I owned a 2000 Intrepid with a 3.5 Magnum engine for about 5 years. During that time I put about $1200 dollars into it for repairs, not including general maintenance like oil changes. It ran great, but I bought it used and I think anyone who buys a used car should expect to make some repairs over time.
The things I had to repair were: timing belt (the most expensive fix), serpentine belt, radiator hoses and I had to replace the radiator itself. The other problems I had, but didn't fix, are the tract and motor of the driver's side window, and a short in the electrical during rain. I took that car all the way to 256k miles before selling it off. I bought it at around 198k.
Even though the car ran great, that Intrepid cost me a little bit more than I wanted to keep it going. To answer your question, I'd say it's win/lose based on my experience with the car. If you want it to last through college I'd say it will do it but not without your patience and repairs. Some people think $1,000 to $1500 is chump change, others think it is a fortune.
If that car has 136k miles on it, I wouldn't pay anymore than $2250 for it, that way after you make the repairs over the year you might come close to getting your money's worth. In all seriousness, though, everybody's auto-ownership experience is different.