Car Thoughts:
For cars, more so than guns or appliances, there is no quick and dirty recommendation for what to trust. You will need to do some research, and know what you actually want. Ford makes way better trucks than they do cars. Toyota has a stable of bulletproof models made in the past decade but a handful of models with major defects and recalls in the past 3-4 years. Volkswagen, like many brands, has cars with the same name and model year that have different powertrains and as a result wildly different levels of reliability. Knowing the basics of how cars operate is helpful.
What you get depends on what you want. If you want to minimize expenses and plan on driving a lot, get a Toyota hybrid or plug-in hybrid. If you’re looking for something to take you through the apocalypse, then the only sure bet is a car you know how to maintain that has plentiful parts domestically. Ford/GM are around and reasonably reliable, Honda, Toyota and Subaru all have substantial US based manufacturing and are more reliable overall. Parts for these brands are plentiful and relatively cheap.
Avoid turbochargers, look for cars with simple 4 or 6 cylinder naturally aspirated engines, or fuel injected systems that the manufacturer has had a chance to perfect over the years. Many major automakers, Ford and Volkswagen especially, made the decision to meet US emissions and fuel economy requirements by using turbochargers extensively, even on economy and mid-range commuters and SUV’s. They can work well if the car is religiously maintained, but if you’re expecting a scenario where maintenance will be rough and infrequent, they’re not a good pick.
Newer cars even from the reliable makes are a crapshoot if you don’t do the research. Every major automaker almost without exception has been cutting corners and relying on complex design choices to meet regulation while increasing the difficulty of maintenance. If you buy a used older car though, you will need to ask and learn what preventative maintenance to do, and understand that there will be issues to address in the shorter term. More cars will reach 150k-200k than ever before, which is good, but cars built like tanks that will go to 300k are rarer than before and the ones that do are owned by people who take care of them and know how to work on them.
No car that doesn’t get regular oil changes and preventative maintenance (suspension/wheel bearings at 100k, tires/brakes etc.) will go the distance. If you buy a used car, buy one with a clean title from someone who can give you their maintenance records.
If you must have an electric car for some reason, and want to get a hefty tax incentive, get a used Chevy Bolt. Many people sleep on it but it is a good value if you’re looking for a car that will help you save quite a bit of money over the next 4-6 years if you plan on driving a lot. It has about 250 miles of range, which is nearly Tesla numbers without the software chicanery. You will need to shell out $800 for a level 2 charger at your house, but you will also get $4000 back in taxes even if you buy a used one, as long as you make enough money to owe taxes. Considering you have no children and are self employed, there’s a good chance you’d see that money. Used Plug-in hybrids get the same credit, new electric cars and plug-ins get $7500.
Luckily for you, I’m assuming you will not have a regular commute and will only be driving into town once or twice a week to buy cheese. That means fuel and maintenance costs will be less of a factor, meaning you can get something that is a little less fuel efficient and a little more bulletproof. From there, it just depends on how much space and comfort you want, how willing you are to deal with an old musty car that will need new parts almost directly out of the gate, and how much money you want to spend per year.
If you want something you can rely on for light off-roading that you can live out of in an emergency, look into the Toyota 4Runner or most Subarus. Subarus are among the easier cars to work on yourself if you don’t have prior experience. Take extra care to check for rust if buying in a northern state where they salt the roads.
Nissan is garbage almost universally. Dodge as well, along with anything made by parent company Stellantis with a few exceptions. Do not get a Ford Focus made after 2011. Volkswagens are expensive to maintain. For any model you look at, go to both the dealer and RockAuto’s websites and get a feel for how much parts are. Carmax is a scam to buy from, but if you want to get the feel for a lot of different interiors in a short amount of time, their lots have a pretty good selection and they’ll let you poke around unsupervised without an appointment. You can often get $2000-$4000 off list on a used car by just asking and being stubborn, unless it’s a no-haggle dealer, who usually have more reasonable prices to begin with and may try to get you better interest rates to close the sale. Get pre-approved so you know what interest rates you qualify for. Don’t shop based on monthly payment. Have cars inspected by a third party if buying used. These bits are just about the only thing I learned for sure after an embarrassing amount of research.
Unironically, one of the best ways to find out if a brand is good or not is to post publicly that you’re considering it and people will come out of the woodwork.
I got autistically hyperfixated on getting the best value car I could while shopping for one last year and the best lesson I learned was that no car is perfect and every car will eventually wear out.
In short, Toyota hybrid if you’re driving a lot, and do your research for anything else. Know what you need, and what you want to pay, and see what fits. The most reliable car is one you learn how to keep on the road.
YouTube Channels to help:
https://m.youtube.com/@TheCarCareNut (Toyota deep dives)
https://m.youtube.com/@speedkar99 (Mechanical reviews. A little advanced but you get a good impression on build quality.)
https://m.youtube.com/@scottykilmer (Boomer who people watch for the memes. You get some good basics but his advice is questionable at times. A favorite meme subject of the 4chan automotive boards.)
Most other review channels are shills, but still good for first impressions.
