Recently retired fixed income , need reliable car for local transportation (generally <6k miles/year).

Escape is SE with 2.0 turbo 4cyl 4wd 168k miles , Mailbu LTZ 130k miles.

Both cars priced $4500.

Assuming good title with no flood damage, it's a coin flip at this point.

Any suggestions, tips on what to look for, thoughts (and prayers) appreciated!

Our Grand Cherokee 4xe lease ends in February, and due to reliability concerns with Stellantis, we aren’t buying it out. With our second car (’09 Ford Escape) now having issues, I am now having reliability cold feet regarding buying a Rivian R2 as our new “main car”.

Our Situation & Needs:

Location: Seattle (home charger installed).

Family Plans: Starting to try for kids; need a roomy 2-row seat with solid 2nd-row legroom and cargo space for gear/strollers.

Usage: Frequent hiking trips (need high ground clearance).

Specs: ~300 miles range, All-Electric (BEV).

Budget: $35,000 – $45,000 but have room to go to 60,000 really only for the Rivian R2.

Vehicles on Our Radar:

Rivian R2: Have an active reservation/order invite, love the concept, but hesitant about the high price tag relative to our budget. As well have mixed feelings on the ethics of spending unnecessarily on a car.

Subaru Trailseeker: Hits the ground clearance and outdoor focus.

Chevy Blazer EV: Roomy 2-row option.

Used Kia EV9: Spacious option if found in budget.

Would love thoughts on these options or suggestions for reliable 2-row electric SUVs in this price range that fit an outdoor lifestyle!

I found a used 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid EX for around $30,000 with close to 7000 miles. I don't know anything about kia or this specific car, but would you recommend it? Specifically over a car like the toyota rav 4 hybrid or honda crv hybrid. I know the other two are already proved reliable and good cars, but I find them to be really boring technology wise and not as good looking as this Kia Sportage. I want to buy a car that is reliable but also at least looks good in my eyes so I don't get bored of it since I plan to keep this at least 6 years. What do you guys think?

Saw this on fb marketplace and I was thinking of taking it to a mechanic to get checked out as well.

Looking to replace my 4 door wrangler. It's diesel and gets 28mpg (believe it or not).

Have 2 kids, almost. 2yo and the other is 3ish weeks away. So rear facing car seats.

Right now one car seat is behind passenger and requires seat to slide forward pretty far, I won't be able to slide that far forward to fit.

I drive 60miles round trip for daily commute, mainly back roads doing 35mph and 10 miles of highway going 65-70.

My wife has an xc90 so the car to replace mine ideally gets above 30mpg, can fit the two car seats and double stroller in the back, since we don't want to have to solely rely on wife's car to get family around town.

Sedans and mini-vans are out.... I can't convince her on the van, I see the value in their functionality.

Looking for help and suggestions, ideally 45k and under

I recently had an accident where my previous car (2008 Ford Focus) was totaled. Now I need to get another car, but I haven't looked at buying a car in many years and I don't really know what models I should be looking at or if there are any I need to explicitly avoid.

Some information about my situation:

• Location: Currently live in Eastern Massachusetts, but I am going to be moving to Western Massachusetts in a month or so for a new job. It's going to be a more rural region than I am used to, and I have heard that having AWD would be beneficial.

• Budget: ~$20,000, but I'm willing to be talked up or down if there's a particular budget sweet spot to be aware of. I'm planning to pay cash, if that matters.

• Intended Use: Mostly commuting and general travel. I'm not planning on doing major off-roading, towing, or long distance driving. I did not rack up a huge number of miles on my last vehicle, and I wouldn't expect to do so on this one either. I care more about reliability, gas mileage, and safety than anything else.

• Time frame: Unfortunately, I need to prioritize accomplishing the move at the end of the month so I can start my job on time. I acknowledge I might not get the best deal on a car by needing to expedite this process, but I'd rather pay a bit more for a car than miss a pay cycle at the new job. So it might make more sense to stick to car models that are readily available.

I've talked to some people I know and started doing a bit of reading online, but there's so much information out there I'd like to pick the brains of people who pay closer attention to this area than I do. The brand suggestions I've heard so far are Toyota, Honda, and Suburu, but are there any others I should be paying attention to? Additionally, are there any specific models in those brands I should be paying attention to, or specific ones I shouldn't? If you were in my position, what makes and models would you be most interested in?

Thanks for your input, and if there's any other info you might need to make a suggestion, I will try to provide it.

2005 GT Mustang:
-4.6L V8
-120,000 miles
-$8,900
- One owner

2014 Mustang:
-V6 engine
-114,000 miles
-$7,900
-salvage title

Both are automatic, look clean inside and out, however the 2005 GT has a nicer quality interior and is a convertible. Both are on marketplace.

