What Car Should You Buy: The Best Entries Of 2021

Buyer Wanted: A distinctive, fun toy-looking car

We Recommended: 2003 Chevrolet SSR

(I can’t think of a car that looks more like a real-life Hot Wheels than this.)

Alex, you have what most of us would consider a dream job. You get to design fun cars without any real concern about actual engineering or safety. There are many of us who haven’t quite outgrown collecting die-cast cars because it’s really the only way for us to own our dream fleet.

While your 2008 Corolla is the benchmark for reliability, I can understand not being excited about it. Buying something that stands out on Los Angeles is a challenge since even the most exotic rides seem commonplace, but there is one forgotten mish-mash from GM that will still get some attention. That is the Chevy SSR. In the early 2000s, the retro trend was in full swing amongst the Big Three. Chevrolet decided the best way to capitalize on that movement was to make a strange combination of a muscle car, hard-top convertible, and pickup truck.

I realize that you specifically said you wanted neither a muscle car nor a large pickup, but the SSR is neither of those things. Essentially, it’s what would happen if a Hot Wheels designer was allowed to shape an actual production car. These SSRs are somewhat collectible now, and low-mile examples can reach upwards of $40,000, but you can find ones with reasonable miles well within your budget. Here is a 2003 example with about 65,000 miles right in your area.

Buyer Wanted: A big, American family car

We Recommended: 2021 Ford F-150

(The F-150 is the modern, family car in America. No doubt about it.)

How exciting; you’re moving to America! This means you can buy a gun, unironically wear a cowboy hat and boots (this probably works in Australia, too), listen to George Strait, and tow a BIG ASS BOAT.

In the U.S., all of these things can and should be done in only one type of vehicle: a pickup truck. And there’s no more American pickup than a Ford F-150, especially a King Ranch edition, and especially one with a fuel-sucking 5.0-liter V8 motor.

Do you realize how perfectly you are describing the Ford F-150 in this paragraph?:

“I just want things to be easy, I want a vehicle I can throw things into without thinking about how to tetris pack the trunk, and I want some luxury, I want something that we can roadtrip in. Bring me the American (car) Dream.“

To so many people, the American Dream is 2.2 kids in a small house, a bit of property, and a brand spankin’ new Ford F-150 in the driveway. The formula hasn’t changed in decades, so just go with it. Don’t fight the current, swim with it as it takes you to the salvation that is the American Dream.

Buyer Wanted: Something cheap and stupid

We Recommended: 1962 Austin-Healey Sprite MKIII

(The time to make the cheapest, stupidest and best mistakes is now.)

Anthony, you’re going about this just the right way. First, you have a bachelor’s degree, the highest possible degree if you don’t count the ones other than Associate’s degree or Microsoft Certification or something. Anyway, you’re all educated-up, so your residual stupidity needs an outlet, which is why I think you should get a fun, stupid, old British car. Specifically, this cheap Austin-Healey Sprite.

Now, this is a MKIII Sprite, so not the famous Bugeye, but the one that’s basically a clone of an MG Midget. But that’s just fine! It’s only $5,500 and it still looks great, with classic midcentury pontoon styling, just shrunk down to fun-sized.

This little Brit is a goofy little go-kart, and there is no way you’re not going to have a blast each and every time you drive it. This one even runs, and it seems someone has taken some time to upgrade it a bit with a far more reliable Nissan five-speed manual transmission, better seats and a Weber carb.

[...]

This thing looks fantastic, and you’ll have so much freaking fun in it. Imagine taking a friend and driving it under an 18-wheeler in a parking lot as this pal screams and nearly shits his pants! Think of yourself weaving gleefully through all the monochrome, boring, bloated SUVs and crossovers in traffic, laughing maniacally as you row through the gears of your little sapphire-colored bathtub, eyes a pair of twin spiral of glee!

This is your car, man. Fly down to Oklahoma and drive it back. Lean into the stupid — make it yours! You’ve earned it!

Buyer Wanted: A futuristic wedge

We Recommended: 1988 Toyota Supra

(The A70 Supra embodies the spirit of the cyberpunk wedge, and might be less prone to trouble than a Lotus.)

Have you seen the prices on Toyota Supras lately? They’re wild. That generally applies to almost all golden-era Japanese sports coupes, but especially the Mk IV Supra and any Skyline GT-R.

But here’s the thing — most people don’t think about the Supra before it, the A70 generation that wasn’t in The Fast and the Furious and looks decidedly more wedge-shaped than its successor. And that’s good news for you, Kris, because that means you can nab one for a somewhat reasonable price. This particular example in Rhode Island is the cream of the crop, at least among what was on offer here in the States: a turbocharged model from 1988 in the right color, with 162,474 miles clocked all owed to one owner and no accidents reported. And it’s well within your budget, at $16,775.

