Question

Sorry if this isn't allowed. My girlfriend is searching for a new car. She's looking to spend about $9, 000ish on a used car (she has $5, 000 saved as a down payment). We have really no knowledge about cars and I was hoping to get some input. I know cars are sort of everyone's preference, but we are really looking for a car that is good. We are both in college and don't make a lot of money, so we can't afford to be fixing cars all the time or spending a fortune on gas. Cars that are good in the snow too because we get snow about half of the year! lol. (I'm not sure if that car matters for the snow or just the tires) If anyone has any recommendations, we would really appreciate it! There are a lot of dodge darts on the market where we live. Has anyone heard anything about them? I don't know anyone who has one, so we don't want to make that purchase if it isn't a reliable car. Thank you in advance!  

Answer 1

Honda or Toyota. & a stellar maintenance record.  

Answer 2

Dodge darts aren't super reliable, hit and miss. I would REALLY suggest getting a Honda or Toyota, they are the MOST reliable, last a lonngggg time, and are cheap to fix!  

Comments

@assiniboine63 That’s what I’ve been reading about the dodge dart. Some people say its the best car that they have had and the next person says that they are terrible!  

Answer 3

I love my Toyota Corolla. Super reliable cars.  

Answer 4

Another vote for a Honda or Toyota!  

Answer 5

For snow I'd recommend so good studded tires. or a 4wheel drive

Answer 6

My mechanic husband says NO to the Dodge Dart!  

Comments

@campanology21958 We have been leaning towards that because the reviews have been either amazing or terrible, I just needed someone to tell me absolutely no so thank you for that!  

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@exhaustion738 DONT DO IT! I used to work at a dealership a couple years ago and they are junk. Always were in the shop, and my mechanic husband also says NO!  

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@exhaustion738 he has no shortage of opinions on cars  he will only buy Toyota or Honda. We love my Acura!  

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NOT a Dodge. It won't last. resale value sucks too. My dad was an ASE certified mechanic for 20 yrs, service manager for 20 more yrs. He always said NO DODGE.  

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I've had a dodge dart for 5 years and the vehicle is solid. I live in AB Canads and winter driving is like 8 months out of the year here. It handles like a champ, is great on gas and we havent had any major issues. HOWEVER, resale value sucks. The damn thing isnt even worth half of what i owe on it now.  

Answer 7

I have a Honda Civic. Keep up with maintenance and it will treat you well! Currently at 122, 000 miles and haven’t had a problem

Answer 8

No savage titles, write down the VIN and conduct your own auto check. Toyota or Honda are great used vehicles

Answer 9

Subaru’s are also great

Answer 10

Toyota or Honda!  

Answer 11

I have a 2016 Dodge Dart. Bought it brand new with 13 miles on it. Thankfully, at 33, 000 it was still under warranty this past September as I had to get a whole new engine. It was free though.  

Answer 12

Dodges are horrible! I’ve had a Hyundai Santa Fe for 10 years

Answer 13

My dad a mechanic for nearly 40 years would say Honda or Toyota he’d actually just say Honda because those are his favorite but he’ll concede that Toyota are also great cars

Answer 14

Toyota Honda or Nissan. Check car fax even lf the dealership provides you with a copy. They photoshop them here and provide false information. Take it to a mechanic and have it checked over ( not the dealership mechanic. )

Comments

Also had a Volkswagen that I loved. Never had issues with it.  

Answer 15

My husband recently bought a Hyundai Accent for $9000. It had low mileage - I want to say 60, 000, and it gets 40mpg. He filled up his tank for $15 the other day, and it lasts him a week to and from work 5 days. Except for 1 vehicle, we’ve never paid more than 10, 000 for our vehicles and they have all been under 70, 000 miles, and have served us well!  

Answer 16

I’d steer clear of dodge. It’s so hit or miss. Honda, Acura Toyota. Brands that stand test of time

Answer 17

I have a Honda and 2 Toyota honest I wouldn’t want to buy anything else. Now Toyota just need to make a truck with a good towing rate! I have a 05tundra now but momma needs to haul bigger then a 2 horse trailer haha

Answer 18

We have Honda Pilot's and live where we have snow 6 months of the year and they are super

Answer 19

Honda! All the way. They live forever. I drove my civic till it had almost 300k miles. I drove over two hours a day sometimes

Answer 20

Studded snow tires and getting them syped? I can't spell that. Is a DREAM. I had that on a mini van and it was soooo nice to drive. Best of luck!  

Answer 21

Whatever she decides, just make sure to get AWD if possible. That’s gonna be the absolute best for winter weather. Next best would be FWD. RWD in the snow/ice is terrible and can be dangerous.  

