What is the best car for a lon commute and a limited budget?
Nicole C asked:
I need to buy a car. I currently have one that I love but I don’t think its going to deal with 140 miles a day. Its like a 95 Sentra. I don’t want to go over 10,000 dollars used. I want to actually buy it at a dealership this time instead of in the ghetto…
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I need to buy a car. I currently have one that I love but I don’t think its going to deal with 140 miles a day. Its like a 95 Sentra. I don’t want to go over 10,000 dollars used. I want to actually buy it at a dealership this time instead of in the ghetto…
So i need a car that is:
a good commuter car
good gas millage
under 10,000 used.
July 19th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Well, an 07 or 08 Nissan Versa would do for such commutes. I was gonna recommend a Toyota, but i would hold on to that thought for a while. This will do, very reliable & nice: Make&Rp=R&PP=20&sV=List&CD=14+240+398+9&Q=5f736a55-7237-4993-9ee1-d441670ccaab
Just a suggestion. The Eagle Keeper
July 21st, 2010 at 3:14 pm
It is not just finding a car that fits your budget, you also have to find a “good” car that fits your budget.
You have a Nissan, so you obviously know how they run. Your 95 Sentra is getting up in years, but I had an ‘87 that topped 300K miles before I sold it. If yours has been maintained well, I would expect it to handle that commute easily.
If you must get a different car, look at some of the smaller cars from Ford. You should be able to get an 07-09 Focus or Fusion (4cly) for under $10K. My wife bought a 2008 Fusion SE last year for just under $10K. The Fusion will get mileage in the high 20’s-low 30’s and a Focus will run in the high 30’s to low 40’s (with manual transmission). Expect to easily get 250K miles out of a well maintained Ford.
Some others to consider:
Hyundai (Elantra or Sontata - good gas mileage / safety / low price)
Suzuki (Their SX4 is quite peppy, decent mileage, and many 07-08 models should be under 10k)
Kia (maybe not my first choice, but the Rio is sporty looking, good mileage, and safe - also look at the Forte)
Mazda Protoge’ (nearly same car as Ford Focus)
Scion (Sold by Toyota, but a much more affordable car - check out a used “A”, “B”, or “XD)
Mitsubishi (Lancer is my favorite in their line, they run forever and get good mileage)
Other cars newer than ‘08 may be out of your price limits, but you can always look for something in the ‘02 and up range if you can get one in good shape and decent mileage. Buying an ‘04 or ‘05 model for only $5k will save you a ton of money for new tires, a tune-up, or anything else it may need and still keep you under budget. Bill
July 22nd, 2010 at 12:12 am
Get one that its a bit newer probably 2002-2007. You don’t want to have maintenance issues with an old car from the last decade. jfs1988
July 22nd, 2010 at 10:47 am
I’ve driven 100 miles a day for years in an old 87 Honda Civic, and it never let me down. Can’t beat the gas milage or dependability. For 10 G’s you’d get a much newer car than mine, you would be hard pressed to get a better car And couldn’t get better milage. Tom From Excelsior Springs,MO Lonely