Need a new (used) car- what am I after?

[doomridesout]

Seems like folks on here have opinions about cars and information to back them up. Me and my wife share a 2000 Subaru Forester, which still has a good amount of life left in it (shockingly), but we need a second ride as I won't be able to commute by bike when we move in a few months. I know next to nothing about cars. I know the Forester has served our needs very well and I'd be happy get another. I also can't pay full pop and want to buy used. I literally have never purchased a car-- I got the Forester from my grandfather when he got too old to drive. Is there a primer for motor-challenged dingbats like me? Everything- what's my best method of buying a reliable, affordable car, what kind of car do I want to look for?

Criteria: Under $10K all in, if possible. Similar or more cargo capacity to the Forester- the factory roof rack has been great. Capable of driving on the bombed-out mountain backroads of Northern California without too much wear. Safe for carrying my kiddo around. Reliable. If it drives more like a car than a big top heavy truck, so much the better. Seems like Subaru beefed up the Forester in recent years and what I'd really want would be an Outback... What else is like this? Cachet and fun to drive are 100% irrelevant, I want the 10s Shimano 105 equipped alloy bike of cars.

Apologies if this mirrors an existing OT thread.

[Diablo de Acero]

Seems like you answered your question already. Subarus are really great at what you described. Go with what you know. Also nothing wrong with owning two Subarus. Just ask the whole state of Vermont.

[murphy]

Go grab an Subaru Outback if you want a lot of space or a Subaru Crosstrek if you want something smaller.

[ides1056]

Subarus need a head gasket at 100K- routine maintenance.

Find a Toyota Matrix, 2006 model. If you don't need 4wd, go with manual front wheel drive. You can pick up a Corolla in California for peanuts, drive it forever, and sell it for what you paid. There is no more reliable car out there, and the Matrix version is as big as what you are driving. I have one that's taken a beating for 190K through successive New England winters, and it keeps on going with routine care.

My two cents.

[olapiquena]

Subarus need a head gasket at 100K- routine maintenance.

Find a Toyota Matrix, 2006 model. If you don't need 4wd, go with manual front wheel drive. You can pick up a Corolla in California for peanuts, drive it forever, and sell it for what you paid. There is no more reliable car out there, and the Matrix version is as big as what you are driving. I have one that's taken a beating for 190K through successive New England winters, and it keeps on going with routine care.

My two cents.

AMEN!!!! Or... if you are even more of a dirt-bag... A Pontiac Vibe (which is Matrix, but sells for less).

The wife and I own a new Outback and an old Vibe. I prefer the Vibe for all driving OTHER than highway distance. Oh... we picked it up for about $4k

[murphy]

Subarus need a head gasket at 100K- routine maintenance.

Find a Toyota Matrix, 2006 model. If you don't need 4wd, go with manual front wheel drive. You can pick up a Corolla in California for peanuts, drive it forever, and sell it for what you paid. There is no more reliable car out there, and the Matrix version is as big as what you are driving. I have one that's taken a beating for 190K through successive New England winters, and it keeps on going with routine care.

My two cents.

Subarus might need a head gasket. But so might any car. Perhaps I am lucky, but I have not been afflicted, nor have my friends and family driving Subarus.

[mmoore]

Subarus might need a head gasket. But so might any car. Perhaps I am lucky, but I have not been afflicted, nor have my friends and family driving Subarus.

more probable with some engines more than others. there is generally one flaw that plagues most vehicles, older subarus specifically that is head gaskets.

[jlyon]

Look at a Honda Element if you want more room than the forester.

[caleb]

Agreed on the Matrix. My wife has a 2003 with 180k on it, and it's had zero problems.

My other suggestion is that if you're going to buy a used car of unknown origin, Hertz now sells its old stock directly to consumers. I bought my VW from them and the process was as painless as I can imagine buying a car being. You take the car on a rental basis, and if you decide to keep it you just buy it over the phone and sign the paperwork through the mail. Prices are fixed, with no smarminess.

[lumpy]

more probable with some engines more than others. there is generally one flaw that plagues most vehicles, older subarus specifically that is head gaskets.

