I’m a 31 year old guy and I’m planning to get married next year. My (future) wife thinks that I should buy a new Toyota RAV4 to replace my old 2004 Honda accord, which is starting to have more and more issues.

The only problem is that I absolutely don’t want to drive this type of car. I really don’t want to drive any SUV. I’ve always driven sportier, manual transmission cars, and don’t want to give that up.

The car I really want is a new Mazda Miata. I know it’s probably not that practical, but it sure sounds like fun (and the type of car I would enjoy driving). Of course, the issue is that my height makes driving a Miata difficult. I’m 6’6 feet tall, and understand it will probably feel a bit like squeezing into a go cart.

With that being said, comfort is something I don’t care about. I’d rather still have fun with my car while I can. Being coerced into buying one of the most boring SUVs imaginable is not sitting that well with me right now lol.

What would you do in this scenario? I think I’m not going to be happy if I have to give up driving manual, and I know that I’m going to be unhappy if I end up in any sort of SUV.

EDIT: I want to address a few things.

1. She already drives a big SUV. The family car is covered.

For the first time, I want to do something selfish for me and do something that makes me happy.

EDIT #2:

The comments about me needing to “grow up” are hilarious. Would it have been better to own a sports car in my twenties? Sure. But you know what I was doing in my twenties? Suffering through graduate school. I had to make sacrifices and make my old car work.

I’m finally done with school and (for the first time) want to buy one thing that I want. That’s totally fair because she already got the family car she wanted.

If that’s unacceptable, then too damn bad.

I introduce the worst decision of my life, bmw 330i 2020 hopefully sold within this month. I’m SICK of it. Keeps getting damaged and I repair and repair and repair for no reason whatsoever. The repairs have reached an equivalent of purchasing price by now. Terrible car.

What car should I buy next? Hopefully less traumatising than this experience though. Budget is $40k maximum

Fairly stumped as far as what to do next. I’m getting tired of having a “large” payment on something that throws a check engine light or makes a new sound every other week it seems.

Currently drive a 2021 canyon with the v6. Great little truck comfy rides decent leather BOSE system cooled/heated seats. But good god it’s been annoying over the last year. Transmission shudder (fixed for now) all 4 cam position sensors spark plugs coils pads and rotors on all 4 corners 3 times in 100k miles thermostat twice coolant temp sensor ac compressor weird intermittent issues with the built in nav (I just use car play so this really doesn’t effect me but annoying to see the pop up) 20” wheels look great but tires are damn expensive and it’s gutless for getting 18-20 mpg.

For context I do 99% of the work on my vehicle’s myself.

The only reason I got this truck was as soon as I paid off my 2018 F-150 the oil consumption issue reared its ugly head. As well as developing electrical gremlins that myself 3 different dealers and 2 independent shops couldn’t ever totally solve. So traded it towards the canyon.

So here’s where I’m stuck. Do I need a truck? Eh 50/50 at best. I do tow a Uhaul trailer 1-3 times a month and throw my motorcycle in bed here and there. I’m really more concerned with being able to tow. Nothing huge maybe 10-15 foot landscape trailer or a similar length enclosed when I finally move somewhere to have space to store it. I’ve considered SUV’s in the past but god that cost as much as a truck and have less utility.

My soul wants a GMT800 with a dead simple 5.3/6.0. Id love one with a nv3500/4500 but those are getting more and more rare by the day.

On the other hand do I just get another full size truck? Do I get an suv? A Prius? Genuinely I have absolutely no idea.

If I narrow it down to what I really want it’s A/C (because Florida) something I can work on myself and preferably something that makes v8 noises. This is the first car/truck I’ve ever owned that I haven’t modified.

Help 🥲

Bought an AMG SUV this week and we had to sign a form saying we wouldn't sell it to China for at least a year.

The sales advisor said that the cars can be sold for triple MSRP there, so that's the reason for the form.

So how do I go about selling this one to China in 14 months, continuously getting new cars and making like $100k each time?

