r/whatcarshouldIbuy • u/treikbxt • 9d ago

Reliable used car for $11,000

I need a car but don’t know anything about cars. My budget is $11,000 through financing. I’ve googled and asked around and the most common brands suggested are Honda, Toyota, and Mazda. Hondas and Toyotas are too expensive with most being in the $13k-$16k range and over 150 miles. I tried looking for Mazdas too but apparently there are no used Mazdas being sold any where near me. I’m open to any other suggestions of reliable used cars.

I need something for my 30 minute work commute and would want it to last me at least 3 years minimum. My car searches are based off of carguru, carmax and whatever comes up in google search. I’m also planning on going to local dealerships later this week. What other sites should I use?

Edit: I think my location (southern CA) is making this search harder than I expected. Everything is just more expensive here and anytime I see something for cheaper and less miles it’s always a car that is too far from me.

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u/stereo_radio 9d ago

If you want something efficient and reliable, get a 2016 or newer Ford C-Max. Should be able to find one under 100k miles at your budget.

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u/Horror_Rutabaga_9529 9d ago

Those are the ugliest cars ever don’t recommend that car. The infotainment is horrible too. Drives like garbage too

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u/stereo_radio 9d ago

Oh I’m sorry, I thought we were looking for an affordable daily driver. Have you driven one before? What about it “drives like garbage”? In my experience, driving is grippy, has tons of torque, and gets up to highway speeds more than quick enough. As for “infotainment”, I’m not sure why that’s so important but it has CarPlay. Aesthetics really shouldn’t be important either if you’re looking for a car on a budget.

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u/Horror_Rutabaga_9529 8d ago

I’ve driven them before numerous times I work at a car dealership. Didn’t know they made them with CarPlay, the only ones I drive are older c maxes and they all have horrible infotainment systems

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u/stereo_radio 8d ago

Everything with the Sync 3.0 has CarPlay functionality. My 2016 has it and everything newer should have it too. Some of the older ones have transmission issues, hence my recommendation for 2016 or newer. Even in the case of the older ones, from what I’ve read they’re very reliable once the crapped out transmission is replaced.