Not sure which car to get..help?

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Sorry in advance if this is the wrong forum. There's no car forum anywhere on CF, that I'm aware of at least.

Anyway, so I've been driving for quite a number of years now. I've always used my family's car since I still live with them and they don't mind and I help pay for gas.

I'm looking to purchase a used car. I have saved up enough money to buy a decent one. My family has owned Toyotas their entire life and frankly, all of us are ready for a change.

My preferences: 2015-2017, reliable, low maintenance cost [the usual oil change, tire rotation, etc-no major issues outside of those], great for winter driving, fuel efficient.

I'm willing to consider Toyota [we've owned Corollas] and other 'years'. I just want some helpful advice on the cars YOU'VE owned/driven and ANY OTHER recommendations outside of your personal experience. Please mention the Make, Model, and year as I hope to do extensive research on each recommendation.

Thank you for your time : )
 
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Servant68

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You may want to consider the Subaru Crosstrek and Imprezza. 2015-2016 are good years. All -Wheel Drive, reliable, and pretty good little cars.

You didn't mention if you wanted a four door sedan or a small SUV.

Good in Winter means an AWD vehicle and Subaru is the king in that regard for sedans. However, there are plenty of other choices in small SUVs.

I bought my daughter an older 2003 Honda CRV that she likes and the newer ones are very well-regarded as well.

Subaru CrossTrek...

2015-subaru-xv-crosstrek-images.jpg


2015 Imprezza sedan...

2015-Subaru-Impreza-Sedan-2.0i-4dr-All-wheel-Drive-Sedan-Exterior.png


Wagon...

2015-Subaru-Impreza-Coupe-Hatchback-2.0i-4dr-All-wheel-Drive-Hatchback-Photo.png
 
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timewerx

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I'm looking to purchase a used car. I have saved up enough money to buy a decent one. My family has owned Toyotas their entire life and frankly, all of us are ready for a change.

Got it.....

My preferences: 2015-2017, reliable, low maintenance cost [the usual oil change, tire rotation, etc-no major issues outside of those], great for winter driving, fuel efficient.

In this case, there's really no other choice but Toyotas :D

You can probably go with Hondas but if 4x4 or AWD is important then Toyota is a solid choice.
 
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RaymondG

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@RaymondG
Hey Raymond, great question. I'm considering a car, sedan, small car, small SUV, a Jeep-size, and maybe a small pickup truck..but nothing huge like a Hummer or any big SUVs.
I would get a small suv.......good balance between price and safety.....They seem to run cheaper than sedans as well. I've owned the Rav4 and nissan rogue..... and have had a CRV in the family. They are all good. If you want to go even cheaper with more features.....there is the Hyundai tucsan......Just dont mention this name in church or they may think you are speaking in tongues.

My pick for value and looks, would be the new nissan rogue....
 
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Servant68

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Avoid anything made by Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, or Chevy.

My work vehicle is a 2015 Ford Escape and it is quite possibly the worst vehicle I've ever experienced in the last ten years in terms of reliability and design. Total garbage.

People will tell you that their particular car was the best they've ever owned and everyone can put out a lemon; even Toyota. But the law of averages is king when selecting a used car and Toyota rules in that regard. As does Honda. Nissan has gotten bad the past decade or so in reliability while Ford has gotten better, but still has common problems.

Subaru was plagued with some issues in years past but their phenomenal AWD system and wide choices in vehicles kept them popular. Haven't heard of many issues the past few years and they are a solid choice if you want the best for winter driving and above average reliability.

I've heard good things about Hyundai, but the only experience I have is with two; a 2005 Tucson that my in-laws owned and a 2013 Elantra GT that my buddy bought three months ago.

The Tucson was a bit crude but never had any issues in nearly 200k miles of driving. My buddy's Elantra has 50k miles and is a great little car, but needed a new engine and a few other things fixed within a month of him buying it.

If you are thinking of a little pickup, then the Toyota Tacoma is the only choice. Period. No other small pickup comes close in reliability and features. Chevy Colorado is junk, Ford Ranger hasn't been made for a decade, Dodge Dakota is junk as well.

The issue with buying a Tacoma is that you might as well buy new. They hold their value extremely well and a two-year old Tacoma is within a couple thousand dollars in price of a new one. Same with Toyota 4Runners.
 
