Steven currently lives in the Pacific Northwest and while his Spark was a great city car when he resided in D.C, the small Chevy isn’t ideal anymore. He wants something enjoyable to drive but easy on the maintenance, can be a bit funky and bonus points for three pedals. With a budget of $25,000 what car should he buy?
(Welcome back to What Car Should You Buy? Where we give real people real advice about buying cars. Do you want us to help you find a car? Submit your story on our form.)
Here is the scenario.
Retired and living in the Pacific Northwest. Tired of my 2013 Chevy Spark (5 speed stick. Inexpensive to buy and maintain). Current car rides like a truck but does corner like a go cart (granted, cornering is at a relatively slow speed). While the Spark was great while living in Washington DC…its “charm” has dissolved here in the wilds.
I’m looking for sedan/SUV/Pickup – EV or hybrid
My car history includes Packards, Studebakers, Citroen DS21, Peugeot 505 STD, as well as a brace of Subarus, an MG1100s and a Fiat 128. I am not adverse to diesels or manual transmissions. In fact – I love manuals!
I want something economical (with regard to maintenance), fun to drive, comfortable and quiet interior. Budget up to $25,000
Quick Facts:
Budget: $25,000
Location: Bellingham, Washington
Daily Driver: Yes
Wants: Fun, easy to maintain, ideally three pedals
Doesn’t want: Something too big, or hard to find parts
Expert 1 – Tom McParland: Hot Hatch Turbo Power
Steven, I rented a Spark once when my wife and I stayed in Ecuador for a bit. To Chevy’s credit, at least they named it properly because a “spark” is all the power it felt it had. I remember driving some mountain roads, and the only way to pass the old lumbering trucks in front of me was to wait for a downhill section and use gravity as my booster.
You want something where you don’t have to worry about having enough passing power on the highway, and if you aren’t quite ready to give up driving a manual just yet the VW GTI could be your perfect daily driver. Now I am biased because I have owned a GTI relatively trouble-free for over 10 years. While others have had a mixed bag experience with their VWs, you might get lucky as I did. Finding GTIs with manuals under $25,000 isn’t super difficult, you just want to make sure the car was well cared for. Here is a base-model 2022 with 34,000 miles for just under $24,000. If you find the MK8 generation a bit too tech-heavy, you can save some bucks and get a slightly older MK7 car.
Expert 2: Amber DaSilva – Join the Subie Squad
Having worked at a GM dealer in my past, I fully get your desire to ditch the Spark. But, Steven, I can also see why you stuck with it so long —there’s a kind of simplicity to the Spark that can be hard to find these days, especially if you’re now looking to add a bit of electric power to the garage. Luckily, I think there’s still ac ar out there for you: The Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid.
The Crosstrek may not be a stick (I started by looking for a Honda CR-Z for you, but couldn’t find a good one) but I think going from a Spark to a Subaru will be a very natural move. Subarus have a bit of that simplicity that I think makes the Spark appealing, and I’m hoping that adding PHEV power doesn’t change that too much.
Plus, this Crosstrek isn’t any old Crosstrek. Check out that roof rack, those tires and wheels. The dealer doesn’t include any photos under the hood, but I’m not convinced the suspension is entirely stock either. Doesn’t it seem to be riding a bit high? If it’s lifted, it’ll be an even better pick for your use case. It sits perfectly at your $25,000 budget, too — it’s a sign.
Expert 3: Andy Kalmowitz – Ramming the competition
Steven, I know what you’re thinking. I know you’re looking at this massive Ram 3500 dually and wondering what the hell is wrong with me, but I promise you, this is the exact vehicle you’re looking for. When you think about it, it checks every single one of your boxes; its 6.7-liter Cummins diesel engine is bulletproof, so it won’t be hard to maintain (even after 218,000 miles), it has a manual transmission for added fun, it’s massive (so it’ll be quite comfortable — at least when the bed is full of whatever you choose to put in it) and it’s even economical. In fact, it’s so economical that the EPA didn’t even bother to test it. It has unlimited gas mileage. Impressive, no?
Sure, you can go with a small hatchback like a VW GTI or a Subaru Crosstrek, but wouldn’t you rather have the capability to put the entire thing in the bed of your pickup truck? I know I would. You’re going to be the master of the road in this thing, and you can even cosplay as a stormchaser if you so choose.
Since I’m a good guy — better than most — I found you the perfect Ram 3500. It’s a little bit of a ways away from you, but who doesn’t love a road trip? And, while it has a lot of miles on the clock, that’s barely broken in for one of these rigs. A relatively clean CarFax also shows it’s been well taken care of over its 13 years on the road, and it can be yours a tick under your budget at just $24,999. You’re not going to beat that, Steve — especially not with some woke hatchback.
