Used family car recommendations

January 5, 2018 10:00 AM

Looking for recommendations for a used family car. My old 2005 VW Jetta has died. We have a 2007 Toyota Prius and we like it very much and are strongly considering another one, but want to consider our options. Can you suggest other cars in the ballpark we should look at?

We can go as high as $25,000, but less is better. We're looking for used cars less than 4 years old and with less than 20,000 miles. We'd like a car with great fuel efficiency like the Prius and still roomy enough for the family. I'd also consider a mini-van, as long as the fuel-efficiency hit wasn't too bad.

Got any great recommendations?

posted by Reverend John to Travel & Transportation (4 answers total)

We've been pretty happy with our competing hybrid, a Ford C-Max. You don't say which model Prius you have but the C-Max competes with the Prius V - when we tested both (about 4 years ago I think?), the C-Max had a little more power and the interior was a bit nicer.
posted by vunder at 10:09 AM on January 5, 2018

You can get a brand-new Hyundai Ioniq hybrid for under $25K, and it'll have a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty too (plus a lifetime warranty on the battery). This will be more like the Prius than a minivan but lots of families get by in compact cars.
posted by kindall at 10:11 AM on January 5, 2018

I have a 2005 Prius that I'm keeping until the wheels fall off. I've been keeping an eye on my options, though, and have decided that I'll just get another Prius when the time comes. Based on what my all hybrid mechanic has said about what they've gathered about all the hybrid/electrics they see coming in, a Prius still can't be beat for value and dependability. You could go up to the V if you want more room.
posted by quince at 12:51 PM on January 5, 2018

We recently got a fairly low mileage 2014 Prius V and like it a whole lot. It was well under your price limit-- under $20,000. It gets great gas mileage and has soooo much cargo space, which can be expanded via fold-down rear seating (cargo-space-wise it's a lot like the much-loved car we were retiring, a 2005 Pontiac Vibe, which is the fraternal twin of the Toyota Matrix).
posted by BlueJae at 2:04 PM on January 5, 2018