What fun and fuel efficent car, daily commute

Didn't want to keep hijacking the ugly commute thread, so thought I'd start one. Similar situation, but putting a bit of a different spin on it. With my Volvo getting 23mpg, filling the tank is starting to get painful. Regardless of gas prices, the wife and I had agreed that I'd be allowed to replace the car some time within the next year simply because I wanted a newer car. But I'm hoping to push that up and perhaps buy sooner than later, using fuel economy as my logical argument. i.e. I was going to shell out money for a new car soon anyway, so that money was going to be spent. Why not get it now and start spending less in gas

My challenge is I want a car that doesn't just soak up miles. It's got to have some soul to it and be at least mildly entertaining to drive. So no Prius, auto Civic Hybrid... The herd can get a bit thinner when trying to find the following criteria.

2008 or newer
Under $15k
Very reliable
Great on gas, as in at least 33-35mpg
Is actually fun to drive (must be a stick)
Has some year round practicality

My commute lends itself to good fuel mileage. It's 25 miles each way, 95% suburban roads. There's the occassional stop sign/traffic light, but most of the time I'm steady state cruising between 45-55mph. So I can easily hit the EPA highway ratings of most cars.

At the top of my current list is the Mazda 2. I can get one for $14k. Full warranty, good on gas, fun to drive. What else would you suggest?

Accent Hatch. Rio5.

Waiting for Aussiemg with the Elantra... Which is probably a good choice.

mtn wrote: Waiting for Aussiemg with the Elantra... Which is probably a good choice.

But it's more than $15k though.

Honda Fit Sport!

I would say the Pontiac Vibe GT - available with 6 speed manual and is fun to drive. But it's going to struggle to get 33mpg.

Interested in hearing this too. I'll add a twist of "more rear seat room than an '05 Focus" - backwards-facing child seat butts right up against the front seats...

I think the 2012 focus starts out under 15k for their more basic models. They still drive like a focus though, which is to say, pretty fun.

The '12 Accent and Rio are cool looking, but trying to find one without roll up windows under $15k is hard (I don't need luxury, but power windows would be nice). The previous gen of those cars is too appliance like for me. I'm a big Hyundai/Kia fan, we've got a Sedona, but they're boring.

My wife's car is an '08 Fit. We love it. I could go for another one. Downside is they're a few grand more than a Mazda 2 or Ford Fiesta.

Drive a bunch of them. None of the contenders are bad, just good in different ways. Some a bit sportier, some a bit roomier, etc. I still vote for the 2, love mine, got 36 mpg on my last tank driving like I didn't care.

Fit was off my list because of 2 reasons: Price and rpm's at speed. Sitting at 3800rpms at 70-75mph is unacceptable in this day and age.

Bobzilla wrote: Fit was off my list because of 2 reasons: Price and rpm's at speed. Sitting at 3800rpms at 70-75mph is unacceptable in this day and age.

Then cross the 2 off as well. Not quite 3800, but not far from it at 75.

Klayfish wrote: The '12 Accent and Rio are cool looking, but trying to find one without roll up windows under $15k is hard (I don't need luxury, but power windows would be nice). The previous gen of those cars is too appliance like for me. I'm a big Hyundai/Kia fan, we've got a Sedona, but they're boring. My wife's car is an '08 Fit. We love it. I could go for another one. Downside is they're a few grand more than a Mazda 2 or Ford Fiesta.

All Accent and Rio hatches come standard with power windows and door locks now(at least as far as I can find. Saw a GS on the lot this weekend for $14,900 with power windows, locks and auto). Rio starts at $13,600.

CRZ? Seems to be killing the others in real-world mileage. I would think you'd need to find a 2011 to get into one for $15k though

Cruze Eco in that price range yet? It does well, and apparently mods can easily squeeze out quite a bit of extra power.

Double the price and buy an Elise?

Mazdeuce- His post said sub 60 MPH cruising. I think at that speed you might hit 40 MPG with the Mazda 2. I do a steady 65 MPH and get 38 MPG out of my Mazda 2 sport manual. Great small car. Fun to drive!

CRZ? Seems to be killing the others in real-world mileage.

And would probably kill them even worse @ 55mph. AND, its SIGNIFICANTLY faster, and probably better handling, than an accent, rio, fit, mazda2, et al, although the faster part starts to fall apart when you get to the 150hp c-segment cars.

I find it hard to believe the crz is better handling than the Mazda 2. This thing is literally a fwd miata.

I don't know that it is significantly faster... I think the Accent and Rio are also 16 second cars. I think the Cruze would be the answer if you want speed and efficiency. I hear very good things (like 160ish whp, 200+ ft-lb) come at a small price and it still has great mileage if you can keep your foot out of it. Looking at fuelly data, it looks like the 6speed Eco models (hard to separate the fuelly data though) actually returned excellent numbers - better than most of the non-hybrid cars, including Mazda 2, Fit, Rio, and Accent.

singleslammer wrote: I find it hard to believe the crz is better handling than the Mazda 2. This thing is literally a fwd miata.

It what way, other than it is a Mazda? Its a McStrut FWD car. I don't mean to imply that the CRZ is great either, but all of the cars we are talking about here are McStrut/Beam axle rear/etc. FWD fail-boxes - about as far from Miata as you can get.

Easy answer. Get the Mazda2.

FWIW a coworker just picked up a Cruze with the 6-speed, and my initial impression is that it looks & feels like a higher-level car than it is. I didn't get to drive it, but it felt reasonably powerful for what it is.

I do wonder how it'll hold up over the miles/years, and I have a hunch the depreciation will be worse than comparable cars.

The CRZ is an interesting idea, but it's several grand out of my price range anyway.

I've looked at the Cruze, on the internet anyway. I'd have to see what kind of deals are being offered. The base models I saw in my price range were total strippers, and not in the good way (not all strippers are good, ya know...). The version I'd get would be the non-turbo one. It looks like a nice car, but it's still GM. Maybe I'm just casting a stereotype, but in my head a first or second year GM car = bad.

I did see one or two '11 leftover 3 door Accents, selling for about $10.5k new. Cheap, and actually look pretty cool, but don't know they're much "fun".

MINI?

I've never driven any of the others mentioned, but the Mini is the most fun front driver in my experience. An S will get you 30-ish, non turbo adds about 4 mpg.

Just over the $15k at $16.5 for a stick with popular package, (cruise, AC and 16" wheels)

Largest rear seat room in class.

150hp

The rest is here

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/another-appliance-thread-hyundai-content/34080/page1/

Klayfish wrote: I did see one or two '11 leftover 3 door Accents, selling for about $10.5k new. Cheap, and actually look pretty cool, but don't know they're much "fun".

Reasonably fun with the manual. Not exactly an enthusiasts dream though. Everything I have heard about the auto versions is that they are soul sucking and slow as balls, they do run about 1k less rpm at highway speed though. 5 speed is about 4k rpm at 80 MPH, unless you happen to find an Accent blue, which has slightly different gearing for the 5 speed, and a lower cruising rpm. I dont know if they offered that trans in other models or not or if it was a one year only thing. I know for a fact it was available in 2010. SE versions have firmer suspension, b&m short throw shifter, 16" alloys. Kia Rio SX of the same vintage is the same thing underneath

As a 2009 Accent owner, my biggest gripe is the seats. They are probably the most uncomfortable seats ever, way too firm padding. Every other subcompact seat I have sat it is way more comfortable. Yaris, Fit, 2... I deal with it....

I commute rural 90 miles a day, a brief stint at 70 mph but mostly 45-55 mph. I got 38 mpg on my last tank.