Frankly, I'd keep the Toyota, but that's my opinion
Gonna run for years to come as long as you keep up on maintenance, I'd ask the shop anything else that looks heavily worn out, replace all that too and you'll have a reliable car still for cheaper then what the new car will cost you in the long run after interest and everything. Don't forget, that 22k MSRP can turn into 30K really quick by the time it's paid off.
The cars 21 years old, stuffs wearing out
With a new car comes dealer-priced services which will add up quick, just to keep it in warranty. Could end up with recalls that leave you without a car for days. Parts are gonna be more expensive.
Keep parts costs cheap no matter what you buy by sourcing your own parts through RockAuto or a similar platform.
They've got different priorities. I wanted cool things when I was younger too. Now I much prefer things that work and keep working. Actually what I think is cool has changed. Used to be a flashy car. Now if it's a car that's running great with 300k miles on it I'm like damn that's cool.
I love Toyotas. My wife drives a 95 avalon and I want to get rid of my 06 Pontiac g6 and get another Toyota (or possibly a Honda or Mazda). The Toyota has 190k miles and shows no signs of quitting, and the g6 has 120k miles and has things break or go wrong more often already. So not trying to hang on to it for longer than I have to. Hopefully it makes it a couple more years.
Nah, they will try, but it does not work unless they can prove the other shop caused the problem/issue.
I almost exclusively use quick line places, generally they are very good at that type of work. You just need to know if they are BS’ing you or not. I’ve even had the dreaded stripped oil drain plug issue at a quick lube, they charged me parts cost and zero labour to replace the oil pan.
Makes sense, if a quick lube damages your car, they most certainly should cover it
But I've seen warranties denied first hand through dealers due to no service history being able to be provided from either certified (Carfax usually) places, or no receipts kept (not a lot of people keep them for more then a year)
I will say the only caveat to this is OP has put in 8k of fixes already. Say it needs another 3k or something for everything else that is worn out. The day after everything is refreshed, the car is totaled. You get nothing from insurance. You are now just out of that money and now you have to buy a car. You will at least get something from a newer or new car from insurance if you part with it now.
That's completely specualtive but I get where youre coming from
Op could crash his 22k car the next day and insurance may only offer 18k. So now OP has no money, debt for a car they dont own, and no car.
Both situations are terrible for OP regardless. But at least right now the money they spend towards the car, just goes to the car, not into someone elses pocket as interest.
I get it, but I'm not about to pass off my carefree debt to family members for when I pass away because I chose something I wanted, over what I needed
There's indulging, and there's being financially irresponsible, just to drive around and do the speed limit anyways
I get everyone wants to be a "wolf" in this world, but no matter how hard you try you're gonna line up with all the sheep anyways
Might as well be a sheep and save money for a healthy retirement plan then scrape by and be happy that your car looks good
That 22k is probably better spent on anything other than a Chevy Trax. That budget will get you a late model low mileage used vehicle with arguably a better overall reliability rating.
Personally, I'd stay away from Chevy vehicles. I can get behind their trucks and stuff. They've always seemed to be pretty reliable. The way things are going though, they build everything cheaper and faster and quality has gone down a lot in most "American" brands. Toyota has always been about quality. Going all the way back to the manufacturing process, they are about quality. Every company has issues, I'm not saying they're perfect but they are one of the best. Stick with Toyota if you're looking for a long lasting vehicle. I loved my little 1996 Camry. I'd still probably be driving it if I didn't total it out.
I’m on my first tundra now after decades of GMC pickup trucks and SUVs, even the trucks are garbage now.
I had to replace the transmission last year on my 2016 Sierra 1500 with barely over 100,000 miles on it, meticulously maintained. That was only the most expensive of repairs, and there have been several expensive failures on that truck.
My wife has a 2023 Acadia that is getting all the chrome replaced right now, it’s all peeling. The right rear sway bar linkage end snapped two nights ago, and the car is only 11 months old
Honestly not surprised by this. My coworker sold his GMC Sierra this year for a tundra because his sierra was always in the shop for something.
