D

[beaverretriever]

Well the economy car I would buy is a no brainer.

Fiesta ST. Do it now as they are gone next year. My parents had a standard Fiesta as a daily driver and it was scary because it had so little power and it was a manual. It was also a sedan which has terrible blind spots. Main problem with most eco cars is they lack power and that can be dangerous.

The FiST as all the kids call it, is small, fast, handles amazing and gets decent fuel economy. Can be had for under 20k brand new.

Bad ass IMHO.

 

[Uncle Dave]

Ford screwed us on the focus tranny.
After being happy with Ford for decades they lost me.

UD

 

[DILLIGAF]

Im actually looking at getting one of the Clown Car Fiats plug in. But buying one off lease for like 9k. @pronstar what are your thoughts on that? Any negatives?

I can't do that one either....lol

 

[DILLIGAF]

I am looking into the Yaris and Mazda 3's for now.....

 

[Ziggy]

Not surprisingly the mention of a domestic car in this thread is almost nonexistent. Poor long term quality and virtually no resale values are obvious factors.
After decades of selling high line vehicles it became clear to me that other manufacturers were catching up big time to european quality and asian economics. Globalized manufacturing so to speak. Required Vehicle Standards in the US has leveled the playing field.
I personally would not be afraid to purchase most any offshore brand vehicle today.
They will give you several years of reliable service and likely cost less to maintain.

 

[Bigbore500r]

I really would have a problem buying a Chevy. They just seem to me like very fragile these days.

The Volt is a solid car, I bought mine new 5 years ago and have put 70k on it. 2 oil changes and 2 tires....thats it

 

[Uncle Dave]

The Volt is a solid car, I bought mine new 5 years ago and have put 70k on it. 2 oil changes and 2 tires....thats it

agreed - the gen 2 is pretty sweet ride.

UD

 

[boatpi]

Buy this, one of the best 4 doors made, Elantra. Best of the month, old ladies car I bet, just 8,000 miles for $12,995!

https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/d/laguna-hills-hyundai-elantra-2018/6885976536.html

 

[Uncle Dave]

Buy this, one of the best 4 doors made, Elantra. Best of the month, old ladies car I bet, just 8,000 miles for $12,995!

https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/d/laguna-hills-hyundai-elantra-2018/6885976536.html

Looks like an absolute steal.

 

[bowtiejunkie]

Focus ST or Fiesta ST. The former is out of production, but you might find a new one still on a dealer lot somewhere. If you’re north of 200 lbs, forget it, you won’t be comfortable.

My ‘17 Focus ST is fun, reliable, and gets 27/28 mpg. I don’t care about resale as I’ll keep it for 15+ years.

Regardless, it’s a good time to buy a commuter car, since they are not selling well (overall).

 

[TPC]

Is the Volt still in production?

 

[Enen]

If you don't like the Prius, check out the Lexus CT 200h. It's the same power train in a much better looking car.

 

[pwerwagn]

I have a 2001 I got for free a year ago with 254k on it. It now has 265k on it and runs like a champ. Oh yea I get 30 mpg

I have a 1997 I bought for 800$ 7 years ago. I have never changed the oil. It now has 215K miles (got it around 140K), and all I have had to do to it is a water pump and one rotor. On a good day, It gets 42mpg, my worst fill up ever was 37mpg.

Cant beat a beater car!

 

[beaverretriever]

Focus ST or Fiesta ST. The former is out of production, but you might find a new one still on a dealer lot somewhere. If you’re north of 200 lbs, forget it, you won’t be comfortable.

My ‘17 Focus ST is fun, reliable, and gets 27/28 mpg. I don’t care about resale as I’ll keep it for 15+ years.

Regardless, it’s a good time to buy a commuter car, since they are not selling well (overall).

I had a sweet 2014 Focus ST. Loved that car.

Did a quick dealer search and there are lots of 2019 Fiesta Sts on lots still and I don't know when production stops 100% on those. I truly should pick one up but I don't want a divorce.

So sad about the Focus though. I thought they offered for 19 but maybe not. Such a great car. There are few RS sitting around which surprises me. I would love one.

 

[Bigbore500r]

Since were on the topic of economy cars....if anyone has something clean they want to sell under $8000 let me know, my sister is looking for a car on a budget. PM me ! Thanks

 

[gqchris]

Since were on the topic of economy cars....if anyone has something clean they want to sell under $8000 let me know, my sister is looking for a car on a budget. PM me ! Thanks

X2, Cant find anything decent lately.

