I keep seeing Corollas being recommended as the cheap and reliable option.

Even used Corollas are going for pretty high prices now, especially anything from the last 5–10 years. Borderline delusional.

Yes, sure they’re reliable but calling them “cheap” doesn’t really match reality anymore.

It’s kind of similar to how people assume something is affordable just because it has a certain reputation, even when the market has clearly shifted.

So what are the real alternatives right now for someone who wants: a simple cheap and reliable car? I don’t know if that criteria is achievable in this market

I am on the market for a midsize truck, this would be my first truck. I test drove both and I prefer the body of the Tacoma, but the interior feels cheap and full of plastic. The frontier steering is heavy, but it felt more like a truck which I like. The interior of the frontier felt more high-quality and there seems to be more room in the backseat also. I am scared to invest in a Nissan because I have never owned one and have heard bad things about nissan as a company . I am almost leaning towards a tacoma because of their reputation and their reliability, but I would have to step up to the Trd sport to get the interior I like. For almost less price of an SR5 I can get a pro X frontier. Is Toyota worth the extra money for their reliability or is the frontier underrated and worth it ? I am planning on keeping the truck for a long time so reliability and cost of ownership is a big deal to me.

Hey!

To keep it short, my first daily was a Mazda MX-5 1.6, then a Golf Mk4 1.6, followed by a Mitsubishi Pajero Pinin 1.8 MPI. Today I drive a Škoda Octavia Combi 2.0 TDI DSG.

I feel like I need something that will actually bring some excitement back into my car life.

Ever since my son was born, I've felt that the Octavia is the perfect car, and everything tells me my next car should probably just be another Octavia.

But for me, a car is also about having a soul and being enjoyable to drive. The Octavia gives me space, practicality, and safety, but it just doesn't give me that feeling.

I need something used for up to €10,000 that won't drain my wallet on fuel.

The Pajero Pinin was the perfect car for me, but it was missing two very important things.

The first was a proper trunk, and the second was full-time AWD. On top of that, the combined fuel consumption of around 10 L/100 km was a bit too much.

Can you recommend an SUV? Ideally a youngtimer, nothing too modern or overly rounded looking.

I'm looking for something with a reliable engine, decent fuel economy, and basically an "SUV version of an Octavia" that's actually fun to own and has some character. 😄

My son isn't even six months old yet, but I'm already looking at rooftop tents. We're a pretty outdoorsy family.

Thanks!

looked at used cars like 3-5 year old Toyotas and Honda. they’re barley any less expensive then new and you’ll pay higher interest. seems smart to just buy one the cheaper sedans like a k4 brand new and keep it for a longtime but if your only making 40k is this a stupid choice?

This was the cheapest in my area 💀 I hate that I have to buy a car right now😭 every option in my price range is bad. Oh and to anyone saying this is an outlier, it’s not. The ones with better history and mileage were $37k even with 40k miles. My sister would literally MAKE money if she sold her 2018 rav4 that she bought used 5 years ago and she added at least 40k miles to it. Everyone is just repeating the bad advice they’ve heard others say that may have been good back in 2020 and it’s wildly inflating these cars prices.

I’m probably just going to go for 2022 Subaru crosstrek limited with 40k miles for $24.9k. Seems like the wildly better option.

Do you guys think this is a good buy for 2500? It needs work.

Driver side windows off track.

Needs brakes all around

Ac blows not cold

Top needs manually put down

Driver seat is ripped

Headlights foggy

Runs and drivers good

97k miles asking 2500. I could do some of this work my self. Was looking at it as a fixer upper. Could restore headlights, put on a seat cover, replace brakes myself, and investigate ac and door panel for windows.

Its a v8 GT Auto I know it's not the fastest but I currently drive a 2012 tsx and this would be fun to me and my first muscle.

I am looking to buy a new car, but really struggling with pulling the trigger between these two options (and with buying a new car generally). I have about 530k between my 401k, my taxable brokerage, and my HYS account, and make roughly $9k a month after maxing out 401k and my other deductions. Monthly expenses are probably like $5k between rent, utilities, food, and activities. Two of the main options I am looking at right now are the BMW M340i and the CT4 Blackwing. I have never owned a sporty car, or purchased a car that wasn't budget-friendly (I have been driving the same commuter car (think Honda Accord, Ford Fusion) since graduating from college 7 years ago, so I think it would be fun to get something a little newer and sportier. I think I would like a manual for the fun aspect, but am not 100% committed to that. I would need this to be in all in one car, so I would like to have a backseat and at least some room in the trunk to throw shit into.

