Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » Fun cheap economical car 1 2

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  May 28, 2009 5:26 a.m. foxtrapper SuperDork

  Sigh, I need to stop feeding the truck gas as a daily commuter. 17-19 mpg at 74 miles a day is expensive. Especially as gas prices keep going up.

  The good news, used cars are cheap these days! I like that.

  Now the head scratching. I need something that sips gas, has A/C (a must for me), is reliable (so I can focus on other unreliable more interesting cars).
  

  I love the idea of rationalizing a Miata. It's an excuse to get another CRX. On the other hand, having a rear seat would be a good idea, as I've got a kid, and that makes three of us.
  

  So I also find myself thinking about a Hond Civic or older Accord (yawn), a Geo Metro (the epitome of un-excitement?), A Toyota Tercel or Camry.

  I found a 2CV nearby, but... not to sensible as a daily commuter around here.

  Saturns seem to be going real cheap, as do Ford Escort ZX2's.
  

  What sort of gas sipping reliable commuter cars would some of you recommend? In the 30+mpg range.

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  May 28, 2009 6:00 a.m. bravenrace HalfDork

  '89-'91 Civic si.

  WWW.THE912PROJECT.COM

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  May 28, 2009 6:10 a.m. ignorant SuperDork

  I got a 96 civic dx, bought it from a school teacher with 68k miles on it. She's not pretty but she'll knock down over 40mpg on the highway and over 35mpg around town(with the A/C off) 32mpg is the worst I've gotten in that car.
  

  It needs work to handle OK as the Dx's didn't come with front sway bars. But it's a civic so all the parts are out there.

  walterj said "I would have everything from the knee down replaced with peg if I were in your shoes."

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  May 28, 2009 6:12 a.m. 4cylndrfury HalfDork

  my fav is an Imprezza 2.5 RS...add a cold air kit, and you should be near the 30mpg range IIRC

  "Id get an Aston-Martin Vanquish...theres not much a woman wont do in the passenger seat of one of those" - Handsome Rob

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  May 28, 2009 7:06 a.m. jrw1621 HalfDork

  The ultra-appliance is a '01 or '02 Chevy Prizm, the sibling to the Toyota Corolla. For those two years with Toyota's variable timing motor the window sticker said 32/41mpg for a 5 speed and 30/40 for the 4 speed automatic.

  These cars may not be synonymous with the word fun but you get a respectable car (not funny like a Metro or Echo) with a kid friendly back seat and the fuel economy of a motorcycle. Adding to the "fun factor" is that '02 was the last year for the bosy style before all the economy cars became "tall rather than small." The low to the ground-ness of the Prizm does add to some of the driving experience, a little.

  Often the Chevy Prizm version can be found cheaper that the Corolla version but Prizms are had to find with manual transmissions. Also be aware that the Prizm offered a cheaper 3 speed trans that was not geared for the great highway mpg. On Prizms the 4 speed auto was an option and can be distinguished by the presence of an overdrive button on the side of the gear shifter.

  Another car out there that seems to be a bargin is the Mitsubishi Mirage. I think these are a value because they are often overlooked for the more popular Toyota and Hondas. The Mirage (in either 2 door or 4 door) carried a window sticker of 32/39 in 2001.

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  May 28, 2009 7:19 a.m. John Brown SuperDork

  Deathscorts FTW.

  "Oh, that woman, got a mouth like an outboard motor" Foghorn Leghorn

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  May 28, 2009 7:20 a.m. mad_machine SuperDork

  I rented a mirage when I was between cars.. HATED it.

  I would also recommend the Hyundai Accent. If you can find one with a 5 speed and the 16v engine, they can be zippy (not fast, but quick) little commuters that can be entertaining, frugal, and very reliable.

  Skierd (on this forum) used to autoX one

  Has anybody seen where I left my wits?

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  May 28, 2009 7:21 a.m. minimac Dork

  My college age son, Jr.Mini, has been driving the wheels off of a '96 Geo Prizm for the past few years. This thing has been dead nuts reliable and delivers very good gas mileage(37- 39 highway). Being a stick, it's a little more fun to drive and it's big enough that he can take a few friends with him if he wants. A whole lot cheaper than the Corolla, it's bastard twin. Cheap to buy, cheap to maintain, cheap to operate, and invisible to the po-po. Prior to that we shared a Saturn SL-1. With some chubby tires it handled decently, gas mileage was comparable to the Prizm, didn't worry about getting door dings, cheap, reliable transportation, but the seats were horrendous if we had to drive any length of time. I ended up putting in buckets from a newer(wrecked) Saturn and that helped a ton. If you look at a Saturn, again go with the manual trans. It's a slug otherwise.

  "If you can make a girl laugh, you can make her do anything" Marilyn Monroe

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  May 28, 2009 7:56 a.m. Rusty_Rabbit84 Reader

  Im guessing a Suzuki Swift GT or a Volkswagen Golf or Jetta?

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  May 28, 2009 8:06 a.m. P71 Dork

  Mazda Protege is the ticket here. High 30's on MPG, actually fun to drive, 4 (or 5) doors, and reliable as gravity. If your interesting car(s) break it will autocross/rallycross pretty damn good as well.

