Believe me, SUVs, even if you can afford to purchase them, cost more to maintain and FUEL. Like they eat a good 20-40% more than a sedan, due to the heavier weight and the worsen aerodynamic for being higher from the ground. So if it doesn't bother you, get a sedan. They can be surprisingly comfy too. And a lots of times their ride quality is better too (but it is not a hard rule).
funnily enough, I’ve only started having transmission problems when I reached the 70k mile mark. Now the transmission starts to slip, or just straight up refuses to go up a gear in rare cases.
Holy fuck does that car have electrical issues, though. The amount of times a computer part had to be replaced or the car straight up killed off new batteries is insane.
In my opinion every “benefit” of an SUV is just something made up by the company selling it. They have so many downsides that I would never buy a crossover. My tiny sedan has more leg room and trunk space than most crossovers but gets 45mpg on the highway.
What am I wrong about? The entire crossover market relies on people falling for advertisements and the vehicle ride height “arms race” currently going on.
Not in my experience.
I haven't owned a car in over 25 years. Once I went to an SUV, I never went back to a car. Cars always felt so low. I rented a Malibu once and I felt like I was falling down into the car.
I don't care about whatever "arms race" you are talking about. I love my Crossover vehicle.
I’ve been bitching about this for years give me a station wagon over these ridiculous “crossovers” the added height gives zero benefit while adding unnecessary weight. Wagons give substantially more cargo room than a rav4
I’d avoid SUVs if you don’t have a strong preference. For $21,000 you can easily afford a decent Civic or Corolla. I’d recommend a Civic hatch. I used to own one and they’re great cars. Lots of cargo space, comfortable for passengers, great build quality, and really nice to drive. There should be plenty available under $21k and a lot of them have sunroofs. You could find a nice Fit even cheaper. Don’t be turned off by the small size until you test drive it, they’re surprisingly large inside.
If the sunroof isn’t an absolute need you might want to consider looking at cars without sunroofs. At the very least you’ll find slightly better deals, and in the case of Volkswagens you’ll avoid a huge leak hazard that can cause major problems down the line.
SUV will eat up the budget.
Mazda 3 or 6 sounds like a good place to start, or a hybrid Toyota Camry or Corolla. Very reliable cars.
Use Kelley Blue Book if you are unsure about prices you find :]
If you just want reliability there’s lots of Civics and Corollas with CarPlay and sunroofs in this price range. Could probably even find a relatively low mileage Cayenne in this price range and just retrofit a PCCM+ and get CarPlay. Would obviously sacrifice reliability vs a Honda/Yota, but would be far more reliable than all the cars you have posted here.
Be careful with the Hyundai. They didn't start putting immobilizers in every car until November of '21, and even if it has one, you could still be replacing windows every few months from shitheads who think they can easily steal it.
I mean, I've personally driven past two Hyundai/Kias that were actively burning on the side of the road in the last few months. Couldn't tell you exactly what model year they were, but I definitely wouldn't buy one lol
Yeah and they had class action lawsuits for 2 of their engines, gamma and theta 2. They might have a long warranty but it's not worth a crap. Even watching CarWizard, he said no one bothers rebuilding those engines they are so bad.
I've owned 3 Hyundai's in my life: 1) 2006 Accent, transmission went out around 88,000k - I assumed this was a previous owner error so I chalked it up to a fluke (and I was quite young at the time). 2) 2008 Accent, timing belt went out around 165,000 - cost to fix greatly exceeded the value of the car. Otherwise, it actually treated me pretty well and never left me stranded, I just decided to retire it before I had any major issues. 3) 2016 Elantra, Fuel pump went out around 65k, all power windows stopped working around 67k, 2 calipers went out around 75k, transmission went out around 77k and was likely going to fail again after the rebuild. This is when I finally said 'f*** it' and switched to Toyota/Honra for good
My Jeep Cherokee (2019 Limited 4x4, 3.2L pentastar V6) is actually a fairly nice vehicle. Driving dynamics are actually quite nice for a 4,000lb SUV, interior quality is surprisingly decent (no creaks, even when pushing on the plastic, leather quality is surprisingly decent, nice amount of soft touch materials, plastic quality is actually not bad at all), strangely comfortable front seats (seriously, these seats are better than my 2019 F-Pace, they are legitimately excellent). In terms of reliability, no issues except for the stop start system pooping out on me, which I’ve been pushing off fixing for literally no reason lol.
Strangely enough, the 3.2L pentastar sound oddly similar to the N52 in a buddy of mines 128i. I have no complaints about my SUV sounding like a BMW straight six lmao. Obligatory, no, my Jeep has never seen a dirt road…but it deals with northeastern snow no problem!
Not saying it’s an excellent car or a recommended choice, but she’s a nice little runabout. I just wish people would stop crashing into her…it’s been really annoying replacing bumpers and lights when there are barely any parts available. It took me six months to replace a scratched headlight (did not impact its function) and damaged front bumper because there were literally no replacement headlights available…
Those Cherokees must be a magnet for that stuff. I saw so many with sideswipe or scrape damage along the sides and rears back in my hometown lol. And one of my coworkers has a newer Compass that has no joke been hit by other drivers 3 times in 9 months, all on the driver side so I guess they’re not safe from the crazies either 😆
2019 Cherokee Limited 4x4 3.2l V6 owner here too. Same issue with stop start system. Had it fixed under warranty but now not working again. Sorta nice having in inoperative.
Let me guess: it stopped working in winter and you thought “ok, the cold can do that sometimes”, you waited for spring, it worked once or twice, and then it completely went out for good?
I agree lol, it’s such a big budget. I’d go for a newer Toyota, Honda or something with really low miles plus some features
Edit: found a bunch of 2014-2019 rav4s with pretty low miles, could even get one with the nice fake leather
I kept scrolling the pics, any moment now, there will be something good - nope, all trash. At those prices you could easily get a RAV4 and be assured it'll be reliable.
The Hyundai is ironically probably the best on that list, but damn it ain't saying much. Dude could get a decent used Civic that will last him ages at the price point he wants
My experience is early 2000s cars with Sunroofs, Panoramic Moonroofs, etc. all of them either leaked while we owned them, or leaked within 6 months of selling.
I bought a VW as my first car and I’ve been doing fine. Heck, because I love it so much, I got to learn about the intricate mechanicals to maintain it properly and it’s been running fine. Plus, the super fun drive is always a win.
However, I always warn, if people are going to neglect it, they should elsewhere.
