WTB 2 clean reliable daily drivers

My daughter is moving back east and needs a commuter for ATL traffic. She's not a car girl. Reliability wins. She also wants an auto. Would prefer under $5K- can stretch for the right car.  Something like a 2nd gen Prius, Corolla, Elantra, etc comes to mind. 
 

Also need a small truck for a friend's son who just totaled his. He was driving a base model 2000 Tacoma (that wasn't so pretty) with 200K which suited him fine. Looking for something similar. 

In both cases, I really hate rust. 
 

Any leads?

Could be a bit outside of your parameters but I have a 2009 BMW 128i auto I could part with.  Has about 135k and runs great.  Everything works.  Right corner of front bumper has torn from the tabs... don't know how, I bought it this way.  I'm $5200 into it and that's all I'd want. 

In reply to SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) :

Coupe or hatchback?

In reply to SV reX :

They are all coupes in the US:

Oops

It was just a curiosity question... it's probably not the best commuter car for her. 

PLenty of these floating around. 

A gen 2 prius would be an excellent choice for the daughter, mine is on her second and loves them.  For 5 grand you should find one in decent mechanical shape, get the dr prius app to test the battery.  Anything over 50% is good enough.  The only walk away issue with these anymore is the brake booster issue.

In reply to porschenut :

Tell me more about this app. 
 

What's the brake booster issue?

Dr. Prius is a battery test app that works with both Apple and Android.  For that, you'll need a Bluetooth adapter.  Here is the Dr Prius recommendation on these adapters.  

https://priusapp.com/obd.html

You know my love of these Gen2s.  I agree with all the words above.  The walk away brake issue is failed electric abs control module.  It is a big job with an expensive part, even used.  Also requires abs reading tools.  

Here is my Gen2 Prius buyer guide.  

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/prius-people-help-me-look-before-i-leap/191269/page1/

If you find some Prius listings in your area, feel free to send me the link and I'll give you a review of what I see from the pictures.  

I'll add a caution...

My favorite thing about these cars is not mph, that is probably third favorite.  Number one is that they do not break.  Number two is that when they do there is deep DIY internet support.  Since a million were made, there are no unique problems.  All of the problems are know and well documented. 

This is the reason that many GRMers have bought some bargain Prius.  I bought one for $500 because it had the problem of the dashboard lcd going dead (officially know as combination meter) Dealership wanted $2k to repair. For a GRMer this is 3-5 hours of dashboard tear down and a $0.69 capacitor soldered in. All of this has detailed YouTube support.  

So, the caution...  If you're considering a Gen2 Prius but all of your maintenance is going to be done at retail, you might be better with a similar Corolla or Elantra. 

However, since she'll be in a major market, Atlanta, I'm sure she will be able to capitalize on the Prius jobber market.  

Example.  Battery refurbished for a GRMer can be done for as little as $200 and a few hours with a multi meter as well as few hours of trunk trim removal to access battery. 

Jobbers fond on FB will do the work and install for $1k.  Dealership might want $3k and that is still a Dorman refurbished battery.  

Not sure if this fits the bill for your daughter, but my buddy is selling his E46:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/637110285079163/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A8267087d-e737-408e-a887-3addb9957f32

Bought as a compromise, turns out his wife doesn't want to drive a sporty sedan and he doesn't want to drive an auto, but it was maintained with the higher "SWMBO" level of maintenance that most of us want for our significant other.  Higher miles E46s will likely always need *something*, so it may not be the right tool for the job, but I've driven it and its a nice, quiet, comfy DD.

John is the man on these cars, and everything he typed is good info.  He is spot on about finding a good repair shop if you are not available.  I got stuck with that, ended up buying a good one and swapping it because my son could not find a decent shop in his area.  

In reply to Flynlow (FS) :

That's a ZHP. Desirable and very well priced.

I know there are some good buys on BMWs. I don't think any BMW is the right choice for my daughter. 
 

Partly because of ongoing maintenance costs. Partly because she just doesn't need the luxury or performance. And partly because she is a bit of a "greeny " and would feel very out of place behind the wheel of a BMW.

In reply to SV reX :

I agree with all your points. Gas mileage will be crappy also. 

It was just a good deal for myself lol. 

She's probably a good candidate for a used Leaf. 
 

...with rainbows painted on the side. 

Slippery said:

In reply to SV reX :

I agree with all your points. Gas mileage will be crappy also. 

It was just a good deal for myself lol. 

I mean, send him a message, I'm sure he'd be happy to talk to you :).

I have a 2012 Volt that came out of Arizona, 90k miles and has been dead reliable. Slightly more than 5k though...

In reply to SV reX :

What's your time frame for acquiring the car? 

I'm ramping up my Prius acquisitions/inventory and could very easily put her into a second gen Prius with all the common areas (John pointed out) already addressed.

Edit:  I currently have 5 and I'm going to look at #6 tomorrow night

In reply to Indy - Guy :

A few weeks. 
 

She's moving back to ATL in "early Oct", but I could loan her something  for a couple weeks. So, 3-5 weeks

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/815038676771153/?ref=category_feed&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A75a06792-4e66-4b88-bdbe-b3753152cc40 

This looks clean. 

In reply to SV reX :

What are here requirements for the cosmetics of a car? 

If a car with a few bumps or bruises (and maybe some scratches) would be acceptable, then I could definitely get her into a Second Gen Prius for under $3.  Then set aside the extra $2 grand (you had originally budgeted) for any unexpected repairs.  But I doubt you will tap into that fund.

In reply to Indy - Guy :

I think minor bumps and bruises would be fine. She wouldn't want something that is downright ugly (whatever that means). Rust would bother me. 
 

Im interested. Send me some pics and specs on what you think you'd part with

I'd be interested in a Prius beater for 5k or so if anyone has or knows of one.

Of course first dibs for op. But I'm in a similar boat with a possible 80 mile one way commute coming up with a new job.