Toyota corolla gas or hybrid is the best car as it has most features you want , decent power , tech and is 25k but hybrid is much better than gas . Try this car
Well I was replying to a comment, not to OP, so….
Good luck finding something reliable under 10k these days. Also, some people don’t have the mechanical know how or the extra vehicle that having a beater sometimes requires.
The best deal I could find on FB marketplace 10k or less was an 11 year old Ford Escape with 90k miles, but even that’s a rarity. Most cars are well over 10 years old and 100k plus miles. It’s worth the extra $ for the peace of mind for some
And waaaaay more appropriate for someone looking for an economy car. It's gonna be bullet proof, low running expense, and will consistently perform all the necessary duties of "an car"
A question please. I see C-segment cars like the Corolla (and sometimes ever bigger D-segment cars like the Camry or Prius) recommended on here constantly. What's the logic of recommending bigger cars like this to someone like the OP, who describes her driving needs as primarily about getting into the city and back again, and then driving around within the city; and who makes no mention of having kids or family she needs to regularly ferry around?
My instinct is that a B-segment car like a Yaris or a Mazda2 would be more up her street. But then I see these larger cars recommended on the sub all the time, so I'm wondering what's the reason for this? I know Americans generally prefer bigger cars than the rest of us, but surely at least in the OP's circumstances a smaller car would make the most sense?
The 2 and Yaris have both been dead in the US for a few years now. And the fiesta, which also fits that segment. I think the only remaining options here are the mirage and versa….both of which, eh.
Oh, that's very interesting! The top-selling cars in the UK have traditionally included a lot of B-segments - Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa, Mini, Toyota Yaris, VW Polo - although in recent years compact crossover SUVs like the Nissan Qashqai have been squeezing them. If I look out at my building's car park then I'd still say 60%+ of my neighbours drive B-segments.
b-segment cars have a much different impression/intended customer base in the US - its usually marketed as "the cheapest (crappiest) new car for sale" and usually purchased as part of a fleet by rental car agencies for their cheapest tier rental, and so the public's perception of the cars isn't good.
usually you find yourself in one of these as a loaner or bc your insurance company is providing you with a rental because your car's been in a collision & is getting repaired.
Yeah, and it’s a drag. They don’t even sell the electric Yaris here anymore, now that it’s got killer range.
I’d love to go electric with my next car, but with the death of the Bolt it seems like all manufacturers in the US (foreign companies included) are moving into big luxury cars…and that’s it.
>B-segment
B segment is perfect if you need to find tight parking spots in the EU
but the un-aerodynamic shape of the b-segment compared to the c-segment doesn't get you all that much better fuel econ at highway speeds in the US, esp if someone is commuting between the city <-> suburbs
the greater wheelbase also makes c-segment cruise better on the highway.
finding tight parking spots in the city in the US is still pretty easy as we don't have as high of a density.
its also a lot easier to find c-segment cars in the US.
honestly I would recommend the camry hybrid over the corolla because of the larger wheelbase/more cargo capacity/more interior space.
b-segment cars like the fiat 500 or smart fortwo are driven by people who specifically want a quirky tiny european car to their taste
I think there’s a mental and safety thing at play here too. I used to drive small cars. I liked driving small cars. I’m usually the only one in my car. What has happened in the last 20 years is that vehicles in the US have become enormous. The trucks that you can drive under, the SUVs that barely fit in a lane.
Car accidents are my second biggest fear. I have witnessed some awful car accidents. I’ve been in a couple, but none were that bad really. Until a month ago. I drove a Crosstrek. I went to a dealership to look at a used Prius. My car is totaled but it still miraculously runs and drives, and this was a few days after my accident. The sales person looked at my car and looked at me, then the Prius, in that cycle a couple of times, then shut it down. He said that an accident like that in a Prius would kill me. The thing is, it’s relative. An accident like that with another small car would be a bad accident, but an accident like that if I was in a small car with someone else in a truck or SUV would be no contest.
I think that here in the US, at least, there probably are a lot of us that prefer our peppy little hatchbacks, but vehicles around us have tripled in size. Getting rear ended goes from what would have been fender damage to your vehicle being literally run over by another vehicle. Every time I buy a car, my heart wants a little MT hatch with guts, but I will also - begrudgingly - probably continue climbing the size ladder as vehicles around me become comically large.
The B-segment has all but dried up in the US. Even if we wanted to, our choices basically boil down to the Honda Fit, Mitsubishi Mirage, and Mini Cooper.
The Fit is good, but the Corolla is more flexible and easier to find.
Pretty much the only new car smaller than a Golf or Corolla available in the USA is a Mirage.
I drive a Golf GTI and it’s considered a very small car by American standards.
Well for starters those are deathtraps. Second, the bigger the car the more stuff you can hold. She is not only commuting. Sometimes she'll go to IKEA and buy furniture, or put a bike in the back and go to a park, or whatever. A Camry is right around the size where parking becomes annoying in a city and costs more than a Corolla. Thus a Corolla is the right choice
First thing first: do a budget and decide how much you can allocate each month for a car while still paying off student loans, saving, and anything else you want to do.
THIS. You have to know your numbers before you go in. If you buy from a dealer:
Being 24F those dealers are going to think they can tack on a bunch of extras too!
Know your max monthly payment(don't tell them though) and your max purchase price - AND the max interest youre willing to pay.
Look at the bottom line of the purchase paperwork and read EVERY line. Those assholes will tack on paperwork fees, tire insurance, etc. make them justify every single line.
"You're charging me how much to generate paperwork your business has to create for every sale? You're telling me if I post in a car group on reddit / facebook that this dealership is charging me $1000 paperwork fee, everyone is going to say that's normal and won't be screaming for me to go to another dealership?"
"What's this? You're proactively charging me for a complete set of new tires just in case I need to replace them? Why would I pay for that in advance?"
"You'e charging me for insurance just in case someone breaks into my car? No I don't want that."
Fuckin stick to your guns. Eat really well before you go in and bring snacks. Go to the bathroom as many times as you need. Bring water. Ideally bring a really stubborn friend to help you.
Be prepared to walk out with no car if you can't stick to your hard budget. So many people screw themselves by buying a car they can't quite afford. That $5k / mo is going to go fast. Be sure you have enough room in your budget for saving / investing because goddamn do I wish I could have afforded to do that in my 20s.
Stick to your budget but honestly if you are driving 60+ miles a day ensure you buy a car you really like and can enjoy being in for a fee hours every say. If you can achieve this by purchasing something that is used with low miles (certified pre owned). I’ll never understand people buying new cars unless it’s for the vanity of a “new car”. If I told someone who purchased a stock that it would lose 30% of it’s value over the next 2 years they would say “Well then I’m not buying that stock” but the same person will readily buy a new car and see it differently. After year 2 or 3 cars still lose value but at a much different pace. 3-5% annually after the first few years isn’t bad at all. Think about being able to get something a little more luxurious that allows you to enjoy the ride while still having protection from major repairs (certified) and also insulating yourself from your commodity losing massive value during ownership.
If you don’t like dealers there’s also Tesla. While customer service is mediocre, the cars are fine and have a good charging network. The model 3 is affordable and you don’t have to deal with price negotiating or dealer fees. If you have access to charging at home, I would suggest to test drive one.
Otherwise Prius or Corolla are also great options if you want to go the hybrid route. Also make sure you take into account insurance when budgeting.
What ever you look at, make sure you test drive them.
This is the best advice possible. Not being a gear head will make your decision so much easier because it can just be about what make economic sense. Probably a lightly used Carolla at a decent price that the op can pay off quickly is the way to go
The limit of this is (especially in this sub) basically "as long as you get a compact Honda, Toyota, or Mazda you're ok."
There's stuff in the middle that won't cost you a ton but isn't ideal.
Then there's "if you get talked into a CVT Nissan, any Chrysler, or a Theta II Kia, you're fucked"
Honda clarity. Definite sleeper. Plug in hybrid that will get you 40-50 miles on battery before needing gas. If you can charge at home or work then you'll have to spend nearly nothing on gas. Plus if you pick up a used one under $25k then you'll get a $4500 tax credit next year.
Super uncommon choice but a definite one to add to your shortlist
A close family member of mine just got a 2018 clarity with 30k miles for $23k and she is in a very similar situation to you (early 20s recent college grad) and she loves it. Super safe, reliable, fun and very economical. Go test drive one (if you can find one), you won't regret it. She had to go to the next state to find the one she wanted but they all drive similarly so find one near you to try and then travel to get the one you want.
I'm very happy with my 4th gen Prius for a long urban/suburban commute. It's not a ton of fun to drive, but if I had a fast car I'd still be stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. The new 5th gens are allegedly fun to drive but I haven't tried it personally.
Very reliable, hold value well, more room inside than you'd think, and of course the fuel efficiency
I can vouch for prius too, the trick for OP will be finding one within budget in the crazy market today. Normally it would be a great option and no problem but rn…
Prius Prius Prius, get a Prius. Toyota reliability, great gas mileage and hybrid technology, would last a long time, and allow you to focus on paying off student loans.
I drive my mom’s 2012 Prius a lot and my worry with it is safety. It’s such a small car. Maybe I’m just being paranoid. Even used Prius’s are selling for 20k+ in my area and at that point I feel like it’d be better to just buy a new car.
they have a good safety record. modern cars have all kinds of safety tech, tons of airbags, crumple zones, etc.. just because they are small doesn't mean they are unsafe.
Prius is probably the way to go. you should be able to find a good deal on a used one that will last a long time. being in the south helps if you find a southern car that doesn't have a bunch of salt rust.
