What's a good, cheap car?

[El Elvis Rojo]

I got in a wreck about two/three weeks ago, and it looks like the insurrance company wants to claim my car as a total, so it seems like I'm in the market for a new car. Thing is, I'm one poor sonvabitch. So, can anyone out there recommend a good, dependable car that's somewhere in the $10-15K range?

[Casey1505]

I don't know much about them, but the Kias look sharp, and I've never heard anyone complain about them. They come with a 10 yr/100,000 mi warranty on them, IIRC, which isn't too bad.

I have an '89 Cavalier Z24 looking for a good home. $1500 gets you the keys and a full tank of gas.

[Philster]

Really really really think hard about a 1-2 year old Honda or Toyota. You could squeak under the 15,000 dollar mark with one.

Kia's are not reliable by any current standard of ranking.

Both Honda and Toyota will have strong word of mouth support and will also have the top rankings in darn near every type of review, from JD Powers, to Consumer Reports.

[Kamikazee]

I don't know what brand you are interested in but I would never never buy brand new. Would for sure have 4 doors and 6 cylinders. I hear from some car dealers I know that a used buick century can be had for a great price, if you're into the "luxury" type car. Kinda hard to pick up chicks in granpas buick though.

[Casey1505]

I was just going by what I heard about Kias. This is the first negative thing I've heard about them.

I have a 93 Buick Century. Good car, but hardly what I'd consider "luxurious" :D .

[Etherman]

I'd definitely think about a Honda or a Toyota, the only problem I found with my Honda is that, according to my insurance agent, they last so long there is a huge "secondary parts" market. Because of that, they both rank at the top of the list of stolen car models so your insurance will be higher.

[Toddly]

Look for a 2-3 year old Honda, Toyota, Nissan or even a Mazda. There are people that trade in their cars or turn in the leased vehicles in this time frame. We got ours with 40,000 miles and it has been great. Mazda tends to be a little cheaper and I think they are fairly reliable.

[Kamikazee]

I was just going by what I heard about Kias. This is the first negative thing I've heard about them.

I have a 93 Buick Century. Good car, but hardly what I'd consider "luxurious" :D .


Probably should have said "full size" or "mid size" luxury would be a stretch for sure.

[Philster]

I'd definitely think about a Honda or a Toyota, the only problem I found with my Honda is that, according to my insurance agent, they last so long there is a huge "secondary parts" market. Because of that, they both rank at the top of the list of stolen car models so your insurance will be higher.

This was covered and debunked at cartalk, a reputable site and radio program. As a percentage, they are not that likely to be stolen, but numerically, because there are so darn many that they rank high in a gross count. Insurance is not adversely affected by the raw numbers. From an insurance standpoint, they are average to better than average, because most models are rated ok or better for safety.

Again, based on word of mouth, and a reputation with JD Powers, Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Road and Track, AutoWeek, Consumer Reports, AAA and just about every other reviewer and resoruce, Honda and Toyota continue to dominate any list of most reliable car, and they are consistently good performers when it comes to ...well....performance.

Resale value is about as strong as it gets, too.

[Mr. Moto]

My wife drives a Toyota Echo.

I drive a Mazda Protege.

Both cars are incredibly problem-free. I would recommend either one.

[noname]

Hyundai. I drive one, and its good value for money. You get the same options that you get in a Toyota/Honda for lot less here. And they are also fuel efficient

[rackensack]

I was in essentially your position nine years ago -- needed new wheels quickly, and couldn't afford more than about $13,000. Reliability was a lot more important to me than bells and whistles or wow factor. I ended up stretching just a little bit to swing $14K for a stripped, brand-new Honda Civic four-door sedan. I still drive it to work every day, and have spent a grand total of $850 for unscheduled repairs (obviously, that doesn't include routine maintenance, tires, etc.). I've never regretted that decision for a second. You could buy a used one, but because they hold their value so well, you won't save a lot buying a low-mileage one- or two-year-old Honda as opposed to new.

You wouldn't go wrong with either a Toyota Corolla or a Mazda Protege either; the depreciation on the Mazda would be a probably be a bit higher, so that you'd be more likely to get an appealing deal on a nearly new off-lease or trade-in than with the Honda or Toyota.

