What Car Do I Want??
July 25, 2017 9:01 AM   Subscribe

It may be time for a new, used car...but what one?

I've only owned one car, 2008 PT Cruiser which I purchased used in 2009. It had 48,000k on it and I have driven it a lot, adding over 100,000k, as I made numerous 100k commutes between 2 cities and one long trip each year. It has been carefully maintained but now it's starting to act up, with little things going wrong more often than I'd like and I'm starting to think it may be time for a new gently used car.
But WHAT used car? I bought the PT because I had always liked them and it proved to be a good choice for me, good mileage, easy to drive, lots of cargo space, great intuitive dashboard controls (you can access and control everything without even glancing at it once you've learned where things are). But they stopped making PT's in 2010, and I don't think another one is going to be an option.
I have no idea where to even begin to decide what car to buy next.
Several things about me...I learned to drive very late due to some phobias which had to be conquered. I don't want a big car or big mini van. Easy parking and excellent vision all around is a plus.
I live in Canada, so, winter driving.
I will pay cash and am pretty flexible as to how much I'll pay for the right vehicle. I'd prefer to buy a 1 or 2 year old vehicle in good condition with low mileage, than to buy new.
However, I just don't even know where to begin to decide or how to narrow it down! Car peeps, any advice?
posted by antiquated to Shopping (18 answers total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
good mileage, easy to drive, lots of cargo space

In before a thousand recommendations to "Just get a Fit". Though in my area the difference between late-model used and new is really thin, so we went for new. (Mid-May we got a new 2017 Fit EX Manual, like it a lot so far.)
posted by supercres at 9:17 AM on July 25, 2017 [6 favorites]


Yeah, the answer to these questions is always some sort of Honda.
posted by MexicanYenta at 9:19 AM on July 25, 2017


Best answer: I just bought a used 2014 Subaru Impreza hatchback wagon and I love it SO much. My previous car was a RAV4 and I loved it a lot, too.

My priorities in a new vehicle were:
-all wheel/4 wheel drive (so good in snow!)
-small but with ample ability to haul shit
-reliable as heck
-unremarkable looking

The Subaru fit this for me. I bought mine from Enterprise. I don't know how Canada works, but I looked specifically for used rental cars after seeing it recommended here on Metafilter (by Eyebrows McGee and others) and oh my gosh it was such an easy experience.

Everybody always says get a Honda Fit, and Fits are great and all, but in a place where it's icy and snowy, all wheel drive is something I'm zero % interested in compromising on.
posted by phunniemee at 9:22 AM on July 25, 2017 [3 favorites]


I love my Subie Forester. It fits your needs. (see what I did there?)
posted by humboldt32 at 9:34 AM on July 25, 2017 [2 favorites]


I love my Impreza hatchback. Over Thanksgiving, I ended up planning poorly and had to drive home through a snowstorm. Many highways were closed, and there were checkpoints on others. Cars were sliding down mild inclines and colliding, like in those youtube videos. When it was my turn to go through the checkpoint, I rolled down my window, but they had already seen what make of car I had, so the officer just said, "Have a good night, sir." Most of the other cars were turned away or had to get chains for their tires.

The hatchback part means the cargo space is great, and mine has a roof rack. The back seat row is actually not horrible for human beings, which is rare and cool for a car of this size. It has a great turning radius and a rear view camera with guides, so parking is a cinch. The mileage is great, considering the AWD magic, and I typically get over 30mpg.
posted by destructive cactus at 9:42 AM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]


If you think that the PT is easy to see out of, easy to park, and is good in winter driving, a Subaru/RAV4/CRV is going to blow your mind.
posted by TomFoolery at 9:50 AM on July 25, 2017 [5 favorites]


I love my Forrester and plan to keep it forever! My last boyfriend drove a Crosstrek and I loved driving that too.
posted by hrj at 10:00 AM on July 25, 2017


Best answer: When I had to bid farewell to my '03 PT and I had to replace it on very short notice, my final three possibilities were:
Kia Soul
Subaru Forester
Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

I couldn't afford the Subaru, darn it. I loved, LOVED the Outlander Sport. It's the only time I ever wanted to buy a car at first sight. Problem was, it was a 2015, and they'd changed transmissions for that model year with disastrous results, so I passed. If I'd found a '14 available, I'd have snatched it. It was just slightly wider and longer than the PT, with even better sight lines.

I ended up getting a Kia Soul Plus, which is a little bit wider and a little bit shorter than the PT. Advantages over the PT: better sightlines, better mileage, bigger brake and turn lights, much more nimble. Disadvantages: the front seat doesn't fold forward, so I can't fit an eight-foot stepladder inside as easily as I could the PT; the rear seats can't be folded/tipped or removed like they can in a PT. They only fold down flat, which works okay most of the time.