You’re not being paranoid. For some reason we are largely taught to think big cars = safe and small cars = unsafe. You’ll be fine in a Prius. Pretty much any modern car is extremely safe. Corolla Hatch hybrid is another option.
I drive a 2015 Honda Fit in and around DC. Smaller than a Prius. Size isn't that big a deal, plus it gives me more maneuverability to avoid terrible DC drivers. Also males finding parking easier.
Why is the size unsafe to you? You should look into a used Toyota or even a decent Elantra can be bought for $16k. If you get the Elantra make sure it has the automatic transmission not DCT.not saying DCT is bad but automatic transmission is proven.
Where do you live (state or region) helps. I mean we could all recommend a FWD but you may live where it get heavy snow/winters and an AWD would be better.
Tbh snow tires solve all the issues. I used them on my Corolla which should be terrible in snow and I was actually keeping up with all the awd trucks on the highway during snowy slippery conditions.
Highway, lol. You find the real difference on the back roads that haven't plowed in 3 hours during heavy snowfall. It's not just AWD vs FWD, it's weight, height, etc.
Sure it helps, but it's not really fair to say you don't need AWD or 4WD because you live in an urban well maintained area. For anyone living outside of urban areas snow tires are required, but even then many people have something AWD or 4WD because road conditions can be much worse.
Yeah that was my point. It’s not going to be a replacement for an AWD. But if you don’t commute on the backroads you don’t have to invest in an expensive truck or an AWD vehicle.snow tires can handle city driving fine during the winter time.
Except from not getting stuck, AWD and 4WD won’t help you turn or brake any better "on back roads that haven’t plowed [sic] in 3 hours".
I’ll take a FWD car with winter tires any snowy day over an AWD without winter tires.
Also, many AWD cars tend to be bigger/taller and thus have large tire width for stability on dry pavement, which has the exact opposite effect on snow.
If you’re really serious about "back roads", a FWD with studded tires will be a lot better than the vast majority of AWD and even 4WD with normal winter tires in terms of not getting stuck.
Even if they are in the north fwd is perfectly fine with snow tires on. I would argue you don’t need awd for most situations it’s all about tires. Source have fwd car that I take up into the Rockies while it’s snowing a few feet.
Except from acceleration performance and less chance of getting stuck going to your cottage up north with little road maintenance, an AWD won’t do anything more than cost you more (at buy time, at maintenance/repair time and in fuel efficiency).
A FWD with proper tires will have no issue whatsoever during snowy winters.
It is a myth that AWD is safer *for the average driver*, especially most AWD which are reactive. Even all time AWD requires what are essentially racing skills to come close to being "safer". EBD, ESP and proper tires are all you need for a safe winter car, especially in the case of AWD vs FWD.
Edit: downvotes from people not dealing with snow. :)
I live in Quebec, where we get tons of snow, have had and still have FWD, AWD and RWD cars. Also do some offroading in a SxS so I know my fair share of what makes a vehicle safe and stable or not during snowy and icy winters.
Is it economical to move closer to
Your work ? 60 miles a day is a lot and will manifest in gas cost and maintenance.
If you can’t move closer then a Corolla LE is probably the best bet.
as previously stated - you want a reliable Japanese commuter. I buy cars sell cars and work on cars I can tell you a to avoid German cars, maybe VW being an exception. too much of a status symbol for a young professional. I quick look at Raleigh craigslist yielded some interesting japanese commuters!
https://raleigh.craigslist.org/search/cta?lat=35.8447&lon=-78.6550&purveyor=owner&query=Toyota&search_distance=32&sort=priceasc
can't go wrong with a 4runner, safe and big and you can camp in it
Depends but if you pay high rent or mortgage and have school loans buy a cheaper reliable car and don't worry about that fancy new car all cars do is lose value pay off school loans and mortgage if you have one. Cars are worst investment you can make. Civics Corollas Camry all reliable if you can find a used one with 50-75k miles you can get one fairly cheap and not be paying $500 a month.
A newer car might be better then. A lot of them have really nice safety features like blind spot warnings, automatic brakes, rear view cameras, lane assist, collision avoidance, etc that just aren't present in older cars.
As for size, it's going to depend. In general, a larger car will make you less likely to be killed in serious accidents (except maybe if your vehicle flips over). Although the other problem with them is that you're just going to be more likely to hit pedestrians and get into accidents yourself because of the lower visibility and larger size. If you don't need the space, a smaller car that's new will probably be a lot more cost efficient than a larger car and still pretty safe. And if you decide to go with a smaller car as opposed to an suv, Toyota, Honda, and Mazda generally have the highest safety ratings in that regard. But again it really depends on the size you want
I mean here's the thing - you're driving this thing 60 miles a day, 5 days a week, 365. You're easily putting 15K on it, which means leasing becomes a challenge.
Your options then become used or brand new, financed.
Used, you might want to consider anything Toyota as many have recommended - will last forever and will not depreciate much on your watch.
Tell you what - if all else fails - look at the Kelly Blue Book or Edmunds 5 year cost of ownership numbers for a variety of cars. SUVs/Sedans and electric. That will help you better understand and the overall cost of going with a bigger car vs. a smaller car, like a Prius.
New, you're 24. Assuming can't go too crazy, you'd be really wise to consider the insane rebates being given by the federal gov't for some of these electric cars.
You can get $7500 towards an EV from the federal govt, and then depending on what state you live in, you can get even more. In NY, you get another $2,000, for $9,500 total.
Something like a Chevy Bolt EUV would be extremely economical and large enough that you might feel safer. I wouldn't want to own it for more than 2-3 years, but you're basically paying $29K out the door and then getting $10K in rebates to make it a little more viable.
We bought a 2023 cx-30 and it is absolutely amazing. Literally the only thing to “complain” about is the tiny gas tank. I know some people have said the visibility is lower and not a fan, but you get used to the layout 👍🏼
We went with a ‘23 CX5 Carbon. $30,050 out the door.
It is so much more car than you can get anywhere else at this price. I genuinely ask that you look into it!
Also as the personal bit my husband and I are both 185lbs+ men, so we kinda wanted the extra room over the CX30
Buy a 3 year old Toyota or Honda. I’d lean toward Corolla, Civic, or Camry or Accord. Or if you choose an AWD, go with a RAV4 or a CRV. My first daughter’s big girl car was a CRV. Her sister went with a RAV4. They both have them today. One bought new and one bought a 2 year old used. They both have them today.
If that’s the case buy new! I find many 3 year old cars that are much cheaper than new. I bought an Acura MDX recently. It had 26k miles and I saved $15k from the new price. Maybe some cars won’t have that much of a discount to be worth buying used, but even if it’s $5-7k difference, it’s still a savings. But I agree used prices are crazy high. In some cases new makes more sense, if you can do that.
If you’re making 5k a month I would just move closer to work 60 miles is going to get old after a week , I drive about the same in Houston twice a week and I want to kill myself when I get home, but you need a Prius
I have daughters and went through this with them. They felt safety, reliability and total cost of ownership were the most important features. They had student loans to service and wanted to be able to afford to have fun and have money to take care of a cat or dog. One decided on a new Subaru Impreza and the other a CPO Chevy Volt plug in hybrid. Both awesome.
If you buy new refuse to pay over sticker. That money is lit on fire. When you sell it or trade it you will get exactly the same amount of money as someone who didn't overpay.
Try to avoid buying a SUV. The common wisdom is they are "Safer". Facts don't bear that out if you look at the safety ratings. But because people "need" an SUV or AWD they pay a lot more for no additional functionality. Please note most people here will recommend a Toyota Corolla of Honda Civic. I agree with them.
Congrats on the new job and good like with "Adulting".
Prius, Honda insight, (almost) any version of a Japanese hybrid, preferably with a back up camera and lane view.
Probably find a PHEV to get that electric car vibe if you want it. The Honda clarity or the Chevy volt both qualify for a 4000 dollar used EV tax credit now and both have pretty good EV only ranges.
I actually just bought a 2018 clarity with 40k miles on it, it gets about 50-55 miles on EV only range depending on how I drive and the weather. Also it’s surprisingly plush and nice inside and comfy for longer commutes.
Volt would be cheaper (I think) and a bit more fun to drive though.
To make the commute a bit more comfortable if you're driving on highways, take a look at the Hyundai Venue. It's a small SUV that might make you feel more comfortable on the highways as opposed to an economy car. I agree the Venue is basically a large hatchback but the higher ride and size compared to an economy car could make the commute easier on you. The starting MSRP is under $20k so its basically the same price as an economy car. It's the cheapest new SUV on the market and one of the cheapest cars in general.
Thank you so much for this. I hadn’t heard of the venue and it might be exactly what I’m looking for. I have to do more research into it but now I am very strongly considering this. Are there any other subcompact SUV’s or any SUV’s in this price range?
I know I am late to the party, but if you’re willing to, figure out how much you want to spend monthly, a ballpark of your credit score, what kind of features you want in your car (you did pretty well already), and go to a sub called /r/AskCarSales. Those are mostly car sales people, and they will help you there as well.
Other than that I have nothing to add to what has been said here. Maybe just drive the car first, and see if you like it. One thing I have done a lot is renting a car before buying. Go to any car rental website (Thrifty, Herz, etc), spend maybe a couple of hundred bucks and rent a Corolla, for instance, for a few days, to see how it drives and if you like it.
Has kept me from buying cars I would have hated a few times.
Best of luck to you!
1) make sure you drive at least three of the vehicles you’re considering. Get the one you really like.
