Single-use car for cross-country trek

Ok, not really single-use, but sorta. My current driver only gets about 15 mpg and I want to sell it anyway. So I'll have about $6000 to spend on a car. I intend to use it for a cross-country trek and back. Then I might use it as a DD for a while. So it needs to be:

• fuel efficient. 25 mpg or better would be nice
• comfy and pleasing to drive
• low depreciation. I want something I can sell for what I paid or close to it.
• reliable. If not reliable, it needs to have cheap parts and able to be fixed in a walmart parking lot
• something really cool. If not really cool, then so uncool that its cool.
• I like space. Wagons, hatchbacks, big sedans.
• in the $6k range.

Fairmont wagon. With a roof rack. And the faded and cracked woodgrain paneling sticker.

94-96 GM wagon, (Roadmaster/Caprice) Should hit mid 20s highway. You can get parts anywhere and they are an easy fix. Should be able to find one well below your 6k budget and they are comfy and eat up the highway miles.

All of the above minus the wagon part for a decent P71 Crown Vic as well.

Also GM wagon because you can sleep on the flat floor if needed.

Ek Civic hatchbacks can be fun. Certainly reliable and efficient, even with a K series swap.

Saturn Astra. With a little shopping, you should be able to find one in your price range, especially the 5-door over the 3-door. They are European under the skin, so they should be a decent long-distance cruiser. The are so rare that the are cool. Or such and orphan that they are cool. Or so uncool that they are cool. Although...they might not be that cool.

A non P71 Crown Vic. One of my old coworkers claimed he'd get 27 mpg on a long all highway trip cruising at 75 mph.

RossD wrote: A non P71 Crown Vic. One of my old coworkers claimed he'd get 27 mpg on a long all highway trip cruising at 75 mph.

A civvy vic/marquis with the 2.73 rear can absolutely pull 27mpg highway in my experience as well.

I have a 5 door, 5 speed Astra that I'd be willing to sell close to your price range. Good luck talking SWMBO into it, though.

I think they kinda suck for parts availability. Sure, you can get parts, but the coil pack I just replaced would have cost $300+ at any parts store. Only consider it if you are willing to get a hotel room and wait on parts for a couple of days.

Ours has been reasonably reliable, but there are better choices.

Oh, and forget about sleeping in the back, like ever. The seats fold down, but they don't fold even close to flat. You can take the bottom rear cushion out and get it really close, but that's kind of a design and comfort issue. The space between the rear shock towers is somewhat narrow, too. I can take measurements and pictures if you REALLY want.

Oh, an SVT Focus?

Or a Sentra SE-R spec V?

Nearly half your budget and a slant 6 for economy.

Need more style? Economy be damned with 400cid

Less style, much more economy
$1,200

No pesky gremlins like bad power window switches.

Any big GM front drive with the 3800 V6 will nudge 30mpg hi-way and be cheap to maintain. A bit low on the fun factor but you can get a bench seat in the front of a LeSabre for extra stretching out room.

pinchvalve wrote: Saturn Astra. With a little shopping, you should be able to find one in your price range, especially the 5-door over the 3-door. They are European under the skin, so they should be a decent long-distance cruiser. The are so rare that the are cool. Or such and orphan that they are cool. Or so uncool that they are cool. Although...they might not be that cool.

test drove one just like in the picture. Very disappointed. Poor sight lines, very plasticky interior and hated the center stack. No faster than my SC2.

JohnRW1621 wrote: Nearly half your budget and a slant 6 for economy.

I love you John.

Ok, Now I'm going to search $4k-6k wagons. This is dangerously fun.

Update. I've been polishing up the Dakoturd for sale with new rear shoes and drums, a new caliper up front to replace one that was sticky, and generally making sure it is as good as can be for the next owner... (yes, including fixing the steering/alignment issues).

Wagons I've been considering in the $6k area are as follows. Critique:

1- Volvo 850 wagon. They aren't exactly bang-for-buck, but if I find a good example it would make the trip. Then when the I-5 goes belly up, I can cage it, flare the heck out of it, and go LS1 with a rear mounted T56 a la C5 vette.

2- Nearly any random American 70s wagon with a straight six

3- e39 540 wagon

4- or just dive into this hearse

JThw8 wrote: 94-96 GM wagon, (Roadmaster/Caprice) Should hit mid 20s highway. You can get parts anywhere and they are an easy fix. Should be able to find one well below your 6k budget and they are comfy and eat up the highway miles. All of the above minus the wagon part for a decent P71 Crown Vic as well.

As a 96 B-body owner, I never had much love for P71s; small displacement, heavy bodies, but I would imagine a decommissioned P71 would be PERFECT cannonball material. Buy up an old unmarked car with the interceptor package, wear a suit, hang another suit in the back window, drive 90 mph and see how many speed traps you don't get a ticket.

Can't imagine anyone would break in to the hearse when parked and it could attract some FREAKY chicks. Might not get the MPGs, but saying you drove a hearse cross country is a much better story than you drove a Volvo cross country.

HeavyDuty wrote: Can't imagine anyone would break in to the hearse when parked and it could attract some FREAKY chicks. Might not get the MPGs, but saying you drove a hearse cross country is a much better story than you drove a Volvo cross country.

Last time I did a long trip in my 66 Bonneville it had a Caddy 500 and I averaged 18 mpg. Not anything spectacular, but not bad for 8.2L of old-school carburated V8