Choose this for my used van?

DEB B

MEMBER
1992 CHEVROLET LUMINA
180,000 MILES

Down to two choices for my $1000. Purchase this van with new battery new tires and a front driver window that won't roll down. It leaks nothing, has had good maintenance and has had one owner. The rear door lock needs replaced.
The second choice is a 99 Chevy venture. It has 180,000 miles, too. No leaks. Last owner had it six years. Doesn't remember how old the battery is. Looks clean under hood. What do you know?

2 Replies

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,871 POSTS

Both have lots of radio and generator problems. Lumina APV front doors will rip your face off if you aren't careful. They have warning stickers all over the wiper linkages telling you to keep your hands clear. Lumina APV is REAL hard to work on anything under the hood. Very poor design. Windshield used to cost over $3000.00; don't know what they cost now. Age of battery doesn't mean anything, in fact, if it's more than two years old on any GM vehicle 1987 and newer, it can promote repeat generator failures.

If you find red Dex-Cool (Dex-Mud) antifreeze still in a GM cooling system, consider that a strike against it.

These are a few facts and some of my opinions which other people are welcome to disagree with. I personally would never again own a GM, Volkswagen, or BMW product. Those are the three best companies at figuring out how to bleed money from unsuspecting owners after the sale.

I wouldn't be real concerned with mileage although high mileage reduces a vehicle's value. I don't think it reduces its reliability, and I don't think low mileage makes a vehicle more reliable. I'd rather own a '92 model than a '99, and I'd rather own a '99 than anything new. My daily driver up here in road salt country is an unbelievably reliable '88 model.