# Are there any reliable, affordable used sedans other than Honda and Toyota **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 28, 2019, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reliable-affordable-used-sedans-other-than-honda-and-toyota/830328 "2019-02-28T03:32:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reliable-affordable-used-sedans-other-than-honda-and-toyota/830328/1 "2019-02-28T03:32:06Z")
I know Toyota and Honda are the most reliable sedans out there. Virtually every car in those reliability ratings is one of these makes. But I’m in the market for a used car. My preferences are Sedan (preferably midsize, but I’m also open to full size, compact and subcompact) 6-10k in price ~70-110k miles 2011-2014 model year Looking with those criteria, I can find cars like Hyundais, Chevy, Ford and other makes, but the Hondas and Toyotas are a few extra grand. Are there any sedans that are highly reliable that match the requirements I listed above? If not, it may just be better to get a Honda or Toyota. But I don’t really like the Honda & Toyota sedan models I’ve test driven. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reliable-affordable-used-sedans-other-than-honda-and-toyota/830328/2 "2019-02-28T03:37:38Z")
In my experience, Chevrolets have been holding up pretty well for the past 10 years or so. Since the market for Buick sedans seems to have disappeared, you might see if there’s a bargain in there, as well. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reliable-affordable-used-sedans-other-than-honda-and-toyota/830328/3 "2019-02-28T04:46:31Z")
I’ve read here and there that Ford has become on par or possibly more reliable that Toyota in the last few years, not sure if true or Ford marketing. I think they are starting to phase out some sedans but it should probably be possible to find good, low mileage Ford sedans that are very cheap. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reliable-affordable-used-sedans-other-than-honda-and-toyota/830328/4 "2019-02-28T04:59:38Z")
Seriously consider a Kia. They quietly became quite reliable a while back but the new and resale prices still at undeservedly suffer from the junk reputation they had when they first started selling cars here. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reliable-affordable-used-sedans-other-than-honda-and-toyota/830328/5 "2019-02-28T05:15:17Z")
You will have WAY more options at that price range if you go a little bit older. A 2007 Honda or Toyota will serve you just as well as a 2011 model, just have a qualified mechanic give it an inspection, and get a CarFax report if you can. STAY THE HELL AWAY from Nissan though and their gearless transmission - it’s failure-prone and expensive as hell to replace. Why they had to reinvent the wheel when a regular transmission is tried and true, I have no fucking idea, but they failed miserably. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reliable-affordable-used-sedans-other-than-honda-and-toyota/830328/6 "2019-02-28T05:23:02Z")
Take a look at the Mazda sedans. I’ve had two Mazdas, which have been very reliable (and they usually get good reviews for reliabilty), and usually seem to be priced lower than comparable Hondas or Toyotas. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reliable-affordable-used-sedans-other-than-honda-and-toyota/830328/7 "2019-02-28T05:23:17Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > STAY THE HELL AWAY from Nissan though and their gearless transmission - it’s failure-prone and expensive as hell to replace. Why they had to reinvent the wheel when a regular transmission is tried and true, I have no fucking idea, but they failed miserably. What about Nissans with regular transmissions? 2 of the 3 cars I have owned have been Nissans, and I never had a transmission issue. And they tend to be a bit cheaper than Toyota or Honda. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reliable-affordable-used-sedans-other-than-honda-and-toyota/830328/8 "2019-02-28T05:31:33Z")
I mean, look at my avatar. That’s a Nissan. Once upon a time they were great. I see older (90s) Altimas and Sentras on the road ALL the time, so I assume those models have held up pretty well. But the continuously-variable transmission is SUCH a blunder that I can no longer trust ANY Nissan made at any point after they introduced it. Not since my girlfriend recently had to pay four thousand fucking dollars to replace the transmission on her 2007 Altima. I can’t trust them anymore. Any company that would install such a faulty feature, by my reasoning, is not worthy of trust when it comes to the other components in the car. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reliable-affordable-used-sedans-other-than-honda-and-toyota/830328/9 "2019-02-28T06:39:33Z")
