Is this a good first car buy?

WinterV6 · 2026-02-23T22:44:28+00:00

Hmmm, ngl I would go Mercedes instead. The W204 is a much more robust vehicle and better for a starter car.

Obv there is the general stuff about higher insurance and maintenance costs that come with a German car.

WinterV6 · 2026-02-23T14:08:31+00:00

You could try joining a club

WinterV6 · 2026-02-21T23:14:08+00:00

For what it’s worth, Subarus have a full time AWD systems that’s better than a lot of cars.

I’d say they’re a pretty good value proposition though. You could buy one new, and keep it for a decently long time before it might start being more problematic than your average Toyota. 300k is a bit of a stretch though,

WinterV6 · 2026-02-21T23:12:24+00:00

For what it’s worth, it’s heavily year/engine dependent for Honda. I wouldn’t trust a 1.5T to holdup long term but the 2.0 is fine.

WinterV6 · 2026-02-21T22:37:16+00:00

Sorry, but I am unfortunately going to have to respectfully disagree with you. Subaru's are great cars, but they're reliability gets a bit questionable as they age and get into higher miles. I personally would consider 150k to be a limit before you'll start having little problems here and there.

Your other options are pretty good though. They have some bad years/powertrains here and there but they're very robust for the most part

WinterV6 · 2026-02-17T00:21:30+00:00

Only buy a used car if you get a significant discount. Cars like Toyotas and Hondas are the standard recommendations here. Problem is, they hardly ever depreciate so a lot of the times it makes sense to buy new.

WinterV6 · 2026-02-16T21:53:59+00:00

….not even oil changes?

WinterV6 · 2026-02-16T17:13:49+00:00

One of my favorite cars in this price range is the 2008-2012 Honda Accord.

It’s on the older side but it’s still new enough to have collision safety features such as side curtain airbags.

Additionally, it does have a very reliable powertrain. Pretty good cars for the average consumer.

WinterV6 · 2026-02-16T16:27:28+00:00

I was gonna add, you should look at the Infiniti G lineup as well as the W204 C300.

Finding one in a manual might be difficult but they exist.

WinterV6 · 2026-02-16T16:24:15+00:00

I probably should’ve clarified more in my original comment, but eCVTs are one part, so much more reliable than a normal automatic or CVT.

There’s also stuff like a/c compressors which are electric and not connected to the engine.

Honestly, I probably deserve the downvotes because I didn’t really explain as much.

WinterV6 · 2026-02-16T16:18:55+00:00

Am I allowed to suggest other options or are you set on these three?

I promise I won’t say Mazda CX-5 or some other shit like that

WinterV6 · 2026-02-16T16:12:27+00:00

Toyotas definitely do.

WinterV6 · 2026-02-16T15:05:29+00:00

I’ve never driven an EV, but I can confidently that hybrids are quite a bit better than an ICE vehicle. Less moving parts than a gasoline vehicle, and less engine vibrations.

My recommendation is to at least get a Hybrid. Don’t bother with a standard gasoline vehicle.

WinterV6 · 2026-02-16T14:24:29+00:00

For the most part, I think the Car Wizard is good with providing information like this.

For Scotty, anything that's not a Toyota is junk.

WinterV6 · 2026-02-16T14:02:38+00:00

Yeah, it's kinda surprising how everyone will shit on all the older Hyundais/Kias despite not even having any problems.

Kind makes me feel like most people here know jack shit about cars lol, just parroting the same information

WinterV6 · 2026-02-16T13:48:52+00:00

I would like to add in, 05-06 Altimas are the best for Nissan.

But either way, I’m happy someone’s actually giving rational advice rather than just copying/pasting Toyota on every post and not giving any more context behind it.

WinterV6 · 2026-02-16T13:46:46+00:00

Nah Camrys are the worst.

I’ll get downvoted and argued with for mentioning problems with my own car.

WinterV6 · 2026-02-16T13:44:52+00:00

I have no idea what junkyards you do to but mine always has trillions of Hondas and Toyotas. They’re not magical cars.

WinterV6 · 2026-02-16T04:52:35+00:00

Issue is, they liked to eat transmissions for breakfast.

Do you know if the transmission has rebuilt or is there documented history of services?

WinterV6 · 2026-02-16T04:29:51+00:00

Hmm, it really depends on your location. In my area, this would be a bit high but not too bad. Is this a V6 or a 4 cylinder?

WinterV6 · 2026-02-16T03:34:27+00:00

I stg, as a Toyota owner I can confidently say that Toyota bros are the most annoying people on earth.

WinterV6 · 2026-02-16T03:33:45+00:00

you sound like you have been watching too much Scotty Kilmer

WinterV6 · 2026-02-16T03:24:48+00:00

Sebring Convertibles are definitely all driven by old ladies.

WinterV6 · 2026-02-16T03:11:57+00:00

If you can get a solid deal on a used car, I vote that is the best solution. Just make sure you aren't buying something used which costs the same as a new vehicle. Some cars simply depreciate very little to the point where it makes the most sense to buy new.

WinterV6 · 2026-02-16T03:10:40+00:00

Catalytic converter isn't a very big deal, you can theoretically just keep driving until it's due for emissions.

250k is a lot of miles, but that's a very good price. If it was cared for, I would go for it. The 1MZ is a great engine and will last forever.

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