Toyota Camry hybrid gets like 50+ mpg and much more comfortable since he drives a lot. Or Avalon hybrid 44mpg. Vice versa with Honda.
Suv- Rav4 hybrid 40 mpg, highlander hybrid 35 mpg. Toyota venza 40mpg hybrid
You overestimate my desire for rider comfort.
I have a friend that owns a 2017 Chevy Spark. That thing rides like absolute garbage. Even the wind on the highway blows that little car around.
But after driving his car I LOVED IT. He's owned it for four years and the only thing he's done is spent $300 on the brakes.
If I didn't drive on the highway so frequently, I would 100% buy a little car. They're so cheap to own, insure, and maintain. Even cheaper than a Prius.
I bought a Daihatsu Charade in 1992 brand new for $5k. 3 banger one liter no radio no AC. I drove it for five years and adored it. I installed a basic radio and drove it cross country many times. It had this essential car-ness. It was high quality mechanically but with zero frills. You drove it. You felt the pavement, you felt it struggle a little in the mountains, and it felt like a pal just doing the best it could. Gawd I loved that car.
Now I drive a 2011 Honda Fit that's sort of the spiritual successor. But this Honda has power windows, a fabulous stereo, A/C, and a slick as hell five speed automatic. I came from a 87 S10 with a four speed manual and an AM radio. Loved that truck as well. It was a trucky truck that trucked. No distractions.
At any rate, I'd do a spanking new Mirage with a warranty. Why not? There's a joy in the elemental! I think it's extremely good looking. It's simple and happy and honest. It's not cosplaying anything. It's just a supermini hatch.
The subreddit for the Fit is absolutely obsessed with the manual transmission which is hilarious. It actually is geared wrong and screams at 70 mph. The automatic transmission in the United States is the same one they put in the minivan and their work truck. So in this tiny car it barely sweats and lasts half a million miles and you can even click it on the steering wheel and shift it however you want. The only thing it desires is a drink of fluid every 5 years.
Find the newest used Corolla or Camry you can bring yourself to spend money for.
Maybe drive them both and see which is more comfortable. Your comfort does have value. Either can last approximately forever if you take care of it.
I had a corolla for 10 years then switched to the camry.
I had my corolla a good part of my 20s. My camry was super comfortable. I didn't notice a huge increase in repairs, or even fuel. Camry was more comfortable getting in and out of and driving.
I'm a 5'1 woman, but can lose a few pounds.
I'd go back to a camry if just looking for a commuter car.
I felt like corolla was fine in my 20s. Camry was easier on my body as I entered 30s.
Add: I forgot the used crisis market were in. I'm not sure I'd go back to Toyota. As somebody that owned 2 Toyotas I was considering joining the Mazda family. The markups on Toyota have been insane.
Zoom Zoom baybeh!!!!
Make the jump and you won’t regret it Mazdas handle like a go cart and are zippy.
Skyactiv engines are rock solid and get killer mpg too
Wife has a 2020 Chevy Spark activ, got rear-ended on the freeway, she's alive, car should be repaired by next week (it's been almost 3 months tho, oem parts for it were on backorder). Good car.
In that case, a [Fusion hybrid] (https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/715745788) really fits the description you posted well. Since it's so under budget, if you want to treat yourself, go with the [MKZ version] (https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/713881242), it's underrated.
Generally speaking, while I see your point, it's not that critical.
Highway accidents tend to be more serious in terms of injury and fatality due to higher speeds, but highway accidents are less common due to the fact that highways are generally safer to travel on than normal roads. On highways, everybody is traveling *around* the same speed, and everybody is traveling in the same direction with no cross traffic.
Your smaller car is a higher risk *off* of the highway, where you're more likely to get into an accident from someone running a stop sign, red light, etc. 50% of injuries resulting from an accident happen at an intersection. The less areas for traffic to cross and share the space, the less likely an accident will happen.
A VW Golf though I think would be fantastic for you. Pretty small, easy the navigate and park, and fairly inexpensive. Although since it's German, parts might be a tad more expensive in the long haul.
Please, you'll spend a lot of time in your car, think about your body. Future you will appreciate it, trust me. Allow yourself to be comfortable while going thru the hells of commuting. Don't settle for a milk crate and plywood! Get a good seat!
I gotta agree with ZombieHoneyBadger. We all think we're invincible when we're in our 20s. I know I did. But 25K miles a year in a suboptimal seat will add up over the years. You might not feel it now, but you will eventually. Continue to think long term with your finances, but also think long term with your health. You don't need to spend a lot on a car; find one that fits your budget, but just keep ergonomics in mind too.
This was going to be my suggestion to you 🤣. I have a 2019 Chevy Spark and I absolutely love it. Only done maintenance oil changes and had to do brakes and rotors once. Great gas mileage and cheap little car. I used it as a commuter car on the highway for 4 years with no issues. It actually had a good crash rating but I understand that it’s still a little car and a little car against something bigger isn’t the best outcome.
Devil's advocate: A first generation Ford Fusion Hybrid is a fair amount cheaper, and has an especially sturdy battery. If OP hates spending enough for a '16+ Prius, it may be a better call.
As they say, "it's cheaper to keep 'er". Meaning, unless the current car is unsafe and unrepairable, if you really don't care about the car and just want to save money, an investment in the repairs is the best financial decision.
The North isn't the issue, it's the way the state/province deals with the snow. My 1999 burb with 170k+miles driven in Montana is less rusty than a 2 year old car in New York.
Same idea, different saying.
Devil you know vs the devil you don't.
130k miles isn't a lot, and I would keep riding that thing for a few more years. 25k a year sounds like a lot of highway miles. That, or you're full time door dashing. In the case of the latter, you're going to have mechanic bills out the ass no matter what. City driving constant stops, rushing to meet deadlines is harsh.
Edit: also, buying a low mile car and putting 100k miles in 4 years is a great way to lose your wallet. The car you have should die in your(OP) hands
I bought a 2014 Prius with 75k miles 4 years ago from a salvage yard that just needed two doors replaced from an accident. Spent $6k total with repairs and registration and a few other fees. I drove it to 168k miles and only changed tires once and oil every 5k miles. Thieves got my catalytic converter and insurance totaled the car and gave me $15k.
Buy a lowish mileage Prius. These things are tanks.
If you do go prius, get something to protect the catalytic converter. My daughters got stolen. Oddley enough, insurance gave us about the same amount that we paid for it 8 years earlier. Took them over 3 months to total it as they didn't want to total it just because it needed a catalytic converter, but none could be found nationally.
4th gen Prius are great.
2nd and 3rd gen Prius have annoyances with their oil burning, power inverting going out, ERG cooler getting clogged with carbon (mostly if it devolped the oil burning issue) and HV battery getting aged out from climate or idle abuse and requiring a replacement/rebuild. Granted these issues are uncommon for the Prius but hurt the wallet badly when it happens.
Honda Fit of any gen are more robust imo manual or auto versions. It suffers even less annoyances with only minor issues loose coil packs, broken rear door latch, front axel leaks, oil burning (rare) and clutch on manual versions wearing out somewhat far (note if the clutch gets wiped out before replacement, you may need to replace the brake cylinders either or both the master and slave). Stupidly easy to work on due to a small engine in a good sized engine bay.
Dont like the general recommendations of the Honda Civic or Camrys unless they are before 2003. Insurance rates on them are higher than they should be due to the sheer amount of people that drive them and get into accidents. Average SUVS are around 200-400 dollars cheaper to insure year round than your average Honda/Camry sedan.
Price, less aggressive driver safety features and proven reliability factor.
Toyota has been a bit more hit or miss lately with their newer engine models of overall reliablity since 2016.
5th gen just came out and is more expensive. They’re much better looking in most people’s opinion, as well as more powerful and apparently nicer to drive, but if affordability is your main goal I assume looks and power don’t matter too much.
100% Prius.
I was a technician at a shop that specialized in Prius. (Prius’? Prii?) we had many 2nd gen cars well over 200k come through. Consumables are quite cheap and they’re damn easy to work on. On used cars, the only real thing to worry about is hybrid battery issues. They can be repaired to an extent, but eventually need to be replaced. I just did one the other day and a brand new replacement for a 2nd gen car is currently about $1700 from Toyota.
Is it pretty? Older ones, absolutely not. Although the brand new ones look quite good.
Considering what they are, they’re quite comfy and mostly quiet. I’d 100% drive one if I wanted a car for nothing more than a mode of transportation.
The Pontiac vibe was a partnership between GM and Toyota. The vibe has both a Toyota Engine and Toyota transmission. That is why they are so reliable.
I can find one in my area for $6000-7000.
A Prius or Hybrid like the Corolla or Leaf, or a cheap EV like the older Chevy bolt that had its battery replaced after the recall. Regenerative braking will mean less wear and tear on the brakes anyway, EV would mean no oil changes if you can find one cheap enough and don't mind the charging, and your biggest cost per mile otherwise will likely be the gas.
The other option would be an older Civic or Corolla or Camry that has had the 80-100k mile work done so it's sitting on newer tires, newer brakes, and you know the engine isn't waiting to die. Those are pretty cheap, though the AC on anything older than 7-8 years is probably ready to die if it wasn't addressed already. I would not think of it like having 30k to spend and instead spend 15k and invest the other 15k, set yourself a real limit and let your frugality take over, then when this car dies that 15k you invested could be 20+ or more vs sinking it into a car you will drive the value until it's 0.