Tip: once you've narrowed it down to two or three potential makes/models, call your insurance company and ask what it will cost to insure each of them. The cost can vary considerably by make/model. You'll eventually pay off the car, but you'll pay the insurance for as long as you own it, so if one model is much cheaper to insure than another, that may be a deciding factor in your purchase decision.
posted by Lunaloon at 10:10 AM on July 25, 2017 [3 favorites]


We love our 2014 Chevy Sonic Hatchback, even/especially in Buffalo winters. We don't even bother with winter tires, just good quality All-Weathers. It handles well, super easy parking & manuvering abilities, and has decent pickup.

It's surprisingly roomy for a subcompact (and fits 3-4 provided y'all aren't giants), it was affordable (we bought new!), gets great mileage, hasn't had any maintenance issues, and has made many a road trip.

Very well worth it. A++ Would Buy Again.
posted by RhysPenbras at 10:14 AM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]


Honda makes an AWD fit called a Honda HRV, we compared it directly to a subaru impreza crosscheck and while the subaru had more bells and whistles, the HRV's better storage capabilities won us over.
posted by czytm at 10:23 AM on July 25, 2017


Best answer: I also love my 2016 Subaru impreza hatchback, sport version. It's sporty and fun but safe, easy to see around, and fits so much in the back, and more when you put back seats down. No regrets at all, although I maybe wish I could have gotten it in a different color, but the car itself... I love it!
posted by raztaj at 10:27 AM on July 25, 2017


Best answer: Former 2003 PT Cruiser owner here; I had to replace it without warning last September (my poor baby was T-boned and totaled by an idiot on a cell phone). But I'd been doing a bit of online 'window shopping', on the grounds that I was closing in on 200K miles and she wasn't gonna last forever; I'd narrowed it down to four cars, three of them new: yes, the Honda Fit; a Kia Soul; a Honda HR-V; and a used Honda CR-V.

My longtime & trusted mechanic dislikes the Soul, on the grounds of what he's seen in the shop: they don't need a lot of extra work, but what they do need, he said is comparatively more expensive.

That left the three Hondas. All three are well-built, with good mileage and upkeep costs. The Fit is a fantastic car, with a low purchase price, low upkeep costs, and high mileage, and until I actually was sitting in all three of them the Fit was way in the lead. Look, I'm 5-foot-nothing and 60-plus years old, so that ended up being my deciding factor..... the CR-V, whether new or old, was a pain to climb up into, and the only way I got out was to literally drop to the ground. The Fit was the opposite: crouch down to get in, and climb out and up to get out.

(Think of the HR-V as Momma Bear to the CR-V's Poppa Bear and the Fit's Baby Bear, or as I describe it to people, it's the CR-V's little brother!)

I ended up with an HR-V, partly because I can get into and out of it with ease. I've been averaging 35-36 mpg for the last ten months, and so far the only maintenance it's needed has been two oil changes. It's got great sightlines, the rear seats flip up or fold flat, and the cargo area is pretty darn good. I definitely recommend it.
posted by easily confused at 11:23 AM on July 25, 2017


You might add the Mazda CX3, which is available with All Wheel Drive, and the Nissan Versa Note (which does not have AWD) to your list. The Versa is likely to be the least expensive vehicle of everything I've seen recommended, and maybe the closest in size to your existing car. The Subarus are significantly bigger.
posted by cnc at 12:05 PM on July 25, 2017 [1 favorite]


Here's a vote for the Subaru Crosstrek. It's a slightly sportier-looking version of the Impreza hatchback, but with extra ground clearance. I love that extra clearance to barrel into a heavily snow-covered driveway in the winter. It's been great in New England winters, and the EyeSight safety features are nice
posted by dayintoday at 12:33 PM on July 25, 2017


Here's some love for the Subaru Outback. My 2006 was still going strong when I finally traded it in for my current car. It meets all your criteria.
posted by bearwife at 12:45 PM on July 25, 2017


My Toyota Prius does great for city driving in Minnesota winters. If I were doing a lot of winter driving in the country I think I would want AWD. A Subaru would be a great choice if you can afford it.

I have a friend who bought her first car awhile back, and researched exhaustively. She went into it thinking she wanted a 1 or 2 year old car and ended up with a new Subaru Crosstrek. She said the warranty and dealer incentives more than made up the difference between new and 1 year old - apparently slightly used Subarus tend to hold their value!
posted by beandip at 2:20 PM on July 25, 2017


Mazda CX-5, cx-3, or 3 hatchback. AWD. simple controls. Drive beautifully. Mazda has been making great cars lately.
posted by fieldtrip at 10:07 PM on July 26, 2017


I'm just about a year into my 2017 Subaru Outback. Drove a sedan (successive Nissan Altimas) for years and decided I needed something with a little more cargo room. I love the Outback. It drives like a car and has great visibility (this was one of my big criteria). Handles extremely well in the snow. I like that it is very thoughtfully designed. I researched and test drove similar sized vehicles and this was the one. I think my second choice would have been the CRV.

Only caveat is people tend to hold on to them, so you might not find a 1-2 year old used one. However, it is the tail end of the model year, so if you aren't picky about color/options, you might find a good deal right now on a new 2017.
posted by Preserver at 6:11 PM on July 29, 2017


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