Answer 22

Honda, Subaru, Toyota. If you live in area that gets lots of snow I would definitely recommend an AWD. Subaru's are a little pricey and so is maintenance but if you go for a little older model you won't regret it, they last forever and they have the highest safety rating. Honda's and Toyota's are great cars that last. The Toyota Rav4 is a great option for AWD. You definitely want to stay away from a rear wheel drive vehicle since you live in an area that gets snow. I would recommend staying away from the Dodge Dart. They are known for problems.  

Answer 23

Honda Accord. amazing in the snow, I totalled mine out at 300, 000 miles. original transmission and everything. only replaced the battery once. and water pump once.  

Answer 24

My front wheel drive Toyota Prius is amazing in the snow; I run Nokia Hakkapalita tires

Answer 25

Toyota RAV4 4x4

Comments

@yacht68 as long as it's not a manual. The engine is built around the clutch. Ridiculously expensive to have it fixed.  

Answer 26

Honda's are amazing and last forever. Maintenance costs are also very reasonable. My sister has the HRV which is a small suv and it is amazing in the snow and won't break the bank. Maybe you can find one used at the dealership.  

Answer 27

I would rather drive Dodge or Ram then any other vehicle. I can understand why people want vehicles that are not expensive to fix but you also have to think about safety as well. The car in this picture use to be a Dodge Dart until someone hit the passenger side going 75MPH and then proceeded to hit a side of a house. The driver walked away fine and the passenger managed to survive with very minor injuries. The police were surprised when they showed up and someone wasn’t dead. My boyfriend drives a tow truck for a living so I have seen hundreds of accidents and after seeing how Toyota’s and Honda’s hold up during accidents, especially in major crashes I will never own one in my lifetime. Price wise on fixing things on vehicles it really depends on who you go to, to fix them. If they buy Name Brand parts it will cost more verses if they buy off brand parts they are usually half the price. You do you though. Do your research as well. It will come down to personal preference.  

Answer 28

My family has had great luck with Toyota, mostly Camry! Always reliable, and safe. I currently drive a sport version and really like it.  

Answer 29

I have a chey cruze great on gas about $40 last me a week and a half depends how far u drive. I lease for 4 years $311 monthly taxes in

Answer 30

Toyota’s & Honda’s are great long last cars! Not cheap but if you find an older one that’s was taken car of you will be good. I had a 1995 Toyota Corolla about 3 years ago it was perfect it was owned my one person and she kept up with the maintenance bought it 900$, I finally upgraded and gave it to a young pregnant girl at church and I recently asked her how it was she said it hasn’t gave her any problems! 1995 !  

Answer 31

Toyota, all 3 of us in our family (mom, sister and I) have Toyota and they are awesome on gas. They are super reliable and last forever. One of the Toyotas we have is from 1997 and has tons of miles on it but it’s still surviving

Answer 32

Toyota all the way.  

Answer 33

My husband is a mechanic. Toyota or Honda. We have two Toyota’s  

Comments

I second this! Toyota’s run forever! Super reliable!  

Answer 34

Try to buy a certified vehicle if she can! Most have a bumper to bumper warranty up to 60k and then a 100k mi power train thereafter. We will only buy certified vehicles moving forward.  

Answer 35

I had a dodge dart it went through 5 transmissions within a year. It was in the shop more than I had it on the road! Do not get them! I ended up having to sue the manufacturer! I now have a Toyota Corolla best car I've ever had!  

Answer 36

I’ve been driving the same Honda Civic since 2005 and still going strong !  

Answer 37

Subaru. Always✨

Answer 38

Honda’s are great! They last a long time. Be sure and ask about the last timing belt change. Those typically go out in older purchased Honda’s. Once replaced (if maintained well) will last a very long time!  

Answer 39

I’ve had a used Toyota Corolla since 2012. Still running just fine. I’ve always kept up with the maintenance and I did have some repairs a few months ago, but I used to commute about 700 miles a week for about a year and a half. I have driven other cars for work trips and I can tell you that Nissan is by far the worst make of any cars I’ve ever driven. And anyone that I’ve known that’s owned a Nissan ends up needing transmission repairs/replacements within the first 3 years.  

Comments

Sorry, I bought the corolla in October 2011 but it was a used commuter car.  

Answer 40

I had a chevy cavalier for 21 years and probably would still be going if I had the money to fix one of the parts. It was my first car. I loved that thing.  

Answer 41

Toyota Corolla was one of my favorites before I needed something bigger!  

Answer 42

Definitely honda or toyota. had a honda accord for over 20 yrs and probably would’ve had the honda civic for just as many years if it hadn’t been stolen. if you want to save money on gas, look into a hybrid or electric car. i know for low income individuals, the government gives out $5k grants to get hybrids or electric cars whether they are pre-owned or new.  

