As we all know by now, the new car market is a hot mess, with automakers facing legitimate shortages that are driving up prices to batshit levels. I don't know who needs to hear this, but that new minivan you're financing for $50,000 will never be worth that much after two months of driving with your kids trashing the interior.
I get it, though: for some buyers, there's no choice. You need a car, you need it today, end of story. Persoanlly, I hope to not have to buy a replacement car anytime soon. Not only because I love my wagon, but because it's incredibly hard to find anything that comes close to it for replacement purposes that will offer the same combination of fun-to-drive and versatility.
Still, if you have patience and time on your side, you can still find some very choice used vehicles with incredible reputations for durability that can be bought for reasonable money and will likely serve you faithfully for years to come. Here are some of my top choices from the current craigslist landscape:
Toyota Land Cruiser: as well know by now, the Land Cruiser holds onto its value ridiculously well. Any truck on craigslist made in the last five years still sells for near MSRP, so you can forget about finding one for less than $50K. However, if you're wiling to live with higher miles and also trust that the truck's reputation for long-term reliability is as good as they say, you can find a 2001 model like this one here on craigslist with lots of recent maintenance for $16,995.
VW Jetta SportWagon: The classifieds pages are littered with these things. The SportWagon got super cheap when the TDI scandal broke and VW had to sell these things for what seemed like pennies on the dollar. Still, I would skip over the TDI and find a gasoline model with the five-cylinder 2.5L mill, as nothing sounds like an I5 with an aftermarket exhaust. This one here on craigslist also looks to have some tasteful upgrades, like the OEM wheels.
Jeep Cherokee XJ: The final fling of the classic XJ Cherokee with its over-engineered inline-six is a desirable specimen, much like the Land Cruiser. It's far more affordable, however, at the expense of the two third-row jump seats the Toyota comes with. This example here on craigslist comes equipped with numerous factory options, including the desirable "Up Country" suspension kit that features a higher ride height and limited slip differential.
Mini Cooper Clubman S: The wagon-ized version of the classic Mini Cooper was not as much of a home-run as the first generation model with its snorty supercharged powertrain. The Clubman also didn't add a ton of usable space - it was more like a longer rear hatch floor with barn doors to make it easier to load about the same amount of cargo. Still, the classifieds pages are littered with them, and this example here on craigslist is listed for just $10,995 with a hair under 100,000 miles.
Volvo XC70: Full disclosure, I know nothing about Carvana, where this wagon is listed for sale. I've heard they are hemoraghing money and that they pay too much for used cars, but that could all be hearsay. The bottom line is, they have a lot of inventory when few dealers can say that. This 2010 Volvo XC70 has a meaty six-cylinder under the hood along with the rough-and-tough plastic body cladding that makes these waspy wagons a nice alternative to the Subaru Outback. It's listed here on craigslist with low miles for just $18,590.
If you're the kind of shopper that needs a new car every two years, there's not much I can offer for alternatives. But if you're OK with an older model that should be fairly cheap to own over the long-term, these craigslist finds are compelling options.