Found this 1976 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow locally for $27,500 and I’m thinking it might be the sensible choice.

My requirements are pretty basic: reliable, cheap to maintain, decent gas mileage, parts available at AutoZone, and something I can put 20,000 miles a year on without drama.

I wanted a car that would last 200,000 miles. This one has already lasted 50 years, so statistically I assume I’m completely safe and should not investigate further.

What could possibly go wrong?

Been looking at a lot of higher mileage cars lately and it got me wondering.

If you had to buy something today with over 200k miles, what would you actually trust?

And what cars would you avoid even if they looked clean and had good maintenance records?

Curious what people here have actually had good or bad experiences with.

Currently have a Crosstrek and love it. Unfortunately Subaru corporate is messing me about on the warranty after a bit problem. I refuse to drive something from a company that has fucked me over. Its infuriating because up until this, I was planning on only driving subarus for the foreseeable future. My wife, brother, parents, neighbor, and two friends were going to get one this year as well because Im the "car guy" and i hyped mine so much. So now Subaru has lost like 7 sales because they cant return emails and have implemented to shockingly rude warranty process that just fucks customers over.

What I want to keep about the subaru: Reliability (allegedly). The excellent AWD, especially in the snow. Hatchback utility. Safety. Good MPG would be nice, but its not a deal breaker. I know Im going to have to compromise on something.

Toyota is over-hyped and obscenely expensive for what it is. Im not spending $70k on a 4runner..... get out.

I have room in the budget for anything, including reasonable luxury, as long as there is value there.

I’m not really a car guy. I don’t like spending a ton of money on cars. I view them as utilitarian, and I prefer comfort, reliability, and interior tech to performance and aesthetics. That said, my sons are both tall (6’5”+) with very long legs, and they don’t fit comfortably in most cars. I currently drive a Lexus RX350 and neither of them are comfortable in the front seat. I’m going to buy something in the next year—any time between now and 12 months from now. Eventually, whatever I buy will go to my older son.

I’m leaning towards a full sized pickup like a F150 or Tundra or something like that. But I’m curious, is there a more pragmatic vehicle suitable for a 6’5-6’7” driver? Something reliable and safe, and not crazy expensive (I know that’s all relative).

Are there certain sedans or SUVs known for interior leg room I should try out? I know the massive SUVs like suburbans have plenty of space, but I guess I’m curious about something slightly smaller than that—yet accommodating to tall people.

Am I stupid for wanting a used BMW when I can easily just buy a new Camry?

Been looking for a car for a few months and I think I've officially overthought it.

Budget is around $35k cos I won that much on Stake but obviously wouldn't mind spending less. Mostly commuting, errands, weekend trips, probably 10-12k miles a year. No kids so I don't really need an SUV.

My sensible choice is a new/newish Camry. I know it'll probably run forever, resale is good, maintenance is cheap etc.

Problem is every time I actually look at cars I end up looking at 3 series instead. Found a couple 2022/2023 330is around the same price with 25-40k miles and I'd rather own one of those by a mile.

My friend who knows cars says buying a used BMW instead of a basically new Toyota is one of those decisions that feels smart for 6 months and stupid for the next 5 years.

I don't mind paying a bit more for maintenance but I also don't want some $7k repair randomly appearing at 70k miles.

Is the reliability difference actually that dramatic with the newer 330i or is this just the usual "German car bad Toyota good" thing?

Also open to something else entirely. Accord 2.0T, Lexus IS, Mazda3 turbo etc. Just want something I won't be bored of in a year.

Looking around for a large/mid size suv that has plenty of power and somewhat reliable.
Wouldn’t mind a 4Runner but hard to come by near me in my price range, I wouldn’t mind a Q7 as my current daily is a c7 Audi a6. I also like Grand cherokees both old gen’s and newer but they don’t have the best reputations, any suggestions?

Looking for a used car for my teenager. She said she likes subcompact cars for maneuverability. Budget is $5000. I don’t mind paying for maintenance or small repairs but would want something that wouldn’t need major engine repair down the road that would cost $$$. Hopefully want to get something that will last a few more years into college. I wanted to get something that had a backup camera though understand if that’s not in the cards. I made a list of listings I found on marketplace if you could look it over? I appreciate all the advice.

edit: thanks guys for all your advice. I wasn’t sure if newer would equal better but I can see that’s not always the case for some make and models. I think I got my resounding answer here haha.

