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She's in MD. $3,500 max.
The car is for her daughter a busy student who works several jobs and definitely needs dependable vehicle to last several years.
There will be more options to come. But so far the choices are, in no particular order:
-- model year 2005 to 2010 Mazda 6, Honda Accord, or Toyota Camry
At this point she's looking for advice to "stay away from this car" -- or -- yes, that could be a good option.
Obviously good price, lowest mileage possible. Although she understands that the age of the cars she's considering.
You're going to get a ton of specific model suggestions on here and the usual Toyota/Honda only people. In that prices range, I'd say that low miles and properly maintained are most important. I would look for the typical "Grandma Car" that's around 10 years old, but has less than 30k miles on it. They aren't as hard to find as you may think. Hint: search for Buicks.
All things being equal, I think an Accord or a Camry would be where I'd go.
Having said that, *if* you can find a real low mileage (<= 60K) bigger American car that was owned by a retired person who took care of it and wasn't driving it a lot, it just sat in the garage and went to the supermarket, the mall, and church now and then.... maybe they have passed on or maybe they just aren't driving anymore, you might indeed get a real bargain, because a lot of those cars don't have much market appeal anymore - so they're cheap, but they'd be fine for transportation. I suggest looking in e.g. CraigsList and other local advertising outlets.
Last edited by OutdoorLover; 02-17-2020 at 06:16 PM..
Thanks for the suggestions so far.
The daughter was driving a midsize U.S. sedan.
What U.S. midsize cars would you recommend?
It's NOT the brand/model car. Some get the concept while others don't have a clue on what makes a good used car.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lagaroth
In that prices range, I'd say that low miles and properly maintained are most important. I would look for the typical "Grandma Car" that's around 10 years old, but has less than 30k miles on it. They aren't as hard to find as you may think. Hint: search for Buicks.
Thanks for the suggestions so far.
The daughter was driving a midsize U.S. sedan.
What U.S. midsize cars would you recommend?
Consumer Reports says the 2008-2009 Ford Taurus is more reliable than most American cars of that vintage. And it's not hugely huge - a little easier to park. They're also among the safer cars of that era - Ford partnered with Volvo during that period, and Volvo in the late 1990s and early 2000s, led in safety. Demand for Taurus is not high, which for a buyer, is good. Mercury Sable is the same car, by the way.
The daughter had been driving the grandmother's old car -- an '04 Mercury Sable -- for years. But it was recently totaled in a car accident. (Not much damage, but at that age the insurance company was going to total it regardless.)
They know the car and are open to that make/model again.
Mom is just trying to get other suggestions.
Buy her a SAAB. Great safety ratings, fuel efficient, and prices have tanked because the mother company is extinct. It is highly recommended to have a knowledgeable SAAB trained mechanic in her local area.
Parts are usually not a problem as Sweden copied the British Heritage Solution implemented when so many British car companies died in the 60's and 70's, so most SAAB specific parts are still being made, and since SAAB was a low volume manufacturer they outsourced many parts to brand name suppliers (Bosch, Valeo, Mitsubishi, Toyota-Aisin) rather than self manufacturing them.
You're going to get a ton of specific model suggestions on here and the usual Toyota/Honda only people. In that prices range, I'd say that low miles and properly maintained are most important. I would look for the typical "Grandma Car" that's around 10 years old, but has less than 30k miles on it. They aren't as hard to find as you may think. Hint: search for Buicks.
For $3500?
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