I’m considering purchasing one of the following vehicles as a daily driver and I would really appreciate some insight on what kind of reliability I can expect.
All are manual transmissions:
2011 Camry, 63k miles, 4cyl - $9000 (Dealership)
2011 Camry, 120k miles, V6 - $5600 (Private Party)
2014 Focus SE, 53k miles - $11k (Dealership)
Generally speaking, what kind of age, mileage combination would still be considered reliable for a daily driver for Hondas and Toyotas?
The first car I listed has low miles but it’s 11 years old. How many more years of reliability are realistically left in it?
Thanks in advance for any insights!
Well, you want to stay away from dealers and the Ford would not be a good one to consider either. Probably the 2011 private-sale Camry is going to be the best bet. I believe that 2011 is before Camrys had the faulty torque converter problem.
How it's going to last is going to be mainly dependent on how it has been maintained up to this point. If properly maintained there is no reason it should not go for at least another 120K miles. On the other hand if it's been neglected or beaten to death it could fall apart tomorrow. You need to have a thorough pre-purchase inspection done by a good mechanic.
He’s getting a manual transmission.
2011 Camry, 120k miles, V6 - $5600 (Private Party)
This one if your mechanic gives you the green light.
Consider that the V6 may have higher maintenance costs down the line, but if it passes a thorough pre purchase inspection, then go for it.
Test drive the 4cyl Camry from the dealer too and if you like it, try to see if they will reduce their asking price. If that’s indeed the real mileage, then that vehicle still has decades of life left. Especially since it’s a manual..
All the best!
