So my daughter is driving age and I need to get her a car. Between school and her job she is driving my new truck more than me. I've asked her to search car ads and send me cars she likes. Told her nothing over $15k. She sent me a lot of BMWs and various ricers. Zero American cars which I find disappointing, but what you gonna do? All the BMWs she sent me are under $10k and by the pictures most look to be in pristine condition. I know these things new were a fortune. So it's surprising to see these nice looking cars under $10k. My general understanding is the high end German cars are crazy expensive to fix. Which would explain the low prices. That is why so far I have pushed back against them every time she brings one up. But am I wrong? Should I consider one of these relatively affordable BMWs?
The BMW’s and Benz’s are cheap as used cars especially when compared to the original sticker price. The very affluent people can’t be seen in a 5 year old car so they trade in. Repairs on them are very expensive and in some cases need to be serviced at a specialized shop which scares some used car buyers away. Steer her toward a V6 Challenger, kind of sporty but nothing crazy. Too bad she doesn’t want a 350 Skylark convertible or something though.
Funny you say that, she loves Challengers. But hard to find in the price range she has to work with. Id love to guide her to a classic car but we live in winter salt country so I can't do that.
I think she will be happy in a 2009 to 2013 Honda Fit. Or a Toyota Corolla from the same time frame. Ok, she won't be happy but believe me, you will. Avoid BMW's like the plague, unless you can stomach eye popping repair bills. I love BMW's, but sweet baby Jesus, they are on a whole different level when it comes to upkeep. If you find a specific vehicle, PM me and I can tell you the most common issues I see come across my desk. And that is all I do 8 hours a day.
I always recommend the Subaru. Very reliable. 300k motors, built like a tank... one of the best cars on passenger safety....Not to extremely expensive on repair... The timing belt is the main killer which must be done interference motor... Only thing I dont like about the newer stuff is that they have the CVT transmission but now what car doesn't...
Avoid anything German; they’re complicated just for fun, parts cost more and some mechanics refuse to work on them. Honda and Toyota hold value as used cars for a reason. Read ‘just rolled into the shop’ and ‘ask a mechanic’ on reddit. There are a lot of poorly engineered cars out there. Patrick
I know someone that has one of those flying the Mazda6 badge..... She's had it for years absolutely NO problems.. Heck the Ford Probe which was a Mazda MX6 also a great car...
Unless they have the extremely common issue of coolant loss due to poor cylinder head castings, of which Ford is doing nothing for thier customers for as far as warranty extensions. The only solution is replacing the long block. Years and engine models very with this issue, but I do at least a few a month. And, they are usually just out of the 5/60 warranty when it occurs. There is currently a class action lawsuit against Ford regarding it.
They can have, depending on the year and engine, have serious headgasket and oil consumption issues. And they are later models than you might think.
Subaru gets my vote. Good fuel economy, very reliable and the best AWD system. Drives like a tank in snowy conditions. They tend to retain their value so expect to dish out a bit more than you would for an American or Korean comparable, but well worth the extra. Wife drives a 2015 Impreza and it's been great. CVT should be serviced without fail at 60k. 2013 onward now have a timing chain so the pesky belt issue from older models has been resolved. Then come Honda and Toyota, of course. Your instinct is right about the luxury Germans...stay away.
I'll tell you an absolutely fantastic car, and I'm being specific. In February this year, I bought a 2011 Lexus ES350. 2011 is the first year Lexus detuned the engine to run on regular fuel. It has all the power creature comforts, bluetooth, doesn't have the auto engine shutoff, and gets, 22-30 mpg. Rides like a dream. You can find them for $10-15K. And the maintenance costs are well below a BMW.
Agree with staying away from anything German. 4 years ago bought my 17 yo daughter a used Jetta, high miles but appeared to be well maintained for $5k. $2,500 in repairs in a year I sold it for $2,500. I got aggravated and bought her a brand new Hyundai 3 years ago. Best $400 a month I can spend, I haven't had to look at or talk about the car once.
I can recommend a Subaru Outback.... cheap on insurance, I've put 190k miles on mine commuting and I've only replaced the spark plug tube seals ... everything else was routine maintenance. I still get around 30mpg in it too.
From a collision repair perspective,,,,safety, parts, repair ability, value= Honda, Toyota, Subaru. They also are doing better in the rust prevention lately (last 10 to 15 years) New drivers = stuff happens! The less gadgets the better...
Same thoughts here as mentioned above. Avoid Euro cars Asian seem to be ok, and reliable ONLY buy domestic if your familiar with their faults, which are many unfortunately Sounds like shes going for the glamour, or image. She'll be bitching soon enough (or you will) about parts prices, and honestly I dont think the "image" cars are any more reliable than a Kia or Hyundai
I second the ES 350. You can find many low mileage well maintained for decent money. I picked up an 08 a few years ago for my kids. Still have it and it's going to Colorado soon for my son to use out there. Nothing more than basic maintenance I get 30 on the highway with it. Biggest complaint is that they cant charge and listen to their Iphones at the same time.
For 15k you could buy two or three really nice Grand Marquis (Marquix?). Not very glamorous but, aside from a few known problems, solid as tanks. If she’s willing to drive a big SUV the Tahoe is a very reliable unit (also with a few known problems). Patrick
