What do you consider the Sweet Spot for a reliable used car?

[sns2]

On Christmas, my 18 yr old daughter was involved in a serious accident on hwy 16 coming back from our family supper. Roads were treacherous. Car in front of her hit the brakes. She then did also, hitting ice, and losing control. Piled into the rear end of the vehicle in front. Thankfully, the vehicle she hit sustained minimal damage, but her car was written off. Doctor at the hospital said it was a Christmas miracle that she sustained no serious injuries. It goes without saying we were thankful.

Now the hunt for a reliable used vehicle begins. She is in school, and I want something that will be reliable for a number of years. Think Toyota Corolla sort of car. Anyhow, I have always been a new car kinda guy, as the used vehicles I have bought have proven to be headaches. I have often heard that 2-3 years old was the depreciation/reliability sweetspot.

If you were in my shoes, getting a vehicle for your daughter, what would you be narrowing your search for in terms of make, model, and mileage?

Can go as high as $17K all in.

[V45 sabre]

I would say Toyota Corolla or Mazda 3 wr have had both and have found nothing except routine maintenance. I would look for something 2 or 3 years old with 50 000km or less and found those were a fair bit less than new.

[elkhunter11]

I would be looking for a 2-3 year old Corolla, that is still under warranty, preferably one that has been serviced at a dealer, so there will be services records.

[jr_80]

I myself never buy new. I always try and purchase under 30,000 km and flip my diesel 3/4 tons under 130,000 km and wife’s gas at around 100,000. That’s only based on best resale though. 17K should get you a pretty good vehicle for an 18year old.

[Jerry D]

I would consider something approx 5 to 6k. 150 to 180k 8 years old or so.

[traderal]

About a 2015 Subaru Forester, or Jeep. With all the crazy drivers out there wouldn't buy my daughter anything small.

[Austin]

We did a Mazda 3 for our daughter. Be sure to get it inspected by your mechanic NOT theirs. We bought a 2010 Jeep private sale to have the transmission fail after 4 months...
that’s when we got the Mazda
Glad your kid is okay

[CaberTosser]

Reliability relates to safety factor when it comes to not being stranded in the middle of Timbuktu when its -30, but reliability does not necessarily correlate to the best crash protection.

I agree that a Corolla is as reliable as heck but I have no idea of its crashworthiness. Throw some quality winter tires on whatever you wind up with. Lately I'm leaning towards something in AWD for Mrs Caber, perhaps a Rav4 or such. She's a Toyota loyalist and I like German brands, if VW still offered a Passat wagon in North America I'd personally be down for one of those in 4Motion.

[Sooner]

We bought my son a 07 Mazda 3 for his first car, fun little 5 sp. Had 225,000 km's when we bought it, second year of driving it now. Car has been awesome. Nice car and in the 3 to 4G range, if you keep your eyes peeled on kijiji, jump when a good one comes up. We got his full load for $2500.00 and it came with a set of almost new winter tires on rims.

Glad to hear your daughter is ok. That's the most important.

[58thecat]

What's a used Honda Civic go for?

[Flatlandliver]

Toyota Corolla/Tercel, Honda Accord etc. are good options.
When my daughter was learning I should have bought an old NAPA auto parts delivery truck with the angle iron welded all around it. She drove by braille.

[pinelakeperch]

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/calgary/2015-volvo-s60-t5-premier-plus/1385749892?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/edmonton/2013-volvo-s60-t6-awd-sedan/1406548429?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

S60s are quite reliable, and it's tough to beat Volvo's safety.

[Anvil1010]

I was never a Ford guy until we bought a Fusion. It was a great car until my wife was hit and the car was written off. We went out and got another one. This latest car is AWD, leather, back up camera , blind spot mirror etc, and has been great. The AWD and winter tires makes my wife feel so much more confident driving that it is worth it for that alone

[Jamie]

On Christmas, my 18 yr old daughter was involved in a serious accident on hwy 16 coming back from our family supper. Roads were treacherous. Car in front of her hit the brakes. She then did also, hitting ice, and losing control. Piled into the rear end of the vehicle in front. Thankfully, the vehicle she hit sustained minimal damage, but her car was written off. Doctor at the hospital said it was a Christmas miracle that she sustained no serious injuries. It goes without saying we were thankful.

