Argh...if you LOVE your car that was <15k I need recs...

[maria120]

I don't remember basic math and if I did that correctly or not...

Our car is ready to die and we want a 4 door car that is has good MPG, is safe and will comfortably accommodate two car seats and is LESS than 15k.  We'd prefer to buy used.  Any suggestions?  I'm getting frustrated looking online!

[EmilieMadison]

I highly recommend the Hyundai Sonata. Fits all your criteria and is an overall great car. Look at edmunds.com for expert ratings (it's rated as high or higher than Honda and Toyota).

[pinkplasticdoll]

Subaru Legacy, Honda Civic, Scion xB.

[blueshirt2003]

For us it's the car we have now and it's a Toyota Camry.

[ElizabethBennet]

We have a Prius that was under 15k used. We LOVE it. The cargo space is lacking but the rest of the car feels pretty roomy. We have our daughter's massive car seat back there and would easily be able to fit a second one.

[lilybug]

I have an 09 Mazda 3, bought it for under 15k and consistently get 26-29 mpg. And two carseats in the back I love it, I've had zero problems.

Before this car I had a Kia Sportage, also under 15k, but the gas mileage wasn't quite as good. More like 20-23. Loved that one, too, and the carseats might fit better if you have bulky ones.

[Deleted]

I love my Civic!

[muffin0]

Check out cargurus.com once you figure out what you want. Sometimes it's wonky but it will tell you good deals/bad deals 

[maria120]

Thanks everyone! I'm going to bed, but am going to show this to DH tomorrow. We're going shopping tomorrow. H was kind of sold on a Ford Fusion but after looking at reviews online tonight I wanted some more suggestions/opinions.

[juliagoulia]

I just bought a certified used Honda Fit last week and love it! I got 31 mpg on the tank of gas I finished today. I think new they're around 17k, I paid less than 14k for mine that's 3 years old with 40k miles. It was a turned in lease, so it's like new.

[pinkplasticdoll]

Jul 21, 2013 23:29:33 GMT -5 maria120 said:

Thanks everyone! I'm going to bed, but am going to show this to DH tomorrow. We're going shopping tomorrow. H was kind of sold on a Ford Fusion but after looking at reviews online tonight I wanted some more suggestions/opinions.

Our friend just bought a new Ford Fusion and it is amazing. It is spacious and gets excellent gas mileage. 

[Nenibay]

Toyota corolla or Camry! I've had a corolla for almost 7 years with no issues what so ever! I've been very happy with the quality and the trunk is surprisingly large for a small car. I will say that it's tight if your kids are rear facing.

[bananapancakes]

Hyundai Elantra. Ours is 10 years old with something like 270 000 km and it is still going strong with minimal repairs.

[noodleoo]

Jul 22, 2013 6:44:16 GMT -5 Nenibay said:

Toyota corolla or Camry! I've had a corolla for almost 7 years with no issues what so ever! I've been very happy with the quality and the trunk is surprisingly large for a small car. I will say that it's tight if your kids are rear facing.

Seconded! My Corolla is 11 years old, 115K miles and still runs great.  No real issues other than normal wear and tear. I bought the highest model  new for $16K.  I think you can still get a new one, lower model for around $15K, but definitely used in your budget. The newer models are actually pretty big too.  My sister has one with her 2 kids in car seats and loves it, plenty of space. Their other car is a Honda Fit and they love that too, although I find it a little too small.  Great MPG on that though!

[bornbaker]

We have an '06 HHR. Bought it with less than 85,000 miles for $10,000. Recently on our 4hr one way trip I was getting about 28MPG. And it's pimped out...anyway...

Fits your criteria, plus you can pack a lot in the back area. Plus, if you don't have the kids in the back - the seats fold down so you can fit longer items if needed.

[Deleted]

We have a Civic and like it.

I think you can fit two car seats in almost any 4 door, can't you? You may just need specific car seats. Our car gets up to 45mpg on the highway which is sweet.

[cutecloud]

Toyota Camry, definitely. I think you can buy one a few years old that's under 15k. You will have a bit more room in a Camry than in a Corolla, although the Corolla is definitely do-able even with 2 car seats.

[rex]

Honda Civic!

[pollyprissypants]

Jul 22, 2013 7:42:57 GMT -5 @pnkybrwstr said:

Jul 21, 2013 23:24:19 GMT -5 lilybug said:

I have an 09 Mazda 3, bought it for under 15k and consistently get 26-29 mpg. And two carseats in the back I love it, I've had zero problems.

Before this car I had a Kia Sportage, also under 15k, but the gas mileage wasn't quite as good. More like 20-23. Loved that one, too, and the carseats might fit better if you have bulky ones.

I have the 10 Mazda 3 and ditto the love.

I have an 08 Mazda 3 with 2 carseats in the back right now and there is plenty of room. I don't have one bad thing to say about this car. I love it.

[StormyDixon]

My 2010 dodge charger

[cinderbella]

I'm sure I'll get made fun of but we have a 2013 Kia Soul and LOVE it. We bought it new for around 16. It fits two carseats in the back with enough room in between for stuff - and the trunk area is huge.

[ijack]

I bought a 5yo prius for around $12k and LOVE it

[lpcats]

Another vote for the Civic. We bought ours almost 4 years ago and have had no problems with it. We consistently get at least 30 mpg.

[purplecow0206]

Jul 22, 2013 8:46:41 GMT -5 cutecloud said:

Toyota Camry, definitely. I think you can buy one a few years old that's under 15k. You will have a bit more room in a Camry than in a Corolla, although the Corolla is definitely do-able even with 2 car seats.

We got a 2008 Camry last year with 42K miles on it and it as under $14K. The Corolla would still fit two car seats, but we liked the Camry a bit better for the room. We only have one on the way, but plan to drive this car into the ground, so part of our criteria was to be able to fit two car seats in it.

We also liked the Honda Accord (the Civic was a little tight for our taste) and the Mazda 6 is good for size, though I couldn't give you any idea of the cost of a used one because we just have experience driving it from our friend's new one.

[DaisyCakes]

I have an 06 Ford Fusion and it gets good gas mileage and has a lot of room. I love my car

[agnes]

If I had to choose one for 15k, I'd go with either a Mazda 3 or a Ford Focus. Both new.

H and I are good negotiators. They were our top choices even when our budget was 20k. Ultimately we went with the Toyota Camry at the 20k mark.