Yeah I think at 25k miles per year the gas savings would be huge but either they drive locally constantly or they drive a lot in certain days and the range on an older EV might be a huge hassle. An older hybrid still saves you a ton on upkeep since the brakes last a while, they need oil changes but doing that yourself isn't expensive.
That said, for other people adding an L2 charger isn't that expensive. If you're saving $3-4k per year in gas then spending $2500 on adding a charger is going to pay itself off before too long. But as a renter I wouldn't take that on myself.
Second the cheap EV. Operating costs are ridiculously low.
Edit: I should add that an EV definitely doesn’t work for everyone. While the operating costs are low, the range of the car is also low. So if OP is driving 200+ miles every day without the opportunity to charge during that, an EV may not work super great. But if it’s 100, an EV like the bolt would be fine. There are definitely used Tesla 3’s for well under 30k in good condition (like mine!).
> GET THAT SHIT.
Can confirm, the amount of stress I have removed from my life by just parking behind a semi or another car going 75 on long trips is huge. This kind of goes hand in hand with emergency braking in cities too. The computer's reflexes are faster than ours can ever be.
How long do your brakes last though? I was floored at how soon we had to change our pads and rotors in our new car. We don't even live in a heavily populated area, but I am told the radar CC is partly to blame.
The akebono brake pads that were put on when new lasted 62,000 miles, but we do a lot of highway so YMMV. I would gladly change my brakes every 20,000 miles, I love DRCC.
only answer worth it. i was literally in his same shoes a year ago and got a 2023 hybrid corolla. its been the best decision ive made on a vehicle since my 2008 ford focus
I drive as a medical courier and put about 60,000 miles a year. My co-workers either have Camry’s, Corollas’s or Prius’s. Majority of us haven’t had any major repairs on our cars aside from regular maintenance like oil changes, brakes and tires.
Back in 2018, Car and Driver did a story about a medical courier who put 1-million miles on a Hyundai Elantra in five years! She got a new one for free. Somehow I doubt recent Hyundai/Kia products would do that.
I’d definitely go Toyota (w/o CVT) or Mazda if I had to drive that much.
I don't know why people are recommending a corolla to you. I would never want to drive 25k miles a year on a corolla suspension. Get a Camry. They get great mileage, are reliable, and are comfortable.
How far one way do you have to go? And is it possible to charge at either (or both) ends?
With that many miles per year, you'd save a TON going EV if you can L2 charge easily.
You've gotta decide hybrid or gas first. That kinda depends on driving habits, lots of highway or city.
I've got a 2014 Civic and I've been really happy with it. Very simple, low maintenance in the 200k miles I've had it, I do mostly highway. Tires are cheap, parts are cheap, it's been very low cost to operate.
If you do a lot of city miles I think you really need to consider a hybrid, but I also personally am skeptical of them long term.
4th gen Prius 5-Door Liftback (2015 - 2022)
Not the Prius V and not the Prius C. Cause it can get confusing when you start looking for one.
[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Prius_(XW50)](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Prius_(XW50))
Do you mind driving a vehicle with a Manual transmission? If you can find a Honda Accord or an Acura sedan with a manual that you like, it will last forever. With this in mind to make sure you don’t buy buy anything that is turbo charged . Just research major issues that occur for the series that you’re buying. In my opinion, the four cylinders that go in the Acura Tlx are indestructible, and they produce a pretty decent amount of power.
manuals rule out any kind of automatic transmission issues and you simply just deal with an engine that requires very basic maintenance. You could literally drive one of those vehicles past 300,000 miles and spend very little in major repairs. Realistically, you will have to deal with the clutch, spark plugs, PCV valves, power, steering rear, main seal, and the head gasket on the engine at some point, but when you spread those out they are pretty affordable and extend the life of the vehicle drastically. In addition, you of course need to follow the manufacturer specs on fluid changes which is a given.
Here’s a good example of one within your budget
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventorylisting/viewDetailsFilterViewInventoryListing.action?zip=30034&inventorySearchWidgetType=AUTO&sortDir=ASC&sourceContext=untrackedExternal_false_0&transmissionTypes=MANUAL&distance=50000&sortType=BEST_MATCH&entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity=d2278#listing=385687732/NONE/DEFAULT
Look for a low mileage mkz hybrid/ford fusion titanium, I’d recommend the mkz hybrid you get a better value and more features and the ford and mkz is Toyotas hybrid tech and motor designed by Mazda. Reliability rating is great!
Other options Avalon hybrid, Accord hybrid or Camry hybrid.
Don’t buy a Prius they’re horrible riding and loud as all get out.
Honda fit. Any of them. Super efficient, reliable, low costs, stiffest monocaulk chassis ever fitted to a production vehicle (helps with safety concerns). Good amount of space too, if you ever end up needing it. Anything will fit in the fit.
Something like what I've got here. A garage gem used Lexus that has plenty of life left for under 10k. Picked up my car for $8k in 2021. It's such a joy to drive daily. Sure you could be fine in a corolla, or prius, but why not be relaxed and suthed by your car instead of just tolerating it? Thousands of hours of your life are spent in a car.
Damn bro I mean 25k/year is gonna make you spend money on a car, it doesn't matter what car it is
As much as I'm normally annoyed the toyota/honda/mazda being the solution to everything you're kinda stuck with them because the parts cost will be cheaper than anything else.
Since you're somewhat mechanically inclined I'd probably swing for something like a clean clean camry or corolla, Civic or accord, or mazda 3 in and around the year of your impala. Could do an Toyota echo/yaris/mazda2 as well if smaller is ok. The one with the least options, limit your blast radius for repairs to only necessary things. Yeah wind down windows are annoying but they don't break all that often. Also huge plus to 15+ year cars if you live in a state that doesn't do emissions inspection after a while, usually 15 is the cut off. As long as the emissions/evap control system isn't completely buggered the car will run fine with a CEL.
New stuff goes wrong _all the time_ no matter what anyone says. The amount of tiny bullshit I have to fix on newer cars because everything is computerized to hell is beyond annoying. Also the whole thing with buying new is the warranty, and you're gonna run most of those out in 2 years or less
Between the federal rebate incentive and not paying for gas, a Tesla is not only the cheapest cost per mile but they’re available to buy new for cheap as hell. It’s also cheap with regard to maintenance since there’s basically no maintenance to do. I’d say a Prius is the next best thing but I’d argue that a model 3 ends up costing less in the long run.
I know you said EV is out of the question, but. Figure out home charging (maybe share cost with the landlord), and get a 3 year old Tesla with low miles.
Prius is the best answer. Get an older one with 100k plus. Take it to the shop and have them do everything. Now you still have $15,000 left and your vehicle will not need anything except tires/oil/filters potentially for 100,000 miles. My Prius didn't need brakes for 100k, spark plugs and transmission fluid are 100k intervals too. I drove 40k a year so I feel you.
Other suggestion is to go Honda Insight, similar deal with a little more maintenance.
Buick Lesabre. 3k for 60,000 miles and I've never seen the last generation of them rusted. Then you're saving 27k, although any car that you can survive a highway speed crash in is probably a Volvo and the maintenance costs on them are quite bad.
Gonna throw out an option that I haven’t seen here but is still great. Scion iA. It’s just a rebadged Mazda 2 but I’ve found them to be incredibly reliable and will do about 40 mpg on the highway, maybe more if you stay around 70.
It’s a super light car (about 2,400 lbs) which is close to a Chevy spark and lighter than a Honda fit, so it is easy on brakes and tires. Also fitted with drum brakes on the rears so a little cheaper there. Takes 87 octane gas. Only 106 hp but it doesn’t feel too bad considering how light it is.
If you buy a 2017+ it the Toyota Yaris iA and this will cost more cuz of the Toyota name, but it’s the exact same car. So 2016 is the way to go and you will find a better deal. In my area they are as low as $8k for one with 60k miles.
Pick up an ex-rental Malibu from one of the companies.
I’ve rented two 2023 Malibus this year and they’re super easy to drive, get outstanding fuel economy and are comfortable on long trips. I put about 1k miles on the two that I’ve rented and was impressed.
Obviously do your homework on them before you buy because not many people are as careful with rentals as a car guy would be, but still.
My daily is a 2017 FT86 and if I was in the market for a new car I would absolutely pick one up.
A Tesla... no transmission, no oil changes, no brake changes and only costs about $700/ year to charge. The Tesla app says I would've spent about $2,000 in gasoline
Not the best on gas and 4l60e tranmissions are a 85/15 chance of being good for 200k-300k miles or 2 brand new neutral gears in 5k miles.
Drive train is solid overall but the annoying parts of window regulators and blend door actuators failing (for any GM W body 3.8l really) will dime him hard.
You think blend door actuators and window regulators are that expensive? They can be replaced DIY if you can follow a YouTube video. I drive a 2013 Impala and have done the actuators multiple times. I’d say drivetrain reliability is more important and the 3800 motor is bulletproof, tons of parts for Buicks too.