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Albion

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Personally, I would lease a new car. It's so much easier in terms of maintenance.
It had better be, considering that the initial cost and the depreciation are factors that our friend wants to avoid. Also, I believe that with a lease, you have to have all your service done by the dealership, so if you don't like their work (which is common with dealership service departments), you can't go elsewhere or dump the car before the expiration of the lease, either.
 
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timewerx

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Subaru CrossTrek...

Subarus, meh....

People who drive Subarus, tend to thrash the car badly. And I'm not kidding! Seen these bad drivers too often.

Therefore when looking at a used Subaru, it might actually be better if they are owned by a woman who doesn't have a boy at the driving age....

A badly driven Subaru will often fail the transmission and that is a very expensive part to replace!
 
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RaymondG

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It had better be, considering that the initial cost and the depreciation are factors that our friend wants to avoid. Also, I believe that with a lease, you have to have all your service done by the dealership, so if you don't like their work (which is common with dealership service departments), you can't go elsewhere or dump the car before the expiration of the lease, either.
I would only recommend a lease if you are a person who wish to switch cars every 3 months and can guaranteed low mileage every year. If someone wants to keep a car for more than 3 years, or need to put more than 10k miles a year on a car....financing or buying outright is the best option.
 
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HereIStand

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It had better be, considering that the initial cost and the depreciation are factors that our friend wants to avoid. Also, I believe that with a lease, you have to have all your service done by the dealership, so if you don't like their work (which is common with dealership service departments), you can't go elsewhere or dump the car before the expiration of the lease, either.
Roads may be better in Canada than in the States. After a few years on roads here, a car can take some punishment. For me, it's such a hassle to take it in with most places not being open on weekends.
 
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Servant68

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Subarus, meh....

People who drive Subarus, tend to thrash the car badly. And I'm not kidding! Seen these bad drivers too often.

Therefore when looking at a used Subaru, it might actually be better if they are owned by a woman who doesn't have a boy at the driving age....

A badly driven Subaru will often fail the transmission and that is a very expensive part to replace!

Where are you getting your information?

I'm a car guy and am always doing research and reading reviews and talking with mechanics and industry people. I was also an auto claims adjuster for 7 years for a major insurance company and have inspected literally thousands of vehicles.

If you are talking about the Subaru WRX, then yes; they are often thrashed by young male drivers. The rest are driven by normal people.

For actual real information on reliability...

Top 10 Most Reliable and Least Reliable Car Brands of 2015 » AutoGuide.com News

Consumer Reports: Guide to Car Reliability - Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports' best and worst car brands in 2015

The Consumer Reports 2015 Car Brand Report Cards ranks automakers across the world by reliability, road test performance and other factors. For the second year in a row, Lexus topped the list, nearly matched by Mazda, and followed by Toyota and Audi. The bottom of the list included Ford, Dodge, Mini, Jeep and Fiat.

The publication ranked the carmakers with an overall score, which was a combination of each brand's road test score and average reliability score. The road test score factored in the average results from Consumer Reports' many tests on the cars, and a reliability rating provides a guide on how likely the cars from each brand are likely to hold up on average.

Not all automakers were factored into Consumer Reports' study. Jaguar, Land Rover, Maserati, Mitsubishi, Ram, Smart and Tesla did "not have sufficient data" to be reviewed by the publication.

Check out the full report on Consumer Reports' website here.
 
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HereIStand

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I would only recommend a lease if you are a person who wish to switch cars every 3 months and can guaranteed low mileage every year. If someone wants to keep a car for more than 3 years, or need to put more than 10k miles a year on a car....financing or buying outright is the best option.
Financing might be better in some cases. I have a 3-year 18K lease on a Camry with no money down. Wait. I sound like a salesman. :D


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A_Thinker

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Sorry in advance if this is the wrong forum. There's no car forum anywhere on CF, that I'm aware of at least.

Anyway, so I've been driving for quite a number of years now. I've always used my family's car since I still live with them and they don't mind and I help pay for gas.

I'm looking to purchase a used car. I have saved up enough money to buy a decent one. My family has owned Toyotas their entire life and frankly, all of us are ready for a change.

My preferences: 2015-2017, reliable, low maintenance cost [the usual oil change, tire rotation, etc-no major issues outside of those], great for winter driving, fuel efficient.