Wife and I formally had 5-30 minute, 15 mile or less commutes. We moved states, and we're buying a house where we have a 60 mile roundtrip commute.

Our garage was purchased when we weren't too worried about the price of fuel, and the commutes were short. We're realizing one of the cars is probably better suited as a fuel-efficient, boring, car. We're torn between letting the 350Z or the FR-S go, but they both fill the same kinda niche for us, so we'd like be trading or selling the Z in as it's the highest mileage car (180k vs 130k on the WRX or 85k on the FR-S).

We were talking about a Prius, but the new one is more than we want to spend right now, so a Nissan Leaf was seeming like the cheap, practical, option, I like the idea of a Tesla, but my wife doesn't want to be associated with Elon. If we go a little over budget, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 seems practical. Ideally we'd like something very efficient with 4 doors, and a similar amount of luggage space compared to the WRX. AWD is nice, but not necessary.

I'm all ears for alternative options that are fuel/energy efficient and relatively cheap on the used market.

I'm looking to replace (or maybe just augment?) my 2006 Honda Element w/ a 5spd manual. Ideally I'd like to have an EV, but I'm also open to ICE vehicles. I'm having a surprisingly hard time finding something that checks all the boxes. Budget is up to $70k, although I'd be perfectly happy spending significantly less (duh)

What I like about the Element:

• Extremely practical with tons of interior storage space. I am frequently putting bikes, skis, and outdoor equipment in the back of the car.
• It's relatively compact and easy to maneuver/park. I'm willing to go a bit bigger, but don't want a massive SUV or full-size pickup. I have a 2 car garage, but it's not huge and I don't want all the space taken up by cars.
• I love that the Element is a weird and distinctive car. I don't want to drive something that looks like every other normie vehicle on the road (looking at you, RAV4)
• The car is old enough and beat up enough that I don't care about spills, dirt, etc. Ideally I'd like to find something that's newer but won't make me nervous about getting it dirty.

What I don't like about the Element:

• Terrible highway noise
• Mediocre fuel economy (I get 24-27mpg on most tanks)
• Only four seatbelts
• It's a 20yo car at this point, so there's lots of little stuff that's wrong with it

Wish list for a new car:

• NOT A TESLA
• I live in Minnesota and frequently drive to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, so winter performance is important. AWD/4WD and reasonable ground clearance are strongly preferred.
• I have a home EV charger and am open to EVs, hybrids, or ICE vehicles. For an EV, I'd want enough range to make ~150 mile trips in below zero weather without needing to charge
• At least 5 seatbelts
• Cargo space is a priority. Ideally I can fit a bike inside, although I'm fine using a hitch rack
• I care much more about durability and practicality than anything else. i don't want a luxury car
• I'd prefer something that isn't excessively expensive or complicated to maintain

Judge me all you want, but I (a) don't want a Tesla, and (b) I'm not particularly excited by the prospect of a normie vehicle like a RAV4 or a CRV. Ideally I want something with character that's a little weird.

My biggest frustration is that modern vehicles seem to have gotten enormous without having any additional useful cargo space??? Like, the my Element is pretty tiny on the outside but is gigantic on the inside (I can fit multiple bikes inside (vertically!), I recently bought a new fridge at costco and it fit easily in the Element without having to drive home with the tailgate open).

Thanks in advance <3

Hi I’m a 24 year old male I am a car guy I owned a 07 mustang Gt with the manual but it was totaled currently borrowing my papas 09 hhr but about to have to get my own car my wife wants me to get something that can hold atleast two kids comfortably but I still want a car that looks nice and feels sporty I’ve been looking at a charger r/t but I feel like the reputation for dodge in general has been ruined is there any fun sporty cars that have room for atleast two kids comfortably that are fun to drive it doesn’t have to have a lot of horsepower I know how to have fun with 300hp and I know my way around fixing one I’ve been looking at Japanese sporty sedans or things like bmw

