What kind of car should I buy?

October 3, 2018 11:41 AM

I was recently in my first serious accident and my 2011 Chevy Malibu was totaled. I need to start car shopping, and I’m excited about having a new car but I’m also overwhelmed with the choices and how to decide on what kind of car to get. I’m not a car person whatsoever, so besides checking Consumer Reports, I don’t know what’s considered a “good” car these days, or what matches what I’m looking for. (more inside)

I’d love to get some data points from different peoples’ experiences with different kinds of cars. So far from what I’ve read online, it seems like Fiats, mini coopers, and Ford Fiesta/Focus are a no-go due to reliability issues.

These are some things I’m looking for:
• Generally considered reliable/safe
• On the smaller side, but with a decent amount of space (I’m single, no kids in foreseeable future, but would like to be able to store and transport some items in my car. I don’t need an SUV, space-wise, but I’m not looking for a tiny cramped car either)
• Good gas mileage
• Cute color/interesting, fun looking car/ fun features (it would be nice to have a car with some style or personality. Like I always thought it would be fun to have a bright purple car)
• Comfortable seating, preferably heated seats (I loved that feature in my Malibu)
• Good feel when driving
• Comfortable fit for a smaller person (I’m 5’2”)
• Good audio system

I'm not sure about budget right now, so I'm going to factor that out at least for now.

Thanks, everyone!

posted by koolaidnovel to Shopping (27 answers total)

Budget? The new VW Jetta looks cute
posted by St. Peepsburg at 11:46 AM on October 3, 2018

Small+space+gas mileage says Honda Fit to me, but I’m biased. Like, parking possibilities open way up.

It’s no powerhouse but it’s no slouch on on-ramps either. I haven’t had any complaints.
posted by supercres at 11:51 AM on October 3, 2018 [5 favorites]

We bought a Subaru Crosstrek this year, and it ticks all those boxes (I’m 5’1”.) Ours is bright freaking orange.
posted by okayokayigive at 11:51 AM on October 3, 2018 [4 favorites]

I love my Mazda 3; one of my co-workers recently got a Mazda CX-5 and has been very happy with it .
posted by mogget at 11:55 AM on October 3, 2018 [4 favorites]

I have a Honda Fit that ticks those boxes (not sure about heated seats -- mine doesn't, but I live in a warm climate). It's absolutely incredible how much it holds with the seats folded down.
posted by BlahLaLa at 11:56 AM on October 3, 2018

I loved my Mazda3 hatchback. It's a size up from the Fit and feels much more spacious to me, but is still a small car with similar mpg. It meets all of your criteria except that I don't think the audio system is anything special. Mazda tries to differentiate itself from the equivalent Hondas/Toyotas/Fords/Hyundais by emphasizing driving experience, and while it's no sports car I definitely noticed how good it felt to be behind the wheel compared to anything else I tested in the category. I believe it gets top safety ratings across the board, and fit me well as a 5'4" person.
posted by exutima at 12:07 PM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

We enjoy our Fit a great deal, and it can tick all of your boxes, depending upon the package you opt for.
posted by salt grass at 12:14 PM on October 3, 2018

I have a VW Golf Alltrack that I love. Spacious, but not big. Super fun to drive and good gas mileage, even with being full time awd. Nice audio system, heated seats, etc... Doesn't come in purple, but there is a sharp green metallic available for the 2018 models...
posted by Jacob G at 12:24 PM on October 3, 2018

Mazda3. And you don't need the hatchback - the rear seats fold down and you can fit a lot into the rear area and trunk. If you want heated seats, though, you will need the Touring trim level.
posted by JoeZydeco at 12:25 PM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

Toyota Prius! Ok, well, maybe not for looks, but for low cost of ownership (maintenance is not expensive and repairs are infrequent), reliability, comfort, and roomy interior (I call mine the little truck because I was able to fit a 65 gal water heater inside with the seats folded down), it's a winner! The hybrid gives you great torque, so accelerating is easy, especially from a stop. My mother, who is your height, loves her's because she feels like she sits higher than she does in a larger sedan.

