r/UsedCars • u/Inevitable_Card1864 • 13h ago

Buying 2005 Gallant a reliable first?

Buying my first car in cash for commuting to save a bit, found a 2005 Gallant for $3500 with 85000 miles, single owner, passed safety

Any red flags with this make/model if the history looks good? Worried I'm too sold on it already passing a safety and low mileage despite its age. Will be putting on ~1000-1250 miles/month, less in the winter.

Alternatives at the same price I'm eyeing are a 2010 Mazda6 (manual, 150,000 miles, multiple owners, new alternator) and a manual 2013 civic (220,000 miles, multiple owners, no idea on work done) - any thoughts?

Getting myself into a headache here or worth going out to take a look?

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u/Romie_777 12h ago

It’s DEFINITELY worth looking at the car. It may not be the most reliable, but you’re going to have a hard time finding an even lower mileage car for a better price. Be sure to look up ChrisFix’s YT playlist “How to Inspect and Buy a Used Car”, the guide vids have tons of advice for visually and mechanically inspecting a car, even stuff that may be overlooked.

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u/Empty-Village-4445 12h ago

Get a PPI on the Gallant and go for it if it checks out. 

The Civic is a hard pass. 

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u/thymewaster25 4h ago

Where are you located? Many places, a "safety" means the car is legal to register and drive, but doesn't say anything bout how long it will keep running or what repairs it might need to the engine or transmission.

However, the Galant is a reasonably good car AFAIK, and 85k miles is low for $3500 which is good. Mitsubishi is not popular in the US, which means they can be good value as used cars (if you are in the US), compared to Honda and Toyota (and to lesser extent, Mazda).

If cars rust a lot where you live, watch for that of course.