Richard Nixon wrote: Citroën SM.
I like this idea haha. I am sure the 15 mpg and frequent timing chain adjustments and replacements and waiting for parts would be worth it for how much fun it would be. I actually went and looked at one for sale once that appeared have been used for a commuter for a while. It had been sitting quite a while and needed a bit of work, so even $6500 seemed like too much. It was pretty fun to drive though.
I love old LS400s but the most you can hope for out of one, babying it on a long straight freeway trip, is around 25mpg. Any city driving and that rapidly drops into the 19mpg range.
IS300s don't get any better mileage, in fact I think they're worse.
I have a 40 mile one way commute, 90% highway. I can tell you that Miata is NOT the answer.
Moving on, I'd compare the cost of a Volt (monthly payment, lease or buy) to the cost of gas. Chances are that it is still way more money, but the fact is that it is quiet, comfortable, and economical.
Other than that, I'm going to suggest 9-5, wagon or sedan. For $3500, you can get the worlds nicest example. Extremely comfortable, pretty luxurious, with the right tires very quiet. 35mpg is easily attainable if it is empty; although 30mpg more realistic at 80mph. Assuming no oil sludge, it will be pretty reliable as well.
Other things I'd look for are Accords, TSX's, and Maximas (the latter will be hard with MPG figures).
EDIT: Fiance has a Corolla. This would be a good option, but frankly I would get annoyed with the cheapness of it over time--and you'll be spending a lot of time in the car. The car is buzzy and a bit twitchy at those speeds, and while better htan the Miata (except in quality of materials), it isn't something I'd want to spend every day in a long commute in. That is why I'd be looking towards more luxury/pseudo luxury vehicles. I've
jstand wrote: Not the GRM approach... Depending on how much you value your free time and if a payment would fit into the budget, you may want to look at new. Something Korean and budget friendly would give a long warranty with a good balance of cost and features. Speaking from experience (I used to do 65 miles each way), the last thing you want to do after spend that much time in the car each week, is spend your free time working on your commuting appliance. The family wants to see you, you want to do fun things, and fixing a car on the weekend so you can get to work Monday is not fun. Yes, there is the depreciation hit, but as long as you maintain it you should have it long enough to offset that with several years of only changing the oil and filters.
This is a strong consideration, I've kicked this around a lot. I don't have the time nor skills to do a lot of work on my car. Yes, I'll do proper oil, etc...but want a commuter that's as fuss free as possible. But I just don't want a car payment, and want to avoid the depreciation hit to what extent I can. That's why I've tossed ideas like a 2009-2010 Kia Rio as part of the consideration. Can get it dirt cheap, low miles, warranty. But boring as E36 M3.
I've had a 9-5 wagon. Very nice car. But in my price range, maybe higher miles than I want.
Seriously though, Panthers. I had an 80 mile commute both ways, and my Grand Marquis had no issues returning 25-26 MPG. If I stayed out of it and cruised at 65, I was able to get 29MPG, strictly highway, but of course that involved getting gas right before getting on the freeway and right as I got off. Six grand will get you a VERY nice example with low miles.
Klayfish wrote: Yeah, definitely no VAG products, I don't want to spend half my time on the side of the road waiting for a tow. I am moving...this is now going to be my commute after we move. The benefits for my family are far too big to pass up.
My '03 TDI never left me needing a tow in well over 300K miles of boring, 50 mile commutes. Was the CEL light for maybe 100K of them? Sure, but wonky glow plugs never kept the car from running. A failed MAF did require a smokey return trip home to switch cars (and oddly no CEL), but it drove home.
My '88 BMW on the other hand... that SOB died a few times... (grumble...)
Klayfish wrote:Sonic wrote: I was about to email you back, but I'll just answer here.No worries, I knew you'd respond. Figured you were probably busy at work.I've thought Prius, but finding one in my price range that doesn't already have 150K+ miles will be tough.
Possibly, but would it be worth raising your budget? You'd recover it pretty quickly with a crazy commute like that. 1st gens are much cheaper, but a 2nd gen is a better car in pretty much every way if you can swing it.
Why are people suggesting 20-25mpg cars?
Accord V6.
NOHOME wrote: Mazda 3
Yes - seriously. You can get a nice sport model (the hatch) in the late 2000s for that money and they are reliable, miserly and have a chassis that doesn't totally bore a sports car person (the way the Honda and Toyotas do).
I had been contemplating an Accord with the four cylinder and stick shift to fit similar requirements. Especially since I'm tall and don't want something too cramped.
Give up on a car to do everything and just get a commuter. Buy any small hatchback with a manual transmission and just drive it, or buy the newest Corvette you can squeeze to afford.
