Fun after college car very efficient in price-gas ratio

Member6520

Good engine that won't crap shoot on me. If used I dont want it to be more than 6 or 7 years old with around 70000 or less miles. Asian cars are usually better in my opinion. I dont like to import parts if anything goes wrong. It has to have a non suspicious accident report. SUV's were a thought because they can be small and nice to go on trips maybe little off roading. But MPG is very very important to me. Sedan's are my focus. Hachbacks are very interesting indeed. I like them.

I have looked at many cars for hyundai suburu and nissan or honda. Like the tucson, civic, or even the ford focus

Preferred Bodystyle(s): Coupe / Sedan

Car Needs: Daily commuter / Errands about town / Long trips / Fun toy

Need minimum of 5 seats

Will consider both new and used cars
Maximum mileage: 50000
Maximum age: 6 years

Maximum price: US $ 20000

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Current gen Mazda3 would be another alternative. Reliable, good fuel economy, fun to drive...

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The first two cars that come to mind are the 2014-2015 Mazda3 5-door and the 2015 VW Golf.

I would suggest buying new to get exactly what you want and because almost new cars can be harder to negotiate than new ones on price.

A 2015 Mazda3 i Touring 5-door (manual) with Technology Package can be had for $20k or a few hundred bucks over. The 2015 Golf S 2-door and 4-door (with manual or automatic) would also be right at the $20k mark. But the Golf at that price doesn't have a lot of the features that the Mazda includes.

Personally, I would consider stretching the budget a tiny bit and look at the Mazda3 's' Touring 5-door. Another $2800 or so gives you the larger 2.5L engine, sharp 18" wheels and a number of other sporty features. It still gets 37mpg highway and will be a great long-term ride with high resale value.

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I like how the Ford Focus drives, but there are too many reports of trouble with the dual-clutch automatic transmission. If you're open to a manual transmission, then reliability should be far less of an issue. You should be able to get a well-equipped low mileage used one for well under your cap, a bonus. But, again, I'd only get one with a manual transmission.

In automatics, the Mazda3 as suggested above is the best combination of fun and reliability for under $20k. Try to get one with the 2.5-liter engine, though this might not be possible for under $20k.

The Hyundai Elantra GT isn't as fun as the Mazda, but you might find it more comfortable, and it will cost less. The 2014 and up have a larger, more powerful, but somewhat less efficient engine. Demand is soft for these, partly because few people even know the model exists, so you might get a very good price on one.

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