  Michael Pinto

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  May 28, 2009 8:20 a.m. Brian Dork

  I had a '99 Accord EX that we bought new. I just sold it late last year. It had ~115k nearly problem free miles. Window sticker said 31mpg highway. It would do that if you could go 70mph or less.
  

  4cyl / 5sp manual is a fun combo. The handling is fine with some good tires. Not as flickable as a Civic of course, but much nicer, bigger, and quieter inside. I would have kept it if I had other fun cars to play with. Instead, I bought a toy/DD combo car.
  

  What does "cheap" mean to you?

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  May 28, 2009 8:43 a.m. 81gtv6 Reader

  Toyota FX16, if you can find one. These were new when I was in HS and I have always wanted one.

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  May 28, 2009 8:48 a.m. belteshazzar Dork

  I'd buy a saturn, but at least half of that is just being comfortable working on them.

  spending money I don't have to buy parts I don't need to impress people I don't know

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  May 28, 2009 9:16 a.m. 93celicaGT2 Dork

  John Brown wrote: Deathscorts FTW.

  My only issue with my Deathscort, is that it gets worse gas mileage than the "race car." Although that may have something to do with the fact that i thoroughly enjoy the rev-happy-ness of it, and abuse it horribly every time i drive it. There is a sick sense of accomplishment everytime i almost kiss 70mph in 2nd gear. (According to the inaccurate, or so i assume, speedo.)

  That being said, even with me not being nice to it, it has returned 32mpg mixed driving. I have no doubts that it's capable of high 30s.

  I saw that someone said FX16. DO WANT. Tercel. DO WANT. Paseo, anyone?

  Obligatory ST-trim Celica, as well. All the gas mileage, about the same guts as anything else i mentioned (barring the deathscort), and very respectable handling.

  1992 Celica GT (3rd gen 3sgte in progress), 1991 Celica GT Vert, 1993 Ford Escort GT ($1037 so far)

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  May 28, 2009 9:20 a.m. jcanracer New Reader

  used Honda Fit if you can find one, but the prices might still be high.

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  May 28, 2009 9:30 a.m. iceracer Reader

  I like my ZX2. Capable of over 40mpg. Good performance. Very reliable. If previous owner was a teenager, shy away.

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  May 28, 2009 10:03 a.m. speedblind New Reader

  I really liked by CB7 (early 90s models) Accord when I had it. 30+ mpg easily, cheap parts, easy to work on, etc. (well, the timing belt is a pain). Great, solid cars that are cheap and last forever if taken care of.
  

  Not the sexiest options, but as far as fun to drive goes, it'll be comfortable 70+ miles/day and has enough power to maintain 75-80mph without breaking a sweat. That'd be enough excitement for me if I was on a long commute. I'd add a nice stereo.

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  May 28, 2009 10:46 a.m. amg_rx7 Reader

  P71 wrote: Mazda Protege is the ticket here. High 30's on MPG, *actually* fun to drive, 4 (or 5) doors, and reliable as gravity. If your interesting car(s) break it will autocross/rallycross pretty damn good as well.

  Another vote for the Mazda Protege. Fun driving car, inexpensive, looks great, reliable, reasonably roomy.

  Ford Focus is also a potential candidate.

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  May 28, 2009 11:12 a.m. pres589 New Reader

  Daewoo Lanos hatch? If you can find one in good condition it should cost pocket change to purchase.
  

  Note: never owned, driven, or even sat in these things so take this idea with large grains of salt.

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  May 28, 2009 5:57 p.m. foxtrapper SuperDork

  Thanks for the comments. A few cars there I hadn't thought of, and a few year specifications I wasn't familiar with.

  My budget is $3,000. And I'd like to come in well under that, but I'd also like dead nuts reliability.

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  May 28, 2009 6:40 p.m. rmarkc New Reader

  +1 on the Prizm.

  Mom had a 91that she bought as a dealer demo in 91 and it is still going strong. The only "major" repair in it's history is when I replaced the radiator because (IIRC) one of the plastic end tanks cracked.
  

  I did all the oil changes and that thing said Toyota all over the place underneath.

  The 3-speed auto was slow but it handled OK.

  Find a clean, vintage Prizm and you'll probably have enough change to shop for a Miata.

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  May 28, 2009 8:36 p.m. ccrelan New Reader

  You can't go wrong with the b13 91-94 nissan sentra se-r. It is hard to find unmolested ones, but they are super cheap and parts very inexpensive. They are well designed, get good MPG, handle well and are tough to kill.

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  May 28, 2009 10:04 p.m. 92dxman Reader

  The answer is Escort. Parts are cheap and can be attained at any parts stores. I netted 43 mpg on a recent trip up to Montreal averaging 65-75 on the highway. You can make them handle very well with some cheap parts..

  93 Escort hatch & a flock of bikes..

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  May 29, 2009 7:01 a.m. Bobzilla HalfDork

  Swift GT's aren't exactly the most frugal mileage getters.... my last tank was 26mpg.
  

  I second Accent notion. 01-02 1.6L DOHC with the 5spd in a hatch is a good little car. Mandatory updrage would be suspension (springs/struts) and you'd have a high 30's commuter that can slice and dice traffic.

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  May 29, 2009 8:03 a.m. Xceler8x Dork

  Protege. I had the late 80's and early 90's version with the 1.6 from the Miata. A rock solid car, lightweight, easy to maintain, and very tossable.

  You are what you do, when it counts.

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