Now the hunt for a reliable used vehicle begins. She is in school, and I want something that will be reliable for a number of years. Think Toyota Corolla sort of car. Anyhow, I have always been a new car kinda guy, as the used vehicles I have bought have proven to be headaches. I have often heard that 2-3 years old was the depreciation/reliability sweetspot.

If you were in my shoes, getting a vehicle for your daughter, what would you be narrowing your search for in terms of make, model, and mileage?

Can go as high as $17K all in.

Why not buy her a brand new little one? I see them advertised under that price. AT least it would have warranty to get her through school. I am thinking the same thing with my daughter out at U of Vic.

So glad she is ok. I cant imagine it.

[MooseRiverTrapper]

Brand new Honda Civic. That she can make the payments on.

[Western]

Wife owned a 2008 Corolla for 7 years and her university days. I only had to do routine maintenance. It was a great car and with Michelin X-ice tires it was a mountain goat she was able to go through snow where other larger cars got stuck. We drove some pretty nasty conditions with it and was a great and reliable car. Upgraded at 185,000km to a crv Once the kids arrived.

[kinwahkly]

Just picked up a 04 Nissan pathfinder with 148000 kms for $3000 for my daughter.

[Jack fish hunter]

Doesn't matter what you buy used cars are always a crap shoot

[Trochu]

$5,000.00

[trailraat]

I think 10 years old under 150,000km. Maximum depreciation and if you are willing to look around you can get a nice vehicle for between $10-12000.

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[EZM]

Good to hear there were no serious injuries.

I'm in the exact same position, looking for a car for my daughter, also 18, who is in her first year of university.

I am looking at Honda and Toyota vehicles and leaning towards a Rav4 or CRV (small SUV) so it's a little safer in a collision compared to a smaller car. You can't beat these brands for reliability or resale.

In your budget, you can get some very nice options, near +/- 100K- 120K kms for around $13-15K which leaves you with enough dough to get a good set of winter tires and steel rims.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/edmonton/2011-rav-4-touring-for-sale-only-83500-km/1405185860?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/edmonton/low-mileage-2009-honda-cr-v-ex-l/1396672817?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/edmonton/2010-honda-cr-v-4wd-a-c/1405317476?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

[buckmaster]

CRV is a nice suv for your daughter. Jeep liberty are nice but heard they are heavy on fuel and tranny issues with them.I,m also looking for my 18yr old daughter and cant decide on a car or to buy a suv.

[ESOXangler]

About a 2015 Subaru Forester, or Jeep. With all the crazy drivers out there wouldn't buy my daughter anything small.

I second this. Get a subaru for sure. 3 year old impreza would do her good. As long as it wasnt run hard that car will do good for many years. Excellent IIHS rating. Its what my kids will be driving.

Lifes to precious to drive a Corolla...

[Gongshow]

We just bought my son an 08 subaru impreza hatchback after searching finally r months for a car. The awd, safety rating, longevity, and resale value of these cars is something i am very happy about. I would recommend a subaru

[ESOXangler]

We just bought my son an 08 subaru impreza hatchback after searching finally r months for a car. The awd, safety rating, longevity, and resale value of these cars is something i am very happy about. I would recommend a subaru

My commuter car is a '09 impreza. I've taken it out in all types of spicy weather and never had I've come to prefer it to my chevy when things are crap out.

[huntinstuff]

For $17k she could get a 3 yr old suv with a nice set of options

Your price range opens tons of doors

[Twisted Canuck]

For $17k she could get a 3 yr old suv with a nice set of options

Your price range opens tons of doors


You beat me to it. For that $, a decent 3 year old Rav4, with under 70K km is easily had. Then she has a great vehicle she can drive for ten years or longer. Love toyotas.

[tri777]

'..For that $, a decent 3 year old Rav4, with under 70K km is easily had. ."

