A new DD

clutchsmoke said:

What blew up on your Civic? That would be your cheapest DD option to fix it and keep racking up miles, but having commuted in one for years I would also be ready for something quieter and comfortable.

Of your options the Accord would be a nice place to spend time. Also consider Acura TSX.

Put a rod thru the oil pan. I’m already $2k into a $400 car and I’m disgusted with it. Yea the amount I drive, I would prefer a bit more comfort. 

mazdeuce - Seth said:

Some of it depends on where you are in the country. I'd shy away hard from 90's cars in Michigan for instance, but actively look for them here in Texas. 

Any reason to not just get another Civic? The EP3 Si is stupid cheap in most of the country right now, is one hell of a fun daily, and very nappable. 

Gettysburg PA, so it’s hit and miss with rust issues, I can venture out a couple hours for rust free examples. I’ll look into that Civic, but in a perfect world I’d stay under $3k as it’s a pretty firm budget without financing if I can avoid it. MPG and napping is leading me to a compact wagon (Escort for example)

Antihero said:

Maybe take a look at your local craigslist and post what youve found there in your budget and post some links?

 

I wanted something fun to drive, cheap and getting good mpg too. I ended up with a zx2, not exactly a comfy backseat though

I’ll work on that tomorrow at work, this forum doesn’t seem to like my iPhone much lol

i considered a ZX2, found a couple stick examples in an ‘03 flavor, but then it’s back to the issue of the average 2.2 kids people tend to have to run around. However I did recently work out a deal with a couple people to get a good used 4L60E put into my Trailblazer essentially for free, so a backseat is going to be less of an issue, but then I’m back to the napping situation (I’m 5’7”)

bcp2011 said:

Gonna throw out Prius as an alternative (or hybrid Civic).  Sure, it's not a "fun" car but if you really want to jazz it up there are suspension bits out there for it.  ANd it ticks all your other boxes (utility, sleeping, etc.)

Simple logic is this - seems like money is a little tight and you travel a bunch, so difference in mileage adds up quickly in terms of $$$.

At 40k miles / year you're using ~1150 gallons @ 35MPG and 800 gallons at 50MPG.  That 350 gallons delta is worth $900-$1,000 bucks a year based on gas around where I am (and who knows, predicting gas price is a fool's errand) - and if you travel more than 40k it's worth even more.  That's like 1/3 to 1/4 of the value of the car, per year, that we're talking about here.  The risk, of course, is that the battery pack goes during your ownership, but I've seen those for less than a grand, so you take the risk of having to give back some of your gas savings.  They did come from the factory with a 10y/150k warranty and I've seen people drive them up to 250k on original battery under ideal scenarios (e.g., fairly stable temp all year round (no extreme heat of cold), frequent usage, etc.).  If you can find one from California that's used with some regularity you'll have the best chance of finding a long lasting battery.  The rest of the car is very solid - ours is at 180k and outside of consumables nothing else has been needed.  

I hear you with the math, however I despise hybrids lol, I actively make fun of those who drive them, and publicly curse at them in traffic. The ONLY thing I like about a Prius is the one guy I saw in traffic with a bumper sticker that read “I only drive a Prius to save money for guns and ammo”

John Welsh said:

Open up the Craigslist city of your choice.  Using the filters on the left side of the page choose "manual trans only".  Put in a price cap of maybe asking $3,500.

See what pops up.

Non-sporty cars with manual trans are very slow to sell.  There just plain aren't that many people willing to drive one any more.  Those who know are getting older and don't want to bother.  No one taught the younger generations how.  

Sure, in sporty cars a manual may be more desirable but in non-sporty cars like Nissan Versa, Hyundai Elantra, Pontiac Vibe, Kia Soul they are not that desirable to the general population.  As such, the sellers have a much harder time selling these cars.  You can often translate this slow sale to a significantly discounted price compared to the auto trans counterpart of the same car.

Often these cars that still have manual trans are very low spec.  Many were not offered with cruise control so if that is important to you, be sure to check.  Even check if they have AC...on some it was optional.  

Unfortunately it does seem as if they have a stick, they have few other options, almost as if stick is a “fleet vehicle” only gig, /sadface 

John Welsh said:

Also use fueleconomy.gov to see the mpg rating of any car sold in the US since 1985.  You can compare cars.  If you dig through the info you can see what a specific car will save you in fuel costs per year. You can personalize the data also. The savings from better mpg may not be as much as you think.  Be cautious to not spend $3k more on a car with the perception of good mpg, only to find out that that car might only save you $500 per year in fuel.  In that example you'd have to own the car for 6 years just to break even.  