I'd buy a used one or new one with no hesitation. I'd do it now, but my current Prius is at 197K miles and still going strong.

If you don't want a hybrid, I'd give Hyundai and Subaru a close look as well.
posted by quince at 12:27 PM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

Love our Honda Fit. The turning radius is ridiculously small for when you gotta get out of a tight spot. Holds a ton, great gas mileage, cute profile. I'd buy another one if I needed a new car.
posted by thebrokedown at 12:31 PM on October 3, 2018

I am also a big fan of Mazdas, but I've been eyeing up union made cars lately and I test drove a Chevy Volt this summer. It was super fun! And it has heated seats! There is a whole community around it's owners, too, including how much stuff folks can haul in it. If you can, give one a test drive. It is definitely on my short list for when my 10yo Mazda5 gives up.
posted by jillithd at 12:31 PM on October 3, 2018 [2 favorites]

(If money and everything else was not considered, the Porsche Cayenne comes in a purple "Purpurite" color. *starry eyes*)
posted by jillithd at 12:38 PM on October 3, 2018

The Mazda3 is fun to drive but is pretty noisy on the highway. If that's not a deal breaker for you, I'd give them a hard look.

Subarus are less fun but really safe if you get the lane guidance/automatic braking features (which also gets you heated seats in most if not all models). If you live in a wintery weather area, the AWD is also nice.

The little VWs are also fun and tend to be reliable but expensive when they do need work.

If you can afford it, look for something with blind spot radar alerts. My personal car also has it for backing up, which I like a lot. Adaptive cruise control is also another really handy feature, especially if you deal with variable speed traffic.

I also find cars with Apple and Android integration nice if you're making a wishlist. Having a large display for maps and voice control is handy.
posted by Candleman at 12:52 PM on October 3, 2018

I like my hybrid hatchback Kia Niro a lot. It has comfortable seats (front seats are heated), fits a lot with the back seats folded down, a decent sound system, and good rearview camera/side radar technology. Also it gets 45 MPG, which is a great step up from my old Subaru. And yet it's still small enough to fit into my tiny garage.

The one bad thing is that the design is such it's a little tricky to park: I can't see the front end from the driver's seat very well.
posted by suelac at 1:05 PM on October 3, 2018

Prius. Hands down. I got one in 2007 and now everyone in my family has acquired one because they liked mine so much (even my dad who tried to talk me out of buying one in the first place). Obviously gas mileage is good, but something that might not be obvious is IT FITS SO MUCH STUFF. Like, way more than you would expect from looking at it. I still have my 2007 Prius and love it. I plan to drive it until it dies, then buy another one. In the next body model (2010?) they added seat heaters. Ive driven up and down the entire west coast multiple times and it is comfortable on long drives. Plus, since they are hybrids, they are pretty quiet!

Another plus, since you are not very tall, is that if you are driving and need to sleep/nap, you can fold down the back seats and sleep stretched out in the back (although i recommend a pad for that).

Later models have funner colors than earlier models, but the interiors are not customizable. The better audio system might be an upgrade, so not all models would have it (that was the case when i bought mine. Things might have changed; you would have to look into that part)
posted by miss so and so at 1:41 PM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

The 2019 Corolla hatchback is a brand new design that has the auto journos saying maybe consider one.
posted by glonous keming at 2:18 PM on October 3, 2018

Honda Civic. I drive a BMW and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the driving experience in the 2018 model Civic. Good amount of power, solid handling, thoughtfully designed interior.
posted by 4rtemis at 2:47 PM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Do you have a Carmax near you? I don't know how they are to buy from, but they are great when you want to go sit in a bunch of different kinds of cars and check out their features. At the one near me, I could go in, chat with a sales person about what I was looking for, and they would give me some pointers and then set me loose to wander the lot and sit in a bunch of cars with minimal hassle from them.

Some helpful resources are Edmunds True Cost to Own calculator and the IIHS safety ratings. You can also get a subscription to Consumer Reports, do your research, and then cancel after one month. They have a lot of data online.