Not really easily had, best I could come up with is a 5yr old with
135K for a whopping near $19G(after GST + dealer fee crap)

Cheapest 2015 Rav's are still in the $22-30G area

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/edmonton/2013-toyota-rav4/1402113453?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

[amosfella]

I'd offer the owners $6k for this one. I'd even go to calgary if you wanted to look at it and do a diagnostic scan on it as a I have a dealer scan computer. Engine is extremely reliable as is the trany as a rule. The 4 matic awd from that era puts most other brands new awd system to shame. And now she can move herself.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/calgary/2006-mercedes-e500-wagon-4matic-rare/1406366803?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

This one could also be a good buy, if you're willing to change the thermostat.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/st-albert/2008-mercedes-benz-e350-4matic/1398438190?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

I'd also look at this one.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/calgary/black-ml500-mercedes-benz/1405207255?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

Even this one. Probably one of the safest cars in a crash you'll find other than a brand new mercedes. Easily topping volvo. If it's been kept sorted, it'll be a good car.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/edmonton/2005-s500-mercedes-benz-for-sale/1397745176?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

These are extremely safe cars. In mercedes, avoid anything 2005/2006 with a 350 number designation.

[fordtruckin]

Good friend of mine went through the same search for his wife. She was an accountant type and with the sales on new corollas vs used. After she crunches the numbers it was cheaper to buy new over the 4-5 year life of the loan. Then you end up with warranty and past owner history etc...

[jungleboy]

Iran my 06 matrix to 350 k till a gravel truck backed into it and wrote it off. Replaced it with an 04 Corolla that I got with 140 k and added another 130 k before I tired of it and sold it . I have always had great luck with Toyota.
That said, My wife's current car is a 04 Impala I bought it because I always like the look of them. it's been with us for 4 trouble free years.I hope when it finally goes,I can find another in good condition as I would buy that car again in a heart beat. paid $2500 for it and it still looks and drives beautifully. and it gets 30mpg on the cheap stuff.

[KegRiver]

Count me in as another Toyota fan. I've owned two, both were cheap to run and lasted forever.
My wife owns a 2002 Camry. She bought it new, it now has over 280 miles on it. It's a USA can so the odo is in miles.
She has had to replace the catalytic converter twice and last year the transmission failed but other then that it's taken only routine maintenance.

I would not buy a Honda. I've seen too many problems with them. Not sure why, perhaps it's the owners. All the ones I have seen belonged to young drivers who liked to treat them like Baja race cars.

I haven't bought a car in decades so I have no idea on what they are worth.
I do know that Toyota's hold their value better then most.

[Lefty]

I was never a Ford guy until we bought a Fusion. It was a great car until my wife was hit and the car was written off. We went out and got another one. This latest car is AWD, leather, back up camera , blind spot mirror etc, and has been great. The AWD and winter tires makes my wife feel so much more confident driving that it is worth it for that alone

Had a 07 AWD that has been fantastic. Under 700 bucks in repairs and my kid is driving it. A couple other people at work have older ones too and have been trouble free. One of them 5 years ago told me they were going to get a new vehicle as theirs has a lot of mileage, and they are still driving it. Decided they would keep it until they start having mechanical issues with it as they couldn't get much for it on the market, and it is still running good.

[Gerald J]

I think you know the answer already.

In the summer of 2002, I bought a new 2003 Corolla. Put 333K on it (the odometer would not turn over to 300K). Twelve years later, in 2014, I gave it my 17 year old nephew. He kept it for a year, put another 10K on it and sold it for $1900 (ouch!). Hey, good on him. A guy bought it for his aging parents and last I heard, it is still on the road and they love it. I don't want to brag about how good it was and how little work I did to it over the years. Why? Murphy's Law. I don't want to jinx it. I was so impressed that I bought another new one in 2014. My brother says "you bought another Corolla?" LOL. Let me just say this... I nicknamed that car "the brake and tire car".

When I bought the 2014, my other nephew was about to start kindergarten. I told my brother "he's getting this car in grade 11". He laughed but I am not kidding.

I think Toyota builds the best vehicles. With Honda a close second. The Corolla or Civic are good options. I you want to go a little bigger (and for safety reasons as other have mentioned), I would go the Rav4/CRV. This will be the direction I'm going in about 8 years time.

Good luck.

[yz295]

Hands down a 4th Gen 4Runner with the V6. Isn't the most fuel economical but very reliable, frame on body, 2wd with 4wd hi and low, nice and heavy and can go through anything. I bought one for our family 5 years ago with 200,000 kms on it was a one owner well maintained truck with all dealer service records. I paid $8500 and sold it at 289,000 kms a few years later for $9750 with just oil changes, brakes, plugs, etc. Both the V6 and V8s are very reliable and very easy to get parts, and work on. Never had a problem with it. Took it to Waiparious and run through deep snow no issues. Never got stuck even trying to get it stuck.

