Tips on Buying Cars: wholesale, isuzu rodeo, isuzu cars

Question
I was recently in a car accident and my car was totaled.  I am a college student and was not planning on buying a new car.  I found a 1998 isuzu rodeo at a wholesale dealer.  it has 120,000 miles, supposedly new everything else, for $5,800.  The dealer tells me isuzu cars generally last for about 200,000 miles  If it would last me just through school at least it would be worth what i paid.  Any idea how long they really last, and any tips for buying wholesale?

Answer
Wow this is a great example of why the proper pronunciation of dealership is "stealership"... Isuzu's are outsourced vehicles, meaning they take the basic design and many components from a larger manufacturer and sell it for cheaper because they use cheaper parts... Honda's sometimes push it to 200000.. i wouldn't even put a number on an Isuzu... some may some wont.. too much of a guess... why do you want an SUV? they cost more, get poorer fuel mileage, and are basically useless to 95% of the owners for anything more than doing exactly what a car/van can do.. unless you really need to go off-roading and its a 4wd.... you may wish to consider what you need vs. what you want.. you can get a nice civic (2door/4door/hatchback) for that much and it will not only last you through college but be worth more than an isuzu anyday when its time to sell it... look at civics/accords/corollas/camrys/celicas/v6 mustangs - all but the mustang are excellent cars, the mustang is above average if you want something sporty.  If you REALLY need the room, a hatchback/wagon has about the same cargo space as an suv... and if you just have to have an SUV (aka. really want) then aim for a honda passport/ford explorer/nissan pathfinder/toyota 4runner - all are a better choice even if they have a few more miles... also keep in mind that you can find a ~100k mile civic for ~5,000 or so... lesser miles - less money... a dealership will do anything to make a sale, never forget that.. also they will take advantage of you being a young female (sad but true..), but your doing well by doing research, and never pay asking price.. if you want some tips on haggling I can help, just ask... and any other questions please feel free - as far as buying wholesale.. well these days it doesn't really make a difference, because "wholesale" dealers are just dealers... usually a little cheaper but they dont have the security a normal dealer has... its a trade... in your price range I'd look for privately owned cars.. less likely it was a wrecked car that was fixed up and being sold as "like new" - and people will usually be more honest than a dealer... you wouldn't be able to tell if it had been wrecked and they know that.. in the sub 8000 dollar range it gets spooky buying from anything other than large scale dealerships... hope all this helps... find you a nice civic if your willing and drive it forever... my sister's has 160,000 miles (had it since highschool... she's 25 now) and almost zero problems..
good luck! and feel free to write back.
-Robert