Best affordable commuter car

[Scooby074]

Echo is a great car on gas.

I had a Diesel jetta, the thing was amazing. I could pretty much drive all the way to Ottawa on a tank!!! IF you can swing it, it would be a great purchase. Some say there are problems with the later models, ours was a 96 or so, and it was pretty much trouble free but YMMV.

 

[jimmyj]

Another VW fan here. The Golf TDI is a gas miser! As said Honda and Toyota are good too and so is the Echo. Like you say though the VW's are pricey. I wonder about some "disposable" cars too like Kia and Hyundai. Don't know much about them though.

Good post, congrat's on the job!

 

[horsinaround]

I have a 97 Civic that is my "zippy" as the kids call it. Goes back and forth to work 65 miles a day at 39.1 MPG. I put 20000 miles on it last year and it does great. It has 108000 miles on it and I just put a timing belt and water pump in it. I expect it to be good for another 100K.

 

[irvingj]

I'd go along with coobie-- that GM 3.8 is a very tough engine, and even for a big car with an automatic, will get close to 30 over the highway; used to be they could be had for a song, so I'd call them the best deal for the money. Also very comfortable. My Mom had a Pontiac with the supercharged version, and that thing was amazing- never downshifted from 4L (just boosted a bit more), got 28+ doing 85 on the interstate (I was in a hurry...)!

Otherwise, a lot of the small Japanese cars will run well and get great mileage, too, but they also tend to command higher prices.

The best, of course, would be a TDI.... mine gets 50 over the road, about 45 around town, but even a gas Golf, an older one, might be a good deal.

I'm thankful every day that all of my family remains gainfully employed- glad to hear you're back to earning!

 

[Will_C]

Another vote for a Toyota. I have had Toyotas with 141k, 126k, 142k, and 175k miles on them when I got rid of them. They were all doing fine, I just wanted something else. The total repair (besides scheduled maintainence and tires) on those cars and trucks was a set of springs on a 96 Tacoma. No starters, radiators, transmissions (all were manual shift), alternators,A/C units, etc. The front brake pads all made 100,000 miles or better. Rust was an issue the 1980's vehicles, but we just sold a 1995 Camry, 175,000 New York miles, and there was no rust on the body.
Will

 

[Mickey_Fx]

Everyone has their favorites. I can agree with the couple comments about the GM 3.8. Have an 03 Buick regal and it consistently top 30mpg on the highway but would not consider it a commuter car.

IMO a commuter car need to be economical in all aspects. Good fuel mileage, reliable, and min luxuries that can go wrong adding to the ownership cost.

I had very good experience on an 88 Nissan Sentra wagon I owned for 8-10 yrs. Bought it used with 125k miles on it from a lady that had it for her commuter car. She was selling as she didn't want to it to start nickel and diming her to death. Car was real clean. When I sold it it had 257k on it and no real problems. An alt @ 187k, needed brushes and bearings. Replaced the timing belt twice. Just before selling I replaced the struts and wheel bearings just due to mileage and not problems. Wouldn't have hesitated to drive it cost to coast. Paid $2500 and sold for $1200. Sold to younger fellow that was looking for a commuter car. Few weeks later the car was sporting a sun roof and alloy wheel. Still running decent when he sold it 3-4 yrs later.

Would not hesitate getting another Sentra again. Oh, constantly got mid-40's driving back and for to work. Back when I bought the car there were a lot of late 80's Sentra's in the area.

 

[LD1]

Thanks for all the helpful replys. I don't get to post as often now that I am back with the working class.

I am going to have to do some shopping now. So for everyone has had good thing to say about all these cars, but does anyone have any bad thing to say about certain cars. Which ones to avoid like the plague??

I would perfer not to get the "disposable" cars like a kia of haundai, even though some have had good luck, I have heard far too much bad to even consider them.

My goal is a affordable car that gets close to 40 or over. The 3.8 gm is a great motor, but I am looking for more than 30mpg.

horsinaround: The civic you get 39.1mpg in, Is that a STD or Auto???

 

[Bird]

It's interesting that you mention Kia and Hyundai. One of the Chrysler dealers that just closed less than a mile from my house had Chrysler/Jeep/Kia and now it's all Kia; pretty big dealership, but I don't know personally how good the vehicles are. Fortunately for that Chrysler dealership, they have a Dodge dealership about 12 miles down the road.

And about 2 miles from my house is a Hyundai dealership. They are currently located in an abandoned service station and another building (unknown past history) and have lots of cars, many of which are parked in the grass along the road. But they have a nice big new facility under construction a couple of hundred yards south of the current location.

It sure appears that those two, Kia and Hyundai, are doing very well, or at least expect to be doing very well. As for the quality of their vehicles, I have no idea.

 

[DIRTROAD]

I have a '95 Hyundai Accent. You can't beat the milage at 35 mpg. The car has 127k on it now and is just used as a run around vehicle due to its economy. I will warn you though, any piece on the car that is made of plastic has broken. This is to include door handles, window cranks, dash pieces, anything you can name. It must be the cheapest plastic in the world, but aside from this it is a very good and dependable and cheap mode of transportation.

 

[scott_vt]

Thanks for all the helpful replys. I don't get to post as often now that I am back with the working class.

My goal is a affordable car that gets close to 40 or over.

Good Evenin LD1,
You might take a look at the Nissan Sentra, economical and great mileage and pretty bullet proof ! I didnt own that car but a friend did and swore by it ! I did own a small Nissan PU 4 cyl with 5 speed standard shift and IMHO it was bulletproof way back when I was commuting !