Quote:
Originally Posted by LivingAlmostLarge
Thanks, that was me with the question about the Focus. I have to pry the car out of my DH's hands but this will give me ammo to discuss with him the potential to buy another used car.
When asked in my blog a lot of people didn't like the idea of me selling the focus and buying an older Honda, Toyota, or Subaru. They felt I was downgrading, but I wasn't sure if that was the case.
What do you feel about trading in a newer car 2000 and going backwards to a 1998 with more miles?
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With all due respect, why is "downgrading" such a bad thing? If anything though, I consider it "upgrading".
I personally feel it's a great idea if you walk away saving money. That's the bottom line. If it's a different car I may reconsider, but with the Focus it's not even an after-thought.
I've had my mechanic certification for over 10 years now. I've worked on hundreds if not thousands of different types of cars. Ford is on the top of my list of cars to avoid.
If you're looking at Subarus, I would say avoid anything older than 2001. Mechanically they're all the same, but the older models just don't have good fit-and-finish, and eventually they'll drive you nuts with small things that don't work as they should.
I would recommend 2002 or newer Impreza 2.5RS/i for cost and availability. The only downside is a lot of kids buy them and modify them beyond reason. You may be better off stepping into something like a Forester or Outback because it's not as popular with kids. Mechanically they're all the same. The difference would be size and styling.
For Toyota, you really can't go wrong with a Corolla from any year. They're proven reliable if you're willing to put some minimal maintenance into it. If you need more space, step up to a Camry 4-cylinder. They're great cars as well in my experience.
For Honda, you can't lose with the Civic from 96-00. The only caution I would say is watch for kids. The Civic is very very popular with kids, and sometimes they modify them beyond reason. The good thing is replacement parts are cheap. You can probably buy anything you need on Craigslist or online at your local racing forum.
I know that every speed shop throws away perfectly good engines when kids swap out for more powerful engines. You can usually pick these up for a very small fee, or sometimes even free. I know of no newish car that has this much of a market for used parts.
The Accord is a good pick as well, but please make sure you pick up a 98 or newer. The older ones are unreliable and rough.
The old adage is that between reliability, low cost, and asthetics, you may only have two. Take your pick.