I get around 17-18 city with mine and around 24-25 on the highway doing 75 but I have the 3.4 DOHC not the 3800. The 5th gens are all pretty fuel efficient, the LS being the most the 98-99 z34 being in the middle and the 95-97 z34 being the least but its also the opposite with power. The 95-97 z34s are the most powerful and the LS is the least powerful so its a trade off. It will be easier to find an LS in good condition than a Z34. Thats what I would look for. A late 90s LS in good condition could still be in your price range. Find one with buckets and a consol. The bucket seats are a thousand times more comfortable than the bench seats and they make the interior look better too. In terms of reliability, they are pretty much all equally reliable but the 3.4 is a pain to work on so not too many people keep them in good shape. The 3100 and 3800 both have similar intake gasket problems and they are both pretty simple to fix so I consider them just as reliable as one another.

 

Yeah, my 3.1 isn't the most powerful thing out there lol. I still like it though...great mileage, and runs like a top. I wish it was a Z34 with the 3.8 though. Oh well lol.

 

I have a 99 z34. I paid $3,000 for it about a year ago. I had to have the tranny rebuilt not long after purchase -i blame myself for not test driving it hard enough to notice the shudder in the TC. But, I've spent $0.00 on repairs in the last 9 mo. It had 86,000 miles when I bought it. I don't think you'll find anything reliable for a couple hundred bucks. If you do get something cheap, you need to just drive it till it dies and resist the urge to repair stuff that'll drive up your costs.... i.e. oil leaks, broken window lifts, check engine lights, ABS sensors, etc. If you're the type that just has to fix anything that goes wrong, then just save your self the trouble of buying an old car and drive the one you have.

 

Are you talking about the Monte?

 

lol well I got 2 babies: the monte & my bf when/if he moves here in the spring. also I'm really close to my family so I'll wanna come see them, my bestie, & I got some car shows around here that I wanna hit up next year. & thanks for the help guys, most def gives me some things to think about

 

I was talking about the monte, couldn't stay away from it for too long she would go crazy. lol

 

Holy crap I did go crazy when I went without it for almost 2 months! You weren't here when my monte was still in storage down in Pensacola when I moved back up here lol it was not good at all!