Answer 43

Toyota! Reliable and hold their value  

Answer 44

Where are you from?  

Comments

@faraday Farrar wisconsin

Answer 45

Had a Dodge Dart as a rental for about 2months when my car a 2012 VW Jetta was being fixed. I totally hated it! It wasn’t as stable on the road as my jetta. Gas was ok but not as good my jetta. Even though speed kills, my jetta accelerates so easy with just a tap on the accelerator, not so much in the dart. Can you tell I’m biased? I love love love my jetta. I would 10/10 recommend

Answer 46

Go with a Honda Civic or Toyota Carolla. Both are good, solid, safe and reliable  

Answer 47

Yup top cars i recommend to ppl who want something affordable but worth the money are honda civics, toyota camery, honda accord. Ive seen civics driven till over 200000 miles and the owner just gets another. Fixing is cheap as well. Great gas.  

Answer 48

Toyota and Subaru are the most reliable and best value if investing in a vehicle. If going with Toyota I’d stick with a Camry or better. I’ve heated both sides to their lesser vehicles like the corolla and Yaris but I’d stick with something a little better with that amount of money to put towards it. Also you can’t go wrong with a Subaru Forester, outback or cross trek. All very good vehicles. Lastly I would say Honda. It’s the budget friendly car but they don’t hold value as long and the quality is not as great but overall they can be good vehicles. Just be sure you run Kbb “my car value” and try not to pay more than what is listed for the “retail value” this should keep you in a good place owning any vehicle. Also always check car fax when possible! Pick cars with no prior accidents and as few prior owners as possible.  

Answer 49

I say honda. Have a 2007 crv with 230, 000 miles and going strong

Answer 50

Honda Civic

Answer 51

I have had my dart since November 2015. My is a 2016 Dodge Dart SXT. I think it's great. It's my everyday car *as I only have the one vehicle lol

Answer 52

Toyota. Mine is 18 years old and still going strong.  

Answer 53

Whichever car you look in to, test drive it and take it to a mechanic to have it looked at. Used cars are hit and miss.  

Answer 54

@exhaustion738 here is a great safety resource as you research cars  
https://www.iihs.org/ratings

Comments

@roundhead Thank you!  

Answer 55

My brother and our friend both have darts and they love them! My brother drives for work and it gets great gas mileage

Answer 56

Toyota Corolla. The things last forever. I had my Corolla hatch last me 17 years with almost a million kilometers (not sure what that is in miles, but still A LOT) and hardly any repairs needed. Just make sure to budget snow tires.  

Answer 57

Make SUPER sure you get the under side/wheels washed VERY often when it's snowy. salt is really bad on cars and will make it rust faster and can cause problems within the axels and drive train. I learned this the hard way.  

Comments

@mcdermott20 Thank you!  

Answer 58

Honda. ! I love my Honda Accord

Answer 59

I have a small SUV but my son has an all wheel drive VW jetta. He says he'll never own another car unless it is all wheel drive because it drives in snow so much better. When I wasnt able to get out of our driveway, he was, due to it being all wheel drive.  

Answer 60

Honda, Subaru or Hyundai. Make sure it comes certified and with a warranty.  

Answer 61

See chevy dude on YouTube, you'll learn a lot about car shopping from him

Answer 62

Honda or Toyota

Answer 63

Mitsubishi's have a decent track record and depending on the size you're looking for way in your price range for used

Answer 64

Subaru has one of the highest value rates and last a long time! I love mine. Otherwise I'd say look at Toyota

Answer 65

Girl whatever you do don’t buy a Dodge Dart! Honda or Toyota or Subaru. Lowest cost of ownership, longest life, hold their value the best. American cars are next to worthless for resale.  

Comments

@semiweekly omg our Dart was the biggest POS we ever owned and I celebrated when we traded it in and got enough for it to pay off the loan. It’s trash.  

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@catechize Tom Brady should be ashamed of himself for promoting it  

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@semiweekly it was nostalgia. Pure and simple nostalgia.  

Answer 66

I’d go for a Subaru and make sure to have it checked out, especially look out for rust, by an independent mechanic.  

Answer 67

Stay away from Dodge. I’ve had three and they always had something wrong.  

Answer 68

I have a Dodge Dart and I love it ‍♀️. It’s a 2015 and I bought it 3 years ago. It recently hit 100k miles so I did maintenance on it like replaced spark plugs and fuel clean up but that’s what you should do with any car.  

Comments

However I also really like Nissan Altima’s. VW vehicles are super expensive to maintain ( my sister has one now and it’s bad ). No matter what you decide, just make sure you like it. Test drive them, do research, make sure you do not over finance.  