I did a ton of research and ended up with a 2010 Prius which I love. I bought mine used but certified from a Toyota dealer. It seemed like a good way to go, although I probably ended up paying a little more than I had to for a used car, I didn't have to worry so much about major problems with it for the first year.
posted by beandip at 3:09 PM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Greetings, fellow car-buying non-car-person! I'm not going to recommend a specific car to you. I went through the new car shopping process this summer and I was extremely Not Excited about it, since I also felt overwhelmed with choices and conflicting advice. So here are some internet resources I used that made car shopping feel less agonizing and made me feel more confident in my final car purchase decision, even though I don't care about cars:

The Car Buying tag on Jalopnik is informative, though probably not the best organized or most newbie-friendly shopping advice. But the snarky blog tone of the website made it easier to read regularly instead of slogging through pages of dry auto jargon when I Don't Care About Cars. I credit Jalopnik for hammering into my head to focus on total price instead of monthly payments in a longer loan, when to buy used VS new, and to always read the final purchase contract with caution; when I was signing to buy the car I decided on, I caught that my dealership had neglected (?) to put my trade-in used car value in the first contract at all.
How Stuff Works: Car Buying
The Wirecutter: Cars
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Ratings
National Highway Traffic Safety Ratings / SaferCar.gov
VehicleHistory.gov
How to Buy a Car Without Interacting With a Human
US News & World Report: Best Cars for Tall People / Consumer Reports: Best & Worst Cars for Tall & Short Drivers

I also used Consumer Reports a LOT. Check with your local libraries; many subscribe to Consumer Reports in print or online, and/or you can request the car-related CR articles via interlibrary loan.
posted by nicebookrack at 3:21 PM on October 3, 2018 [4 favorites]

Best answer: Also not going to recommend a particular car, but definitely build yourself a list, then spend a half a day at a lot that has them all. You'll probably know which one you like almost instantly.
posted by nosila at 3:25 PM on October 3, 2018

Note that new Honda Fits are in short supply in North America at the moment; the plant in Mexico that produces them flooded recently.

My car was totalled a month ago; I was interested in a new Fit but there were none in inventory anywhere near us. I bought a Civic Sport hatchback and love it so far. Heaps of fun to drive; lots of space in the hatch. No heated seats. I get better gas mileage on it than Honda's claimed 30 city/36 highway; usually 40+ in my mostly-freeway commute; although this is on its preferred premium gas,
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 3:39 PM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

My only experience with them is a 1,500 mile roadtrip in a friend's 2017 model, but I (along with a bunch of other people, apparently) immediately thought of the Mazda 3. I feel like it does the small- sporty- practical trifecta really well.
posted by geegollygosh at 3:49 PM on October 3, 2018

Jeep Cherokee, get a up optioned one, they are solid
or the kia version it's cheaper maybe but you get what you pay for......
posted by patnok at 4:16 PM on October 3, 2018

My 2016 Honda Fit has heated seats AND is purple (but not BRIGHT purple)...
posted by pH Indicating Socks at 7:14 PM on October 3, 2018

I love my Mazda3. Mine is bright blue but I think the 2.5 has different colors. Mazda has pretty much the best safety ratings everywhere. I have the base model hatchback but I recently had a sedan as a loaner and it had heated seats.

I'd definitely test drive a Mazda or two.
posted by bendy at 2:01 AM on October 4, 2018

I wanted a station wagon or hatchback. My mother uses a walker, so the trunk needed to hold a walker and luggage for vacations. My 10-year-old car had 90,000 miles, mostly weekend use.

I wanted the backup camera. I do regret not buying a more upgraded package including more safety features, but didn't want to spend any more money.

I got a used Subaru Forester at Carmax. I walked in on a Saturday with a spread sheet and an appointment (important, because they get busy) and would highly recommend buying from them. I only got $2,000 on my trade-in.

I ruled out a lot of smaller cars due to crash test results.
posted by MichelleinMD at 9:38 AM on October 4, 2018