re: Have to get a used vehicle for my son during his mid-term Christmas break

Consider a used Mazda. Depending on the year and model, you can find ones made in Japan, which in my opinion have superior build quality. And Mazda’s reliability is second only to Toyota’s but their resale isn’t as strong, so you get a better used value. Have him check out the Mazda3 sedan/hatch and CX-3/CX-5 crossovers.