OT-What kind of car would you recommend?

So a few weeks ago I was in a car accident and my car was totaled. Things with the insurance company are *finally* winding down, so I should be able to really start looking for another vehicle now that I know what I'm getting from them.

Anyways, I was wondering what you all think is a good car and what you would recommend.

I am looking for a car that is:
1) Safe!...I have bad luck. I have been in 4 accidents in less than 3 years, totaling two cars. Only one of these accidents was my fault. The others people hit me.

2)Used. After paying off my old car, I will have about $1800 left to spend on a "new" car. I am hoping to just pay cash so that I don't have to make any car payments. I am SICK of making payments!

3)Reliable. I have to drive a lot for work.

4)I don't really care much if it's an SUV, mini-van, truck, car or whatever, although, it kind of scares me to drive a smaller car. If I'd been driving a small(er) car in this most recent accident I don't know if I would have walked away from it. Very scary...makes me panic. I was driving a RAV4.

So what do you think? What would you be looking at if you were in my shoes? There are so many to choose from, I don't know where to start!!!

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With only having a budget of

With only having a budget of $1800, your choices are going to be extremely limited but I completely understand not wanting to have a car payment. You may be better looking out at something like CarMax and seeing what they have available in that price range. Most of them will probably be smaller type vehicles. The smallest price range I could find on their website was under $10,000 with the cheapest car at $7,000 - you may want to start checking out the classifieds in your local paper or Autotrader.
I personally will never drive a small car again - I'm currently in a Ram 1500 Quad Cab - The smallest I'm willing to go is a smaller SUV - maybe a large sedan but like you've I've been in accidents I probably would not have walked away from had I been in a small car.

http://www.autotrader.com/ Go

http://www.autotrader.com/

Good luck with an $1,800 budget... but anything is possible with a recession going on.

I had a 1994 Jetta and it was

I had a 1994 Jetta and it was a great car! In that year it was one of the safest cars...it was so safe that my insurance was 1/2 of and older car I had that was wirth 1/2 as much as my Jetta...you might look into them. Also, when I sold it it had over 200k miles on it and still worked great...no issues at all except chg oil and breaks in 200k miles.

YES YES YES!!! You need a

YES YES YES!!! You need a jetta!!!

ive had two of them and they are the best little cars!! even now with my Mercedes, my husband gets annoyed when i see a jetta and i say "awwwww i miss my little jetta" hes like why did i buy you a Mercedes then?!

i had a 2000, and i totaled it on the freeway, in los angeles traffic mind you going about 70 mph i hit a car, the center divider, and the guard rail, i was doing all kinds of twist and turns...and i walked away from the accident!! I personally would never trust a honda...just my opinion, but i know from experience that a jetta is a GREAT and SAFE car!!

I drive a newer Honda Accord

I drive a newer Honda Accord & it has been great. My brother bought an older one because he drives 100 miles a day for work & it gets great gas milage that his brand new 25,000.00 vehicle doesn't. The only downside is the accord are expensive when it comes to replacing tires so maybe a Civic.

The first car I totaled was a

The first car I totaled was a civic. I LOVED that car. It was fun and fast (enough for me anyways). I really liked it.

There are some cars in my

There are some cars in my area that are being sold for around $1100 or so, but they're smaller Toyota's/Honda's/Mazda's etc. I really just don't want to be in a small car!

for $1800.00 I would try a

for $1800.00 I would try a buick Regal or Chevy Malibu . I work for a dealership for a living. They both are reliable ,safe, and seem to hold up. Let me know if you need and more info. But, have a mecanic check it out. $1800.00 is not alot. I would try craigs list for a car near your house. Look for a car for $2500.00. Then offer him $1800.00. He just might take it ! Good Luck !!!

Thanks Pat. I am actually

Thanks Pat. I am actually looking in the $2500 range with the thought that I will be able to haggle them down. Thank you for the suggestions!

Glad to help chance.....

jap crap , if you like a gas

jap crap , if you like a gas pedal that sticks....

An older jeep cherokee.

An older jeep cherokee. That's what I drive. a 1989 jeep. I love her sooo much. Drive one and you will see what I mean. Mine is in really good condition for it's age and the value for it is only 1500 so it's in your budget.

I concur on the older Jeep

I concur on the older Jeep Cherokees as far as reliability and safety are concerned. I had a 1994 that I baught in 2004 for my SIL who was then living with us. We were her guardians.

I paid 2000.

They are bullet proof, reliable, safe and affordable to repair.

Best regards.

1800 isn't alot of money for

1800 isn't alot of money for a reliable and safe car. Any way you could add even a couple of hundred dollars to it? Usually when you get above the 2000 mark you find better cars. I'd go for a Honda. I had a civic and now drive a CRV. Loved the civic but it was too small for husband. I'd check the classifieds The reason I'd go for a Honda is because I've owned used fords and chevys and my civic was used too but it cost more to purchase but I had less repairs and less down time.

I just found out from the

I just found out from the insurance company that they had deducted money from the amount they were going to give me for my car because they said it didn't have air conditioning...well it does, so that boosts my "car money" up to about $2000-$2100 now. We'll see!

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I have seen a few older jeep cherokee's in my area that I will look at now. I never considered it before because I always heard they take a lot of maintanence.

I can speak for the Jeep

I can speak for the Jeep Cherokee. My ex & I got one about a year before we separated (2000). It was a 1994. I left it when I split, but he's still driving it. In 2005, I purchased a 2000 model & it has been a great vehicle. The only maintenance I've had to do on it has been the regular oil changes & things like that. We have a friend couple who have a Grand Cherokee & BM also has a Grand Cherokee. They have both had issues with the 4-wheel drive. I'm not sure if it's the same with all models of the Grand Cherokee. Both of the ones I'm referring to are the same year, but they run in 4-wheel drive all the time. The regular Cherokee you can run in either 2wd or 4wd.

The jeeps had a bad

The jeeps had a bad reputation for transmission issues, I've known people who have had them and never had the issue. You take a chance no matter what brand you buy. Test drive it and if you can have a mechanic look at it before you buy.

Go to Autotrader.com and

Go to Autotrader.com and Cars.com and eBay and put in your maximum price and check out ALL the vehicles in that price range and then compare the available cars. You're better off with a slightly older import with more miles. I try to buy American and have owned American trucks, but when it comes to quality cars, especially older models (some domestics are getting better but most of them will be new), you have to go foreign, preferably Japanese...