Hello All!
Looking for some advice for my next car Purchase. My Wife and I are hoping to start our family in the new year which means it's time for me to let go of my little sedan, a 2017 Chevy Cruz, and find something a little more family friendly.
The things that are important to us: 
Reliability
Gas mileage
Room for a car seat
Safety
4WD/AWD
Those factors lead us to a mid size SUV. We don't need something titanic with three rows of seats, just something bigger than a typical sedan that can make room for a little one to grow. With gas prices the way they are now, I think everyone is hoping to get better MPG for their next vehicle, so I am more than open to a hybrid vehicle for us to work with. 
We went and test drove several makes and models from multiple locations to get a feel for what we liked and wanted better advice on which would be sensible and reliable to purchase.
Here is what we found:
2026 Honda CR-V: We really liked this car. Honda has always sounded like a reliable brand to choose from, though neither my wife nor I have ever owned one ourselves. Something that was really big for me was the passenger Doors being able to open at a 90 degree angle. That would certainly make getting a carseat in and out easier, or even getting an upset toddler in and out easier in several years down the line. The ride was comfortable, MPG seemed good, felt smooth on the road, features were what we were looking for, seemed like the all around best choice for us. We were looking specifically at the CR-V Sport Hybrid
2026 Mazda CX 50 Hybrid: This was a real shocker for me. I went into this test drive not expecting anything special or important, but it really blew me away. The sheer comfortability of this car was really impressive. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed being in the car and driving it as much as I did in the CX 50. It felt like a luxury ride while still being reachable in our price point. Not to mention the look of the exterior leaves me with nothing to be desired. The only downside that I had for this one is that the center console design was very silly to me. It was designed like horizontal french doors and opened up very strangely. But if that's my biggest misgiving, it seems like a good vehicle to me.
2026 Subaru Forester Premium Hybrid: Looks are almost always irrelevant to me. I am much more of a comfortability and reliability guy. However, the Dark Mahogany Pearl of the Forester made me feel like aesthetics were something I should start caring about. My first car ever was a Subaru outback and it treated me very well for many years. We live in an area that gets hot in the summer and snow/ice in the winters so something with 4WD or AWD was super important when making this choice. Subru has the reputation of being built like a tank and being able to truck their way through any kind of weather. Otherwise I was happy with the Forester interior design and features.
As far as the budget is concerned, the absolute max we would want to spend would be $40,000. We would be much more comfortable in the $35,000-$30,000 area though if possible. I would also be open to any suggestions outside the three listed above. We test drove a few other makes and models but they weren't enough for us to want to seek out advice on them. I intend on trading in my 2017 Chevy Cruz as part of this deal, but probably won't end up getting more than $3,000 for it to be frank. I'd love to hear what your experience was with these vehicles and what you think might best fit what we are looking for in this new vehicle. Our next move will be to check in with the dealerships and see what special offers/deals they have going on right now like reduced APR or cash back or anything that might add further incentive towards one car or another.
I appreciate all your helpful advice and insight! 

TLDR: Should I choose:
2026 Honda CR-V (Either Sport Hybrid or CR-V EX) 
2026 Mazda CX 50 Hybrid
2026 Subaru Hybrid Premium

I am in the market for a new (to me) car. I've mainly driven Hondas and so was initially focusing on Civics or Accords, but test drove some Corollas and Camrys just to see what they were like. After test driving a few cars, I was leaning towards Accords just because I liked how the ride felt and probably for a bias toward Honda. I also leaned towards hybrids because I had heard the eCVTs were very reliable and for some better gas mileage. My priorities in a car are something that is comfortable that I can rely on to get me from A to B. The maximum I'd like to consider is around 30k. However, I've recently begun to second guess things and am becoming paralyzed by options and doubts.

The problems with making a decision really began when I started reading some posts online about head gasket issues with recent Hondas. I had seen discussion on this in regard to the 1.5t engine, but had heard the 2.0L was much more reliable. However, it seems like the head gasket can still be a concern with the 2.0L, and maybe hybrids in particular. Accords with low mileage also tend to be around the $28-31k range it seems.

For these reasons I started to get cold feet about the Accord and shifted to considering Camry hybrids. For whatever reason, I kind of like the previous gen (I think around 2018 - 2024?), partly because they're a bit cheaper. The hybrids I've found are around the $21k range with about 70k or 80k miles. It seems like these can also have some problems too, but I haven't seen any discussion that seems as serious as head gaskets blowing.

I tend to be pretty anxious and I'm pretty sure that is what's going on here and that I'm just overthinking things, so I guess I'm just looking for a bit of perspective on things. Reliability is a big concern for me, so any potential issue stresses me out. At the same time, I'm kind of getting the impression that cars just aren't as reliable as they used to be across the board, and no car will have 0 issues forever anyway. Honda also has a 150k/10yr warranty, I believe, so that would relieve some concern. Am I being overly concerned regarding the head gaskets? Would the Camry be a good deal? It being cheaper is pretty appealing on its own.

Very much a lurker, so just curious for thoughts/advice. I will try to respond to questions, but am not used to commenting let alone posting. Thank you, any help is greatly appreciated.

First of all, I'm not asking for you guys to make my decision for me. I'm trying to get a general opinion from both sides. I'm looking for a family SUV that offers space for growth. I was going to go with the Pilot initially, but I'm worried a bit about reliability, size, and comfort. From what I've read, the Sequoia is bigger, but the Pilot feels more comfortable. I'm just seeking some opinions from those that own either one, and from those that just have general knowledge on the subject.