I'm willing to consider Toyota [we've owned Corollas] and other 'years'. I just want some helpful advice on the cars YOU'VE owned/driven and ANY OTHER recommendations outside of your personal experience. Please mention the Make, Model, and year as I hope to do extensive research on each recommendation.

Thank you for your time : )

I like the South Korean made Hyundais and Kias ...

I've driven Ford, Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, Hyundai, and Kia, ... and the Hyundais and Kias have been by far, the best I've driven.

Their quality ranks up there with Honda and Toyota (and maybe better) ... as they've been STRIVING to reach that point in recent years. And the price is STILL a little bit less, ... as they're still working on building a customer base.

I, typically, spend around $15,000.00 for my cars.

I've purchased, for myself and my wife, (4) Hyundai Sonatas ... and the (1) Kia Optima ... and they've all been great cars.

The other brands I've driven were okay ... but all seemed to develop regrettable issues after some time.

Two Fords each had a factory problem with electronics under the hood.

The Chevrolet Malibu had a weird braking pattern/feel, ... and we had a hard time with keeping the brake light lit.

The Chevrolet Camaro drove great, ... but I had a bad experience with a dealer who provided a sub-par job of body repair.

A Pontiac and the Buick both seemed power-anemic (in driving) ... and anther Pontiac had electronic issues like my Fords.

Also, Fords always seem to have annoying noise issues in the interior build. The most maddening issue I've had recently (with a Ford) is that the chrome coating on the interior door handles began to peel (at about 5 years old) where we eventually replaced the hardware on one side ... and developed a makeshift fix for the other side (after my wife cut her hand on the peeling chrome).

I wasn't crazy about the last body styling change for the Hyundai Sonata, so for my last purchase, I switched to the Sonata's sister make, the Kia Optima. I've had it now for 3 years now (purchased as a 2013), and it's been great ... no problems, and a great drive/ride. My only regret ... is that I should have gotten a white one ...
kia-optima-2013-wallpaper-3.jpg
 
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RaymondG

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Financing might be better in some cases. I have a 3-year 18K lease on a Camry with no money down. Wait. I sound like a salesman. :D


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wow 18k? I bought a rogue and in 6 years I put 113k mile on it..........so leasing cant be an option for me.... but at least I dont have the never-ending car note that plagues the leaser.

Tha being said......when you are ready for the lambos, and the Ferraris.....I would only consider a lease....those arent own-for-ten-year cars.
 
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Citizen of the Kingdom

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Financing might be better in some cases. I have a 3-year 18K lease on a Camry with no money down. Wait. I sound like a salesman. :D


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You look like an early version of Kurt Russel :p
 
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Poppyseed78

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I have a 2012 Ford Fusion and have been very happy with it, but it's not the most fuel-efficient. Some of my family members have a 2014 Mazda cx-5 (small SUV) and a 2015 Hyundai Elantra. The Elantra is very fuel-efficient and more roomy inside than it appears. My sister loves her Mazda cx-5, drove it for 3 years, never had any problems with it and has already put 70,000 miles on it. It has spacious cargo room, is fuel-efficient, and can manage winter driving. But if you want a long history of reliability, Toyota and Honda are probably the safest bet.
 
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@HereIStand
Thank you for your advice. I did a bit of research as to the 'pros' and 'cons' of leasing a car..and while it seems like a great option for some, I personally don't think it's for me. I'm glad it's working well for you though!
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@Servant68
Thank you so much for your advice. I'm also grateful for the consumer reports you've linked. Can't wait to delve into them more. I was actually considering the Impreza. I'll have to go back at the consumer reports and other various reviews and give it more consideration.
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@SkyWriting
Hi, thanks for your reply. Just curious..how might one find these 'free cars'? I'm weary about anything 'free' in general so not quite sure what you mean. I'm mainly looking to find Certified Pre-Owned vehicles.
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@timewerx
Thanks again, you've helped me before with my car questions lol. (Sorry if I sound like a broken record with my posts. I figured I'd get more replies on the advice forum). I also figured I'd be more specific with my preferences but be more open with car recommendations. So Toyota seems to be the most recommended. Do you have any recommendations for a Toyota model that isn't Corolla and is 2015-2017?
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@RaymondG
Thank you for your recommendations. I will look into them more : )
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@A_Thinker
Thank you for sharing your personal experiences! I'll look into those. I am partial to white/black cars myself.
 
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