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Posted: 4/21/2016 1:43:41 PM EDT
Requirements:
Reliable/low maintenance, can handle 35k miles per year Good gas mileage Sharp looking (doesn't scream grandma or college kid) Comfortable to drive long distances My budget is $17-22K. Used low miles is a possibility. |
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Used Detective Caprice.
Dad has one. Thing is a stealth bomber. |
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Requirements: Reliable/low maintenance, can handle 35k miles per year Good gas mileage Sharp looking (doesn't scream grandma or college kid) Comfortable to drive long distances My budget is $17-22K. Used low miles is a possibility. View Quote Mazda 3? I was going to say a Nissan Versa but all the college kids drive those around here. |
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I bought a used 2015 Kia Optima a few months ago for the same purpose. It was below your budget and certified used, warranties all transferred, and had low miles. It rides and handles great looks decent in my opinion. I put about 450-500 miles weekly on it. Gas mileage is decent, usually average around 32-33 mpg.
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Used Detective Caprice. Dad has one. Thing is a stealth bomber. No, fo reals! Two year old model. 19k at auction with 11k miles. V8 RWD. It's fast and comfy as hell. It can cruise at Texas speeds all day. |
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I got a Kia Rio hatch with the 6 speed.
Its a 2013 and I've put 70+k on it. Its a base model but for that extra 4-6k id go with the sx trim. I get 35-40mpg.avg. if I drive it like I'm trying out for a rally race I may get about 30mpg . But its a throw away due to how far I drive each day... It looks good..decent interior..much more than other its size. Besides the fiesta ..Hyundai's version and the Mazda 2. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Honda Civic ..... just step up in model or consider the accord.
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Mazda 3? I was going to say a Nissan Versa but all the college kids drive those around here. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Requirements: Reliable/low maintenance, can handle 35k miles per year Good gas mileage Sharp looking (doesn't scream grandma or college kid) Comfortable to drive long distances My budget is $17-22K. Used low miles is a possibility. Mazda 3? I was going to say a Nissan Versa but all the college kids drive those around here. Too small. What about the Mazda 6? |
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Mazda 3? I was going to say a Nissan Versa but all the college kids drive those around here. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Requirements: Reliable/low maintenance, can handle 35k miles per year Good gas mileage Sharp looking (doesn't scream grandma or college kid) Comfortable to drive long distances My budget is $17-22K. Used low miles is a possibility. Mazda 3? I was going to say a Nissan Versa but all the college kids drive those around here. Mine has handled ~31k miles in ten months like a champ. Looks good, drives good. Fun to drive, especially with the manual. |
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If you are semi mechanically inclined the best/newest Camry or diesel VW you can find. Will run forever.
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Be patient. Search Craigslist and network with people at church, AA, the grocery, work, AUTO PARTS STORES.
I just went through this. I needed a second car for myself and then my son in 2 years. I was shocked at the beat to death overpriced crap on the dealer lots. 13-20K for a 5 year old Mazda with 130K on it and Lease reurns for 25K+ I found, a 2001 Buick Le-sabre custom. ( the nice road / touring edition) Garage kept and started monthly with 23K on it. It needed the brake lines ran, a compressor for the AC, it has a little rust from the humid garage on the cradle. ( I got our a welding hammer and checked, welds were fine, it was just surface rust. It had a little dent on the fender, ( It was an old woman's car who didn't see well and quit driving) Her son was letting it go before medicaid stole every asset. ( the title is clean.) $3,000 + another $2,000 making it "right" It's a beauty. This thing is like a brand new $50,000 car. 6 months into it and pleased. |
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My 2007 Impala replaced a 2000 Taurus.
I liked the Taurus but the Chevy was much nicer. Now that the Chevy is old and has 150K miles, it was time to replace it. Got a 2010 Taurus (60K miles) two weeks ago and it kicks ass on the old Impala. Totally different car than the old Taurus. To be fair, I haven't driven the new style Impala, but I don't like the look of the new body style. The new Taurus body style looks far better to my eye and they are also very nice on the inside. It's the closest thing I'll ever have to a luxury sport sedan. Paddle shifters, 263HP, about 23mpg. Quick and rides nice. Premium sound system rattles the windows. With your budget you could get the SHO model with the turbo. Look for one three years old or so with low miles. Cars.com is a good resource to search locally. |
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Requirements: Reliable/low maintenance, can handle 35k miles per year Good gas mileage Sharp looking (doesn't scream grandma or college kid) Comfortable to drive long distances My budget is $17-22K. Used low miles is a possibility. Mazda 3? I was going to say a Nissan Versa but all the college kids drive those around here. Too small. What about the Mazda 6? Basically just a bigger 3, from the looks of it. I think you can find one in your price range. Honestly, I really wanted the 6, but wasn't going to spend the money for one, with the mileage I put on cars. What's too small about the 3? I'm a big guy and it's really comfortable, IMO. Bigger than I thought it would be. ETA - Looking at Autotrader, it looks like you could find a 2016 Mazda 6, with <10k (some less then 5K miles) for under $20k pretty easily. in my area. |
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Preowned 2015 Honda civic has been advertised for $16k in okc.
