Looking for a sub $10k car

My sister is going away to college and I will be buying her a car. The #1 priority is safety and reliability. I don't care how fun it is, it has to be safe and not break down. Any recommendations?

I'm finding CPO Hyundai Accents for $10k. Hyundai had a spotty past, and reliability wasn't a strong suit, but I hear things are different now. True? As reliable as Toyota or Honda?

Something japanese(Honda/Toyota/ect)probably 6-7ish years old, decent miles and you're good to go. Also inexpensive to repair if something should come up.

Pay the 100$ to have an Indy inspect before purchase for piece of mind. GL

Don't buy a Hyundai Accent. The older generations had really bad safety ratings. The current generation is a step up, but still not that great.

I recommend the Honda Fit.

mremg wrote

Don't buy a Hyundai Accent. The older generations had really bad safety ratings. The current generation is a step up, but still not that great.

I recommend the Honda Fit.

Hmmm... thanks I'll look into that. Darn, so cheap too.

Selling my Acura TL Type S @ 65K miles.

Super clean, no issues. maybe we can negotiate?

hau_nguyen91 wrote

Selling my Acura TL Type S @ 65K miles.

Super clean, no issues. maybe we can negotiate?

Look for something local thanks!

jmg wrote

My sister is going away to college and I will be buying her a car. The #1 priority is safety and reliability. I don't care how fun it is, it has to be safe and not break down. Any recommendations?

I'm finding CPO Hyundai Accents for $10k. Hyundai had a spotty past, and reliability wasn't a strong suit, but I hear things are different now. True? As reliable as Toyota or Honda?

Bought our daughter a Mitsubishi Lancer - she had it through undergrad and postgrad - still going strong and only now about to sell it!! Great all round visibility, good safety features and great gas milaeage and at least in our case pretty damn good reliabilty! She barely spent a dime on maintenance over 8 years.

E36 M3

Mywifes335 wrote

E36 M3

I said reliable!

jmg wrote

I said reliable!

Pretty reliable.... If you DIY.

Mywifes335 wrote

Pretty reliable.... If you DIY.

The OP not only posted "reliable" and the car is for his sister:bellyroll
I would recommend a small Japanese SUV such as CRV or Rav4. Stay away from the subcompact Japanese cars such as the Civic or Accord cause insurance will be more expensive.

lease a brand new chevy cruze for 150/mo zero down. do that for 8yrs or so for the total of 10k in lease payments

Pheonix wrote

The OP not only posted "reliable" and the car is for his sister:bellyroll
I would recommend a small Japanese SUV such as CRV or Rav4. Stay away from the subcompact Japanese cars such as the Civic or Accord cause insurance will be more expensive.

Ok, ok.. It's just THE $10k car I'd get.

But may I suggest:

Subaru Impreza...recommended it to two friends and they both love it. Safe, reliable, and affordable.

Four-cylinder Camry or an accord or a 340 or a civic

eluded wrote

Four-cylinder Camry or an accord or a 340 or a civic

I had a 340 and it's about 6 times what my budget is for her car!

Just to putt around town assuming she's not doing major HW driving. Fiat 500. Got one for a gf to drive around the city - she does like 5 miles a week. Anyway it's a blast to drive, lifetime warranty on mechanicals from dealer and leased for $160 per month. Her buyout is something like $4k if memory serves.

I bought my son a Mazda3...great little car. Fun driving dynamics, looks pretty good, and bulletproof reliability.

Mywifes335 wrote

Ok, ok.. It's just THE $10k car I'd get.

But may I suggest:

Subaru Impreza...recommended it to two friends and they both love it. Safe, reliable, and affordable.

Surprised you were the first to mention a Subura. One that's been taken care of will last a while and having AWD is a nice bonus. Could go with a Forester for additional room instead of the Impreza.

If you want something safe there is really just one brand that stands out, and that is Volvo.
Usually very reliable too.
And the bigger ones are really practical.

Dont expect a sporty ride, they're usually build for comfort.

I dont know what you can get for 10k though. I dont even know of the smaller ones (V40, C30) were ever imported in the USA...

Toyota or Honda, you can find a 2012-2013 Civic/Corolla in that price range and it will be way more reliable than any Domestic or Korean car down the road

Accord, Civic, Cruze, etc

Seen some brand new, but no option 2016 Chevy Sonics sell for 10k at dealerships after some haggling.