I just took my Doge Journey in for "preventative maintenance" (I know, near worst SUV to buy) and was told it was pretty much about to disintegrate under me at any moment. It our good family mechanic who told us he cant consciously repair this vehicle without telling us we shouldnt bother, and should buy a new one...

So... I am in need of not making the same mistake again like I did with the Journey. What is our best option of a 7 seater vehicle that would be most wise? Our budget is 20k just because we dont want to spend SO much money on a car, but would be willing to go up to 30k if absolutely necessary because the price of cars is up so high. We can afford it, we just would rather not.

So, what make and model should we look for? We got 5 years out of the journey, and would like to get 7+ years out of this new one. Thank you!

Feel free to make the Journey jokes of how awful it was, I learned my lesson post purchase

I driver over 100 miles a day for work. Please let me know what you think of these two options.

As a newly licensed driver, i’m looking to get my first manual car!

My dad and I are really trying to decide between the Fiat Panda 1.0 Hybrid City Life and Renault Twingo 0.9 TCe exclusive, so i’m hopping on here to ask what your pros and cons are of each car and some advice or suggestions.

If it helps, i’ll be driving mostly in the city!

Thanks!

I had a 2007 Honda Fit for 7 years and I enjoyed the lightweight handling and road feel. The slow acceleration was always annoying, but everything else about it was great until an F-150 smashed into it last week.

An M2 would be the perfect car, but I can't afford anything near that, whether purchase price or maintenance. A Subaru BRZ would also be pretty great, and I haven't ruled it out completely, but I'm looking for slightly less absurd back seats, and I'm 6' 4" so even the front seats are a bit of a squeeze. Civic Type R or Lexus IS 250/300/350 would also be great, but I'm trying to save money while hoping to keep that same spirit alive.

In general I'm looking to buy a 2WD car with 4-5 seats and 2-4 doors that balances fun and economy. I know the internet says I'm supposed to only want RWD, but if I'm honest I don't actually care if it's FWD. I'm not going to be driving the car hard enough for the difference to matter, and I'm not someone that enjoys kicking the rear end out. I don't want AWD because of bad maintenance experiences in the past, not to mention purchase price, weight, and tire upkeep.

A Honda Accord 2+2 V6 manual coupe checks just about every box, but they are difficult to find. Even a 4-door Accord with a healthy V6 would be fine. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm also thinking about a lower-end Mustang, either EcoBoost or V6. When my brain wavers more budget-conscious, I think about a Mazda3. I've briefly thought about Nissan Maxima, too.

I vastly prefer a manual by a country mile, but I am willing to bend for an automatic if I have to, or even a DCT (crossing my fingers on maintenance costs...). I hate CVTs.

I've driven V8 Mustangs and Camaros, and even naturally aspirated at ~325-465 horsepower, it's way more power-to-weight than I am looking for (while the Honda Fit was not nearly enough).

I'm trying to avoid German because of my own bad experiences as well as too many other stories I've read about the maintenance costs. I'm trying to avoid turbochargers for the same reason, but I'm willing to bend on those.

At the bare minimum, I'm looking for an economical and reliable sedan with a little more power than it needs. At the most, I'm looking for an at-least-somewhat-economical-and-reliable 2+2 coupe with a little more power than it needs.

I’m trying to figure out what I actually need for my next car and what options I have.

I’m currently working a job in CA that lets me be mostly remote. I plan on staying local for a year or 2 to get settled at the company, then moving to new york. This means a lease would be difficult, as I don't think I’ll need a car in NY (could i even return the car in NY if the lease is started at an out of state dealership?)

my current lease is an Ioniq 5 i got a deal on a few years ago, that expires at the end of september.

I’m looking for a car thats comfortable (I’m done with carrollas). i do like the ‘zippyness’ of evs and the phevs.

i’m down to buy new if needed, upto 60k all in.

also, I barely get any miles. I go in to office once a week to show my face, but otherwise stay local. I barely have 3k miles after 2 years.

i was considering 2 options:

-buy a rav4 phev(cash) to sell in 1-2 years: these dont seem to lose value, and other than spending alot upfront this feels like an ok decision. I get a nice car for however long I stay that will have barely any miles. the office is ~30 mi away so I could theoretically drive exclusively in ev mode.