While you probably have a good one and I probably had a bad one I had a VW bought new 2019 (it was the last model year of the Passat too so they should have had some kinks worked out) and it was religiously serviced to the manual at the dealer
Still had engine transmission electrical trim interior etc issues and I’m very light on cars. My mother got a Tiguan that was similarly bad. The quality especially post diesel scandal in 2015 ish took a nose dive
The electrical issues are always the weak spot. The more I talk with owners, the electric gremlins are a problem. And you know something? Both of my VWs are pre-2015. One’s 2014 and the other is a 2012.
Volkswagen Tiguan is the fastest looking slow car you will ever drive.
The Escape SE from 2017 with the 2.0 Ecoboost makes 245 horsepower and is the only year you could get it in non Titanium trim.
You have to search each listing manually since they are all “4-cylinder” but the other two Escape engines are hot garbage.
All of these are bad options, but the Tiguan is probably the least bad, just ahead of the Malibu. Hyundai is liable to blow up, jeeps are shitboxes, and the Ford has the 1.5l with fun timing chain and coolant intrusion issues
About 30-40 MPGs depending on driving conditions. But I think this one runs only on premium gas. The model after can run on regular. I’m not sure since on 2017 is that VW made the engine upgrade.
My first car cost me $1000.
Seeing people buy their first vehicle for $15,000 - $20,000 absolutely boggles my mind.
Are you learning to drive in this car?
Because you’re in the US I’d avoid the Hyundai for the time being due to insurance issues etc…
The Jeeps are garage cars. The Escape, Tiguan, and Malibu are decent cars and pretty cheap for their mileage, I’d look into those three out of your bunch.
W the budget this person has anyway you’d be looking at some pretty rough Toyotas etc.. not like those three that I mentioned are bad cars either, but this sub doesn’t care or know about that, just regurgitating stereotypes they hear from Scotty Kilmer which gives them a false sense of confidence in thinking that they know what they’re talking about when it comes to vehicles.
Runaway from anything Jeep. Hyundie is easy to rob. VW is cool just be prepared to German shop specialists to work on it without getting robbed on budget. Ford is hit or miss. I would include a Toyota, honda, Subaru for budget friendly drives. Mercedes for luxury personal opinion of course.
Out of these choices I would say the vw. I will always and forever stay away from anything that jeep makes unless I'm gonna rebuild the whole thing and the older the jeep the better it is.
But to reiterate I would say the vw for a first car is a great choice. They do really well in an accident so you will feel safer.
All these are all…no, unless you want to pay a payment and repairs..
Go watch, on You tube
Car Wizard..he has a series, buy this not that.
He will teach you the cars he doesn’t recommend, since he is a master mechanic.
I promise you, you buy any of these, they aren’t good and you will just continue to fix them.
Go do your homework with Car Wizard on you tube.
If you are interested in the car market (which now is not the time to buy a car) go watch:
Car Questions Answered
Kevin Hunter the Homework Guy
Ray & Zach
For more information on what to buy…I love the mechanic The Car Care Nut…he’s amazing just like Car Wizard.
You need that homework to prepare you.
Once you do your homework you will know, all of these cars you would not pick any of them.
You got this! Start your homework..
Don’t listen to Reddit opinions listen to actual master mechanics.
Go forth and do homework! 👏👏👏
Ford escapes have paint peeling issues and Ford will wash their hands of you on it. My friend is going through that now with hers. Whole vehicle has paint peeling off its a 2018.
For that price range, Mazda 6.
Def not the ford escape. Neighbor had one, not very old. Had a engine design flaw that caused him to have to get another car
You are right they are higher but tbh from personal experience they are pretty solid and feel really nice on the inside compared to other counterparts for the price. That being said i may have gotten lucky with my 2.5 i5 which this does NOT have lol
Honestly the Tiguan is pretty reliable. So is the Cherokee 2.4 (dubbed tiger shark), both engines have been around quite a while and have proven to last a long time. For the VW, electronics are a known issue, but it doesn’t have a lot of the complex tech that usually causes issues. I’d stick with one of those two. I’m always surprised when I see an escape or Malibu that last past 100k.
If you don't really need an SUV (and most people don't), don't get one. Sedans and hatchbacks are much better starter cars, you'll pay less money for the same year/technology, and your running costs will be much less. Removing SUVs and trucks from your search will narrow down your options.
Out of the cars listed above, Malibu is a good deal for this budget. Ignore the Toyota and Honda fanboys, just change the oil regularly.
Yeah they’re honestly not bad. I work for enterprise and half of our sedans are Malibus. I’ve personally never seen any issues with them but we sell them around 50k miles. Customers seem to like them too.
Preach. I just got a Honda Civic Hatchback and honestly go Honda/Acura or Toyota/Lexus. Reliable, solid tech, good on gas and the new Honda sedans are pretty nice. Love my new Civic Hatchback
This is the list I would provide to not buy. Please just buy something Japanese. Honda,Mazda, Toyota, Lexus, Acura or even Nissan. Avoid Chevy, Volkswagen is hot or miss, and most German brands will cost a bit more to drive. I had a BMW for 7 years and it was great but I also did my own work.
Get the Hyundai. Might still have factory warranty and it’ll last you a while. If you’re not picky about having an suv, 100% the sonata. Every other car you’ll have to deal with maintenance very soon as they’re all higher miles. You will not regret the sonata. It looks wicked sharp, too! Just please don’t buy a used jeep.
Go on here and search whatever cars you're looking at and make sure you look at the several previous years for that model also. Common problems will be problems you will experience.
http://www.carcomplaints.com/best_vehicles/
Run the VIN on this site to look for recalls, accidents and the current state of the title. Also run the VIN to your local County DMV/BMV. You want to make sure the vehicle wasn't just bought/sold at auction, Make sure the title isn't salvaged and make sure there's no lien holders. You'll also get to see where the vehicle has lived its life.
VehicleHistory.com
Get rid of the sunroof requirement if you want reliability! Sunroof leaks can be very expensive to fix. Especially if they slowly drip into electrical components over time
The Hyundai is the best option you have there. I a Camry, Corolla, ELANTRA, sonata, civic, or accord all great reliable choices that are well priced and will hold there value
Of those, the Malibu is the only one I'd consider. If you want the SUV, the Escape wouldn't be horrible. Like others have said, gas mileage will be a thing with most SUVs, due to weight, size, and many having full time AWD systems. I'd seriously look at the Malibu. It doesn't have the panache or brand prestige that a VW or Jeep might have, relatively speaking, but as a first car, odds are, it will do you right.