As to the Forester, the 2011+ models have the FB engine, which has separate cooling lines to the heads and doesn't suffer a disproportionate number of head gasket problems.

[ides1056]

A Matrix 4wd with General Arctic Ultimax tires is as good as an Audi in the snow. Properly set up you can get mid-thirties mileage. The later models have a bigger and thirstier motor. A friend in Santa Cruz bought a Corolla used, drove it for four years and 120K and sold it for the same 1200 he paid. Bought a newer one with airbags and the like.

[davids]

Go grab an Subaru Outback if you want a lot of space or a Subaru Crosstrek if you want something smaller.

Or a Forester. I hear that you like them!

[lumpy]

I bought a 2011 Forester last summer with 92k miles on it. I wanted a manual so I had to look pretty hard and accepted some cosmetic tradeoffs, but I'm definitely happy with the choice. I paid less than 10 grand but worked hard to get there. Pros: All-round visibility is very good. Tight turning circle. #2 son is 6'6 and can sit in the back seat. Lots of suspension travel and pretty soft springing make it super composed on dirt roads and washboard, probably the fastest car point to point on rough roads I've ever had. With studded snows it's a tremendous winter car. Cons: I had to replace a wheel bearing, a control arm bushing, and some oil leaks and that added up pretty fast.

The rap on these is not head gaskets but oil consumption, to the point where there's a class action settlement that gets you a free engine as long as you take it to a Subaru dealer and put it through an oil consumption protocol. You have to have less than 100k miles, and you have to fix any oil leaks ahead of time, which is some money.

[defspace]

2008 Outback here. I've got the leak. My buddy has an '09 he got used with replaced HGs. I assume they must have been leaking if the PO replaced them. It's definitely a "thing" for these cars. I figure the cost of a HG job is going to be $2k or more.

[jclay]

Seems like folks on here have opinions about cars and information to back them up. Me and my wife share a 2000 Subaru Forester, which still has a good amount of life left in it (shockingly), but we need a second ride as I won't be able to commute by bike when we move in a few months. I know next to nothing about cars. I know the Forester has served our needs very well and I'd be happy get another. I also can't pay full pop and want to buy used. I literally have never purchased a car-- I got the Forester from my grandfather when he got too old to drive. Is there a primer for motor-challenged dingbats like me? Everything- what's my best method of buying a reliable, affordable car, what kind of car do I want to look for?

Criteria: Under $10K all in, if possible. Similar or more cargo capacity to the Forester- the factory roof rack has been great. Capable of driving on the bombed-out mountain backroads of Northern California without too much wear. Safe for carrying my kiddo around. Reliable. If it drives more like a car than a big top heavy truck, so much the better. Seems like Subaru beefed up the Forester in recent years and what I'd really want would be an Outback... What else is like this? Cachet and fun to drive are 100% irrelevant, I want the 10s Shimano 105 equipped alloy bike of cars.

Apologies if this mirrors an existing OT thread.

Used Toyota Sienna minivan or similar. Lotsa room, reliable, very un-sexy and with the concomitant attractive prices.

[72gmc]

Hertz now sells its old stock directly to consumers.

Don't other car rental companies do this as well? I thought they did ...

Dad has a Forester and really likes it. As does the 105-pound golden retriever that accompanies him everywhere.

[sonicw]

plenty of Volvo XC70s coming off of soccer mom duty, they're designed for Swedish winters so they're pretty reliable if kept maintained

[caleb]

plenty of Volvo XC70s coming off of soccer mom duty, they're designed for Swedish winters so they're pretty reliable if kept maintained

I just saw that yesterday while bumping around Craig's List. It looks like $3000-4000 will buy one in reasonable nick.

[deano]

Doom, get a minivan. I always had little pickups but since getting a dog and having a kid, the van has eclipsed any thing else as a MTB/bike wagon, camper, everything. Hauls lumber, hauls ass, hauls it all. Get a Toyota sienna and don't nt look back.

[Jason Musgrave]

Snipped...Find a Toyota Matrix, 2006 model.

Out of curiosity why specifically a 2006?