Answer 69

We were able to get s great deal on a new car that had been damaged by hail (prior salvage title) for about half MSRP. Look to see if there are any lots by you that offer these.  

Answer 70

I loved my Dodge Avenger.  

Comments

It was 13600 brand new in 2012. It drove it 268k miles and traded it for a Honda CR-V

Answer 71

@exhaustion738 Buy a used Toyota RAV4! Legit the best car I have owned, and my little sister has a used one too. Will go to 200, 000 miles with minimal issues. Good Luck!  

Answer 72

My dodge is pushing 220, 000 miles and she’s still going strong

Answer 73

Idk about a Dodge Dart, but if your wanting a car specifically that’s good in the snow, check out a Subaru.  

Answer 74

Honda, Nissan, Chevy or Toyota

Answer 75

Utilize carcomplaints. com. If she finds a car she’s considering, she can look up the common reported problems based on make, model and year. Was a huuuuuge help when deciding what to buy when I was shopping last year.  

Comments

@kassia Thank you!  

Answer 76

Toyota, Honda, Subaru

Answer 77

You can’t go wrong with a Honda or Toyota.  

Answer 78

Honda or Toyota as most have suggested. My husband has a Honda Accord with 220k miles and she still runs great. If your buying from a dealership be sure to hold firm on the max amount that you want to spend for the car. If you go by your amount for monthly payment you may be paying for a lot of unnecessary items. Learned from experience.  

Answer 79

I agree about going with a Toyota. They hold their value really well. I bought a Corolla new in 2012 and Toyota keeps trying to get me to trade it in because they always want more used Toyota’s lol. It still runs great and maintenance is not bad either.  

Answer 80

Anything Toyota or Honda will last forever if taken care of.  

Answer 81

I have a honda accord in central IL and its a great car. It's a '13 that I bought in '16 and here in '20 it's still doing great. very little maintenance needed--did the recommended at certain miles (did myself/with my dad to keep costs down) and replaced tires/battery/oil when needed. only problem I had was I had to replace the starter and that was an under $500 fix

Answer 82

Toyota all the way

Answer 83

My son is a mechanic and says never get a dodge or a Jeep. Go Toyota or Subaru or Ford

Comments

@dianthe My boyfriend is a mechanic too & he says the same thing!  

Answer 84

As much as I hate to say this, foreign cars are much better. They hold their value better and overall hold up better. Nissan, Toyota, Honda are all good choices. I’m on my second Nissan now and my past experience with Nissan was I never put anything into it other than routine maintenance like oil changes, brakes, tires.  

Comments

@chemism88290 my Nissan Murano died at 140k miles/7 years old, and I took excellent care of it. It was a higher level trim, good condition otherwise. KBB valued it at $5, 005.  I’ve got a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland, that I got a great deal on end of the year.  

Answer 85

Stick with big name foreign car Toyota Honda are #1and2 Hundai is good. Stay away from Suzuki Mitsubishi and those. Won’t last. Also a big biased you should check Consumer Reports. They have good references. Just remember salespeople can lie to you legally. So can a private owner. Trust no one. Check for yourself. Buy a certified car if you can. My 50cents worth.  

Answer 86

Stay away from Jettas

Answer 87

Honda Accord!  

Answer 88

I love my Ford Focus great gas mileage looks sharp I’ve own 2

Answer 89

Toyota Camry! We just bought our 3rd one, they are the best cars! First one we drove over 300, 000 miles with only regular maintenance. Second one was almost at 300, 000 when it was in a wreck and totaled. Just bought a 2019 and are hoping to pass it to our daughter when she goes to college. They are just so reliable and good gas mileage. Can’t go wrong with Toyota or Honda, it’s all we will drive now.  

Answer 90

Toyota or Subaru would be great in the snow (with the right tires, of course). They also have a reputation for minimal issues and a long life!  

Answer 91

I just gave my 1997 Toyota Camry to my little brother to have a car and it was still completely fine runs great. I replaced that car with a used Nissan Rogue and I’m loving it! All wheel drive and Nissan parts I don’t think are super expensive. Nissan, Toyota, Honda I think are the best brands. Make sure to get the report of past accidents and everything that has been serviced on the vehicle. If it was ever in an accident I wouldn’t get it

Answer 92

In 2006 we bought a 1995 Toyota Corolla with over 100, 000 miles, our teenagers both learned to drive in it and our oldest son took it to college and drove it like a college student. He sold that car in 2013 with over 300, 000 miles on it for $400 less than what we bought it for. By the way we live in Colorado and it handled just fine in the snow

Answer 93

Love my Subaru. Does great in the snow!  

Answer 94

My Mom Was a fan of Toyota’s because they last forever.