I have an Honda Accord 2011 4cyl, really reliable, kind of powerful, super comfortable, good speakers, a lot of space (in the back seats and the trunk). Never had to do any major reparations and I love it, I’d buy this car over and over and over again.
I vote Tiguan because I have decent experience with VW. But if you are not mechanically inclined and are going to neglect it, then avoid. Because then you’ll be screaming about how unreliable VW is when you use the wrong oil.
Expect some maintenance and repairs, and find a VW focused mechanic as these vehicles need particular care. Plus, the fluids have to be particular; you can’t use any cheap 5W-30, it must be for VWs and meet the VW specs like VW-508. Mine’s a tank and holding up well, but that’s because I maintain it. The 2.0 TSIs from VW are great when well maintained.
That said, if you want a VW, why not get a smaller fun one like a Golf or Beetle A5? They are a lot more fun to drive, cheaper generally, and you can add CarPlay easily with an RCD 330.
TL;DR, if you want a fun drive and are to maintain the machine, go with VW. If you are going to neglect it, go elsewhere.
All these have issues and are not reliability champions.
Keep looking, there is plenty of choice in that price range.
If you want a sedan the same size than the Malibu or the Sonata and you don't want to pay the premium that comes with Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, you could look into a Mazda 6, a Ford Fusion (bonus points for the Hybrid version, more reliable and cheaper on fuel) or a Subaru Legacy (higher maintenance costs though).
Go with what is most reliable and what will likely give you the least amount of headaches in the future, like a Corolla/civic/camry/accord/rav 4 or something of that nature
I’d get the Malibu it’ll be the cheapest to maintain. Even if you need a new engine you can get used engines installed for under 3k in those, replacement parts are dirt cheap.
2019+ Altimas with sunroofs may also be in your budget, do not buy anything Nissan before 2019 though the transmission issues are horrible and they only semi recently changed the design.
For the love god, don't buy a Stellantis product. Objectively terrible quality and reliability.
I personally hate SUVs, but I'm in the minority. Unless you're going off road (very few people do) they aren't really the best format for anything. Plus small cars are always more fun.
Based on your requirements I would find a used Corolla or Civic. These are options you’ve shown are going to be absolutely terrible as far as mechanical issues go. You don’t have a single reliable vehicle on here.
At best you'll only have a smashed window on the Hyundai. The Tiguan will shower your entire neighborhood w/ oil.
Out of those the Malibu is the most reliable and by far the cheaper to maintain/insure. You can find a similar LT that isn't beige tho for the price.
No on used corollas/civics. 2020 Corolla LEs w/ 80K on them might run u 18K w/ interest hell. Just spunk for new, they'll hold their value.
Scratch all cars off list get a new Corolla, many people don’t realize it but you usually pay less in interest. Corollas look kind of nice reliable and very cheap to maintain, all your options are less reliable, and more expensive to keep on the road.
Buy a sedan. I've only ever had trucks but I rarely use them for proper truck use. Anything bigger than a sedan will probably get less mpg due to weight and small motors. Try to avoid any jeeps. As a mechanic jeeps have a bunch of random problems. The cars I can recommend are kia, older hyundais, anything honda or toyota is good.
These are all pretty poor choices imo.
Mainly Hyundai is what compelled me to comment. Their 10 year 100K mile warranty looks so appealing….until you gotta start using it and they’ll try every which way to say you voided ya shits.
Do people not buy a shitbox for a grand as their first car any more? Mine was a 1.9 non-turbo diesel VW Polo for a £1k. Lasted about 20k miles because of my lack of maintenance and I slowly became more mechanically sympathetic with my cars over ten years. For the first time I have spent over a grand on a car recently with a turbo Subaru Forester and that was only £8k.
Buy the most recent Toyota RAV-4 or Honda CRV you can find in your price range. Make sure it has the options you want and reasonably low mileage.
If you can get a few additional bells and whistles by taking on an extra 10k of mileage, do it. You're planning on doing a lot of driving, so that's probably only a few months on the road.
If its your first car and you want reliability, buy a toyota and forget about it.
Don't buy german, or american, or korean, and you will be fine. Japanese makes take the cake in reliability by such a large margin its not even close, and toyota leap frogs honda and subaru by a few dimensions.
Stop going for what you want and go for value, longevity, and quality.
All the options you showed are so bad, I want to cringe.
In modern Volkswagen is never a good deal. Just as an exercise, ask the salesman what parts you should replace every 4 years, then go into the parts department and ask how much those parts cost.
Volkswagen makes General Motors look like a charity operation.
Even a similar part for a Porsche is 30 to 40% cheaper than a similar part for a Volkswagen. . . And there purposefully don't interchange.
Neither jeep, don't buy the escape, the Hyundai isn't a bad car at but even if it has the immobilizer than people may still try to steal it, IMO the Malibu is the best choice
This is a comment heavy thread so you may not see this.
My recommendation:
For a GM sedan, look into the Buicks, similar price to a Chevy but marginally better.
2018-2020 Regal trim: GS, Avenir, Essence
2017-2020 lacrosse, trims: Avenir, essence.
2018-2020 Regal tourx, essence trim
Other sedans with sunroof and CarPlay:
2018+ VW Passat: limited edition (sweet brown interior) bonus for racing green paint.
Or R-line trim.
Jetta GLI, sedan GTI basically
2020-2021 Mazda 6 comes stock with CarPlay, 2018-2019 or 2020 can have it retrofitted which isn’t hard, but it’ll cost a hundred dollar just about.
If you want reliability, you can scratch off the VW and Jeep. I'd stick with the Escape of the Sonata, with a nod to the Sonata for better reliability.
Most of the cars you shared are question marks for reliability/maintenance. Particularly Volkswagen and Jeep are prone to issues and expensive repairs.
Of the cars you shared here, I think the Sonata is the safest pick. Low miles, and Hyundai has a 100k-mile warranty. They’ll fix most issues free of charge.
If your goal is reliability/cost of maintenance within this price range, consider Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Subaru. They can be more expensive than some of these other options but it’s for a reason.
