5000 to spend on a used car?

Hi, I'm 17, and I have 5000 dollars to spend on a replacement car. I'm moving from a Honda Odyssey that recently died and appreciated its safety and practicality and general reliability, But Ideally With my next car I could get a *slightly* more luxurious, and fun to drive vehicle that still maintains a level of practicality. What are your opinions on what to buy? I'm open to different body styles

A minivan is about as practical as it get. If you still want some practicality, get a sporty car like a Mazda 3 or 6, Honda Fit, or Subaru WRX.

Anonymous has some good recommendations, but I would have to suggest ixnay on the WRX. You need to consider the cost for being added to your parents insurance, and the WRX would be costly.

Nissan altima, toyota corolla and the toyota camry are all reliable and great cars.

With just $5000 to spend, luxurious shouldn't really be on your list.

Mazda 3 or 6 might be a good choice if you like it after a 30+ minute test drive and a mechanic gives it thumbs up.

There are no guarantees on $5000 cars which means you have to be very clear on what you are buying BEFORE you buy it.

For $5,000 you want to concentrate on the reliability and safety, not so much on the Luxury.

You will get better value going with a Civic, Corolla, Mazda 3 etc. Slightly smaller, better economy (that also matter if are on a budget). And you have a chance of finding a decent one for that sort of money.

BTW, I'm on holiday at the moment, on a total backwater Sth Pacific island, and we have a rental Odyssey. It's actually quite nice, compared to some of the rentals on the Island anyway. But I wouldn't trade it for the Toyota's we have at home.