Is the 2009 Honda Civic a reliable car? Anything better I could buy?

I need a new car for $5,000. I can't afford to have a car that requires constant repairs. Is the Civic a good bet?

Hi this will for ever be your problem with cheap cars. Motoring costs money it is a double edge coin. You either save the money and buy a car that is less than 3 years old or have to payout for spares and repairs on older cars. This has become the facts of life with the modern motor car.

For that money it's probably one of your best options.

But assume it's going to need at least some repairs and maintenance.

Buying any 8 year old car and assuming nothing will go wrong with it is wishful thinking. At least with a Honda or Toyota, it will probably be minor and routine things.

Toyota & mazda are good too.

But with any $5000 car, how well you check it out & negotiate matters a lot.

I wouldn't buy from a dealer because their overhead jacks the price up by $1200-2000 too much.

The main "problem" you will have is that you need to factor in All the costs for vehicle ownership - the initial price, insurance, registration, immediate repairs, emergency funds, etc etc… W/all of that, you maybe will have $ 3000 for a vehicle

They aren't too bad but tend to be more expensive to maintain than the average Jap car. I would pick a Hyundai i30, Toyota Corolla, or Mazda3 before a Civic

Yes, it's a good bet. However… Any used car, even a Honda, can have problems resulting from hard driving, poor maintenance, and poorly repaired wreck damage. Get it checked by a mechanic BEFORE you buy.

Get a mechanic on it