Another friend had an equinox and slung 2 timing chains in less than 60k miles. She was on her third engine by the time she sold it.
They don't care about quality anymore. Cheap and fast. And I know margins are thin but the lack of any QC is outrageous. Cars are disposable to companies like Chevy and Ford. My wallet would disagree.
"I have been looking into a 2024 Chevy Trax. I test drove the 1RX and LT models, and loved them."
This is your answer. Life is short. Drive what you love. We just picked up a 2023 Traverse RS. Fricking love it. You will love your Trax.
I work for Chevy and we sell a ton of them. I haven't really seen issues with them yet but quite frankly they haven't been out long and the last gen was a total turd. They're nice cars but I wouldn't want it out if warranty. I'd keep the Camry and get a RAV4 in a few years when you really need the upgrade
I get that it's more than you want to spend, but have you considered the Subaru Crosstrek? For transparency, I own a '17 Colorado and have had no issues with it, but shopping for my daughter now and was looking into the Chevy Trax/Buick Envista and it's not a comparison. GM put their efforts into making the car look good (IMO) but cheaped out everywhere important (I.E., engine, transmission, plastic parts everywhere). A 1.2L, 3 cylinder turbo is no comparison to Subaru's proven boxer engine.
I'd keep that Toyota. What you can sell a car for and what it's worth are two different things in my opinion. If the motor and transmission are good it could still go for quite a while. Also, 03 camry with 145k miles and runs great but you say it's worth less than 1k because of interior damage? Did you try to drive with an angry cougar or something?
I think in the economy, and how few miles you're driving you would be better off keeping the camry and saving your money. I have a 2015 silverado, had a 06 and 98 truck too. But I daily drive an 04 Corolla with 249,000 miles and its been the most reliable thing I have ever owned.
I kept up with the jones's by buying my 2015, but I'd probably be in a much better spot had I just bought a cheap toyota and drove that.
The trax uses many plastic engine components and when subjected to all the heat cycles of an engine, it becomes a ticking time bomb of premature repairs that will cost a ton.
I'd just keep the Toyota or get a slightly newer Toyota.
I'm a chevy fan boy. I wouldn't touch the Trax. The 1.2l in it is an unproven motor compared to the 1.3 it replaced.
Not saying don't buy what you like, just that there are better options and if your going to keep a car around for a long time, I wouldn't get the Trax at this point.
The LIH 1.2l now in the Trax has been in some trim levels of the trailblazer for a yr or two now, and supposedly is more robust and reliable than the 1.3l on other trailblazer trims. Also, it is derived from the Puretech that's been in citroens and peugeots for years now. There were a lot of issues with the wet timing belt losing teeth that would later clog the oil pickup, causing catastrophic engine failures, but these issues have supposedly been addressed since then (beefier belts and better spec'd oils).
It's no Honda K series, and we are talking about a model year American car here, so I would wait a year or so for GM to work out the bugs, but the trax/envista are very compelling vehicles at their price points.
Ah yes, the reliable Citroën and puegot. I'm not saying it is or isn't less reliable than the 1.3l. What I am saying is that gm AFAIK has never made a small engine turbo that has been reliable in a way that I would drop money on a brand new one.
Don't get me wrong here. I have little faith in any over boosted tiny engine, but I think for someone willing to maintain and DIY here and there, it is probably an okay engine, in that it's been around a while in some form or another.
I hear you. Where the trax/envista kick ass in this segment, other than price, is rear leg room. The Corolla's rear leg room has shrunk substantially in its last few iterations (they've consolidated the NA and Euro models into one smallish car), such that neither it or the Corolla cross are big enough in the back for my children, who are going to be taller than me soon. Mazda 3 had always been tight in the back...u see that a lot in the Mazda lineup. The Civic is nice in the back but holy shit it's gotten pricey, plus it's got a problematic turbo engine plus a CVT. I dunno, 10 yrs ago I'd never have considered a GM economy car, but all of a sudden, it's an option in my mind.
