Best value new appliance vehicle

DD#2 has... issues with her 2006 Impala.

I think most of those issues are in her head.  She knows nothing about cars (and for whatever reason, actively works to keep it that way) and is a bit of an automotive hypochondriac.

Regardless of all that, she's decided it's falling apart and she wants a new car.  Based on her used car experience, had her SO's experience with a used teens Sentra (typical Nissan CVT implosion), she doesn't really trust used.  She wants a new car if at all possible.  She figures if she's going to keep it a long time, she wants to start from fresh.  I don't disagree, but...

...budget is a real issue.  We could buy her a car but we ain't doing that, though we are willing to help.

So what's the best value for a new, reliable appliance with reasonable connectivity that is larger than subcompact size?

As a fallback position, what's undervalued in lightly used?

Depending on what is considered a long time and annual mileage, a CPO Kia or Hyundai may be a suitable choice. 

The CPO should let her take advantage of the depreciation, while still getting the 10yr/100k powertrain warranty and the remainder of the factory bumper to bumper, 

I'd say the Toyota Corolla fits the bill here. Its one of the "cheapest" and is very reliable with no common issues (See: The Car Care Nut for more info). If you were okay with subcompacts I'd say the Mitsubishi Mirage has a good track record for reliability, even the CVT. See google article about the Mirage lasting 414000 Miles.

As for undervalued lightly used? I'd dare say the Tesla Model 3 might be what you're looking for. Values have been plummeting for obvious reasons if you follow the news at all. I'd aim for a 2022-2023 as those have the LFP batteries and the updated processor for the control unit/tablet in the middle.

because price sounds like the #1 issue

look for a corolla LE.. that's the base car.. cheap as they get.. MSRP right around $23k. 

I believe nissan has some cheaper options.. but YMMV. 

I think a civic hybrid at the $30k mark is better value than the corolla or corolla hybrid.. but it's a bunch more money. 

I don't know much about newer GM cars, but why not just get the newest Malibu or Impala you can afford? Her old one made it nearly 20 years, no reason to belive a new one won't do the same right? 

spacecadet (Forum Supporter) said:

because price sounds like the #1 issue

look for a corolla LE.. that's the base car.. cheap as they get.. MSRP right around $23k. 

I believe nissan has some cheaper options.. but YMMV. 

I think a civic hybrid at the $30k mark is better value than the corolla or corolla hybrid.. but it's a bunch more money. 

The Corolla Hybrid starts at 23,825  If the LE is even close to that price I'd say the Hybrid is a much better value.

I dont know if these prices exist at dealers, especially with things happening right now

In reply to pinchvalve (Forum Supporter) :

That's where I would go but I'm sure the stigma would put her off another Impala / Malibu.

I was thinking CPO - I had a great experience with my CPO BMW, but that was almost 20 years ago and I wasn't sure if the certifications still meant anything from a warranty standpoint. Of course it would have to be a manufacturer certification, not some crappy third party.

Her SO bought a Corolla hatch about 6 months ago, but it's not the base model.  Don't know what he paid in total or how much he put down, but his monthly is about $550 (term length unknown) and that's more than she can afford.

Thanks for all the advice so far.

No Time said:

Depending on what is considered a long time and annual mileage, a CPO Kia or Hyundai may be a suitable choice. 

The CPO should let her take advantage of the depreciation, while still getting the 10yr/100k powertrain warranty and the remainder of the factory bumper to bumper, 

I  think a long warranty is important as long as its a Factory backed warranty , 

but a 100,000 miles can only be 4-5 years  for many drivers .

The only Chevy car left (other than the Corvette) is the Malibu.  Nothing compact, nothing large, nothing sporty.  Just a single car that's not classed as a ute.  Crazy.

So the hypochondria - I've known a lot of people who get that feeling primarily from tires out of balance. Might be something to check in the interest of not spending 23k.

In reply to DaewooOfDeath :

Yeah, I get that, but she has a litany of "issues", some real, some less real.  I will say it's been a couple years since I've driven it.

• She has always claimed it has no power.  To me it drives like a normal 3500 hauling a 4000 lb car.  It's perfectly adequate for commuting without being scary slow in heavy traffic.  It will hold 70 at 1800 all day.  I can't figure out what she means.
   
• She thinks the transmission is broken.  In reality, she lives in a hilly area and sometimes it's going to drop to 2nd or 3rd.  Again, normal function in my eyes.
   
• She claims it has no heat or AC. I replaced the bad blender motor they all have.  Last I drove the AC worked.
   
• It really has had chronic issues keeping the exhaust system together for some reason. I believe that's the current problem.

I don't really know the deal. Last time I drove it I would have happily taken it across country without worrying, but she is one of those people who has decided she is NOT a car person, and has no desire to be.  Those folks tend to fall into 2 categories:  ones who will drive a car with zero maintenance until it literally explodes, and ones who think every squeak, rattle, and fluid drip mean it's about to explode.  She's more in the latter camp.

