I Need A Cheap Car With A Bit Of Luxury For Around Town! What Car Should I Buy?

Sam and his family just moved across the country to Oregon. He sold his beater before the move and now he needs something affordable for cruising around town. He would like something interesting while avoiding trucks and SUVs. With a budget of around $8,000, what car should he buy?

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Here is the scenario:

My family just sacrificed our "in-town" beater to move cross-country to Hillsboro, Oregon. My wife will commute in our lovely CX-5 that we also use for road trips. I'll need a new-to-me car to travel around town and pick up our toddler at day care.

I'd like to buy something fun–or maybe luxurious in a dated sort of way. I'm intrigued by RWD cars. I could go in a lot of directions, but I'd like to avoid a van or a second SUV. I'd also like to feel comfortable in the backseat, so I can hang out next to the car seat (I'm 6' tall with long legs). Only other caveats: the vehicle should be automatic and have four doors. Budget is $8,000 with another $2,000 set aside to make it immediately reliable for 3-4 years.

Quick Facts:

Budget: Up to $8,000 with a buffer for repairs

Location: Hillsboro, OR

Daily Driver: Yes

Wants: Four doors, automatic, somewhat interesting

Doesn't want: A truck or SUV

Now that you are in the PNW, you need the right car to fit the vibe. Since you want to avoid a crossover/SUV but still need a level of practicality, a wagon is the perfect solution. With a budget of around ten thousand total you can have your pick of almost any Subaru with reasonable miles. But if you really want to cruise in style, you need a Volvo longroof.

Here is a 2008 Volvo V70 wagon for less than $5,000. It has almost 150,000 miles and either the seller really splurged for an impressive detail, or this Swedish sled is in absolutely incredible condition. It checks your boxes as something with "older luxury" a comfortable back seat, and the extra cargo space is perfect for errands around town. You did mention a slight lean towards a rear-drive car, and this one is front-wheel-drive, but that just means a much safer experience when the weather pivots.

You know, it wasn't too long ago that a budget of up to $10,000 would have given you more options than you'd know what to do with. It involved opening a physical newspaper that you'd paid money for, but I remember it. Heck, you used to be able to get an entire new car for less than $10,000 if you didn't mind driving a Nissan Versa. These days it's a little more difficult, especially if you want reliability, decent interior quality, and rear-wheel drive. It's not like Toyota sells a rear-wheel drive Camry. Unless you consider the Lexus GS a Camry.

And what do you know, I found this 2006 Lexus GS for sale nearby with less than 200,000 miles on it, a title that's officially listed as clean, and a $5,000 price tag. Based on the photos, it looks like the previous owners all took decent care of it, at least as far as 20-year-old Lexus sedans with 182,000 miles on them go. It also has front and rear side-curtain airbags, which will be pretty important if you ever crash with your kid in the car. And it's a Lexus, so even if it won't be as fun to drive as an Alfa Romeo Giulia, at least you know any parts that need replacing should last another decade at least.

Speaking of replacing parts, the photos also appear to show this GS with a less-than-stock ride height. Aside from looking bad, whatever one of the previous owners did to the suspension probably makes it ride like someone who didn't know what they were doing screwed with the suspension. That's not ideal, but hey, that's what the extra $5,000 in your budget is for. It's just one suspension, Michael. How much could fixing it cost? Even better, after you throw "$5,000" at the suspension, you could even end up with a comfortable, reliable midsize family sedan that's legitimately sporty and fun to drive.

I know Collin has already suggested a Lexus GS, but I'm gonna one-up him and suggest the GS' bigger, more luxurious sibling: the third-gen LS. Though not my favorite generation of LS, these LS 430s are attractive, reliable and shouldn't break the bank, plus they are some of the best bang for your buck in terms of luxuriousness and features that you're gonna find for your budget.

The particular LS I've found for you is a great color and has the least-ugly of all this model's wheel options, plus that oh-so-2000s burl wood trim. It's the final model year of this generation, so all the kinks should have been worked out, and I wouldn't worry about the 182,000 miles on the odometer. We're talking about a turn-of-the-century Lexus, after all. This thing will last you double that. And you'll have more than enough space to stretch out in that back seat.