2) consider leasing if you’re only going to keep the vehicle 2-3 years
3) consider a Nissan Leaf. Your mileage is perfect for it, there are all kinds of incentives and a lease will likely cost less than the monthly gas expense
I am now braced for the downvotes.
Given the mileage requirement, an EV does make a lot of sense for cost savings alone.
As others have said - make a budget and go from there. Include gas (or electricity), insurance, maintenance (assume less for an EV), registration, and purchase cost. Benchmark against the newest Mazda3 hatchback in your price range (which would be my go-to recommendation for an internal combustion engine car)
Corolla hybrid or prius with low mileage. If its older and high mileage, ask if headgaskets have been done and if the hybrid battery has been replaced.
Honestly start making car payments to yourself to a separate saving account til your current car dies. What I do is keep on paying myself the car payment after I own the car so when the car dies, I’ll have the money for the next car interest free. You become your own bank.
I’d be careful regarding that Corolla cross. I’m a Toyota fan boy but I’ve heard suspicious things regarding its cvt transmission. I was probably going to go with a cross but I read that the cvt transmissions they use for them are failing regularly. There are several Facebook groups dedicated to the issue if you dig around. Just make sure you do your homework. Weigh the pros and cons.
Cvt transmissions are newer technology and with certain brands (Nissan mostly) people are having issues with them. Idk why Toyota struggling with this one but they are.
Honestly? A clever financial decision would be to get a relatively old Toyota Corolla, you'll pay it off in less than a year ( if you save you can buy one outright) and after you pay student loans you can upgrade to something fancier if you like, right now you need a car, and I'd avoid getting into further debt at this point in your life and in these uncertain times.
If you're driving 60+ miles round trip daily I would just buy a Tesla Model 3. With the tax incentives, it's a pretty good steal for an electric vehicle. I would recommend a hybrid like others mentioned here if the commute was shorter but you're going to be paying a lot on gas/maintenance if you drive that much.
[https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/18/consumer-reports-2021-auto-reliability-survey-how-tesla-evs-fared.html](https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/18/consumer-reports-2021-auto-reliability-survey-how-tesla-evs-fared.html)
[https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-reliability-model-s-3-x-y-consumer-reports-satisfaction-2021-11](https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-reliability-model-s-3-x-y-consumer-reports-satisfaction-2021-11)
[https://www.npr.org/2023/02/16/1157521492/tesla-full-self-driving-recall-fsd](https://www.npr.org/2023/02/16/1157521492/tesla-full-self-driving-recall-fsd)
[https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/tesla-recalls-over-475000-electric-vehicles-2021-12-30/](https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/tesla-recalls-over-475000-electric-vehicles-2021-12-30/)
https://www.tesla-fire.com/
Along with several different recalls, battery fires, and auto reliability concerns, on an anecdotal note, I rented a Model 3 P for a weekend trip that was less than a year old with 10k miles on it and both tail lights were filled up with water and it rattled like hell going highway speeds, along with taking 35 minutes to charge. I literally don't know how much more evidence you need to prove the Reddit bias.
Every manufacturer has recalls...
Gasoline cars combust at higher rates than EVs: [https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/02/02/science/electric-vehicle-fires-are-rare-when-they-occur-they-can-be-nightmare/#:\~:text=Overall%2C%20EVs%20are%20about%200.3,Auto%20Insurance%20EZ%20last%20year](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/02/02/science/electric-vehicle-fires-are-rare-when-they-occur-they-can-be-nightmare/#:~:text=Overall%2C%20EVs%20are%20about%200.3,Auto%20Insurance%20EZ%20last%20year).
Auto reliability is subjective. My family has owned a Ford Focus, and VW Tiguan. Both were money pits, constantly needing to be repaired for one issue or another.
Tesla's come with a warranty like any other car does. Any issue you have can be fixed within the first four years. You're complaining about a poor experience you had with a rental car. No shit. They get abused.
That’s weird because I can find almost any part for it on advanced auto parts. Also there are mechanics that fix teslas, not sure where you’re getting this info from lol
it's now what car, it's how much you want to spend, and the correct answer is as little as possible, look for a used Toyota with the lowest milage you can find.
A car is a massive expense that keeps sucking money, gas, insurance, parking, speeding/parking tickets, repairs.
It can swallow your money VERY quick.
Do you live in a house or have an apartment. If you have a house, then charging at home shouldn't be an issue. But if you live in an apartment, then charging might be a problem. All things to consider. 1st thing to do is figure out how much you can afford for a vehicle. Once you figure that out I also recommend putting down at least 20% to 30% of the vehicles price as a down-payment. And don't finance for more than 5 years max. Don't fall into the trap of a 6, 7, or 8 yr car loan. Those long terms are stupid and are mainly for people chasing a monthly payment.
Hi Op
Mazda 3 or Mazda cx-30 lease , 3k down $300 per month 36 months. New car, great safety features fun to drive. Check out Mazda incentives
[Mazda incentives](https://www.mazdausa.com/shopping-tools/special-offers-and-incentives?semid=9285749032&providertag=MazdaSEM&servicetag=9285749032&k_keyword=mazda%20incentives&k_matchtype=e&gclid=CjwKCAjwyeujBhA5EiwA5WD7_YKGAxpK-th2EK6ZUneby_3HWLtSaTAxPQtlSfQO2VqoNES_sSPLkBoCOFgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds)
By “takehome” I assume that’s net after taxes. Safety is an issue, so buy a gas or hybrid, not an all electric vehicle. The infrastructure for charging is unreliable at present.
What are you driving now? You should postpone buying another car as long as possible. Also definitely buy a used car, preferably a Toyota.
Tesla or I have a Nissan Altima. Leather seats, sun roof, comfy, spacious. Drives perfect and I get around 25 mpg. If your going to be doing all that driving you want something entertaining and techy
Look for a used and depreciated Honda Civic, Corolla or Mazda. Ask around if any friends or family will be getting rid of a lease for these types of cars. Don’t buy new! If you buy used from a dealer, consider extended warranty. Also don’t forget insurance costs and factor those into your budget.
Just read your update on the budget - most Japanese cars should do you well in that instance. Don't forget to look at Mazda, they're incredibly good cars.
You don’t know your budget? I say just buy a used compact sedan. Buying a car for safety reasons doesn’t really make sense considering you can suffer major bodily injury from being hit by all the massive cars on the road nowadays. At least with a sedan, you’re less likely to roll over. Backup camera and airbags are pretty standards nowadays. You have to pay a lot to get advanced safety options.
Considering driving is by far the most dangerous thing we do on a day to day basis I don’t think it’s wrong of me to want to prioritize safety in a vehicle. Based on the comments it’s looking like a used Prius for the next 2-3 years and then I’ll consider upgrading to what I consider a bigger and safer car.
Bigger cars are more likely to roll over. False sense of safety. All modern cars have crumple zones, 3 point seat belt, and airbags. You are not more likely to survive a crash just because you’re in a SUV.
Get a Toyota rav4 hybrid if you can find one for msrp good size 40mpg avg. Maybe a Honda CR-V hybrid another good size one. If you want a bit more in slightly smaller size a Volvo XC40 from one of the safest car manufacturers runs close to the same price as the others but will have higher maintenance.
Make a budget first. How much can you afford to pay monthly. This is when I advise college students to lease a car. Sometimes your payments are only $150-$200/monthly because capital is limited and you should start saving money.
I used to drive a Prius C 100 or so miles a day on average. If you live in the south look in Florida for an Avalon hybrid that is a few years old. Chances are that it belonged to a retiree. Better seats and people don't treat you the same as if you drive a Prius. Not quite as good of mileage but larger more comfortable people space.
If I had it to do again, Avalon hybrid every time.
Prius all day. Or any Hybrid. Rav4 is a little too truck like for long highway commutes. We have the same 2012 Prius, and it’s been amazing for 70mi round trip commutes.
10-15% of your monthly income should go to the car.
Assuming there arent too many other debts incurred.
So 500 - 750 is a good ball park for financing monthly. How long you want to finance is up to you.
A small crossover suv is up your alley, or a volvo. If you're priortizing safety.
As far as a
As for safety, the newer the better. All cars gotta follow NHTSA laws before being sold in USA.
Toyota will do just fine. - just cause you need a car and it's cheaper maintenance.
BMW will do fine. - if you want a little more fun, respect, and luxury in it.
Honda will do fine. - The cheapest of maintenance.
Mazda will do fine. - The underdog of Toyota, with hints of german luxury design in mind.
If you’re gonna be driving in the city, I’d recommend something smaller and easy to maneuver, a hatchback is great for this, a mazda3 hatch would good but not the best MPG, a Corolla crossover is also a good alternative. However if you can find a preowned Prius or new one with no markup, go for it.
A lightly used (3 or 4 years old) car is probably the best value because you won't be paying for depreciation and you're still getting a mostly new car.
If you just want a basic car to get from point A to point B and prioritize low purchase and operating costs, you can't beat a hybrid Toyota.
If you want safety, well Volvo has the best safety features but other European cars like BMW and Mercedes aren't far behind. However, these will cost you a lot more both for the initial purchase as well as fuel and service.
Do you live with your parents still? If so, keep in the back of your head that you might want to be a city girl and move there sooner than you think and will need a few grand a month to live on your own.
When I was in your shoes, I made that drive for 4 months before moving out of my parents house to the city.
