Will soon be helping a teen relative buy her first car. She's not overly picky and seems willing to buy something practical. Ideally, I'd like to steer her towards something that, if she takes care of it, will last her through college and even a few years after. It'd be nice if she didn't have to start out with car payments immediately after college.
RAV4 and CRV are kind of where my head is at this point, but am open to other ideas. Really like the idea of a Toyota or Honda based on their longevity and reliability. If not one of those models, what else? Camry/Accord could work but she may need something a little roomier based on some of her hobbies. Highlander is a maybe, but Pilot is probably more than she would want. Smaller models like Civic and Corolla are too small.
Were there particular eras that were especially reliable?
Other brands she should be considering?
Thanks a lot.