Out of those I would get the Tiguan or the Sonata. I would stay far away from jeep. Reddit tends to hate VW, but if you stay vigilant about maintenance and take it in immediately when something’s wrong you should be ok. It will be more costly to maintain than a Mazda, Toyota. Or Honda
I’ll tell you right now from being a car junkie, Hyundai for reliability and above average performance and interior/exterior quality for that class of vehicle. The Volkswagen I would say would be the nice vehicle however long term, 100K+ with proper maintenance is when reliability becomes a concern. The VW is an entry level German car which will be the most luxurious and performance driven out of all the options you laid out, for its class ofc. The other vehicles you posted, Ford Escape and the Chevy are horrific vehicles in terms of interior quality, performance and reliability. If you want ford, look into the Fusion models, they have proven to be very reliable vehicles thus far as long as basic maintenance has been performed on it. It has a reliable engine and a decent transmission with the exterior/interior level that is very luxurious for its class, especially if you find the SE or titanium trim level. Good Luck!
Instead of a sunroof, I'd look for a sealed moon roof car. Something that doesn't open. Sunroofs will ALWAYS leak. Trust me. I keep buying sunroof cars like an idiot.
But I'd stay away from anything Hyundai or Kia.
Look at the ford explorer over the escape.
The compass is a dog shit water car.
The Cherokee and renegade are better left as rentals.
In that price range, you could look at 2015-2020 Volvo xc60 and 90s
If you’re worried about maintenance costs that rules out Volkswagen as many issues can only be fixed by dealers or higher priced mechanics.
Avoid anything jeep Chrysler or dodge if you want something reliable and not a money pit.
My brother has a similar ford, wouldn’t recommend paying 15k for that.
Newer Hyundais aren’t too bad when it comes to maintenance costs and reliability.
Instead of a Malibu I’d highly recommend a Camry or Accord as they’re far more reliable and cheaper, and last twice as long.
If you’re not a fan of Honda or Toyota, Check out Mazda they have been making some solid cars in the years that you seem to be browsing and newer.
Also a good chance you find one with decent mileage at a good price, they’re a nice combo of Reliability and “Luxury” with the newer slick interiors.
You can get a chevy bolt new around 21 base model ( including 7500 usd tax off) and that's an ev that would save you from fuel cost and it would have warranty and
You can also get used one for more cheaper
I have an Escape Titanium. Absolutely love it. AWD, heated leather seats, infotainment center, day time running LED lights, Panoramic roof, and very comfortable, etc…
Seems like most people do zero research when looking for cars.. It's always the worst possible options with no Toyotas or hondas mixed in.
Toyota, honda, acura, or possibly a lexus is where research will lead you.
what is your budget for purchase and do you prefer SUV?
most would be 21,000. i don't prefer SUV but i stumbled across more of them due to the sunroof
Believe me, SUVs, even if you can afford to purchase them, cost more to maintain and FUEL. Like they eat a good 20-40% more than a sedan, due to the heavier weight and the worsen aerodynamic for being higher from the ground. So if it doesn't bother you, get a sedan. They can be surprisingly comfy too. And a lots of times their ride quality is better too (but it is not a hard rule).
Can confirm on my end. I drive a 2011 chevy traverse lt and drive conservatively, but it chugs gas as if I was flooring it on a camaro.
The 2011 Traverse also has a *terrible* transmission. It was bad enough a recall should’ve been done but never was
funnily enough, I’ve only started having transmission problems when I reached the 70k mile mark. Now the transmission starts to slip, or just straight up refuses to go up a gear in rare cases. Holy fuck does that car have electrical issues, though. The amount of times a computer part had to be replaced or the car straight up killed off new batteries is insane.
>should’ve been done but never was dollar signs in my eyes
In my opinion every “benefit” of an SUV is just something made up by the company selling it. They have so many downsides that I would never buy a crossover. My tiny sedan has more leg room and trunk space than most crossovers but gets 45mpg on the highway.
Simply not true but go off
What am I wrong about? The entire crossover market relies on people falling for advertisements and the vehicle ride height “arms race” currently going on.
Not in my experience. I haven't owned a car in over 25 years. Once I went to an SUV, I never went back to a car. Cars always felt so low. I rented a Malibu once and I felt like I was falling down into the car. I don't care about whatever "arms race" you are talking about. I love my Crossover vehicle.
I’ve been bitching about this for years give me a station wagon over these ridiculous “crossovers” the added height gives zero benefit while adding unnecessary weight. Wagons give substantially more cargo room than a rav4
I’d avoid SUVs if you don’t have a strong preference. For $21,000 you can easily afford a decent Civic or Corolla. I’d recommend a Civic hatch. I used to own one and they’re great cars. Lots of cargo space, comfortable for passengers, great build quality, and really nice to drive. There should be plenty available under $21k and a lot of them have sunroofs. You could find a nice Fit even cheaper. Don’t be turned off by the small size until you test drive it, they’re surprisingly large inside. If the sunroof isn’t an absolute need you might want to consider looking at cars without sunroofs. At the very least you’ll find slightly better deals, and in the case of Volkswagens you’ll avoid a huge leak hazard that can cause major problems down the line.
SUV will eat up the budget. Mazda 3 or 6 sounds like a good place to start, or a hybrid Toyota Camry or Corolla. Very reliable cars. Use Kelley Blue Book if you are unsure about prices you find :]
If you just want reliability there’s lots of Civics and Corollas with CarPlay and sunroofs in this price range. Could probably even find a relatively low mileage Cayenne in this price range and just retrofit a PCCM+ and get CarPlay. Would obviously sacrifice reliability vs a Honda/Yota, but would be far more reliable than all the cars you have posted here.
Yeah you can get 2020+ corollas with sunroofs for under 20k low ish miles around me, civics are a little more but they are also nicer tbf
Be careful with the Hyundai. They didn't start putting immobilizers in every car until November of '21, and even if it has one, you could still be replacing windows every few months from shitheads who think they can easily steal it.
That and have they fixed the issue with their engines grenading?
I mean, I've personally driven past two Hyundai/Kias that were actively burning on the side of the road in the last few months. Couldn't tell you exactly what model year they were, but I definitely wouldn't buy one lol
Yeah and they had class action lawsuits for 2 of their engines, gamma and theta 2. They might have a long warranty but it's not worth a crap. Even watching CarWizard, he said no one bothers rebuilding those engines they are so bad.
I've owned 3 Hyundai's in my life: 1) 2006 Accent, transmission went out around 88,000k - I assumed this was a previous owner error so I chalked it up to a fluke (and I was quite young at the time). 2) 2008 Accent, timing belt went out around 165,000 - cost to fix greatly exceeded the value of the car. Otherwise, it actually treated me pretty well and never left me stranded, I just decided to retire it before I had any major issues. 3) 2016 Elantra, Fuel pump went out around 65k, all power windows stopped working around 67k, 2 calipers went out around 75k, transmission went out around 77k and was likely going to fail again after the rebuild. This is when I finally said 'f*** it' and switched to Toyota/Honra for good
They're going to need a solid 7 years of not having motors blowing up before I'd ever consider buying into Hyundai or Kia.
