Why Are Gas Prices So High?

Car reliabilty? What would you choose for best gas mileage and relibility?

My husband and I are looking for a used car. Good on gas mileage and great in reliability. What have you had good luck with?

Public Comments

1. An early or mid 2000's model Toyota Camry or Avalon would be a great bet. I had a 99 Camry and drove almost 90K and only changed brake pads one time and of course did normal fluid changes. At 90,000 it would drive down the road at 80 just as quiet as the day we got it. Same thing with our Toyota Highlander, 2003 model with 50k on it. Zero issues and still feels new. The newer Camry's Avalon's and Highlander's are getting bad user reviews, but early to mid 2000's..you can't go wrong.
2. Check Consumer Reports magazine for April. Go to your local library or go to consumerreports.org (a subscription fee is required). They have exactly the information you want.
3. I have a 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe 112,000 miles no problems get close to 30mpg
4. Honda, Toyota, Older Nissan's... I'd suggest setting a budget for it first (how much minimum and maximum...are you willing to finance or do you want to pay outright)... Decide if you want to go with a private seller or a dealer...private sellers don't have tax added on but can be riskier. Look through Edmunds.com and consumer report magazine to find ratings for cars as well as comments and feedback from car owners. Start looking online for a car at places like autotrader.com, cars.com, etc...places like carmax.com have their inventory listed and they are no haggle. Once you find a car, if you want to finance, go to your local bank and see what kind of rate you can get from them, then take the check to the dealers...do NOT finance from the dealer, it will cost a lot more and they can up the price of the car, instead having a check in hand helps with keeping your maximum limit. Also, don't buy a car from ANYONE without the carfax report...if you go to a dealer, you can probably convince them to give you one free, a private seller will give you the VIN and you can look it up for a small fee. Once you have picked one or two cars you really like, take them to your trusted mechanic and have them examine it. Also, take it on a longer test drive, highway if possible and try out all buttons (cruise control, cd player, etc) as well as moving the seats, looking under carpet, testing sunroof, breaks, etc. Finally, make sure all the legal forms are filled out and be prepared to do a wire transfer to the seller. good luck!
5. I would get a used 01 or later Toyota Camry or a 03 or later Honda Accord and I would stay away from used American cars. Used domestic cars tend to have more problems than foreign cars (like Toyotas and hondas)
6. Not American! They don't last... no matter what they tell you (though the parts are cheaper, it will cost you more in the long run). Go with a good company, like Toyota, Nissan, or even Honda. Also, don't rule out Hyundai! Watch mileage carefully! My preference would be Hyundai, because you could go newer and get more "bang for your buck." I loved my Hyundai and my hubby loves his. We'd consider Hyundai again any day. Nissan would be my next choice, both my mom and hubby are fans, and the price isn't too high either. Hondas are okay, but not my first recommendation. Toyotas are expensive, but good cars. I would like to suggest browsing a Certified/Pre-Owned car lot. Then you have an idea of what you can get for what you can afford (while also getting a feel for what features you like). Also, for a family of 4, don't get sucked into the SUV craze. They are tempting, I agree. And some of the smaller ones (Nissan XTerra, Hyundai Santa Fe, etc) aren't too bad. The mileage will cost you though! Be careful if you go through a private seller or privately owned car lot. You will usually get screwed somewhere along the way, and bigger lots can afford to give small warranties and are required to test cars before selling.