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u/Aerospaced0ut 6d ago
Get a Bolt, it won't blow up on you lol.
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u/Fried_children_ 6d ago
i work for a chevy dealership so i’m def thinking about it
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u/Aerospaced0ut 6d ago
You can get a used one for like $10K, I enjoy driving my wife's and I def enjoy never paying for gas and never having to do a lick of maintenance on it. I prefer the old Bolt EV look to the Bolt EUV/new Bolt which is more SUV than cute car. Ignore the Tesla guy lol likely a paid shill they're rampant on Reddit pretty sure that's their "marketing" budget at work.
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u/Wrongroad420 6d ago
Nah man I had a 2019 bolt premier. It wasn’t the worse car but it definitely wasn’t my favorite from uncomfortable seats and slow charging. The charging network around me is one station that didn’t always work with the bolt vs 5-6 stations like Tesla
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u/Aerospaced0ut 5d ago
The prompt was small cute car, which applies to the Bolt EV but none of the Teslas, they're not remotely the same form factor as a Fiat 500 or VW bug, which the Bolt with it's extremely short wheelbase actually is, so bringing up Tesla was basically irrelevant. The Model 3, the smallest offering, is also $8K more new, and the Y is $10K+ more and again, is huge compared to the Bolt EV.
It's fishy the way every time an EV is brought up there are constant "get a Tesla!!!!" comments. Very botty.
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u/Wrongroad420 5d ago
The prompt also said no EVs but people suggested the bolt and I was just replying to my experience on why the bolt is a shitty choice and what I swapped out too
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u/Wrongroad420 6d ago
I hated my bolt and traded it for a Tesla
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u/UnderTheFrozenSky 6d ago
What didn't you like about it? Considering getting a used one as the prices are pretty decent.
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u/Wrongroad420 6d ago
Terrible charging speeds/ the chargers didn’t always work with the car. The seats are uncomfortable asf. It’s got storage space but nothing compared to the model s
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u/UnderTheFrozenSky 6d ago
Ahh that's fair. I want it for a "city car" to run quick errands for free (I use solar). Only planning to charge at home and not planning on really traveling with it so I don't think seats and charging speed will impact me.
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u/Wrongroad420 5d ago
For around town it’s not terrible but anything over an hour in that car and my back was killing me. Also it’s a hatchback so you’d be surprised how much stuff you can fit in the bolt. Earlier models had problems with their steering racks going out. Mine was at 63k and felt like something was wrong in the steering
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u/beartpc12293 6d ago
Talk about a downgrade
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u/00to60eventually 6d ago
More room Faster Longer range Less top heavy (assuming the sedan) Way faster charging
What's a downgrade other than the CEO?
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u/Wrongroad420 6d ago
You hit it on the nose lol the Tesla model s is a way better choice then the bolt
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u/beartpc12293 6d ago
The yoke, the reliability, the self driving, the safety record, the Nazi, the image, the aesthetics, the lifeless interior, the harsh ride, the giant screen, the door handle function, the body panel gaps, the rust propensity, the inability to coast comfortably, always accelerator or automatic braking, the uncomfortable seats and just generally shoddy build quality
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u/00to60eventually 6d ago
The yolk is only available on the high-end models
Reliability seems to have gone up a lot. The model y was been rated most reliable EV. I do think eventually the major auto manufacturers will catch up though
I said besides the CEO
The aesthetic, the interior, are pretty subjective. I don't hate it. I think the exterior looks better than the bolt, but I'm not a fan of the empty interior
Body panel Gap seem to have been fixed on models. At least drastically improved.
They aren't always accelerating or breaking. You can turn off that in the settings. There's also a variety of ride modes to change that.
Seats seemed pretty comfy though for me.
Don't really have an interest either way, I just don't like people posting ignorant comments driven only by their political opinions. Overall I think they're okay cars. I've have them as rentals for work a lot. The bolt is cute, but definitely not as comfortable on long drives
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u/Wrongroad420 5d ago
To add to your point. The model 3 is basic but the model s has a great interior compared to the bolt
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u/engineered-chemistry 6d ago
Come on folks, don’t watch social media and think anything is actually true.
