u/FireTeamSix1

Hey everyone, I am looking for a new car to replace my 2008 Chevrolet Impala LS with 211000 miles on it.

I plan on moving in a year or two to somewhere where I won’t need a car, but need to get a new car because I don’t think this thing will last too much longer. I don’t know what to get.

I want to ensure whatever I get is reliable, fuel efficient, and safe, and also has good resell value. It needs to have CarPlay and be CPO too. I have a 50 mile commute round trip every weekday for work.

Also, if you think I should change my budget, or think about different makes besides Honda and Toyota, let me know.

Any recommendations would be appreciated.

I’m currently looking at two cars, a 2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE and a new 2026 Honda Civic Sedan LX. My issue is that if I buy a used car, I want my budget to be around 23,000 USD. If I buy new, then I want it to cap out at 26,000 USD.

The Corolla has 30,000 miles. And because of current gas prices + my 46 mile round trip daily commute I am leaning heavily towards getting a hybrid, but the Honda Civic LX’s MPG isn’t so much worse. (51 for the Corolla vs 41 for the Civic).

That being said, the Corolla is coming to a little bit over 23,000 USD OTD. (That’s without negotiation) The Corolla is also CPO Gold Certified, though when I drove it, I heard a lot of squeaking when I went over bumps and noticed the lower front bumper was scuffed. I then got told by the dealership that it would be repaired and the squeaking fixed and just hadn’t gone through the gold certification yet, but will be with the same price I got quoted out the door (a little more than $23,000). They’re also putting new tires, new brakes, the latter of which they suspected was causing the squeaking over the bumps.

The Civic would of course have 0 miles, but it also has worse MPG, and I don’t know if it’s worth getting if I’m going to be moving to an area where I don’t need (or even want) a car in one or two years anyways. At the same time, I have found the Civic’s value to not depreciate so much. I also prefer the interior of the Civic a little more, and have gotten a verbal offer to get it for $26,000 out the door, and I think that’s a good deal.

That being said, I really don’t know which car to get. I’d appreciate any advice.