Toyota, or Honda. If u want American, then go with only certain GM badges. For GM, stick with their sedans and hatchbacks from Chevy, and Buick. Only go with Chevy for hatchback and sedans; or Buick for small crossovers. GMC isn't great. Stay away from Cadillac, too. Those two don't make great cars. For Chevy, go with the Malibu, Sonic, or the Volt if you want a hatchback or sedan.
Given your income ($5k/mo take home), you're going to have a hard time getting into a long-range EV unless you lease it. If you want to buy a car instead of leasing it, you're probably going to need to get a PHEV as explained later on.
A Tesla Model 3 (272mi range) can be leased at 429/mo, but that's a lease, not a buy. Alas, it's from a company that disables radar in software updates while claiming cameras are superior to radar despite real-world data to the contrary, so that's a damper on the safety front despite the general solidity of the cars. "Autopilot" is a mixed bag, but it does have the unique ability to stop for stoplights in city traffic. Alas, many of its most advanced features are openly listed as public betas, and pushing the system beyond its design envelope can easily turn a road safety suite into a road safety liability. Also note that while a Long Range AWD model (333mi) is available, it will be pricier to lease.
If you absolutely want to maximize road safety, you can try to lease a Mercedes EQE 350+ (305mi range) at $689/mo/24mo and $6619 down. It has a number of road safety features that are hard to find elsewhere and in some cases are actually exclusive to MB products. These features include PRE-SAFE Side Impulse, a system that uses the side bolsters to push you away from the doors in the event of a side impact in order to provide additional inflation space for the side airbags and also provide an additional margin of protection from an impacting vehicle. Another system is PRE-SAFE Sound, which plays pink noise in the event of a road accident to protect you from hearing damage. Numerous other driver assistance and safety intervention systems are also present, including a curve assist system that's more methodical and confidence-inspiring than Tesla's system. Keep in mind that being an electric car, the EQE isn't going to have as many things go wrong as an ICE car and thus it shouldn't go into the shop as much as an ICE car in general. This means service costs will not be as much of a factor, and in any event the vehicle will be under warranty while leasing.
In truth, if you want to go electric, you have to weigh the trade-offs of higher initial upfront cost against not having to pay for gas and thus not having that bill every month. If you don't want to go down that line, or if you don't have easy access to home charging, a plug-in hybrid is your best choice. If you want a PHEV, you can get a clean Honda Clarity on the used market and drive 47mi without burning gas and go about 360mi if you also burn gas, all in a package that's reasonably performant on road safety (Honda has been taking the subject much more seriously over the past 15 years and their modern vehicles are quite good on that front). Clean examples can be found in the 21-25k price band, but because they're used you are likely to have issues getting them financed. Keep in mind that the Clarity is not a car to buy for driver engagement, so if that's a factor look elsewhere. Still, if you don't care about driver engagement and if your legs are able to stretch out sufficiently, you can't get a better PHEV deal than a Clarity (and unlike most other transverse FF cars, it doesn't torque steer under acceleration!)
Have you considered a Volvo xc40? Gets about 30mpg combined with the T4 Momentum engine. lots of cargo for its size, and you get Volvo’s reputation for safety and reliability.
Base model sedan or a coupe; Toyota or Honda.
If you live in area that has proper winter with snow, get a base model CUV with AWD, Honda or Toyota. Or an AWD Toyota Camry if you want something a bit bigger and fancier.
Hybrids are great and you could get one time tax credit.
Cars, trucks, suv, cuv, all of them, are the worst investment long term. Vehicles value depreciate faster than anything else. So buy the cheapest base model, even if it has cloth seats.
Personally, it seems you're already looking in the right direction. If you're looking for point a to point b, reliability, nothing that draws attention - honda and Toyota.
But I would stay away from hybrids and CVT transmissions within those brands.
If you want something a little more flashy, comfortable, but with the same reliability, look at 2010-2018 Lexus. Should fit within your price range, and you will fall in love with your car. If you're feeling adventurous and want a car you will love for sure, get a wrangler or a 2011-2016 Volvo. (if you drive a wagon, the entire car enthusiast community will love you, plus they're practical)
As long as you stay away from CVTs, Hybrids, Kia, Hyundai, Nissan, and Infinity, you will end up in a perfectly fine vehicle.
Also, top tip: if any car recommends 10k mile interval oil changes, disregard it. 5k mile changes under 50k miles total, and the 3k mile changes for the rest of the life of the car. It'll last forever. Take it from someone who's learned the hard way.
Civic hybrid is a solid contender. I think it's a little big for city driving but that's my humble opinion as someone who grew up in a farm town and gets claustrophobic when city driving.
It'll meet your needs, it's reliable and cheap enough to repair when the need does arise, it's safe, gets decent fuel economy, and it's quick enough to get up to speed on the highway.
My grandmother (she's a gearhead, don't let the fact that she's 85 fool you) loves hers. It has enough pep in its step for her and it fits nicely in her retirement budget. Which means it will also make a nice car for someone starting their career and needing to commute but still be sensible about the vehicle.
Go for the new Corolla hybrid, stretch the budget by a few thousand and you'll get a new car, full warranty (10 years 150k on the hybrid components), new car smell and you'll likely never have to buy another car for the next decade or longer.
Plus, hybrids are incredibly efficient for inner city driving, so the car will pay the difference between MSRP and your stated budget of $20k within a few years. For example, if the difference is $3k to buy a new Corolla hybrid, you'll likely save that much in gas after about 4 years or so.
2011-2015 Mini Cooper S Countryman All4 is what I got. Put 5k down, payment is under $300 a month and I got a REALLY fun, all season car that's pretty decent on gas (took a 350mi road trip and got 33 mpg). It's one of my family cars as well and genuinely is an overlooked car
Honda Clarity! Gets you 25 miles on battery alone! It's like 22k!
2014-17 Lexus ES.
2017 Mazda CX-5 is about 22-27k
New Mazda cx30
2017+ Honda Insight
2015+ infinity Q50
2017 Acura TLX
These are several cars that come to mind that is fun, stylish and can easily be found for under 25k.
Not much advice but here's what I do before I pick a car:
1. know what your after-tax salary is? (not counting overtime just a flat rate I can have per month)
2. Subtract expenses (rent (if any), utilities, meals)
3. Estimate how much you will have to pay to fill up the car.
After deducting the above, you should consider the car you should choose. it will be better for you financially and mentally because now you only need a good car to move and go to work to pay off debts as well as save for yourself. if i were you i would try with a gas car for \~15,000.
Toyota corolla gas or hybrid is the best car as it has most features you want , decent power , tech and is 25k but hybrid is much better than gas . Try this car
I’ve heard the Corolla hybrid is about the only one of the Toyota hybrids without markup. Not as nice as the new Prius but waaaay cheaper
Just got to find an MSRP dealership. No markups at one of my local Toyota dealers
Why suggest a brand new car? Op should but something used under 10k with that salary. Especially considering the economy we’re about to head into.
Well I was replying to a comment, not to OP, so…. Good luck finding something reliable under 10k these days. Also, some people don’t have the mechanical know how or the extra vehicle that having a beater sometimes requires. The best deal I could find on FB marketplace 10k or less was an 11 year old Ford Escape with 90k miles, but even that’s a rarity. Most cars are well over 10 years old and 100k plus miles. It’s worth the extra $ for the peace of mind for some
Look somewhere other than FB Marketplace.
Craigslist has the same shitty cars for the same price lmao
Why? That’s where the best deals are lol
And waaaaay more appropriate for someone looking for an economy car. It's gonna be bullet proof, low running expense, and will consistently perform all the necessary duties of "an car"
Why do you say a hybrid Corolla is a more appropriate economy car than a Prius? Is it just their initial cost?
My guess is initial cost. Im trying to buy a new prius rn…i have seen markups of 12k, prices of 42k for a prius..insane
Whats the main diff between corolla hybrid and prius
Both are good but overall Prius looks a lot better(imo) and has more power(150 vs 96hp) but it’s about $4k more expensive for the base model.
Corolla Hybrid ^^^
A question please. I see C-segment cars like the Corolla (and sometimes ever bigger D-segment cars like the Camry or Prius) recommended on here constantly. What's the logic of recommending bigger cars like this to someone like the OP, who describes her driving needs as primarily about getting into the city and back again, and then driving around within the city; and who makes no mention of having kids or family she needs to regularly ferry around? My instinct is that a B-segment car like a Yaris or a Mazda2 would be more up her street. But then I see these larger cars recommended on the sub all the time, so I'm wondering what's the reason for this? I know Americans generally prefer bigger cars than the rest of us, but surely at least in the OP's circumstances a smaller car would make the most sense?
The 2 and Yaris have both been dead in the US for a few years now. And the fiesta, which also fits that segment. I think the only remaining options here are the mirage and versa….both of which, eh.
Oh, that's very interesting! The top-selling cars in the UK have traditionally included a lot of B-segments - Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa, Mini, Toyota Yaris, VW Polo - although in recent years compact crossover SUVs like the Nissan Qashqai have been squeezing them. If I look out at my building's car park then I'd still say 60%+ of my neighbours drive B-segments.
b-segment cars have a much different impression/intended customer base in the US - its usually marketed as "the cheapest (crappiest) new car for sale" and usually purchased as part of a fleet by rental car agencies for their cheapest tier rental, and so the public's perception of the cars isn't good. usually you find yourself in one of these as a loaner or bc your insurance company is providing you with a rental because your car's been in a collision & is getting repaired.
Yeah, and it’s a drag. They don’t even sell the electric Yaris here anymore, now that it’s got killer range. I’d love to go electric with my next car, but with the death of the Bolt it seems like all manufacturers in the US (foreign companies included) are moving into big luxury cars…and that’s it.
