$30K to spend, what’s the best option?

[Elkins45]

If you had $30K to spend on a new car what’s the smart buy? By “smart” I mean a reliable vehicle that will last a long time with no major repairs needed. Is a Camry still the best bet? EDIT: this is a long-term ownership car so resale value isn’t important to me.

No used cars for the sake of this discussion please.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

I see your driving a 2016 Mazda 6 some reason you aren't looking at another Mazda?

 

[Corollaman]

If you can find a toyota dealer that isn't marking up the price with extras and market adjustments then yes a Camry is a good buy. Resale value is strong, reliability is good, and customer satisfaction is above average.

 

[Elkins45]

I see your driving a 2016 Mazda 6 some reason you aren't looking at another Mazda?

They aren’t importing the 6 anymore and a 3 is a little small for me. Everything else they offer is an AWD SUV except for the Miata, and I'm too fat for one of those LOL.

 

[wpod]

Dodge Challenger with the Hell Cat engine option. $30,000.00 is a good down payment.

 

[dishdude]

Any car you buy under $30k will be worth $26k in 2 years with a full warranty and likely factory maintenance included. Buy what is the most comfortable, meets your needs and trade it in 2 years.

 

[Soft Cars]

I'd get something that doesn't have variable valve timing, multiple cylinder deactivation, or direct fuel injection to name a few.

 

[Escape08]

I would go for a used Lexus RX350. Do not buy a sedan, it's hard to sell them

 

[Capt W]

Any car you buy under $30k will be worth $26k in 2 years with a full warranty and likely factory maintenance included. Buy what is the most comfortable, meets your needs and trade it in 2 years.

About a year-and-a-half ago I would have agreed. Residual values are on the way down, and as inventories rise (with interest rates), the bloated used car values will probably come back to earth by 2025. The insane resale values are absolutely unsustainable.

Then again, who knows? It's a bet I wouldn't personally take.

 

[dishdude]

About a year-and-a-half ago I would have agreed. Residual values are on the way down, and as inventories rise (with interest rates), the bloated used car values will probably come back to earth by 2025. The insane resale values are absolutely unsustainable.

Then again, who knows? It's a bet I wouldn't personally take.

Disagree. 2-3 year old car prices have been high for well over a decade, I don't see them declining anytime soon.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Corolla hatchback

 

[Capt W]

Disagree. 2-3 year old car prices have been high for well over a decade, I don't see them declining anytime soon.

Might be market-based. My oldest has been selling Fords in the St. Louis area for several years now and was telling me how many of the "gotta-have-it" buyers from 2021 are really reeling from their newfound upside-down-ness. The lots are filling with new inventory and discounts and incentives are back. The used car market can't remain artificially high in the long run.

Agree on the last decade part, as "cash-for-clunkers" absolutely decimated the mid-tier used car market; however, the notion of 90% residual values after two years is pretty recent.

 

[javipagan1]

Honda Accord
Toyota Camry



My wife and I drive Volkswagens and we haven’t had any issues but other people have so I guess i won’t recommend it lol

 

[Elkins45]

I would go for a used Lexus RX350. Do not buy a sedan, it's hard to sell them

You missed the part where I said no used cars. And I’m not planning on ever selling it. I went back and edited my original question to reflect that.

 

[DemoFly]

Prius prime is the smart buy, but it's so smart that no one wants to do it.

 

[Deleted member 89374]

Maybe one of these?

Joking aside, I'd seriously consider a Mazda or Toyota. Skip Hyundai and KIA, they've become terrible when it comes to honoring warranty claims.

 

[I<3oil]

Mazda CX-5/CX-50

 

[Soft Cars]

I'd get one of these fully restored is what I'd get.

 

[hemitruck]

Hard to top the canary. You could look at the subaru Outback base model.

 

[LDB]

If you had $30K to spend on a new car what’s the smart buy? By “smart” I mean a reliable vehicle that will last a long time with no major repairs needed. Is a Camry still the best bet? EDIT: this is a long-term ownership car so resale value isn’t important to me.

No used cars for the sake of this discussion please.

$30k hard wall? Out the door or plus taxes/fees/etc? "new car" as in a real "car" or new "vehicle"? Any must have or must not have feature(s)?

I'm also too well padded for a Miata and old enough to also appreciate easy ingress/egress. So I'm an SUV guy and really like a 2 row size. Answers to the above questions will make it easier to give an answer tailored to your specific preferences and totally useless to you since only you can truly say what's the way to go. But it's a fun exercise.