 

[78Southwind]

Im actually looking at getting one of the Clown Car Fiats plug in. But buying one off lease for like 9k. @pronstar what are your thoughts on that? Any negatives?

Here's the post I put in the clown car thread. OC Fiat / OC Auto isn't to far from your house if you want to check out the new Fiat 500e's. At least you will get the 4 year 50,000 mile warranty.

So last Black Friday I saw the Fiat 500e for $79 a month. Well I am wondering if Fiat is going to drop the 500e or dramatically reduce production since they now have a deal with Tesla.
Fiat Flags a $2 Billion Credit Bill That Will Be a Boon to Tesla
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...ion-regulatory-credit-bill-for-next-few-years

So I went and checked out www.ocauto.com and you could possibly purchase one of these 500e for around 12,000 plus tax and licensing after all credits, discounts and rebates.

Fiat 500e $35,200
Dealer Discount -3,000
Factory Rebate -7,250
Federal Tax Credit -7.500
California Rebate -2,500 or -4,500
SCE Rebate -1,000

 

[BajaMike]

Tom, we love our 2018 Honda HR-V. Had it 18 months now, Anji doesn’t drive a lot, only 3000 miles on it and we love it. Cost about $21K. Good mileage and smooth and quiet and and Blue tooth and 8 speed tranny.

We drive it and leave the Mercedes and my truck in our 3 car garage. Look at Honda, great cars.

Around town, I drive it all the time and enjoy it more than my Mercedes E350 on local driving.

 

[Uncle Dave]

Thought that had a CVT in it vs an 8 speed?

UD

 

[mesquito_creek]

Honest question.... Why does anyone buy the toyota prius instead of the camary hybrid when the mpg is really close. Camary seems like such a nicer looking car without the stigma. Price is close enough?

 

[BajaMike]

All the manufacturers are saying no one is buying sedans or coupes, almost all new sales now are SUV, Crossovers or trucks.

 

[Lunatic Fringe]

hard to beat the mileage and as far as reliability, has redundant propulsion system pedals.

 

[BajaMike]

Thought that had a CVT in it vs an 8 speed?

UD

I don’t know the difference. They advertise it as a “8 speed CVT”. I don’t know, it works great.

 

[Uncle Dave]

All the manufacturers are saying no one is buying sedans or coupes, almost all new sales now are SUV, Crossovers or trucks.

Best time to buy a sedan.
They get better mileage than the Suv's

I don’t know the difference. They advertise it as a “8 speed CVT”. I don’t know, it works great.

Means its a CVT with pre set stepped intervals vs a linear CVT (like my Rx400H has)

Net net on that deal is they dumb down, or modify whats good about CVTs to make it feel more like a standard automatic.

Standard auto is more complex but more efficient on sustained speed where the CVT is lighter simpler, and theoretically has a much wider range of gears and seamless traversal of the range with no interval between shifts (except when the interval is manufactured in)

I prefer a real transmission in small engined commuter cars - this seems to be the held position of those espousing driving dynamics vs utilitarianism.

UD

 

[DaveC]

Excessive tire wear on a Mazda 3. Clearly not the fault of the car but rather operator abuse.....

My Mazda 3 Hatchback has been an awesome little get around town car and cross country too. Perfect for me and my dog. Raced it in SCCA and placed 17th out of 75 cars last summer. Bone stock and smoked a lot of faster cars based on time not just handicap. Been a great snow, rally car too with studded tires in the winter time. 130Kmiles and no problems except excessive tire wear. I have been through 4 sets of Yokohama AD08s 8 ) and 4 sets of studded Blizztek snow tires.

 

[DaveC]

Get a corvette. Thats an economy car so to speak.....

 

[pronstar]

Honest question.... Why does anyone buy the toyota prius instead of the camary hybrid when the mpg is really close. Camary seems like such a nicer looking car without the stigma. Price is close enough?

Prius is way more versatile due to the cargo area. [emoji106]

People don’t want cars with trunks anymore.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[BONER]

Best time to buy a sedan.
They get better mileage than the Suv's


Means its a CVT with pre set stepped intervals vs a linear CVT (like my Rx400H has)

Net net on that deal is they dumb down, or modify whats good about CVTs to make it feel more like a standard automatic.

Standard auto is more complex but more efficient on sustained speed where the CVT is lighter simpler, and theoretically has a much wider range of gears and seamless traversal of the range with no interval between shifts (except when the interval is manufactured in)

I prefer a real transmission in small engined commuter cars - this seems to be the held position of those espousing driving dynamics vs utilitarianism.