Buyer Wanted: A boxy, luxe off-roader

We Recommended: 2016 Lexus GX460

(The GX Is essentially a Toyota Prado. It’s a serious off-road machine.)

You should go with something that’ll be just as dependable on-road as it is off-road. Look no further than the Lexus GX460. Sure it has a front facia that might be a little hard to look at, but once you get past that, it’s probably one of the most capable SUV’s you can buy.

Aside from the typical Lexus luxury features like leather this and wood that, you get a whole host of off-road goodies that will help you feel a little better about canceling that Bronco order. Standard 4wd, downhill assist control, plus tons of aftermarket support. All that paired with its 4.6-liter 301 horsepower V8 and its body-on-frame construction means that it’ll get you where you want to go if you venture off-road. Even though it’s a Lexus, finding one used within your budget shouldn’t be a problem like this 2016 example I found for just over $32,000.

Buyer Wanted: A classic, American V8 cruiser

We Recommended: 1967 Lincoln Continental

(The Continental is as American as the day is long, and just the perfect old-school land yacht.)

These requirements feel like a personal attack. Fine, I’ll keep the diesel Smart Fortwo that I found to myself! In all seriousness, I think I found something here that’ll you’ll enjoy. Check out this 1967 Lincoln Continental.

I see that you’re looking for a sizable 1960s American land yacht. The Continental hits this right out of the park. This massive beauty is 18-feet-long with a hood and trunk so long that they can act as a runway for a 747. The Continental weighs in at an impressive 5,000 pounds and is motivated with a 7.6-liter V8 making 340 HP.

This one comes in budget and is described in being in great condition. It was repainted in the 1990s and has a ton of original parts. It’s not in show car condition, which means that you won’t feel bad taking it on a road trip.

Buyer Wanted: A quick, capable SUV that can tow

We Recommended: 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat

(This Durango does not conform to the criteria overall, but I zeroed in on the bit about “dashed race driver dreams.” Please keep the dream alive.)

Hello Kenneth, your letter makes me sad because I did not realize people buy new Buicks to build credit, but then again there has to be a reason GM keeps Buick around, and all of that reason can’t be that they sell well in China. More to the point, you say you want an SUV or truck with some pep and one that’s big enough for four people, but the problem is that $60,000 doesn’t quite get you there, unless you’re in the market for something like a used Porsche Cayenne Turbo.

Instead, I will suggest spending a little more and getting something new, because you deserve it. That something is a Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, which starts at $81,390 and has a 6.2-liter V8 under the hood making 710 horsepower. Dodge spends its days making cars that are vulgarities, and the Durango SRT Hellcat is no exception, but I say that with love.

Also, you are allowed to make as many absolutely ridiculous automotive buying decisions as you want, and, compared to the Encore, the SRT Hellcat will feel like a Formula 1 car. Be sure to get stripes.

Buyer Wanted: A sensible, fun hatchback

We Recommended: 2015 Volkswagen GTI

(The GTI, like the Miata, is universally praised and recommended — with good reason.)

Just get a GTI.

Buyer Wanted: A cheap, reliable all-weather car

We Recommended: 2003 Pontiac Vibe

(Come on! This list wouldn’t be complete without a Toyota Matrix, otherwise known as the Pontiac Vibe.)

Sullivan, congratulations on both your education and scoring a nice gig. While right now is arguably the worst time to buy any vehicle, you can get something decent if you get creative and flexible. The first thing I will say is be open to traveling, the wider your net, the more inventory you have to pick from. And I found what might be an ideal solution, the Pontiac Vibe.

As you may know, the Vibe was co-made with Toyota and is essentially a re-badged Matrix sharing most of its major components with the Toyota Corolla. This means these things are extremely reliable. The added benefit to the Vibe/Matrix is these wagony/hatchbacks can also hold a ton of stuff. They were available with both front and all-wheel-drive. For a while the Vibe was the better value of the two since many folks didn’t know it was a Toyota underneath, so you can find Pontiacs with more reasonable miles.

These cars are not common, but here is a 2003 with 110,000 miles, some cosmetic issues but a clean history for only $4,000. If it’s well cared for you should be able to get a lot more life out of it.

Buyer Wanted: A convertible to take on memorable drives

We Recommended: 2020 BMW 230i, 2006 Toyota Solara, 1995 Suzuki Cappuccino, 2016 Mercedes-Benz E400

I’m cheating on this one and there’s way too much to quote, but humor me.

A reader asked for help choosing a car in which to spend one last year making memories with a family member who’d been diagnosed with terminal cancer. I think every single one of those cars was perfect, because every single one of those drives with that person will have been perfect. Trust me.