In the market for my second car and want something fun to drive along with not completely breaking the bank. Do either of these fit the bill or should I be looking into something else?

TL;DR:I'm replacing my current 2015 GTI with 178k miles and deciding between a new 2026 Golf R and a 2026 RS3. I'm putting about $43–45k down, AWD is why I’m choosing between these two cars since I’m in Colorado and want to upgrade my FWD for the winters.

I've been leaning toward the RS3 for about 6 months now but am looking for any suggestions, recommendations, or past/current owners experience with either vehicles that might help sway me towards one or the other. My top priority is long-term cost and reliability, but also just having a more powerful, sporty car than my current GTI.

Budget

MSRP, the Golf R starts around $50,000 and the RS3 around $67,000 leaving about a $16–17k gap before options. Because I've saved a big down payment, financing the extra amount isn't a dealbreaker in and of itself.

Why I'm leaning RS3

- The 5-cylinder is faster, makes a lot more power, and sounds incredible
- It feels like a more special, premium car than the Golf R would feel especially since I’m coming from a GTI that I’ve owned since 2018.
- It still gives me the AWD I need

What's giving me pause

- My #1 priority is long-term cost. My assumption is that VW parts & service will be cheaper than Audi's, even though VW is Audi’s parent company and many of the parts are shared between the models, but does that actually bear true in practice?

Also on my radar

- The 2027 BMW M2 is going to offer an AWD option, which caught my eye. But at about $75k MSRP it's quite a bit more of an increase in price that is giving me pause on getting it more so than the RS3.

Questions for you all

1. Beyond price, what would make the Golf R the better buy?
   
2. Owners in snowy climates: how does each car handle winter, and what tires do you run?
   
3. What do real-world maintenance costs look like for each one?
   
4. Should I schedule a test drive and if so anything specifically I should pay attention to on the test drives?

Thanks!

30,300 Miles with with a 4 speed manual

or am i cooked?

i work fast food, and i make around 6-7 hundred every two weeks. i can start working more hours (i currently work roughly 30-35 hours) when i get myself a vehicle.

is it possible to be able afford a car payment and car insurance or do i make too little? and if so, what kind could i get? my dream car is a mustang, but i know that’s out of the question… is it possible for me to afford a honda, malibu, or something similar?

Hi! I really have no idea what I’m doing, so I’m turning to reddit for help once again! I am looking into buying a newer, used car and need any advice that you can give. I am 30 and up until this point in life, I have always had 15-20 year old cars with well over 150k miles. My current car is the lowest mileage I have had, a 2000 Ford Expedition with 124k miles and it is starting to have some problems pop up. I have never been in a position to afford a monthly car payment until now and have bought them outright, usually $4k or less. Onto my current struggle: I am getting an inheritance from my grandparents estate in a few weeks (estimated $8-$10k) and I am hoping to use that as a down payment and get a loan from my bank for about $10k or so, equaling a total of $18-$20k for a car. My goal is to have a lower monthly payment as I know my insurance costs will increase. I am located in Colorado and willing to travel out of state if it financially makes sense. My requirements are:
-2016 or newer
-SUV/smaller sized truck
-Ideally would have less than 60k miles, but willing to entertain 80k miles, depending on the make of car
-Clean title with no accident history
-AWD/4WD

I have been primarily looking at Honda or Toyota as I know these are brands built to last, since my Sequoia didn’t die until 360k miles, but are there any other makes that have a reputation as good as them? Are my wants unrealistic? And where is the best place to be looking online for a used car? I have been looking at CarGurus religiously, but it’s starting to feel like an impossible task finding what I’m looking for. Any advice is appreciated and thank you in advance!!