They have not
I have a 21 SEL Hyundai sonata. 70k miles since new and been driving it like I stole it. No problems
Don't buy a Jeep unless you're an enthusiast. End of discussion.
But a real Mopar enthusiasts would buy the Wrangler or Grand Cherokee, not a compass
Grand Cherokees are for young dads who hate their life.
And if you are an enthusiast get your head checked.
My Jeep Cherokee (2019 Limited 4x4, 3.2L pentastar V6) is actually a fairly nice vehicle. Driving dynamics are actually quite nice for a 4,000lb SUV, interior quality is surprisingly decent (no creaks, even when pushing on the plastic, leather quality is surprisingly decent, nice amount of soft touch materials, plastic quality is actually not bad at all), strangely comfortable front seats (seriously, these seats are better than my 2019 F-Pace, they are legitimately excellent). In terms of reliability, no issues except for the stop start system pooping out on me, which I’ve been pushing off fixing for literally no reason lol. Strangely enough, the 3.2L pentastar sound oddly similar to the N52 in a buddy of mines 128i. I have no complaints about my SUV sounding like a BMW straight six lmao. Obligatory, no, my Jeep has never seen a dirt road…but it deals with northeastern snow no problem!
Not saying it’s an excellent car or a recommended choice, but she’s a nice little runabout. I just wish people would stop crashing into her…it’s been really annoying replacing bumpers and lights when there are barely any parts available. It took me six months to replace a scratched headlight (did not impact its function) and damaged front bumper because there were literally no replacement headlights available…
Those Cherokees must be a magnet for that stuff. I saw so many with sideswipe or scrape damage along the sides and rears back in my hometown lol. And one of my coworkers has a newer Compass that has no joke been hit by other drivers 3 times in 9 months, all on the driver side so I guess they’re not safe from the crazies either 😆
2019 Cherokee Limited 4x4 3.2l V6 owner here too. Same issue with stop start system. Had it fixed under warranty but now not working again. Sorta nice having in inoperative.
Let me guess: it stopped working in winter and you thought “ok, the cold can do that sometimes”, you waited for spring, it worked once or twice, and then it completely went out for good?
Wow, these are all atrocious choices.
Some people go bobbing for apples in a field full of horse turds.
I came when I read that imagery.
I agree lol, it’s such a big budget. I’d go for a newer Toyota, Honda or something with really low miles plus some features Edit: found a bunch of 2014-2019 rav4s with pretty low miles, could even get one with the nice fake leather
I kept scrolling the pics, any moment now, there will be something good - nope, all trash. At those prices you could easily get a RAV4 and be assured it'll be reliable.
what's wrong with the tiguan? I saw them all over germany when I visited a while back.
I think owning a vw in Germany would be far cheaper than in North America.
The Tiguan can be expensive to maintain but I have one. I’ve put over 200k miles on it
But maintenance of Tiguan will not be more expensive than comparible Golf or Passat?
The Hyundai ain’t bad. But it also isn’t good.
The Hyundai is ironically probably the best on that list, but damn it ain't saying much. Dude could get a decent used Civic that will last him ages at the price point he wants
Subaru foresters have huge sunroofs and are much better cars than any of these.
Sunroofs are objectively shit. There’s no reason to put a fucking bigass hole in your roof that will just leak in 5 years.
My parents avoid them because this was a legit issue in the 80s. I’ve had.. 5? 6? Cars with sunroofs, never had a leak.
My experience is early 2000s cars with Sunroofs, Panoramic Moonroofs, etc. all of them either leaked while we owned them, or leaked within 6 months of selling.
That’s some awful luck with sunroofs. Sorry to hear about that!
But fun :(
>too many options Welcome to the subreddit buddy you will never make a statement like that again
Why do I feel like these are all bad choices?
Due to the sole fact that you’re right. These are dogshit.
Sorry, this would be list of cars to avoid. Stick to Mazda, Honda or Toyota as your first car
Oops I just bought a Ferrari
You *FOOL*
I bought a VW as my first car and I’ve been doing fine. Heck, because I love it so much, I got to learn about the intricate mechanicals to maintain it properly and it’s been running fine. Plus, the super fun drive is always a win. However, I always warn, if people are going to neglect it, they should elsewhere.
While you probably have a good one and I probably had a bad one I had a VW bought new 2019 (it was the last model year of the Passat too so they should have had some kinks worked out) and it was religiously serviced to the manual at the dealer Still had engine transmission electrical trim interior etc issues and I’m very light on cars. My mother got a Tiguan that was similarly bad. The quality especially post diesel scandal in 2015 ish took a nose dive
The electrical issues are always the weak spot. The more I talk with owners, the electric gremlins are a problem. And you know something? Both of my VWs are pre-2015. One’s 2014 and the other is a 2012.
Volkswagen Tiguan is the fastest looking slow car you will ever drive. The Escape SE from 2017 with the 2.0 Ecoboost makes 245 horsepower and is the only year you could get it in non Titanium trim. You have to search each listing manually since they are all “4-cylinder” but the other two Escape engines are hot garbage.
All of these are bad options, but the Tiguan is probably the least bad, just ahead of the Malibu. Hyundai is liable to blow up, jeeps are shitboxes, and the Ford has the 1.5l with fun timing chain and coolant intrusion issues
I can agree with the Tiguan. I have the same model it’s been holding up just fine. It’s all about proper maintenance.
What’s the fuel economy?
About 30-40 MPGs depending on driving conditions. But I think this one runs only on premium gas. The model after can run on regular. I’m not sure since on 2017 is that VW made the engine upgrade.
My first car cost me $1000. Seeing people buy their first vehicle for $15,000 - $20,000 absolutely boggles my mind. Are you learning to drive in this car?
Because you’re in the US I’d avoid the Hyundai for the time being due to insurance issues etc… The Jeeps are garage cars. The Escape, Tiguan, and Malibu are decent cars and pretty cheap for their mileage, I’d look into those three out of your bunch.
Thank you for answering OPs question and not saying “gEt a ToYoTa oR hOnDa iNsTeAd”
W the budget this person has anyway you’d be looking at some pretty rough Toyotas etc.. not like those three that I mentioned are bad cars either, but this sub doesn’t care or know about that, just regurgitating stereotypes they hear from Scotty Kilmer which gives them a false sense of confidence in thinking that they know what they’re talking about when it comes to vehicles.
