Reliable Modern Cars <$23k

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cls1989

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Mar 31, 2021
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- Looking to purchase a vehicle, looking for recommendations.

- Price limit is 23k

- Goal is long term reliability 250k miles.

- I would think a vehicle with a naturally aspirated engine would be yield the best results in terms of long term reliability. The only problem is most brands have now switched to smaller engines with a turbo. For example 1.5l turbo.

- I’m looking at getting a Toyota RAV4. I can get a 2017-2019 RAV4 for around $22k

- Are there any other good recommendations that meet these parameters?
 
If you look you can get a newer Mazda 6 . Excellent car . Good looks . Very dependable. Great gas mileage. Great interior. Good motor and transmission. We have had two in the family and not a single problem.

If you looking for 250k . No CVT transmission and no turbo .
 
Toyota and Honda tend to be lousy buys used--they depreciate little. But maybe a 2-3 year old one will get you into the budget.

I don't fear turbos but I hear your concerns. I have similar concerns about hybrid and batteries--but our hybrid sure is nice.

Do you need space or small size? I'm not loving my Corolla non-hybrid. Fine for a runabout. Lousy for doing anything than hauling 2 people down the road (and questionable NVH on the highway). But anything larger from Toyota/Honda will cost more.

Have you looked up how to service the newer 8AT's? Some find that challenging. I've been putting off service on our hybrid's transmission, but haven't found doing a simple D&F on my CVT that bad--but I don't sweat having it perfectly level either. But I don't get more than about 2L out of the 14L it holds.
 
2024 Nissan Versa with a 5-speed manual would be my pick. May even splurge on bunch of options, and still be well under $20k. Long term reliability won't be an issue. I'd even throw a tow hitch on it for those days when I need to grab a small U-Haul trailer to deliver a bulky grandma couch from Key West to Prudhoe Bay, or anywhere in between.
 
Google AI just made my night, got me cackling like Kamala lol. Apparently Nissan Versa is a much better tow vehicle than I gave it credit for, according to Google AI:
1000033483.webp

Go home Ai, you're drunk.
 
The Chevy Spark is a good car and even available with leather and heated seats :)

The HR-V is also still not turbo, and it didn't use DI until the new one that came out last year.

I think you can still get a new Mirage. They are actually good cars, but people hate them for no reason.

If you need more space, you should be able to get a Transit Connect in your budget.

Get the nicest Prius V you can find

Graham Piccinini said:
Google AI just made my night... Apparently Nissan Versa is a much better tow vehicle than I gave it credit for, according to Google AI:
View attachment 251876
Go home Ai, you're drunk.
Click to expand...

Nissan's demographic probably would tow 9700 lb with it though :sneaky:
 
Graham Piccinini said:
2024 Nissan Versa with a 5-speed manual would be my pick. May even splurge on bunch of options, and still be well under $20k. Long term reliability won't be an issue. I'd even throw a tow hitch on it for those days when I need to grab a small U-Haul trailer to deliver a bulky grandma couch from Key West to Prudhoe Bay, or anywhere in between.
Click to expand...

That's some of the worst rev hang I've ever seen lol. Seems like an afterthought transmission. Professional driver saying he's struggling to drive it, isn't good.
 
The percentage of vehicles that make it to 250,000 miles is low, and most of them are body-on-frame trucks.

4Runners and Tacomas make it, but the maintenance costs on our 2001 4Runner have been pretty high.

We had a ‘97 Outback that went 289,000, and a 2006 Outback 3.0R (6 cylinder) that lasted 255,000.
 
SC Maintenance said:
I personally would skip the Toyota Tax used. New Toyota good, used = overpriced.

You don't have any other parameters other than reliable?

I would buy a 2018 / 2019 Nissan Frontier. Still on the VQ40 / RE5R05 - run forever.
Click to expand...
1. Yes I agree on the used Toyotas being overpriced. They don't depreciate a lot in price which makes them expensive. Especially when compared to some of the domestic brands.

2. Other parameters, in terms of vehicle type I’d say midsize sedan (example accord) or compact SUV (example RAV4).
 
Yes - there is a "Toyota Tax". But they still offer a decent value if you shop around. And there are plenty of examples to be had with excellent reputations for reliability.

In my marketplace, it's very easy to find a Toyota with a 2GR-FE (Camry, Avalon, ES350, RX350) in that $23k price range. I got my wife's 2013 ES350 with 120k miles on it for $15k. I can find similar examples all over FBM. If you want fewer miles, they are still available for less than the $23k limit.
 
dnewton3 said:
Yes - there is a "Toyota Tax". But they still offer a decent value if you shop around. And there are plenty of examples to be had with excellent reputations for reliability.

In my marketplace, it's very easy to find a Toyota with a 2GR-FE (Camry, Avalon, ES350, RX350) in that $23k price range. I got my wife's 2013 ES350 with 120k miles on it for $15k. I can find similar examples all over FBM. If you want fewer miles, they are still available for less than the $23k limit.
Click to expand...
The 2GR-FE are prone to oil leaks, and the most common requires dropping the engine out with the sub-frame to fix. Not saying they aren't great cars and they do last a long time, but that is definitely the risk your taking buying a 10 year old 2GR-FE.
 
The early 2GR-FE were/are prone to leaks. The later years were much better. But nothing is perfect forever, so I do agree it's always something to look for.
Our 2013 has zero leaks after 11 years and 125k miles. For now.

TBH, many engines from most brands that are 10+ years old have leaks. Valve cover gaskets. Timing covers. Crank seals. Etc.
Major leaks need to be dealt with. Minor leaks are an annoyance and most folks just ignore them as they don't affect the running reliability of the engine.
 
Patman said:
I came here to say the Civic as well 😃
Don’t fear the CVT though, Honda has a good one. They aren’t even super picky about fluid changes either, I have 257,000 km on my 2016 Civic and the CVT fluid has only been changed twice and it runs perfectly.
Click to expand...
I have one in my signature w/CVT
 
I just bought a new Mitsubishi Mirage in June. Cost of vehicle, dealer fees, tags, title, tax, registration, my wallet ended up $20,400 lighter. Beautiful car, very comfortable, gets 40+ mpg around town.

I'm a big believer in buying a cheap new car and taking care of it. Only interested in cars for their utility. I have other indulgences to waste my money on.

Mirage has a 3 cylinder motor which is perfectly balanced rotationally. Had several Geo Metros with three bangers that were excellent.

Based my decision partly on YT videos by Turd Pails and Trails who claims to be a mechanic for a fleet of 30 or so. He gets very high mileage out of them just with regular maintenance. Many other videos of how much people like them.

I read that they're being discontinued in the US. 2024 is the last year.

Looked at Subaru Impreza also. Never met anybody who didn't love their Subaru. About 25% more expensive and a lot more complicated. I'm pretty confident I can handle anything on the Mirage. Not as confident for a Subaru. Opted for simplicity.
 
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