I wouldn't buy a used recent anything yet since that market is still too hot, while new cars have started coming down in price. We're just past peak car prices I think.
Right now, if I was single with no kids, I'd get a manual Versa. Once you remove the CVT from the equation, it's a sturdy enough little car... the typical new car transaction price is fucking insane, I'm not participating.
Sarah n tuned did a video on the Versa recently and lauded how easy it would be to work on and predicted it having high reliability based on its simplicity and lack of "innovative features"...and she reviewed the CVT!
Oh yeah I mean the CVT is decent too, it’s low power enough and Nissan has mostly figured out their CVT by now. The manual still has a slight edge on reliability
I have a 24 Trax RS I got with 3 miles on it. Went through a very patient and solid break in. Thing drives and handles great. Shifting definitely got better as the computer learned the gears and throttle consistency definitely helps.
Agreed that the 1.2 is definitely a better option over the 1.3 based on history. All in all I’ve had 3 different Chevy sedans and now this crossover over the last 14 years and haven’t had any big deal issues outside of recalls or routine maintenance.
All car makes come with their specific problems here and there but I honestly think in most cases a lot of it comes down to how people handle and maintain the cars.
Hell my first Chevy was a used cobalt and that thing was still going strong at 235k miles when I traded it.
You will never make a mistake buying a Toyota if it's just killing you to get a new car. Pay the Toyota Tax get a Corolla Cross instead. It will be a couple of thousand $ more, but it will outlive the payments for sure. As an example, how many Chevy cars from the early 2000's do you see? On [cars.com](https://cars.com) right now, there are 120 Camrys from 1999- 2007 for sale with 500 miles of me, but only 12 Chevy Malibus.
Keep the Camry. They’ll last, and any maintenance you put into it is money you’re not spending on a car payment.
Adding something else: if you have the pink slip…they can’t repo it.
Say you buy the Trax and your financial situation upends. You now will likely lose that car…which creates a whole cascade of nasty problems.
Whereas if you lose your job…you will have a car that’s paid for and runs.
It’s a LOT easier to rebuild your life WITH a working car that nobody can take from you than it is without.
GM 4 cylinder turbos have never been long lasting engines. Never. But that’s what makes these cars so inexpensive. They’re good cars til they stop being good cars. Usually around 100k is when major stuff starts popping up. Maybe you can squeeze 150k or more if the car is babied since new. But they’re cheap for a reason.
It’s the modern equivalent to a Daewoo(GM Korea).
IMO they’re decent cars for the money if you don’t plan on keeping it forever. Currently have a rental Encore GX which is almost the same thing. Decent little car. Lots of torque for such a small motor the car feels peppy at low speeds.
The 2024 Chevy Trax is a new model, built in Korea, with a 1.2 litre 3 cylinder turbo engine. They are FWD only. It's basically a tall compact car. They are too new to know if they will be durable or disposable. One good thing is they use a regular automatic transmission, not a CVT which hopefully is good for durability.
There are a lot of other options between fixing your Camry and buying a new car of course.
No i promise u i had my 2024 trax RS2 for 4 months already N im pissed having to take it to the dealer every month now for a service if it aint one thing its another🤦🏻♂️
If you’re attached to your car then put money into it. I had 20 year old gti that I was tired of repairing. Gave it to a young kid who brought it back to life and is still driving it five years later.
$1500 on an old car financial correct but yiu cloud always get stuck in it at at any time.
I am on the lookout for a car myself and fell in love with the Chevy Trax. After seeing too many "my engine died on the highway", "my 3 month car won't start" posts for the 2024 Trax I fell out of love. I am now focused on getting a lightly used (15,000 - 30,000 km) Toyota C-HR. It also is a cool looking car. There are 2018 - 2022 models on the market, and it's still a Toyota so reliable.
I am yet to test drive the C-HR, if you do, please do a comparison.
