Advice please. Need another car

kiki02

DIS Veteran
Joined
Mar 5, 2012
Messages
1,666
that runs well and is safe. Have ONLY 5K$ max.

what do you all recommend? thank you :)))
 
We've been happy with our Kia Spectra. It's a 2006, we bought it used 2 years ago and haven't had any trouble with it, it's Dh's commuter car.
 
Test drive it including both driving through town and driving on a freeway.

Try out all the accessories, including the windows and the backup lights and the seat adjustments.

If it is not perfect, especially the way the engine and transmission run, then pass it up and keep on shopping.
 
Test drive it including both driving through town and driving on a freeway.

Try out all the accessories, including the windows and the backup lights and the seat adjustments.

If it is not perfect, especially the way the engine and transmission run, then pass it up and keep on shopping.

should i look at another toyota, a chevy, a kia, a cruiser? so many i want to narrow down to a good car someone might want to buy from me in two years.
 

We just bought a Kia...they have come a long way and are very pleased with it so far. You get a lot of bang for your buck. You really just have to do your research for the price point you are looking at though...test drive...see what options work for you.
 
I would buy a used Toyota or Honda with 100,000 miles on it before I would ever even think about buying anything else brand new off the showroom floor from any other manufacturer. Made a huge mistake buying a brand new Ford 5 years ago as opposed to looking for a Honda or Toyota with close to 100,000 miles.
 
I would look for a Civic, Corolla or Altima. You are probably looking at at least 10 years old for that price. Consumer reports does an annual issue that covers good used cars. Try your library.
 
I would look at Subaru as well; extremely reliable and very safe. Our Forester (RIP) saved my wife's life a couple of years ago. She was in a bad accident (not her fault), and came out with nothing but soreness and a couple of bruises. They're AWD too, which is nice, although not quite as fuel efficient.
 
I just posted a 12 year old Nissan Altima on auto trader dot com for just under 5K; I also recommend a used Honda, Toyota, or Nissan, preferably with low mileage and decent maintenance record. I recommend starting with Autotrader unless you want a dealer certified car (which will cost more of course).

Good luck!
 
I have a 9 yr old Subaru which probably falls into the category of what you're looking for, and I would HIGHLY recommend it. They have very few repairs, and are often run for 200-300K miles. Otherwise, I'd buy a Toyota with 100K on it and an excellent maintenance record.

Terri
 
I have to jump back in and say I drove a Nissan Altima for maybe nine years...never had any major problems. It was a great vehicle...I would buy another on in a heart beat. Its downfall was my husband started driving it to work and putting high mileage in it and it took a real beating on the paint with all the salt and sand. Definitely worth considering.
 














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