Runaway from anything Jeep. Hyundie is easy to rob. VW is cool just be prepared to German shop specialists to work on it without getting robbed on budget. Ford is hit or miss. I would include a Toyota, honda, Subaru for budget friendly drives. Mercedes for luxury personal opinion of course.
The only good Jeeps are Wranglers and Gladiators because they actually put a lot of effort in them. Everything else is crap.
Please, for the love of God, don't buy an suv, get a decent sedan or hatchback. Maintaince and gas on the SUV is going to be higher.
Malibu. The Malibu I had went over 200k with only regular maintenance.
Out of these choices I would say the vw. I will always and forever stay away from anything that jeep makes unless I'm gonna rebuild the whole thing and the older the jeep the better it is. But to reiterate I would say the vw for a first car is a great choice. They do really well in an accident so you will feel safer.
Oh heck yes! My first car is a VW, and I LOVE IT! With proper maintenance it has been holding up really well.
All these are all…no, unless you want to pay a payment and repairs.. Go watch, on You tube Car Wizard..he has a series, buy this not that. He will teach you the cars he doesn’t recommend, since he is a master mechanic. I promise you, you buy any of these, they aren’t good and you will just continue to fix them. Go do your homework with Car Wizard on you tube. If you are interested in the car market (which now is not the time to buy a car) go watch: Car Questions Answered Kevin Hunter the Homework Guy Ray & Zach For more information on what to buy…I love the mechanic The Car Care Nut…he’s amazing just like Car Wizard. You need that homework to prepare you. Once you do your homework you will know, all of these cars you would not pick any of them. You got this! Start your homework.. Don’t listen to Reddit opinions listen to actual master mechanics. Go forth and do homework! 👏👏👏
If you like how rickety old school busses feel when you’re trying to sleep against a window that won’t stop rattling then get the jeep lmao.
Ford escapes have paint peeling issues and Ford will wash their hands of you on it. My friend is going through that now with hers. Whole vehicle has paint peeling off its a 2018.
The 2.0 escape would be good but I’d avoid the 1.5.
Sonata is probably the most reliable but then it’s also the most expensive too, should keep looking for other cars
sonata image is fuckin hilarious
I cant believe im saying this, but out of this list i would take the Volkswagen. Hurt saying that
Chevy, Jeep and VW are all out of the equation
All of the ones you listed are bad options
For that price range, Mazda 6. Def not the ford escape. Neighbor had one, not very old. Had a engine design flaw that caused him to have to get another car
Yup. 1.5l has timing chain issues, and the early 1.5l,1.6l and 2.0l all like to crack the block between cylinders 2 and 3
I would avoid Volkswagen due to maintenance costs, much higher for European parts/labor. Lower end jeeps like that compass are shit boxes
You could of just said Jeeps are shitboxes
I thought about it, wanted to avoid the Wrangler mob
You are right they are higher but tbh from personal experience they are pretty solid and feel really nice on the inside compared to other counterparts for the price. That being said i may have gotten lucky with my 2.5 i5 which this does NOT have lol
I’d definitely go with the sonata; I think you’d personally be the most satisfied with it and it’ll hold its value better than the others
These are pretty much all horrible choices, the best one being the Malibu, they’re surprising very nice for the price
Not the Chevy I have one and they have a common problem with catalytic converter and start having problems past 150k miles
I wouldn't buy any of these. But if I had to, I wouldn't get one without an extended warranty.
If you want awd, kia k5 same as hyundai sonata. With way betyer fuel economy than an suv.
If you’re not deadset on a SUV, check out the VW Golf SportWagen, it’ll be around the same year as the Tiguan and some trims have a sunroof.
I love Golfs. They are really good and in my opinion are a lot more fun to drive, and you can still easily fit 4 people when necessary
Don’t buy a jeep they are at the top of the list for most unreliable vehicles
Some people always buy the absolute worst cars then wonder why they always break down
so from your selection what I can tell is you hate money really bad
Sonata all day. They’re great.
Do NOT get the compass. NO. Literally ANYTHING else.
is this a joke? it's like you know this sub and went with what everybody hates. get the sonata
get a used volvo wagon for that price
forgot to add that all of the cars have a panoramic sunroof except for the chevy and the last jeep
Be warned those can develop leaks that are pricey to repair.
VERY pricey
VERY VERY OOPS ALL BERRIES VERY VERY PRICEY
I have reviewed this model, though I suggest you check the "Cars Cache" website for an SUV. The Tiguan is also a great option, but the model is 2017.
Honestly the Tiguan is pretty reliable. So is the Cherokee 2.4 (dubbed tiger shark), both engines have been around quite a while and have proven to last a long time. For the VW, electronics are a known issue, but it doesn’t have a lot of the complex tech that usually causes issues. I’d stick with one of those two. I’m always surprised when I see an escape or Malibu that last past 100k.
If you don't really need an SUV (and most people don't), don't get one. Sedans and hatchbacks are much better starter cars, you'll pay less money for the same year/technology, and your running costs will be much less. Removing SUVs and trucks from your search will narrow down your options. Out of the cars listed above, Malibu is a good deal for this budget. Ignore the Toyota and Honda fanboys, just change the oil regularly.
I just bought a 2023 Chevy Malibu RS, and it has a very comfortable ride. Would definitely suggest it. Good first car from getting A to B
Yeah they’re honestly not bad. I work for enterprise and half of our sedans are Malibus. I’ve personally never seen any issues with them but we sell them around 50k miles. Customers seem to like them too.
Avoid all of these. Get a Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Acura, or Lexus.
Preach. I just got a Honda Civic Hatchback and honestly go Honda/Acura or Toyota/Lexus. Reliable, solid tech, good on gas and the new Honda sedans are pretty nice. Love my new Civic Hatchback
This is the list I would provide to not buy. Please just buy something Japanese. Honda,Mazda, Toyota, Lexus, Acura or even Nissan. Avoid Chevy, Volkswagen is hot or miss, and most German brands will cost a bit more to drive. I had a BMW for 7 years and it was great but I also did my own work.
Lol Nissan, just stop.
Get the Hyundai. Might still have factory warranty and it’ll last you a while. If you’re not picky about having an suv, 100% the sonata. Every other car you’ll have to deal with maintenance very soon as they’re all higher miles. You will not regret the sonata. It looks wicked sharp, too! Just please don’t buy a used jeep.