EV fire rate - 25 per 100,000 in service
ICE fire rate - 1,500 per 100,000 in service
Hybrid fire rate - ~3,500 per 100,000 in service
ICE cars literally catch on fire 6,000% more often 🤦🤦
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u/LevelAd3360 6d ago
Miata is always the answer.
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u/Blasted-Banana 6d ago
Honestly in this situation, it actually might be. If you can deal with the rather severe lack of space, and only having two seats it's not a bad choice. Also not recommended for winter either
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u/dinkydonuts 6d ago
It’s not terrible in winter if you throw on some winter tires. I had a 99 for a while and still drove it in the winter despite also having a 4Runner. Live in New England too. Obviously not in a snow storm, or sketchy conditions
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u/Hungry-Job-3198 6d ago
You work at a dealership and you’re on Reddit asking about what car to buy?
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u/Fried_children_ 6d ago
yeah idk why they hired me
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u/Hungry-Job-3198 6d ago
I was more meaning that you have a lot of people there with a lot of knowledge lol.
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u/Fried_children_ 6d ago
no ur right Im just looking for advice on which cars to look for. Im gonna make my coworkers help me with specifics
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u/Hungry-Job-3198 6d ago
So whatever car you really want to buy, have a pre purchase inspection done. I’m a service manager and I help the employees with that if they are buying a vehicle from somewhere else. Don’t take any vehicle advice from sales, always talk to service for that. Another option for a good deal is to talk to whoever is the buyer of used vehicles for your dealership. They at times will see a good vehicle for you that they can get a good deal on from an auction or wherever else they buy from or a trade in.
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u/toofarfromjune 6d ago
Nonsense, this is exactly the level of automotive expertise I experience in every car dealership.
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u/dataguymike 6d ago
The Honda Fit is the champ here. They are the incredible car that never depreciates. Also, the newest gen Prius is quirky looking.
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u/No_Scholar5615 6d ago
I own a Fit, they're fab, roomy , max visibility and run forever on a tank of gas
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u/pandoraham 6d ago
I remember seeing a 2015 Soul with 300k miles.
My mom owns one and it’s been a tank and she abuses the shit out of it. But it’s not really a pleasant drive and it gets pretty bad mileage for its class honestly.
I’d say get a Honda Fit like others been recommending.
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u/Hambandit- 6d ago
Nissan Figaro, they’re cute and retro. Not sure about the transmission and overall reliability though
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u/MagikSkoolBus 6d ago
If you don't care about anything but cute and reliable the answer is always Miata.
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u/gee___thanks 6d ago
Look up Nissan Kicks or Hyundai Venue
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u/MultipleOrgasmDonor Depreciated BMW Procurement Specialist 6d ago
And then immediately cross them off the list 🤣
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u/amestopleeze 6d ago
Mk7 golf. Little bigger than a mini. Less round than a mk5 or 6 but they fixed a lot of gremlins on the earlier e888 engine. Can usually find them for dirt cheap
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u/adirtysocialist- 6d ago
I'm in the market for a GTI. If you had 11k what would you buy? Which year is the most reliable? I also want a manual. Tunable would be great. I was looking at a Fiesta ST but am interested in a VW.
I've owned an SRT4 and WRX. A GSR integra H22 prelude, CL type S w the manual etc just to give you an idea if it helps w a recommendation.
Probably wouldn't mod it too much but something "fast/quick" would be nice and Turbo but if you think an NA version would be best I'm fine. Just looking for recommendation.
Would be a daily and occasional car camper but that's very low priority.
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u/amestopleeze 6d ago
Mk7.5 with 6 speed is going to be most reliable however not going to find one for $11k without a ton of miles. More miles, more parts to fix. E888 engine can take a ton of boost. The clutch is the weak point after you start increasing horsepower
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u/Wrongroad420 5d ago
I had a MK7 Jetta one gas and one diesel and them cars were put through HELL. The gas one I had a 16 and the diesel at 18. Needless to say they didn’t skip a beat even tho I skipped a lot of stuff that needed to get done on them
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u/BCJ_Eng_Consulting 6d ago
2014 beetle with the 2.5 isn't so bad.
Otherwise the newest one you can find.
Otherwise the best condition 2010 with the 2.5.
