Opinions On a second car

[Sells]

So I'm looking for a second car for the wife my budget is 12,000. I have driven a lot of 4 cylinder cars by different makers years ranging between 2008 and 2010 all at 40,000 miles or less and one 2007 6 cylinder Camry with 85,600 miles on it (asking price $12,400) and let me say none felt as solid as the Camry and I'm not just thinking that because of the power difference. I have done some checking around and found another Camry with 5,000 less miles but they were asking just over $15,000. I'm just looking for a little advice on what I should do me and my wife are dual military and stationed apart so I won't be around if some thing goes wrong.

 

[awdjunkies]

Anything Subaru will get her to her destination and back safely and with enough power on tap. Also, depends on what she is looking for; Whether it'd be 2wd,awd,4wd, etc..

 

[Sells]

It dosn't matter, just something decent and trustworthy like I said I won't be around so I don't want to have to worry about it breaking down. Don't really see too many Subaru's for sale though.

 

[awdjunkies]

Have you checked cars.com or craigslist.com or carmax.com or autotrader.com .. There are tons of Subarus around.. let me know if you need any help.. I am not endorsing any sites, I just buy a lot of cars. :snacker:

 

[IanB]

It dosn't matter, just something decent and trustworthy like I said I won't be around so I don't want to have to worry about it breaking down. Don't really see too many Subaru's for sale though.

Anything Toyota or Honda should fit the bill in that case, although our '05 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited has been a solid car as well. The AWD is great for us, but if you don't get snow then the mpg penalty may not be worth it.

 

[BucknutBob]

Anything Toyota or Honda should fit the bill in that case, although our '05 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited has been a solid car as well. The AWD is great for us, but if you don't get snow then the mpg penalty may not be worth it.

I second that motion! I'd be comfortable recommending just about any Honda or Toyota vehicle--they're usually dependable as an anvil, get good gas mileage, and inexpensive to maintain. Don't know as much on the Suby's, but I've heard they're good, too.

 

[Kung]

I may get flamed for this....but you might consider a Ford Fusion.

I know, I know...it's a Ford. BUT I can truthfully say it's one of the best cars I've EVER had. We got ours (a 2008 Ford Fusion SE, auto, PS/PB/PL/PW, in perfect condition) for exactly $12K; and haven't regretted it one minute. Even though ours is the 4-cylinder, it's got plenty of horsepower for merging and the like; and for the size of car, the trunk space is UNREAL. It gets very good gas mileage (anywhere from 27 to 31 MPG), and best of all, it's as reliable as the Camry, and retains its resale value very well.

This is not to say I would not recommend a Camry; I absolutely would. BUT we bought a Fusion specifically BECAUSE I could not find any deals on Camrys anywhere near.

 

[BrianSD_42]

I definitely would suggest the 4-CLY Camry.

I have a 2001 4-CYL automatic and it is very "zippy", I would skip the V6 altogether.

I have nothing against Suburus but as far as simple daily drivers go they will never out-value a used Camry. These cars are the most reliable on the road, far more than even our 4Runners.

I have 88,000 on my Camry, I am sure it will be good to 200,000 no problem.

 

[034RUNNER]

I'll second the Fusion, not bad.

I'd try to find a a Camry, Corolla or WRX, something like that. You can definitely find something decent with your price range.

 

[SammyTson]

I second that motion! I'd be comfortable recommending just about any Honda or Toyota vehicle--they're usually dependable as an anvil, get good gas mileage, and inexpensive to maintain. Don't know as much on the Suby's, but I've heard they're good, too.

Agreed. I grew up with Subaru and Honda, definitely very reliable cars. The Honda we had always seemed to get better mileage than the Subaru, but the Subaru saved my father's life when he was hit from behind by another car. Both cars lasted a good 10+ years. Not positive, but I think some of the newer Honda's may be prone to power-steering hose degradation though.

And of course I'm quite comfortable with Toyota, I hope you find/found a good deal, man.

 

[shadow247]

My wife has a 2007 Mazda 3 Hatchback. It is a great little ride and you can find them for around 12-14k. The hatch has tons of room for groceries and stuff. It get's good fuel economy and is great on the highway. We took it to Maine (a 12 hour trip) the day we bought it and it has been a great car for the last 8 months.

 

[BrianSD_42]

If you live near San Diego check out this AD.

I am now selling my 2001 Silver Camry | 90k mi | 29 MPG | 4 CYL

Runs great, very clean, ect.

I will also put and AD in the classified section.

2001 Silver Camry 4CYL 29MPG 90K mi - SUPER CLEAN

:bat:

 

[theizzardking]

If you don't need AWD or the like, VW TDI golf, cheap little car that gets 55 mpg's and has a bunch of pep, you can get one for under 10k and they are great little cars, i drove one across Europe for a number of months and it rocked, not to mention i launched it off a few bridges getting all four from the ground by a few feet on a drunken night in Germany and still rode great after that... i previously wasn't a fan but after a few months i fell in love and plan on picking on up with the next big bonus i get. that's just me though, haha:banana:

 

[rayjay]

I would find a Honda Accord or Acura CL/TL. Love these cars, won't go away from them ever. But of course a nice Camry should suit well too, though I have never owned one.

 

[madbomber08]

I don't have any experience with them, but the 2004-2008 Acura TL are gorgeous vehicles. It may be older than what you are looking for but that particular model gets a 4.8 out of 5 star rating on kbb.com if that means anything. You may be able to find an 04-05 for $10,000.