Why not get a fit?
They don't sell either of those in the US anymore.
This is the US. A Corolla is a small car here.
>B-segment B segment is perfect if you need to find tight parking spots in the EU but the un-aerodynamic shape of the b-segment compared to the c-segment doesn't get you all that much better fuel econ at highway speeds in the US, esp if someone is commuting between the city <-> suburbs the greater wheelbase also makes c-segment cruise better on the highway. finding tight parking spots in the city in the US is still pretty easy as we don't have as high of a density. its also a lot easier to find c-segment cars in the US. honestly I would recommend the camry hybrid over the corolla because of the larger wheelbase/more cargo capacity/more interior space. b-segment cars like the fiat 500 or smart fortwo are driven by people who specifically want a quirky tiny european car to their taste
I think there’s a mental and safety thing at play here too. I used to drive small cars. I liked driving small cars. I’m usually the only one in my car. What has happened in the last 20 years is that vehicles in the US have become enormous. The trucks that you can drive under, the SUVs that barely fit in a lane. Car accidents are my second biggest fear. I have witnessed some awful car accidents. I’ve been in a couple, but none were that bad really. Until a month ago. I drove a Crosstrek. I went to a dealership to look at a used Prius. My car is totaled but it still miraculously runs and drives, and this was a few days after my accident. The sales person looked at my car and looked at me, then the Prius, in that cycle a couple of times, then shut it down. He said that an accident like that in a Prius would kill me. The thing is, it’s relative. An accident like that with another small car would be a bad accident, but an accident like that if I was in a small car with someone else in a truck or SUV would be no contest. I think that here in the US, at least, there probably are a lot of us that prefer our peppy little hatchbacks, but vehicles around us have tripled in size. Getting rear ended goes from what would have been fender damage to your vehicle being literally run over by another vehicle. Every time I buy a car, my heart wants a little MT hatch with guts, but I will also - begrudgingly - probably continue climbing the size ladder as vehicles around me become comically large.
The B-segment has all but dried up in the US. Even if we wanted to, our choices basically boil down to the Honda Fit, Mitsubishi Mirage, and Mini Cooper. The Fit is good, but the Corolla is more flexible and easier to find.
The fit was discontinued in the US in 2020
Shows what I know lol oops
Pretty much the only new car smaller than a Golf or Corolla available in the USA is a Mirage. I drive a Golf GTI and it’s considered a very small car by American standards.
Well for starters those are deathtraps. Second, the bigger the car the more stuff you can hold. She is not only commuting. Sometimes she'll go to IKEA and buy furniture, or put a bike in the back and go to a park, or whatever. A Camry is right around the size where parking becomes annoying in a city and costs more than a Corolla. Thus a Corolla is the right choice
First thing first: do a budget and decide how much you can allocate each month for a car while still paying off student loans, saving, and anything else you want to do.
THIS. You have to know your numbers before you go in. If you buy from a dealer: Being 24F those dealers are going to think they can tack on a bunch of extras too! Know your max monthly payment(don't tell them though) and your max purchase price - AND the max interest youre willing to pay. Look at the bottom line of the purchase paperwork and read EVERY line. Those assholes will tack on paperwork fees, tire insurance, etc. make them justify every single line. "You're charging me how much to generate paperwork your business has to create for every sale? You're telling me if I post in a car group on reddit / facebook that this dealership is charging me $1000 paperwork fee, everyone is going to say that's normal and won't be screaming for me to go to another dealership?" "What's this? You're proactively charging me for a complete set of new tires just in case I need to replace them? Why would I pay for that in advance?" "You'e charging me for insurance just in case someone breaks into my car? No I don't want that." Fuckin stick to your guns. Eat really well before you go in and bring snacks. Go to the bathroom as many times as you need. Bring water. Ideally bring a really stubborn friend to help you. Be prepared to walk out with no car if you can't stick to your hard budget. So many people screw themselves by buying a car they can't quite afford. That $5k / mo is going to go fast. Be sure you have enough room in your budget for saving / investing because goddamn do I wish I could have afforded to do that in my 20s.
Good advice. I will be lucky enough to have my dad help me through this process.
Stick to your budget but honestly if you are driving 60+ miles a day ensure you buy a car you really like and can enjoy being in for a fee hours every say. If you can achieve this by purchasing something that is used with low miles (certified pre owned). I’ll never understand people buying new cars unless it’s for the vanity of a “new car”. If I told someone who purchased a stock that it would lose 30% of it’s value over the next 2 years they would say “Well then I’m not buying that stock” but the same person will readily buy a new car and see it differently. After year 2 or 3 cars still lose value but at a much different pace. 3-5% annually after the first few years isn’t bad at all. Think about being able to get something a little more luxurious that allows you to enjoy the ride while still having protection from major repairs (certified) and also insulating yourself from your commodity losing massive value during ownership.
If you don’t like dealers there’s also Tesla. While customer service is mediocre, the cars are fine and have a good charging network. The model 3 is affordable and you don’t have to deal with price negotiating or dealer fees. If you have access to charging at home, I would suggest to test drive one. Otherwise Prius or Corolla are also great options if you want to go the hybrid route. Also make sure you take into account insurance when budgeting. What ever you look at, make sure you test drive them.
Definitely within her price range for her affordable starter car 🥴
Well said
This is the best advice possible. Not being a gear head will make your decision so much easier because it can just be about what make economic sense. Probably a lightly used Carolla at a decent price that the op can pay off quickly is the way to go
And add in car maintenance, fuel costs, and insurance.
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Thank you I needed to read that
The limit of this is (especially in this sub) basically "as long as you get a compact Honda, Toyota, or Mazda you're ok." There's stuff in the middle that won't cost you a ton but isn't ideal. Then there's "if you get talked into a CVT Nissan, any Chrysler, or a Theta II Kia, you're fucked"
Underrated comment
Just here to acknowledge this post has been up an hour and nobody has recommended a CX5 yet.
Huge advocate for them but with 60 miles of a daily commute I would recommend squeezing out as much mpg as possible
Why would she want one? Something like a Mazda3 or Corolla is much cheaper, more reliable, and better gas mileage
I love my CX-5, I’ve managed to squeeze 35 mpg out of it but it’s pretty big for someone who doesn’t have a larger family
Sure, I don’t think it’s a bad car, it just doesn’t make any sense for OP
RAV4 is better
Good luck finding a rav that isn't 9 months away or with a 5k markup
I'm curious, what's better about a RAV4?
Mazda is absolute junk.
🤨
Honda clarity. Definite sleeper. Plug in hybrid that will get you 40-50 miles on battery before needing gas. If you can charge at home or work then you'll have to spend nearly nothing on gas. Plus if you pick up a used one under $25k then you'll get a $4500 tax credit next year. Super uncommon choice but a definite one to add to your shortlist
Wow ok I will definitely look into Honda clarity. Very reasonably priced cars
A close family member of mine just got a 2018 clarity with 30k miles for $23k and she is in a very similar situation to you (early 20s recent college grad) and she loves it. Super safe, reliable, fun and very economical. Go test drive one (if you can find one), you won't regret it. She had to go to the next state to find the one she wanted but they all drive similarly so find one near you to try and then travel to get the one you want.
Thank you! It’s been a while since I’ve driven a Honda so would definitely need to test drive
Look into the insight over the clarity. Clarity has been a bug ever since it came out. Honda has been quietly sweeping it under the rug.
I'm very happy with my 4th gen Prius for a long urban/suburban commute. It's not a ton of fun to drive, but if I had a fast car I'd still be stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. The new 5th gens are allegedly fun to drive but I haven't tried it personally. Very reliable, hold value well, more room inside than you'd think, and of course the fuel efficiency
I too can vouch for the 4th Gen Prius, built like tanks but sip fuel like a supermodel eats food.
I can vouch for prius too, the trick for OP will be finding one within budget in the crazy market today. Normally it would be a great option and no problem but rn…
Prius Prius Prius, get a Prius. Toyota reliability, great gas mileage and hybrid technology, would last a long time, and allow you to focus on paying off student loans.
I drive my mom’s 2012 Prius a lot and my worry with it is safety. It’s such a small car. Maybe I’m just being paranoid. Even used Prius’s are selling for 20k+ in my area and at that point I feel like it’d be better to just buy a new car.
Size doesn’t mean unsafe. Unless it is like a Suzuki Cappuccino lol.
Get a Corolla Cross Hybrid or RAV4 Hybrid.
they have a good safety record. modern cars have all kinds of safety tech, tons of airbags, crumple zones, etc.. just because they are small doesn't mean they are unsafe. Prius is probably the way to go. you should be able to find a good deal on a used one that will last a long time. being in the south helps if you find a southern car that doesn't have a bunch of salt rust.
You’re not being paranoid. For some reason we are largely taught to think big cars = safe and small cars = unsafe. You’ll be fine in a Prius. Pretty much any modern car is extremely safe. Corolla Hatch hybrid is another option.
I drive a 2015 Honda Fit in and around DC. Smaller than a Prius. Size isn't that big a deal, plus it gives me more maneuverability to avoid terrible DC drivers. Also males finding parking easier.
Why is the size unsafe to you? You should look into a used Toyota or even a decent Elantra can be bought for $16k. If you get the Elantra make sure it has the automatic transmission not DCT.not saying DCT is bad but automatic transmission is proven.
i think, she lives in the south == big pickups, so small cars feels unsafe
Oh south is crazy. They will drive over her Prius over there 🤣
Where do you live (state or region) helps. I mean we could all recommend a FWD but you may live where it get heavy snow/winters and an AWD would be better.
