need advice on used cars: Civic vs. Altima vs. Protege

Q.My budget is around $6000. I am in south California so cars should last a while here. I am hoping to keep this car for 3 year or longer. I am an average driver. Not considering buying 2 really cheap ones because I have no parking space. Not considering Corolla since I had one before and want try something new. If you have had any of those cars, even not the same year but similar model, please let me know your experiences with them. How long they lasted. How much repair you had to do. Any accidents that you walked away from (or not) etc. Also, is it safe to purchase from private party? anyone got burnt? Any one know good dealers or mechanics in Orange County area?

A.I have only had two cars in my entire life (I'm 45). '82 Nissan 310. Bought it new. Kept it 11 years and 100K miles. Only needed minor repairs. Never had to go into the shop except to replace the clutch. '89 Mazda 626 (current car) Bought when it was 4 years old. It now has over 180K miles on it. At 130K miles it went in for a leaky head gasket. Replaced the valves and re-honed the valve seats at that time, also did some minor preventitive stuff too. I bought my Mazda from a private party. Dealer in Austin, TX was trying to burn me. Private party sales are a good way to buy a car, but bring along a friend who is machanicly inclined so they can give the car a once over. Don't go by how the car looks. I used to work for an auto auction. I can't tell you how many cars went throught there that were spit and polished clean on the out side but the engines were totally shot from neglect.

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