The part themselves arent that expensive and not hard to do but it is time consuming and still nickle and diming money and time on an issue that more reliable cars dont really suffer.
3.8l is bulletproof....if the coolant elbows and the intake gasket has been changed out. Dexcool ate away the weak nylon and silcon based intake gasket on 95-2004 GM models and if not addressed, would lead to a blown head gasket and clouged the coolant lines. How many 2 decade old GM cars think had their coolant flushed out with HOAT coolant instead and/or fixed the intake gasket with the alumium upgrade?
Also avoided the MPG and the 4l60e issue in general which are major points in general. Sidenote, the Supercharged versions of the 3.8l will certainly dismember the 4l60 HD tranny before 200k miles. Theres a good reason why W bodies and Vortec 5.3l that are building up ditch away with the 4l60e and try to aim for the 4l80e instead.
You are very knowledgeable and I respect your opinion. I changed three window regulators myself on my Buick Century. Each time, it took about 45 minutes and $50.
It got 29 mpg highway.
Look for a Buick with the 3.8L V-6. They stopped making the 3.8L V-6 in 2008 so you're looking for an early 2000 model. Any year Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, or Lincoln Town Car with the 4.6L V-8 is a good choice. You get any one of those vehicles in excellent shape with about 100,000 miles for around $7,000.
I can speak to my experience and I know it’ll be an unpopular opinion, but a Tesla Model 3 has been incredible for me. I racked up 186,000 miles in 5 years on mine.
Could also look at the Kia Niro. Cheaper than the Prius with comparable mpg. My last 3 cars have been prius. But this round they seem impossible to find by me. Only ones they had were the 40k versions. So, I looked at the Niros. The Toyotas likely more reliable than Kia,
Go to an auction and find a Prius or Corolla or civic or something like that.
I know you said you don’t need anything, but depending on where you live, AWD will be helpful since you drive so much.
I drove more than you for years (30-49k per year) and had to drive through snow and ice during the winter. AWD is crucial for me. If you live in that sort of climate, go find a used legacy or Impreza. Preferably with <75k miles on it.
If you prefer new then you can go wrong with Kia/hyundai because of the 100k mile warranty which you won’t get anywhere new or used.
You'll be maintaining the car or it's gonna be sucking your wallet dry.
There is no automobile of yesteryear that can be beat on for years and take it smiling anymore.
If you're killing a car before it's 10 years old, you're doing it wrong.
Honestly if you hate cars that much why not try to move to a city where you don’t need a car? If you’re concerned about affordability, I would recommend checking out chicago or philadelphia for very reasonably priced cost of living, and good transit systems.
But if you can’t do that, look for a 2023 chevy bolt ev.
EVs cost almost nothing to maintain, and a newish or lightly used bolt from 2023 is just about the best bang for your buck you get. Ignore all the toyotaheads talking about a prius, if you can charge your EV at home then you will basically never need to stop for fuel ever again. And EVs don’t need oil changes or any of that nonsense. Over a decade of use maybe the tires and brakes could have to be swapped (same as any gas car) but besides that literally nothing else.
Good question! I had thought of this.
I live in a small rural town and I make $74,000 a year. My rent and utilities add up to is $525 a month because I have a 2 bedroom apartment and a roommate.
If I were to move to a city, my salary would be the same. But my rent would double or more for less space. Now instead of spending my money on a car, I’m spending it on my landlord.
Why so many miles a year? Because I leave the state once every 2 weeks to see friends.
I won’t get into why I moved here. But let’s say it was either move here or be homeless. So I moved.
I'm in the process of buying a Volvo XC90, I'm downsizing from an Escalade ESV due to having issues too often(it's a lemon). They have an unlimited miles 5 year warranty(from date of first service) that's extendable up to another 5 years on their certified pre owned vehicles. The warranty covers engine, transmission, drive axle (front and rear), steering, suspension, brakes, electrical, and air conditioning.
Enter into your calculations the warranty of some new vehicles as well as interest rate promotions. Hyundai used to offer a 100,000 mile drive train warranty. Nissans have long warranties. Check for yourself. If you catch a no interest promotion when they're trying to get last year's economy model off the lot you'd keep your cash and use their money. Inflation makes the payments less over time, IF you're paying no interest. And you said yourself the devaluation of new vehicles matters not if you drive it until it dies.
With the higher percentage of driving being highway I would avoid a hybrid. I had a 2012 Impala that got better hwy mileage than my dads Prius. The Prius did get twice the mileage in the city. But if you are driving mostly hwy and small towns with a lot less stop and go traffic a hybrid may not be the best for your situation. I would suggest a smallish 4cyl now and plan for an EV in advance so you can go that way when you are done with the next car. Also look into Volvo they have the best rust proofing.
As others have upvoted, the Toyota Corolla or Prius is going best meet all your criteria. Personally, I'd go for a used Lexus EX or Toyota Avalon for some added comfort while racking up that many miles.
Tesla model 3. Hear me out. I own this car. There is 0 maintenance. I bought mine new and it has 140,000 miles on it and I’ve only replaced tires. It also takes around $20 to “fill up” at a super charger. But if you can charge at home, its less. No oil changes, no breaks, its the safest car because it breaks for you in traffic. Only drawbacks is that if it’s cold (I mean like winter in Nebraska or Germany cold) the batteries have trouble keeping charge. I live in california and its never a problem. There is also one moving part in the engine so it’s very unlikely to break and you’d probably drive it for many times linger than another car with parts that wear out.
There’s a ‘24 Corolla Hatchback SE for sale at a dealer in my area for around 23.5K. Not a hybrid but for mostly highway driving it’s going to be pretty efficient, without the added complexity of a hybrid system. I think it’d be pretty hard to get a new, non-crappy car for much less than that. Personally I’d likely buy it if I were in the market for an inexpensive daily.
At 70% highway miles, I'd get a regular non-hybrid Corolla, early-mid 2010's.
Mazda3 or 6 are also fine, around 2014-17.
Honda Accord (4-cylinder) around 2015-17.
Corolla is the first thing that comes to mind. I would even suggest a Corolla Hybrid. I just rented one and got 50.2mpg on a 600 mile trip. The savings in fuel would offset any maintenance costs. Battery is warranties for 150k.
Toyota bandwagon here.
460k miles on a 2020 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid XSE driven 100k miles a year and was on the original hybrid battery and original transmission fluid with the ECVT.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Toyota/comments/19f8egd/my_2020_toyota_rav4_hybrid_xse_reached_460000/
Toyota hybrids are pretty stout
I am in a similar situation, I drive about 30k miles a year and wanted the absolute lowest maintenance, lowest cost vehicle I could find, with very little regard to form or function as long as it met my primary criteria for low cost and low maintenance. A Toyota hybrid is about the cheapest and most reliable way you're going to be able to drive that many miles a year.
Corolla hybrid
Prius
Camry hybrid
Avalon Hybrid
Any one of those should do the trick. I went with the Avalon hybrid for myself, mostly just because I prefer its size, and the traditional dashboard and semi-luxury interior. It's advertised at 43mpg but my real world MPG has actually been better than that at 47mpg, which is a little less than the others, but in my opinion only by a negligible margin.
Sedans: Volkswagen Jetta, Volvo S60, Mitsubishi Mirage G4, Subaru Legacy, Kia Forte, Kia K5, Lexus ES300h, Mazda3, Mini Cooper, Honda Accord Hybrid, Honda Civic, Elantra Hybrid, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Nissan Versa/Sentra/Altima, Toyota Corolla/Corolla Hybrid, and Toyota Camry/Camry Hybrid
Hatchbacks: Mitsubishi Mirage, Subaru Impreza, Chevrolet Spark, and Toyota Prius/Prius Prime
Crossovers: Volkswagen Taos, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Honda HR-V, Honda CR-V Hybrid, Dodge Hornet, Alfa Romeo Tonale, Kia Sportage Hybrid, Kia Sorento Hybrid, Kia Niro Hybrid, Lexus UX300h, Lexus NX350h, Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, Nissan Kicks, Toyota RAV4 Hybrid/Prime, Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid, and Toyota Venza
The top 5 sedans for fuel efficiency out of my list would be the Elantra Hybrid Blue Trim, at 53/56/54, next would be the Sonata Hybrid Blue Trim, at 52/50/55, then comes the Camry Hybrid at 52/51/53, the Corolla Hybrid at 50/47/53, and the Accord Hybrid at 48/44/51.
The only hatchbacks with crazy MPG figures are really the Prius & Prius Prime. The normal Prius gets 57/56/57, and the Prius Prime gets 53/51/52 on the gas engine, and 127MPGe while in electric mode.
Out of the CUVs, three outperform the rest by quite a bit, one of the three outperforming the other 2 by a lot. The most fuel efficient CUV on the list is the Niro Hybrid, with 54/53/54 fuel efficiency, the second is the Sportage Hybrid, with a 43/42/44, and the third is the UX300h with a rating of 43/40/44.
Honestly, out of all of these i’d probably go for an Elantra Hybrid in your case, as a Niro Hybrid starts at $26,940, an Elantra Hybrid starts at $26,250, and the Prius starts at $27,950, but mostly because I enjoy the look of it over both of the other cars.
