Used car buying is such a gamble. Part luck, part knowledge, part quantum physics in which all the different multi-verses align to find a cheap, reliable mode of transportation.

Another fail of the US in which we do not invest in convenient, useful mass transit to help support our economy.

Someone pissed in my cornflakes, obvs.

Aw, Cashmere, I'm sorry.

Yeah, that sounds hard, Laura. With that long of a commute investing reliability seems like a good idea - would he accept/would you be wiling to provide a subsidy to get something not quite as cheap but more likely to require you to come rescue?

Aw, Matilda helping out with Peanut is warm fuzzy sweetness

I pretty much have to help him with even a cheap car. Hopefully we come up with something very soon.

Ah. Well, good luck!

From my personal experience, my 2007 Ford Focus was very reliable and very cheap (had 270,000 miles on it by the end). I think 2005-2011 Focus are the good years. Both kids have used Honda Fits and they are proved reliable but those aren't easy to find and can be pricy compared to other brands. So far my Hyundai Elantra GT has proved reliable and wasn't very expensive but due to COVID reasons, I haven't put many miles on it.

I've seen a few of the Ford Focus years out there.

Had my first mandatory-mask-adorned outing today (requirement began at midnight), to get some groceries. i was happy to see that 100% of the other supermarket denizens were wearing their masks. Or thus it was until I was checking out and saw some naked-faced guy entering the store. And then walking back to the car, I passed another guy wearing a mask - on his forehead. And then grabbed the thing in his mitt, full contact, to put it over his face as he passed. (Which protects me, I guess?) And then two more guys who just didn't have masks at all.

Melbourne! You were so close!

(Meanwhile, the foggy glasses thing was a bit of a nuisance, but aside from that it wasn't any great drama. fingers crossed this actually gets the outbreak under control.)

My 2005 Chevy Cobalt is still running smoothly at 208k miles (34+ mpg on the highway!) and has seen me safely through a couple of wrecks, so I'd recommend those as used cars. I still occasionally see Cavaliers (the 90s models the Cobalts replaced) on the road, so at least outliers of those are pretty hardy too. Mine crapped out at 175k miles though.

Toyotas have always had a really good rep for durability and being low maintenance. I'm not sure about their safety ratings though.

Toyotas have always had a really good rep for durability and being low maintenance.

I'm on Toyota #3 in the past 25 years (we still have #2, which is a 2000 Echo, along with #3, a 2013 Corolla), and yeah, they are super durable and pretty low maintenance.

the foggy glasses thing

I have found that it helps to attach a rolled-up tissue to the inside of the top edge of the mask.