Military guy needs help getting an affordable reliable commuter car.

rocky124

SO I recently totaled my car. I have never done that before but it happened. So now I am under the gun to get something $10,000 or under. Ones I have been looking at are:

2012 Ford focus
70,000 miles
Clean title

2014 Nissan Versa
30,000 miles
Clean title

Also looking at
2012-2014 Kia Forte


I would like to get a Nissan Sentra comparable to these cars bu the are hard to find. My issue is that I need something at least 3 more years that is reliable. I considered leasing but I can scratch together enough to not have any payment I would rather do that plus I am not sure I can meet the miles limit and I didn't want to stress out about that. Does anyone have any good alternatives to those cars that might be in the range I am looking at. I suppose I would be open to a newer car with just over 100,000 miles or more if I new I could get the years out it and get a decent trade in later on. Thoughts? And thank you in advance.

benjaminh

Imho the choices you've looked at seem good enough. But for c. $14,400 you could consider a brand-new VW Jetta. Here's a listing at my local dealer:

NEW 2016 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SEDAN 4DR MANUAL 1.4T S SEDAN BACHMAN SUMMER SALE PRICE: $14,383

I think similar prices are available nationwide, and VW has 0% financing. Just a thought.

http://www.bachmanvolkswagen.com/VehicleDetails/new-2016-Volkswagen-Jetta_Sedan-4dr_Manual_1.4T_S_Sedan-Louisville-KY/2790036553

I just got a new Accord for more than $4000 off of list price. I think some people are getting the last of the 2016 Accord LXs for as low as 19k plus TTL, and Honda has 0.9 financing for 5 years.

As you can tell, I'm not a fan of used cars. Sometimes you can luck out, but I've been burned a few times even after a mechanic has checked out the used car that I ended up owning.

Given the big discounts and low financing available, in the long run I think a compelling case can be made for a new car.

But if you must go used, you might also consider a Hyundai Elantra from c. 2010-12.

benjaminh

PS Honda and some other auto makers offer an additional military discount.

http://www.hondafinancialservices.com/leasing/military-offer

That's an additional $500 off any new Honda on top of any other incentives.

And here's a new 2016 Nissan Versa at my local dealer for 11.5k that also has a $500 military discount:

2016 Nissan Versa 1.6 S Sedan
Internet Sale Price:$12,988
NISSAN OFFER:$1,000
Final Price:$11,988
MILITARY OFFER:$500
Conditional Sale Price:$11,488

http://www.collinsnissan.com/new/Nissan/2016-Nissan-Versa-283122700a0e0adf41c9e44aeea175a7.htm

benjaminh

New 2016 Hyundai Accent at my local Hyundai dealer, Oxmoor: $10,100

Amazing price. 7k off of list.

New 2016 Hyundai Accent SE
VIN: KMHCT4AE0GU044844 STOCK #: H8751
Engine: 1.6L I4 DGI DOHC 16V
Trans: 6-Speed Automatic with Shiftronic
Drivetrain: FWD
Exterior: Beige
Interior: Beige
HWY: 37 MPG | CITY: 26 MPG †
MSRP:
$17,470
OXMOOR HYUNDAI PRICE:
$10,100
DISCOUNTS
$7,370


This new Sonata, also 7k off of list, is a lot more car for the money. Hyundai's have 10 year/100k warranties.

This is the best deal I've probably ever seen in my life on a top-rated midsize car.

New 2016 Hyundai Sonata SE
VIN: 5NPE24AF0GH307577 STOCK #: H8530
Engine: 2.4L 4-Cylinder DGI DOHC
Trans: 6-Speed Automatic with Shiftronic
Drivetrain: FWD
Exterior: White
Interior: Gray
HWY: 38 MPG | CITY: 25 MPG †
MSRP:
$22,965
OXMOOR HYUNDAI PRICE:
$15,900
DISCOUNTS
$7,065
OR FINANCE FOR:
$204/ month*
Cargo Package, Gray w/YES Essentials Premium Cloth Seating Surfaces, ABS brakes, Electronic Stability Control, Emergency communication system, Heated ... [ more ]

rocky124

Thanks everyone. So I found a wholeseller in my area that sells Nissans, Hyundai, and others. They have a couple of 2013 Elantras for $9,900 which is amazing. I thought it was too good to be true but I stoped by and the place was mobbed. They turn over the hot cars daily sometimes in hours. They all have clean titles, another surprise. Si I am looking at the Elantras only because of the 60,000 warranties. These cars have 20,000 to 30,000 miles on them average. So I am pretty exciting to go back I just hope some cars I really want are still there next week. I priced the same Make, Model, and trims in my area and these guys have cars $3k - $4k under everyone else.