> [@pool](#): > > I’ve read here and there that Ford has become on par or possibly more reliable that Toyota in the last few years, not sure if true or Ford marketing. I think they are starting to phase out some sedans but it should probably be possible to find good, low mileage Ford sedans that are very cheap. I looked into Ford Fusions, but what I read implied the transmission fell apart around 100k miles, and that the focus wasn’t a good car. However I did own a ranger and I liked it. But the transmission started failing at 150k. I’d like to get a car with ~100k miles and put another 100k miles on it. > [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > Seriously consider a Kia. They quietly became quite reliable a while back but the new and resale prices still at undeservedly suffer from the junk reputation they had when they first started selling cars here. Thats possible. I know Kias were garbage in the 90s. My current car is a hyundai. Its not bad, but it has broken down and left me on the side of the road several times. > [@Lamoral](#): > > You will have WAY more options at that price range if you go a little bit older. A 2007 Honda or Toyota will serve you just as well as a 2011 model, just have a qualified mechanic give it an inspection, and get a CarFax report if you can. STAY THE HELL AWAY from Nissan though and their gearless transmission - it’s failure-prone and expensive as hell to replace. Why they had to reinvent the wheel when a regular transmission is tried and true, I have no fucking idea, but they failed miserably. I’m not comfortable driving around a 12 year old car though. I’d like a car I can put 100k miles and six years on without too many troubles. > [@kunilou](#): > > In my experience, Chevrolets have been holding up pretty well for the past 10 years or so. Since the market for Buick sedans seems to have disappeared, you might see if there’s a bargain in there, as well. I looked into buicks, they’re a little expensive and hard to find. I don’t know a lot about Chevys, I just know years ago I looked into the Aveo and they are terrible for reliability. I have no idea about the other models though. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reliable-affordable-used-sedans-other-than-honda-and-toyota/830328/10 "2019-02-28T07:05:11Z")
Mazda 3 or 6 Subaru Impreza or Legacy maybe, might be pricey? Ford Fusion is pretty good, Fiesta not so much, Focus had some bad years. Korean cars **were** garbage, but improved quite a bit. I don’t know much about their models though. Depends on the year, but Buick is among the more reliable American cars. Chevrolet does other vehicle types better than they do sedans. Nissan Altima is pretty alright, Sentra is meh, Versa is a skateboard with an engine attached. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reliable-affordable-used-sedans-other-than-honda-and-toyota/830328/11 "2019-02-28T11:53:38Z")
Mazda 6 2014 Buick Regal Chevy Malibu Nissan Altima Hyundai Sonata ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reliable-affordable-used-sedans-other-than-honda-and-toyota/830328/12 "2019-02-28T14:55:59Z")
My dad has always driven Ford Tauruses, many years old. My first car was one of his leftovers. He just got rid of his last one, 14 years old, and it truly made him sad (it was the oldest car he had and my parents were getting a new one). If you can find one with no rust, it’s a good bet. Dad bought several low-mileage ones from fleet sales. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reliable-affordable-used-sedans-other-than-honda-and-toyota/830328/13 "2019-02-28T15:01:25Z")
No, Honda Is the only company that makes good cars! You should get a Honda. _This message was sponsored by the Honda Motor Company_\* In all seriousness - I drive a Mazda and my wife drives a Nissan. We are both pretty happy with our cars – I’ve never had issues with mine, aside from having to replace the battery twice since getting the car in 2013 (I bought it used and the battery went out after a couple months; new one has lasted until a few weeks ago). \*no, it was not. ETA: I think both my Mazda 6 and her Nissan Altima meet all of your criteria – they’re from the right years – although I have no idea how much they would cost today. ETA2: quick search shows that our cars are right in your price range, too. I can definitely recommend both makes and models! ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reliable-affordable-used-sedans-other-than-honda-and-toyota/830328/14 "2019-02-28T15:04:30Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Mazda 6 > 2014 Buick Regal > Chevy Malibu > Nissan Altima > Hyundai Sonata I’d add the Ford Fusion and Subaru Legacy to this list but +1 to the above. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reliable-affordable-used-sedans-other-than-honda-and-toyota/830328/15 "2019-02-28T15:16:37Z")
