What Car Should I Buy? - A Weekly Megathread

Posted by AutoModerator@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 15 comments

Any posts pertaining to car buying suggestions or advice belong in this weekly megathread; do not post car-choosing questions in the main queue. A fresh thread will be posted every Monday and posts auto sorted by new. A few other subreddits worth checking out that will help your car buying experience are /r/WhatCarShouldIBuy, /r/UsedCars and /r/AskCarSales. www.everydaydriver.com may also be helpful.

Make/Model-specific questions should be asked on Make/Model-specific subreddits. Check the AutosNetwork for a complete list of those subreddits. Also check out our community-sourced Ultimate car buying wiki.

For those posting:

Please use the following template in your post.

Location: (Specify your country or region)

Price range: (Minimum-Maximum in your local currency)

Lease or Buy:

New or used:

Type of vehicle: (Truck, Car, Sports Car, Sedan, Crossover, SUV, Racecar, Luxury etc.)

Must haves: (4x4, AWD, Fuel efficient, Navigation, Turbo, V8, V6, Trunk space, Smooth ride, Leather etc.)

Desired transmission (auto/manual, etc):

Intended use: (Daily Driver, Family Car, Weekend Car, Track Toy, Project Car, Work Truck, Off-roading etc.)

Vehicles you've already considered:

Is this your 1st vehicle:

Do you need a Warranty:

Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle: (fluids, alternator, battery, brake pads etc)

Can you do Major work on your own vehicle: (engine and transmission, timing belt/chains, body work, suspension etc )

Additional Notes:

For those providing suggestions: Facts are ideal in this thread, especially when trying to help out a new car buyer. Please help out buyers with sources and reasoning for your suggestions.

For those asking for help, be sure to thank those who take the time to offer you advice (especially those who lead you to a purchase.) A follow up thank you and the knowledge that their advice led to a purchase is a very warm fuzzy feeling.

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Fragrant-Passage1010@reddit

Location: Kansas City, Kansas

Price range: 5,000-15,000 USD

Lease or Buy: Buy

New or used: Used

Type of vehicle: Sedan, Crossover, SUV, Hatchback, Wagon

Must haves: Fuel efficient, economical, minimal maintenance

Desired transmission: automatic

Intended use: Daily driver - needs to be able to commute 2hr+ road trips, and up to 8hr trips approximately 6x/yr.

Vehicles you've already considered: Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic

Is this your 1st vehicle: No, previously owned '09 Hyundai Sonata until the motor blew

Do you need a Warranty: No

Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle: Yes

Can you do Major work on your own vehicle: No

Additional Notes: Graduate/professional student with a dog (65lbs) looking for a reliable and affordable car to drive to internship sites across the country.

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whiteraven13@reddit

I’m driving a Corolla from 2003. Those things are built to last

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Fragrant-Passage1010@reddit

Unfortunately in my market Corollas in my budget are 150k+ miles :,) I think I'll be going with a Hyundai Sonata or Elantra

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NeedleworkerWinter99@reddit

$15,000 usd should get you a decent low milage carolla

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AutoModerator@reddit (OP)

*Corolla

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sshu1224@reddit

Location: Southern California

Price range: under $250k, ideally uner $200k.

New or used: Either

Type of vehicle: Sports Car

Must haves: Flat 6, V8, V10 or V12

Desired transmission Manual or Dual Clutch

Intended use: Weekend Car

Vehicles you've already considered: Looking to replace my C8 Z06 coupe. I was thinking about an R8 V10 but wasn't impressed by the driving experience eventhough it looks great. I then considered a 992 GT3 but I'm not going to track much which brought me to a 992 Turbo but at $210k, I was thinking about making the jump to a Ferrari F12 because they seem to be going under $250k now. $250k is stretching my budget though. I already had a 997tt so I don't have to have another Porsche anytime soon.

Is this your 1st vehicle: No

Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle: Yes, but not often.

Can you do Major work on your own vehicle: No.

Perisharino@reddit

If you're still open to porsches the spyder rs is something pretty special

DUVAL_LAVUD@reddit

Location: Washington, DC

Price range: 10,000 - 30,000

Type of vehicle: Sedan, Crossover, SUV

Must haves: Fuel efficient, Trunk space, Smooth ride, good handling)

Intended use: Family car, weekend car, weekly driver

Vehicles you've already considered: Mazda CX-3, CX-5, CX-50, and CX-30, Toyota RAV-4, Corolla Cross, and Camry, Subaru Crosstrek, VW Taos, Nissan Rogue, Honda Civic and CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage

Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle: No, i’m useless when it comes to mechanical issues

Can you do Major work on your own vehicle: Nope

QuestionOwn7886@reddit

For the trunk-space requirement, I’d add one practical test when you go see these: bring the actual stuff you carry on weekends — stroller/sports bag/grocery tote/cooler, whatever applies — and see whether it fits without stacking above the seat line. A lot of compact crossovers look roomy on paper but have awkward cargo shapes. Among your list, I’d prioritize CR-V/RAV4/CX-5/Tucson/Sportage if family cargo is a real must-have, and only keep sedans like Civic/Camry in the mix if the trunk opening works for your bulky items. Also check for flat-folding rear seats and tie-down points; they make a bigger day-to-day difference than the raw cubic-feet number.

very helpful—thank you!

RideEnvironmental216@reddit

Location: Western Washington (state), US

Price range: 28-35,000

Type of vehicle: Small to mid-sized SUV

Must haves: AWD, safe, fuel economy, luxury interior for client-facing

Desired transmission (auto/manual, etc): auto

Intended use: Daily driver/ family/ client transport

Vehicles you've already considered: Honda CRV, Subaru Outback/Forester, Mazda CX 70

Do you need a Warranty: Yes

Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle: No

Additional Notes:
I want a vehicle for daily use for a family of four, and our future dog. I drive regularly for work across two states through maintained mountain passes, not off-roading. I work with architects, and the interior must be somewhat thoughtful, if not luxurious, when I take them to lunch.