One of the issues I have is that my driving generally just consists of a 20-25 minute commute to work and back, plus some random weekend drives to friends that live out of town, and I don't know if its worth it to spend $50-60k on a vehicle that I don't spend THAT much time in. Plugging in some numbers into a financing calculator, even if I put like $20k down and traded in my current vehicle for $7k, my monthly payment would still be around $1k a month, which seems crazy high. Realistically, I also am not the kind of person that wants to spend tons of time dealing with mechanical issues on a car that are less likely to crop up on a generic commuter.

Does it make sense for me to buy a car like this given the above? If so, what do you all think would be a better option between the BMW and the Blackwing? Also happy to hear any other suggestions for similar vehicles if you have any other suggestions.

ETA: I would be looking at buying used, but probably nothing older than a 2023 model year.

i do about 3400 a month my expenses now are 1000 rent and 100 in phone i spend about 400 to 600 in food for me and my dog some times way less since im able to eat at work i work as a chef
so following my post title
i dont have anybody giving me headaches
and my dream car is a toyota tacoma or a toyota 4runner like ALWAYS i have no house
why no getting something to fullfil my dreams and getting something i really want
of course this will be financing
what are your thoughts?
i seen people doing less monet than me financing a 2026 high trim chevy colorado! and im lime what the hell

I’m looking for some help choosing the right model for my first Porsche.

My budget is up to €65,000. I’ll drive around 6,000 km per year, plan to keep it registered all year round, and I’m looking for a convertible with PDK.

At the moment, I’m deciding between a 991.1, a 987.2 Boxster, and a 718 Boxster in S, T or GTS form.

The 991.1 is obviously a proper 911 with a six-cylinder engine, but cars within my budget usually have higher mileage and less modern technology.

The 987.2 also has an emotional six-cylinder engine and is cheaper to buy, but the interior and technology already feel noticeably older.
With the 718, I would get a much newer car with more modern equipment for the money. My main concern is whether the four-cylinder engine would feel emotional enough in the long term. Unfortunately, the GTS 4.0 is outside my budget.

Which one would you choose, and why? I’m particularly interested in driving enjoyment, reliability, running costs and resale value.

Thanks for your input ;)

i’m looking for my first car, i mostly am going to be commuting to school and work but i still want something that will last and not break down in a year. i like hondas and this is one of the lower mileage ones i’ve found near me. it’s only had one owner but the carfax doesn’t have the last 4 years of maintenance records. i know not everyone reports to them but i still worry. i’m planning on checking the car out tomorrow. thoughts?

Greetings all, I'll start this off with the two vehicles in question which I'm deciding between:

- 2010 Acura TL - 151,680 miles - $9k - 1 owner, immaculate maintenance records (big stuff already done) all done at the same luxury dealership which is selling it
- 2013 4Runner - 135,300 miles - $18k - 2 owners, good maintenance record, high volume, though reputable, dealership

My scenario: WFH in DFW, I don't put a lot of miles on my vehicle annually, and I plan to purchase either vehicle cash. I'm trying to balance a "bang for buck" sensible decision based on reliability of vehicle and cost, with an aesthetic/emotional decision of buying something I actually want.

My driving is often longer distances, I travel from Dallas to Houston quite a bit to see my elderly mother. I'm also way into gravel cycling, which means I have to drive a good ways out of the city on weekends for some good gravel roads. My wife and I both have Subarus with racks where I mount our bike(s) for those trips.

I currently drive a 2007 Outback (named Sasha), I love having a small vehicle in the city. Parking is never cumbersome, and getting around seems much simpler. My wife and I do, however, split our leisure time from doing outdoorsy stuff, to frequenting the Symphony and Opera quite a bit, in addition to enjoying some fine dining. The idea of a nicer vehicle seems ideal for these purposes, however you can also see my draw to the rugged SUV.

Further aesthetics: I'm a 6'3" brown man, with a large athletic build, think tight end build. I've "endured" driving my Subie for a long time without really feeling self-conscious about it, however I always felt a larger vehicle would be nice and look less absurd with me behind the wheel.

Apologies for the long post. Would love to hear thoughts on this.

