Used Cars: head gasket, head gasket replacement, high mileage

Question
hello,

I'm writing in regards to a 2000 sebring jxi convertible not yet purchased. I am wanting to purchase this vehicle, but after taking it to the shop to get it looked at, they discovered that the vehicle's head gasket was leaking. The car is going for 2850, and the cost for the gasket is said to be 1500 to 2300 dollars. Other than the gasket, I was told that the vehicle is pretty muh perfect even considering the high mileage. Which is 137,000. Is this car a good investment, or should I look for something else? Please help!!!  

Answer
I am in shock at the estimate of 1500-2300 for a head gasket replacement??!?! a brand new set of aftermarket heads cost that much?  I would seriously consider a different mechanic... or do you need a new set of heads?  That is about the only way I can see it costing that much.... as for the car, i'm not a big fan of most pre-2005 Dodges/Chrysler's.. they seem to have cheap build quality (I actually had a friend with a 99 sebring vert, it felt pretty cheap) and reliability is average at best... convertibles also add the risk of needing a new top at somepoint... so if money is tight I wouldn't recommend it.. There is a reason a 2000 model is going for under 3000 dollars... but if you simply love the car, I'm sure it wont be too bad... not the best choice.. not the worse... not recommended... get a different quote on that head gasket... something is wrong with that estimate... for the lower price bracket buyers I like to recommend 1990s-2000 imports from toyota, honda, nissan, and some mazda's - they seem to hold up the best on average, while certain domestics have incredibly reliable engines... build quality suffered during this period for domestic built vehicles... Let me know if you have any other questions, Thanks.