Hi All,
I haven't owned a car in many years, and I am looking to get back into the world of vehicle ownership. I would love your help in purchasing a new car or compact SUV in the USA with an automatic transmission.
I'm looking to spend around $25k, and the MOST important factors are reliability and low cost of long-term ownership. If you are into firearms, an analogy would be, what is the AK-47 or Glock of new cars these days?
After doing some research, I've been told to stay away from CVT's, anything with a Turbo, or with AWD, as those features can cause expensive problems down the road.
I've narrowed the list of brands down to Toyota or Mazda as they have models with simple engines and FWD. I would like AWD if possible because I live in metro Colorado, but I am not sure of its long-term reliability, so I am leaning more towards FWD. I considered Honda and Subaru, but they all have CVT's. I don't trust American cars.
Feedback? Recommendations? I am completely off base?
Thanks!