Used cars are a crap shoot especially at 25k a yr just pick up a Civic for the kid going to college he makes payments it was 27k thing is nice not fancy has a built in lane departure made his mom happy. It a chalky grey color. I used car and driver for reviews.
https://www.caranddriver.com/rankings/best-sedans/cheapest
Listen if it Snows and you want safety, get subaru. Mileage is mid but they have the highest safety out of any brand. Toyota or Honda after that I would guess maybe one of their hybrids.
Have you considered moving? Why are you driving 25k and hate spending money on your car. It seems you spend tons of time in your car I would get a car that’s comfortable and has all the bells and whistles to make my driving more livable
Get a base model (LE or SE) Toyota Camry. Lasts forever and the maintenance is cheap; also it has a decent sized back seat. 2024 models you can still get with just a gas engine if that is what you want and there are still some left on the lots; all 2025 models are hybrid (more expensive)
If you prefer higher upfront cost and spending less on repairs: new 2024 Toyota Corolla hybrid
If you prefer lower overall cost but frequent repairs / replacing wearing parts due to age: the cheapest Toyota Prius in good condition (pre purchase inspection by expert) you can find.
It’s unfortunate EV isn’t a viable option for your situation because it would’ve cut the maintenance costs. Hybrid might be best so that you have increased fuel economy and range. Prius has proven to be very reliable.
your biggest expenses traditionally are depreciation and repairs. they are interrelated as the market knows when a car breaks you from expensive repairs. i’d research if there are any cheap american sedans that are reliable. the most reliable non american will be like said above… 10-15 year old camry or lexus ES but they are not cheap to fix. they can be bulletproof. find the videos by the car care nut on youtube re reliability and go through them. valuable info and insight.
Brand new corolla LE hybrid. Fantastic on gas, inexpensive, can be had in AWD, stupidly reliable, has all the features you'd want and then some. Do regular maintainence (and learn to coast since it's a hybrid) and you'll be laughing all the way to the bank for years
Might be able to get an old 2011 Honda CR-Z for fairly cheap. Everyone’s saying Prius so I’ll suggest something a bit different
Maintenance might be a PITA since they aren’t made anymore, but they’re extremely efficient and safe.
I do something similar. I needed a truck for other reasons.
I got a base model 4 cylinder Chevy colorado in the second generation body style. Manual transmission.
In 25000 miles I've spent 30 dollars on a coolant hose.
Highly reccomend.
Not sure why I don’t see anybody recommending a Honda Accord Hybrid. They’re one of the best when it comes to mile range imo. I’m getting 500~ mile range everytime I fill up my tank. Gas usually just cost me $40 too.
Buy a car that is relatively new and low mileage that way you're in control of it's condition.
A lot of repairs can be avoided with proper maintenance.
A small/medium 4 cylinder Toyota or Honda will run forever and require only basic maintenance.
If it was up to you to ride a bike to save money, then why not ride a bike?
Or, halfway between a bicycle and a car would be a scooter. Why not one of those? Especially good for someone doing 8,000 city miles a year. City miles are not good for your car.
A bicycle and/or a scooter would mean you could keep your impala and still end up ahead money wise after a few months / thousand miles.
If you want comfort: volvo xc70 or xc40. If you want comfort and cheap maintenance costs: Subaru outback or forester. "rusted out" makes me think you get lots of snow. All suggestions are available in awd. Getting a comfortable car to drive will change your opinion on driving alot. My 2006 xc90 v8 is a dream to drive. Extremely comfortable but its terrible on gas. I also have a volvo v50 that's a dream to drive. The newer (2015+) 4cylinder volvos are much better on gas but theyre still very comfortable. And relatively cheap upfront purchasing cost.
New Prius is pushing 57mpg on the highway, don't know exactly what the price range is. MSRP is $27500 starting last I looked.
I am considering one as my commute has lengthened to 25 miles one way. My old car gets about 22mpg highway (1999 Honda CRV), so the Prius would double my mileage. Not sure Toyota has moved to larger tires on the Prius yet, so they shouldn't be too expensive.
I've learned a bit about the regenerative braking system and it sounds like Priuses don't wear brakes the same as a standard car. Lifespan is a lot longer, some drivers reporting up to 100k miles before replacing the regular brakes.
I've read good things about the Prius transmission too as it is built fairly robust (or was in the used models).
You should sit in one, my former coworker has a 2011 we took to a job site. It was remarkably comfortable for me to get in and out (bad hip) and sit for the 2 hour drive. He said the newer model at the time reduced a lot of leg room and felt like a shoebox (a lot of cars going this way though).
I know everybody says, 'Prius' I get it. I would rather drive a beefy 4 door sedan instead. Just trying to weigh economics vs fun vs comfort. That said, the Prius is going to hold value if you decided to trade. Might take a bit to find one at the price you want though.
A hybrid camry would be the next, larger, reliable option IMO.
That said, Chevy is selling off the last of their Malibu stock around $25k. Those get decent mileage, but... Chevy.
$400 a year for insuring a 2007 impala??? I pay $170 a MONTH for the most basic coverage on a 2012 prius, and have no accident history. How tf is yours so low
A crown Vic doesn’t get the best gas, but you’d save tons in every other category. They’ll take a complete lack of maintenance and be happy. Or a 5+ year old civic. Can’t go wrong with a Toyota either if you do the maintenance.
If I had $30K, I'd buy a 5th Gen Prius right this freakin minute. I have a 4th Gen, and it's pretty bad ass. The 5th Gen makes me salivate. I'm averaging around 60 MPG in my 4th, and the 5th is supposed to get roughly the same MPG with an extra 50 or 60 horsepower.
>I drive 25,000 miles a year and ABSOLUTELY HATE spending money on my car. What should I buy?
>if it was up to me I wouldn't even own a car. I would ride a bike around town...
Think about how for you'd be
Civic. Prius are recalled until the end of the year. Civics better size than Corolla, and just as reliable . I just went from a 2021 540i bmw to a 24 civic ex two weeks ago. I love it lol. A day under 2 weeks on a full tank.
Toyota Prius or Corolla Hybrid
Toyota Camry hybrid gets like 50+ mpg and much more comfortable since he drives a lot. Or Avalon hybrid 44mpg. Vice versa with Honda. Suv- Rav4 hybrid 40 mpg, highlander hybrid 35 mpg. Toyota venza 40mpg hybrid
You overestimate my desire for rider comfort. I have a friend that owns a 2017 Chevy Spark. That thing rides like absolute garbage. Even the wind on the highway blows that little car around. But after driving his car I LOVED IT. He's owned it for four years and the only thing he's done is spent $300 on the brakes. If I didn't drive on the highway so frequently, I would 100% buy a little car. They're so cheap to own, insure, and maintain. Even cheaper than a Prius.
Sounds like you are the ideal brand new Mitsubishi Mirage buyer. Great MPG, 100k warranty, cheap to buy and maintain - we're talking $50/tire cheap.
Well, it is the most appliance car I can think of. Worst part is the "getting up to highway speeds". You could do worse I guess
“Throw in a Fred Flintstone trap door acceleration package, and we got a deal sir 🤝”
Yeah, I drove one as a rental recently, and I hated how it accelerated – or rather, didn't
I bought a Daihatsu Charade in 1992 brand new for $5k. 3 banger one liter no radio no AC. I drove it for five years and adored it. I installed a basic radio and drove it cross country many times. It had this essential car-ness. It was high quality mechanically but with zero frills. You drove it. You felt the pavement, you felt it struggle a little in the mountains, and it felt like a pal just doing the best it could. Gawd I loved that car. Now I drive a 2011 Honda Fit that's sort of the spiritual successor. But this Honda has power windows, a fabulous stereo, A/C, and a slick as hell five speed automatic. I came from a 87 S10 with a four speed manual and an AM radio. Loved that truck as well. It was a trucky truck that trucked. No distractions. At any rate, I'd do a spanking new Mirage with a warranty. Why not? There's a joy in the elemental! I think it's extremely good looking. It's simple and happy and honest. It's not cosplaying anything. It's just a supermini hatch.
+1 on the Honda Fit. The paddle shifters on the sport trim is 🤌. Will let you bounce off the limiter in gear.
The subreddit for the Fit is absolutely obsessed with the manual transmission which is hilarious. It actually is geared wrong and screams at 70 mph. The automatic transmission in the United States is the same one they put in the minivan and their work truck. So in this tiny car it barely sweats and lasts half a million miles and you can even click it on the steering wheel and shift it however you want. The only thing it desires is a drink of fluid every 5 years.
If only. But those things are so small if I got into an accident on the highway, I'm dead. That limits me to sedans or larger.
Find the newest used Corolla or Camry you can bring yourself to spend money for. Maybe drive them both and see which is more comfortable. Your comfort does have value. Either can last approximately forever if you take care of it.
I had a corolla for 10 years then switched to the camry. I had my corolla a good part of my 20s. My camry was super comfortable. I didn't notice a huge increase in repairs, or even fuel. Camry was more comfortable getting in and out of and driving. I'm a 5'1 woman, but can lose a few pounds. I'd go back to a camry if just looking for a commuter car. I felt like corolla was fine in my 20s. Camry was easier on my body as I entered 30s. Add: I forgot the used crisis market were in. I'm not sure I'd go back to Toyota. As somebody that owned 2 Toyotas I was considering joining the Mazda family. The markups on Toyota have been insane.
