I think the Kia Soul would be a good choice, if Uber/Taxi is out of the conversation

This is one case where the added ride height of a CUV is 100% important. It can be hard sitting down and getting up from a corolla-height car when you’re in your 80's.

Counterpoint - and not intended to invalidate what you’re saying:

Scalping items should be illegal. It fuels inflation, it degrades purchasing power, and keeps the poor poor.

Yeah, dealers could absolutely do the whole thing over email.  But they are dealers, so you probably need to “come on in” at most places and they’ll try to sell you a $50k Ranger instead of the $30k Maverick you wanted.

I’m sure the margins aren’t huge, but the higher trim levels are probably good and you’re getting young people into the brand.

Even funnier when you consider that in the latter half of the 2010's, all the big manufacturers revamped the mid-size class by making them all significantly larger, while keeping the traditional bed lengths.

Losing sales to other manufacturers?  The only real alternative is Hyundai.

Maverick hybrid is the best deal in cars, period. Fuel economy better than an economy sedan, for price less than or equal to that economy sedan. With all the room and practicality of a 4 door truck.

Being a 22-year-old car from Pennsylvania, this thing has undoubtedly seen a LOT of road salt, unless somebody inexplicably bought a barebones Cherokee to keep as a garage queen.

Right. But then you’re likely to be driving a Ford Focus with a transmission that could grenade at any second.

My SIL has a 2011 SEL and it’s a solid car. It’s plasticky inside, and early SYNC without a screen will make you want to punch the radio, but lots of “transition” infotainment systems from that era suck (looking at you, my 2014 Grand Caravan). But otherwise, it drives well and has been largely reliable for her other…

Let’s take that thrift one step further - you can save $5 on the USB cable if you go for an early 90's Civic - just bring the screwdriver and nothing else.

Nothing that is mainstream cool. Nothing says uncool like a dead brand, or a model that has been significantly changed or gone extinct. Mercury Mariner and Milan, Chevrolet Trailblazer if you can tolerate terrible MPG, end of the run Oldsmobiles if you can still find them.

But they come with a shit transmission. 

Disagree with $20k for a 20 year-old Chrysler being a good deal.

I bought a late model used car right when the pandemic began, so zowee, “huge” miles since then....

I’m noticing conferences in general are all underperforming. I’ve been to a handful of industry related conferences and trade shows, and pretty much all of them are a ghost town.

Neutral my Mazda CX-5 has more ground clearance than a Crosstrek and lots of off road mileage going to trailheads and the occasional boat launch. The Mazda is also more attractive,  more reliable and less expensive used 

Found the sucker!