So one of my wandering children has decided California sucks as much as Mrs. B. thought it did and will be joining us here in the great Yankee highlands. (She was 18 when we moved and thought staying there was better; she’s learned. Smart girl.)
Although we have a fixed policy of NOT buying kids cars (=adult privilege for adults), we are well and truly isolated from the things a 20yo needs, like jobs, friends and college. A car is not an option here - the nearest store is 5+ miles, nearest employment zone 5-10 miles, nearest junior college 15+ miles. So we’re going to float her one on a used car loan, so that she can take over payments when she’s established.
Problem: I haven’t bought a starter car in many decades. Never did buy anything at the starter end of the spectrum as it exists now. While I’ve been a gearhead and greasemonkey since shortly after birth, I don’t have any “sense” about which economy-end cars are good buys and which ones are money pits. Some advice would be appreciated.
From looking around, I am pretty sure the range is 8-10 year old Honda, Toyota and Subaru - for reliability, longevity, reasonable repair cost, and the likelihood of being in good shape after 10 years and 100k miles. I’d like to pay no more than about $5k, maybe a little more for something special. I’d like to limit added expenses to a car wash, a mechanical survey (before purchase), an oil change and new ice/snow rated all-season tires. I’d like it to be something worth buying, something that will serve with minimum repair costs for 2-3 years, and something safe for an inexperienced driver in widely varying weather. (Snow or storm and can’t miss work/school? I drive her in the XC90. But regular rain, snow, slush, ice… gotta handle it.)
Any thoughts on models, specific years, weak points, etc.?
My aunt’s over 250k on her second Subaru Outback; if you keep up on the maintenance, they’ll get you where you need to go. $5k for a 100k car should be doable, and the all wheel drive will come in handy in variable driving conditions. Plus, station wagons are always handy, although the mileage is not great. I get 30 mpg on the freeway, 20 mpg around town in mine.
I really liked my 1995 Subaru Impreza wagon, but it definitely had some mechanical problems. I’m not counting the replacements but things like the baffles in the dash breaking so the heater was on all the time (unless I closed a valve installed in a vacuum line), the unexplained overheating (it didn’t appear to be the thermostat), and the complete breakdown of the power steering hoses (the replacement cost of which caused me to junk the car at 15 years old because of the previous problems.)
That said, I think Subaru has gotten better over the years. Just be careful if you’re looking at early 2000s Foresters, because they were known for some really bad reliability issues. (Consumer Reports is probably your friend here.) I’d think something like the older model Outback or a maybe an Impreza wagon, preferably with ABS and a stick shift. If you can’t handle your car in bad weather with AWD, ABS, and a stick shift you probably have no business being out there.
I think what you’re doing is reasonable. Even if I were a millionaire, my kids would get used cars. And I agree with your brands.
Well if snow is a big concern then Subaru gets an edge. Outback, Forester, Impreza, Outback Sport (Impreza frame) may qualify. Legacy may be above your price point (but I didn’t look up prices for that period). Toyota and Honda don’t normally have AWD/4WD although larger models might. Of the three companies, I believe Honda has had the most hiccups recently, with certain models having problems in the last few years, so check CR first. Subaru models may have slightly lower mileage then similar models.
Honestly, I think at this age and price point, I think the make of the car is less important than the condition and mileage. And you’ll pay a premium for a Japanese make that, IMO, is outsized compared to what you get—mid-2000s American cars weren’t unreliable, per se (except maybe Chryslers), but many of them were kind of unrefined and boring.
As a comparison, I plugged some base model (4 cylinder engines, zero options, 100k miles) midsize sedans from 2006 into NADA. “Clean retail” price for a Camry is $9375, and for an Accord LX $9950. On the other hand, a Malibu LS is $7125, a Fusion S is $7225, and a Taurus SE (remember that 2006 was the last year for the Taurus except for fleet customers) is an absolute bargain at $5875.
What the Japanese premium will buy you is a better-executed car: More refined, better driving dynamics, etc. I don’t think you’ll see an appreciable reliability difference, unless you get some “known bad” quantities (like the GM Northstar engine, or the Chrysler Ultradrive transmissions). An ex-fleet Focus, Taurus/Fusion, or Malibu with low-ish miles sounds just about right: If it’s one-owner, it was probably well-maintained, and you can probably get service records with it (which you should absolutely be asking for). They’ll be boring as hell cars, but first cars are supposed to be boring as hell. If you stick to your guns on going Japanese, it may be difficult to find something without serious flaws in that $5k range.
I had a 1994 Honda Civic that I drove for over 10 years. The only reason I got rid of it was because I got married and my wife can’t drive a manual transmission. That’s the most reliable car I’ve ever owned.
My understanding is hyundai quality has gone up, and those cars are pretty low cost. In my research on the subject an acura (that is about 10 years old) is only slightly more expensive than a comparable honda. I have no idea if the acuras have higher mechanical reliability and better safety features/traction control or if the only benefit over honda is interior and luxury traits.
A gently-used Hyundai Elantra or Toyota Corolla would probably be a good, reliable bet for her - I have a 2005 Corolla, and I have zero complaints about it (I run it all winter long on winter tires, and have no problems at all). I do drive a stick, though - the automatic versions are more expensive, less peppy, and (in my opinion) worse at winter driving conditions.
ETA: Forgot to say, my next car will probably be a Hyundai Elantra - the reviews on them are very good, as is the warranty.
At 105k the 2.5l Subarus need the timing belt and water pump changed. Skip it at your own risk, as a jumped timing belt will trash the engine.
I’d look for a Toyota Matrix or Pontiac Vibe if I couldn’t find a Corolla for cheap. They can be had for less than your budget in good condition and have a surprising amount of space for such a small car. They’ll run forever too.
Late 1990s Honda CR-V. Bulletproof car, and in your budget.
My CR-V is a 2001 that I’ve had since new. It has 216,000 miles on it, and I beat on that car. Sometimes I really BEAT on it. I don’t baby it. It’s been very reliable and very versatile.
I installed a class III hitch on mine and I tow fairly often with it. I rent trailers from U-Haul often. I have even towed my son’s Isuzu pickup truck, and also my old Porsche with it. Mind you, you have to drive very carefully when towing stuff that weighs more than the CR-V. But it’s do-able, and the CR-V performs like a champ.