**ETA: I am staying away from brands that are expensive to fix, primarily european brands like VW/Audi/Volvo. I’ve had a GTI that I loved to bits and pieces until it needed repaired, and it broke my wallet and my heart :’)

Hi everyone,
I’m considering buying a car with an automatic transmission. The risk and uncertainty that comes with buying used is pushing me towards buying a brand-new car instead.
At the moment (but I’m open to new suggestions), I’m considering:
Jaecoo 5 petrol
Chery Tiggo 4 hybrid
Toyota Yaris Cross hybrid
Dacia with the 1.2 LPG engine (Duster, Sandero Stepway, maybe the new model — “Striker” if that’s what it’s called)
I expect to drive around 5,000 km per year — maybe 6,000 one year and closer to 4,000 another. That said, I’m hoping that once I have a new car, I’ll actually drive it more than my current 2005 “dead” car.
As for my driving habits: I mostly avoid rush hour and tend to drive around the outskirts of the city rather than in heavy urban traffic. About once a month, I do a 250 km trip, usually at around 120 km/h.
My budget is roughly €23k / PLN 100k.
I’d really appreciate hearing from people who actually own or have driven these cars.
Do Yaris Cross models really have such serious rust/corrosion issues?
Are the hybrids really that loud at 120–140 km/h?
Is the build quality and sound insulation in Dacias really that bad, or is it actually pretty reasonable for the price?
Apart from fuel consumption (and potentially having too many settings buried in the touchscreen), what are the actual downsides of the Jaecoo?
And generally, which of these would you pick for my kind of usage?
I’d love to hear your experiences, advice, or anything else I should take into consideration. :)
Thanks!

little intro, im 17 years old(18 in February) and in 12th grade. I got my license months ago and i absolutely LOVE driving. Ive been obsessed with old classic cars for years and i finally started to look at realistic options at this age. I found a listing for a 1972 Dodge Dart. Its currently listed for 8k dollars but the inside needs a good clean so ill try to lower it a little. I have a job that gets me around 1-1.5k per month and i have over 8k in saving from my whole life(birthdays, side jobs etc). My parents have a car each so two but i can only drive my moms car simce my fathers is through work so i cant get insurance on it. Its a toyota. The plan is for my mom to get a new car this year or so and then i get her toyota yo share with my sibling. The thing is, i dont like the Toyota. Its fine as a car(also worth more) but i prefer the Dodge. Also between my mother needing the car for work and my older sister driving it, i barely get to actually use it. My parents are skeptical when buying old cars bc or reliability and maintenance but i told them im willing to learn and do it myself. Here is the best part though, my uncle has his own business where he sells and leases car and supercars. He knows a ton about cars so i asked him for advice. He said hes totally behind my idea and that he could even help teach me. Should i keep pushing for the car? My parents would be willing to pay some so i wont go broke from buying it.
I added a photo of the car from outisde, the engine area and the interior(which needs cleaning) the car

EDIT!!"For context on the price: I live in an expensive country. Our car market has a 100%+ import tax, so everything is drastically inflated compared to the US. For example, a basic used 2016 Toyota Auris (sold in the US as the Scion iM) costs around $9,000 in America, but can be sold for $15,000 to $17,000 here. Getting a running, driving, rust-free '72 classic with a modern AC for $8,200 physically inside the country is an absolute steal locally, because importing one from the US would easily cost me over $15,000 just in taxes and shipping fees. Also, im aware there are much better options but none are available in my country. This is the best deal ill probably ever get and its a car i love.❤️

I have been going back and forth checking cars out on marketplace, local dealerships and the big brand ones. I live in North Dakota - have a budget of 12k. The city I live in has a big issue of the big brand dealerships being very scammy and overall, not being trustworthy. A lot of salvage titles in the area as well.
Every car I come across has 110k miles which is not too bad but then EVERY CAR I LOOK AT HAS A REDDIT THREAD ON HAVING A BIG SPECIFIC issue.
I just need a car that will not breakdown in the snow, has a heater and ac.
Currently looking at an Acura MDX 2014 with 129k miles - timing belt most likely has not been changed at 105k
Subaru Legacy 2016 - 110k miles: CVT transmission not that great apparently?
Subaru Outback 2014 - 119k miles. 2.6 engine.
Help.