I know these trucks inside and out and what you want to watch out for is:

- Frame rust
- Brake calipers seize
- Very early V6 did have weak HGs but that will have been done by now

Still miss that truck and if I had a daughter your age without a doubt that's what she would be driving.

Safe, reliable and you'll get your money back if you ever need to sell it for whatever reason. Be patient and wait for the right truck. The one owner ones do come up and are snapped up within a few hours so keep your eye out.

Good luck and glad she's safe.

[omega50]

Glad she escaped serious injury. Lots of good vehicle suggestions already offered. But I would be more concerned that she might be in her own head if she felt helpless or out of control in that situation.

After the next vehicle is purchased I would look at the 2 hour AMA Winter Driving Course so she can cement those skills and be less wary moving forward.
This one is in Calgary, but easy to check courses in your area


Become a safer and more confident winter driver with our Winter Driving Lesson. Take a 2 hour in-car lesson with one of our provincially certified instructors and put your new safe winter driving skills to use.

What you’ll learn:

one-on-one instruction on winter driving practices related to braking, steering and accelerating
proactive winter driving tips
how to complete vehicle checks
about essential winter driving survival equipment
CALGARY:
Member Savings: $16
$169 MEMBERS
$185 NON-MEMBERS
Call us at 1-833-374-8733 to book

[1shotwade]

Just picked up a 2008 Nissan altima coupe. Has 80000km on it . Was a garage queen I got it for 6 grand. Right place right time. Has the big v6. Pretty good deal for a grocery getter.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190101/5eeb8db493d8ef938299d7d6c9205cf3.jpg

Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk

[cranky]

Sorry to hear about the accident. Its scary when that happens. Glad to hear she wasnt hurt.
We have right now at least a half dozen Toyotas in our close family. Im probably the only one who doesnt drive one all the time cause i got a old truck that has been with me for along time and wont quit.
My girls always have had Toyotas since they started driving. There all grown and gone now with there own families. They all still drive Toyotas today.
Never had anything other than wear and tear ever need fixing on any of them.

[Dean2]

Glad she is okay. I am a big Toyota fan but I do not like small cars for safety. Smallest Toyota car I would buy is a Camry/Avalon. Almost all of the Toyota, Honda etc cars have a five star crash rating but in a crash, heaviest car still wins. Just ask anyone who attends a lot of MVAs.

I have put over 300,000 K on many different brands and makes, Toyota, Honda, Lexus, Dodge, Oldsmobile, Pontiac and a few others. With good maintenance, 300,000 K is no problem. Only vehicles I never had any luck with are Fords so I don't buy those any more.

I would check out a Dodge Charger SXT AWD. They have a five star crash rating, good gas mileage, very good handling in all conditions and are cheap to maintain. Good full size car that has lots of trunk space. You can buy one 4 or 5 years old with less than 80,000 K well within your price point. As you already know, you want to get it checked out at an independent mechanic, even if you buy from a dealer.

[Atlas12]

Go cheaper on the car and drop some cash on a set of studded Nokian Hakkapelitas.

I've driven a lot of studded winter tires, and nothing comes even close to these for snow or ice driving.

[RZR]

I have 300,000 Kms on my Taurus with no issues, but I also due all my maintenance on the recommended intervals.

[FellSwoop]

From the original post, it is a value question. I agree that the Toyota and Hondas are great used but you often have to pay for that in higher resale cost. They break less than American iron, but parts are more expensive and more difficult to find in the wrecking yards. Other Japanese brands may be riding on the coattails of these two. The worst car I ever had was a new Subaru, and I have done the headgasket change on two Legacy's for friends. Nissan has generally accepted to be good engines but their automatic transmission has a nasty reputation.
Personally, I would look at an American 12 year old lux sedan, try to get a babied one from an older original owner. Buick, Lincoln, or even Impala, Tarus, intrepid. All of these cars are not without flaws, but they are usually not fatal if you know what to look for. I suspect that a post review $/km will show them to be the best buy.