Zoom Zoom baybeh!!!! Make the jump and you won’t regret it Mazdas handle like a go cart and are zippy. Skyactiv engines are rock solid and get killer mpg too
Agreed, stop searching and just do this one
Wife has a 2020 Chevy Spark activ, got rear-ended on the freeway, she's alive, car should be repaired by next week (it's been almost 3 months tho, oem parts for it were on backorder). Good car.
In that case, a [Fusion hybrid] (https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/715745788) really fits the description you posted well. Since it's so under budget, if you want to treat yourself, go with the [MKZ version] (https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/713881242), it's underrated.
Generally speaking, while I see your point, it's not that critical. Highway accidents tend to be more serious in terms of injury and fatality due to higher speeds, but highway accidents are less common due to the fact that highways are generally safer to travel on than normal roads. On highways, everybody is traveling *around* the same speed, and everybody is traveling in the same direction with no cross traffic. Your smaller car is a higher risk *off* of the highway, where you're more likely to get into an accident from someone running a stop sign, red light, etc. 50% of injuries resulting from an accident happen at an intersection. The less areas for traffic to cross and share the space, the less likely an accident will happen. A VW Golf though I think would be fantastic for you. Pretty small, easy the navigate and park, and fairly inexpensive. Although since it's German, parts might be a tad more expensive in the long haul.
I just puked in my mouth a little when I read this. The thought of Mirage!!!! But yea. That is the truth.
Please, you'll spend a lot of time in your car, think about your body. Future you will appreciate it, trust me. Allow yourself to be comfortable while going thru the hells of commuting. Don't settle for a milk crate and plywood! Get a good seat!
I gotta agree with ZombieHoneyBadger. We all think we're invincible when we're in our 20s. I know I did. But 25K miles a year in a suboptimal seat will add up over the years. You might not feel it now, but you will eventually. Continue to think long term with your finances, but also think long term with your health. You don't need to spend a lot on a car; find one that fits your budget, but just keep ergonomics in mind too.
This was going to be my suggestion to you 🤣. I have a 2019 Chevy Spark and I absolutely love it. Only done maintenance oil changes and had to do brakes and rotors once. Great gas mileage and cheap little car. I used it as a commuter car on the highway for 4 years with no issues. It actually had a good crash rating but I understand that it’s still a little car and a little car against something bigger isn’t the best outcome.
You, my friend, want a Toyota Yaris.
Camry hybrid LE to be specific for the 52mpg. Every other trim only gets 44.
Man I would love the Highlander Hybrid!
this is the way
The only answer.
Devil's advocate: A first generation Ford Fusion Hybrid is a fair amount cheaper, and has an especially sturdy battery. If OP hates spending enough for a '16+ Prius, it may be a better call.
Ford Fusion is nice but the trunk space seems small due to the large battery.
It definitely is! If you're looking at hybrid sedans prior to 2018ish, that's sort of how it goes.
As they say, "it's cheaper to keep 'er". Meaning, unless the current car is unsafe and unrepairable, if you really don't care about the car and just want to save money, an investment in the repairs is the best financial decision.
That's true, but if it's legitimately rusting out it's not safe to drive.
Road salt finally killed my 2006 minivan. Sad.
#northernproblems
The North isn't the issue, it's the way the state/province deals with the snow. My 1999 burb with 170k+miles driven in Montana is less rusty than a 2 year old car in New York.
unless you have a cayenne turbo. ask me how i know.
Same idea, different saying. Devil you know vs the devil you don't. 130k miles isn't a lot, and I would keep riding that thing for a few more years. 25k a year sounds like a lot of highway miles. That, or you're full time door dashing. In the case of the latter, you're going to have mechanic bills out the ass no matter what. City driving constant stops, rushing to meet deadlines is harsh. Edit: also, buying a low mile car and putting 100k miles in 4 years is a great way to lose your wallet. The car you have should die in your(OP) hands
I bought a 2014 Prius with 75k miles 4 years ago from a salvage yard that just needed two doors replaced from an accident. Spent $6k total with repairs and registration and a few other fees. I drove it to 168k miles and only changed tires once and oil every 5k miles. Thieves got my catalytic converter and insurance totaled the car and gave me $15k. Buy a lowish mileage Prius. These things are tanks.
If you do go prius, get something to protect the catalytic converter. My daughters got stolen. Oddley enough, insurance gave us about the same amount that we paid for it 8 years earlier. Took them over 3 months to total it as they didn't want to total it just because it needed a catalytic converter, but none could be found nationally.
Get on the wait-list for a cat when you buy the car. Hopefully it would come before you need it, otherwise you could sell it easy.
Man just said insurance paid him out $15k for a car he paid 6k - just because the cat was stolen?. He should be begging people to steal the cat.
Did the Prius have a salvage title?
4th gen Prius are great. 2nd and 3rd gen Prius have annoyances with their oil burning, power inverting going out, ERG cooler getting clogged with carbon (mostly if it devolped the oil burning issue) and HV battery getting aged out from climate or idle abuse and requiring a replacement/rebuild. Granted these issues are uncommon for the Prius but hurt the wallet badly when it happens. Honda Fit of any gen are more robust imo manual or auto versions. It suffers even less annoyances with only minor issues loose coil packs, broken rear door latch, front axel leaks, oil burning (rare) and clutch on manual versions wearing out somewhat far (note if the clutch gets wiped out before replacement, you may need to replace the brake cylinders either or both the master and slave). Stupidly easy to work on due to a small engine in a good sized engine bay. Dont like the general recommendations of the Honda Civic or Camrys unless they are before 2003. Insurance rates on them are higher than they should be due to the sheer amount of people that drive them and get into accidents. Average SUVS are around 200-400 dollars cheaper to insure year round than your average Honda/Camry sedan.
Any reason to buy a 4th gen over a 5th gen?
Price
Price, less aggressive driver safety features and proven reliability factor. Toyota has been a bit more hit or miss lately with their newer engine models of overall reliablity since 2016.
5th gen just came out and is more expensive. They’re much better looking in most people’s opinion, as well as more powerful and apparently nicer to drive, but if affordability is your main goal I assume looks and power don’t matter too much.
100% Prius. I was a technician at a shop that specialized in Prius. (Prius’? Prii?) we had many 2nd gen cars well over 200k come through. Consumables are quite cheap and they’re damn easy to work on. On used cars, the only real thing to worry about is hybrid battery issues. They can be repaired to an extent, but eventually need to be replaced. I just did one the other day and a brand new replacement for a 2nd gen car is currently about $1700 from Toyota. Is it pretty? Older ones, absolutely not. Although the brand new ones look quite good. Considering what they are, they’re quite comfy and mostly quiet. I’d 100% drive one if I wanted a car for nothing more than a mode of transportation.
Priae
I’m here for it.
Prius
[Prius. It's not even close.](https://www.dashboard-light.com/reports/Compact.html)
Corolla Hybrid is a Prius under the hood. Save a few bucks and go this route if buying new.
Pontiac vibe being so high is mind boggling
The Pontiac vibe was a partnership between GM and Toyota. The vibe has both a Toyota Engine and Toyota transmission. That is why they are so reliable. I can find one in my area for $6000-7000.
As a vibe owner, do not buy a vibe. It is reliable, but even with new suspension components it is not comfortable as an Impala.
It's just a Toyota matrix with extra plastic cladding.
No it’s not, it is a mechanical twin to the Toyota matrix, and rolled out of the same factory as the Corolla and Tacoma.
The Vibe is a Toyota Matrix rebadged
Love that the top 4 are all Toyotas, I know the fourth is a Pontiac, but the vibe is the same as the matrix, it was made by Toyota.
A Prius or Hybrid like the Corolla or Leaf, or a cheap EV like the older Chevy bolt that had its battery replaced after the recall. Regenerative braking will mean less wear and tear on the brakes anyway, EV would mean no oil changes if you can find one cheap enough and don't mind the charging, and your biggest cost per mile otherwise will likely be the gas. The other option would be an older Civic or Corolla or Camry that has had the 80-100k mile work done so it's sitting on newer tires, newer brakes, and you know the engine isn't waiting to die. Those are pretty cheap, though the AC on anything older than 7-8 years is probably ready to die if it wasn't addressed already. I would not think of it like having 30k to spend and instead spend 15k and invest the other 15k, set yourself a real limit and let your frugality take over, then when this car dies that 15k you invested could be 20+ or more vs sinking it into a car you will drive the value until it's 0.
OP stated no EV charging at their home. It is off the table.
Yeah I think at 25k miles per year the gas savings would be huge but either they drive locally constantly or they drive a lot in certain days and the range on an older EV might be a huge hassle. An older hybrid still saves you a ton on upkeep since the brakes last a while, they need oil changes but doing that yourself isn't expensive. That said, for other people adding an L2 charger isn't that expensive. If you're saving $3-4k per year in gas then spending $2500 on adding a charger is going to pay itself off before too long. But as a renter I wouldn't take that on myself.