SAAB 9-3 sport combi.
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp?tracktype=usedcc&csDlId=&csDgId=&listingId=607230092&listingRecNum=13&criteria=feedSegId%3D28705%26rpp%3D50%26transTypeId%3D28112%26isDealerGrouping%3Dfalse%26sf2Nm%3Dmiles%26requestorTrackingInfo%3DRTB_SEARCH%26yrId%3D20144%26yrId%3D20199%26sf1Nm%3Dprice%26sf2Dir%3DASC%26stkTypId%3D28881%26PMmt%3D1-1-0%26rn%3D0%26zc%3D46240%26rd%3D500%26crSrtFlds%3DstkTypId-feedSegId-mkId-mdId-pseudoPrice%26mdId%3D21053%26stkTyp%3DU%26mkId%3D20064%26sf1Dir%3DDESC&aff=national&listType=1
Leaves room in the budget to put H&R springs, tiburon rear sway bar and decent wheels and tires and lots and lots of gas. At 60k miles, it's got another 200+ in it.
2000-2002 Camaro/Firebird V6 5-speed. I get 30+ at 70mph w/ac on.
having owned several vw's of various generations and now my current 2003 vw jetta with 200k on the clock I can say its as though the TDI's are almost made by a different company all together. Mine has been incredibly reliable needing only the usual oil change/brake pads and snow tires during my 100 mile round trip daily commute, the best part? going a week and a half without filling the tank! (my most current almost record tank shown below)
I'm always getting 45+ mpg and the savings of driving this car vs my e36 m3 have almost paid for the $6k purchase price in just under a year of ownership.
Id say Lexus LS400 as well, rock solid reliability, rides perfectly, quiet....if I was driving long distances, a Lexus LS would be my #1 choice.
at least test drive whatever you are looking at at freeway speeds before you break out the cash. a lot of the (manual transmission) subcompact econoboxes have short gearing. my accent (see also:kia rio) turns 4k rpm at 80 mph and its kind of berkeleying annoying. I still get well over 30mpg but its not exactly a quiet cruise. something to consider if that matters to you...me, I have the windows down anyway.
panther platform..BTDT. get a civvy model with the 2.73 rear and you can hit mid to high 20 mpg range with little effort. just a big comfortable cruiser on every level.
failboat wrote: at least test drive whatever you are looking at at freeway speeds before you break out the cash. a lot of the (manual transmission) subcompact econoboxes have short gearing. my accent (see also:kia rio) turns 4k rpm at 80 mph and its kind of berkeleying annoying. I still get well over 30mpg but its not exactly a quiet cruise.
True. In a lot of cases the auto-versions have better highway gearing. The 5-spd elantra will sit at 3k for 74mph, the Auto version sits at 2700. The wife's Rio automatic sees 3k at 72mph.
the Forte's 6spd is nice. 3k is 87mph with enough torque down low in the revs to maintain it nicely.
ive been eyeballing those elantra GT's too. saw one on CL a while back with just over 100k miles, needed new clutch, asking $1500. silver sedan, it looked good too.
i need another car like i need a hole in my head. says my wife.
failboat wrote: ive been eyeballing those elantra GT's too. saw one on CL a while back with just over 100k miles, needed new clutch, asking $1500. silver sedan, it looked good too. i need another car like i need a hole in my head. says my wife.
If you can find a rust-free one, snag it. they're cheap and durable. I'd still have mine and not hte Forte if the rust hadn't came on so fast.
If you have $6k to throw at it, cash....
I would buy an Elantra 5 door hatch, new.
It all comes back to that age/mileage debate. $6000 will get me a Mazda 3, or Accord, or a Vibe/Matrix, etc...but it'll be 10yrs old with 100k miles or more. The same money buys a 5 year old Rio with 35k miles. It isn't a fun car by any means, but it's cheap and efficient wheels. I'm not saying that's definitely what I'm doing, but it's a strong draw.
Hell, my Miata is screaming at 80mph and I spent lots of time driving a Honda Fit on the highway, so I'm not bothered by the rpm.
$4500-6500
33 ish MPG (my real world numbers)
fun
hatch
can fit 5 if 3 are midgets or have no legs
good cargo space
reliable
In reply to Bobzilla:
That is a great price.
The thing about the real econo boxes like a Rio or Yaris is that they are just not all that pleasant a place to spend 1.5 hours or more a day. Whatever you get will depreciate into nothingness anyway, might as well start with something a little nicer to enjoy your time in it.
And a Prius with 150k is still doing just fine. I raced one in Lemons with 342k!
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