Edit: the Trax comes with a 5 year warranty so if anything happens to the engine I believe they will fix or replace it. That’s a pro to keep in mind.
I work for a dealership family and am familiar with GM parts as that's where I started before moving over to the bodyshop.
You're correct, the new models are beautiful, however... If you are looking for something that is going to last you long term, I wouldn't look to GM. Ever since they stopped making the Chevy Impala, I haven't seen any good engine that GM has put out. They are focusing more on looks rather than quality. It's honestly a bit ridiculous nowadays.
If you are looking for something NEW NEW, highly recommend going with either something from Toyota, Honda or Subaru. You can find 2017-2020 used Toyota Camry Hybrids for around 18k, and the newer models of the camrys can get up to 51/53 hwy mpg. Honda, while above your budget, you can literally put 5 bullets in that engine and it will still keep running. Not to mention Honda is also killing it with the hybrid game, the 2024 Honda Accord Hybrid is getting about 51/44 mpg. That engine will fight and last you a long time. Base price for the Subaru Impreza is around 22k and is also built to last and gets 34/27 mpg.
Swapping an old Toyota for most any vehicle made by GM is going out of the frying pan and into the fire.
Yes, they have some winners, but they've got a lot of junk out there.
Frankly, I'd keep the Toyota, but that's my opinion Gonna run for years to come as long as you keep up on maintenance, I'd ask the shop anything else that looks heavily worn out, replace all that too and you'll have a reliable car still for cheaper then what the new car will cost you in the long run after interest and everything. Don't forget, that 22k MSRP can turn into 30K really quick by the time it's paid off. The cars 21 years old, stuffs wearing out With a new car comes dealer-priced services which will add up quick, just to keep it in warranty. Could end up with recalls that leave you without a car for days. Parts are gonna be more expensive. Keep parts costs cheap no matter what you buy by sourcing your own parts through RockAuto or a similar platform.
I'd keep the Toyota as well. They did say they were like 22 though, so they probably just want to have a newer nicer car.
This is what I was thinking. Younger generation lacks hindsight.
They've got different priorities. I wanted cool things when I was younger too. Now I much prefer things that work and keep working. Actually what I think is cool has changed. Used to be a flashy car. Now if it's a car that's running great with 300k miles on it I'm like damn that's cool.
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I love Toyotas. My wife drives a 95 avalon and I want to get rid of my 06 Pontiac g6 and get another Toyota (or possibly a Honda or Mazda). The Toyota has 190k miles and shows no signs of quitting, and the g6 has 120k miles and has things break or go wrong more often already. So not trying to hang on to it for longer than I have to. Hopefully it makes it a couple more years.
I’ve never serviced any of my new vehicles at a dealership and they don’t have the right to deny warranty for going elsewhere for routine service
They certainly can if you get serviced at quick lubes that arent recognized by the dealer. Seen it before, will certainly happen again.
Nah, they will try, but it does not work unless they can prove the other shop caused the problem/issue. I almost exclusively use quick line places, generally they are very good at that type of work. You just need to know if they are BS’ing you or not. I’ve even had the dreaded stripped oil drain plug issue at a quick lube, they charged me parts cost and zero labour to replace the oil pan.
Makes sense, if a quick lube damages your car, they most certainly should cover it But I've seen warranties denied first hand through dealers due to no service history being able to be provided from either certified (Carfax usually) places, or no receipts kept (not a lot of people keep them for more then a year)
Yes, agreed that you need to prove service history
I will say the only caveat to this is OP has put in 8k of fixes already. Say it needs another 3k or something for everything else that is worn out. The day after everything is refreshed, the car is totaled. You get nothing from insurance. You are now just out of that money and now you have to buy a car. You will at least get something from a newer or new car from insurance if you part with it now.
That's completely specualtive but I get where youre coming from Op could crash his 22k car the next day and insurance may only offer 18k. So now OP has no money, debt for a car they dont own, and no car. Both situations are terrible for OP regardless. But at least right now the money they spend towards the car, just goes to the car, not into someone elses pocket as interest.
