Re: ok, newer car for daughter, gotta have airbags, decent economy and reliable
Young people need good transportation, and parents need cars/truck that are as trouble free as possible. Life dealing with youngsters is full of frustrations, and a car doesn't need to be just another frustration.
I worked for a major auto manufacturer for 24 years, and I'm a Car Guy. I used to see more auto deals in a week than most auto salesmen would see in a career. Take this to the bank:
The best used cars that are affordable are also some of the best sellers: Honda Civic, Honda Accord, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Camry, Ford Taurus. For a young man, you could also include Ford Rangers (4 cyl/5 speed) and Chevy S-10's. A Ford Explorer 6 cyl. is another good choice, but fuel mileage is a little lower than the cars.
Most of these vehicles pull a premium price on the used market, however they're very trouble free and not frustrating to own. If you ever have any major mechanical problem, used parts are easily available in any major auto salvage yard--both mechanical and body parts.
There are many other plenty good cars on the retail market. Subaru's, Kia's, Hyundai's and even Volkswagens simply don't have a good dealer base outside of larger cities to obtain parts and service from. And there are very, very few used parts available for these cars--in case you have a blown engine or tranny. While used prices of these vehicles may be lower, the frustration factor could be high and repairs very expensive.
I used to average 1000 miles a week on my company cars, and I went through 3 cars (315K miles) and never had a warranty claim.
My Lexus IS250 has 70K and has only had brakes. My SuperDuty Diesel is 10 years old and never had a warranty claim. My Honda Civic SI went 2 years and 56K miles without a warranty claim--until it was totaled by my daughter's boyfriend. Cars are getting better. You've just got to choose your brands wisely if you want a more pleasant ownership experience.