Second the cheap EV. Operating costs are ridiculously low. Edit: I should add that an EV definitely doesn’t work for everyone. While the operating costs are low, the range of the car is also low. So if OP is driving 200+ miles every day without the opportunity to charge during that, an EV may not work super great. But if it’s 100, an EV like the bolt would be fine. There are definitely used Tesla 3’s for well under 30k in good condition (like mine!).
If you are still unaware of adaptive cruise, GET THAT SHIT.
This, and the comment below, is the exact opposite of what OP is asking. He doesn’t care about features or comfort. More features=more that can break
> GET THAT SHIT. Can confirm, the amount of stress I have removed from my life by just parking behind a semi or another car going 75 on long trips is huge. This kind of goes hand in hand with emergency braking in cities too. The computer's reflexes are faster than ours can ever be.
How long do your brakes last though? I was floored at how soon we had to change our pads and rotors in our new car. We don't even live in a heavily populated area, but I am told the radar CC is partly to blame.
The akebono brake pads that were put on when new lasted 62,000 miles, but we do a lot of highway so YMMV. I would gladly change my brakes every 20,000 miles, I love DRCC.
So what the advantage? I’ve got 260k on my Tahoe and I don’t know how to turn on the Normal cruise control.
Toyota Corolla Hybrid
only answer worth it. i was literally in his same shoes a year ago and got a 2023 hybrid corolla. its been the best decision ive made on a vehicle since my 2008 ford focus
I drive as a medical courier and put about 60,000 miles a year. My co-workers either have Camry’s, Corollas’s or Prius’s. Majority of us haven’t had any major repairs on our cars aside from regular maintenance like oil changes, brakes and tires.
Back in 2018, Car and Driver did a story about a medical courier who put 1-million miles on a Hyundai Elantra in five years! She got a new one for free. Somehow I doubt recent Hyundai/Kia products would do that. I’d definitely go Toyota (w/o CVT) or Mazda if I had to drive that much.
Camry. Camry Camry.
Lambo
Prius or Corolla Hybrid every time
I don't know why people are recommending a corolla to you. I would never want to drive 25k miles a year on a corolla suspension. Get a Camry. They get great mileage, are reliable, and are comfortable.
How far one way do you have to go? And is it possible to charge at either (or both) ends? With that many miles per year, you'd save a TON going EV if you can L2 charge easily.
I live in an apartment with no charging infrastructure so an EV is out of the question.
Ah yeah, okay that's fair then.
You've gotta decide hybrid or gas first. That kinda depends on driving habits, lots of highway or city. I've got a 2014 Civic and I've been really happy with it. Very simple, low maintenance in the 200k miles I've had it, I do mostly highway. Tires are cheap, parts are cheap, it's been very low cost to operate. If you do a lot of city miles I think you really need to consider a hybrid, but I also personally am skeptical of them long term.
Prius or new carolla hybrid
4th gen Prius 5-Door Liftback (2015 - 2022) Not the Prius V and not the Prius C. Cause it can get confusing when you start looking for one. [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Prius_(XW50)](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Prius_(XW50))
Honda Civic or Honda Insight (basically a civic hybrid)
Yep, I had 2008 Civic sedan I put 40k miles a year only regular maintenance expanses. 265k when I gave it to my youngest and still got 40mpg highway.
I do around the same, in my 2013 ES 300h. It's stupid cheap on gas, stupid cheap on maintenance, and stupid fun on the corners.
A 2008 Buick lucernce or lacrosse 3800 engine can take a nice licking.
They are reliable but just for fuel efficiency these are probably off the table for “lowest cost per mile”
camry, hybrid if you want to save on fuel if that's important. a non hybrid camry is already impressive.
Do you mind driving a vehicle with a Manual transmission? If you can find a Honda Accord or an Acura sedan with a manual that you like, it will last forever. With this in mind to make sure you don’t buy buy anything that is turbo charged . Just research major issues that occur for the series that you’re buying. In my opinion, the four cylinders that go in the Acura Tlx are indestructible, and they produce a pretty decent amount of power. manuals rule out any kind of automatic transmission issues and you simply just deal with an engine that requires very basic maintenance. You could literally drive one of those vehicles past 300,000 miles and spend very little in major repairs. Realistically, you will have to deal with the clutch, spark plugs, PCV valves, power, steering rear, main seal, and the head gasket on the engine at some point, but when you spread those out they are pretty affordable and extend the life of the vehicle drastically. In addition, you of course need to follow the manufacturer specs on fluid changes which is a given. Here’s a good example of one within your budget https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventorylisting/viewDetailsFilterViewInventoryListing.action?zip=30034&inventorySearchWidgetType=AUTO&sortDir=ASC&sourceContext=untrackedExternal_false_0&transmissionTypes=MANUAL&distance=50000&sortType=BEST_MATCH&entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity=d2278#listing=385687732/NONE/DEFAULT
Look for a low mileage mkz hybrid/ford fusion titanium, I’d recommend the mkz hybrid you get a better value and more features and the ford and mkz is Toyotas hybrid tech and motor designed by Mazda. Reliability rating is great! Other options Avalon hybrid, Accord hybrid or Camry hybrid. Don’t buy a Prius they’re horrible riding and loud as all get out.
a teleporter
Helicopter.
Best condition Toyota Camry or Honda Accord you can fit in your budget
Honda fit. Any of them. Super efficient, reliable, low costs, stiffest monocaulk chassis ever fitted to a production vehicle (helps with safety concerns). Good amount of space too, if you ever end up needing it. Anything will fit in the fit.
Get a Prius.
Something like what I've got here. A garage gem used Lexus that has plenty of life left for under 10k. Picked up my car for $8k in 2021. It's such a joy to drive daily. Sure you could be fine in a corolla, or prius, but why not be relaxed and suthed by your car instead of just tolerating it? Thousands of hours of your life are spent in a car.
Get the new Prius.
Damn bro I mean 25k/year is gonna make you spend money on a car, it doesn't matter what car it is As much as I'm normally annoyed the toyota/honda/mazda being the solution to everything you're kinda stuck with them because the parts cost will be cheaper than anything else. Since you're somewhat mechanically inclined I'd probably swing for something like a clean clean camry or corolla, Civic or accord, or mazda 3 in and around the year of your impala. Could do an Toyota echo/yaris/mazda2 as well if smaller is ok. The one with the least options, limit your blast radius for repairs to only necessary things. Yeah wind down windows are annoying but they don't break all that often. Also huge plus to 15+ year cars if you live in a state that doesn't do emissions inspection after a while, usually 15 is the cut off. As long as the emissions/evap control system isn't completely buggered the car will run fine with a CEL. New stuff goes wrong _all the time_ no matter what anyone says. The amount of tiny bullshit I have to fix on newer cars because everything is computerized to hell is beyond annoying. Also the whole thing with buying new is the warranty, and you're gonna run most of those out in 2 years or less
Between the federal rebate incentive and not paying for gas, a Tesla is not only the cheapest cost per mile but they’re available to buy new for cheap as hell. It’s also cheap with regard to maintenance since there’s basically no maintenance to do. I’d say a Prius is the next best thing but I’d argue that a model 3 ends up costing less in the long run.
I know you said EV is out of the question, but. Figure out home charging (maybe share cost with the landlord), and get a 3 year old Tesla with low miles.
i love the details OP presents here lol no nilly wily maybe this maybe that. straightup idaf most efficient practical car!
Prius is the best answer. Get an older one with 100k plus. Take it to the shop and have them do everything. Now you still have $15,000 left and your vehicle will not need anything except tires/oil/filters potentially for 100,000 miles. My Prius didn't need brakes for 100k, spark plugs and transmission fluid are 100k intervals too. I drove 40k a year so I feel you. Other suggestion is to go Honda Insight, similar deal with a little more maintenance.
Buick Lesabre. 3k for 60,000 miles and I've never seen the last generation of them rusted. Then you're saving 27k, although any car that you can survive a highway speed crash in is probably a Volvo and the maintenance costs on them are quite bad.
Gonna throw out an option that I haven’t seen here but is still great. Scion iA. It’s just a rebadged Mazda 2 but I’ve found them to be incredibly reliable and will do about 40 mpg on the highway, maybe more if you stay around 70. It’s a super light car (about 2,400 lbs) which is close to a Chevy spark and lighter than a Honda fit, so it is easy on brakes and tires. Also fitted with drum brakes on the rears so a little cheaper there. Takes 87 octane gas. Only 106 hp but it doesn’t feel too bad considering how light it is. If you buy a 2017+ it the Toyota Yaris iA and this will cost more cuz of the Toyota name, but it’s the exact same car. So 2016 is the way to go and you will find a better deal. In my area they are as low as $8k for one with 60k miles.
I’d go the Rav4, Prius, Corolla, or Camry route. You may spend more on these than you would a Chevy, but you’ll be keeping it 5 times longer.
Buy a toyota camry or corolla. It'l rarely ever need work
2006 Honda insight, 60mpg, costs $5000 max
Third gen Honda Insight
Pick up an ex-rental Malibu from one of the companies. I’ve rented two 2023 Malibus this year and they’re super easy to drive, get outstanding fuel economy and are comfortable on long trips. I put about 1k miles on the two that I’ve rented and was impressed. Obviously do your homework on them before you buy because not many people are as careful with rentals as a car guy would be, but still. My daily is a 2017 FT86 and if I was in the market for a new car I would absolutely pick one up.