Anything else, in that price range, is a crap shoot. Hyundai's warranty terms are quite generous these days, and you can certainly get more car or more features going that route. For me, personally, knowing that any problems I have will be fixed for free is less appealing than knowing I'm almost guaranteed not to have problems in the first place, but that's just my bias.

[D.E.S.K.Top668]

Another vote here for a used Honda. My sister replaced her 1977 Civic with a new on in 1991. I bought the 91 off off her three years ago and, except for standard maintenance, neither one us have spent more then $400 (tops) on repairs.

Peace - DESK

[Madness2MyMethod]

Check out the new Mazda3. I believe the base model is 14k. It's pretty sharp looking, too.

www.mazdausa.com

[Adoptamom_II]

I have a 5 speed Nissan Sentra and love it. $13,500 new in 2001. I get 35-40 mpg and have done standard maintenance. The insurance is a bit cheaper for Nissans than Hondas and the reliability and crash test results (in 2001 at least) were almost identical. Resale is a bit lower percentage wise, but if you plan to drive it until it falls apart, like I will, that isn't a factor to consider.

As always, YMMV

[Really Not All That Bright]

I got a shiny black Hyundai Elantra GLS in mid -'02 and I've been thrilled to bits with it.

The 'rents were happy cosigning for it because somebody at Boeing set the warranty terms, and I was happy because in standard trim it's FAR quicker than a comparably-priced Civic or Corolla (or Protege).

See this thread (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=236210&highlight=hyundai) from a couple months ago; it's basically the same as yours, plus a grand.

[Reader99]

if you have 15 grand to spend on a car and you are "poor," why not get a used car for 5 grand and put 10 into a stock fund/paying off debt etc? in its annual car issue consumer reports magazine rates and recommends specific models of used cars in various price categories. (they also tell you which ones to run from.) for 5 grand you can probably get a five-year-old toyota, mazda or nissan that won't need work beyond routine maintenance for another 3 or 4 years.

[Rocketeer]

At last, my foresight pays off!

Rocketeer's foresightful thread

[Running with Scissors]

Personally I wouldn't recommend a Suzuki; their long-term reliability is questionable.

If it's available in your area, how about a Scion (http://www.scion.com/)? It's a new brand from Toyota. An xA with automatic comes in just above your $13K mark (I believe Scion is using the Saturn pricing strategy; i.e. no haggling).

[Running with Scissors]

Whoops, you said $15K, not $13K, which gives you many more choices, even a lower-end Civic, which would probably be my first choice.

However, I agree with what Reader99 said, spend less on a used car and put the rest of the money into other things.

[rubes]

Be like rubes and just hop on the bus. No need to spend a lotta money.

[htns]

I got in a wreck about two/three weeks ago, and it looks like the insurrance company wants to claim my car as a total, so it seems like I'm in the market for a new car. Thing is, I'm one poor sonvabitch. So, can anyone out there recommend a good, dependable car that's somewhere in the $10-15K range?

1999 Honda Accord LX. I got mine for eight grand. It's fun to drive and very dependable.

[Rocketeer]

[QUOTE=Running with Scissors]Personally I wouldn't recommend a Suzuki; their long-term reliability is questionable.

If it's available in your area, how about a Scion (http://www.scion.com/)? It's a new brand from Toyota. An xA with automatic comes in just above your $13K mark (I believe Scion is using the Saturn pricing strategy; i.e. no haggling).[/QUOTE


.....cough, cough...."Don't buy a Suzuki, their reliability is suspect. You should buy this brand-new, untried, no-service-experience model from Toyota"

:dubious:

But it does speak well for Toyota's reputation for reliability....

;)

[yoyo3500]

I find Matchbox to be the very durable, particlarly in major crash-ups. But I have a few FastOnes that are more than twenty years old, and though their neat-o license plate stickers have long sine fallen off, they still get around extremely well and are actually better than the Match Box cars in surviving crash-ups. FastOnes might be a little pricier, but you can certainly get them for less than $10-15K.

Avoid anything made out of aluminum, like those hollow ones they sell in the dollar stores They might be inexpensive, but they aren't very good in crash-ups.

[grisham]

My suggestion is an older car. I personally caught a muscle car for about 6 thousand and my friends spent about the same for their cars. All of aforementioned cars are made 66 to 76 and are all American made. Takes some TLC but they will go forever once you have them running good.