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Valued Contributor
Posts: 803
Registered: ‎05-25-2016

Re: Small car suggestions please

@Laura14, almost all car manufacturers, including Toyota, GM, Hyundai, etc. used soy based plastics until 2015-16. None of our cars ever had a problem. I think all these suggestions are good ones, and all cars are being made safer and last a long time. I’m sorry about your car!

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,470
Registered: ‎06-13-2017

Re: Small car suggestions please

Thanks for sharing and good for you for researching. I had a hyundai many years ago and my mother had one. I was temted in buying the elantra sport wagon/hatchback not long ago but decided to hold off a while.  I have had such good results with toyota and honda , it is hard to change , but overal decided I did not need to purchase at this time. I am kind of like the original poster, I will get a car and drive it until it absolutley is done for.I use to have a pretty lengthy commute to work and back, but I am not working now, so hopefully my current car will last a long time.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,327
Registered: ‎05-09-2016

Re: Small car suggestions please


@Laura14 wrote:

@FrostyBabe1 wrote:

How small do you want to go? And does it need to be a brand new car, or are you willing to consider a 2-3 year old vehicle? I have a couple of friends who absolutely love their Mini Coopers. A brand new one will be over $20,000, but a late model used one can easily be had in that range. 


@FrostyBabe1  I have or had one of the smallest with the Fiat 500 so barring the Smart car which is ridiculous, I'm really okay with little.   

 

I love the Mini Cooper look but they are expensive and I've heard you have to have them serviced at a delaership.  That could be a problem if I ever moved away.  


Kind of, sort of. It's like my BMW, which Mini Cooper has been a part of since 1994. It doesn't have to be a dealership, but it does have to be an Mini Cooper authorized, qualified repair shop. In my area, there are a couple of other options, but I take it to the BMW dealership because they're less expensive and provide me with a free loaner car. In many areas, the dealership may well be the only option. 

 

Enjoy your shopping! I hope you find something that you'll love. 

~The more someone needs to brag about how wonderful, special, successful, wealthy or important they are, the greater the likelihood that it isn't true. ~

Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,273
Registered: ‎06-19-2010

Re: Small car suggestions please

@webbgarner1, same here.  I had a Hyundai Accent from 2004 til 2014 with no problems.  Parked it in the driveway for years.  Got the new Accent and the animals went crazy over that wiring.  I live in a semi rural area.

 

@Laura14, good luck on your search but I think as someone suggested you might look into a certified used car.

“You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore to be happy”. (By Nightbirde, singer of the song, It’s Ok)
Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,003
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Small car suggestions please


@Laura14 wrote:

@webbgarner1 wrote:

@Laura14 yeah, I remeber the toyota tercel, that was a good little car too. 

 If you are interested in toyota, I think you will like the corolla, great little car, good on gas, good reliability. Seems roomier to me than the hondo civic.. The hondo fit is quite small and you can tell it is more basic.  Sometimes if you know there is a good quality dealership you can find a preowned model with say less  than 25,000 miles and same some money..


@webbgarner1  That was the word for the Fit when I saw it five years ago.  Very basic.  I just looked up the Corolla and it's a really nice looking car.  I don't remember how big they are though.  I've never bought pre-owned but our Toyota dealership is really reputable and have dealt very fairly with us over the years.  I'll take a look and see if someone traded up and left a nice low mileage car.  I am really not looking forward to car payments again.  

 

To be honest, I am seriously considering moving back home to NYC and just walking for the rest of my life.  These accidents have me spooked.  


Did the driver of the offending truck receive a ticket?  If he did, his slow-moving insurance company should eventually present you with full payment for the value of your totaled vehicle.  That could provide a portion of the cost of your new car.  Be sure not to settle for less than your car was worth.  Best of luck with whichever car you choose!   

Honored Contributor
Posts: 10,968
Registered: ‎06-10-2015

Re: Small car suggestions please

A Honda for sure.

LIFE IS TO SHORT TOO FOLD FITTED SHEETS
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,675
Registered: ‎03-28-2015

Re: Small car suggestions please

Honda Civic or Chevy Cruz

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,746
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Small car suggestions please

I'm about your height & I drive a Subaru Forester, but if you want a smaller car than that, maybe a Subaru Impreza or a CrossTrek, both of which i think have very good crash safety ratings.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 24,164
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: Small car suggestions please

My husband I have been with Toyota for some 20 years and have had only 4 cars with them. All the cars we drive are over 100,000 miles. My car alone is 16 yrs old and has 75,000 on it. My husband's celica had over 250,000 miles on it when we decided to trade it in.

 

Buy Toyota, they are work horses.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 19,875
Registered: ‎06-09-2014

Re: Small car suggestions please


@deepwaterdotter wrote:

@Laura14 wrote:

@webbgarner1 wrote:

@Laura14 yeah, I remeber the toyota tercel, that was a good little car too. 

 If you are interested in toyota, I think you will like the corolla, great little car, good on gas, good reliability. Seems roomier to me than the hondo civic.. The hondo fit is quite small and you can tell it is more basic.  Sometimes if you know there is a good quality dealership you can find a preowned model with say less  than 25,000 miles and same some money..


@webbgarner1  That was the word for the Fit when I saw it five years ago.  Very basic.  I just looked up the Corolla and it's a really nice looking car.  I don't remember how big they are though.  I've never bought pre-owned but our Toyota dealership is really reputable and have dealt very fairly with us over the years.  I'll take a look and see if someone traded up and left a nice low mileage car.  I am really not looking forward to car payments again.  

 

To be honest, I am seriously considering moving back home to NYC and just walking for the rest of my life.  These accidents have me spooked.  


Did the driver of the offending truck receive a ticket?  If he did, his slow-moving insurance company should eventually present you with full payment for the value of your totaled vehicle.  That could provide a portion of the cost of your new car.  Be sure not to settle for less than your car was worth.  Best of luck with whichever car you choose!   


@deepwaterdotter  Don't get me started.  We both have the same insurer and yes he did get a ticket and admitted he didn't see me because the sun was in his eyes.  State Farm still isn't sure who is at fault because he said he stopped and then drove into me and I said I didn't see the stop.  He just rolled the sign like most people do and drove right into me.

 

Either way, pick a story. He was supposed to be stopped and not moving at all until I turned since I had the right of way all day long and he had the stop sign all day long. Is this really hard to assign blame?