Need a new car, don't really care for cars

J

Jkmetal23

New member
Morning;


I'm getting ready to pawn off the 09 Hyundai Sonata GLS. 170,000 miles is a hell of a run. I mean it works and it passed inspection until 2022, but I'm long past the point that any major issue could wind up costing more than the value of the car to fix. My brother is a bit of an old car 'collector' and he's had interest in this being the new beater of the family.



So, I'm moving on. And, unlike many of you who post in these forums, I'm not really a fan of cars per se. Maybe its a class thing, as myself being on the lower end of the class scale, but a car is not a fun thing but something I don't want to hurt me financially. Not interested in large car payment, speed, fun, leather, cool factor, nothing. Its needs to ****ing start, keep me warm in the winter, take 15,000+ miles a year and ideally I'd like all of the lights to be easier to replace than my Sonata (lol third brake light)


To this end: the short list


Toyota Corolla (2016-2018): This is the top of the list, but only by virtue of personal experience. I drove a rental version of this car from in a 1000 mile business trip in 2019, with my boss riding passenger and a decent amount of luggage. I was super impressed all around with this thing. To me, there was nothing it didn't do well, from the drive, to space and even features.



Toyota Yaris (2014-2017): I've always wanted a hatchback. This is one of the highest rated of the past 10 years as far as lack of complaints. And really, considering my first car was a 1995 Mercury Sable Wagon, EVERYTHING ELSE IS GOOD (lol).



And basically thats it. I'm willing to take suggestions on small cars from 2015-2017, Chevy Spark, Sonic, Fiesta, Fit. If you have experience, please let me know. I'm not looking at sedans bc although my Sonata has treated me like a prince, its a lot of wasted space for just myself and GF.


I should add that my budget is 10,000 to 13,00. I will be putting 5,000 down on the car.
 
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Yaris' are pretty small, even compared to a Corolla. Corolla's are great cars, really can't go wrong with that. I've had a Corolla loaner in the not too distant past, and for an point A to B car it's definitely one.
 
Mahjik said:
Have you also considered a Mazda3 hatchback? Something like:

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/818522389/overview/
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I have. My father had a Mazda 626 when I was a kid (he kept it until 2016 when the frame rotted out).



The prices are not awful, but I don't have any personal experience and I'm not certain how reliable these cars are, as some of fords small cars from the last 10 years have had serious transmission issues.
 
+1 for Corolla. 170,000 miles on a Corolla is just breaking it in. :lol:
 
Jkmetal23 said:
I guess.... 170.000 is a lot for any car.



I'm leaning heavily corolla but the hatchback idea is in my head now.... Idk what I'd even do with one different...
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Find yourself a Scion IM or a Corolla IM, and get the best of both worlds (a Corolla hatchback!)

Scion iM only came in 2016 cuz the Scion brand died afterwards and then got incorporated into the Toyota lineup and renamed to Corolla IM. Corolla iM is in 2017 and 2018 before the 2019 redesign was replaced by a Corolla Hatcback.

The advantage of a Scion im is that it IS a Corolla (despite its name) and can be had pretty cheaply. it doesnt have any of the safety systems the newer cars have either (those came in 2017+) so its purely basic transportation.

I have one and I like it. Its bigger than a Yaris, it gets great gas mileage, its a little bit smaller inside than a Corolla sedan (shorter wheelbase i think?), interior is the same as the corolla, powertrain is the same as corolla. so yeah its a corolla hatchback lol.
 
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Sasquach said:
Find yourself a Scion IM or a Corolla IM, and get the best of both worlds (a Corolla hatchback!)

Scion iM only came in 2016 cuz the Scion brand died afterwards and then got incorporated into the Toyota lineup and renamed to Corolla IM. Corolla iM is in 2017 and 2018 before the 2019 redesign was replaced by a Corolla Hatcback.

The advantage of a Scion im is that it IS a Corolla (despite its name) and can be had pretty cheaply. it doesnt have any of the safety systems the newer cars have either (those came in 2017+) so its purely basic transportation.

I have one and I like it. Its bigger than a Yaris, it gets great gas mileage, its a little bit smaller inside than a Corolla sedan (shorter wheelbase i think?), interior is the same as the corolla, powertrain is the same as corolla. so yeah its a corolla hatchback lol.
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I'll keep that in mind, especially if I like the price. I looked at the Corolla IM but the price premium compared to other models was a bit of a turn off.
 
I just had a stupid: Scion IQ looks cute. I'd probably be better off hitting myself in the balls again and again than getting one of those.



Scion IM looks good, harder to find. Corolla IM that I have seen are a bit above what I want.


Mazda 3 is now on the radar! I forgot to mention that in highschool I had a Mazda Protege that I totaled. (Like in 2005). So.... that brings back memories.
 
Jkmetal23 said:
... and ideally I'd like all of the lights to be easier to replace than my Sonata (lol third brake light)
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I have a 2008 Mazda 3 which I love, and I will someday replace with another Mazda 3, most likely. I'm very attached to that line of cars.

However, I gotta admit that they are a pain in the ass to work on for a lot of the little DIY fixes (replacing headlights, cabin air filters, etc.).

Toyota does a much better job at making the simple jobs simple.
 
'11 corolla here. absolutely *******g bulletproof. last time i talked to my mechanic about the "new" corollas was several years ago and he was saying they aren't as good now but maybe the latest gen is bulletproof as well...
 
Get a Corolla but ensure interior is not falling apart or has discoloration.
 
yep.

i like how mine has pushbutton start. it might be common now but even so a ton of cheaper cars now dont have it from what i've seen.
 
OverclockN' said:
The Mazda 3 looks fantastic.
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I like the look.... I feel like I have my heart set on the corolla for some reason. I should be more flexible.



bob saget said:
'11 corolla here. absolutely *******g bulletproof. last time i talked to my mechanic about the "new" corollas was several years ago and he was saying they aren't as good now but maybe the latest gen is bulletproof as well...
Click to expand...


As far as I know the new ones have CVT trans. Nissan had issues with their CVT transmissions and they were suspect industry wide for a while. Now, I think that the 2016 and later corolla with the CVT has enough years and miles to be reliable, as far as that goes.



I did think about focusing on finding a corolla with the 4 speed auto....
 
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