Nick and his girlfriend live in Los Angeles and share a very beautiful Honda Civil Ha hybrid until a falling tree branch stops their Honda. They have an insurance payment of about $ 14,000, but they feel overwhelmed by the lack of quality choice in the market. Which car should they buy?
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Here is the scenario -
I was practicing at home when I heard the collision and went outside to see that our 2013 Civic Hybrid was smashed by a tree branch falling! A few days later, our insurance company informed us that it had been added up. So, they will reduce our check to about 14,000 dollars, and we would like to keep the costs of our next car in that domain.
We only had the car for a few months, we just bought it from a family friend at a great price, and we really enjoyed the efficient and reliable driving after years of palliative care of the increasingly unstable and unreliable Corolla. We are now overwhelmed by the sudden need to find another car in this market.
We are a couple who think that one car is enough - I work from home, and my girlfriend has a short trip to work, 5 days a week. On weekends we like to go on day trips and hiking, we occasionally go camping. It would be great if we could build a few bolding pillows (big foam pillows) in it.
First of all, of course, we need reliability, because it will be our only car, and we have paid enough to our mechanic in the last few years.
We would like to have more space than the Civic could afford (quite a small trunk and rear seats that did NOT overlap), but we don’t want gas either. We also have a dog, so four doors are a must.
It doesn’t have to be great to drive — maybe when the market cools we can add a car that’s a little more fun, but these days we really need to prioritize. It must also be automatic.
Quick facts:
Budget: Up to $ 15,000
Daily driver: Yes
Location: Angels
wants: Automatic, Reliable, More space than the Civic
does not want: Manual
Expert 1: Tom McParland - Stick With What do you know
It’s some bad luck with a tree falling on your Civic. Of course, finding another hybrid in the sub-A $ 15,000 market that won’t have super long miles will be a challenge, but there are a number of gas-only gas-saving cars available at this price.
That you’re happy with your Honda, but could use a little more usable space, Sub-compact Fit can be your solution. Despite being technically “smaller” than the Civic, Honda has managed to create some packaging magic with some cool folding rear seats to allow you to fit almost everything you need in this fun hatchback. Of course, the other bonus is that you can fit in almost every parking space due to its compact size and good visibility.
These aren’t very common, so you will have to cast a wider net. Here is the basic model from 2016 some cosmetic problemsbut you may have more luck with second-generation cars like this red or this Blue.
Expert 2: Andi Kalmovitz - Everything you are looking for
I’m sorry about your car, Nick. It’s a real problem, but you don’t have to grieve for too long. That’s because I found you the perfect vehicle, and most people forgot it existed: 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. This white is even local for you in LA.
It checks each of your boxes. That’s under $ 15,000. It’s automatic. It has a lot more space than your old Civic, and it’s reliable. I live in New York, where it’s not uncommon to see these Escape hybrids driving around like taxis with over 350,000 miles. My brother has a similar Mercury Mariner from 2010 that he ran over, and it still works great.
Is it the brightest vehicle in the world? Hell no, but that’s exactly what you’re looking for. Oh, and this specific one has less than 50,000 miles, zero accidents and one new owner. It’s perfect for you, buddy.
Expert 3: Jose Rodriguez Jr. - Get a ‘Lite’ wagon
Nick, my response to the tragic death of a car is usually to try again with the same car. I think there’s something about mortality and my futile attempts to outdo it, but I’m not going to tell you to buy another Honda Civic Hybrid. Instead, I will recommend this 2015 Mazda Mazda3or this the other one.
There’s no good reason you can’t have a car that’s practical i fun to drive, with great fuel mileage. The Mazda3 it won’t outperform your late Honda hybrid in that department, but it’s pretty close to being an ICE-powered car! The Mazda3 can extract up to 40 MPG on the highway from its SkiActiv engine, which, according to most opinions, was solid and reliable. So no problem with the mechanic.
I recommend sticking to the hatchback version of the Mazda3 because it will give you space comparable to the Civic, but it adds the practicality of the rear trunk for your climbing equipment and treats for dogs. I’d rather put you behind the wheel of one of Mazda’s larger cars as a Mazda6but we lost the chance to own new ones Mazda6 station wagon in the US after 2008, so you would have to go back a few generations the roof. So, the Mazda3 hatch will have to do.
Expert 4: Steve DaSilva - Reach For the Stars
Nick, you have a few things need in a new car. Reliability, space and automatic transmission. But why settle needswhen there are so many things you are wish? You want something that can take you camping, something that might be a little interesting to drive - why wait until the market cools down, when your practical vehicle can Too be your fun? Fortunately for you, there is a vehicle that meets your needs i your wishes: Mitsubishi Delica.
The Delica has Japanese reliability from the bubble era and more space than any Civic could ever dream of. This special one is even automatic i four points drive, with more than enough torque, traction and space to be full camping gear. You don’t want a gas throttle, and this Delica is a 2.5L turbo diesel engine - avoid boosting and you’ll see great fuel economy.
Admittedly, it is a a little far from you on the west coast, but it gives you the perfect opportunity to test his camping specialties while traveling through the country to bring him home. Buy a fun car now, Nick, you never know when your next chance will be.
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