The Impala nameplate spans six decades and two entirely different missions: the '60s SS models are among the most beautiful American cars ever built, while the modern FWD sedan is a spacious, comfortable highway cruiser with a ticking clock under the hood. That clock is the 4T65e transmission, which fails with enough consistency that police fleets, high-mileage civilian owners, and forum threads all independently name it as the car's Achilles' heel, often giving out between 150k and 220k miles. If you're restoring a classic, you're buying into a legend with straightforward mechanicals and endless parts support. If you're shopping the 2000s-era FWD generations, budget for a transmission rebuild and you'll likely get your money's worth.
Honda built a car that medical couriers trust to rack up 236,000 miles in a single year, and it sold for $19k afterward, still running. That's the Civic's superpower: it absorbs punishment, holds value, and asks for nothing but oil changes every 10k miles. The 2022-and-newer models look sharp, feel grown-up inside, and the hybrid actually delivers 40+ mpg without the usual compromises. The 2017-2019 turbo models had an oil dilution problem in cold climates that Honda was slow to address, so avoid those years if you live where it freezes. The Type R is brilliant but costs $48k, which is Elantra N money plus a vacation. Buy a Sport or EX trim under $30k and you'll understand why people who own one Civic tend to buy another.