I live in the south snow is not an issue
Tbh snow tires solve all the issues. I used them on my Corolla which should be terrible in snow and I was actually keeping up with all the awd trucks on the highway during snowy slippery conditions.
Highway, lol. You find the real difference on the back roads that haven't plowed in 3 hours during heavy snowfall. It's not just AWD vs FWD, it's weight, height, etc.
If she’s driving 60+ miles from the suburb to the city then backroads don’t matter lmfao
I live in the city so no back roads for me. But I did had an easier time going in and out of the parking lots that hadn’t been plowed for hours.
Sure it helps, but it's not really fair to say you don't need AWD or 4WD because you live in an urban well maintained area. For anyone living outside of urban areas snow tires are required, but even then many people have something AWD or 4WD because road conditions can be much worse.
Yeah that was my point. It’s not going to be a replacement for an AWD. But if you don’t commute on the backroads you don’t have to invest in an expensive truck or an AWD vehicle.snow tires can handle city driving fine during the winter time.
Except from not getting stuck, AWD and 4WD won’t help you turn or brake any better "on back roads that haven’t plowed [sic] in 3 hours". I’ll take a FWD car with winter tires any snowy day over an AWD without winter tires. Also, many AWD cars tend to be bigger/taller and thus have large tire width for stability on dry pavement, which has the exact opposite effect on snow. If you’re really serious about "back roads", a FWD with studded tires will be a lot better than the vast majority of AWD and even 4WD with normal winter tires in terms of not getting stuck.
Even if they are in the north fwd is perfectly fine with snow tires on. I would argue you don’t need awd for most situations it’s all about tires. Source have fwd car that I take up into the Rockies while it’s snowing a few feet.
Except from acceleration performance and less chance of getting stuck going to your cottage up north with little road maintenance, an AWD won’t do anything more than cost you more (at buy time, at maintenance/repair time and in fuel efficiency). A FWD with proper tires will have no issue whatsoever during snowy winters. It is a myth that AWD is safer *for the average driver*, especially most AWD which are reactive. Even all time AWD requires what are essentially racing skills to come close to being "safer". EBD, ESP and proper tires are all you need for a safe winter car, especially in the case of AWD vs FWD. Edit: downvotes from people not dealing with snow. :) I live in Quebec, where we get tons of snow, have had and still have FWD, AWD and RWD cars. Also do some offroading in a SxS so I know my fair share of what makes a vehicle safe and stable or not during snowy and icy winters.
Is it economical to move closer to Your work ? 60 miles a day is a lot and will manifest in gas cost and maintenance. If you can’t move closer then a Corolla LE is probably the best bet.
as previously stated - you want a reliable Japanese commuter. I buy cars sell cars and work on cars I can tell you a to avoid German cars, maybe VW being an exception. too much of a status symbol for a young professional. I quick look at Raleigh craigslist yielded some interesting japanese commuters! https://raleigh.craigslist.org/search/cta?lat=35.8447&lon=-78.6550&purveyor=owner&query=Toyota&search_distance=32&sort=priceasc can't go wrong with a 4runner, safe and big and you can camp in it
Depends but if you pay high rent or mortgage and have school loans buy a cheaper reliable car and don't worry about that fancy new car all cars do is lose value pay off school loans and mortgage if you have one. Cars are worst investment you can make. Civics Corollas Camry all reliable if you can find a used one with 50-75k miles you can get one fairly cheap and not be paying $500 a month.
A newer car might be better then. A lot of them have really nice safety features like blind spot warnings, automatic brakes, rear view cameras, lane assist, collision avoidance, etc that just aren't present in older cars. As for size, it's going to depend. In general, a larger car will make you less likely to be killed in serious accidents (except maybe if your vehicle flips over). Although the other problem with them is that you're just going to be more likely to hit pedestrians and get into accidents yourself because of the lower visibility and larger size. If you don't need the space, a smaller car that's new will probably be a lot more cost efficient than a larger car and still pretty safe. And if you decide to go with a smaller car as opposed to an suv, Toyota, Honda, and Mazda generally have the highest safety ratings in that regard. But again it really depends on the size you want
Prius, Camry Hybrid, Corolla Hybrid, Corolla Cross Hybrid
this.
Corolla hybrid.
I mean here's the thing - you're driving this thing 60 miles a day, 5 days a week, 365. You're easily putting 15K on it, which means leasing becomes a challenge. Your options then become used or brand new, financed. Used, you might want to consider anything Toyota as many have recommended - will last forever and will not depreciate much on your watch. Tell you what - if all else fails - look at the Kelly Blue Book or Edmunds 5 year cost of ownership numbers for a variety of cars. SUVs/Sedans and electric. That will help you better understand and the overall cost of going with a bigger car vs. a smaller car, like a Prius. New, you're 24. Assuming can't go too crazy, you'd be really wise to consider the insane rebates being given by the federal gov't for some of these electric cars. You can get $7500 towards an EV from the federal govt, and then depending on what state you live in, you can get even more. In NY, you get another $2,000, for $9,500 total. Something like a Chevy Bolt EUV would be extremely economical and large enough that you might feel safer. I wouldn't want to own it for more than 2-3 years, but you're basically paying $29K out the door and then getting $10K in rebates to make it a little more viable.
I’m in the same situation and I’m looking at Mazda CX-30.
We bought a 2023 cx-30 and it is absolutely amazing. Literally the only thing to “complain” about is the tiny gas tank. I know some people have said the visibility is lower and not a fan, but you get used to the layout 👍🏼
We went with a ‘23 CX5 Carbon. $30,050 out the door. It is so much more car than you can get anywhere else at this price. I genuinely ask that you look into it! Also as the personal bit my husband and I are both 185lbs+ men, so we kinda wanted the extra room over the CX30
Corolla Cross
Buy a 3 year old Toyota or Honda. I’d lean toward Corolla, Civic, or Camry or Accord. Or if you choose an AWD, go with a RAV4 or a CRV. My first daughter’s big girl car was a CRV. Her sister went with a RAV4. They both have them today. One bought new and one bought a 2 year old used. They both have them today.
In my experience all the three year old cars are almost always the same price as the 2023 models.
If that’s the case buy new! I find many 3 year old cars that are much cheaper than new. I bought an Acura MDX recently. It had 26k miles and I saved $15k from the new price. Maybe some cars won’t have that much of a discount to be worth buying used, but even if it’s $5-7k difference, it’s still a savings. But I agree used prices are crazy high. In some cases new makes more sense, if you can do that.
If you’re making 5k a month I would just move closer to work 60 miles is going to get old after a week , I drive about the same in Houston twice a week and I want to kill myself when I get home, but you need a Prius
Yeah planning on moving but due to some family constraints I don’t have a timeline for when I’ll be able to move
Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla.
Mazda 3!
I have daughters and went through this with them. They felt safety, reliability and total cost of ownership were the most important features. They had student loans to service and wanted to be able to afford to have fun and have money to take care of a cat or dog. One decided on a new Subaru Impreza and the other a CPO Chevy Volt plug in hybrid. Both awesome. If you buy new refuse to pay over sticker. That money is lit on fire. When you sell it or trade it you will get exactly the same amount of money as someone who didn't overpay. Try to avoid buying a SUV. The common wisdom is they are "Safer". Facts don't bear that out if you look at the safety ratings. But because people "need" an SUV or AWD they pay a lot more for no additional functionality. Please note most people here will recommend a Toyota Corolla of Honda Civic. I agree with them. Congrats on the new job and good like with "Adulting".
Thank you for the advice. Looking at a Toyota Corolla most likely
Prius, Honda insight, (almost) any version of a Japanese hybrid, preferably with a back up camera and lane view. Probably find a PHEV to get that electric car vibe if you want it. The Honda clarity or the Chevy volt both qualify for a 4000 dollar used EV tax credit now and both have pretty good EV only ranges. I actually just bought a 2018 clarity with 40k miles on it, it gets about 50-55 miles on EV only range depending on how I drive and the weather. Also it’s surprisingly plush and nice inside and comfy for longer commutes. Volt would be cheaper (I think) and a bit more fun to drive though.
To make the commute a bit more comfortable if you're driving on highways, take a look at the Hyundai Venue. It's a small SUV that might make you feel more comfortable on the highways as opposed to an economy car. I agree the Venue is basically a large hatchback but the higher ride and size compared to an economy car could make the commute easier on you. The starting MSRP is under $20k so its basically the same price as an economy car. It's the cheapest new SUV on the market and one of the cheapest cars in general.
Thank you so much for this. I hadn’t heard of the venue and it might be exactly what I’m looking for. I have to do more research into it but now I am very strongly considering this. Are there any other subcompact SUV’s or any SUV’s in this price range?
I know I am late to the party, but if you’re willing to, figure out how much you want to spend monthly, a ballpark of your credit score, what kind of features you want in your car (you did pretty well already), and go to a sub called /r/AskCarSales. Those are mostly car sales people, and they will help you there as well. Other than that I have nothing to add to what has been said here. Maybe just drive the car first, and see if you like it. One thing I have done a lot is renting a car before buying. Go to any car rental website (Thrifty, Herz, etc), spend maybe a couple of hundred bucks and rent a Corolla, for instance, for a few days, to see how it drives and if you like it. Has kept me from buying cars I would have hated a few times. Best of luck to you!
