Light Cars that still get Daily Driven

Sumbitch, now I'm looking at Echo hatches again

They're pretty reasonable with low mileage.

My sons and I all liked those Echo hatches when we first saw them in Quebec. Much better looking than the seadans we got here, especially in that blue colour, like a WRC Subie. Light cars are fun to flog, just need some springs and shocks to make them more fun.

zomby woof wrote: Sumbitch, now I'm looking at Echo hatches again They're pretty reasonable with low mileage.

Echo hatch? Is this something you got in CA but we missed out on here in the US? I think all we got here was the hideous sedan.

EDIT: Nevermind. I missed that post on the previous page.

In looking for an ST car, i found that the Mitsubishi Mirage was a very light car until the last iterations. As in... 2100lbs or less.

If my CRX wasn't ready for competition in the street prepared category it could be quite comfortable for daily use. Pretty roomy for a small car.

I'm usually the only one who shows up to compete in prepared or street prepared who drove his car to the event.

"This is the type of stuff I had no idea about. Beautiful cars but this is the only car I could find within 250miles in orlando... http://orlando.craigslist.org/cto/1908208615.html"

If you were serious about buying a TVR, we have a pretty close nit network here in the states and other guys can help you find one. I have a 2500M for sale currently, but its not exactly turnkey.

My Swift GT is rumored to be under a ton. I daily drive it.

Well, it's not quite under 2000 lbs, but in today's car market I've got one that's fairly light. Honda Fit. We've got an '08, with airbags, a/c. It's my wife's daily driver, and it's a 5 speed (god bless a woman daily driving a 5 speed... ), I think it's something around 2350.

I think my 3 year old sons' 12V electric Hummer could out accelerate it, but once it gets moving, it's a blast to drive. Extremely nimble, lightning quick reflexes and just fun. Plus, it gets 38mpg in mixed driving...without the need for hybrid batteries, electric motors, etc....

Isn't the Toyota Echo sub 2k #? Didn't some one on here (or the old board) have an Echo they were modifying for autocross?

Echo's... yuck my mother has the sedan version. It doesn't have independent rear suspension... That is nearly inexcusable in a fwd car...

You mean nearly ubiquitous right?

Torsion beam rear axle's arent exactly 250 lb dana 60s that dont flex at ALL.. or they wouldnt call them torsion beams.

I think my 1880 lb honda insight might even have a torsion beam.. id know for sure except for the fact that you cant tell without looking under it.

Um... 2000-2002 MKIII MR2 Spyder are like 2250lb. Modern, safe, reliable and under $6k for high milage cars.

alfadriver wrote: One question- lightness for what point? to be light? While all of them are fun to drive just because they are light, most of them will be beaten by heavier cars for fuel economy. Even the CRX Si was only in the mid 30's. A modern Focus or Civic will equal that. the MR's and Miatas are not exactly fuel sipping cars. If the point is to be light and have fun, go for it. If the point is fuel economy, there may be better choices.

You said: "Lightness for what point? To be light?" That's just as silly as saying "Power for what point? To be powerful?" In fact, reducing weight and increasing power are the two best ways to have more fun in a car. But of those two options, only reducing weight has a broad range of other performance benefits, like improved braking and cornering performance, not to mention improved fuel economy. That's why us car guys are so concerned with light weight, and why we spend so much time tearing the unnecessary stuff out of our race cars. The only reason the heavier cars you mentioned get better fuel economy than lighter cars is because those heavier cars have more modern powerplant technology. Now just imagine if we could combine that new powerplant technology with the benefits of a lighter weight chassis.

alfadriver wrote: One question- lightness for what point? to be light?

I bet his Alfa is an automatic.

Well, both of my Omnis are about 2K.

b13 se-r 2400 ish

Ashura wrote: Um... 2000-2002 MKIII MR2 Spyder are like 2250lb. Modern, safe, reliable and under $6k for high milage cars.

2150, actually. Even better!

A fully loaded 2000-2005 Celica GTS tips the scales at 2500lbs.

Beetle.

I know it misses the point of the lowcost experience a little, but who pre-builds a good locost frame, so that the builder wouldnt have to depend on his own popcorn welds to save his butt from road rash when driving over potholes?

autoXer wrote: I know it misses the point of the lowcost experience a little, but who pre-builds a good locost frame, so that the builder wouldnt have to depend on his own popcorn welds to save his butt from road rash when driving over potholes?

It's not the frame weld I'd worry about. It's the suspension components. Learn to weld on the frame and by the time you get to the critical stuff you'll be good enough. Besides, some of the horror stories I've heard about with past 'professional' Locost manufacturers would make me want to do it myself. Either that or pony up the $$'s for a Westfield.

Early Mitsubishi Mirage/Eagle Summit hatch with the 1.6 turbo. Had one in college, got a flat tire, and two of my buddies were able to lift the car onto my broken jack. Sheet metal was so thin that when I hip checked the door to shut it, I dented it.

This definitely doesn't count, but I'll bet at one time I was in contention for lightest DD. Back in 90-91 my ONLY car was a Davrian Mk VI. Fiberglass monocoque sports car/kit car. With all aluminium drivetrain. No heater or demister or anything. Heck no seats, the monocoque was molded in the shape of seats, there were padded shells that dropped in, but that restricted headroom so I never used them, I just sat in the tub. I never got it properly weighed, but I believe it was around 1,100 lb's. These days I don't even want to DD an NA Miata, although again I did back in 96/97. For now I'll stock with my portly Volvo C30, a slip of a car at 3,200lb's with arse warmers etc

sachilles wrote: Early Mitsubishi Mirage/Eagle Summit hatch. Sheet metal was so thin that when I hip checked the door to shut it, I dented it.

My wife drives a Mirage DE coupe. It's actually quite fetching on decent rims, but the metal is basically rusty tin from the factory. It gets lighter and lighter every day as stuff falls off.

In reply to Adrian_Thompson:

So besides the Westfield, DIY is the best bet for a 7 frame? Nothing of good quality in between the two that can be trusted for street use with the occasional TD or cone chase mixed in? I want a nice car, but the Westfield is 18.5k + a donor miata. Add a some nice wheels and tires plus odds and ends, and Im up to 23k. Ouch. I was hoping for half that.

Adrian_Thompson wrote: Back in 90-91 my ONLY car was a Davrian Mk VI.

Adrian_Thompson wrote: ...my portly Volvo C30, a slip of a car at 3,200lb's...

Pics or it didn't happen (twice). Please? :)