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Dad needs a car that isn't too expensive.

datalink7

datalink7

Lifer
Hi all,

My dad only has an old Ford Ranger that is getting up there in years. Plus, it doesn't have air conditioning which kills him. So he's looking at getting a new car.

He doesn't make a ton of money so it can't be too expensive.

Price Range: Around $20k max.
Must Have: A/C, 4 Doors, Good Gas Mileage (he didn't specify exactly what this mean to him, only that one car he was looking at that was 18/28 was too low), New (he has a distrust of used car dealer due to some bad experiences in the past)
Would like: Good trunk space, roomy, not a totally anemic engine, satellite radio, good sound system
Not necessary: Moon roof (wouldn't use it), Navigation (fine with TomTom), Cruise Control (wouldn't use it)

I told him he should look at the focus. He did and he said it felt a little small. He's 6'1" and 240 lbs, so he's not a small guy.

He found a Kia Optima for $20,044 and was thinking about looking at that. I still have a prejudice against Kia but perhaps they're not so bad now?

Anyway, would like to hear any suggestions. Was thinking about telling him to go look at the Elantra as well. I think the Sonata is out of his price range.

Edit: Oops this was supposed to go in the garage. Can a mod please move it?
 
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If he doesn't mind a small car, he could look at a compact: Fiesta, Rio, Sonic, Dart, etc. The new Kia Forte also looks sharp.
 
I just had a 1.8 Cruz for two weeks (rental), LT trim. Honestly it's a fine car and build quality is good. It's just... slow. I mean, real slow (but so are the rest of the econoturds). The car needs an engine in the 180-200 HP range.
 
Vic Vega said:
I just had a 1.8 Cruz for two weeks (rental), LT trim. Honestly it's a fine car and build quality is good. It's just... slow. I mean, real slow (but so are the rest of the econoturds). The car needs an engine in the 180-200 HP range.
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Pops won't care as long as it's not glacial... 😎
 
You should be able to get a baseline Ford Focus, Honda Civic, or Subaru Impreza for that much or less. All nice cars. I prefer the Civic for visibility over the Focus. The Focus seems way too cramped, might be the way the windows are positioned. I also like the Impreza for the AWD. I think you can get a decent discount from Costco for the Impreza, or just be a good haggler. You should be able to take one home for less than 19K with taxes, or so I've heard.
 
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Without knowing the details, I like the Kia Soul. It has an upright stance, is cheap, and gets decent mileage. I'd have to test drive it, and read some detailed reviews, but I like what I've seen from the road.
 
lxskllr said:
Without knowing the details, I like the Kia Soul. It has an upright stance, is cheap, and gets decent mileage. I'd have to test drive it, and read some detailed reviews, but I like what I've seen from the road.
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Maybe...if you're some kind of "hip-hop hamster," but not if you're "normal people."

OP, I don't know how the used car market is where you're at, but look at 1-2 year old cars with low mileage. Let someone else take that "new car depreciation" hit.
 
You should be able to get into a midsize sedan from anyone at that price point. Loss leaders would be perfect for him since they typically don't have the features most people want. And they're a lot more roomy than the compacts people are suggesting. I have no inherent issues with the Optima. My parents have a Sonata and that's nice enough. Many of the midsize cars now come standard with sat radio so that makes it easy.

Could also look into a 2013 Malibu since the 2014 is refreshed with a new engine and some different sheetmetal. Maybe able to get a better deal?
 
Nissan Versa is bigger inside than it looks, and it's $12k brand-new with A/C and a manual trans.

Remember Kias and Hyundais have 10-year/100k warranties. They're nice cars the past 5 or so years.
 
I know a 6'3" person who got a Kia Rio right out of college after he got his first job... Drives/drove the hell out of it. No A/C, no power windows. I would never sit in the pack seat given the 1-2" of space between the trunk and back seats though.
 
Can probably almost get a 2013 Accord for that price.
I test drove a base LX 6 speed manual and it honestly had every option I'd want, including alloy wheels. Great car, great package.
 
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