13K cash available to buy a car

felinos11

What 2010+ year model would you guys buy if you had a budget of $13k? I am looking for a car with less than 40k miles possibly, that is reliable. Chicago area. Idc if it is coupe/sedan. Based on my research, with that budget I can get an accord, camry, corolla, altima or newer models of hyundai. I like the design/features of the hyundai sonata+elantra but I am not sure how well those cars can hold during time. I drove the camry but did not like it. Also, what about bmw or mercedes? People say they are expensive to maintain and stuff but if you are handy and can replace your own breaks and stuff, would a german car be a smart purchase? I know with $13k is difficult to find german car with less than 40 miles, but may be an older model would be fine..(2005 mb e class or 2007 mb c class..)

Mr_Shiftright

A used German car out of warranty? Not a great idea IMO. Especially since you seem to be on a strict budget. It's not just the labor part--even as a DIYer, you have to cope with very expensive parts and complex systems.

Chicago area---tough winters! How about a Subaru Impreza?

felinos11

Mr_Shiftright said:

A used German car out of warranty? Not a great idea IMO. Especially since you seem to be on a strict budget. It's not just the labor part--even as a DIYer, you have to cope with very expensive parts and complex systems.

Chicago area---tough winters! How about a Subaru Impreza?

you are right about german out of warranty. I had the Impreza in Boston during summer, lots of torque but seemed too light or too small.

Mr_Shiftright

Have you driven the Altima 2.5S? A clean 2010 should be right in your budget.