You can still find 90-92 MK2 Jettas for cheap (i would avoid the older ones for what you would be using it for), and they are farily fun to drive and get 30 mpg. My sister just bought one with 85k miles on it for $2100, and with about $1500 in parts and a couple weekends of work its as good as a brand new car again. Id say its a little more fun to drive than a ratty 325es i drove once, and somewhat less fun than my milano, but still not too bad.
For example something like this, but a 5 speed. http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=4786476&postid=64251874
jrw1621 wrote: My quick answer is to consider the best Celica you can afford. Comfy, sport-ish with all the reliability and most of the economy of a Corolla wrapped in a more interesting package with a useful hatchback. Though I habve never owned one it seems to be about the perfect commuter. I did some commuting in my '88 MR2 (square body style). It was a great car for that. Mine was a SC version so mpg was not that good (but much of that was the driver's fault.) A NA version would be a great run-about. With that said, the SW20 was even a nicer car with a more civilized interior. Very interesting choice. I did DD a '97 240sx and much of it was highway driving. I put over 100k miles on the car and it had 140K when I sold it. It was a solid GT touring car. Sportish and comfortable. Choose the automatic transmission like I did and it lowers the "drift tax" but even then good luck finding one that is not trashed and the owner still thinks it is a $5k car. The mpg was nothing great at 25-27mpg. My favorite commuter was a '95 Civic EX coupe 5 speed that I bought in '98. Of course, now, see above abuse and replace with "rice tax." Speaking against the grain here but I dont think that I would really want a P71. I think that coolness and attraction would wear off quick on me. Outside ideas: Infiniti G20 (classy Sentra) Anything Acura. An old Legend Coupe would be cool but not easy to find. The Maxima has not yet been mentioned but it really is a good compramise. For purely ecomomy the '01 and '02 Chevy Prism is rated at 41mpg hyw. A big boost in mpg but a real drain in sporty-ness. Interestingly, the bowtie on the grill does satisfy your Buy American neighbors or customers. I like my '95 Volvo 850 wagon with 5 speed and it has served me well over the past 50k miles (now at 150k.) Real MPG is 25-27 hyw As of last month I am now trying the E30 route and so far it is good ('87 325is with 140k.) but I have only driven it about 1k miles. Real MPG is 24-27. Play around on www.fueleconomy.gov to find some models that maybe you have not thought of.
You're creeping me out. 
I like Jettas, and think Corrados are sexy as all get out but I'm afraid of VW reliability. Now, we had a 97 Jetta and it was stone reliable, did nothing to it in 2 years except a battery and maintenance. But I hear horror stories all the time. Should I be ascared?
Another possibility is a MB 300TD converted to run on veggie oil. It removes fun to drive totally but replaces it with supreme comfort and cheap to run. Whaddya think?
So far, I'm really liking the Mkii MR2, Miata, 300TD and am very interested in Corrado and Jetta. Honorable mention is the Chrysler 300, I always liked them.
Stay scared of VW's. I've never known a modern one to not have massive problems.
Mmmm... veggie oil! I really, really want to do a home-brew diesel and build a waste-oil pump in my garage. It's such a cool idea!
300M is a sweet dark horse. They still have some issues (Chrysler build quality at the time was not the greatest) but if you find a good one now it'll probably stay good for awhile longer 
DrBoost wrote:Ian F wrote: Hmm... to be honest, I do drive 100+ miles a day... and couldn't imagine doing that commute in any car that gets less than the 46 mpg (lifetime average) of my TDI... Actually - I can imagine... When the TDI was down for service for awhile, I drove our '07 MINI Cooper 'vert for about a month... even at the 34 mpg it gets, it was killing me to be filling it up every 4 days...I'm afraid of VW reliability. How has yours been?
