Badhabit

Toyota is a good call. If you have need of a pick up truck, they are the best. I have had 3 of them over the years, and they have been the most dependable vehicles I have ever had. 2 of them were allegedly on their last legs when I got them, and I had 1 for 3 years, and 1 for 2, and sold each of them before they developed any really serious problems. The 3rd one I sold because we were moving and needed the money. I am also having car problems, no reverse in my transmission, and am considering another Toyota truck. Good luck on car shopping.

I was thinking more along the lines of a Carolla or a Camry. Both cars seems to be pretty reliable from the used car reports that I've read. Any suggestions on what questions I should ask or what to look for?

If you are buying used, be sure to have an independent mechanic do a diagnostic on the car before you buy it. There are even companies that do only diagnostic work so you know they are being honest since they can't get more money out of you later. It should cost no more than $50 or so. Money well spent if they find a problem, and for peace of mind.

We didn't get a diagnostic done when we bought hubby's Volvo. We ended up with a car with a rear-main seal leaking, which will cost $1100 to fix. At the very least, we would have gotten the dealer to fix it before we bought it.

Oh, and warranties are always a good idea (contrary to what my father told us ). A friend of mine got his full-sized pick-up's engine replace for maybe $200, instead of the thousands it would have cost, because it was covered under his warranty.

Good luck with the car search!

Bill says make sure that your mechanic doea a compression test. I'm not sure what this is but, I trust Bill. He has an '87 Ford Ranger that runs like new and keeps my '83 Olds purring like a kitten.