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I am going to use it for city driving + weekend long drives. A family of three on a limited budget. Should be low maintenance and give good Mileage. Budget approx $12000+.
Also suggest your favourite used cars.
My kids all have had several Subarus. They are low maintainance and bullet proof. Where we live the AWD is a plus, but you do suffer a little bit when it comes to fuel mileage.
Well you want something comfortable for a long drive, gets god gas mileage, and has a fairly large backseat all for $12K appx? Hmm....
The best vehicles I can think of for what you want/need:
2003-2005 Cadillac Deville. VERY comfortable for long drives, spacious, and gets around 27 mpg. The Northstar is a reliable engine and should give you many miles of hassle-free driving.
2004-2006 Lexus ES330. Comfortable, luxurious, and also gets good mileage.
I see from your other post that you're moving from India to New Jersey.
KoobleKar had a great suggestion in saying that the AWD of the Subaru might be of great benefit to you especially since snow will be rather foreign for you to drive in. It snows in New Jersey so be prepared to be cold and messy!
That's nuts. Why drive a thirsty 18 foot long car for a family of three?
I think any of the following can be found in that price range 3-4 years old:
Mazda6
Mazda3
Ford Fusion or Mercury Milan
Subary Legacy
Honda Civic
Ford 500 (very roomy and safe)
Ford Escape (small SUV)
Hyundai Sonata
The OP said they would be driving the vehicle on long trips...what better vehicle to take on a long trip that a comfy Caddy? And thirsty...my mom used to have a Deville and she consistently got 27-28 mpg on the highway which is better than half of the vehicles you posted.
I'm also a fan of Subarus. But gas mileage isn't the best, and I've heard that routine maintenance costs are above average.
I own a Mazda, and generally like Mazdas, but would not recommend a Mazda3 where roads are salted. I'm finding, through both personal experience and the car reliability survey I conduct, that many Mazda models are prone to rust.
Hondas and Toyotas are solid cars, but you'll pay a premium for them as used cars.
Ford could well be the sweet spot. They're relatively inexpensive as used cars, but in recent years tend to be reliable. The Five Hundred is very roomy. The Fusion is probably roomy enough and tends to be very reliable.
You can check out reliability stats for various cars here:
The OP said they would be driving the vehicle on long trips...what better vehicle to take on a long trip that a comfy Caddy? And thirsty...my mom used to have a Deville and she consistently got 27-28 mpg on the highway which is better than half of the vehicles you posted.
The OP is also coming from India where he/she has been driving 800 cc cars.
The OP is also coming from India where he/she has been driving 800 cc cars.
Welcome to America! I don't see why that matters anyhow. If the MPG figures are acceptable then go with it. I think the DeVille is an excellent choice.
The DeVille depreciates rapidly, but unless the OP desires all of its luxury and features they can get an equally functional car for less money.
Within GM, the Impala springs to mind. My father-in-law managed low 30s on the highway, and used they're quite cheap. The Five Hundred is a better car in most ways, though.
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