I'm closing in on 210K miles. I bougth the car new (ordered it specifically) and have done little more than regular maintenence. Granted, TDI's are picky about things like oil changes so the oil is about $6/qt (needs 5 qts), but the 10K mile interval tempers it some. I've replaced glow plugs a couple of times... the glowplug harness once... the MAF sensor once (at 205K). I've changed the timing belt twice (100K & 200K). Brakes were done once. Fronts are still good. Rears look like they'll need changing in a year or so (the way the brakes are biased, it seems to engage the rears before the fronts so under light braking, the rears wear faster). I do all work myself since I don't trust others to work on it. Original clutch.
In general, stay away from funky fuels in a TDI unless you plan to be positively anal about making it. WVO can 'eff up a TDI quickly (and expensively) if done wrong. I thought about it briefly but after running the numbers, it just isn't worth the hassle...
For the next couple of years or so, it'll be my H-Stock auto-x car as well until I can afford the F500/F-Mod I really want.
My main car previous to the TDI was a 91 Acura Integra GS. Bought it in 96 w/ 75K. Traded it in '02 with 229K. I still miss that car. I did very little to it (although I replaced a lot more on that car than I've had to do to the TDI) and beat the piss out of it. Would generally return 30+ mpg. I wish I had kept it for an auto-x/track-beater... For the amount I drive, though, the 3K oil changes every 1.5 months got annoying...
Boost, I think out of your current focus in your last post, the SW20 is the best choice by a rather wide margin.
Have you driven one?
93celicaGT2 wrote: I think out of your current focus in that last post, the SW20 is the best choice by a rather wide margin. Have you driven one?
??
Ian F wrote:93celicaGT2 wrote: I think out of your current focus in that last post, the SW20 is the best choice by a rather wide margin. Have you driven one???
I meant his last post... sorry. I hadn't gotten my allowance of caffeine in me yet. I'll edit it.
racinginc215 wrote: 99-03 Chrysler 300M I drive mine to work 125 a day round trip all freeway. average 26.7 MPH. 3.5 HO with Auto Stick 7300 RPM shifts. heated and power leather seats. 250 Horse handles very well will take exit ramps at 80 without tire squeal. Factory 17's braking is great with ceramic pads. the non sport package M's top out at 120 the sport will do 150 until the limiter kicks in.Mine has had the programing removed. and it's ran 14.7 at Lapeer stock. And it's sexy as hell in black and can be had for under 4000.00
Wow, 26.7 MPH, must take you all day.
In this discussion of 300M, are we talking about this?
I know little about them and have never given them any consideration.
My perception is that it is a tarted up Intrepid.
93 Celica GT2,
Do I creep you out because I think different or do I creep you out because I think the same?
Is there some other meaning to this creeping out?
jrw1621 wrote: In this discussion of 300M, are we talking about this?
Yes we are. And truth be told, a "tarted up Intrepid" is not really a bad thing. The chassis is pretty decent and the 3.5L motor is plenty balsy. I worked at a Jeep/Eagle dealer back in the days of the LH platform being introduced. The last incarnation is really quite good. The autostick transmission was ahead of it's time really.
93celicaGT2 wrote: Boost, I think out of your current focus in your last post, the SW20 is the best choice by a rather wide margin. Have you driven one?
No, I never have. And a quick autotrader search shows none within 75 miles of me, but I think CL showed a few. I'm gonna have to go drive one.
jrw1621 wrote: 93 Celica GT2, Do I creep you out because I think different or do I creep you out because I think the same? Is there some other meaning to this creeping out?
Exactly the same. I've been answering this question for a couple years now with "The nicest Celica you can afford," but i've kindof given up, since nobody seems to do that. For a sporty daily driver, if you're cool with FWD and 2 doors, it really doesn't get much better than that.
Reliable, good gas mileage, nice interior, stellar build quality, reliable, reliable, reliable, handle well, adequate power, great brakes, etc etc etc...
I have never owned a Celica and due to too much time spent here I likely picked up the conventional wisdom from here. If so, that wisdom may well trace back to you (dont think no one is listening.) If I were doing it now, I think a 2000+ Celica would be a great commuter. Of course the earlier years are good too. It seems that there is no bad year. Oh, how I would like to have an '85 GTS convertable.
