by jstrubberg » Wed Jun 11, 2014 10:00 am
Not sure if you mean new, or new-to-me...
I wouldn't buy a new vehicle, period. The depreciation loss over the first three years is ridiculous. Let someone else pay that for you. Also, stop worrying about that odometer reading! On a modern, well maintained vehicle it means almost nothing. Look for something four or five years old on great shape, pay half the price and enjoy it for just as long as a new car. My current rig is at 189,000 miles. I'm shooting for 300,000.
Now, off of my soapbox....
What do you need out of your vehicle? You've talked about a daily driver and want to pull a tear, but what else do you do with it? Are you a DIYer around the house? Do you have pets? Kids? Pull a boat, haul canoes, etc?
Makes a huge difference what vehicle you go with. If you don't have any problems living with a car-based suspension and don't need open bed hauling capabilities, the Subaru Outback is tough to beat. Great fuel mileage, gets around very well in weather and if you take care if one, I bet you can get close to half a million miles out of it. If you need something a bit more SUV'ish, both the Honda CRV and the Ford Escape are good cars. I would lean to the Honda for longevity. If you need a pickup bed, it's really hard to beat the Ford Ranger/Mazda B-series trucks. Good economy and again, they last forever if you care for them.
It all depends on what you do with your vehicle. Even though I cry at the los of fuel mileage, there is no way I could get through a week without a pickup around the house. Others need more people space and less cargo room.
The more stuff I take along, the more time I spend taking care of my stuff!