Hello, I am a college student and I am in the market for a small reliable car that is good on gas, 2014 or newer, and will last me for a few years. I would have to finance through a dealer. I drive for uber eats so I am going to put a decent amount of miles on the car. I would like to get a corolla or civic, but its difficult to find one in that price range with relatively low miles. I'm definately not getting a cruze or dart, but I am open to a focus, elantra, or jetta. What should I specifically look for?
You can find a nice 2014-2016 Toyota Corolla for $8000-$9000, look private party (like on craigslist).
As for the other cars mentioned;
Focus? Have you seen the transmission lawsuits againt those? There is a reason why they are cheap, because they are worthless and cheaply made. Plus, 2014/2015 models of these aren't worth half your budget for good reason.
Elantra? They are notorious for engine failure and blowing up. It won't make it much past 100k miles.
Jetta? This is what many people on the forum would call an "absolute money pit." If you were outside US and it was diesel+manual it could have been OK but honestly you would be better off with a Toyota or Honda.
The absolute question is, any of these cars with good luck and maintenance might last 100k miles, but if you are going anything over that don't even try your luck with one of these cars.
You say the Hyundai has been great for you, why don't you just keep that? Do you need to upgrade? If I were you I personally would put the Elantra up for sale on criagslist and see what I got offered, and sell immediately or drive until the wheels fall off depending on offer.
Hello, I currently drive for Uber eats and while it is good money I would not recommend getting a car that you care much about, for the simple fact that you will put a large amount of wear and tear on the car. I bought a 2012 civic for 54000$ with only 95,000 miles. I would recommend getting a cheap 03-05 Toyota Camry and I would stay away from the jetta. Goodluck
God damn, with the price you paid for 1 2012 Civic, I’d probably be able to buy a fleet of 2012 Civics..
The price you paid was...
Thanks for your answer @kerem! I didn't mention this in the post originally, but I would have to finance through a dealer. I am currently driving a 2015 elantra with 93k miles and so far it has been great to me, so thats why its still on my mind. There is a lot of cheap focuses for under 70k miles so thats why I was open to it... and jettas to me look really nice.
I do understand thats not a reason to buy a car, but hey we all go for looks! My goal is to try to get my hands on a corolla or civic so I will definitely keep looking out for them. I appreciate your help!
What’s wrong with the Elantra?
Please just watch out on how they finance the car!!! Tell them you want to see the complete finance schedule to see what you end up paying at the end. Do yourself a favor and do that. If they will not show you, walk away!!!
The reason I am looking for another car is I have to give up the elantra to my sister soon, so I have to look for another vehicle.