding my 03 with 87k for 4000. imo i would shop around a bit more, there's bound to be a better deal because there's a lot of these trucks out there, but i'm not sure what the market where you are is like.

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2003 3.0 v6 xlt supercab flex fuel

1995 Jeep Wrangler YJ, 2.5l 5 speed

thanks for the reply. the used market in Canada is a lot higher in price then the US due to our higher average selliing prices new. my insurance rates for coverage are through the roof as a new driver, which is why I wanted to buy something cheap cheap cheap, so I can afford to 'lose' the vehicle and just pay for my liability coverage until I start getting my discounts.

being such a noob, I'm not sure if I should look at a vehicle with high mileage as something about to break down (cup half empty) or that it's well broken in and in the groove (cup half full). that's why I was asking for pointers on what to look for to see if it's a viable candidate to purchase.

I can easily afford more for a vehicle, but if i do so, I'd want the extra coverage which doubles my insrance from $1600 to $3000/year. $1600 is a lot more managable as a new driver.

Where in Canada are you from. I'm a new driver and I only pay $500 a year. I'm from Quebec. Anyway on topic I got my truck in a trade but the guy was originally asking $1500 yes it has 236000 km but I have all repair recipts and I also ran it through Carfax for any major reported accidents. I would keep looking around. Just my 2 cents.

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I'm in BC...basic insurance is $1300 and then to add $2 mil in liability from base is $300. looking at an older vehicle like a ''98 add's $800 immediately, and newer it continues to rise for comprehensive/collateral.

so basically, I'm trying to find an cheap car I can afford to lose so I can save on the collateral/comprehensive costs. right now I'm just trying to determine if it's better to buy cheap or pay full insurance and buy more expensive.

I also agree that 100k is the cut off point for me too. If you do a lot of driving, then find a lower mileage truck. I don't drive too much but I do about 300 miles a week and starting out with a 150k truck doesn't seem like a good idea to me, within a year I'd be close to 175k miles.

You should also ask your insurance if the Ranger costs more than a sedan because of its lack of safety equipment or perhaps poor crash tests. If I remember correctly, something like a Jeep Wrangler costs quite a bit more to insure than a sedan or small truck because it has a higher tendancy of rollovers. Some times insurance companies have some weird reasoning to their pricing, so you do have to figure out which vehicle is right.

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2006 Fx4 Level 2 with a 5spd, Superlifted on 33's.

well, my base insurance, no matter what vehicle I take is $1600...then comprehensive is about $300 and collateral is an instant $800 for a 98 Ranger/SUV, whereas for something like a 2003 Grand Prix, it's $2000, all-inclusive. in BC, we're raped for having a truck/suv because they 'cause' more damage in accidents due to their 'height'.

Try asking if you can pay monthly instead of yearly for insurance. I am from Alberta and my Ranger is a 2009 4x4 with alot of coverage on it and I only pay $133 a month for mine. Also if your from BC becareful about where you buy the truck if its from Northern BC it might be an oilpatch truck wich takes alot of pounding up and down the lease roads. The other suggestion I could make is buy the truck from another province and have it insured in for that province where you bought the truck from the insurance might be cheaper I think your allowed to do it for 6 months I could be wrong.

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http://www.threadbombing.com/details.php?image_id=1688

need more info on the truck, 2wd, 4wd, 4 popper, 3.0, 4.0, auto, manual.

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ive got 263k miles on my ranger, I would not hesitate to buy another with high miles.

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thats like 424k km for you canadian folks

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Ball Joints/Upper A-Arms How To
Replace Door pin/bushing
Repair broken dome light tabs
VIDEO OHC Install

well...doesn't matter anymore, looks likeit was grabbed up by another...LOL. that said, is it taboo to talk about the Mazda B series? they're essentially the same vehicle, but no doubt you guys can tell me what makes them different aside from headlines, grill, dashboard and taillights. :-)