The commuter challenge.... impossible?

[GeauxLSU]

I need a commuter in an effort not to run my new truck into the ground and just make my commute a bit more enjoyable.
I never buy used but suspect I should for this one.
Here's the criteria.
70 mile round trip commute 4 days a week. About half of it is very hilly twisty country highway the other half wide open interstate. So I want something that doesn't handle like a barge. Mpg not a huge deal. I need to be able to put about 150,000 miles on it over the next let's say 8 years. Here's the challenge part. I'd like it to cost $20,000 or less and at the end of the eight years it must not have incurred more than $15,000 in combined depreciation and unscheduled maintenance/repairs. So? Is it doable? What would you get?

 

[jaxyaks]

Used Toyota Camry or Corolla for boring ride
Used Mazda Miata to make the twisty bits a lot of fun

Both should meet your depreciation and maintenance requirements and both should be able to be obtained for the budget.

 

[DanKATL]

I need a commuter in an effort not to run my new truck into the ground and just make my commute a bit more enjoyable.
I never buy used but suspect I should for this one.
Here's the criteria.
70 mile round trip commute 4 days a week. About half of it is very hilly twisty country highway the other half wide open interstate. So I want something that doesn't handle like a barge. Mpg not a huge deal. I need to be able to put about 150,000 miles on it over the next let's say 8 years. Here's the challenge part. I'd like it to cost $20,000 or less and at the end of the eight years it must not have incurred more than $15,000 in combined depreciation and unscheduled maintenance/repairs. So? Is it doable? What would you get?

A used Toyota. Maybe even a Prius, as long as the battery's in good shape.

 

[GeauxLSU]

A used Toyota. Maybe even a Prius, as long as the battery's in good shape.

It's a good thing several states separate us right now ...

 

[GeauxLSU]

Used Toyota Camry or Corolla for boring ride
Used Mazda Miata to make the twisty bits a lot of fun

Both will meed your depreciation and maintenance requirements and both should be able to be obtained for the budget.

The problem with the "typical" commuters (Camrys, Accords, etc) in the used market is, they all get used and seem to have 100K plus on them already. I'm not wanting to push the quarter million mile threshold if I can avoid it.
Plenty of low mileage BMWs, Benz, etc. But that "unscheduled maintenance" part ...
Hence the dilemma.

 

[DanKATL]

It's a good thing several states separate us right now ...

A 70-mile round trip is one those cases where an EV/hybrid makes sense...

The problem with the "typical" commuters (Camrys, Accords, etc) in the used market is, they all get used and seem to have 100K plus on them already. I'm not wanting to push the quarter million Mike threshold if I can avoid it.
Plenty of low mileage BMWs, Benz, etc. But that "unscheduled maintenance" part ...
Hence the dilemma.

There's a reason they're cheap to "purchase", after that it's a crap shoot. The recent merger talks between Nissan/Honda may help the used market for Honda's, but it's a bit early to tell.

 

[EugenFJR]

The problem with the "typical" commuters (Camrys, Accords, etc) in the used market is, they all get used and seem to have 100K plus on them already. I'm not wanting to push the quarter million Mike threshold if I can avoid it.
Plenty of low mileage BMWs, Benz, etc. But that "unscheduled maintenance" part ...
Hence the dilemma.

I'm guessing that you could get in a used Subaru Legacy in the 20k range. The new base price is $25,000 on the Legacy. Another option would be a Mazda 3, slightly used. The Mazda 3 hatchbacks are very good looking cars and fairly sporty and practical.

 

[4ssss]

Just read Hertz is having a fire sale on all their Teslas. Some have pretty low miles and the batteries have a warranty for 100K miles

 

[Please Delete]

I'm guessing that you could get in a used Subaru Legacy in the 20k range. The new base price is $25,000 on the Legacy. Another option would be a Mazda 3, slightly used. The Mazda 3 hatchbacks are very good looking cars and fairly sporty and practical.

I have a 2014 mazda3 6 speed. love it.

 

[basstracker89]

OK, so what you need is comfort and reliability. My Wife and I spent a lot of time commuting in our vehicles. So my thought was to be comfortable while doing so. So she drove a Crown Vic then a Mercury Marquise. I drove and still drive a full size truck. At the end of my career I was driving a Mercedes diesel. All very comfortable vehicles. All capable of lasting many years and miles. But I'll tell you, you need a backup vehicle for when your daily driver breaks down. Especially a Euro car. A Toyota would be hard to beat, but it's hard to beat a real full size vehicle. In your price range, I think you're looking for something older. At that point, you buy the right vehicle, you'll be looking at a vehicle beginning to increase in value as time goes on. You buy American, and parts will be more available as well