In reply to californiamilleghia :

I don't really know how much she drives in a year, but it's probably average or less.  I bet somewhere in the 8-10,000 range.

What do we think of KIA / Hyundai CVTs?

I admit I am not a fan of CVTs in general unless they are the Toyota hybrid style (DD#1's C-Max has a similar one, and it's nice to drive and trouble free).

I dont think the KIA/Hyundai CVT has enough of a track record for anyone to know.

Interesting about the "broken transmission." If she really hates the feeling of downshifts going up hills, a CVT might end up being "more reliable" on psychological grounds! 

I don't know much about the Korean CVTs, but the 6 speed automatics tend to be quite good. The 1.6L non turbos, provided they aren't "too slow," hold up pretty well, though you do need to keep up on checking the oil as they have some mild consumption issues. Avoid the 2.4L stuff like the plague because it is the plague. If the 1.6L non turbos are too slow, the turbo versions are pretty solid but will require more frequent maintenance, more expensive parts, etc. I'd avoid the DCTs for appliance duty.  Honestly, except for the 2.4L, the modern Korean cars are quite good from quality and reliability standpoints. 

Slightly off-topic, but you reminded me... Have a very very mechanically informed buddy, who for some reason hates engine/auto trans combos that downshift readily/run at higher RPM. He's primarily had diesel trucks, and we live in a flat area, so I guess it's just all he's used to (humming along at 1600rpm)? But we've borderline argued over it. 

My stance is that I'd prefer a manual, but if I've got an automatic, I want it to keep me where the engine is making the power it needs to make to keep me moving at whatever speed I'm trying to move, as dictated by my right foot. If that's 2 gears out of OD, so be it. If it were a manual, I wouldn't lug it as long as I could... I'd downshift as soon as I felt it coming out of the meat of it's power band. Seems reasonable to expect an automatic transmission (that's way smarter at gear management than I) to do exactly the same. 

Also, the whole scenario reminds me of my mom. If a car ever leaves her stranded, you just as well assume it's for sale. That car is dead to her. Even if whatever happened was a freak thing, a normal thing, whatever. Dead to her. 

What about a new Jetta 1.5T Sport?  I'm seeing a lot of 2025s hovering around the $22,000 mark; some could maybe be had below that.

They seem to be a normal ATX.

Also, if anybody is selling a <5 year old car with low mileage, I'd be interested to hear what you've got.

Duke said:

In reply to DaewooOfDeath :

Yeah, I get that, but she has a litany of "issues", some real, some less real.  I will say it's been a couple years since I've driven it.

• She has always claimed it has no power.  To me it drives like a normal 3500 hauling a 4000 lb car.  It's perfectly adequate for commuting without being scary slow in heavy traffic.  It will hold 70 at 1800 all day.  I can't figure out what she means.
   
• She thinks the transmission is broken.  In reality, she lives in a hilly area and sometimes it's going to drop to 2nd or 3rd.  Again, normal function in my eyes.
   
• She claims it has no heat or AC. I replaced the bad blender motor they all have.  Last I drove the AC worked.
   
• It really has had chronic issues keeping the exhaust system together for some reason. I believe that's the current problem.

I don't really know the deal. Last time I drove it I would have happily taken it across country without worrying, but she is one of those people who has decided she is NOT a car person, and has no desire to be.  Those folks tend to fall into 2 categories:  ones who will drive a car with zero maintenance until it literally explodes, and ones who think every squeak, rattle, and fluid drip mean it's about to explode.  She's more in the latter camp.

It kind of sounds like "I don't like driving an older car and I know mom and dad and can help me get a newer one."

Is the current Mazda3 too small? They are really nice inside, get decent mileage, and don't suck to drive. Slightly used, maybe a Mazda6? Same applies to those. 

While it's a fun exercise, stay away from suggesting anything. It will always be wrong, and it will become your fault. I've talked to so many people who justified a purchase by "it was falling apart", but could not pinpoint any actual problems.

Corolla hybrid or Maverick hybrid both have starting MSRP around $25k and have powertrains that should be both efficient and reliable for a non-car person.

Going by title alone "Best appliance vehicle?" maybe Tom's F150 Lightning? It's the only one listed so far that has actual appliances.

In reply to Duke :

we have a 1.5T Jetta as our extra car/3rd car. 90k miles and we have not had any issues with it so far. It's given me no reason to not trust it.

Only reason we bought it was, it was a lot cheaper then comparable Honda/toyota/etc.

It has served well as an appliance vehicle so far

In reply to Duke :

we have a 1.5T Jetta as our extra car/3rd car. 90k miles and we have not had any issues with it so far. It's given me no reason to not trust it.

Only reason we bought it was, it was a lot cheaper then comparable Honda/toyota/etc.

It has served well as an appliance vehicle so far

In reply to Mattk :

Thank you!  I appreciate the feedback.