frenchyd said:In reply to amg_rx7 (Forum Supporter) :
A 38 year old Jaguar? I'll see myself out
Actually if it were me in that situation I'd find a early Ford Hot rod or even more a Ford Model A. While that may be a bit of a financial stretch and require some work to make it run properly.
But any of the offered suggestions will be just another car on campus.
Any knowledge of Focus or Fiesta?
Googling seems to imply transmission issues.
I'm trying to better understand the Hyundai / Kia engine issues. Coolish cars at a nice price point considering the Toyota / Honda tax. Will keep googling.
Looked at one today where the guy referred to the low oil pressure light as an add oil light... I just don't understand why kids are so reluctant to check the damn oil levels...
In reply to amg_rx7 (Forum Supporter) :
2010 or earlier Foci are basic appliances that will go serious miles with some maintenance. (My daughter’s college car was an 08’ with a 5 speed stick that she traded at 150K, my son is still driving an 06 with the 4 speed auto at 172K. The power shift 6 speed automatics in the 2011 and later versions are not good which is a shame as the car itself is solid. (Daughter’s current ride is a ‘17 Focus SE with a 6 speed stick.)
11GTCS said:In reply to amg_rx7 (Forum Supporter) :
2010 or earlier Foci are basic appliances that will go serious miles with some maintenance. (My daughter’s college car was an 08’ with a 5 speed stick that she traded at 150K, my son is still driving an 06 with the 4 speed auto at 172K. The power shift 6 speed automatics in the 2011 and later versions are not good which is a shame as the car itself is solid. (Daughter’s current ride is a ‘17 Focus SE with a 6 speed stick.)
Thanks. What's wrong with the powershift autos?
In reply to amg_rx7 (Forum Supporter) :
My understanding is it’s an automated manual transmission and oil leaking into the clutch section causes slipping and driveability issues. They’re the subject of class action lawsuits, I don’t think Ford has a fix. Automatic Fiestas have the same transmission and problems. If you can find a later Focus with the manual 6 speed it’s a decent small car but they didn’t make all that many of them compared to the automatic version.
Any thoughts on 2008+ Impreza hatches?
Our Sonic with the 1.4T motors along nicely with the auto trans and has been trouble free since I fixed the PCV problem
How about a cooler looking prius? The CT200h*!!
*shameless plug for the one I have for sale
asoduk said:How about a cooler looking prius? The CT200h*!!
*shameless plug for the one I have for sale
Cool car but They are beyond our price range. Plus, I don't want the ever looming battery replacement hanging over us. I don't think that's a job I want to do myself.
Rio hatch SX. 2012-2017 in auto is a nice car, drives good and is economical. drivetrains run 200k miles. The Hyundai sister car, The accent SE, isn't bad but has smaller brakes and no backup camera. Stay away from the Rio SX manuals (2013 only) those are mine.
A soul is practical, but ain't nothing cool about it. Of course IMO that applies to most cars in this thread.
get the Prius. Most useful, cheapest to operate. They are great cars. The battery replacement is dirt simple from what I understand. It's right in the trunk- far less invasive than most ICE repairs.
The Ford autodisaster was an attempt at building an automatically shifted manual with a dry clutch. Turns out computers still aren't up to the challenge of working a normal clutch - everything else you see in that category has a wet clutch, which is a lot easier to automate.
I was in this position in 2010, as a college-aged dude looking for a "cool" hatchback. I looked at a lot of beat up Si's and GTI's, but ended up in a super low-mileage Saturn Astra with manual trans. It was just barely cool enough, but also reliable and economical. Paid about $9k back then and kept it for 12 years.
However it's not 2010, it's 2023. You probably don't want to send your kid away in something 15 years old. Looking back on my little college Saturn, I am more grateful now for how reliable it was than whatever "cool" factor I really wanted. Since 2010, there has been a shift away from hatchbacks and towards small SUV's. The few remaining "cool" hatchbacks are Golfs, Civics, Mazda3's, and Velosters like you said. Maybe the latest Corolla hatch could be "cool". But I would prioritize the needs of the college student over it being cool. They are there to learn and set themselves up for their future. This car may get them out of bad situations. They will probably drive this car to their internships and first jobs. So above all else it must work without you around to help.
I can echo avoiding the Focus with the 6-speed dual-clutch "powershift" transmission. They never found a permanent fix for it and just gave up on the model. I had a co-worker get screwed over by one.
In reply to amg_rx7 (Forum Supporter) :
Look at 40's 50's maybe even 60's cars for something unique. Grandpa's old car probably is in better mechanical condition than anything recent.
Plus they are so simple to work on. The average plastic tool box is probably more than adequate.