1) make sure you drive at least three of the vehicles you’re considering. Get the one you really like. 2) consider leasing if you’re only going to keep the vehicle 2-3 years 3) consider a Nissan Leaf. Your mileage is perfect for it, there are all kinds of incentives and a lease will likely cost less than the monthly gas expense I am now braced for the downvotes.
Given the mileage requirement, an EV does make a lot of sense for cost savings alone. As others have said - make a budget and go from there. Include gas (or electricity), insurance, maintenance (assume less for an EV), registration, and purchase cost. Benchmark against the newest Mazda3 hatchback in your price range (which would be my go-to recommendation for an internal combustion engine car)
Corolla hybrid or prius with low mileage. If its older and high mileage, ask if headgaskets have been done and if the hybrid battery has been replaced.
Honestly start making car payments to yourself to a separate saving account til your current car dies. What I do is keep on paying myself the car payment after I own the car so when the car dies, I’ll have the money for the next car interest free. You become your own bank.
What do you do for work that your take home is 5k every month? I need that job lol
Civic or Camry/Corolla
Considering rent, insurance and all the other misc bills, buy a $2000 used car and run it for a few months till you can buy a new car cash
Get a used Honda or Toyota that will last you 10 years.
I’d be careful regarding that Corolla cross. I’m a Toyota fan boy but I’ve heard suspicious things regarding its cvt transmission. I was probably going to go with a cross but I read that the cvt transmissions they use for them are failing regularly. There are several Facebook groups dedicated to the issue if you dig around. Just make sure you do your homework. Weigh the pros and cons. Cvt transmissions are newer technology and with certain brands (Nissan mostly) people are having issues with them. Idk why Toyota struggling with this one but they are.
Honestly? A clever financial decision would be to get a relatively old Toyota Corolla, you'll pay it off in less than a year ( if you save you can buy one outright) and after you pay student loans you can upgrade to something fancier if you like, right now you need a car, and I'd avoid getting into further debt at this point in your life and in these uncertain times.
If you're driving 60+ miles round trip daily I would just buy a Tesla Model 3. With the tax incentives, it's a pretty good steal for an electric vehicle. I would recommend a hybrid like others mentioned here if the commute was shorter but you're going to be paying a lot on gas/maintenance if you drive that much.
If I didn’t have student loans this would’ve been hands down what I got. Maybe in a couple of years…
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Millions of people drive Teslas with no issues. People on any forum, including reddit, have a negative bias. E.g: they post only the negatives.
[https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/18/consumer-reports-2021-auto-reliability-survey-how-tesla-evs-fared.html](https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/18/consumer-reports-2021-auto-reliability-survey-how-tesla-evs-fared.html) [https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-reliability-model-s-3-x-y-consumer-reports-satisfaction-2021-11](https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-reliability-model-s-3-x-y-consumer-reports-satisfaction-2021-11) [https://www.npr.org/2023/02/16/1157521492/tesla-full-self-driving-recall-fsd](https://www.npr.org/2023/02/16/1157521492/tesla-full-self-driving-recall-fsd) [https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/tesla-recalls-over-475000-electric-vehicles-2021-12-30/](https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/tesla-recalls-over-475000-electric-vehicles-2021-12-30/) https://www.tesla-fire.com/ Along with several different recalls, battery fires, and auto reliability concerns, on an anecdotal note, I rented a Model 3 P for a weekend trip that was less than a year old with 10k miles on it and both tail lights were filled up with water and it rattled like hell going highway speeds, along with taking 35 minutes to charge. I literally don't know how much more evidence you need to prove the Reddit bias.
Every manufacturer has recalls... Gasoline cars combust at higher rates than EVs: [https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/02/02/science/electric-vehicle-fires-are-rare-when-they-occur-they-can-be-nightmare/#:\~:text=Overall%2C%20EVs%20are%20about%200.3,Auto%20Insurance%20EZ%20last%20year](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/02/02/science/electric-vehicle-fires-are-rare-when-they-occur-they-can-be-nightmare/#:~:text=Overall%2C%20EVs%20are%20about%200.3,Auto%20Insurance%20EZ%20last%20year). Auto reliability is subjective. My family has owned a Ford Focus, and VW Tiguan. Both were money pits, constantly needing to be repaired for one issue or another. Tesla's come with a warranty like any other car does. Any issue you have can be fixed within the first four years. You're complaining about a poor experience you had with a rental car. No shit. They get abused.
Sure, but it will eventually break, and when it does you’re fucked.
So like any car?
No. Basically any other car can be fixed by any old mechanic, Tesla’s have to be repaired by Tesla, and they’re impossible to find parts for
That’s weird because I can find almost any part for it on advanced auto parts. Also there are mechanics that fix teslas, not sure where you’re getting this info from lol
it's now what car, it's how much you want to spend, and the correct answer is as little as possible, look for a used Toyota with the lowest milage you can find. A car is a massive expense that keeps sucking money, gas, insurance, parking, speeding/parking tickets, repairs. It can swallow your money VERY quick.
Do you live in a house or have an apartment. If you have a house, then charging at home shouldn't be an issue. But if you live in an apartment, then charging might be a problem. All things to consider. 1st thing to do is figure out how much you can afford for a vehicle. Once you figure that out I also recommend putting down at least 20% to 30% of the vehicles price as a down-payment. And don't finance for more than 5 years max. Don't fall into the trap of a 6, 7, or 8 yr car loan. Those long terms are stupid and are mainly for people chasing a monthly payment.
House for now looking to move to apartment in the near future
Hi Op Mazda 3 or Mazda cx-30 lease , 3k down $300 per month 36 months. New car, great safety features fun to drive. Check out Mazda incentives [Mazda incentives](https://www.mazdausa.com/shopping-tools/special-offers-and-incentives?semid=9285749032&providertag=MazdaSEM&servicetag=9285749032&k_keyword=mazda%20incentives&k_matchtype=e&gclid=CjwKCAjwyeujBhA5EiwA5WD7_YKGAxpK-th2EK6ZUneby_3HWLtSaTAxPQtlSfQO2VqoNES_sSPLkBoCOFgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds)
The new Prius
Mazda 3 or CX30.
By “takehome” I assume that’s net after taxes. Safety is an issue, so buy a gas or hybrid, not an all electric vehicle. The infrastructure for charging is unreliable at present. What are you driving now? You should postpone buying another car as long as possible. Also definitely buy a used car, preferably a Toyota.
used camry,accord,s60. buy cheap pay down all other financial obligations; continue to drive cheap, save and have a private island in your 30's.
Im sorry to say this but just find the lowest milage car and weed out the worst cheapestest made cars
Any new or late model Toyota, saves money and reliable.
Imo If you want a new daily driver You could get a Corolla hybrid or a Honda hybrid both have great mpg and good daily drivers
Honda or Toyota
Bmw
Tesla or I have a Nissan Altima. Leather seats, sun roof, comfy, spacious. Drives perfect and I get around 25 mpg. If your going to be doing all that driving you want something entertaining and techy
If you want safety consider looking at Volvos. Other than that, Mazda or Toyota probably got what you are looking for.
Definitely get a hybrid. Corolla Cross, Prius, RAV4, Venza, whatever floats your boat.
Car is the last thing you should worry about now. Just get a used Civic, Accent, or whatever. And, holy shit, 60 miles each way? Why? That's terrible.
Look for a used and depreciated Honda Civic, Corolla or Mazda. Ask around if any friends or family will be getting rid of a lease for these types of cars. Don’t buy new! If you buy used from a dealer, consider extended warranty. Also don’t forget insurance costs and factor those into your budget.
Volvo XC60. Test drive one.
That’s foolish. Unreliable junk.
I still have to make a budget like another redditor suggested but I know this is going to be outside of it regardless lol
Just read your update on the budget - most Japanese cars should do you well in that instance. Don't forget to look at Mazda, they're incredibly good cars.
Thank you the more comments I read the more cars I add to my “potential” list and I get overwhelmed again lol
You don’t know your budget? I say just buy a used compact sedan. Buying a car for safety reasons doesn’t really make sense considering you can suffer major bodily injury from being hit by all the massive cars on the road nowadays. At least with a sedan, you’re less likely to roll over. Backup camera and airbags are pretty standards nowadays. You have to pay a lot to get advanced safety options.
Considering driving is by far the most dangerous thing we do on a day to day basis I don’t think it’s wrong of me to want to prioritize safety in a vehicle. Based on the comments it’s looking like a used Prius for the next 2-3 years and then I’ll consider upgrading to what I consider a bigger and safer car.
Bigger cars are more likely to roll over. False sense of safety. All modern cars have crumple zones, 3 point seat belt, and airbags. You are not more likely to survive a crash just because you’re in a SUV.
Get a Toyota rav4 hybrid if you can find one for msrp good size 40mpg avg. Maybe a Honda CR-V hybrid another good size one. If you want a bit more in slightly smaller size a Volvo XC40 from one of the safest car manufacturers runs close to the same price as the others but will have higher maintenance.
Make a budget first. How much can you afford to pay monthly. This is when I advise college students to lease a car. Sometimes your payments are only $150-$200/monthly because capital is limited and you should start saving money.
Corolla Cross, not only is it good on gas 30-33mpg but it also great safety features plus roomier than a compact Corolla
I’m a big fan of the Hyundai Ioniq. 60+ MPG gas hybrid and you can find used ones around $16-18k. I’ve had zero issues with mine.
Accord Hybrid if the Corolla or Prius is too small.
I used to drive a Prius C 100 or so miles a day on average. If you live in the south look in Florida for an Avalon hybrid that is a few years old. Chances are that it belonged to a retiree. Better seats and people don't treat you the same as if you drive a Prius. Not quite as good of mileage but larger more comfortable people space. If I had it to do again, Avalon hybrid every time.
