I can personally vouch for the Fit. I've had no issues with my third-gen GK5 (including the CVT), which now wears over 100,500 miles.
Yes, it's small, but the "Magic Seats" help make the most of the interior space if you have a lot of stuff to carry–and the rear seats fold totally flat. This video gives you a decent idea of how reconfigurable the interior is:
That said, it can get pretty noisy inside at highway speeds between wind noise and road noise.
If your kid wants to drive manual, great. If not, don't force it.
There's no one right answer here. I think the genre of compact sedan is a perfect starting point. The contenders have already been said... Corolla, Civic, Prius, Mazda3, Insight, Elantra, Forte.
I agree, its hard to argue with a Corolla, Civic or Fit.
On your list, I hate to say it, but you can eliminate the GMs. I'm a long-time GM person, but watching my parents deal with their last 4 GM purchases, I can't in good conscience recommend them. Starting in about 2016-ish, their quality has gone to crap. Mom's current Acadia has 46k and the trans is shot, the leather is falling apart, and two of the external cameras have died. Dad's Dmax truck fried an ECM and constantly goes into limp mode for DPF failure despite it being only used for highway towing. Mom's previous Cadillac was an absolute nightmare. Dad has never owned anything but GMs, and he's currently shopping Honda to replace mom's lemon-flavored Acadia.
Kia Soul is like a Tardis... bigger on the inside. Scion xB is the same way. Both are bulletproof, although the Scion uses a timing chain instead of a belt.
Agree with the sedan concept, but I favor the Toyota Avalon. Near-luxury, very safe, reasonably fuel-efficient.
Hate the Korean crap-can idea. Corolla is a sound choice, but small-ish. Ditto the Mazda 3.
Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:Kia Soul is like a Tardis... bigger on the inside. Scion xB is the same way. Both are bulletproof, although the Scion uses a timing chain instead of a belt.
Some of the Soul engines used a timing chain too; mine does. It's been pretty reliable, only needed a crankshaft position sensor and the rubber power steering coupler in the ~30,000 miles I've had it. These cars can carry four people or a lot of cargo, but not both at once.
Mndsm said:Alternatively, Mazda 3 hatchback offers a compelling argument and is NOT a corolla.
That would be my answer today. Back in the day it would have been something like the original Honda Civic.
For a small car Mazda 3. For something bigger and cheaper something GM with a 3800. It'll take a beating and be cheap to maintain/repair.
09 or newer Honda Fit is the winner here.
We have an 09 manual that is fun and easy to drive. We also have a 19 with CVT that I wanted to hate but works well. Both are cheap to run and and not insane to insure even for new drivers. Good safety rating too.
I understand your hatred of Nissan, but I think you will be passing up some hidden gems. Because Nissans depreciate like a rock, they can be great buys on the used market.
On the cheap end, if you like the Volt, get a Nissan Leaf with a degraded battery (but still 40-50 miles range). These can be had in good condition for under $5K. I believe they are pretty reliable (haven't owned one, but I don't see any horror stories either). Won't really work as a family hauler other than around town, but with the $10K you saved, who cares?
Under $15K you can get a really nice EX35/QX50. Later ones have good safety features, although I didn't want my son to get too dependent on safety features and learn basics like blind spot checks and defensive driving. You will get a Japanese built vehicle with a bulletproof drivetrain. $10K gets you a really nice one. You can also get a nice g35/37/q50 but you have to make sure it was taken care of (similar demographic to the WRX crowd)
I'm not arguing against a Toyota or Honda, but Nissans become very attractive on the used market - provided you pick the right ones.
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