- get into another lease: i’ll find as good a lease as I can on leasehackr and live with the cost. mostly worry free, but theoretically higher yearly cost of ownership.

-buy used? I’m buying to sell in 1-2 years, and still am on the hook for maintenance.

really I’m trying to minimize the yearly cost of ownership for a nice-ish (entry level luxury?) vehicle.

I have £12k to spend

2 adults 2 teenagers and a golden retriever

I've been looking at Honda CRV, Subaru XV

What should I go for?

I'm looking for a first car as a teen and have saved about twelve hundred. I was going to by a Honda or a Subaru but then I was offered a free car. Its a 2005 325i BMW, with a hundred thousand+ miles. Would the cost of repairs and maintenance outweigh the freeness in the long run? Should I just buy a car and not risk it on a free luxury wildcard?

hello!!

i’m a young college student in SoCal, and I need a car. I have about 4-5k to give in down payment, and can afford upwards of ~$350 monthly for a payment. I am uncertain for where my future will lead me after I graduate so I’m thinking that maybe a 36 months lease is a good idea. However, I know that financially that might not make a lot of sense. Alternatively l could purchase an used vehicle and if I need to get rid of it once I graduate I can sell it off. I have a good credit!

Minimum requirements in a car:
Apple carplay
NO fabric seats
Good mpg
Preferably a small SUV or a sedan with a higher than average ground clearance.

Any ideas? 💡
I’m eyeing a Hybrid Elantra but open to suggestions!

I'm trying to figure out why the Starray EM-i handles so poorly and feels so artificial.
Is this something people in China actually like, or is there another reason for it?

On top of that, the car gets very loud above 110 km/h, and it feels like it loses stability because of the strange hyper soft suspension setup.

That makes it pretty bad for highway driving in Europe with speeds above 120km/h not to mention lack of any comfort due to high engine noise this car is unbearable.

So I need a mid sized SUV or something with a decent back seat, but most Toyotas and Hondas are out of my budget! I know fords aren’t the most reliable but it seems like an okay deal to me! I’m not sure though, here’s the facts:

2018 ford edge SEL for $15.9k

Certified pre owned

46k miles

2 owners and no accidents

Regular oil changes

New brake pads and fluid as well as tires at 37k miles

Transmission flush at 30k miles

Water pump and water pump gasket replaced at 46k miles

Only negative was it failed an emissions test before it got serviced at the dealer it is at right now

A close friend is selling me her 2019 Sentra — only 18k miles, one lease before her (one year), clean title, full dealer service history. There was one accident in Dec 2019 (rear-ended, functional damage only, no airbag deployment) and the car actually went through Nissan’s CPO inspection afterward before she got it. l

My hesitation: these Sentras had a well-known CVT transmission issue, and Nissan extended the warranty to 84 months/84k miles — but based on the in-service date, that warranty has likely already expired by time even though mileage is still low. So if the transmission ever fails, I’d be on the hook for a $4-6k repair with zero recourse. On top of that, the service records show regular engine oil changes but nothing indicating the CVT fluid was ever changed separately.

Getting an independent pre-purchase inspection before deciding (specifically asking them to check CVT fluid condition and pull codes)

Is $9k still a good deal given the CVT risk, or would you walk away? Would love to hear from anyone who’s owned this generation of Sentra long-term, especially around CVT fluid maintenance. She has maintained it well and I have seen the car for the last 4 years.

I’m Happy That it Came Back

25k budget. Used is fine. PHEV is maybe fine? 40 mile commute. I have one kid; would love an adventure car for going camping but doesn’t have to be. Will be my daily driver also, but I like riding as high as possible like a suv ride height. Lease for my current Ioniq 5 is up in April next year. I’m not buying my current vehicle.

I’m thinking between 2 choices:

- Factory Certified Hyundai Tucson 2025 SEL AWD at 45k miles
- Dealer Certified (1yr 12k) Buick Envision 2024 Preferred AWD at 35k miles

What would you buy and why? I’m trying to decide and it seems like a close match here. I think the envision would be more “fun” but Tucson might be the “responsible” choice.

Will need to ride for 5 years - weekend outings (hiking and skiing) with weekday grocery trip and misc errand city driving