The Money Mustache Community
General Discussion => Welcome and General Discussion => Topic started by: jcor4321sr on January 09, 2024, 07:11:26 PM
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I am just starting to look into buying a used car to replace my ‘99 Honda Civic. My budget is around 10k.
I read MMM’s used car articles awhile ago and am going to get the Lemon-Aid book.
Are there any lists of good used cars and good years like in MMM's article? Has he updated that list somewhere?
Any thoughts or advice is appreciated.
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Many car out there that are good cars but unpopular and thus less expensive to buy. You could look for highest or lowest resale lists and then cross reference those to lists of most and least reliable vehicles.
Buick was once one of those brands. Nobody bought them but the older folks. When they quit driving, they were resold cheaply compared to trendy brands. We had a Chevy Malibu for ages that was worth little but served us well. It was well cared for before we bought it and I maintained it during our time with it (years and years). Had just about 200K miles on it when we sold it last year. I sold it for only a few hundred dollars less than we paid for it years before.
I like Hondas and we currently own two. We've owned many over the years and always had good service from them IF they were well kept by the previous owners.
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Don't have advice on the model.
However, before you buy anything don't forget to pop the hood open and look around. Check if the car is burning oil. Look under the car, check for unreasonable amount of rust, leaky spots, etc.
The number of cars sold with issues obvious through simple visual inspection is mind boggling. Of course, there is a lot more to test but I find that a check list of obvious things is helpful regardless of experience level.
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What do you need in a vehicle? How would it be used? What do you want to prioritize in this purchase? Is there anything that you definitely do not want in your next vehicle?
We can rattle off a bunch of random brands and models, but they'll be super generic and all over the map. More info would let us narrow the potential candidates down a bit.
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A newer Civic or Corolla? A Prius?
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I'd look at any Toyota or Honda that fits your needs. We have two Toyotas with 215k and 275k miles currently, and 07 and an 08. IMO, Peak Automotive reliability was about that time frame before everything became electronic and touch screen.
Another absolute GEM of a car is the Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe. It's based on the Corolla Platform, but more of a high wagon. They're getting high mileage and beat up, but a well cared for example would be high on my list in the sub 10k car market if one showed up.
Avoid anything Hyundai or KIA. They have had a number of engine issues, theft issues, etc that can be big problems and there are a LOT of them in your price range. There are folks that get good service out of them and folks that are stuck with no car for months after the engine craps out, even under warranty.
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I don't think OP is looking for car recommendations. It sounds he's looking for an update to the MMM article. I would be interested in an update too.
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I don't think OP is looking for car recommendations. It sounds he's looking for an update to the MMM article. I would be interested in an update too.
I wouldn’t limit myself: https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=597555770&rlz=1C9BKJA_enUS743US743&hl=en-US&sxsrf=ACQVn09fH4szyniPY5L1GLNgzeQs9bYRpw:1704995043102&q=most+reliable+used+cars+for+%2410,000&tbm=nws&source=lnms&prmd=shivnbmtz&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwje1Iy_8dWDAxVUkyYFHb01DbsQ0pQJegQIExAB&biw=1366&bih=882&dpr=2
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Thanks for the recommendations and advice everyone!
This is all good information for me to start working with.
@Paper Chaser I'd be using it mostly for city driving and occasional roadtrips to places within a few hundred miles. I don't need to haul much other than my tools and material for small projects.
For those who are also looking for an update this MMM video was linked in the following MMM discussion.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atiltnc1icY
Discussion: https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/ask-a-mustachian/update-to-mmm-blog-post-'top-10-cars-for-smart-people'/
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We did a search on the local used car ad platform. Looked for manual shift, 5 doors, under 150,000km.
This narrowed the field a lot.
Got a Saturn Astra, made by Opel (GM) in Belgium. Low km.
Great car, like a Toyota Matrix but half the cost. No problems in 4 years.
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If you can qualify for the used EV tax credit (less than $75k single/$150k married) there are screaming deals on chevy bolts. You can get one just a few years old with a new battery post recall for around 10k.
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The 'buy this, not that' guides by the Car Wizard on YouTube are worth a look if you're based in the US.
For Aussies, the ReDriven YouTube channel tests a bunch of used cars and can be useful to identify known problems.
Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk
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If you can qualify for the used EV tax credit (less than $75k single/$150k married) there are screaming deals on chevy bolts. You can get one just a few years old with a new battery post recall for around 10k.
Bolts seem like a great local car. Especially at bargain prices. But I don't think I'd suggest one for "occasional road trips to places within a few hundred miles" like the OP mentions. Maybe OP could rent for those occasions, but the economics of that change a lot as trips become more frequent.
A standard hybrid or PHEV might be a better do-it-all option for the OP, and may still be eligible for tax credits.