Recommend a cheap, reliable car

[BBSLM]

Im selling my BMW 335i tomorrow via private party, and I havent decided what Im going to replace it with, so I need a cheap temporary car in the mean time.

Criteria:
cheap (<15k, but sub-10k would be preferable)
reliable
no more than a few years old

It would be nice if it would hold its value well so I can minimize the loss when I sell/trade it, but thats not my primary concern.

What cars should I be looking at?

 

[Benzito]

Honda Accord. Sedan over the coupe for resale, but vice versa if you want to be a bit more &quot;cool&quot; driving one of the best-selling cars of all time.

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by Benzito

Honda Accord. Sedan over the coupe for resale, but vice versa if you want to be a bit more "cool" driving one of the best-selling cars of all time.
+1. Honda Accord was the first car I thought of.

 

[imageWIS]

Or Honda Civic.

 

[BBSLM]

3 votes for Hondas. I was thinking Hyundai or possibly VW, but Honda definitely works.

Still open for recs.

 

[Harold falcon]

4 year old Toyota Corolla. Camry can be had even cheaper.

 

[greg_atlanta]

Camry may be a better buy right now. By the time you sell it in 2-3 years all the anti-toyota sentiment will have waned.

Any horror stories with the 335i? Or warranty run out? (I'd be terrified of a 335i out of warranty).

 

[BBSLM]

Originally Posted by greg_atlanta

Camry may be a better buy right now. By the time you sell it in 2-3 years all the anti-toyota sentiment will have waned.

Any horror stories with the 335i? Or warranty run out? (I'd be terrified of a 335i out of warranty).

Well I hopefully wont be driving this car for 2-3 years. Just long enough to find a car i love, which will probably be a z4M coupe. But I will look at Camrys as well. Thanks.

You got it - my 4yr warranty is up in a few months. I absolutely love the car, but theres no way Im driving it out of warranty. In 3.5 years Ive gone through a fuel pump, injectors, a turbo, a coil pack, and had numerous software issues. Not horrible for a first model year, but not exactly reassuring.

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by BBSLM

Well I hopefully wont be driving this car for 2-3 years. Just long enough to find a car i love, which will probably be a z4M coupe. But I will look at Camrys as well. Thanks.

You got it - my 4yr warranty is up in a few months. I absolutely love the car, but theres no way Im driving it out of warranty. In 3.5 years Ive gone through a fuel pump, injectors, a turbo, a coil pack, and had numerous software issues. Not horrible for a first model year, but not exactly reassuring.
I like the looks of the current Camry, and I know that they're very reliable as I have family members who swear by them. Good deals are available on them right now.

 

[kmwrestle]

You should be able to get an 07 camry with like 40k miles for under 13k if you look around .....the market has really dropped on them....if the market rebounds, you could actually drive it for a year sell it and make money.

07 Hyandai Elantra can be had for under 10k pretty easily

 

[Superfluous Man]

Honda Civic or Toyota Camry to be sure.

 

[atulhost]

I would recommend Toyota Camry.

The best place in the world to rest

is Toyota's Backseat.

 

[BBSLM]

Looks like the Honda Civic/Accord or Toyota Camry/Corolla is the way to go. Ill look at the Elantra, too.

Thanks.

 

[TylerDurden]

Corolla if gas is gonna go to $4-$5 a gallon it gets 40MPG.

Nissan Maxima's are nice.

Chevy Impala's seem nice.

Honda Accord is a reliable choice.

What about just a regular 325i? Non-turbo, just the old straight 6 that lasts forever and a bullet proof 5 speed?

 

[greg_atlanta]

You could always lease something new for 2-3 yrs if you don't drive too much, a lot of the cars mentioned may have $200/mo lease with minimal downpayment.