What is a good, affordable car that will last a while?

Question

I'm a single mother/college student. Needless to say, I'm broke. My car just kicked the bucket and I need a new one... but I don't have the time or money to have a car that is in and out of the shop. I'm pretty much looking for a point-a to point-b car that is safe (and will get me to point b without breaking down ten times :))

Answer 1

toyota camery....very reliable/ know somebody who has an 1991 camery that has never had anything wrong with it

something cheap: toyota fit; mini cooper; smart car(great for all these high gas prices); honda civic

Answer 2

Mid- to late-90s Camry should be pretty cheap, safe, and roomy enough for your little one. An Accord will also fit those criteria. After those two, nothing else is as safe a bet for reliability. Avoid Mazdas, Fords, and pretty much all domestics. Volvos will be safe but high mileage can be a problem on an older and cheaper one and service isn't inexpensive. Hyundai makes good cars but their reliability is spotty for some models and years.

Make sure you have a mechanic look over your next car. Check for a bent frame, regular maintenance, all belts, connections, electrical, and so on. If there were any recalls, first check to see what they were (just Google the year, model and the word 'recall') and then make sure they were corrected.

Answer 3

Try a small Toyota or Honda, they're pretty dependable and quite decent in fuel consumption.

Cheers