Hi BITOGers. I've been lurking for awhile, then joined and now seek your wisdom. What mid-size sedans are good in the $15-20K range? I would say used, no more than 3/4 years old.
I currently have a 2007 Honda Accord LX. I've owned a lot of different mid-size sedans over the years, and generally like to get as much mileage out of them as I can, or unless I find myself in a situation where it would be advantageous to get a newer car. Part of the reason I'm looking is because I received some marketing material from a local dealer who quoted a remarkable amount of money to buy my car in trade (I suspect the dealership I purchased it from sold my info), so I took it in and the trade in value was what they said it would be. I knew the used car market was strong...very strong apparently. The flip side is that a newer car isn't that much more money.
My drive is about 500 miles per week, so comfort, reliability, and low cost of ownership (fuel economy + maintenance) is important. There's a side road that I can take to get home, which is about 10 miles of winding road, but otherwise it's all local driving or highway; I'd say about a 15-85 mix. A comfortable, quiet interior is very important. Interior room is also important for me and for the family. I would prefer a solid cruiser over a "sporty" ride.
Upside to my current car: The Accord gets 30 mpg, and is quite reliable. It's the second Accord of this generation I've owned, so I'm pretty familiar with it. Very easy to drive.
Downside: Actually a lot noisier than I would prefer. There's road noise that might be sussed out by newer, quieter tires, but there's wind noise as well. The seat is only comfortable for me for about 30-40 minutes, and my commute takes about an hour, or more depending on traffic. It's as much the seat materials and design, but I also have longish legs and there isn't thigh support. Seating position is also imperfect; I previously had a 2005 EX-L which seemed better in these regards (maybe I was smaller and younger then?) but I had a slightly shorter commute as well. I'm also in a strange place where I want to improve the ICE but don't want to do so if I'm selling soon. In a new car I would want bluetooth at a minimum, and other features would be nice but not necessary.
So there's the usual suspects - I've owned Camrys and Accords. I can find certified used Camrys in that price range, but Accords are more difficult to find in that price range with low mileage. I'd like to keep mileage on the low side, preferably around 30k. The previous generation Fusions are advertised for the low end of my price range or less, although I haven't driven one yet.
I haven't started looking in earnest, and will probably buy in the next few months, assuming the used car trade in price holds steady for that time. If you could give me some candidates to look at, I'd be appreciative. I spend an inordinate amount of time reading about cars, but I seem to be suffering from a little bit of decision paralysis. In return, I will give reviews about the cars I look at.
I currently have a 2007 Honda Accord LX. I've owned a lot of different mid-size sedans over the years, and generally like to get as much mileage out of them as I can, or unless I find myself in a situation where it would be advantageous to get a newer car. Part of the reason I'm looking is because I received some marketing material from a local dealer who quoted a remarkable amount of money to buy my car in trade (I suspect the dealership I purchased it from sold my info), so I took it in and the trade in value was what they said it would be. I knew the used car market was strong...very strong apparently. The flip side is that a newer car isn't that much more money.
My drive is about 500 miles per week, so comfort, reliability, and low cost of ownership (fuel economy + maintenance) is important. There's a side road that I can take to get home, which is about 10 miles of winding road, but otherwise it's all local driving or highway; I'd say about a 15-85 mix. A comfortable, quiet interior is very important. Interior room is also important for me and for the family. I would prefer a solid cruiser over a "sporty" ride.
Upside to my current car: The Accord gets 30 mpg, and is quite reliable. It's the second Accord of this generation I've owned, so I'm pretty familiar with it. Very easy to drive.
Downside: Actually a lot noisier than I would prefer. There's road noise that might be sussed out by newer, quieter tires, but there's wind noise as well. The seat is only comfortable for me for about 30-40 minutes, and my commute takes about an hour, or more depending on traffic. It's as much the seat materials and design, but I also have longish legs and there isn't thigh support. Seating position is also imperfect; I previously had a 2005 EX-L which seemed better in these regards (maybe I was smaller and younger then?) but I had a slightly shorter commute as well. I'm also in a strange place where I want to improve the ICE but don't want to do so if I'm selling soon. In a new car I would want bluetooth at a minimum, and other features would be nice but not necessary.
So there's the usual suspects - I've owned Camrys and Accords. I can find certified used Camrys in that price range, but Accords are more difficult to find in that price range with low mileage. I'd like to keep mileage on the low side, preferably around 30k. The previous generation Fusions are advertised for the low end of my price range or less, although I haven't driven one yet.
I haven't started looking in earnest, and will probably buy in the next few months, assuming the used car trade in price holds steady for that time. If you could give me some candidates to look at, I'd be appreciative. I spend an inordinate amount of time reading about cars, but I seem to be suffering from a little bit of decision paralysis. In return, I will give reviews about the cars I look at.