.
Yikes, no. It sounds like you just want something to get you there, and you don't want to spend more than you have to. If that is the case, you definitely do not want a car that is only two or three years old.
.
Get yourself a car that is about 15-20 years old, and get something made by Honda or Toyota. An Accord, Civic, Camry or Corolla from that time period (the 2000s decade) is new enough to have the technology and quality engineering to last basically forever, and old enough to have depreciated almost all of its value. A Camry or Corolla from the 2000s will run you a few grand at the most, and as long as it hasn't really been trashed, will last longer than you are able to drive it.
.
Car manufacturers improved design and manufacturing methods of their cars every year until they finally reached a point where the car is made so well that it will last so long that it is more likely to reach the end of its life through an accident than through mechanical failure. I'd say Honda and Toyota crossed that line around the turn of the century. At this point, once you buy a car made then or after, it will likely last longer than you will, as long as you perform the maintenance in the manual and change the fluids at the appropriate time.

There is a lot of good information in this thread, and I deeply appreciate everyone taking the time and effort to help me.  Right now I have the car back from the shop, and it seems to be running fine, but the car has been trouble from Day One and if it is fine today, that doesn't mean it will be fine tomorrow.  2009 Buick Lacrosse made in Oshawa, Ontario.  Avoid this particular car like the plague.  Remember that Simple Man cares

I'm replying to this particular post because you, Yeti, most closely reflect my concerns.  It's not entirely true that I just want a "here to there" car.  I am buying this as what I hope will either be my last car, or my next-to-last car, before I'm not around anymore.  I just turned 60 (people guess 10-12 years younger unless I tell them).  Perhaps $20K is overpaying, but I want to get Carmax's assurances and the "stand behind it" factor.  This figure was for two identical 2018 Camrys with 20-25K miles on them.  I figure that, at this point, the possibility of the car being a lemon from the factor is pretty much gotten out of the way --- if something serious were to go wrong with it, it would have happened by now.  I also want the car to be in fairly good cosmetic shape on the inside.  This may be picayune, but a USB port and other such connectivity is also something I want.  Right now, if my son has his phone or other unit playing it while we're driving, we have to use one of those FM transmitters, the quality of which is dodgy at best. I don't care for Bluetooth, I'd prefer USB connectivity. Of the two 2018 cars from Carmax, one was a fleet vehicle, whereas the other one was one-owner.  All other things being equal, I have to think a fleet car has been better taken care of --- there's more accountability.

Things like rear cameras, while very useful, are optional for me.  I'm not that fancy.  What I WOULD like is a rear backup alarm, to alert people on parking lots and such, that I'm backing up.  I used to have one on my Ford Taurus, very easy to install on the rear brake lights.  Putting one on the Buick, if it were even possible, would take an act of Congress --- the rear lights are that difficult to replace.

Also, you can install a new radio into any car, with USB ports, AUX ports, satellite, pandora, iphone hookups, CD, etc.  Would cost you $125 and a few hours to install.  Or you could probably pay your son to install.  Once you figure out how to take apart the console, and unscrew some things, hooking up the radio is easy.

I second this. You can get any interfaces you want then.

Another option -- get a $30 bluetooth speaker and use that to blast music while you're in the car. It can be quite loud if you get a good one. The upside is that you don't have to worry about theft -- just take the bluetooth speaker with you. OR, keep it under the seat/glove box, and if your $30 speaker is stolen, just buy another! Then you can keep hundreds of MP3s on your smartphone and listen to them. That's how our family gets music in the car these days -- and we're a VERY musical family.

But I'd like to add: there are plenty of businesses, including Best Buy (where you might buy the car stereo to begin with) that offer installation for $150 or so. That's how I always did it back in the day.

But you can get a lot of stereos, professional installs, and bluetooth speakers when you're saving THOUSANDS of dollars on a vehicle --

SimpleMan, I agree with you.  There's nothing worse than car hunting or car repair.  But if you want to save a little cash, you can get a car with 40k miles and it might be better value; might only be around $15,000.  So instead of a 1-2 yr old car with 25k miles, get a 2-3 yr old car with 40k miles.
.
Also, you can install a new radio into any car, with USB ports, AUX ports, satellite, pandora, iphone hookups, CD, etc.  Would cost you $125 and a few hours to install.  Or you could probably pay your son to install.  Once you figure out how to take apart the console, and unscrew some things, hooking up the radio is easy.
.
A car 2-3 yrs old still might have a rear alarm too.  ...At the end of the day, with all the issues you've had fixing cars, I can see why you'd want to get one that will last.  I'd choose a one-owner all day, everyday, over any rental or company owned car.  My insurance friend says one-owner cars are the best.  Usually taken care of.  Good luck!

Actually, I'm just as much, if not more so, concerned about lower mileage, as I am about age.  Maybe it's being narcissistic, but I want to feel like I'm driving an almost-new car.  I hear what you are saying about one-owner cars, but when anyone lets an enviable, fairly new car go, maybe I'm just being cynical here, but my first thought is "why did they want to get rid of such a nice car?".  Maybe they just wanted a newer model.  Maybe there were life circuмstances that forced a sale.   Maybe they couldn't make the payments.  No way to know, and I think in a case like this, having a prudent skepticism has to trump sentiments of fraternal charity and "assuming the best about people".  I can't help but think that with a fleet car, it's more of a business decision, and has nothing to do with anything "wrong" with the car.

Needless to say, a lot of "maybes" there.  This is nothing I have to do immediately.

I love my Honda Pilot, 2005.  We have a relative in the family that sees to Honda dealerships in the United States. Yeah! He told me that my Honda is good for 300, 000 miles. He drives a Honda CRV. The only vehicle that was very nice and we owned was a Volvo wagon, straight from the factory. You must have mechanics with an ear for them and only vovlo parts.  Oh, I have just under 90,000 on my 2005.

I have thought about a Volvo, but they aren't the easiest to get worked on, nor, I would assume, is it as easy to get parts for them.  But they are reputed to last forever.

I have thought about a Volvo, but they aren't the easiest to get worked on, nor, I would assume, is it as easy to get parts for them.  But they are reputed to last forever.

I know, answering one's own post, tacky, tacky, tacky...
I was actually looking at Volvos tonight on Carmax, and contrary to what I would have thought, they are not astronomically priced.  The conventional wisdom is that mileage doesn't matter, as Volvos supposedly last forever.
My apprehension would be more getting them worked on, parts for them, and mechanics who are used to working with them.  I live in an urban area large enough, that I am sure Volvo repair is readily available with no hassle, whereas if I were out in the sticks, that'd be a problem.  I've never had occasion to look into it before.  I know I saw a Volvo on the parking lot at Walmart that made me salivate, the old-school, kind of boxy design, as opposed to the more aerodynamic-looking bodies of more recent years.
Any Volvo fans here, or any wisdom, yea or nay, on the Volvo?

3rd gen Prius - best overall car we have ever owned.

3rd gen Prius - best overall car we have ever owned.

I considered a Prius but didn't want to go that route.  My gut instinct told me I should go for more traditional technology.