Reliable Used Cars in the $15-20k Range
 

My friend was recently hit by an old lady who ran a red light, and his 2003 Civic DX was totaled.

By some miracle he's receiving $8500 from ICBC, and he has a secure well-paying job so he's looking to buy a car in the $15,000 to $20,000 range. $20k before tax is probably a very firm ceiling, so he won't be interested in cars with asking prices over ~$22k. Cheaper is better, though (he's Jewish... :D).

His criteria for this car:

- Preferably, should have 4 doors. Large, practical coupes (ie. Accord Coupe) would be considered.

- Will be daily driven, and will drive at least 25,000km each year. Will not be tracked or driven aggressively.

- Must be completely stock. (Minor mods, such as aftermarket audio, might be acceptable.)

- Car will not be modded at all, aside from maybe aftermarket audio, so "potential" is irrelevant.

- Must be relatively reliable and dependable, as he'll likely be keeping it for at least 3-4 years.

- Preferably it will be a 2004 or newer model vehicle although anything after ~2000 would be considered.

- Preferably an import, either Japanese or German, and luxury brands are preferred but certainly not crucial.

- Performance is not a major concern, as everything will be faster than his Civic was, but cars with decent performance (>150bhp) and driving pleasure are preferred.

So, based on the above, what are your top 3-5 picks?

So far we are looking at:
- Acura TSX
- Acura TL
- Audi A4
- Honda Accord Coupe
- Honda Civic Coupe/Sedan
- Infiniti G35 Sedan
- Lexus IS250

Thanks for any & all reasonable input!

I think he should get a honda s2000, it will be good for tracking and driving a lot.

also since it's only a two seater he will be able to create a better bond with the one person he is sitting with.

^ lol you're a dick


i'd get an accord. with a v6 or a TL.

wouldn't get the is or g35. just more trouble during the months of dec jan and feb.

All good choices. Can't go wrong with either. He should test drive and decide.

I like IS250, & TSX. Should be a nice upgrade from his Civic..

you can't buy a IS250 at that price range. Maybe a US import with rebuilt title.

2004-2006 TSX or Accord Coupe would be my choice which fits the price range.

TSX, or 06+ Civic Si sedan

Lexus GS or LS

go AWD turbo yo!


Impreza WRX.:D

WRX, S2k

LOL

Actually that would be my choice. Honda s2000= fun:thumbsup:

As for OP, TSX sounds good.

Have to suggest the 07/08 gti. Fun, practical, fuel efficient and recommended by consumer reports. Although I know there are buyers who just won't be seen in a hatchback for no reason I can understand
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cant go wrong with acura, honda, subaru

does he care about the maintenance costs of the car? if he is very concerned about maintenance costs, then the A4 may not be a viable option.

my vote goes for the TSX

Really? Is the G35 very dodgy in the rain? Granted, I have 40 fewer bhp than a G35 does, but my 330ci has zero issues in the rain (unless I fully turn off the DSC nanny).

Anyway, point taken... RWD is not the most ideal all-season setup.

Thanks for the suggestion, it's good to hear some new ideas. Might be a bit too performance-oriented for him, although it's definitely solid value.

I'm not a big VW person, so I don't really know much about the GTI's reliability and ownership costs...?

He absolutely does care about maintenance costs, and I agree completely that the A4 is not the best choice. It just happens to be one of the better overall cars available in the price range, but it's biggest weakness is reliability (and that's quite a big issue for someone who goes to the dealer for servicing).

So far, TSX & Accord Coupe seem to be favourites. I tend to agree, particularly with the TSX. The only minor problem is finding a nice one with reasonable km's for under $20k. It can be done, but it's not as easy as it is with an Accord.

subaru legacy GT.


trust me. he'd love it.

I'm sure he would, but good luck convincing him to buy one when the TSX and IS250 are potential alternatives.

Sorry dudes, I like Subaru too... but to someone who isn't particularly interested in performance/driving experience, it's simply not going to be a popular choice. Nonetheless, interesting to hear all the Subaru love, thanks for the suggestions.

or a legacy GT wagon.. haha..

most of them on sale are AT... so price isnt too bad actually. theyre reliable too.


another good sedan would be a mazdaspeed 6... or even a regular 6 is fine.

i was gonna say camry.. but.. its a camry.

try looking for an altima SE-R? or even a maxima SE?

TSX ftw

My vote's on the TSX too! Fun to drive, very economical, comfortable AND Japanese reliability. Make sure you get one with a manual tranny though.

Dealer will be charging an arm and a leg for simple maintenance, if he's the type that will only go to dealership for work than expect to be paying a bit more than average. Reliability isn't bad based on consumer reports rating, in fact a little better than average. A test drive is probably important, the ride in the gti although solid is a little harsh but car is plenty of fun stock.

i'd go tsx, tl or fit...if your willing to import, then maybe sti :D

Try the new Jetta when it's out in September. Nice car, starts at $15k, and has full warranty because it's a 2011.

Or, used Acura TL/TSX gets my vote.

Accord or TSX sounds the most reasonable out of the list.

No to civic, my gf has a civic coupe and although I like driving it, I'm a bit embarrassed sometimes...lol
The others are going to have higher maintenance costs and going to guzzle more gas.

i would say the top three of the car's you listed for me are:

1) Infiniti G35(x)
2) Acura TL
3) Acura TSX

I've seen many of these cars come into the shop i work at for nothing but basic maintenance like oil changes and brakes. Some of them have over 200,000kms and run so good and have no leaks underneath. The audi A4 is a great car (i am currently driving one), but it lacks power sometimes, the turbo is constantly working and gets very hot so after drives i decide to let the turbo cool which is time consuming, and also it gets it's regular things go wrong, like I have to replace the harmonic balancer last week and it was $400.

The honda civic is a great car, but its much less of a car compared to the top three i picked. Never really been a fan of the Honda accord coupe styling, and The lexus IS250 is nice car but dull in my books.

Based on experience, this is my opinion.

Good Luck in car searching.