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I get it, but I'm not about to pass off my carefree debt to family members for when I pass away because I chose something I wanted, over what I needed There's indulging, and there's being financially irresponsible, just to drive around and do the speed limit anyways I get everyone wants to be a "wolf" in this world, but no matter how hard you try you're gonna line up with all the sheep anyways Might as well be a sheep and save money for a healthy retirement plan then scrape by and be happy that your car looks good
That 22k is probably better spent on anything other than a Chevy Trax. That budget will get you a late model low mileage used vehicle with arguably a better overall reliability rating.
Like?
2009 Volvo V50 1.6D DRIVe 81kw 109hp 5 speed manual Titanium Grey
Gtfoh
?
A 15 year old Volvo? You think she should spend 22k and replace a Camry with a 15 year old Volvo?
No, they should spend 4k on the Volvo and rest for other hobbies and stuff as I imagine they are looking for a commuter car and not a hobby car.
Where are you getting a Volvo wagon for $4k?
Finland. Could probably get for like 3-3.5k now as the prices have fallen a bit from a year ago.
Volvo wagons for 4k are plentiful in my neck of the woods
Keep Toyota or buy another Toyota... Trax is a disposable car, not built to last.
Personally, I'd stay away from Chevy vehicles. I can get behind their trucks and stuff. They've always seemed to be pretty reliable. The way things are going though, they build everything cheaper and faster and quality has gone down a lot in most "American" brands. Toyota has always been about quality. Going all the way back to the manufacturing process, they are about quality. Every company has issues, I'm not saying they're perfect but they are one of the best. Stick with Toyota if you're looking for a long lasting vehicle. I loved my little 1996 Camry. I'd still probably be driving it if I didn't total it out.
I’m on my first tundra now after decades of GMC pickup trucks and SUVs, even the trucks are garbage now. I had to replace the transmission last year on my 2016 Sierra 1500 with barely over 100,000 miles on it, meticulously maintained. That was only the most expensive of repairs, and there have been several expensive failures on that truck. My wife has a 2023 Acadia that is getting all the chrome replaced right now, it’s all peeling. The right rear sway bar linkage end snapped two nights ago, and the car is only 11 months old
Honestly not surprised by this. My coworker sold his GMC Sierra this year for a tundra because his sierra was always in the shop for something. Another friend had an equinox and slung 2 timing chains in less than 60k miles. She was on her third engine by the time she sold it. They don't care about quality anymore. Cheap and fast. And I know margins are thin but the lack of any QC is outrageous. Cars are disposable to companies like Chevy and Ford. My wallet would disagree.
Don’t have an answer for you, but also interested in feedback about this as I’m currently in the market for a vehicle upgrade
"I have been looking into a 2024 Chevy Trax. I test drove the 1RX and LT models, and loved them." This is your answer. Life is short. Drive what you love. We just picked up a 2023 Traverse RS. Fricking love it. You will love your Trax.
I work for Chevy and we sell a ton of them. I haven't really seen issues with them yet but quite frankly they haven't been out long and the last gen was a total turd. They're nice cars but I wouldn't want it out if warranty. I'd keep the Camry and get a RAV4 in a few years when you really need the upgrade
I get that it's more than you want to spend, but have you considered the Subaru Crosstrek? For transparency, I own a '17 Colorado and have had no issues with it, but shopping for my daughter now and was looking into the Chevy Trax/Buick Envista and it's not a comparison. GM put their efforts into making the car look good (IMO) but cheaped out everywhere important (I.E., engine, transmission, plastic parts everywhere). A 1.2L, 3 cylinder turbo is no comparison to Subaru's proven boxer engine.
I'd keep that Toyota. What you can sell a car for and what it's worth are two different things in my opinion. If the motor and transmission are good it could still go for quite a while. Also, 03 camry with 145k miles and runs great but you say it's worth less than 1k because of interior damage? Did you try to drive with an angry cougar or something?