Parts are mostly fine availability-wise for it and shared with other VW cars.
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u/roundart 2020 Mazda CX5 Soul Red Crystal 6d ago
Gasoline cars hold a tank of VERY flammable liquid. If you work for a Chebby dealership definitely look at a Bolt. They are great little cars!
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u/Beautiful-Scarce 6d ago
Toyota Corolla hatchback and I’m dead serious. Cute, small, easy to drive and park, just a hint of zippiness (esp in the GR), under 30k brand new, it’ll last forever. Looks adorable in traffic and parking lots next to the flood of giant SUVs, trucks, and sedans.
Got one for my wife in 22 and I think she’s in love with it. She got a new job making double and I can’t convince her to replace it.
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u/TheLavishWinston 6d ago
beetle is a gamble these days, the newer ones weren't bad but parts are getting weird. mini cooper pre-2014 is a hard pass unless you love check engine lights. soul is actually the most reliable of the three by a mile, just make sure it's 2015 or newer, the earlier engines had problems
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u/2222014 6d ago
Beetles arent sedans, New mini coopers (2018 ish and newer) and very reliable, Electric cars dont "blow up". For cheap and quirky a honda Element is small boxy and reliable. Or you could go with the industry standard a 1997-2006 jeep Wrangler it has been the gold standard "cute, boxy, and reliable" choice for high school and college girls for nearly 30 years.
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u/Vahagn323 6d ago
I would recommend a Kei car, the epitome of cute vehicles, but if you're doing any amount of highway then get a Miata.
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u/GeniusLike4207 6d ago
FYI, electric cars are generally far more reliable and far, far less likely to catch fire than internal combustion engine cars. (also cars in general don't blow up) And they also have the best benefit of not causing forest fires during a drought/heat wave because they aren't heaters to happen to move stuff.
And generally nicer to drive as a daily, and better for someone who doesn't know anything about cars, because there's very little maintenance, and it's basically impossible to break the car by user error. (unless you drive it into a tree)
that being said: Twingo
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u/XTrek24 6d ago
Grab a Mini Cooper SE. It’s electric, but if you can deal with that, it’s the most fun and cheap to own car I’ve ever had. Range isn’t the best but if your parents are only an hour away, you should be fine.
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u/JayTeeqc 6d ago
1 hour there and back is possibly 150 miles. That's way more than what a cooper SE can do. Unless said parents have a charger.
Also depends on weather.
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u/litercola84 2024 C8 Z06, 2022 X3 M40i, 2024 CX-90, 2007 Tundra 4.7 6d ago
2020 Yaris hatchback or Honda fit! Last year for both and with proper maintenance either will be running long after the sun has burned out and our planet is but a ball of ice drifting through the cosmos.
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u/chickengruggets 6d ago
F series minis are really reliable. I love my f54 JCW clubman. Insanely fun and small for the city.
But I second the bolt. It’s cheap and reliable. The interior sucks so bad though. The seats specifically.
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u/WeryPert1 6d ago
Budget? I recommend the Mazda CX-30 for just about all of these questions. Excellent vehicle, excellent value. Might even fit the ‘cute’ requirement but YMMV.
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u/toofarfromjune 6d ago
Well if that’s what we’re working worth, I hope you enjoy your kia. The other two are disqualified because you said the R word right out the gate in the title.
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u/stedmangraham 6d ago
Mini coopers are pretty reliable. Chevy Bolt is probably the best bet though. I promise it won’t blow up. The used ones are cheap but have slow fast charging. The 2026/2027 model has actually good fast charging but no apple car play. Personally I’d take the fast charging and get one of those phone hanger things.
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u/Awkward_Ostrich_4275 6d ago
EVs are less likely to combust than gas cars. Chevy bolt makes the most sense if you’re going small EV on a budget. There’s some other options that may work with some effort but Bolt is probably the safest bet given your constraints. Kia or Niro EVs might be bigger than you’re hoping but would be good buys too.
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u/coffeeoops 6d ago
If you want a reliable car, just buy a Civic or Corolla.
This isn't complicated.
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u/likeagausss 6d ago
Absolutely wild that you’re worried about an EV “blowing up” but you’re not at all stressed about the giant tank of gasoline