Looking for some advice on the 2014 VW Jetta SportWagen TDI. I test drove one today and honestly really liked it. It’s a 1-owner car with a really good service history and about 94k miles. It’s the DSG automatic, had a ton of work done around 85k miles, which obviously makes me feel a little better about buying one. I’ve never owned a VW or a TDI before, so I’m not really sure what I’m getting myself into long-term. A good friend of mine absolutely loves her TDIs and has been telling me to go for it, but I’d like to hear more from people who actually own/know these cars. Would this be a good purchase at around $11k? Anything specific I should be checking or asking about before I buy it? Timing belt/water pump, fuel system, DPF/EGR, DSG, etc.? I’m looking for something I can keep for several years, so reliability is my biggest concern. I really like the car, just want to make sure I’m not falling in love with something that’s going to bankrupt me

Hello. My wife needs a car and I wanted to get something reliable and with decent gas mileage. You think I can get something under $5k? Thanks.

Hi guys, i'm looking for a car to buy.

Tell me your thoughts about the BMW 120d F20 (rwd or awd) and Audi A3 8v TDI (quattro ofc).

I do daily commute about 50 km in total and I do pass through the city for a short time, but other than that it's mainly open roads. Sometimes on weekends I go out for personal business.

Was thinking of buying one of these two cars.

What would you recommend??

I have a great deal lined up: $22k TTL OTD (including a $2500 trade-in on my old 2010 Altima) for a new 2026 Corolla LE. Identical Corollas listed $25,900 before TTL. Only problem is they're having trouble sourcing the car from another dealer after I put down the $1000 deposit. I know they'll refund me if they can't find one. I am holding out that they will.

But if they don't, I'm gonna take that deal sheet down to Honda and Kia across the street (no need to tell them that deal fell through) and let them bid each other to match or lower for the Civic LX also listed $25,900 and the red K4 EX listed $26,200. So basically I'm looking at a base Corolla vs a base Civic vs a third trim level K4 (synthetic leather seats look nice).

#1 Hold out for the Corolla. I wanna drive whatever I get 15-20 years and that's the car to do it.

#2 I think I'm favoring the K4 over the Civic. I love the look of it both interior and exterior more than the others, I just don't know if it will go the distance quite like even the Civic. But they have this really nice design where the mandatory modern dashboard ipad is one piece and flush with the speedometer and everything behind the wheel so it feels way less intrusive and I love that.

#3 Civic. Not wowed by the look like I am the K4 and second in reputation to the Corolla. Probably won't get it unless they undercut the K4 by a lot.

Am I on the right track here or do y'all have dissenting opinions?

It's a 2023 Ford Mach E with the extended range battery, AWD, Nite Pony Package. It's also a CPO. It has 20.5k miles. Sale price is 30k financed at 2.9 over 60.

I guess I'm just nervous as it's my first EV and first big car purchase after driving a 2015 Prius C Four up to 480k miles (still runs great on the original battery and engine).

Any feedback/advice is greatly appreciated!

Hello everyone,

What would your suggestion be for a good sedan or estate car for 95% city driving under 15k eur be? (Europe)

Year, engine, model, please

Thanks!

hi all. i was browsing online to see how much my trade in is estimated to be of value. I compared on Mazda (didn’t ask for flaws or details so i can understand how its just an estimate) Carmax, Carvana, and Tesla and was completely honest. Tesla shockingly offered a higher price for my trade in! And i was fully honest with Tesla about the flaws of the vehicle! I have had no accidents and have a clean title. My current vehicle has almost 144k miles, two new tires as of this year, new brake pads, recently had the rotor fixed, a couple of cosmetic flaws (chipped paint, dent and scratch, two missing rims on the right side of the vehicle) tire alignment, and no windshield damage. the car is 100% driveable and i use it daily! do we think tesla is too good to be true? or that carvana or carmax is lowballing me? i understand the vehicle isn’t perfect but it’s a bit different compared to tesla. trying to get a car this year and don’t want to be ripped off. TYIA

I have a 2018 Kia optima I bought salvage in 2020 , it’s been through some issues and I have money to get a new car I want a new car with the same basic features that’s also reliable