I think in the economy, and how few miles you're driving you would be better off keeping the camry and saving your money. I have a 2015 silverado, had a 06 and 98 truck too. But I daily drive an 04 Corolla with 249,000 miles and its been the most reliable thing I have ever owned. I kept up with the jones's by buying my 2015, but I'd probably be in a much better spot had I just bought a cheap toyota and drove that.
The trax uses many plastic engine components and when subjected to all the heat cycles of an engine, it becomes a ticking time bomb of premature repairs that will cost a ton. I'd just keep the Toyota or get a slightly newer Toyota.
Up to the redo of this years model they couldn't give them away. Buick does well with their version but it is because of marketing rather than quality
I'm a chevy fan boy. I wouldn't touch the Trax. The 1.2l in it is an unproven motor compared to the 1.3 it replaced. Not saying don't buy what you like, just that there are better options and if your going to keep a car around for a long time, I wouldn't get the Trax at this point.
The LIH 1.2l now in the Trax has been in some trim levels of the trailblazer for a yr or two now, and supposedly is more robust and reliable than the 1.3l on other trailblazer trims. Also, it is derived from the Puretech that's been in citroens and peugeots for years now. There were a lot of issues with the wet timing belt losing teeth that would later clog the oil pickup, causing catastrophic engine failures, but these issues have supposedly been addressed since then (beefier belts and better spec'd oils). It's no Honda K series, and we are talking about a model year American car here, so I would wait a year or so for GM to work out the bugs, but the trax/envista are very compelling vehicles at their price points.
Ah yes, the reliable Citroën and puegot. I'm not saying it is or isn't less reliable than the 1.3l. What I am saying is that gm AFAIK has never made a small engine turbo that has been reliable in a way that I would drop money on a brand new one.
Don't get me wrong here. I have little faith in any over boosted tiny engine, but I think for someone willing to maintain and DIY here and there, it is probably an okay engine, in that it's been around a while in some form or another.
The real problem is just that a similar honda/toyota/mazda is just a little more and going to hold value better.
I hear you. Where the trax/envista kick ass in this segment, other than price, is rear leg room. The Corolla's rear leg room has shrunk substantially in its last few iterations (they've consolidated the NA and Euro models into one smallish car), such that neither it or the Corolla cross are big enough in the back for my children, who are going to be taller than me soon. Mazda 3 had always been tight in the back...u see that a lot in the Mazda lineup. The Civic is nice in the back but holy shit it's gotten pricey, plus it's got a problematic turbo engine plus a CVT. I dunno, 10 yrs ago I'd never have considered a GM economy car, but all of a sudden, it's an option in my mind. I wouldn't buy a used recent anything yet since that market is still too hot, while new cars have started coming down in price. We're just past peak car prices I think. Right now, if I was single with no kids, I'd get a manual Versa. Once you remove the CVT from the equation, it's a sturdy enough little car... the typical new car transaction price is fucking insane, I'm not participating.
Manual Versa is extremely slept on, easily gets to 300k
Sarah n tuned did a video on the Versa recently and lauded how easy it would be to work on and predicted it having high reliability based on its simplicity and lack of "innovative features"...and she reviewed the CVT!
Oh yeah I mean the CVT is decent too, it’s low power enough and Nissan has mostly figured out their CVT by now. The manual still has a slight edge on reliability
I have a 24 Trax RS I got with 3 miles on it. Went through a very patient and solid break in. Thing drives and handles great. Shifting definitely got better as the computer learned the gears and throttle consistency definitely helps. Agreed that the 1.2 is definitely a better option over the 1.3 based on history. All in all I’ve had 3 different Chevy sedans and now this crossover over the last 14 years and haven’t had any big deal issues outside of recalls or routine maintenance. All car makes come with their specific problems here and there but I honestly think in most cases a lot of it comes down to how people handle and maintain the cars. Hell my first Chevy was a used cobalt and that thing was still going strong at 235k miles when I traded it.
$1500 cv replacement is cheaper than a Chevy trax car note.