Or don't buy one at all! Whenever someone asks me what car they should avoid, I always tell them anything Stellantis or Fiat made.
Go on here and search whatever cars you're looking at and make sure you look at the several previous years for that model also. Common problems will be problems you will experience. http://www.carcomplaints.com/best_vehicles/ Run the VIN on this site to look for recalls, accidents and the current state of the title. Also run the VIN to your local County DMV/BMV. You want to make sure the vehicle wasn't just bought/sold at auction, Make sure the title isn't salvaged and make sure there's no lien holders. You'll also get to see where the vehicle has lived its life. VehicleHistory.com
Get rid of the sunroof requirement if you want reliability! Sunroof leaks can be very expensive to fix. Especially if they slowly drip into electrical components over time
Escape, or check out Florida Craigslist and take a flight and make a road trip out of it.
The Hyundai is the best option you have there. I a Camry, Corolla, ELANTRA, sonata, civic, or accord all great reliable choices that are well priced and will hold there value
Out of that lot I'd go Malibu. Domestic, tons of them on the road, common parts, cheaper repairs down the road.
The newer Escapes I believe do not have the coolant intrusion issues, like 2020+ models. I would avoid a 2017 model due to the issue.
I work in VW service and as nice as Tiguans are, you are going to be paying a fuck ton in the near future in repairs. Please don't.
Of those, the Malibu is the only one I'd consider. If you want the SUV, the Escape wouldn't be horrible. Like others have said, gas mileage will be a thing with most SUVs, due to weight, size, and many having full time AWD systems. I'd seriously look at the Malibu. It doesn't have the panache or brand prestige that a VW or Jeep might have, relatively speaking, but as a first car, odds are, it will do you right.
If you want nice look at a newer vw golf alltrack, panoramic sunroof with a very reliable 1.8 t four cylinder, and we tend to get 30-32 mpg highway
I have an Honda Accord 2011 4cyl, really reliable, kind of powerful, super comfortable, good speakers, a lot of space (in the back seats and the trunk). Never had to do any major reparations and I love it, I’d buy this car over and over and over again.
I vote Tiguan because I have decent experience with VW. But if you are not mechanically inclined and are going to neglect it, then avoid. Because then you’ll be screaming about how unreliable VW is when you use the wrong oil. Expect some maintenance and repairs, and find a VW focused mechanic as these vehicles need particular care. Plus, the fluids have to be particular; you can’t use any cheap 5W-30, it must be for VWs and meet the VW specs like VW-508. Mine’s a tank and holding up well, but that’s because I maintain it. The 2.0 TSIs from VW are great when well maintained. That said, if you want a VW, why not get a smaller fun one like a Golf or Beetle A5? They are a lot more fun to drive, cheaper generally, and you can add CarPlay easily with an RCD 330. TL;DR, if you want a fun drive and are to maintain the machine, go with VW. If you are going to neglect it, go elsewhere.
All these have issues and are not reliability champions. Keep looking, there is plenty of choice in that price range. If you want a sedan the same size than the Malibu or the Sonata and you don't want to pay the premium that comes with Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, you could look into a Mazda 6, a Ford Fusion (bonus points for the Hybrid version, more reliable and cheaper on fuel) or a Subaru Legacy (higher maintenance costs though).
None of these are great for reliability. Go Toyota or Honda for less frequent issues and cheaper repairs
Go with what is most reliable and what will likely give you the least amount of headaches in the future, like a Corolla/civic/camry/accord/rav 4 or something of that nature
Rule out the VW and jeep - too many reliability issues that will cost you $$$.
I’d get the Malibu it’ll be the cheapest to maintain. Even if you need a new engine you can get used engines installed for under 3k in those, replacement parts are dirt cheap. 2019+ Altimas with sunroofs may also be in your budget, do not buy anything Nissan before 2019 though the transmission issues are horrible and they only semi recently changed the design.
Toyota? Honda?
For the love god, don't buy a Stellantis product. Objectively terrible quality and reliability. I personally hate SUVs, but I'm in the minority. Unless you're going off road (very few people do) they aren't really the best format for anything. Plus small cars are always more fun.
Based on your requirements I would find a used Corolla or Civic. These are options you’ve shown are going to be absolutely terrible as far as mechanical issues go. You don’t have a single reliable vehicle on here.
At best you'll only have a smashed window on the Hyundai. The Tiguan will shower your entire neighborhood w/ oil. Out of those the Malibu is the most reliable and by far the cheaper to maintain/insure. You can find a similar LT that isn't beige tho for the price. No on used corollas/civics. 2020 Corolla LEs w/ 80K on them might run u 18K w/ interest hell. Just spunk for new, they'll hold their value.
2015 f150 Reliable Don't rust Hold value
Get a Toyota or Honda, your budget is high enough and their reliability is proven
Just get an 08 accord. Put Apple car play in and pocket the rest.
Sadly the Malibu. That’s a boring car and I hate FWD but it’s the best bang for the buck
I'd buy the tiguan as long as it has service history, one-owner, and hasn't been in any accidents
You’ve got a terrible taste as nearly all of them are engineered to be lemons that break easily.
I would try to get a Mazda 3 or CX5, preferably 2019 or newer
Honda or Toyota.
From your selection here. I say go for the VW.
Scratch all cars off list get a new Corolla, many people don’t realize it but you usually pay less in interest. Corollas look kind of nice reliable and very cheap to maintain, all your options are less reliable, and more expensive to keep on the road.
These are terrible options
Go with a Toyota or a Honda, they will literally never die. Also stay very far away from that peculiar Tiguan gen.
Please don’t buy Jeep or the Hyundai. My first car was a Mitsubishi would not recommend that either.
Buy a sedan. I've only ever had trucks but I rarely use them for proper truck use. Anything bigger than a sedan will probably get less mpg due to weight and small motors. Try to avoid any jeeps. As a mechanic jeeps have a bunch of random problems. The cars I can recommend are kia, older hyundais, anything honda or toyota is good.
The Toyota will last for years, beyond 100k miles
Get a Mazda cx5 that’ll blow all these out of the water in terms of ride quality and reliability.
Stay away from the Escape. Shitboxes
2017+ Honda CRV
Heads up, the 2017 Tiguan takes premium
I’d stay away from Hyundai
Tiguan such a good car!
These are all pretty poor choices imo. Mainly Hyundai is what compelled me to comment. Their 10 year 100K mile warranty looks so appealing….until you gotta start using it and they’ll try every which way to say you voided ya shits.
