What kind of car should I get? - 3

I'm a 19 year old male and I'm a huge car enthusiast. I'm not the typical "I want a sports/muscle car because it's cool" type of person. Sure, I like those cars but I don't need or really even want one. I like cars with versatility that are reliable and reasonably priced. My mom got a car when it was a couple years old. It has been very reliable and she's had it for over 10 years. She racked up over 300,000 miles and still going. I'm saving as much as I can for a newer car (2011 and up) so I can do the same. I'm going back to college in a year or 2. I don't want to get a car and then sell it after I'm done with school. I want to keep on going for 10-15 years. I want something with a little bit of personality and responsive handling. I'd much rather have a sedan or wagon than a truck or SUV. I really don't want a beige Toyota Camry because that's a bit dull for me. Nothing wrong with that car, just not my type of car. I'd also like to stay away from cloth/fabric seating as it's easy to stain and difficult to clean. Plus, cloth holds moisture and odors. I was thinking the 2013-2016 Ford Fusion. I'm saving up money for a year or 2 and paying cash (I make $200-$400 a week). There will never be a loan. What kind of car should I be searching for?

Added (1). I also don't really spend money on anything so, saving should be relatively easy. I'm NOT interested in getting a sports car, muscle car, SUV, van, or truck. I just want something dependable that'll last for many years and many miles. I'd also like to stay away from Honda as I haven't known them to be all that great. I want something that can handle the city but is not ridiculously small.

Added (2). I'd also like a car that's still in production and blends in with traffic. AWD/4WD is unnecessary as it won't be driven off road or in the snow and AWD/4WD tends to use a little more fuel. FWD/RWD only.

Added (3). I want nothing to do with AWD. Why would I need it if it would be driven in a state with no snow? Compacts are too small. Mid-full size only. Why wouldn't I take care of it? I intend on keeping it for that long. Why trash it in a few years?

Are Volkswagen good cars?

I got into an accident recently and am searching for a good car. I like the VW, and the one I'm looking at is a 2011 VW Jetta gasoline engine and has a manual transmission and has 120,000 miles. I've heard really good about them and really bad. I'm a car enthusiast so it's an nice step from my 2012 Ford Fusion which also was reliable. I'm 17 so I can just go crazy with price but this one is 5k. Should I go for it or get something Japanese?

Would it be a good idea to buy this car?

I'm 19 and I'm saving for a new car. I have a family member selling a 2014 Ford Fusion S. It's just the base model with the 2.5L engine. Not anything fancy. It's $7,000-$8,000. I can't remember the exact price. They're making payments on it and just want it gone. My dad said I should go talk to them about taking over the payments or give them the money for the payment. They're about $200 a month. I'm still living at home so, I don't really have any expenses. I make about $300-$400 a week and could make multiple payments to pay it off faster and not have to worry about it. It's a car I've wanted for some time. It's not the exact package I want but I can always change what I don't like after I pay it off. Would it be a good idea to do this?

Added (1). The car is in great shape. The miles are higher but not bad. It's only a base model so they tend to go a lot cheaper than the higher ones.

Looking at a used car and I need some

I'm looking at a 2014 Ford Fusion SE to buy. I'm nervous because obviously it is a big purchase, but also because there are some contradicting reviews regarding it. I've been doing some research on these cars and majority of the reviews are positive, however there are some negative ones (transmission problems). Since some have issues, what are the chances that all or most of the cars will have the same problem? Or are the problem cars just a small percentage of the manufactured cars?

Are hybrid cars expensive to maintain and repair?

I'm looking to get a new car next year. I'm not looking to save the enviroment or anything like that. I just want to save money on gas. I'm looking at the 2013-2016 Ford Fusion Titanium. I know purchase price can be more expensive but, what about the maintenance and repairs? I knew someone who worked at a Ford dealer in 2005 when the Escape Hybrid came out. He said battery replacements were around $10,000. I know it's been 12 years so, it may be cheaper now. Is the hybrid worth it for an extra 10-15MPG? Are they expensive to own or maintain?

Added (1). That extra 10-15 MPG can make a huge difference on the miles per tank and on the open road.

ABS module vs Brake booster - which should I have replaced?

I have a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. Recently the brakes stopped working properly. Applying the normal pressure doesn't stop the car, or even slow it down at all. I have to press on the brake pedal much harder than normal to get the car to stop. Plus, it is flashing a variety of things on the dash, including:

- SERVICE ADVANCETRAC (in yellow letters)
- BRAKE - CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM (in red letters)
- a yellow wrench
- and, both the parking brake indicator and the traction control indicator (yellow car swerving) are illuminated.

I've had two different Ford dealers run a diagnostic on it, and they gave me two different diagnoses:

1) The first one said it needs a new "brake booster" because there's a bad solenoid in the original brake booster and there's no way to replace just that solenoid. They quoted me $750 for the repair.

2) The second dealer said the ABS module needs to be replaced and in the process of doing that the brake fluid needs to be flushed and refilled. They quoted me over $1,700 for the repair.

Both are confident they know what the problem is and how to repair it, but given the difference in the answers, I don't have confidence in either.

Any advice or suggestions?