I actually was just messing with that site a few days ago, quite a valuable tool. I just wanted to get the hives opinion on different options. Also, given the parameters I put in, it was basically “civic civic civic obscure civic civic obscure” lol

John87 said:

Been lurking for quite some time and just recently decided to sign up

(I was lured here because of Seth’s AMG rebuild)

In the past 2 months my $400 300k mile 99 Civic blew up, and the transmission went on my 05 Trailblazer. I need a new DD (I drive 125+ miles a day just for work so decent mpg needs to happen) Reliability and longevity is important as I can log 40k miles in a year without breaking a sweat.

I would prefer a manual as it would allow me to squeeze a few more mpg however I am not discounting autos altogether. Something fun yet utilitarian. Interesting and practical. Additionally rear seating for the average 2.2 kids is important, and above all a bargain is optimal. I also occasionally nap in the car so folding down a rear seat and laying down would rock.

Ive considered a few options:

12+ 5 speed Focus hatchback, $6-8k, 38 mpg highway, not going to happen because my bank account says no (and no way would I consider the grenade of an auto these came with)

I don't think they made a 5 speed.  A friend has a base model '13 sedan and it has a six speed.  I'd like to say that he bought it new for around $13k out the door.  It was almost the same price as another friend's (base sedan/manual) Fiesta, and the fuel economy is also almost the same, which made us wonder why anybody would bother buying the Fiesta unless they REALLY wanted a small car.  Apparently the market agreed.  Anyway, unless they keep their value remarkably well, I can't understand why one of these wouldn't have depreciated into affordable used car territory.

I think he could only get down to 38mpg if he did a lot of city traffic.  It is good for 42mpg no problem.

The Focus is also a HUGE car.  It's about the size of a 1980s Taurus.  And between the fold down rear seat and the way the trunk is shaped, one shouldn't discount the sedan.  He bought it in part because he would be able to fit his Felt in the back without having to pop the wheels off, so he could Always Be Ready To Ride.  You could probably comfortably sleep two people in there, maybe even three if they were tolerant of each other.

Gettysburg... 

01 Accord

01 Accord also

This will be hard to sell... Nissan Cube with 6 speed manual. A dealer listing under the owner section. Posted 2 months ago but likely still available 

John87 said:

I hear you with the math, however I despise hybrids lol, I actively make fun of those who drive them, and publicly curse at them in traffic. The ONLY thing I like about a Prius is the one guy I saw in traffic with a bumper sticker that read “I only drive a Prius to save money for guns and ammo”

You've made some really thoughtful and rational points on why hybrids are insufficient for your needs.  I'm also happy to be driving a vehicle so you have something to point and laugh at.  Unfortunately for mankind it appears that you've already procreated... /sadface

Ive owned a Prius (recently sold it), and some other faster or more interesting hybrids, and some pretty iconic car 'mainstream enthusiast cars' too. Not all of them made it into my list of 'best all around cars of all time' list, but the Prius did. It is damn near the top. Not for every person or every purpose, but then again i have different cars for different purposes and one reason i finally let go of the Prius at ~275k was that it was so reliable and inoffensive that it almost made it a hurdle for me to choose to get into my more interesting (and usually far more flawed) cars to drive to work. Meanwhile i drove an extremely nice S2000 all the way across town on the highway tonight and came up with a whole list of complaints. Wrong tool for the job! Prius on the other hand is right for pretty much everything but racing. Unless you mean endurance racing in which case there are numerous examples of Prius's (prii, officially) doing REALLY well in Lemons because they don't break. 

Of the other things mentioned, I think the 5spd Accord appeals to me most, although its VERY sad to me that they didn't make a wagon of that generation. I also really like Nissan Cubes and they are HUGE on the inside. 

In reply to Vigo :

Yeah, that's how I feel about DD#1's C-max.  She was pretty firmly set on getting a hybrid for the fuel economy, and that's the one she wanted.  She found a nice used one at train-and-drive distance.  She bought it and we drove it home.  By the time we finished a 3-hour drive in mixed freeway and city traffic, I was convinced.  The electric boost made it nicely responsive, and it's quiet, smooth, and comfortable. SEL trim has leather and some really nice amenities.  It's absolutely a car I would be happy to spend a couple years and 80,000 miles using up.

In reply to Duke :

Guys - OP already thinks anyone driving a hybrid is an idiot.  Why waste any more time.

I have 2 Prius in my business fleet. I saw them as the right tool for the job.

You know, those times when a haggard Infiniti Q45 with a manual trans swap and nitrous is not the right tool. 

John Welsh said:

You know, those times when a haggard Infiniti Q45 with a manual trans swap and nitrous is not the right tool. 

I don't understand. That sounds like the right tools for everything. 

bcp2011 said:

In reply to Duke :

Guys - OP already thinks anyone driving a hybrid is an idiot.  Why waste any more time.

There's always hope for his enlightenment.  My daughter's other car is an NB Miata on RE71Rs. You don't have to be a fartsniffer to drive a hybrid.  If I was burning through cars and gasoline doing 40k a year I'd absolutely be looking at used hybrids.

