MENU
1 0 3 4 3 4

We are 103,000+ car owners sharing real-world car information.

Join Us

Super-reliable baby safe fun daily driver - Manual Transmission

The Right Car for Me | TrueDelta

biguglydofus

Hi. I have bad luck with cars. My last 2 have had many gremlins. Two weeks into the ownership of my current car the motor went out. Yearly something goes wrong and costs hundreds to fix myself; $1,200 last year. It is currently not running and I'm driving my 27 year old backup car that I fear will bite the dust soon.

I am in need of a super reliable car. It will need to fit a baby seat. I will drive this car ~7-8k miles/year back and forth from work and for errands that my wife doesn't go on with me.

What I have my mind on now:

  • Honda Civic SI
    • Why? sleek design, everyone has a manual transmission so it's easier to find with one. Not too slow.
  • Subaru Legacy GT
    • Why? Great design. AWD. Turbocharged so has the power I like.
  • Toyota Camtry
    • Why? Great family car.

Other Cars I'd consider
  • Subaru Forrester
    • Why? small sized SUV. AWD

All in all I need something reliable with a manual transmission. I plan to drive to car for at least 10 years.

Priorities: Reliability & durability / Fuel economy / Powertrain performance

Need minimum of 4 seats

Will consider both new and used cars
Maximum mileage: 85000
Maximum age: 7 years

Maximum price: US $ 13000

« Return to results

Sign in or join TrueDelta to post your own thoughts.

Sort responses by likes

Response from ahm1127

12:11 pm January 19, 2017

I like the Subaru's, they have almost everything you need. Only thing is you dont drive much for a car, cars hate sitting!
Another thing is the Turbo, they can only lesson the reliability unless properly maintained. Most people dont maintain thier Turbos.
Hope you have good luck with your next vehicle

2

Link to this reponse
Subaru Legacy
Subaru Outback
Subaru Forester

Response from LectroFuel

7:31 pm February 7, 2017

I wouldn't trust the turbos in the Subarus. Go for a 2008-2012 Accord EXL V6 Coupe with the manual transmission. It's fast and fun to drive. It's also reliable. If you can't buy a coupe, do the camry or civic si.

BTW, what cars did you have that were so bad?

1

Link to this reponse
Honda Accord
Toyota Camry
Honda Civic

Response from biguglydofus

7:50 am February 9, 2017

The Civic SI was the car I wanted, but I test drove a 2016 WRX and a 2013 STI yesterday. I think I've found my car. Honestly that may change in a month or so; I won't make any rush decision as I want to give the car to my unborn child.

The resale value is higher than I thought. I've always considered Tacoma to have one of the highest resale values and the WRX is slightly better from what I found last night. I'm OK to perform preventative maintenance.

The problem with my last 2 cars. The first was a 1990 300ZX night in 2009. The first rainy day I sat in a puddle of water. The injectors went out, the wiring harness almost caught fire. Those few things cost almost $3k to replace, about the value of the car now.

My second used car was a 2002 Lexus IS300. I bought it turbocharged *facepalm* and the motor blew up within 2 weeks. I replaced the motor and it's been good to me. But minor things have broken that add up so it hasn't been a good experience. I just sold it and took a loss because seeing it gone made me so happy.

1

Link to this reponse
Lexus IS

Response from NormT

1:38 pm July 13, 2017

Sign in or join TrueDelta to post your own thoughts.

Return to top