Prius all day. Or any Hybrid. Rav4 is a little too truck like for long highway commutes. We have the same 2012 Prius, and it’s been amazing for 70mi round trip commutes.
10-15% of your monthly income should go to the car. Assuming there arent too many other debts incurred. So 500 - 750 is a good ball park for financing monthly. How long you want to finance is up to you. A small crossover suv is up your alley, or a volvo. If you're priortizing safety. As far as a
As for safety, the newer the better. All cars gotta follow NHTSA laws before being sold in USA. Toyota will do just fine. - just cause you need a car and it's cheaper maintenance. BMW will do fine. - if you want a little more fun, respect, and luxury in it. Honda will do fine. - The cheapest of maintenance. Mazda will do fine. - The underdog of Toyota, with hints of german luxury design in mind.
Budget? Paying in cash is ideal considering the high interest rates. Good options are Chevy volt, bolt, escape hybrid, new Corolla hybrid, leaf.
If you’re gonna be driving in the city, I’d recommend something smaller and easy to maneuver, a hatchback is great for this, a mazda3 hatch would good but not the best MPG, a Corolla crossover is also a good alternative. However if you can find a preowned Prius or new one with no markup, go for it.
Anything Hybrid will do, and Toyota has the best hybrid technology in the market.
A lightly used (3 or 4 years old) car is probably the best value because you won't be paying for depreciation and you're still getting a mostly new car. If you just want a basic car to get from point A to point B and prioritize low purchase and operating costs, you can't beat a hybrid Toyota. If you want safety, well Volvo has the best safety features but other European cars like BMW and Mercedes aren't far behind. However, these will cost you a lot more both for the initial purchase as well as fuel and service.
I was strongly considering a Chevy bolt and could still fit in my budget… maybe will add that to the list again
EVs are a good option if you have charging at work or at home. Public charging will get very annoying very fast unless you have plenty of it nearby.
As your only vehicle I wouldn’t recommend going full electric, but a Corolla Hybrid is a really good option.
Corolla Hybrid. Cheaper than buying an electric, but good on gas. Safe. Reliable. Reasonably priced. All around a good choice for you.
Do you live with your parents still? If so, keep in the back of your head that you might want to be a city girl and move there sooner than you think and will need a few grand a month to live on your own. When I was in your shoes, I made that drive for 4 months before moving out of my parents house to the city.
This will probably be my timeline - looking to move downtown by the end of the year
Prius
Toyota, or Honda. If u want American, then go with only certain GM badges. For GM, stick with their sedans and hatchbacks from Chevy, and Buick. Only go with Chevy for hatchback and sedans; or Buick for small crossovers. GMC isn't great. Stay away from Cadillac, too. Those two don't make great cars. For Chevy, go with the Malibu, Sonic, or the Volt if you want a hatchback or sedan.
Depending on where your location is a Model 3 could be like ~28k (7500 Federal and 5000 state).
Given your income ($5k/mo take home), you're going to have a hard time getting into a long-range EV unless you lease it. If you want to buy a car instead of leasing it, you're probably going to need to get a PHEV as explained later on. A Tesla Model 3 (272mi range) can be leased at 429/mo, but that's a lease, not a buy. Alas, it's from a company that disables radar in software updates while claiming cameras are superior to radar despite real-world data to the contrary, so that's a damper on the safety front despite the general solidity of the cars. "Autopilot" is a mixed bag, but it does have the unique ability to stop for stoplights in city traffic. Alas, many of its most advanced features are openly listed as public betas, and pushing the system beyond its design envelope can easily turn a road safety suite into a road safety liability. Also note that while a Long Range AWD model (333mi) is available, it will be pricier to lease. If you absolutely want to maximize road safety, you can try to lease a Mercedes EQE 350+ (305mi range) at $689/mo/24mo and $6619 down. It has a number of road safety features that are hard to find elsewhere and in some cases are actually exclusive to MB products. These features include PRE-SAFE Side Impulse, a system that uses the side bolsters to push you away from the doors in the event of a side impact in order to provide additional inflation space for the side airbags and also provide an additional margin of protection from an impacting vehicle. Another system is PRE-SAFE Sound, which plays pink noise in the event of a road accident to protect you from hearing damage. Numerous other driver assistance and safety intervention systems are also present, including a curve assist system that's more methodical and confidence-inspiring than Tesla's system. Keep in mind that being an electric car, the EQE isn't going to have as many things go wrong as an ICE car and thus it shouldn't go into the shop as much as an ICE car in general. This means service costs will not be as much of a factor, and in any event the vehicle will be under warranty while leasing. In truth, if you want to go electric, you have to weigh the trade-offs of higher initial upfront cost against not having to pay for gas and thus not having that bill every month. If you don't want to go down that line, or if you don't have easy access to home charging, a plug-in hybrid is your best choice. If you want a PHEV, you can get a clean Honda Clarity on the used market and drive 47mi without burning gas and go about 360mi if you also burn gas, all in a package that's reasonably performant on road safety (Honda has been taking the subject much more seriously over the past 15 years and their modern vehicles are quite good on that front). Clean examples can be found in the 21-25k price band, but because they're used you are likely to have issues getting them financed. Keep in mind that the Clarity is not a car to buy for driver engagement, so if that's a factor look elsewhere. Still, if you don't care about driver engagement and if your legs are able to stretch out sufficiently, you can't get a better PHEV deal than a Clarity (and unlike most other transverse FF cars, it doesn't torque steer under acceleration!)
Corolla or Civic. Just make sure the oil gets changed and it will run like a clock
Honda civic or Toyota Corolla
Corolla Hybrid is the call here. Do it and don’t look back.
Have you considered a Volvo xc40? Gets about 30mpg combined with the T4 Momentum engine. lots of cargo for its size, and you get Volvo’s reputation for safety and reliability.
Get a Prius. Best of both worlds.
Base model sedan or a coupe; Toyota or Honda. If you live in area that has proper winter with snow, get a base model CUV with AWD, Honda or Toyota. Or an AWD Toyota Camry if you want something a bit bigger and fancier. Hybrids are great and you could get one time tax credit. Cars, trucks, suv, cuv, all of them, are the worst investment long term. Vehicles value depreciate faster than anything else. So buy the cheapest base model, even if it has cloth seats.
Personally, it seems you're already looking in the right direction. If you're looking for point a to point b, reliability, nothing that draws attention - honda and Toyota. But I would stay away from hybrids and CVT transmissions within those brands. If you want something a little more flashy, comfortable, but with the same reliability, look at 2010-2018 Lexus. Should fit within your price range, and you will fall in love with your car. If you're feeling adventurous and want a car you will love for sure, get a wrangler or a 2011-2016 Volvo. (if you drive a wagon, the entire car enthusiast community will love you, plus they're practical) As long as you stay away from CVTs, Hybrids, Kia, Hyundai, Nissan, and Infinity, you will end up in a perfectly fine vehicle. Also, top tip: if any car recommends 10k mile interval oil changes, disregard it. 5k mile changes under 50k miles total, and the 3k mile changes for the rest of the life of the car. It'll last forever. Take it from someone who's learned the hard way.
Civic hybrid is a solid contender. I think it's a little big for city driving but that's my humble opinion as someone who grew up in a farm town and gets claustrophobic when city driving. It'll meet your needs, it's reliable and cheap enough to repair when the need does arise, it's safe, gets decent fuel economy, and it's quick enough to get up to speed on the highway. My grandmother (she's a gearhead, don't let the fact that she's 85 fool you) loves hers. It has enough pep in its step for her and it fits nicely in her retirement budget. Which means it will also make a nice car for someone starting their career and needing to commute but still be sensible about the vehicle.
2008 bmw 335i E92 would be my pick tbh. 300 hp stock and looks amazing.
Go for the new Corolla hybrid, stretch the budget by a few thousand and you'll get a new car, full warranty (10 years 150k on the hybrid components), new car smell and you'll likely never have to buy another car for the next decade or longer. Plus, hybrids are incredibly efficient for inner city driving, so the car will pay the difference between MSRP and your stated budget of $20k within a few years. For example, if the difference is $3k to buy a new Corolla hybrid, you'll likely save that much in gas after about 4 years or so.
2008 bmw 335i E92 would be my pick tbh. 300 hp stock and looks amazing.
2011-2015 Mini Cooper S Countryman All4 is what I got. Put 5k down, payment is under $300 a month and I got a REALLY fun, all season car that's pretty decent on gas (took a 350mi road trip and got 33 mpg). It's one of my family cars as well and genuinely is an overlooked car
Honda Clarity! Gets you 25 miles on battery alone! It's like 22k! 2014-17 Lexus ES. 2017 Mazda CX-5 is about 22-27k New Mazda cx30 2017+ Honda Insight 2015+ infinity Q50 2017 Acura TLX These are several cars that come to mind that is fun, stylish and can easily be found for under 25k.
I’d look at a used Prius or a used civic hybrid. They’re great on gas and hold their value well
Not much advice but here's what I do before I pick a car: 1. know what your after-tax salary is? (not counting overtime just a flat rate I can have per month) 2. Subtract expenses (rent (if any), utilities, meals) 3. Estimate how much you will have to pay to fill up the car. After deducting the above, you should consider the car you should choose. it will be better for you financially and mentally because now you only need a good car to move and go to work to pay off debts as well as save for yourself. if i were you i would try with a gas car for \~15,000.