rocky124

This is there site. They say people buy their cars on the internet all the time just from the photos. I guess they make money off of shear volume moved.

http://www.evomotorsusa.com/

andres3

Reliability still equals Toyota and Honda in the used market in my book. Going another directions spells doom, risk, and "asking for it" or "asking for trouble," or an "I told you so" from me later on when you have issues.

stever

CarMD and JD Power don't agree with you. One example from digitaltrends.com.

Here's Consumer's Reports take - note that they rate Kia higher than Honda.

Bottom line is that most all cars are light years better than they were just a couple of decades ago.

andres3

stever said:

CarMD and JD Power don't agree with you. One example from digitaltrends.com.

Here's Consumer's Reports take - note that they rate Kia higher than Honda.

Bottom line is that most all cars are light years better than they were just a couple of decades ago.

Your digital trends links lists Toyotas and Hondas in the top tier list still. Seems to agree with me (even if it is a Lexus). Honda has fallen off a bit in the last decade, but still seems to offer good experiences. CR raves about the RAV 4's dependability.

stever

I think the only (still) valid rap against the Korean manufacturers is the resale value. Otherwise I think they have the most bang for buck of just about any brand. That's changing a bit as more people go out of their way to buy them though.

andres3

stever said:

I think the only (still) valid rap against the Korean manufacturers is the resale value. Otherwise I think they have the most bang for buck of just about any brand. That's changing a bit as more people go out of their way to buy them though.

If resale value is poor that indicates a Pre-Owned Korean car would be the best bang for the buck. I value my time more than dollars, so I'd rather not need a 10 year warranty. However, for the cheapskates that don't value their time the warranty is excellent. Without a free loaner program though, I don't know how valuable the warranty is given the inconveniences (other than time). I'm spoiled; I don't want to go back to needing a rental car when I take a car in for service/warranty.

There's also been stories on these forums of Hyundai weaseling out of warranty claims which scares me.

stever

Warranty repairs can cost the manufacturers a lot of money.

"Hyundai still has the lowest accrual rates in the world, however, at least among the 13 automotive OEMs that we're tracking. If any of the non-reporting OEMs such as Nissan or Renault care to fill in the missing data, we'd be happy to add them into the charts. But as far as we can tell, Hyundai had the lowest accrual rates as a percentage of revenue in both 2015 and 2014. Honda held the title from 2009 to 2014, and Tata held it from 2003 to 2008. None of the American or European OEMs has ever come close." (Warranty Week)

(I can find posts too. )

isellhondas

I guess I have too good of a memory. The early Korean cars were junk. I know they are much better now but for the difference in price I would buy a Honda or a Toyota or even a Nissan.

They went to that 10 year powertrain warranty because they HAD to do something to assure people. It worked and some people buy only because of that warranty.

andres3

stever said:

Warranty repairs can cost the manufacturers a lot of money.

"Hyundai still has the lowest accrual rates in the world, however, at least among the 13 automotive OEMs that we're tracking. If any of the non-reporting OEMs such as Nissan or Renault care to fill in the missing data, we'd be happy to add them into the charts. But as far as we can tell, Hyundai had the lowest accrual rates as a percentage of revenue in both 2015 and 2014. Honda held the title from 2009 to 2014, and Tata held it from 2003 to 2008. None of the American or European OEMs has ever come close." (Warranty Week)

(I can find posts too. )

So if Honda held the title up until 2014, that would indicate they are still the best "used" cars around (currently) when it comes to dependability. Now give it another 2 or 3 years and those post 2014 cars will start to come onto the used market more regularly.

stever

Getting about time for @rocky124 to check back in and tell us what he went with.

Place your bets.

I've looked at Elantras before and they are attractive rides. So that's my guess.