Hey Scottie, I'm looking to purchase a low mile used car from CarMax. I want something fun to drive but reliable with modern features. I'm stuck between a 2017 Ecoboost Mustang, 2017 Nissan Maxima Platinum or a 2017 Chevy Malibu Premier. Which would be my best choice?
I think the question is how long do you want your next car to last?
Pretty much all of them can go 100k miles, so if that's all you want out of it pick whichever one you like. Do you need 4 doors? If so, the Mustang is out. I wouldn't recommend a Nissan or a Chevy past 100k miles, and the Mustang probably not much past that either.
As mentioned already, the Civic Si is a fun sedan. You can also look for something like a Lexus GS which would be fun to drive, comfortable, and last 300k+ miles most likely.
If you want fun and pretty cheap, you can't really go wrong with a Mazda Miata if it is your kind of car. Or maybe a Subaru WRX if you can drive a manual....their autos have issues.
It just depends on what you want. Of the three options you have, I'd go Mustang for 100k miles. If you are looking to go 150k+ miles, I wouldn't recommend any of them.
Other options should be considered as neither of them are great but the ecoboost seems to become an issue after 80 90k miles according to Scotty the newer Maximas are okay cars they just have some issues after 100k miles like the transmission blowing up. Stay away from the Chevy. If you are looking for a vehicle that could go more than 10 15 years, I can't recommend any of the cars above. I would consider a different vehicle made by Toyota (/Lexus) or Honda. Like a Civic si or something around that nature. I heard the GS is a pretty good one as well. Maybe you like to keep a car for 5 6 years, in which case I would go Maxima or Mustang depending on what you want. A V8 Mustang would be a better idea as well.
Well are you open to other suggestions? I would stay away from Nissan and Chevy. Ford is good but not their ecoboost engine. Perhaps maybe a Honda Civic Si? Scotty made a video about it the other day, and it's a pretty fun car with modern features. It will outlast those other cars you're thinking about.
I would've suggested a "moderate" BMW like a 28i model, but people will bash me for it lol. They are fun and pretty reliable...just a bit more expensive to maintain unless you do the maintenance yourself.
Carmax is a decent place in that you can shop confidently for a car (cars being sold have to meet their standards) but with moderate pricing.
Happy hunting!
The new body 17 and up maximas are a blast and they are solid cars. The power is very impressive they rocket ships.
