well, 2 to 3 k of that was to replace all the parts that might have worn out was the plan.
at the point I would buy a 5 year old corolla or honda, it is within a couple of k of a sub compact new.
I mean that is where I am kind of now in my thinking, but 4k instead of 2k or so.
if that makes sense.
The only 2 subocompacts you're getting for $16k are a Chevy Spark (if you can find one) or a Nissan Versa. Versa has a ton of safety features for it's price point, but the Civic and Corolla are still better cars with better track records.
I'm in a similar situation. Younger daughter starts driving in less than a year. Used car prices are high. The 6 year old, $3,700 Civic I bought for my older daugher in April 2019 and put $2,500 into would be a $7,500 car today, and still need $2,500 worth of work. We're trying to decide whether to buy my wife a new car and give my wife's car to my daughter, buy my daughter a new car (Civic or Corolla), or bite the bullet and overpay for a similar used Civic/Corolla that we bought for the older one, only at the higher price point of today. Not an easy call.