The real point is you'll be unique. Girls will notice you even if you aren't the captain of a sports team. And they won't think you're compensating for something.
Hemmings is the best source for that sort of car.
In reply to frenchyd :
In reply to Datsun310Guy :
That would be an excellent choice. Meets the OP's requirements.
amg_rx7 (Forum Supporter) said:asoduk said:How about a cooler looking prius? The CT200h*!!
*shameless plug for the one I have for saleCool car but They are beyond our price range. Plus, I don't want the ever looming battery replacement hanging over us. I don't think that's a job I want to do myself.
Your profile says San Francisco. That puts you deep in the land of Prius popularity! Quickly searched, there are many jobbers on Facebook and CL that will sell you a refurb Prius battery for $500 and for $800 total will also install the battery.
Don't let the possibility of a battery scare you off. There are very few car repairs that cost less than $500. At least feel confident that if you buy a 2004-2009 Prius you will never need an engine or trans replacement. The engines and trans on these just never go bad. This is evident that a replacement engine can be bought w/ 100k miles for $300. Same/similar price for a trans.
Also, should be mentioned in case you consider any... Most all Nissan auto trans since about 2005 on all models are CTVs and should be avoided due to very poor reputation of reliability of Nissan cvts.
Multiple 2.5l Golfs on clist. They are known to be anvil reliable wit the 5 cyl. Post 2010 paper to get better mpg than Rabbits but look at them too.
$6500. https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/7569535346.html
$8K https://sacramento.craigslist.org/ctd/7574211945.html
$2.8K Rabbit https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/7567217658.html
The first gen Scion XB has looped around from underground cool to uncool to ironic cool, which means that being regular cool again is just around the corner. With the right wheels they can have a neat style to them.
In reply to Datsun310Guy :
C3 corvette is not a hatchback. (Rear glass doesn't open.) only the collectors edition 1982 has an operable hatch.
I'm seconding John about getting a Prius.
amg_rx7 (Forum Supporter) said:johndej said:Mazda 3 with the skyactive is pretty entertaining even with an auto. Agree with the Volvo for unique. Also throw mazda 2 and accent/elantra in there to include everything.
Those are all on the list. We have a Mazda 3 for mom. Unfortunately the second gen 3 is kinda homely and therefore a bit uncool.
The Fit is also on the list but the resemblance to a small minivan makes it a bit uncool too
Okay, we're mostly dudes here so come clean- are you hoping to have one of the cool cars in the college lot?
Since budget matters, reliability is going to Matter.
A Second Gen honda Fit sport is going to be the most reliable and practical answer. The Kia Rio Bobzilla mentioned would be my second choice.
Used 2010 Honda Fit Sport for sale in Pittsburg, CA 94565: Hatchback Details - 661824554 - Autotrader
This is where college kid gets first taste of the reality of life and a Fit like the one above is the right mix of practical and doesn't look like a bargain basement base model stripper econo box.
things that are cool, are going to be an absolute royal pain to keep on the road if they're cheap. $7-10k is VERY cheap territory right now for "cool" cars like GTi's and Mazdaspeed 3's
So sure, you can get one for that budget, but kid needs to be focused on school. So picking a car that requires the least amount of maintenance possible is going to be critical.
if you really throw "cool" away, the 2nd gen Prius is the absolute best option. You can't argue with 40+ mpg around town.
amg_rx7 (Forum Supporter) said:Any thoughts on 2008+ Impreza hatches?
Pretty sure sure the automatics were CVT. I had one as a rental a few years back. It was pretty good on gas, AWD and drove just fine, but the CVT was kind of noisy. You do want ot look out for typical Subaru head gasket issues.
In reply to spacecadet (Forum Supporter) :
Hatchbacks under $10k with an automatic transmission...
Good point. Normally I'd say GTI....but a MKV or MKVI GTI is going to be expensive unless the college kid is studying automotive engineering. You may get lucky, but there are plenty of people in this group that have had to spin a lot of wrenches on older GTIs. MKVII should be much more reliable (2017+), but double the budget.
Some 4cyl Kias have had widespread engine failures.. I don't know which ones, so do some homework.
I'd include the Toyota Matrix and Pontiac Vibe in the mix. They were availble in AWD and FWD w/automatic transmissions. Versatile, cheap, and efficient. SWMBO bought a vibe new and all we did was change brakes & tires for 150k miles. They were available with the Celica 6-speed manual w/200HP....which is the one I'd buy tomorrow if SWMBO would approve.
Take a look at the regular Mazda3. If I remember correctly, they got the skyactive engine in the smileyface cars (2012 or so), which is much more efficient than the older ones. They should be available under 10k.
Volvo C30 is another often forgotten hatchback. They tend to list for $5k to $8k or so. Maintenance is important, of course.
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