[ESOXangler]

From a value perspective the above poster is more than likely right. From safety perspective I'd avoid them. IIHS has a pretty impressive website to see how all cars react. Just depends on your life philosophy tbh.

[colroggal]

I've said it before - if I didn't need a pickup and I was about four inches shorter and fifty pounds lighter I would have a Subaru. But if I was that size and could get away with a 1/4 ton it would be a Toyota.

Colin

[jstubbs]

I've said it before - if I didn't need a pickup and I was about four inches shorter and fifty pounds lighter I would have a Subaru. But if I was that size and could get away with a 1/4 ton it would be a Toyota.

Colin

You must be a big dude then! I'm 6'4" 210 lbs and have a little 2003 Subaru Forester. I fit great in it.

That said, not sure I'd recommend a Subaru. My girlfriend's mom has a 2015 Forester, it's on the dealer recommended service schedule yet has had more problems than they can believe on it and it barely has any miles. My 03 had to get new headgaskets in under 180,000 km. Then the clutches are junk, the manual trans aren't great, electrical problems, you name it...

[AndrewM]

I have a Mazda 3 commuter. Has treated me awesome for the price of it. If willing to spend 17K you should be able to have quite a few options for cars with limited km. I usually try to stay under 50,000km and try to find a vehicle with warranty when buying used. Make sure you check for liens as almost purchased a truck with one on.

[sns2]

Going to pick her up and get a 2016 Toyota Corolla LE. 48,000 km and bumper to bumper lasts until June of this year. $14k and it is wearing winter tires. Happy with the purchase. If she is smart, she will drive it until she's 30 accident free. Thanks for all your input.

[303carbine]

On Christmas, my 18 yr old daughter was involved in a serious accident on hwy 16 coming back from our family supper. Roads were treacherous. Car in front of her hit the brakes. She then did also, hitting ice, and losing control. Piled into the rear end of the vehicle in front. Thankfully, the vehicle she hit sustained minimal damage, but her car was written off. Doctor at the hospital said it was a Christmas miracle that she sustained no serious injuries. It goes without saying we were thankful.

Now the hunt for a reliable used vehicle begins. She is in school, and I want something that will be reliable for a number of years. Think Toyota Corolla sort of car. Anyhow, I have always been a new car kinda guy, as the used vehicles I have bought have proven to be headaches. I have often heard that 2-3 years old was the depreciation/reliability sweetspot.

If you were in my shoes, getting a vehicle for your daughter, what would you be narrowing your search for in terms of make, model, and mileage?

Can go as high as $17K all in.


Volvo cars have a good rating.........and not everybody is driving them.

[Gerald J]

Going to pick her up and get a 2016 Toyota Corolla LE. 48,000 km and bumper to bumper lasts until June of this year. $14k and it is wearing winter tires. Happy with the purchase. If she is smart, she will drive it until she's 30 accident free. Thanks for all your input.

Tell her to take it easy the first few years. She's still breaking it in.

[pinelakeperch]

Volvo cars have a good rating.........and not everybody is driving them.

Great cars. I bought my 2011 in 2012 with 20,000 km and have had 160,000 km of issue-free (knock on wood) driving ever since. Great performance and safety.

[MK2750]

Going to pick her up and get a 2016 Toyota Corolla LE. 48,000 km and bumper to bumper lasts until June of this year. $14k and it is wearing winter tires. Happy with the purchase. If she is smart, she will drive it until she's 30 accident free. Thanks for all your input.

Nice reliable car. All winter tires are not created equal. Sellers have a tendency to buy junk tires to help make the sale. The dealer put 4 new tires on my son's new to him truck and they lasted less than one summer with a couple of blow outs on gravel. I run Nokian winter tires only and they are head and shoulders above other manufacturers. I can get Michelin or BF Goodrich at a considerable discount and prefer to pay full price for the Nokian.

I took Michelin X-Ice off my Camry when it was new in the middle of a snow storm and put on a new set of Hakkapeliitta. It went from white knuckles to driving a snow machine. The Nordman are an outstanding value as they are last model Hakkapeliitta. I took a fresh set of nearly 300 dollar per Firestone off my new car and put on Nordman. A much more aggressive tire but the fuel mileage improved and so did the handling. It is actually fun to drive in winter and feels safer than my 4x4 with all weather tires on it.

Good luck with the new car.