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Buying a car....

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rmattox

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Need to buy a car. I'm 57. We usually keep cars until they either no longer are reliable or they start nickeling and diming us to death. For us, a car is like an appliance. Don't care about model, brand, color,etc...Just looking for the best mpg per dollar spent on the vehicle; a vehicle that's easy to get serviced and repair costs are reasonable. Won't buy a new vehicle, but likely one that has less than 20 k miles.


I have a Hyundai Accent that's been one of the best cars I've owned. Problem is that Joe's garage sometimes can't repair it and I have to take it to a Hyundai dealership about 30 miles away.

Any suggestions?
 
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Louis_Skunt

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Acura or Toyotas go forever and aren't that difficult to work on. Stay away from Ford and BMW.
 
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wildcatsboston1984_rivals

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I'm pretty happy with my Mazda CX-7. Got the 2007 model used. I don't drive much, so it is still barely over 60K. Have had almost zero problems with it.
 
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BlueRaider22

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Honda's are good as well. If you want decent room for 4 with great mpg then look at the Fit.

In general the more reliable brands are Toyota, Honda, and Subaru. These 3 generally fight for the crown yr in/out......with Subaru taking it the better part of the last decade. Want midsize or smaller, can't go wrong with Accord/Civic; Camry/Corolla, Legacy/Impreza.

Stay away from German manufacturers....BMW, Audi, Mercedes....expensive. The Brits have always had extremely unreliable vehicles.
 
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Free_Salato_Blue

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I'd add Mazda 3 also to the list.
I have a Subaru and love it, oh so much more than past Chevy's.
Stick with Subaru's NA engines for cheaper fuel costs, the 2.5L gets like 28 mpg on highway but I was looking at some new ones with the 2.0L and they get 37 mpg. And they keep their value over time.
Add I'd prefer a wagon in either the Impreza or Mazda.
 
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Chuckinden

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My business has two Corolla's leased....2015 and 2016. They get about 35 miles to the gallon, drive well and have plenty of pep.
 
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firearms

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Actually, I would advise you to stay away from Toyota.

People believe they are getting the type of cars that were built in Japan in the 70's thru 90's...

Well those days are over.

The cars they build now are just as cheap as any other, But you pay about 3-5 thousand dollars more for quality that no longer exists.

Let me tell you about a few Camry recalls and problems
Toyota considers it NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR to BURN 1 QUART OF OIL PER 1000 MILES!
http://gotaclassaction.com/toyota-named-in-class-action-lawsuit-over-excessive-oil-usage/

This website details many of the Camry's problems
http://www.toyotaproblems.com/recalls/Camry/
And please keep in mind THERE MANY MORE PROBLEMS! But Toyota does everything they can to NOT STAND BEHIND WHAT THEY SELL!

They literally have to be taken to court to fix anything.
 
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GrandePdre

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firearms said:
Actually, I would advise you to stay away from Toyota.

People believe they are getting the type of cars that were built in Japan in the 70's thru 90's...

Well those days are over.

The cars they build now are just as cheap as any other, But you pay about 3-5 thousand dollars more for quality that no longer exists.

Let me tell you about a few Camry recalls and problems
Toyota considers it NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR to BURN 1 QUART OF OIL PER 1000 MILES!
http://gotaclassaction.com/toyota-named-in-class-action-lawsuit-over-excessive-oil-usage/

This website details many of the Camry's problems
http://www.toyotaproblems.com/recalls/Camry/
And please keep in mind THERE MANY MORE PROBLEMS! But Toyota does everything they can to NOT STAND BEHIND WHAT THEY SELL!

They literally have to be taken to court to fix anything.
Click to expand...

You sound like you're holding a grudge.
 
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dgtatu01

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I have an 08 Camry Hybrid. It has 130,000 miles on it. Haven't had a single problem out of it. I have put new tires on it twice. Because of the hybrid turbines that engage when braking, I haven't even had to change the brake pads out. No complaints from me.
 
