u/Kind_Nectarine2182

So my 2019 Chevy Trax is a hunk of shit (I know shocker.) Im looking to replace it with something older that won’t leave me stranded on the side of the road(I live in a rural area with no service for the most part). I realize my $5,000 price point is looking grim but I keep seeing some of these cars really up there in the miles and there’s an abundance in my area, some with very low miles. I’m not naive enough to believe it won’t require preventative work to keep it going strong which is also why I have a low price point. I love the look of the XJ, my aunt had 2 when I was a kid and I loved it back then, but I don’t want to be swayed by a beautiful car and not know what it’s like to own one. Any advice? It needs to be okay to road trip 500 miles several times a year. You can tell me this is a dumb idea if it is, I’d rather know before I invest. Also are parts easy to obtain and priced well?

I also understand it’s not a forever vehicle at the age they’re at. I would love it to last as long as possible but if I can only drive it for a few years even that would be amazing.

One owner, I know the guy actually. He’s an old dude who just upgraded and wants his car gone. It’s supposedly in good working condition but needs “brake maintenance” soon. The car is free so the cost isn’t a concern I just don’t want to put money into it if it won’t be drivable due to the miles soon anyway. I don’t know really anything about cars but I need one and I’m not working with much money. I also have an offer to buy a friends fully functioning 2009 Honda Fit for $3,000 with almost 200,000 miles.

I’m shopping for a used car and I’d love to not finance it but also I live in a rural area, I have a 20 minute commute one way, and I drive over 500 miles one way to visit family several times a year. I absolutely need a reliable vehicle. I want a Toyota/Honda but they’re so expensive, is it worth a splurge on an older one or would I be better off getting something still cheap but newer or lower mileage? Even with financing I can’t afford any car over 10-15 grand.

My Chevy trax is a hunk of turd(yes, I know, not a surprise to you all). It’s 2019 and at 100,000 miles, I want to trade it in for the most reliable thing possible. Of course my brain goes to older Toyotas and Hondas, I’m open to other things (like a Subaru?) what should I avoid and what should I bother to actively seek out?

I’ve got a 2019 trax at 103,000 mi. I’ve always done routine oil changes. I got new tires, rotors, water pump, radiator, and head gasket. (Most of which is recent). As I’m about to pay for whatever got messed up when they were putting in my head gasket, I’m starting to consider how far this car will take me. I could sell it now for 5-8 grand I would think and use the money to get something like a older Toyota/Honda but with relatively similar miles to my car (I know I’d have payments again), but would I potentially get over 100,000+ more miles out of it? If so I could be worth the investment but I have no clue how long these go and I also live in the middle of nowhere and require a reliable car but I’m on a budget.

Forgot to mention I also replaced the throttle body last year🤪

Update, I’m getting rid of it and I regret not selling it sooner. There’s a good chance it’s done for thanks to the timing chain.