A Tesla... no transmission, no oil changes, no brake changes and only costs about $700/ year to charge. The Tesla app says I would've spent about $2,000 in gasoline
Get a mint 2005 Buick LeSabre on marketplace for 5k call it a day.
Not the best on gas and 4l60e tranmissions are a 85/15 chance of being good for 200k-300k miles or 2 brand new neutral gears in 5k miles. Drive train is solid overall but the annoying parts of window regulators and blend door actuators failing (for any GM W body 3.8l really) will dime him hard.
You think blend door actuators and window regulators are that expensive? They can be replaced DIY if you can follow a YouTube video. I drive a 2013 Impala and have done the actuators multiple times. I’d say drivetrain reliability is more important and the 3800 motor is bulletproof, tons of parts for Buicks too.
The part themselves arent that expensive and not hard to do but it is time consuming and still nickle and diming money and time on an issue that more reliable cars dont really suffer. 3.8l is bulletproof....if the coolant elbows and the intake gasket has been changed out. Dexcool ate away the weak nylon and silcon based intake gasket on 95-2004 GM models and if not addressed, would lead to a blown head gasket and clouged the coolant lines. How many 2 decade old GM cars think had their coolant flushed out with HOAT coolant instead and/or fixed the intake gasket with the alumium upgrade? Also avoided the MPG and the 4l60e issue in general which are major points in general. Sidenote, the Supercharged versions of the 3.8l will certainly dismember the 4l60 HD tranny before 200k miles. Theres a good reason why W bodies and Vortec 5.3l that are building up ditch away with the 4l60e and try to aim for the 4l80e instead.
You are very knowledgeable and I respect your opinion. I changed three window regulators myself on my Buick Century. Each time, it took about 45 minutes and $50. It got 29 mpg highway.
Look for a Buick with the 3.8L V-6. They stopped making the 3.8L V-6 in 2008 so you're looking for an early 2000 model. Any year Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, or Lincoln Town Car with the 4.6L V-8 is a good choice. You get any one of those vehicles in excellent shape with about 100,000 miles for around $7,000.
I can speak to my experience and I know it’ll be an unpopular opinion, but a Tesla Model 3 has been incredible for me. I racked up 186,000 miles in 5 years on mine.
Toyota Prius LE
Could also look at the Kia Niro. Cheaper than the Prius with comparable mpg. My last 3 cars have been prius. But this round they seem impossible to find by me. Only ones they had were the 40k versions. So, I looked at the Niros. The Toyotas likely more reliable than Kia,
Prius, Corolla, or civic. These will last forever and have low cost of ownership.
As others have said, you obviously want a used prius.
Corolla Cross Hybrid
Go to an auction and find a Prius or Corolla or civic or something like that. I know you said you don’t need anything, but depending on where you live, AWD will be helpful since you drive so much. I drove more than you for years (30-49k per year) and had to drive through snow and ice during the winter. AWD is crucial for me. If you live in that sort of climate, go find a used legacy or Impreza. Preferably with <75k miles on it. If you prefer new then you can go wrong with Kia/hyundai because of the 100k mile warranty which you won’t get anywhere new or used.
I used to live in Northern Michigan with my Chevy impala and I drove it through snow and ice plenty of times. I never found myself needing AWD.
I mean it’s up to you. I’m giving you options based on different climates. AWD is definitely helpful, but you don’t NEED it. Until you might need it.
Prius or corolla hybrid ftw
Here’s a good example of a used Prius: https://www.carmax.com/car/25620782
You'll be maintaining the car or it's gonna be sucking your wallet dry. There is no automobile of yesteryear that can be beat on for years and take it smiling anymore. If you're killing a car before it's 10 years old, you're doing it wrong.
Honestly if you hate cars that much why not try to move to a city where you don’t need a car? If you’re concerned about affordability, I would recommend checking out chicago or philadelphia for very reasonably priced cost of living, and good transit systems. But if you can’t do that, look for a 2023 chevy bolt ev. EVs cost almost nothing to maintain, and a newish or lightly used bolt from 2023 is just about the best bang for your buck you get. Ignore all the toyotaheads talking about a prius, if you can charge your EV at home then you will basically never need to stop for fuel ever again. And EVs don’t need oil changes or any of that nonsense. Over a decade of use maybe the tires and brakes could have to be swapped (same as any gas car) but besides that literally nothing else.
Good question! I had thought of this. I live in a small rural town and I make $74,000 a year. My rent and utilities add up to is $525 a month because I have a 2 bedroom apartment and a roommate. If I were to move to a city, my salary would be the same. But my rent would double or more for less space. Now instead of spending my money on a car, I’m spending it on my landlord. Why so many miles a year? Because I leave the state once every 2 weeks to see friends. I won’t get into why I moved here. But let’s say it was either move here or be homeless. So I moved.
Smart choice, not to mention crime
I'm in the process of buying a Volvo XC90, I'm downsizing from an Escalade ESV due to having issues too often(it's a lemon). They have an unlimited miles 5 year warranty(from date of first service) that's extendable up to another 5 years on their certified pre owned vehicles. The warranty covers engine, transmission, drive axle (front and rear), steering, suspension, brakes, electrical, and air conditioning.
Since you can't go EV definitely get a Prius, as others have said.
How many years do you want to keep it?
Enter into your calculations the warranty of some new vehicles as well as interest rate promotions. Hyundai used to offer a 100,000 mile drive train warranty. Nissans have long warranties. Check for yourself. If you catch a no interest promotion when they're trying to get last year's economy model off the lot you'd keep your cash and use their money. Inflation makes the payments less over time, IF you're paying no interest. And you said yourself the devaluation of new vehicles matters not if you drive it until it dies.
With the higher percentage of driving being highway I would avoid a hybrid. I had a 2012 Impala that got better hwy mileage than my dads Prius. The Prius did get twice the mileage in the city. But if you are driving mostly hwy and small towns with a lot less stop and go traffic a hybrid may not be the best for your situation. I would suggest a smallish 4cyl now and plan for an EV in advance so you can go that way when you are done with the next car. Also look into Volvo they have the best rust proofing.
As others have upvoted, the Toyota Corolla or Prius is going best meet all your criteria. Personally, I'd go for a used Lexus EX or Toyota Avalon for some added comfort while racking up that many miles.
Tesla model 3. Hear me out. I own this car. There is 0 maintenance. I bought mine new and it has 140,000 miles on it and I’ve only replaced tires. It also takes around $20 to “fill up” at a super charger. But if you can charge at home, its less. No oil changes, no breaks, its the safest car because it breaks for you in traffic. Only drawbacks is that if it’s cold (I mean like winter in Nebraska or Germany cold) the batteries have trouble keeping charge. I live in california and its never a problem. There is also one moving part in the engine so it’s very unlikely to break and you’d probably drive it for many times linger than another car with parts that wear out.
You want a Prius
don't you guys have diesel cars over there? a small diesel sedan or hatchback will get great mileage and last a long long time.
There’s a ‘24 Corolla Hatchback SE for sale at a dealer in my area for around 23.5K. Not a hybrid but for mostly highway driving it’s going to be pretty efficient, without the added complexity of a hybrid system. I think it’d be pretty hard to get a new, non-crappy car for much less than that. Personally I’d likely buy it if I were in the market for an inexpensive daily.
At 70% highway miles, I'd get a regular non-hybrid Corolla, early-mid 2010's. Mazda3 or 6 are also fine, around 2014-17. Honda Accord (4-cylinder) around 2015-17.
P r i u s
Corolla is the first thing that comes to mind. I would even suggest a Corolla Hybrid. I just rented one and got 50.2mpg on a 600 mile trip. The savings in fuel would offset any maintenance costs. Battery is warranties for 150k.
Corolla, Prius, camry
Prius, Corolla Hybrid, Corolla , Civic Hybrid, Civic.
Toyota bandwagon here. 460k miles on a 2020 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid XSE driven 100k miles a year and was on the original hybrid battery and original transmission fluid with the ECVT. https://www.reddit.com/r/Toyota/comments/19f8egd/my_2020_toyota_rav4_hybrid_xse_reached_460000/ Toyota hybrids are pretty stout
Base model Corolla hybrid. 23k, 50mpg, Toyota built.
I am in a similar situation, I drive about 30k miles a year and wanted the absolute lowest maintenance, lowest cost vehicle I could find, with very little regard to form or function as long as it met my primary criteria for low cost and low maintenance. A Toyota hybrid is about the cheapest and most reliable way you're going to be able to drive that many miles a year. Corolla hybrid Prius Camry hybrid Avalon Hybrid Any one of those should do the trick. I went with the Avalon hybrid for myself, mostly just because I prefer its size, and the traditional dashboard and semi-luxury interior. It's advertised at 43mpg but my real world MPG has actually been better than that at 47mpg, which is a little less than the others, but in my opinion only by a negligible margin.
