Archives

Hi All,
I am changing gears...had been thinking of buying a Prius, but I was going to need to finance about half and in this economy and job market...just ain't gonna do it.
So, I have 8k cash and want to get a great mpg car for the daily commute in Atlanta (60 miles round trip). So, what are your recommendations for my next car???
I know there are a lot of folks on here that have great advice and I am ready to hear it!!
Thanks in advance...
Scott

HI Scott:

___I do not remember welcoming you last month and if I did not, welcome to CleanMPG!

___Does your commute consist of a lot more city than highway or the other way around?

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Hi Scott,

There are a number of vehicles out there. If you are mechanical, it is hard to beat a used VW TDI diesel. Great mileage and fun to drive. It would help to be mechanical though.

Not really mechanically inclined, although I can use tools. :-)
My drive consists of 90% interstate rush hour commute...70 mph followed by stop and go, followed by 50 mph...etc.
Does that help?

There are all kinds of decent cars to be had for $8k on a highway commute. How you drive it will play a huge role in what kind of mileage you manage, but the formula for the car is pretty simple:
-No bigger than you really need.
-Smaller engines are generally better than bigger ones.
-The slower the engine turns at highway speed (i.e. the taller the top gear) the better.

It might be easier if you come up examples of vehicles that would suit your needs so that we have an idea where to go.

I'd shoot for a manual Corolla or Civic. Relaible as sunrise and 40+ mpg is readily achievable.

Cool. I guess I am looking for a relatively small 4cyl, either a coupe or sedan and I don't mind auto or stick. I guess I am looking for that recommendation that comes from years of driving with this philosophy, and that is not me. I am a convert...I have always had either SUVs, trucks, or sports cars. When we went through the last gas spike this fall I made the decision to switch. I bought a Ford Escape and my wife drives it and loves it. We have two small kids, and the Escape is a perfect fit.
I just sold my Yukon and am really looking forward to the smaller car. I guess I am trending toward a Civic...like a 2003-4, manual, coupe. That is just my uneducated guess for the money and the MPG. I guess what I am looking for is that "oh, what you need is a 1999 Toyonda XYZ with the special inverted 3cyl that only came out in June of ...." I guess that I expect there to be a handful of "Excaliburs", the perfect sword (car) for this kind of mission. I have a fun car, a 1999 Wrangler, but I am looking for the daily driver that, when driven with some thought, can produce good MPG, won't disintegrate at 99,999 miles, and you don't have to have a shoe horn to help you get in.
Thanks in advance for everyone's help.
Scott

Welcome Scott. Read the article second from the top on the right side of the home page here - the one titled "What if you cannot afford a 'new' fuel efficient vehicle."

You'll learn your best choices quickly:
Geo/Chevy Metros
Suzuki Swift
Toyota Echo
Honda Civic Hx
Toyota Prius
Honda Insight
Honda Civic Hybrid
VWs with the TDI

Just so you know, I don't need a shoehorn to get my 6'5" frame into my '02 Insight. ;)

Hey,
Thanks for the responses. This is good stuff. I have been impressed with the information on the site and the crowd is very helpful.
Scott

I noticed that you don't mind driving a manual transmission. If I were you I'd make that a requirement in a car. Manual cars have much more potential than automatics because there are more techniques that you can use and you aren't at the mercy of the computer deciding when the tranny should shift...etc.

I'd second getting a Civic or Corolla. I bet you could come across some really nice used ones for 8k. If you can find an Insight with a MT you'd be set. Sure its a 2 seater, but the gas mileage you can earn will make it worthwhile, especially if you've got another car if you need more room. Check out the mileage logs - you'll see what we can do with certain varieties of cars in different situations. That should give you some idea as well.

Happy shopping!

+1 to kings MT suggestion, this from one with all automatics at present. You cannot properly pulse an automatic; it will downshift.

Exception: Ford and Toyota hybrid drivetrains (cvt) that don't really shift, and don't come in MT versions; these are still good for FE. Not to knock the Honda CVT's for example, but what I read here leads me to say the MT versions of Honda hybrids have more potential for hypermiling (HCH and Insight I for example) than the cvt Hondas.

You could buy 4 Geo Metros (2K each) or 2 Honda Civic HXs. (3K) But you have repairs, like timing belts (150k-180k miles usually if not already done earlier), water pumps (do at same time), CV axles, clutch, wheel bearings (260K personal experience may differ)

If you like saving money on gas then you should learn to do your own repairs too. You'll see big savings from doing regular maintenance and the occasional repair, plus you'll gain the knowledge and experience of how to look and listen to cars, to diagnose problems that you would have spent a lot of money on. Money that could go to more important expenses.

Regardless of the specific car you choose, go with a manual transmission, 4 cylinders or less, as small as you can comfortably accept, with a good reliability reputation (sorry no Gremlins or Pintos).

I tend to go with cheaper initial purchases and do more obvious repairs sooner rather than spending all my money on the purchase and having to face surprise repairs in the future. This has worked well for me with the exception of a "free" Toyota Corolla, but if your not willing to get personal with your car or have a mechanic friend who will help then figure in an extra $1k-1.5k for professional repairs that you may need in the next 4 years. - Dale