Since you say you drive 10,000 to 20,000 miles a year - let’s assume you drive 20,000 miles a year and you keep the vehicle for 10 years (is that a good assumption?) then you would be ADDING 200,000 miles to the existing odometer so you will be >200,000 miles.  You also mentioned 2014+ so I would look at a Toyota Camry with V6 (2016/2017) or Toyota Avalon (2015-2018).  That’s your best chance to get 200,000+ miles relatively trouble-free.  If you do get a Honda Accord (stick to 2015-2017), try and get one with the 2.4L I4 mated to a manual transmission.  If you get a V6 Accord, stick to the coupe since only the V6 coupe comes with a manual as an option and that powertrain combo (V6 with manual) does NOT have cylinder deactivation (what Honda calls VCM) enabled.  The V6 in the sedan version only comes with an automatic but that also means VCM is enabled - you don’t want that for longevity.

Finally, do not get any Hyundai Motor Group Products.   We are not recommending any of their vehicles due to poor quality/reliability.

https://www.carcomplaints.com/Toyota/Camry/

https://www.carcomplaints.com/Toyota/Avalon/

https://www.carcomplaints.com/Honda/Accord/

Make sure you check out the car buying guide in the FAQ

Hello, illogic. Congratulations on getting a loan approved for $20,000! I just joined this forum, and I want to answer your question because I want to contribute to the forum. I'm also looking for a car, and I just posted my own question.

If you don't mind, I will use your text and answer each point:

"Hello I will be buying my first car soon, I got approved for a loan of $20,000"

--Congratulations!

"I rather not spend that much but with the used car market right now it probably can’t be help."

--I have a feeling that you are right.

"But it has to be no older then a 2014 and has to be from a dealership, I ideally want a Honda Accord."

--If you are willing to go back to 2014, your loan should be more than enough money, I hope! I have not checked the prices, though.

--Why does it have to be from a dealership? I can understand that it would make it easier for you to get help for problems. However, it will cost more. It sounds to me like you are okay with that. If you buy it from a place or person other than a dealership, it's more complicated.

--I had a Honda Accord for many years. This is how I feel about Honda Accords:

--Excellent reliability and performance

--Transmissions can wear out

--Make sure you really like driving the exact one you want to buy. Each model year group is a little different.

--Please find out about the specific car you are getting because each model year series of cars (for example, "1998 to 2002") has its own good and bad features. There are Honda Forums where people own Hondas and talk about the problems and solutions. I would say that the newer they are, the more there are complex parts that could break, but I haven't kept up with the information, so please check it out for yourself. If you want any help, feel free to let me know and I'll tell you what I can.

"What’s so good cars to get besides a Honda and a Toyota?"

--Well, if you really want an Accord, then maybe that's the best car for you. I feel like Scotty said years ago that Hyundai was pretty good because of the warranties. But that was a few years ago, maybe the warranties are not that good any more. I feel like brands like a Hyundai can be well made, but not as reliable as Toyota, as the car ages. I feel that Honda is generally probably not as reliable as Toyota. My impression is that Honda is more of a performance engine which came from the car racing world, and Toyota is more oriented towards total reliability. Scotty posted a video on YouTube about Toyota and its corporate practices (car-making philosophy, design philosophy, quality control). I feel that Nissan is expensive to fix. Mazda is expensive to fix. Kia I don't know about, could be good, maybe like Hyundai but a bit lower quality. Mitsubishi is expensive to fix. Suzuki is expensive to fix. American brands seem unreliable and to need repairs frequently. These opinions are basically absorbed from Scotty a few years ago. But they are also consistent with what I've observed over the years.

Lexus is the luxury brand from Toyota and Scotty says they have good customer service values. Acura is the luxury brand of Honda.

"How many miles is to much, I will easily drive 10,000 to 20,000 miles a year and how much should I pay. Year vs mileage ratio"

--Well, It depends on the car make and model and how it was driven. This is something that dealerships won't tell you.  For example if you bought a 2014 Accord with one owner who took care of it and drove mostly highway miles, then 150,000 miles would not be too many. If you got one which had multiple owners and/or was driven in the city a lot or not given oil changes, and had 80,000 miles, it could be in worse condition than the first car. I feel that the quality of gasoline used matters. Poor quality gasoline will result in accumulations inside the cylinders and this will eventually make the car lose power. "Top Tier" gasoline brands have detergents that keep the insides of cars clean. I use only Top Tier gasolines. Which gas stations have this can be found on the internet but if you need help I can find a list for you.

--I feel like if you are going to drive a lot, which you are, you should get a car that you know the engine is in good shape. That means you either find out what the ownership history was, or buy as new a vehicle as possible, or have the vehicle inspected by a mechanic. The mechanic should be able to advise you on whether they should do detailed testing on the car or not. There is something called a compression test that can be done. This is mostly for older cars when you are wondering whether the engine is functioning well. For newer cars, it would be nice if the inside of the engine could be inspected. You could ask the mechanic to do that, or ask them whether it's necessary. I think one easy thing you can ask them to do is look at the spark plugs. If they have soot on them, that's a sign of incomplete combustion. But take the advice of experienced car people. I'm a person who had one car for a long time and watched a lot of Scotty's videos. 🙂

Best of luck and congratulations again!!

I hope you get the car that is exactly right for you!

Thank you,
@etre2244