Hyundai Sonatas are affordable and reliable sedans. The Elantra, a compact, is good too, albeit smaller 9but a bit roomier than equivalents, like the Civic.) The subcompact, the Accent, I am not fond of. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reliable-affordable-used-sedans-other-than-honda-and-toyota/830328/16 "2019-02-28T15:30:11Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > My dad has always driven Ford Tauruses, many years old. My first car was one of his leftovers. He just got rid of his last one, 14 years old, and it truly made him sad (it was the oldest car he had and my parents were getting a new one). If you can find one with no rust, it’s a good bet. Dad bought several low-mileage ones from fleet sales. The only problem with a Taurus is that it’s a large sedan and the OP inquired about mid-sized ones. > [@swampspruce](#): > > I’d add the Ford Fusion and Subaru Legacy to this list but +1 to the above. The only problem I would have with the Legacy (which is a similar problem to Toyota and Honda) is the resale value. The OP would likely have to accept a higher mileage vehicle with a Legacy than he could get with a different car in that same price range. > [@RickJay](#): > > Hyundai Sonatas are affordable and reliable sedans. The Elantra, a compact, is good too, albeit smaller 9but a bit roomier than equivalents, like the Civic.) > > The subcompact, the Accent, I am not fond of. That’s because the Accent is a piece of shit! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reliable-affordable-used-sedans-other-than-honda-and-toyota/830328/17 "2019-02-28T17:30:48Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I looked into buicks, they’re a little expensive and hard to find. I don’t know a lot about Chevys, I just know years ago I looked into the Aveo and they are terrible for reliability. I have no idea about the other models though. The Aveo is an import from Daewoo in Korea. You said you were looking at midsize/fullsize. I’m thinking more like a Malibu or Impala. ---
**Author:** ![SamuelA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@SamuelA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SamuelA)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reliable-affordable-used-sedans-other-than-honda-and-toyota/830328/18 "2019-02-28T18:43:53Z")
Get a Prius. 150k mile total maintenance costs are the lowest of all cars and trucks in the my mechanic data. Don’t let the battery scare you- replacement is 1-2k. And the Prius uses a type of e-CVT that has no belts and uses fixed gears, giving it a lifespan typically more than the car. And also the fuel costs are the lowest of any car in that price range, and even the brake pads typically last much longer. I bought a 2012 with 82k miles for 9500, well within your price criteria. Frankly the Prius will be your cheapest option in terms of total costs unless you drive very few miles per year. (If you drive few miles you don’t benefit much from the fuel efficiency but pay the Toyota and hybrid premium when you buy it) ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reliable-affordable-used-sedans-other-than-honda-and-toyota/830328/19 "2019-02-28T19:05:49Z")
When I was looking for a used car a few years back with similar criteria I did a little research and initial results all pointed at the Mazda 3, and further research all did the same, so that’s what I bought. Found more than a couple used for around $10,000 and around 50,000 miles. Bought a 2012 for just under $10k and 44,000 miles. This time at least, “they” were all correct, it’s a great little car. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2019, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reliable-affordable-used-sedans-other-than-honda-and-toyota/830328/20 "2019-02-28T19:23:56Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > This time at least, “they” were all correct, it’s a great little car. [I saw what](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_Familia#GLC_(1981%E2%80%931985)) [you did there.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0iit5oRVd4) 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-reliable-affordable-used-sedans-other-than-honda-and-toyota/830328.md?page=2)