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BlueRaider22

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Firearms is right. Toyota doesn't have the dominance of reliability it once did. They've lost some reliability and many other manufacturers have narrowed the gap a little. But if you look at places like Edmunds and Consumer Reports, Toyota still ranks high on most yrs for their reliability. So paying the higher price may not be worth it to some.
 
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WildcatfaninOhio

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Some good advise in this thread. Keep in mind that quality and reliability varies by model and model year. And you should disregard anecdotal evidence. Just because someone bought a Ford Pinto in 1978 and it was a POS does not mean current Ford models are that way. Same with stories of a 1992 Toyota running 300,000 miles with no major issues. Toyota has had millions of multiple recalls recently.
 
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Big_Blue79

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In the same boat. Wife and I are just starting to look, but we wouldn't use the car every day, mostly for weekend trips and errands and (soon-ish) kids. I've always been high on the Subaru Impreza WRX, realizing it's not entirely practical. NYC area, but a lot of driving would presumably be in the winter so the AWD is slightly appealing. She favors Civics, but I'm not a huge fan. Other possibilities are Ford Focus hatchback, Mazda 3 hatchback, Volkswagen Golf or GTI, etc... 4 doors, decent sized back seat, not too huge, ~ 2 years old or so, good for small family (2 kids tops), errands, etc...
 
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Bluetick2100

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Apr 15, 2007
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I work on staff at a auto training center. We have 11 ASE master instructors
I ask the same question 3 years ago when I also was 57. Wanted a car for my wife that would serve her well in case I wasn't around.
9 out of 11 said KIA
 
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BlueRaider22

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^possibly some good advice. Almost all cars these days will get you 100k miles with little to no trouble. Hence why most every manufacturer offers 100k warranties. You can get a brand new Kia/Hyundai which is well under warranty for cheaper than a slightly used Camry. Maybe you trade off some long term longevity but you'd save a bit upfront.
 
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KMKAT

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Was fortunate that gas prices went down, and ended up buying a Toyota Tundra Crew cab. I have zero complaints so far, 2014 w/22K miles bought as a demo w/4K. Too early to complain probably.

I'm sold on that V8 engine which is in the Sequoia as well....just wasn't excited about owing 2 cars that didn't get good gas mileage. Wife not interested in Accord even though at 6'4", I fit in that car very well. She thinks it's too tight for 2 pre-teens.
 
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KyCatFan_rivals45723

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I had a 2011 Mazda 3 and it was a fun trouble free car. I believe it got 37 MPG on the highway. It was just getting to hard to get in and out of with my back issues or I probably would still have it. Enjoying my SUV more now with the added space with pretty good gas mileage still.
 
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dgtatu01

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Big_Blue79 said:
In the same boat. Wife and I are just starting to look, but we wouldn't use the car every day, mostly for weekend trips and errands and (soon-ish) kids. I've always been high on the Subaru Impreza WRX, realizing it's not entirely practical. NYC area, but a lot of driving would presumably be in the winter so the AWD is slightly appealing. She favors Civics, but I'm not a huge fan. Other possibilities are Ford Focus hatchback, Mazda 3 hatchback, Volkswagen Golf or GTI, etc... 4 doors, decent sized back seat, not too huge, ~ 2 years old or so, good for small family (2 kids tops), errands, etc...
Click to expand...
It's so funny the regional differences. In Louisville an Impreza or Focus would be considered too small for the first kid and if you have 2, well you better buy a minivan or Tahoe at that point.
 
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Big_Blue79

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dgtatu01 said:
It's so funny the regional differences. In Louisville an Impreza or Focus would be considered too small for the first kid and if you have 2, well you better buy a minivan or Tahoe at that point.
Click to expand...

True. I have a garage, which is unusual where I live so I have parking at home. But, man, trying park when not at a large supermarket or going further from the city just sucks.
 
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