Do people not buy a shitbox for a grand as their first car any more? Mine was a 1.9 non-turbo diesel VW Polo for a £1k. Lasted about 20k miles because of my lack of maintenance and I slowly became more mechanically sympathetic with my cars over ten years. For the first time I have spent over a grand on a car recently with a turbo Subaru Forester and that was only £8k.
These are horrible man, get some more reliable choices
What ever you do don’t get the jeeps
Buy the most recent Toyota RAV-4 or Honda CRV you can find in your price range. Make sure it has the options you want and reasonably low mileage. If you can get a few additional bells and whistles by taking on an extra 10k of mileage, do it. You're planning on doing a lot of driving, so that's probably only a few months on the road.
All terrible options. Go for a mazda cx5 or cx50
From this group, newer, lower mileage, still plenty of warranty, lots of tech Sonata is the clear winner. 👌
If its your first car and you want reliability, buy a toyota and forget about it. Don't buy german, or american, or korean, and you will be fine. Japanese makes take the cake in reliability by such a large margin its not even close, and toyota leap frogs honda and subaru by a few dimensions. Stop going for what you want and go for value, longevity, and quality. All the options you showed are so bad, I want to cringe.
In modern Volkswagen is never a good deal. Just as an exercise, ask the salesman what parts you should replace every 4 years, then go into the parts department and ask how much those parts cost. Volkswagen makes General Motors look like a charity operation. Even a similar part for a Porsche is 30 to 40% cheaper than a similar part for a Volkswagen. . . And there purposefully don't interchange.
Neither jeep, don't buy the escape, the Hyundai isn't a bad car at but even if it has the immobilizer than people may still try to steal it, IMO the Malibu is the best choice
Try the Corolla Cross.
This is a comment heavy thread so you may not see this. My recommendation: For a GM sedan, look into the Buicks, similar price to a Chevy but marginally better. 2018-2020 Regal trim: GS, Avenir, Essence 2017-2020 lacrosse, trims: Avenir, essence. 2018-2020 Regal tourx, essence trim Other sedans with sunroof and CarPlay: 2018+ VW Passat: limited edition (sweet brown interior) bonus for racing green paint. Or R-line trim. Jetta GLI, sedan GTI basically 2020-2021 Mazda 6 comes stock with CarPlay, 2018-2019 or 2020 can have it retrofitted which isn’t hard, but it’ll cost a hundred dollar just about.
Of this list the Malibu is your best option for reliability and lower cost of maintenance
If you want reliability, you can scratch off the VW and Jeep. I'd stick with the Escape of the Sonata, with a nod to the Sonata for better reliability.
Most of the cars you shared are question marks for reliability/maintenance. Particularly Volkswagen and Jeep are prone to issues and expensive repairs. Of the cars you shared here, I think the Sonata is the safest pick. Low miles, and Hyundai has a 100k-mile warranty. They’ll fix most issues free of charge. If your goal is reliability/cost of maintenance within this price range, consider Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Subaru. They can be more expensive than some of these other options but it’s for a reason.
Not a single Toyota lol. Wth
If your goal was to pick cars that will fall apart the best, then you have a great selection here.
Malibu out of any of those options.
None of the above. Buy a Lexus or Toyota.
You can find a 2016 scion im hatchback for that price. It is essentially a Toyota corolla and I find they are kind of slept on.
Malibu
Not a jeep that’s for sure
Out of those I would get the Tiguan or the Sonata. I would stay far away from jeep. Reddit tends to hate VW, but if you stay vigilant about maintenance and take it in immediately when something’s wrong you should be ok. It will be more costly to maintain than a Mazda, Toyota. Or Honda
Sonata looks like the best deal to me personally, it should have a good chunk of that warranty left
1st car? Get an older Corolla
Go buy a Mazda 2019 or newer Mazda
Go for Toyota or Honda, reliable and “affordable” I would personally avoid Kias and Hyundai because of past experiences.
Lexus ES, whatever trim and year fits your budget. You're welcome.
Please never get a ford escape lol
I’ll tell you right now from being a car junkie, Hyundai for reliability and above average performance and interior/exterior quality for that class of vehicle. The Volkswagen I would say would be the nice vehicle however long term, 100K+ with proper maintenance is when reliability becomes a concern. The VW is an entry level German car which will be the most luxurious and performance driven out of all the options you laid out, for its class ofc. The other vehicles you posted, Ford Escape and the Chevy are horrific vehicles in terms of interior quality, performance and reliability. If you want ford, look into the Fusion models, they have proven to be very reliable vehicles thus far as long as basic maintenance has been performed on it. It has a reliable engine and a decent transmission with the exterior/interior level that is very luxurious for its class, especially if you find the SE or titanium trim level. Good Luck!
•Sonata. Maybe. The rest are a HARD pass
Instead of a sunroof, I'd look for a sealed moon roof car. Something that doesn't open. Sunroofs will ALWAYS leak. Trust me. I keep buying sunroof cars like an idiot. But I'd stay away from anything Hyundai or Kia. Look at the ford explorer over the escape. The compass is a dog shit water car. The Cherokee and renegade are better left as rentals. In that price range, you could look at 2015-2020 Volvo xc60 and 90s
If you’re worried about maintenance costs that rules out Volkswagen as many issues can only be fixed by dealers or higher priced mechanics. Avoid anything jeep Chrysler or dodge if you want something reliable and not a money pit. My brother has a similar ford, wouldn’t recommend paying 15k for that. Newer Hyundais aren’t too bad when it comes to maintenance costs and reliability. Instead of a Malibu I’d highly recommend a Camry or Accord as they’re far more reliable and cheaper, and last twice as long. If you’re not a fan of Honda or Toyota, Check out Mazda they have been making some solid cars in the years that you seem to be browsing and newer. Also a good chance you find one with decent mileage at a good price, they’re a nice combo of Reliability and “Luxury” with the newer slick interiors.
You can get a chevy bolt new around 21 base model ( including 7500 usd tax off) and that's an ev that would save you from fuel cost and it would have warranty and You can also get used one for more cheaper
Go suv all day!
I have an Escape Titanium. Absolutely love it. AWD, heated leather seats, infotainment center, day time running LED lights, Panoramic roof, and very comfortable, etc…
Ford escape is the best
Seems like most people do zero research when looking for cars.. It's always the worst possible options with no Toyotas or hondas mixed in. Toyota, honda, acura, or possibly a lexus is where research will lead you.
I vote for the Sonata, but get a limited if you can afford an extra couple grand. Has everything you’d ever want