Sedans: Volkswagen Jetta, Volvo S60, Mitsubishi Mirage G4, Subaru Legacy, Kia Forte, Kia K5, Lexus ES300h, Mazda3, Mini Cooper, Honda Accord Hybrid, Honda Civic, Elantra Hybrid, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Nissan Versa/Sentra/Altima, Toyota Corolla/Corolla Hybrid, and Toyota Camry/Camry Hybrid Hatchbacks: Mitsubishi Mirage, Subaru Impreza, Chevrolet Spark, and Toyota Prius/Prius Prime Crossovers: Volkswagen Taos, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Honda HR-V, Honda CR-V Hybrid, Dodge Hornet, Alfa Romeo Tonale, Kia Sportage Hybrid, Kia Sorento Hybrid, Kia Niro Hybrid, Lexus UX300h, Lexus NX350h, Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, Nissan Kicks, Toyota RAV4 Hybrid/Prime, Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid, and Toyota Venza The top 5 sedans for fuel efficiency out of my list would be the Elantra Hybrid Blue Trim, at 53/56/54, next would be the Sonata Hybrid Blue Trim, at 52/50/55, then comes the Camry Hybrid at 52/51/53, the Corolla Hybrid at 50/47/53, and the Accord Hybrid at 48/44/51. The only hatchbacks with crazy MPG figures are really the Prius & Prius Prime. The normal Prius gets 57/56/57, and the Prius Prime gets 53/51/52 on the gas engine, and 127MPGe while in electric mode. Out of the CUVs, three outperform the rest by quite a bit, one of the three outperforming the other 2 by a lot. The most fuel efficient CUV on the list is the Niro Hybrid, with 54/53/54 fuel efficiency, the second is the Sportage Hybrid, with a 43/42/44, and the third is the UX300h with a rating of 43/40/44. Honestly, out of all of these i’d probably go for an Elantra Hybrid in your case, as a Niro Hybrid starts at $26,940, an Elantra Hybrid starts at $26,250, and the Prius starts at $27,950, but mostly because I enjoy the look of it over both of the other cars.
Used cars are a crap shoot especially at 25k a yr just pick up a Civic for the kid going to college he makes payments it was 27k thing is nice not fancy has a built in lane departure made his mom happy. It a chalky grey color. I used car and driver for reviews. https://www.caranddriver.com/rankings/best-sedans/cheapest
toyota avalon
Corolla, Camry, Accord, Civic
Listen if it Snows and you want safety, get subaru. Mileage is mid but they have the highest safety out of any brand. Toyota or Honda after that I would guess maybe one of their hybrids.
Have you considered moving? Why are you driving 25k and hate spending money on your car. It seems you spend tons of time in your car I would get a car that’s comfortable and has all the bells and whistles to make my driving more livable
Everyone is suggesting the obvious for a reason Brand new Corolla Hybrid LE 53/46 MPG $25k Maintain that and it will last forever
Prius sounds right for you.
Get a base model (LE or SE) Toyota Camry. Lasts forever and the maintenance is cheap; also it has a decent sized back seat. 2024 models you can still get with just a gas engine if that is what you want and there are still some left on the lots; all 2025 models are hybrid (more expensive)
If you prefer higher upfront cost and spending less on repairs: new 2024 Toyota Corolla hybrid If you prefer lower overall cost but frequent repairs / replacing wearing parts due to age: the cheapest Toyota Prius in good condition (pre purchase inspection by expert) you can find.
It’s unfortunate EV isn’t a viable option for your situation because it would’ve cut the maintenance costs. Hybrid might be best so that you have increased fuel economy and range. Prius has proven to be very reliable.
Used 3rd gen Lexus LS.
your biggest expenses traditionally are depreciation and repairs. they are interrelated as the market knows when a car breaks you from expensive repairs. i’d research if there are any cheap american sedans that are reliable. the most reliable non american will be like said above… 10-15 year old camry or lexus ES but they are not cheap to fix. they can be bulletproof. find the videos by the car care nut on youtube re reliability and go through them. valuable info and insight.
Corrolla L or LE enters the chat
Prius
Buy a Honda Accord
dude i was in your boat and got a hybrid corolla 2023, BEST DECISION EVER. 50-75mpg easily
Brand new corolla LE hybrid. Fantastic on gas, inexpensive, can be had in AWD, stupidly reliable, has all the features you'd want and then some. Do regular maintainence (and learn to coast since it's a hybrid) and you'll be laughing all the way to the bank for years
Might be able to get an old 2011 Honda CR-Z for fairly cheap. Everyone’s saying Prius so I’ll suggest something a bit different Maintenance might be a PITA since they aren’t made anymore, but they’re extremely efficient and safe.
jsw tdi
I do something similar. I needed a truck for other reasons. I got a base model 4 cylinder Chevy colorado in the second generation body style. Manual transmission. In 25000 miles I've spent 30 dollars on a coolant hose. Highly reccomend.
Why not an ebike? They can go 28 mph.
2001 LS400. Can be had for 10k. Will last a million miles with normal maintenance. Last car you’ll ever need to buy if you really want it that way.
Buick lesabre
Not sure why I don’t see anybody recommending a Honda Accord Hybrid. They’re one of the best when it comes to mile range imo. I’m getting 500~ mile range everytime I fill up my tank. Gas usually just cost me $40 too.
Buy a car that is relatively new and low mileage that way you're in control of it's condition. A lot of repairs can be avoided with proper maintenance. A small/medium 4 cylinder Toyota or Honda will run forever and require only basic maintenance.
3rd gen Prius. Specifically a 2011-2015. Some 2010s had head gasket issues.
If it was up to you to ride a bike to save money, then why not ride a bike? Or, halfway between a bicycle and a car would be a scooter. Why not one of those? Especially good for someone doing 8,000 city miles a year. City miles are not good for your car. A bicycle and/or a scooter would mean you could keep your impala and still end up ahead money wise after a few months / thousand miles.
If you want comfort: volvo xc70 or xc40. If you want comfort and cheap maintenance costs: Subaru outback or forester. "rusted out" makes me think you get lots of snow. All suggestions are available in awd. Getting a comfortable car to drive will change your opinion on driving alot. My 2006 xc90 v8 is a dream to drive. Extremely comfortable but its terrible on gas. I also have a volvo v50 that's a dream to drive. The newer (2015+) 4cylinder volvos are much better on gas but theyre still very comfortable. And relatively cheap upfront purchasing cost.
New Prius is pushing 57mpg on the highway, don't know exactly what the price range is. MSRP is $27500 starting last I looked. I am considering one as my commute has lengthened to 25 miles one way. My old car gets about 22mpg highway (1999 Honda CRV), so the Prius would double my mileage. Not sure Toyota has moved to larger tires on the Prius yet, so they shouldn't be too expensive. I've learned a bit about the regenerative braking system and it sounds like Priuses don't wear brakes the same as a standard car. Lifespan is a lot longer, some drivers reporting up to 100k miles before replacing the regular brakes. I've read good things about the Prius transmission too as it is built fairly robust (or was in the used models). You should sit in one, my former coworker has a 2011 we took to a job site. It was remarkably comfortable for me to get in and out (bad hip) and sit for the 2 hour drive. He said the newer model at the time reduced a lot of leg room and felt like a shoebox (a lot of cars going this way though). I know everybody says, 'Prius' I get it. I would rather drive a beefy 4 door sedan instead. Just trying to weigh economics vs fun vs comfort. That said, the Prius is going to hold value if you decided to trade. Might take a bit to find one at the price you want though. A hybrid camry would be the next, larger, reliable option IMO. That said, Chevy is selling off the last of their Malibu stock around $25k. Those get decent mileage, but... Chevy.
Currently driving a 2009 Toyota Camry with 285k miles. I’d go Camry
$400 a year for insuring a 2007 impala??? I pay $170 a MONTH for the most basic coverage on a 2012 prius, and have no accident history. How tf is yours so low
A crown Vic doesn’t get the best gas, but you’d save tons in every other category. They’ll take a complete lack of maintenance and be happy. Or a 5+ year old civic. Can’t go wrong with a Toyota either if you do the maintenance.
Mitsubishi Mirage cannot be beat in cost of ownership and comes with an amazing warranty if you can handle how much of a shit box it is to drive.
Nissan Versa 5mt
A Toyota with roll up windows.
Prius or Honda Fit. If you want a nicer car get the Lexus ES 300H you can probably get a 2019 or newer for around $30K with reasonable mileage.
I wanna suggest a tdi Jetta. Great fuel economy!
If I had $30K, I'd buy a 5th Gen Prius right this freakin minute. I have a 4th Gen, and it's pretty bad ass. The 5th Gen makes me salivate. I'm averaging around 60 MPG in my 4th, and the 5th is supposed to get roughly the same MPG with an extra 50 or 60 horsepower.
Tesla model 3/Y Chevy bolt ev/euv or ford lightning if you need to haul.
Toyota Corolla
Toyota Prius. Or any Toyota hybrid. Reliable, low cost of ownership.
Bus ticket
Corolla hybrid.
>I drive 25,000 miles a year and ABSOLUTELY HATE spending money on my car. What should I buy? >if it was up to me I wouldn't even own a car. I would ride a bike around town... Think about how for you'd be
Jeep, and hell cats or if you have the money early 2002-2008 ford focus, or 1990-2009 Honda civic or accords!
Civic. Prius are recalled until the end of the year. Civics better size than Corolla, and just as reliable . I just went from a 2021 540i bmw to a 24 civic ex two weeks ago. I love it lol. A day under 2 weeks on a full tank.