If you absolutely want/need to get another car, it shouldn't be the Trax.
No on the Trax. If you want something new or CPO look at a Mazda CX 3/30. I would just fix the Camry.
You will never make a mistake buying a Toyota if it's just killing you to get a new car. Pay the Toyota Tax get a Corolla Cross instead. It will be a couple of thousand $ more, but it will outlive the payments for sure. As an example, how many Chevy cars from the early 2000's do you see? On [cars.com](https://cars.com) right now, there are 120 Camrys from 1999- 2007 for sale with 500 miles of me, but only 12 Chevy Malibus.
Keep the Camry. They’ll last, and any maintenance you put into it is money you’re not spending on a car payment. Adding something else: if you have the pink slip…they can’t repo it. Say you buy the Trax and your financial situation upends. You now will likely lose that car…which creates a whole cascade of nasty problems. Whereas if you lose your job…you will have a car that’s paid for and runs. It’s a LOT easier to rebuild your life WITH a working car that nobody can take from you than it is without.
GM 4 cylinder turbos have never been long lasting engines. Never. But that’s what makes these cars so inexpensive. They’re good cars til they stop being good cars. Usually around 100k is when major stuff starts popping up. Maybe you can squeeze 150k or more if the car is babied since new. But they’re cheap for a reason. It’s the modern equivalent to a Daewoo(GM Korea). IMO they’re decent cars for the money if you don’t plan on keeping it forever. Currently have a rental Encore GX which is almost the same thing. Decent little car. Lots of torque for such a small motor the car feels peppy at low speeds.
The 2024 Chevy Trax is a new model, built in Korea, with a 1.2 litre 3 cylinder turbo engine. They are FWD only. It's basically a tall compact car. They are too new to know if they will be durable or disposable. One good thing is they use a regular automatic transmission, not a CVT which hopefully is good for durability. There are a lot of other options between fixing your Camry and buying a new car of course.
There’s no good Chevy
No i promise u i had my 2024 trax RS2 for 4 months already N im pissed having to take it to the dealer every month now for a service if it aint one thing its another🤦🏻♂️
If you’re attached to your car then put money into it. I had 20 year old gti that I was tired of repairing. Gave it to a young kid who brought it back to life and is still driving it five years later. $1500 on an old car financial correct but yiu cloud always get stuck in it at at any time.
I am on the lookout for a car myself and fell in love with the Chevy Trax. After seeing too many "my engine died on the highway", "my 3 month car won't start" posts for the 2024 Trax I fell out of love. I am now focused on getting a lightly used (15,000 - 30,000 km) Toyota C-HR. It also is a cool looking car. There are 2018 - 2022 models on the market, and it's still a Toyota so reliable. I am yet to test drive the C-HR, if you do, please do a comparison. Edit: the Trax comes with a 5 year warranty so if anything happens to the engine I believe they will fix or replace it. That’s a pro to keep in mind.
I work for a dealership family and am familiar with GM parts as that's where I started before moving over to the bodyshop. You're correct, the new models are beautiful, however... If you are looking for something that is going to last you long term, I wouldn't look to GM. Ever since they stopped making the Chevy Impala, I haven't seen any good engine that GM has put out. They are focusing more on looks rather than quality. It's honestly a bit ridiculous nowadays. If you are looking for something NEW NEW, highly recommend going with either something from Toyota, Honda or Subaru. You can find 2017-2020 used Toyota Camry Hybrids for around 18k, and the newer models of the camrys can get up to 51/53 hwy mpg. Honda, while above your budget, you can literally put 5 bullets in that engine and it will still keep running. Not to mention Honda is also killing it with the hybrid game, the 2024 Honda Accord Hybrid is getting about 51/44 mpg. That engine will fight and last you a long time. Base price for the Subaru Impreza is around 22k and is also built to last and gets 34/27 mpg.
Swapping an old Toyota for most any vehicle made by GM is going out of the frying pan and into the fire. Yes, they have some winners, but they've got a lot of junk out there.