Best under $20K car with good enconomy

[amirm]

An off lease used Audi A4?

I am worried about reliability of such.

So we bought a version of it new. Namely, VW Golf. My other son totaled his car too so wound up buying two! They are delightful to drive. A bit noisy on the freeway relative to luxury cars but otherwise, pretty energetic and easy to drive. Had my son drive the Fusion and he didn't like the transmission as is reported in reviews. Reliability has turned to be poor in the first year too so happy we did not get that. Had my son drive the Hyundai Elantra but he wasn't excited about it. The subaru had not been out so we didn't drive that one.

 

[Tom1356]

I am worried about reliability of such.

So we bought a version of it new. Namely, VW Golf. My other son totaled his car too so wound up buying two! They are delightful to drive. A bit noisy on the freeway relative to luxury cars but otherwise, pretty energetic and easy to drive. Had my son drive the Fusion and he didn't like the transmission as is reported in reviews. Reliability has turned to be poor in the first year too so happy we did not get that. Had my son drive the Hyundai Elantra but he wasn't excited about it. The subaru had not been out so we didn't drive that one.

The VW Golf is a good choice.

 

[rsbeck]

I've driven the Fiat 500 when traveling in Italy. Fun car to drive and thrifty on gas.

I've been going through the same considerations for my older teenagers.

I bought my daughter a 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid.

She absolutely loves it.

She's getting around 30 mpg and whether it is myth or not, I feel good knowing she has more metal around her, more air bags, stability control, all wheel drive, etc.

Very versatile, fills all of her needs, allows her to carry all of her gear; volleyball stuff, backpack, school books, jackets, etc.

Allows her to car-pool her friends and schoolmates to school and other events.

And she (and her friends) thinks it is cool.

 

[rsbeck]

Bought my son a 2006 Honda Accord.

Took him three months before he totaled it.

That was a real eye-opener.

I've learned that one way they make cars safer nowadays is to make it so the engine drops to the ground rather than push into the driver's seat. Rather than risk crushing the driver, the car gets pretty easily totaled.

Pretty good trade-off in a lot of ways.

You can always replace a car.

Haven't decided what to buy for a replacement.

Right now, he's driving our old (1998) BMW 740il.

Not very good gas milage, but safe as hell.

This brings up another consideration;

Is the money you save on gas worth paying for in the cost of buying the car?

It will take a lot of gas savings to pay for each $1,000 you put into the initial purchase price.

You might want to think about buying a slightly older, out of favor car that is safe for thousands less and just give him a few extra bucks for gas.

That's what I feel like I am doing currently and I sleep pretty soundly.

A lot of folks I know buy their teenagers older Volvos for similar reasons.

Safety first, lower initial purchase price, use the savings to fund lower gas milage.

Just a thought.

 

[rblnr]

Had mentioned this earlier in the thread and it is now finally avail -- the new Subaru Impreza could be a candidate and was recently rated the top small sedan/hatch if that holds any weight for you.

I'm a Subaru fan -- I think they drive well and are extremely reliable.

 

[rblnr]

Had mentioned this earlier in the thread and it is now finally avail -- the new Subaru Impreza could be a candidate and was recently rated the top small sedan/hatch if that holds any weight for you.

I'm a Subaru fan -- I think they drive well and are extremely reliable. They're all top safety picks as well.

 

[amirm]

This brings up another consideration;

Is the money you save on gas worth paying for in the cost of buying the car?

It will take a lot of gas savings to pay for each $1,000 you put into the initial purchase price.

That obviously depends on amount of driving. My one son who insisted on getting a Jetta diesel goes to the University in the city. He puts probably 40 miles on it for each round trip. That is a lot of miles. He used to drive my old BMW which also got "totaled." It was a minor accident but the cost of repairing an older BMW exceeded its market value. That aside, he was pretty unhappy with its gas mileage (BMW 528i). He can't be happier with the Jetta (bought it just a year before they focused on price and made it cheaper).

The other two planning to go to the same university so mileage was high on their mind.

I think your general point is a good one as these things usually don't pay especially when you consider that the sales tax alone is nearly $2,000 for a new car!

 

[rsbeck]

Since he isn't into the driving experience, he might like an older Prius.

The 740il was my wife's car. We are letting my son drive that and we bought her a new Prius.

I am really impressed with the ergonomics, the efficient use of space and the gas mileage.

I have gotten as much as 70+ mpg on certain trips just by driving it really efficiently.

My wife is not a hyper-miler and she regularly gets around 50 mpg.

As a BMW driver, the Prius offers little in the way of sporty handling, but like your son, this isn't a concern for her.

She wanted fuel efficiency and a comfortable interior with plenty of space for cargo and leg room for back-seat passengers.

I actually enjoy driving it but for different reasons.

I get a kick out of seeing how far you can go on so little fuel and I like being a somewhat early adopter of this new technology.

Like you, I have eyed a number of fuel efficient little cars for both of my older teens (17 and 18), but worry about safety.

My daughter's Escape Hybrid handles very well, makes few concessions in handling due to hybrid technology - very pleasant surprise there.

 

[amirm]

I think it matters if you are buying a car for a girl or a boy. I am pretty sure my kids would walk to school and work than to drive a Prius! .

I drove one once as rental. I kept worrying that it would not start after shutting off the engine at traffic lights. It was a strange sensation.

 

[rsbeck]

Yeah, my kids didn't want a Prius, either. My son loves the 740il. He just balks at the gas mileage.

My wife loves the Prius. I've heard some people get freaked out by the quiet. Doesn't bother us.

We drove one as a rental for a week here and there before purchasing and quickly got used to it.

So, aside from my son and his gas mileage, everyone's pretty happy with their cars in my house.

The 740il will have to go at some point, though.