Reliable, efficient, safe sedan, coupe or hatch for under $12k

Don't worry about the airbag recall. It will be taken care of - you'll just need to take it to a dealer.

I'd avoid the Focus unless you get a manual for the rasons you stated. The C-Max doesn't have the same issue and is in budget - avoid the Energi model as the earily ones had issues..

I'd also avoid the Chevy Cruise as well. (http://dashboard-light.com/vehicles/Chevrolet_Cruze.html)

I'd suggest a gen 3 Prius - bullet proof reliabiltiy and 50 mpg. A 2010 can be had for < $6500.

Also look at the Chevy Volt - they have shown to be reliable and can be had for well under $12000. (http://dashboard-light.com/vehicles/Chevrolet_Volt.html). Look for a 2013 or newer they had a slightly larger battery and the hold function. I had a 2013 (leased) and now have a 2105. The biggest complaint is rear leg room. Obviously ths would only work if he had the ability to plug it in nightly.

With all hybrids they have a powertrain warranty of 8 years / 100,000 miles so look for one with a good amount of mileage before the warrenty expires.

If your nephew has $2k in cash, he can buy a car outright for that $2k that will cost less to keep on the road and that will be more reliable than a $12k Cruze, Focus or Fiesta. A $2k Craigslist Toyota Echo or Scion Xa or Xb (early 00's, 150k-250k miles) just won't typically need any expensive parts, unlike Chevy and Ford's dual-clutch disasters. I'm not making this up - check the data under the reliability tab on this site. And that's to say nothing of the insurance costs saved by not having collision on a car you're making payments on. And really, a reliable $2k car would be the smart way to start out. People who want to stay poor make car payments. People who want to improve their financial situation pay cash money.

If you're dead set on dropping $10k-ish though, the Honda Fit is the smart choice. Regarding the recall, literally no one had died from Honda Fit airbag malfunctions last I checked. Sure; if you drive them in the salty southern Florida air for another 10 years, they might send out shrapnel if they go off, but that's not typical usage. Get it fixed when its convenient. I'm driving around in my '09 Fit that needs the same recall and it's just not a big priority. You're at least an order of magnitude more likely to die in a Fit because they didn't put Electronic Stability Control in all of them until '12 than from any airbag issues. The Yaris, Corolla and Civic are reliable cars too if you can actually get them for a good price relative to kbb value.

Hello,

I wrote an article for my relatives when they were looking for small SUVs. http://onefastdriver.blogspot.com/2014/06/buying-tips-for-used-small-suv.html

There are other articles there that deal with a variety of cars. They are just opinions based upon prior experience owning these vehicles, so there's no association with auto-makers or dealerships.

Pete

I didn't think that CR recommended the Primus C in part due to it's noise. I would not jeopardize my hearing for hours in something like that.

The Volt is probably the best, almost maintenence free deal going for not much over $10,000.