Wellllll I used to read the board a lot but havent in a long time so I wont bother figuring out how to search the archives and will instead just start a new post.

I am going off to college in the fall and we have decided we need to sell my old '93 GLT (133-ish K) because my mother isnt confident in its ability to safely and reliably transport me the couple hours between there and home. It runs pretty well, no major tranny issues or anything and we just fixed that damn air conditioning for good.

We found a '97 850 T-5 sedan (!)at a dealer in town with 88.5 K, an auto, cd, leather etc. etc. etc... for $5,900. Great, eh? Well, the problem is that its a Total Loss Claim and the title is branded as Salvage Rebuilt. Theres a pic and it looks good and the ad says it drives well also. I have emailed the dealer to see what kind of accident it was in and if there are, in actuality, any problems. We arent really worrying about the resale value at all since it will end up just being a college student beater.

Questions are:
1) Is it stupid to consider such a car even if it is new, cheap, low-mileage, and a turbo?
2) What are the inherent problems with turbo cars? MPG, reliability, cost to fix, longevity etc..
3) Is it really really worth it to find a turbo car as opposed to a regular n/a car like the one I have? (this may be a stupid question, I assume it is)
4) Anybody else have a car they want to sell me? (near-ish to central NC)
5) Or should I work extra hard on my parents in order to buy http://adcache.collectorcartraderonline.com/10/4/4/79503744.htm instead?

Thanks a lot guys!