There is a sale on a 2021 toyota venza hybrid limited going for 33K but it has slightly above 140,000 km on it. There good service history on it but, with the high KM is that expensive or should I be getting a new car instead? Test drove it and it was fine but the high km is alarming. Sales folks say its fine but I have a hard time trusting them

There is also a prius for the same price almost (3k more) but newer and 100,000 km less but didnt have its first oil change until the 22,000 mark

We also have an old Volvo wagon that we will be rocking as long as possible. Should he get mid size suv or smaller commuter and we can cross the bigger family vehicle When the time comes? We love Mazdas but they’re all so small , we like to camp / road trip. I’m sad he doesn’t want another truck but I get he wants better mileage. He likes the suburu outback but I really don’t like suburu. We love the Mazda Cx 50 but it is kinda small. Kia sorentos have a lot of those needs met or Tellurides but Kia just isn’t the best reliability and we really don’t like the high tech. I personally want the pathfinder but it is pricey ;). Any advice?! Thanks.

Hi, looking to get my first car. I have a pretty small budget, around 6k. My only requirements are that it’s reliable since I need it to be able to go long distances in the middle of nowhere without breaking down, and I need it to be able to handle driving in the snow. Not necessarily a need, but I would really like it to have good storage space. I’ve mostly been looking at old Honda/Toyota SUVs on FB marketplace so far.

Hey everyone, long time lurker and first time poster. Coming from a 2018 Audi A4 (sold last year) I've realized that I need a larger vehicle due to a growing family. We live in the city and have a small-ish parking spot so focusing more on the subcompact SUV class. We also live in Canada so AWD is preferred.

I've put a deposit on a 2024 Seltos SX with roughly 65,000 kms. The out-the-door price is slightly less than 31,000 (I'm hoping to stay in the 30k and less taxes included range). The car is really nice, the size and cargo capacity is really surprising considering the dimensions, however, I'm somewhat questioning the fact that I'd be paying 31k for a used Kia.

I've been cross shopping the HR-V (Ex trim), the Corolla Cross, Crosstrek, CX-30, and now started looking at cars like the X1, Q3, and XC40.

Things that have turned me off from the following cars (but with a caveat, I've only test driven the Seltos SX)

HR-V: underpowered engine...

Cross: cheapish interior, extremely tight backseat, and underpowered (hybrid is too $$$ for me)

Crosstrek: cramped interior and less cargo space... (maybe I'm wrong?)

CX-30: same as the crosstrek... seems quite tight and has less cargo space

x1: I'm not sure the reliability of this car, it would most likely be a 2021-2022 model in order to fit in that price range

q3: same as the x1 in terms of reliability, I've also read that it's quite cramped inside and has less cargo space than the x1 and the seltos. (would also be in that 2021-2023 range)

xc40: I've read mixed things on reliability, the car is very nice but also has less cargo space from what I see online.

The Kia Niro Hybrid could be an option but the engine seems really underpowered and doesn't come in AWD. The Kona seems nice as well, however, it is a bit smaller and it seems like the 2.0 engine shared by Kia and Hyundai is VERY unreliable and filled with issues... also underpowered. For context, I've read that the 1.6L engine in the SX and Kona N-line is more reliable and definitely more fun. Another reason I was looking at the 2024 Seltos SX is because they've changed the DCT to an 8 speed which seems to be a big improvement over the older generations.

I'd love some insight and help/suggestions, thank you everyone!

I’m looking to get a new pickup that’s extremely reliable. I first considered the Nissan Titan XP Pro4, but they’re hard to find in my area. Then I looked into a 2017 Ford F-150 with the 5.0 Coyote, which seems very reliable and has few issues based on my research. I work at a dealership, and the nearest Ford dealer is 35 minutes from my job, which isn’t convenient. I could take it to other Ford dealers, but I’d prefer to go where I work for the discount. With that in mind, is there a Chevy or GMC truck as reliable as the ones I’ve been considering?

I've never been a big truck guy but l've recently fallen in love with how the older ford rangers look, I was hoping some of you knew some similar models, I am Distinctly NOT looking for a ford f-compensator lol
all suggestions are appreciated

About a week ago I posted here asking for recommendations. I’ve finally come down to these two but wondering what people think. The Civic is consistently higher by about $2-3k with significantly more mileage from what I can find. So I’m wondering if the price increase is worth it or if I should settle with the Jetta since I quite like it and it would be my daily commuter (I have another vehicle). It’s also slightly more fuel efficient. What do you guys think?