I purchased my 1996 Toyota Avalon for the price of $3,000 as my first car 5 years ago, in 2011. At the time of purchase, the car was in decent condition for its age; there were no obvious defects or damages and the car had around 150,000 miles on the odometer. As of February 2016, the car currently has over 210,000 miles on the odometer and, despite the wear and tear put on it by the beginning driver that I was, including damage done from small accidents and collisions, it is still very reliable and running strong. The car's interior is extremely spacious, with even very tall passengers being comfortable riding in the back seat. The front seats are powered and very comfortable to sit in. The V6 1MZ-FE engine is still very powerful and I am able to overtake other drivers with ease when necessary. The rest of the car's drivetrain is solid as well, especially the automatic transmission, which includes an ECT Power feature which allows drivers to get a higher number of revolutions per gear before shifting. All in all, I would recommend this car to anyone looking for a cheap, reliable vehicle with all the comforts of a luxury vehicle.

My vehicle is almost as old as I am, but it is very dependable and gets the job done. I like that it has not broken down on me ever, I like that it is very spacious on the inside, and I like that it has automatic windows and a sunroof. I do not like the look of the car. It is extremely long for my liking, has a weird maroon color, and has a strange "chrome" lining around the wheels and door handles. It runs very smoothly, but does not get the best gas mileage. It takes approximately $35 to fill the gas take each time, which is way more than I'd like for this car. I do not like the leather seats as much as I thought I would, but they do they're work I suppose. The car was so old when I got it that I had to install a new radio and replace the A/C, but other than that no real major problems with the car. The car is starting to fall apart internally, such that the "coverings" on the interior door fall off as well as the light cover. The speakers are starting to go out, but overall it is still running and for the price of $0 a month it does just fine. The best thing about the car is that I own it and do not have to pay a monthly payment on it. Yes it is not aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and what I consider a "grandma car," it is very reliable and has not let me down just yet.