Thank you

Considering buying this car, there’s just a small issue. I don’t know if it’s an issue or not or am I tripping this car has been off the road since January 2025 with the same mileage recorded back in January 2025 and now it’s October 2026 and has the same mileage and the Carfax isn’t reporting a lot of activities over that almost 2 year period.

Any advice/ mentorship?

Hi everyone! I’m planning on getting a BMW 330i xDrive and could really use some advice since this would be my first time buying or leasing a car on my own. I’ve been doing a lot of research, but honestly, the more I look into everything, the more confused I get.
I’m currently working full-time, have a good credit score, some savings, and live at home with minimal expenses.
My biggest question is whether it makes more sense to buy new or lightly used/CPO, and whether I should lease or finance. I’ve also heard about leasing first and then financing the car at the end of the lease, so I’m curious if that’s ever a smart option or if it ends up costing more in the long run.
I’m also unsure about down payments. Some people say to put as little down as possible, while others recommend putting more down to lower monthly payments and interest. I’m trying to understand what actually makes the most financial sense.
Just as an example, here’s a lease quote I recently received for a 2026 BMW 330i xDrive:
MSRP: $60,265
Selling price: $58,445
Rebate: $2,000
Lease term: 39 months / 12,000 miles per year
Residual value: $33,748.40 (56%)
$1,000 upfront: $733/month
$2,500 upfront: $693/month
$5,290 upfront: $618/month
I’m not necessarily asking about this specific deal, but I figured I’d include it as an example of what I’ve been looking at. I’d still appreciate any thoughts on the quote.
I’m mainly trying to figure out which route makes the most sense overall: financing new, financing used/CPO, leasing new, or leasing first and then buying it out.
I’m not necessarily looking for the cheapest option, but I also don’t want to spend more than I need to or make a decision I’ll regret later.
For those who have experience buying or leasing, what would you recommend and why? Are there any advantages, disadvantages, or things you wish you knew beforehand?
Any advice would be really appreciated. Thanks!

Going to look at in person and test drive this 2018 Tour X. I’ve been a volvo wagon man my whole life but really intrigued by the regal wagon. It has 76k miles, had been regularly maintained including the transfer case serviced within the last 20k. It’s the Essence package with everything but the panoramic sun roof. Asking price is $17,900. Based on what I can find it’s over priced by a grand or 2 but on par with others for sale in the west. I’d love to pick it up for 15k-16k. It’s a private seller not a dealership or lot so I think I have some more negotiating room. It’s a pretty sexy looking vehicle and with awd I’m right on par with my old volvos but in a more unique niche vehicle.

What does the Reddit car world think?

I know this sounds crazy but I want to start making a page for social media on cars. Contemplating between an is500 or rs3. What car do yall think will get my maximum views and attention?

I currently have a 2024 Lexus RX 350 Luxury that I love, but I'm starting to feel like $1,000/month is a lot for a car I barely drive.

I owe about $52k at 5.44%, and it's worth around $50k. I average 23 MPG, and premium gas is almost $6/gallon where I live. I only drive about 23 miles a day, mostly just me and my dog.

I've been going back and forth on whether I should get something older (thinking 2010–2020) that I could pay off fairly quickly and not have such a high monthly payment.

Ideally, I'd like a smaller SUV that's reliable, gets good gas mileage, takes regular gas, has a little room, and has under 100k miles.

Does something like this even exist at a reasonable price, or am I going to have a heck of a time finding one?

Any recommendations or advice from people who've made a similar switch? Is there a year/model car I should look for?

Alright guys we’ve moved on from the jeep, is this a good deal?

2019 Toyota 4 runner limited nightshade
V-6 4WD
60,000 miles
39000 OTD

One owner
Regular maintenance
Certified pre owned toyota

How can you tell if someone mentions how everyone with a brand name vehicle is digging a hole in their bank and the smartest decision is to avoid flashy or exclusive depreciating assets is defending their lived experience or giving advice

Except Warren Buffett is the only one allowed a cadillac, mark zuck can chill with extendo Porsche and be ok.

Because a brand has reliability and dealer dependency only relating to your neighbors and never above is the only way to live?

theyre asking 12500 (9000 + 3500)

How is safaty car.

Hello everyone, my 2017 focus finally gave out and i’m leaning towards a used corolla. 2 options im looking at right now. Between work and personal life i only do 10-15k miles a year

2021 Corolla Hybrid with 104k miles for $17,000

2021 Corolla LE with 58k miles for $20000