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Two year old model. 19k at auction with 11k miles. V8 RWD. It's fast and comfy as hell. It can cruise at Texas speeds all day. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Used Detective Caprice. Dad has one. Thing is a stealth bomber. No, fo reals! Two year old model. 19k at auction with 11k miles. V8 RWD. It's fast and comfy as hell. It can cruise at Texas speeds all day. You're both missing the good on gas mileage requirement. |
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You're both missing the good on gas mileage requirement. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Used Detective Caprice. Dad has one. Thing is a stealth bomber. No, fo reals! Two year old model. 19k at auction with 11k miles. V8 RWD. It's fast and comfy as hell. It can cruise at Texas speeds all day. You're both missing the good on gas mileage requirement. 19-22 mpg. |
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Used Focus ST /thread View Quote I picked up an '07 Focus ZX3 SES with 133k on it for $2400 in late 2011. Gets 26 MPG (I probably drive a lil too fast )It now has 217K on the clock and, as much as I hate Ford, has been a rock star. I've put $350 into it (A/C condenser and reprogrammed a faulty SRS computer). Power steering went out a few weeks ago, but shouldn't cost more than about $100 to fix. Goes through tires and brakes like mad, but I will be surprised if I don't get at least another 75k out of it. |
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2013 VW Passat TDI
Find an SEL premium with ~25k miles on it. I bought ours for $18.5k plus a $1k trade for an old cherokee with no AC. 45 mpg, nice roomy interior, reliable. /thread |
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I just bought the wife a new Camry. In the right color its not too much Grandma car and its a lot of car for the money. She drives something like 30-40k a year.
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Requirements: Reliable/low maintenance, can handle 35k miles per year Good gas mileage Sharp looking (doesn't scream grandma or college kid) Comfortable to drive long distances My budget is $17-22K. Used low miles is a possibility. Mazda 3? I was going to say a Nissan Versa but all the college kids drive those around here. Too small. What about the Mazda 6? Ex-wifes friend bought one just to commute to school with. It was very nice for the money. The Malibu and Fusion suggestions aren't bad ones either. Ex FIL had an Optima and that thing was also very nice. |
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I bought a used 2015 Kia Optima a few months ago for the same purpose. It was below your budget and certified used, warranties all transferred, and had low miles. It rides and handles great looks decent in my opinion. I put about 450-500 miles weekly on it. Gas mileage is decent, usually average around 32-33 mpg. View Quote That's exactly what I would do. |
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Find a Pre-owned certified Honda civic. I ran my Honda Accord (6cyl) coupe 240 miles a day 5 days a week for 48 weeks a year until it died at around 240k.
One fule pump and one transmission. It was actually two, but it was a bad torque converter that killed the second one. Only thing I wished it had was a 4cyl and a larger gas tank. |
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Subaru Legacy, comfortable, roomy, great gas mileage, reliable and AWD if you need it. Mazda, Toyota, Honda etc. would also be a good choice. If you wrench on your own cars, I recommend the Subaru. Preventative maintenance is a breeze. Traditionally mounted engine/trans. Parts are cheap as domestic. Made in USA (Indiana).
Legacy |
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Just saw a billboard for the 2016 Malibu. Looks nice.
I think I'm going to narrow my search to: Fusion/Taurus Malibu Camry How are the Sonatas? |
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Quoted: Just saw a billboard for the 2016 Malibu. Looks nice. I think I'm going to narrow my search to: Fusion/Taurus Malibu Camry How are the Sonatas? View Quote You get more features for the money than a Toyota, but the Toyota holds resale better. |
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i've been looking at getting a VW golf/GTI type car for the same purpose.....either the turbo 2.0 gas, or the TDI...
finding lots of choices just a few years old with anywhere from 10k miles to 70k miles, most listed for ~$15,000... |
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Ford fiesta sedan. Sfe with the 3 cylinder turbo. I get 38-42 mpg. Fun little car. $15.5k
My wife liked mine so much that she bought one. |
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The Camry I bought was an SE @ $22k before taxes and 0% financing.
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my Chevy Cruze that we use as a courier car has been bullet proof and one of the safest cars out there.
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I bought a hyndai veloster turbo, 2013 with 80K now. Even hit a deer. Took it like a champ.
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Might not be a popular pick here, but grab yourself a used 2013-15 Chevy Volt.
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i've been looking at getting a VW golf/GTI type car for the same purpose.....either the turbo 2.0 gas, or the TDI... finding lots of choices just a few years old with anywhere from 10k miles to 70k miles, most listed for ~$15,000... View Quote You should probably budget another $4-6k per year for repair for one of those. |
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Just saw a billboard for the 2016 Malibu. Looks nice. I think I'm going to narrow my search to: Fusion/Taurus Malibu Camry How are the Sonatas? View Quote In another thread you said you had a Fusion. If you liked it get another. A friend has a Malibu and likes it. I've ridden in a few Uber Camrys and they're nice. Up until 2 years ago my sister had a 2009 Sonata. Nice car but went through a few sets of brakes. |
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