I hadn't given hybrids the time of day until we got my wife a used Lexus CT200h a few years back. Drove that thing for 2 years with not one single issue.

The look on guys faces when we put bathroom vanities and who knows what else in the back of that thing was priceless, and it knocked down 40ish mpg all the time. Definitely made a good impression on me, I wouldn't hesitate to consider a hybrid for daily duties again in the future.

Duke said:

There's always hope for his enlightenment.  My daughter's other car is an NB Miata on RE71Rs. You don't have to be a fartsniffer to drive a hybrid.  If I was burning through cars and gasoline doing 40k a year I'd absolutely be looking at used hybrids.

I'm in totally agreement - we have a prius for every day and a FRS for track use.  But OP doesn't seem like someone who wants to listen to common sense so let him burn through cars and gas... 

This sounds like a 2.0 liter Mazda 3i.

I own a FWD SX4, a Sportback, so it's the hatch and is supposed to be about 10mm low riding than the other FWD versions.  

It's okay.  It's actually be pretty reliable.  Just basic wear and tear items like shocks & struts, brake pads, in the nearly 120k miles it has now (I got it with 30k).  Six speed manual trans in mine.  The shift quality is kind of weak; this isn't a Honda.  I get about 30mpg average with a lot of highway driving.  A/C and cold weather both will kill economy.   It isn't fast but I don't find it to be painfully slow.  

The styling sold me.  I probably would be better off with a Fit.  They seem better packaged and slightly nicer inside.  MPG's are a bit better.  

I'm not screaming to get out of the SX4 into something else but if I was shopping today I wouldn't go looking for one.  The Vibe also seems like a better option.  Base model RSX or a Celica would interest me as well.  Maybe a CIvic hybrid (most Prius's seem so boring and dorky...) with a bit of suspension work.  

I'll offer my 2 cents, but keep in mind I'm an old-school hot rodder.

I got a lot of votes for the Vibe/Matrix when I was looking for an appliance.  I drove a few, and "fun" is the absolute last word I would use to describe it.  Fantastic appliance, but about as much fun as a used gym sock.  Same goes for Prius.

I might look to the Mazdas.  Their 4-bangers don't scream HP, but they make a surprising amount of torque.  I had a mid-90s MX6 at the shop as a parts runner/courtesy car.  It was actually fun.

Possibly a Suby Impreza, although at your price range they seem to hold their value which means you might not get as much car for your dollar.

What about a nicely maintained W210.  The E300 diesel gets 30+ mpg and they are darn near bulletproof.  Their resale value tanks because Mercedes, but they were a good example of tank-like build quality.  They're also a hoot to drive and comfy as heck.  Most will have high mileage,  but I wouldn't hesitate to get one with 150k with good maintenance records.  You can find them for $3-5k

Curtis said:

Possibly a Suby Impreza, although at your price range they seem to hold their value which means you might not get as much car for your dollar.

A) Resale value is pretty high on Subarus, and I guarantee any one in his price range needs head gaskets and / or a timing belt.

B) Subarus, even the small ones, give spectacularly mediocre fuel economy for what they are.

CobraSpdRH said:

I hadn't given hybrids the time of day until we got my wife a used Lexus CT200h a few years back. Drove that thing for 2 years with not one single issue.

The look on guys faces when we put bathroom vanities and who knows what else in the back of that thing was priceless, and it knocked down 40ish mpg all the time. Definitely made a good impression on me, I wouldn't hesitate to consider a hybrid for daily duties again in the future.

Interesting how the world can have such different viewpoints. I bought a CT200h new. Put 31K miles on it. Worst soul sucking experience ever. I will never ever do it. 

John87 said:

Antihero said:

Maybe take a look at your local craigslist and post what youve found there in your budget and post some links?

 

I wanted something fun to drive, cheap and getting good mpg too. I ended up with a zx2, not exactly a comfy backseat though

I’ll work on that tomorrow at work, this forum doesn’t seem to like my iPhone much lol

 

i considered a ZX2, found a couple stick examples in an ‘03 flavor, but then it’s back to the issue of the average 2.2 kids people tend to have to run around. However I did recently work out a deal with a couple people to get a good used 4L60E put into my Trailblazer essentially for free, so a backseat is going to be less of an issue, but then I’m back to the napping situation (I’m 5’7”)

If backseat isnt a need, definitely drive a zx2 and see if you like it. I get 32mpg always and ive got 41mpg out of it if i really baby it. Its also pretty fun and suprisingly fast

In reply to bcp2011 :

I've got to say your shtick is getting old. 

bobzilla said:

In reply to bcp2011 :

I've got to say your shtick is getting old. 

...ok?  Did I say something to piss you off?