I'd like a 2000-2001 Celica GT-S 6 spd, except the few I've seen pop up around here still ask close to $10k. Can't justify that.
z31maniac wrote: I'd like a 2000-2001 Celica GT-S 6 spd, except the few I've seen pop up around here still ask close to $10k. Can't justify that.
I couldn't either. They tend to sell for $6-$7k here.
DrBoost wrote:jrw1621 wrote: In this discussion of 300M, are we talking about this? I know little about them and have never given them any consideration. My perception is that it is a tarted up Intrepid.Yes we are. And truth be told, a "tarted up Intrepid" is not really a bad thing. The chassis is pretty decent and the 3.5L motor is plenty balsy. I worked at a Jeep/Eagle dealer back in the days of the LH platform being introduced. The last incarnation is really quite good. The autostick transmission was ahead of it's time really.
I seem to remember Jeremy Clarkson had only good things to say about the Intrepid when it came out.
mtn wrote:DrBoost wrote:I seem to remember Jeremy Clarkson had only good things to say about the Intrepid when it came out.jrw1621 wrote: In this discussion of 300M, are we talking about this? I know little about them and have never given them any consideration. My perception is that it is a tarted up Intrepid.Yes we are. And truth be told, a "tarted up Intrepid" is not really a bad thing. The chassis is pretty decent and the 3.5L motor is plenty balsy. I worked at a Jeep/Eagle dealer back in the days of the LH platform being introduced. The last incarnation is really quite good. The autostick transmission was ahead of it's time really.
You must be mistaken. Clarkston has nothing good to say about just about anything made here in the states.
C5?
My perception is that it is a tarted up Intrepid.
Another vote here for that not being a bad thing. Ive driven a LOT of fwd cars from the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, and when you consider the market the intrepid platform was being catered to, dynamically it is above and beyond what those people actually need or want and had better handling balance than MOST non-sporty fwd's i have driven. For the record, i enjoyed the handling of my base model 97 intrepid more than i enjoy the handling of my mom's 01 integra gs. I agree with what was said, that it was basically a better SHO than the actual sho of that time period (but no manual trans, in either).
I had a 97 (1st gen) 3.5L intrepid with a decent amount of mods on it. Never made it to the track but its crowning achievement was holding off a 4.6 PI (260hp) Mustang from 20-80. Besides that it dusted off a lot of other semi-interesting things like Maximas and IS250s, older 4.6 mustangs,etc.
The 2nd gen LH cars with the 3.5 (98-04) are surprisingly good large cars.
What's the budget?
I commute 110mi a day in my E36 328i. Just about perfect for me except it's finiky, has a high cost of maintenance and while the gas mileage is great for a torquey 6cyl (29MPG) I want better gas mileage. See my thread 'disgusted with my E36'. I'm thinking about replacing it and have considered:
With all the fwy driving my priorities also include safety since I see 80mph+ crashes every now and then and they look pretty nasty.
DrBoost wrote: Another possibility is a MB 300TD converted to run on veggie oil. It removes fun to drive totally but replaces it with supreme comfort and cheap to run. Whaddya think?
It doesn't totally remove the fun to drive aspect, there is some fun to be had in them. Especially kicking the tail out in the snow. I think it is the best idea as long as you get one that is in good shape.
Our latest DD is an 03 Mustang Mach 1, but it shares the responsibilities with a few other cars. The Mach generally gets driven 3 times a week to work. We have a 72 mile round trip commute. It's comfortable, fast, and our last tank averaged 20MPG, but I drove it pretty hard. I plan to take it easy on the next trip and she if there is much improvement. As much time as we spend commuting my main priority is that I get enjoyment out of the vehicle and decent mileage is a nice bonus. We actually have a car that will get 36MPG, but my wife doesn't like it and it's not that much fun, so it sits most of the time.
One of the other cars we use for a DD is an 87 Porsche 944 Turbo. Fast and gets great mileage if you stay out of the boost. I've seen 30+MPG before. Just get a good one so you aren't always working on it. The NA is simpler and easier to work on, but not near as good performance wise.
You'll need to log in to post.
