Thank you all very much... spent most of yesterday and too much time today looking at dealer web sites and the Edmunds/KBB/NADA for price comparisons.
So many of you responded:
sparky123
I personally would NOT get a 08' Civic which is 6 model yrs. old for 11K+. The 8th generation of Civics had the engine casting issues.
I've looked around and simply cant find anything with regard to this issue: TSBs, Civic forums,...Can anyone elaborate?
gregk24
Have you considered a late 7th gen or early 8th gen Accord? The K24 has a timing chain so no belt to worry about, and they are very reliable. Plus, you could get a 7th gen for less then what your budget is. Another good suggestion would be a corolla as others have said. I would avoid that 08 Civic, they like to crash engine blocks.
I like the Acord, too, and see they are a good deal. With his commuting, though, MPG has to be high... Personally, I can get 35-40 mpg out of my acord, but I drive it in a completely different way.
Again, crashing Engine Blocks... where else can I look to find this data?
Spazdog
If it is just a commuter car, I would look at the 2007-'10 Hyundai Elantras.
Spent some time at a Hyundai dealer today - they have some recent trade-ins I'll look at tomorrow
abycat
My versa has been one great car. I would recommend it to anyone.
I'd take one of these in a heart beat - or a Yarris or a Matrix or.... but, again, his commute lends itself to something with a little more meat to it
cptbarkey
Because of basic physics, i couldnt recommend the fiesta. With highway commuting (and piece of mind with safety) get a larger midsize sedan. Your son already totaled his first car, his second one should be bigger. I'm not placing blame because you didnt post specifics, but he is 21, and will probably wreck it again.
I agree about the heavier car. With regard to the 04 Civic, he was rear ended. Heck of a story actually if you'd care to read it: Post #3216048
He's driving to a friend's apt Sunday nite and is heading east on a 4 lane major road. Well lit road but it was icy and around 7 PM He sees a pickup that must have been heading west bound on its side up on the lawn in front of some other apts.
Nobody is around
He pulls a u turn and heads back to the pick up... Hits flashers and stops about 30' away
Runs up to the truck and the driver side door is trying to open. He climbs up and is kneeling behind the door on the cab and pulls the door open and there's an older gent trying to get out. He helps the guy out and then sees another person in the passenger seat.. The guy's grandson. He helps him out.
He jumps down from his perch and then hears a crash and then the whole truck jumps toward them about a foot Then they all sort of run back and around the truck
Some woman in a Durango nailed his civic so hard she shot it the 30' and it actually hit/bounced in then out of the pick up's bed.
I get chills just thinking about it... 30 seconds, a minute sooner and he would have been perched right over the top - half in/half out of the truck and that could have been really, really bad.
Little question in my mind that the lady was texting or doing something like that.. You'll see from the pics that she yanked the wheel at the last minute and hammered the car at an angle which is why the car jumped at such an angle onto the lawn instead of getting thrown str8 ahead. How fast do you have to be going to launch a stopped car 30 feet?
Just goes to show you... We never know what can happen when we get behind the wheel. Want to make God laugh? Tell him your plans
Sorry for the long winded post, but I'm so proud of him for helping those guys and so thankful it was only a car that was damaged
