Lower Your Expectations: You Can No Longer Buy a Decent Used Car for Under $1,000

That applies to all body styles and segments and reaches new heights when it comes to exotic and luxury proposals. Throw in a few modifications from a renowned tuner, and you will often have to fork out a seven-digit sum for some of the most interesting vehicles that are searching for new homes with more or less miles under their belts.

Since our usual coverings of interesting used cars for sale usually include examples that are too pricey, we decided to even the score with the occasional affordable example. So far, we have covered some interesting ones that cost less money than a high-end bicycle, and since we're all car guys (and gals) here, everything on four wheels goes, especially since not all of us are fans of public transportation, riding a bike, using an electric scooter, or, God forbid, walking.

In an attempt to further contribute to the series covering cheap cars for sale on eBay, I jumped onto the virtual market, and after a couple of mouse clicks, I realized that you could no longer buy a decent car for under $1,000. And I'm not even talking about cheap old hatchbacks or sedans that still drive backward and forward, yet they look horrible inside and out, but vehicles that actually work. You know, like turning the key in the ignition, switching to drive, and setting off accompanied by lots of weird sounds coming from God knows where.

At the time of writing, there was a 1971 MG listed for grabs for $200, though it was only an empty shell. The same goes for the 1938 and 1947 Chevys, each one costing $750, and a 1956 Studebaker that was a four-digit affair. Scrolling down, we found other rides not worth mentioning, and since we wanted to see how far we had to go to find a decent machine, we kept scrolling until we reached the $1,400 mark – or almost. You see, the cheapest decent car that we could find was a 2007 Saturn Ion, and it had a $1,395 sticker price attached to it.

A 2007 model, which makes it an Ion 3, it is in very poor condition. In fact, it is so unexciting that the vendor, who has other old and boring vehicles in their portfolio, couldn't be bothered with releasing more than one image of it. This car has a black exterior on top of the charcoal cockpit, a 2.4-liter straight-four engine under the hood, an automatic transmission, and many miles on the clock. The odometer reads 266,755 miles (429,300 km), according to the ad, so it has seen a lot of action in its days.

You cannot buy it using a personal check, but you can pay cash or use your credit/debit card before signing your name on the dotted line. The vendor welcomes those interested to take it out for a spin, though that seems like a pre-written description. The car is located in Clayton, New Jersey, and if you're going through some harsh times (we've all been there, and some of us still are), then you may want to inspect it in person. That way, you could spot the issues easier, and depending on your negotiation skills, you may even drop some dollars from the asking price.

Now, we know that such vehicles stay on the used car market for a lot of time, but you may want to hurry up, as there are only a few days left in the online auction, which will end on November 4. You can check out the ad here, and when you do, hopefully the person responsible for finding this Saturn Ion a new home will have added a few more pictures. After all, it would've been interesting to see it from other angles as well and to take a peek inside and see just how bad (or maybe not) the interior looks.

On a final note, we have to tell you that the vendor has 98.2% positive feedback from 20 items sold, and while most people who interacted with them were satisfied, there is one particular review that mentions the word 'robbery' a few times. As a result, you may want to take a trip to Clayton if you're really interested in this beat-up Saturn instead of purchasing it online, as it could save you the hassle of repairing it – not that it is in good condition, obviously.

So, if you were indeed searching for a cheap car to get you to and fro, would this one make it to your list, or would you keep searching for another one?