A family member is helping her friend who's car was recently totaled. Payout was $16,000. I was told she could spend up to $18,000. I was not told what model she had before. With this market what sedan would you recommend for a female who is looking for a reliable car? Thanks!
Recommendations for totaled car replacement
- Thread starter MONKEYMAN
- Start date
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it she could stretch a little new elantra with port injection and 5/10 year warranty is pretty reliable.
Accent is around 17k, elantra which was 16.5k pre covid is more like 21k now.
I think new with a short loan and warranty would beat out a 3 year old car thats almost out of warranty and 2k cheaper than new.
Accent is around 17k, elantra which was 16.5k pre covid is more like 21k now.
I think new with a short loan and warranty would beat out a 3 year old car thats almost out of warranty and 2k cheaper than new.
I would avoid a late model until prices drop back down to reality. Find something for a few thou to get around in, and bank the rest until then.
any Toyota 
thats a 2008 model.
After A quick search on eBay motors I found about 6 2008 Accords and Camrys for well under 10k with mileage between 81,000 and 150,000 miles. Just broken in. Good used cars are out there at reasonable prices even in this climate if one does their homework.thats a 2008 model.
If you could find a 1st gen Acura TSX, I bet you would love it. 205K on this one and I never even check the oil. Great cars!
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
I'd stick to a $16k car to make sure there's $2k in the budget for any work the car might need.
JHZR2
Staff member
I agree. If she is not very astute to mechanical and maintenance... a new vehicle (less is more, do without fancy options and add-ons) is a good move even if a small loan is taken for a time.
JHZR2
Staff member
Too fancy for someone with a budget of $16-18k. And too many things up in the air if she does not really have the mechanical know-how. Need the simplest vehicle she can get within reason... Not a pseudo-"luxury" marque that will have commensurate service costs...
Fancy? Gotta disagree. The 04 to 07 TSX is the European Accord. K24. These cars are remarkable and highly dependable.
I bought ours in Dec 2006 when the 2007s were on the lot. Over 200K and I would drive this car anywhere.
Any Honda shop can fix anything on this car.
JHZR2
Staff member
Im not denying its notional dependability, though these are over a decade old at this point, and any on a used car lot could have unknown histories....
Its still a fancier make and has fancier features inside which could break. Again, she's buying a 15 year old used car in this case. Rubber will deteriorate, plastic too, electronics will get wonky, etc. Depending upon how it was outfit, it could have more options and fancier things than a more pedestrian variant of say a domestic accord... Which for the same vintage is again, a 15 year old car or older.
She has enough money to get close to something new. Assuming she isnt mechanically and maintenance astute, and does not want to think about cars, getting her into a late model reliable car is the best approach, IMO. Not a 15 year old project... regardless of how "reliable" it is in theory...
What’s a wide open segment. And you didn’t provide much in the way of guidelines.
I was not given much guidelines. I tried. This thread is helpful in getting the trend of car buying today. Paid $15,000 for new Elantra SE in 2017. Now in 2022 dealership only has one new one. Price $21,220.
This is a really tough price point to be at right now. How about a new car? I think the Jetta S stickers at $19k.- Status
