Th
That would be ideal! Good find
Most reliable used simple/basic vehicle
- Thread starter dja4260
- Start date
Manuals are a small percentage of available cars.
If not for that a Gen II Prius is tough to beat. Battery change is easy enough.
If not for that a Gen II Prius is tough to beat. Battery change is easy enough.
Toyota Echo, Yaris, Scion XA, Matrix/Vibe, Corolla/Prizm are also good choices.
Mazda makes good cars, but they are prone to rust. The Mazda2 is a good car, and there's also the Mazda5 minivan. Yes, it was available with a manual transmission
You might be able to get a Mirage for $4000. They were available with a manual, and also very simple, as simple as a new car can be.
Mazda makes good cars, but they are prone to rust. The Mazda2 is a good car, and there's also the Mazda5 minivan. Yes, it was available with a manual transmission
You might be able to get a Mirage for $4000. They were available with a manual, and also very simple, as simple as a new car can be.
edyvw
$50 site donor 2025
VW Jetta with 2.5.
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
If you can handle a penalty box, A 2013-2017 Nissan Versa S sedan with the 4AT is about as basic as you can get. No power windows, locks, etc. I have a 2015 with about 80K miles on it. Just for grins a few weeks ago, I looked into what Carvana would give me for it. They came back at $200. It's worth about ~$4K private sale.
Anything (Honda-Acura) w/the K24 engine b/c:
pros:
1. K24 is reliable, good parts availability for everything else in the engine bay;
2. some years had bad transmissions....but at this point, any bad transmission has long since nuked itself;
3. any other failures (burned out radio display, instrument panel LED) are tolerable if left alone.
cons:
hard(er) to find a good/cheap specimen cuz most people who have one won't let go.
pros:
1. K24 is reliable, good parts availability for everything else in the engine bay;
2. some years had bad transmissions....but at this point, any bad transmission has long since nuked itself;
3. any other failures (burned out radio display, instrument panel LED) are tolerable if left alone.
cons:
hard(er) to find a good/cheap specimen cuz most people who have one won't let go.
This. 7th gen accord with a k24. Mine is coming up on 300k miles with only the starter and O2 sensors needing to be replaced. Can be found with MT. But, mine is 5AT and has been great. ATF changes are the easiest vehicle maintenance you’ll ever do.
Overall, maintenance on these is easy and cheap.
Ford Focus has a terrible reputation due to the auto transmission. Find a manual, benefit from low price due to reputation, Win! I had a 2013 Focus, bought in 2015. Daughter drove it until 2021. It was a great car, no big issues and got a decent amount when I sold it. I highly recommend a manual Focus.
As someone else mentioned, Gen 9 Corolla / Gen 1 Pontiac Vibe. The 1ZZ had some improvements starting in ‘05 had some improvements to curb the oil burning issues from before. I’d try and find a ‘05-08. Got one with 210k miles. Look for one with the side and curtain airbags - they are much rarer but imo a much needed safety feature these days.
Ford Focus - I’d try and find one with a Duratec engine over the Zetec. For transmissions, the 5 speed manual MTX75 is more reliable than the 4 speed auto 4F27E. Avoid the 2012+ Focus - they all came with the terrible DCT if it’s equipped with auto transmission.
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2022
- Messages
- 127
I always had good luck out of the grand Cherokee with the 3.7 and 4.7 Not much on power but they get 20 plus mpg and I've had several last over 300,000 miles with no major failures. I'm driving a 2008 one with a 3.7 in it now and it's pushing 290k and still runs like new. They are cheap and plentiful.
Man, that starter is miserable, right? I got an AC Delco and it died in a few months. Got to do it again with a Denso part. That's the last Delco part Im ever buying
- Joined
- May 4, 2025
- Messages
- 108
I actually might be the odd one here but I felt like doing the starter on a K24 accord was easier than most. Now yes I get you have to pull the intake manifold, but that is a hose and a few bolts that are all easy to get to. Then boom there is the starter again nothing hard to reach a simple extension on a ratchet and boom.
No jacking up a vehicle, laying on your back, plenty of room to move your arms (no ground getting in your way.), and so on. I changed one out on my 07 Accord in a parking lot of a hotel while moving from Washington state to Georgia. With a socket set I bought from Ace hardware.
Through searching FB marketplace, all the recommendations are available with varying mileage. I will be sticking with a manual trans, which significantly narrows my options. I'm not in a huge rush so I'm going to keep an eye out and make it happen when I find the one!
When I asked about getting a VW with a 2.5 people basically flipped out here, as they are old now. Good when new but if you weren't the one to put the miles on... I was bummed but what is one to do?
If the OP is only driving a couple miles each way it won't get very good FE. Then again, most anything won't. But it's not a bad idea, as long as mpg is understood.
edyvw
$50 site donor 2025
Flipped bcs. of what? That is VW? For example our Tiguan was far more reliable than Sienna or that junk Sentra my wife drove before we started to live together.
I recall asking about a 2.5 with >150k on the clock, and overall, the response was not great. Good motor, but still old.
edyvw
$50 site donor 2025
Well, old. Not sure what is he going to get for less than $4,000?
Not much for sure. I keep my eye open but the market is lousy.
Still, when I asked, it seemed many didn't think it a great idea and had other suggestions. Probably true for all suggestions--everyone else will have their suggestions, and will offer their nightmare stories.