Volvo S60R or V70R (a bit tougher to find for the budget but not impossible) are great contenders. You can find decently sorted examples for 6-7k which gives you a few grand in the pocket for repairs and maintenance.
I ended up selling my super clean, 100% sorted, low mileage (79k miles) 2006 S60R for $9,800 last…

I wouldn’t trust billionaires to know how to drive

My standard reply for anyone who needs to schlepp stuff, needs something dead reliable, and affordable.

Focus ST owner here. Besides power steering failure at about 40k miles, it’s been dead reliable up to 140k miles. Still on the original clutch, still on the original brakes! Maybe I’m not having enough fun with it?

This.

You’re an ICU nurse? Today, the question isn’t what car you should buy, it’s what car we should buy for you.

Used Honda Accord Sport. ~2010 with around 80k miles

How much are these going for nowaday, especially in the midst of the Coronavirus ?

The xB is basically a Corolla with a funky body in it.

I feel like used Civic SI is the right answer here for durability/reliability. The MS3 rules, but isn’t exactly the bastion of affordable durability lol.

If you don’t get to work I might die, so please buy a Corolla.

These are cute, but Audi cookie cutters seem a bit too on the nose to me.

This is a surprisingly even-handed take.

Donning my flame-retardant suit, because I can imagine how popular this statement is going to be...

That’s Red Bullshit.

Absolutely ridiculous. This car looks like other cars. They are trying too hard and need to try again, even harder this time. Lately this car company has been getting better but now they’ve gone and messed it all up. Listen to me, my opinion is correct because I own an older car which was the best of its kind. Now my…

That 918 in Martini livery makes my toes curl. I feel like that car never got the shine it deserves. Fastest production 0-60 car ever built, runs the 1/4 in under 10, has enough lateral g’s to shift the rotation of the earth AND it’s built by Germans so you know it’s not gonna catch fire or leave you stranded.

Social Distancing Goals

I think they made it from wood, not scratch.

Where does a breakfast Hot Pocket fit in? OOH it’s a pseudo-sandwich so... France, however, OTOH it’s also undeniably an American “innovation”.