New DD for my Mrs

TLDR: bran new or lightly used car under $30k manual transmission preferred. Needs to last 10ish years.
 

We've been having issues with my wife's 2014 Mazda CX-9. So much so that neither of us trust the car anymore.  Including cutting out while driving and going into limp mode.  Her daily hauls her and my kids around and needs to be safe and reliable. She works at the school where my kids go which is 5-7 miles round trip a day. But it will see an occasional long distance highway trip. 

The last new car we bought was an 08 Mazda 3 manual. After this turd she is off of Mazda, but would like a manual. Sedans are fine. Safer the better. And the biggest concern reliability. Ideally we'd like this purchase to last 10 years. We don't mind a couple years old, but the newer the better. 

I don't follow new cars so I really don't know what is out there. I do know after reading on here CVT seems to be something to avoid. Do they make old school automatics? 

I'm reading the Forte GT thread now. 

Lastly, we'd like to be $30k or under.

Thanks 

Cayman?

Check out the 2023 Honda Civic's.  If you go Si, it will be more than $30k out the door.  I daily a 2022 Si and love it!  The Si is the only sedan in a manual.  The hatchbacks offer the 6 speed manual.  The base 2.0 liter with manual will be lest expensive, although a challenge to find.

In reply to preach (dudeist priest) :

Sadly we need at least 3 seats. 

My wife loves her MINI Cooper Countryman S ALL4, with a 6-spd. Enough room for the kid and a couple of his friends. All-wheel drive, handles well.

Her car is a 2014, bought new, but only has a bit over 30K miles (12-mile round trip to work 3 days a week pre-Covid, plus a few road trips). Been pretty reliable for us, but maybe that's because it doesn't get driven much (at least according to what other folks have said about MINI reliability).

I think the newer ones of these are still available with a manual.

I'd second the recommendation for a 2023 Civic, although I'd say the hatchback paired with the base 2.0L engine would be my preferred option over the Si. The hatchback is a more versatile configuration, and the 2.0L base engine is both mechanically simpler and has that more enjoyable Honda character of old even though it is less powerful than the 1.5T engine.

FWIW, the CVT in the Civic is really quite nice and usable. So if you aren't able to find one with a manually tranny, I wouldn't automatically rule out the CVT version.

trucke said:

Check out the 2023 Honda Civic's.  If you go Si, it will be more than $30k out the door.  I daily a 2022 Si and love it!  The Si is the only sedan in a manual.  The hatchbacks offer the 6 speed manual.  The base 2.0 liter with manual will be lest expensive, although a challenge to find.

In reply to nlevine :

Mini is out. She hates them almost as much as she hates mini-vans. I don't know why, but I'm not going argue with it. Lol

The Civic is a definite consideration. I'm not sure I understand why new ones are selling for less than used ones. But whatever. 
 

The only Hondas we've ever owned are recent used dirt bike purchases, but I'm liking those so far. Maybe it's a sign 

Price be damned, Corolla GR!

We really like the wife's Kia Soul. I'm 6'4" and I can go from the driver seat to the rear seat behind the driver without having to adjust the seat at all. Plenty of legroom and headroom all around. MPG is good, always gets at least 30mpg for us. 

I think you can still get them with a manual transmission.

Toyota Corolla hatchback? I test drove one and liked it a lot, but it wouldn't cut the mustard for autocrossing. I looked at the base manual and it was $21,000 or so in late 2019. If you opt for the CVT it has a standard gear off the line. 

2018+ Honda Accord 2.0t came with manuals. 

preach (dudeist priest) said:

Cayman?

No way a lightly used Cayman coming in under $30k all while being less than 10 years old. 

2020 or 2021 was the last year Kia Soul was available with manual trans. Civic SI or hatch might be best bet for manual trans. 

If you are okay with a Subaru, 2023 is the last year for manuals in the Impreza. 

New GLI is just over 30 I think. But then you are in Elantra N territory. 

Ya I think the Kia/Hyundai group might fit the bill. 10 year/100,00 warranty, I believe the drive train is 50k warranty. Automatics, no CVT's (I think). I am on my second Soul as a DD. Searching for a Hyundai N vehicle now. Quite a few choices starting at under $30K.

As you will see by the responses here, there are SO many choices that would fit your needs.  You'll get answers all over the map.  As a broad generalization if reliability is top concern, stay away from VW, Mini...well, really most Europeans (and I'm a Euro fan).  They can be reliable, but it's a roll of the dice and they require much more upkeep.  Your safest bet is Asian brands...Toyota, Honda, Hyundai/Kia.  Shame she is done with Mazda, maybe she just got a lemon.  Start test driving...Civic, Elantra, Corolla, Accord, etc...and see what attracts her attention.

We looked for a long time last night at a lot of the suggestions from the hive.  We've narrowed it down to manual and blue.  We haven't narrowed it down by make or model yet. The closest Elantra N that is a blue manual is in PA (10 hours away). There is a blue manual Civic in AL (3 hours). These are both 23s.  
 

I've never ordered a car before, but that may be the route we go to find the transmission color combo. I've seen a few 22s but they are more expensive than the 23s. 

Also, when did Honda stop making the Accord in a manual?  I only see the new Civic Si with cloth, but the Accords I saw had leather. Not a deal breaker just curious. 

In reply to octavious :

I think 2020 or 2021. I know for sure in 2019 my wife bought a brand new Accord. The dealer had 2 manuals of the same year. 

Feedyurhed said:

Ya I think the Kia/Hyundai group might fit the bill. 10 year/100,00 warranty, I believe the drive train is 50k warranty. Automatics, no CVT's (I think). I am on my second Soul as a DD. Searching for a Hyundai N vehicle now. Quite a few choices starting at under $30K.

10/100,000 is the powertrain warranty.

https://www.hyundaiusa.com/us/en/assurance/america-best-warranty

Hyundai stopped manuals in all but the N. 2022 was the last year you could get the Elantra N-line with the 1.6T/manual.

Still can get the Forte GT manual. If you can find them... getting thin on the ground.

B2B warranty is 5yr/60k for all owners, powertrain is 10yr/100k for original owners or CPO cars. 

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/2c1980ce-4079-49e7-8fd9-6c8b60d61dbb/ 

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/1365a8c9-5f97-46a1-85e9-b8f0f5460582/

We drove a manual and automatic Civic this weekend. And a automatic Accord. The manual Civic was an Si and it was loads of fun. We drove the same route in the automatic Civic, was just plain boring. 

We also looked at the Elantra N and she didn't like it. I think it was the weird reverse arrow on the door. 

So our current search is for a Civic, in boost blue, with a manual in their Sport Touring package. With a second in the same color in the Sport package.  And with a 3rd being the Acura Integra with a manual. 

The Integra is a super cool option, but the extra $$$$ puts it off. There are several manual Integras in different colors available near us right now. 

I haven't looked for newer but I was the temporary caretaker for my son's 2017 Honda Accord Sport 6M.  Fun to drive and huge back seat and trunk.  Not sure how much newer the manual Accords go but I was impressed with this combo.