<p>S will be going off to grad school (already!) and will probably need a car. What would be a good used car? Dependable but not too expensive. Thanks!</p>
<p>Honda Civic is very high on my shopping list right now… (hope my daughter doesn’t see this 
)</p>
<p>Toyota Camry. If it hasn’t been in any major accidents it’s made they way a car should be made. To last and last. Buy the Car Fax report it’s worth the money!</p>
<p>We just went through this with my grad school son. What we found is that the real bargains are on cars one and two years old that have been repossessed. They have dropped to a fraction of their original cost and are still under warranty. Older cars have not dropped in price proportionally. So we decided to lend him some money to buy a newer, better car he can keep for many years.</p>
<p>We bought a used Ford Fusion with less than 30,000 miles on it for one of the kids. It’s pretty easy to bargain with dealerships on used cars. They suggested us one price. We told them what we would pay. He agreed to our price.</p>
<p>We have 1995, 1997, and 1999 Saturns, all purchased used, and all doing great!</p>
<p>We drive our Toyota Corallas into the ground.</p>
<p>Depending on the price point you’re looking at, get one that still has some of the factory warranty left so you and he can have some assurance. You can also look at the ‘factory certified’ used cars which typically extend the factory warranty out to 100K miles and some additional years. These can be priced a bit higher than one without it but but you might want the assurance that they’ve been inspected well prior to them being willing to do the factory certification. </p>
<p>There are so many possibilities as to the particular car since most cars nowadays are reliable as long as they aren’t abused. Is he interested in any particular type to narrow it down?
- 2dr coupe vs 4 dr sedan vs hatchback vs SUV
- Usable back seat in case someone needs to ride back there for more than a few minutes. This can eliminate a number of models.
- MPG targets
- handling
- ‘sportiness’ vs just basic transportation
- number of miles on vehicle (ex: < 30K vs 80K). A car with < 30K miles can sometimes seem practically new.</p>
<p>Another factor is car insurance. the cost can vary quite a bit from model to model so you might want to check with your insurance company on the models you’re considering.</p>
<p>If he has no idea, check online at carmax.com, autotrader.com, cars.com, etc. and peruse the models.</p>
<p>Marite: how can your son be going to grad school already?! Time flies… whether you’re having fun or not.</p>
<p>Me, I’d look for a 4-cylinder Honda Accord four-door from the late 90s. Every single one of those that I run across has more than 100,000K miles on it, is cheap to repair, and so boring no one would want to steal it.</p>
<p>Thanks to all. We gave our Honda Accord (1998?) to S1. Before the Honda, we’d had a Toyota Corolla. We’re now car-less, but it is likely that S2 will need a car, depending on where he ends up going. Good thing about the insurance. S will be 21, has not driven much so far, as he has not needed to. It’s probably going to cost an arm and a leg.</p>
<p>We bought a used standard shift, four cylinder Accord. It’s a fabulous car.</p>
<p>We have done very well with Ford Tauruses.</p>
<p>We bought S2 a 1996 Toyota pick-up three years ago with 176,000 miles on it. Three years later and over 200,000 miles now, it’s still chugging along. We’ve had no major problems.
I have a 2001 Toyota Avalon with 107,000 miles. For the most part, all we do is change the oil and put gas in it. I love it and when (if) it dies would get another one.</p>
<p>We had a 1998 Accord for for few years. It was fun to drive. Had no real probs. It wasn’t the top of the line version. I find my Toyota more comfortable than the Honda.</p>
<p>We’ve had toyotas and hondas. IMO, toyotas are more comfortable, built better, and ride better than Hondas.</p>
<p>We just went through this. We started off looking at Toyotas and Hondas. For what we wanted to spend we found we were getting a much older car then we wanted. I know the wisdom of you get a better price from a private party but due to fact that our D was doing the looking across the country we ended up going to a relative of a friend who was a car salesman at a Ford dealer. He did a great job of showing her what was available. He was no pressure. My D did not like the look of the Fusion and the one’s in her price range were manual and she wanted an automatic. It came down to three choices. A Ford Escape- this was my D’s first choice, a Hyundai Sonata and a Toyota Avalon. The dealer and my H convinced my D that the Escape was not the right car. Older and more miles for the same price as the Hyundai. The Avalon was in great shape but more money and 30,000 more miles. She went with the Hyundai due to the fact that it was low miles and the price was right plus it still has 18 months left on the factory warranty.
She has been very happy with the choice. She feels safe and just grateful to have a car.
Adding we have never owned or even considered a Hyundai. We have always been a Toyota family</p>
<p>Check this April’s issue of Consumer Reports- now at your library- it’s the annual car issue and gives all sorts of data on new/used cars. Good source for those brands/models with good/bad track records. You’ll see why parents here give their favorites.</p>
<p>Thanks, wis75. We have experience with both Hondas and Toyotas, which seem to be the majority recommendations. I was wondering if others had different ones.</p>
<p>All I can say is that D bought (with some extra help from us) and 2002 Honda Civic for $10,500 in 2005. In 2008, on her graduation weekend, with family “caravanning” right behind her, she was involved in an accident that totaled this car. She received $9400 for it over 3 years after we bought it. During the time she owned it, there was absolutely nothing needing repair…just a couple oil changes. They HOLD THEIR VALUE.
Although I’d always heard that Hondas really retain their value, until this happened, I didn’t really appreciate it. H & I had a couple other cars over 28 years totaled through no fault of our own and I can tell you, it was not a happy outcome financially.</p>
<p>It sold me on Honda and when she leaves the Windy City and is ready for a car again, she will be buying a Honda. And so will we, when we finally must replace our 10 and 11 year old cars that we are still driving. Unbelievable. I’d never owned a Honda myself, but look forward to the opportunity.</p>
<p>^^ I hope your D was okay in the accident. It must have been traumatic for the family members who were following her.</p>
<p>If the grad school is in the snow belt, consider a Suburu. The 4 wheel drive makes it very nice in lousy weather.</p>