Yeah I noticed the new Civics were quite close in size to say, a late 1990s Accord. I don't want too big because he'll be dealing with parking issues at school and around the city.

Corolla, Civic, Camry, Accord. No specific order. Whichever you can find low miles and good price

Civics can still be found with a manual transmission. That will cut down on theft possibility and friends borrowing

Where is 'east'? Is it in serious snow country? For that you want 4wd. The Toyota can be had in that but not the civic. The Subaru owns that market space but at the expense of being a step below the others in overall reliability but still pretty decent.
No serious snow get the honda or the corolla which ever makes your price point, the Toyota is likely much cheaper in my experience.
Snow get the cross or the crosstek.

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon:
Where is 'east'? Is it in serious snow country? For that you want 4wd.

Philadelphia. I wanna say they get less snow than we do over here on the western side of PA. But I am not planning to be able to do winter tire swaps (which I religiously do on all of my cars here). So AWD is a nice to have. I don't expect him to have to drive all that often. In fact, I'd considered that maybe he wouldn't even NEED a car. But then the Para's posts about 2024 have me thinking that I want him to be able to get out of the city in a hurry if need be. And that totally changed my thinking.

if you feel the need for AWD, then the CRV or RAV4 may be too bid, but the Toyota CRv or honda HRV may be small enough

or the Subaru Impreza,

friend has an older Impreza with north of 200K on it with no issues

Spend a bit more and get a Camry or Accord. They will thank you for it.

Mazdas are awesome cars and often get overlooked.

I’d say you can’t go wrong with a Mazda3 or Honda Civic

If he’s going to be in Philly, just make sure the car has decent all season tires. That and the fact these cars are front wheel drive is fine for the snow we usually get out here.

quote:

Originally posted by r0gue:

Philadelphia. I wanna say they get less snow than we do over here on the western side of PA. But I am not planning to be able to do winter tire swaps (which I religiously do on all of my cars here). So AWD is a nice to have.....

Then Subaru Crosstrek. Small but not too small, younger ones like the styling, and they're very capable in snow and mild off road.

Find the lowest mileage Honda Fit you can. 2020 was the last model year. Otherwise, Corolla/Civic.

These guys are fairly sharp. This is an excellent review and may be exactly what you need.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=...c2UgY29yb2xsYQ%3D%3D [/FLASH_VIDEO][FLASH_VIDEO]

Camry. Not on your list, but a little bigger and very reliable. Out last one had 165 on the clock til it was forced off the road and destroyed. No injuries.

I would consider, as previously mentioned, a small SUV (CUV), with AWD. The Honda CR-V has gotten pretty big. The new HR-V is a nice-looking car, not a lot of power, but AWD is available; hybrid not yet. Likewise the Toyota RAV-4 is a solid buy, but Toyota may offer a smaller CUV with AWD. The Subaru CrossTrek would be a good alternative, as would a Mazda CX-30. If you buy new or CPO, the resale value will be better on Toyotas and Hondas I believe.

I have a strong preference for a bigger car with a small footprint, and AWD for snowy country.

https://www.abc27.com/pennsylv...ia-crime-data-shows/

Maybe a Mazda. You can probably get a deal on one and it doesn't show up on the most stolen car list. Or Corolla.

quote:

Originally posted by r0gue:

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon:
Where is 'east'? Is it in serious snow country? For that you want 4wd.

Philadelphia......But then the Para's posts about 2024 have me thinking that I want him to be able to get out of the city in a hurry if need be. And that totally changed my thinking.

My son is in a similar situation----grad school at Drexel - within walking distance.
Consider the added expense of parking....finding parking....traffic...and car insurance for <25Y.O. in the city(Ahem...if they know that is). Then there is the every present carjacking/theft/vandalism issue and he's better off on foot or the bus.

In the event of SHTF - My oldest son and I will gear up and extract him......................we are quite well equipped.

I have a 2013 Mazda 3 with 150k on it that I bought from my brother almost 4 years ago. It has 150K miles on it, and apart from some rust issues with the brakes right after I bought it (because my brother never changed them ), I've done nothing to it besides change the oil and tires. It's a stick so it's fun to drive, gets 35mpg, and reasonably comfortable considering I'm squeezing 6'5" and 200lbs into a compact car.

quote:

Originally posted by sgalczyn:

quote:

Originally posted by r0gue:

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon:
Where is 'east'? Is it in serious snow country? For that you want 4wd.

Philadelphia......But then the Para's posts about 2024 have me thinking that I want him to be able to get out of the city in a hurry if need be. And that totally changed my thinking.

My son is in a similar situation----grad school at Drexel - within walking distance.
Consider the added expense of parking....finding parking....traffic...and car insurance for <25Y.O. in the city(Ahem...if they know that is). Then there is the every present carjacking/theft/vandalism issue and he's better off on foot or the bus.

In the event of SHTF - My oldest son and I will gear up and extract him......................we are quite well equipped.

I don't trust my tactical abilities that much. I'm a few hours further too. Maybe you can grab mine on the way out.

quote:

Originally posted by oldbill123:
https://www.abc27.com/pennsylv...ia-crime-data-shows/

Maybe a Mazda. You can probably get a deal on one and it doesn't show up on the most stolen car list. Or Corolla.

Cool list. Didn't know how to find that. Correlates pretty close to (my observation/guess) of the most prevalent models in PA too.

quote:

Originally posted by coloradohunter44:
Camry. Not on your list, but a little bigger and very reliable. Out last one had 165 on the clock til it was forced off the road and destroyed. No injuries.

I was thinking the same on the Accord, but it is gigantic now in the exterior. I'll check the Camery. I had a used Camery and a used Corolla (and even a "Turd-cell") years ago. They were all stupendous. But for some reason the new Toyota purchasing process doesn't click with me. But I 3 year old Camery somehow rings to my ear. Particularly because it wouldn't have a CVT.

I had a CVT in my Crosstrek and drove it for seven years. I liked it almost in every situation. Ironically, the one that I didn't was a drive to Philadelphia. I became physically ill from the noise. To be fair I was hauling three sizable guys, and hauling ass too. But it was appallingly noisy in that out and back same day experience. So much so I sold it and went all-in for over a year driving my 1998 MB E430. 8 cylinders of glorious smooth quiet power.

There's no reason to think the MB wouldn't get the job done. But it seems like a bigger gamble than I like. And I've got another child ready to learn to drive. Nice to teach them in a car you can see out of.

Bought my daughter a Subaru Outback when she was in Grad School. Wanted her safe and with something reliable. As Subarus aren't top sellers I easily got the dealer to throw in an extended warranty for free. Now I don't have to worry about anything car related for her for 6 years (other than normal maintenance). And she loves it- claimed she is now a Subbie fan for life.

The Impreza is a rock solid vehicle. All your choices are generally dependable but Subaru AWD is something you really appreciate in any wet or slick weather. I mainly drive a full size truck now and often miss the all the time AWD.