UD

Nissan does this. Most finicky and unpredictable Trans I've ever driven.

 

[RCDave]

I got one but it was used....

A 2015 VW Sportwagen TDI with 17K miles for $17K (and with a 162K mileage warranty). Consistently getting 50 mpg.... Way more fun to drive than just about any other econobox, with the versatility of a wagon, and good power...

 

[2FORCEFULL]

I just bought a new chevy sonic rs,...turbo,... 14k plus doc and tax... wrote the check for 16,004.00 out the door....I got it to leave in havasu at the house so I don't have to un hook the boat from the truck...got 35 mpg going to havasu and back...cruised 80 most of the way....the other car I really like is the fiat 500, that's what we had at havasu but I know old people and they can't get in the back seat … so we had to get a 4 door...I left the fiat on the arm at a lot in havasu… fiats are way fun...and get good gas milage...it's a 2017 with only 15k miles, gonna whole sale it for 10k... no tax...we have another fiat in vegas… car never sits as we drive it every where...the one in vegas is a 5 speed manual... and we have it set up to tow behind the rv... great little cars... the hatch back is cool... back seat fold down... the one in havasu is bumper to bumper warranty

 

[was thatguy]

Toyota hands down.
Had 4 Camrys.
Deb liked the older ones, like ‘93, used to buy them up whenever I saw them for sale with less than 150k on them.
When she got sick I got her the 2014 I currently have.
When the guy came and bought my 08 Cummins he was from a car lot. He wanted that Camry in the worst way. Even being wrecked and repaired it’s still holding value.
It seems that when shopping used Toyota’s the dealer usually only has up to 2 year old ones, trade ins or lease returns. Finding one used can be a chore because no one seems to sell them past 2 years old. And frankly the cost of a 2 year old Corolla or Camry isn’t much less than a new one.
That changes with avalons or Toyota trucks.
Those things are astronomical new.

 

[BajaMike]

I wouldn’t get anything with a turbo. It overworks the small engine and a turbo is about $3000 to replace.

 

[Bigbore500r]

Honest question.... Why does anyone buy the toyota prius instead of the camary hybrid when the mpg is really close. Camary seems like such a nicer looking car without the stigma. Price is close enough?

In the real world the prius repeatedly gets 50mpg where the camry does not, and the prius actually has better head room and the hatch back is more functional. Prius all day

 

[DrunkenSailor]

Another vote for Mazda 3 I drive mine like I stole it everyday. It's 10 years old and it needed a transmission but thats it and was my fault more than the car. I drive it like a stick.

 

[was thatguy]

In the real world the prius repeatedly gets 50mpg where the camry does not, and the prius actually has better head room and the hatch back is more functional. Prius all day

All true.
But I do like having a “normal” looking car.
Especially considering that I dont log the miles in the Camry that would justify a purchase strictly based on economics.

 

[zx14]

I bought a civic si last year, sporty little devil, average mpg sits at 38. If I reset before I hit the 40 , it gets 44 mpg. Only issue is my fat ass doesn’t fit in the lil bucket seats.

 

[Cole Trickle]

Get a corvette. Thats an economy car so to speak.....

Exactly.....25+ mpg on the highway is great when compared to a school bus.

Life is too short buy something with less than 450+ hp

 

[Mr. C]

Ford screwed us on the focus tranny.
After being happy with Ford for decades they lost me.

UD

Yes they did, my 12 just hit 180k and bam tranny fried. so it sits for now.

There is a 4B dolllar suit against ford for lying about the trans.
I'll look for the link id interested

 

[DaveC]

There is more to life then fuel economy....

Nice buy on the mustang BTW. That is an economy car too... sort of....

Exactly.....25+ mpg on the highway is great when compared to a school bus.

Life is too short buy something with less than 450+ hp

 

[rivermobster]

Brand new....basics with air is all that is needed. Two seater is fine. A stick would be OK but auto would be nice.

Main thing is to get good gas mileage and be reliable. That is the main concern. It will get lots of miles running around town. Lots of stops/starts, etc.

Few years from now probably get passed on to a grandson

Here is where I read up a little bit:
https://20somethingfinance.com/cheapest-new-cars/

So......Lets hear what your opinion is.

Keep the jokes somewhere else peeps....please

Thanks

All the TDI's that were bought back, have been modified by the dealer, gone thought reconditioning, and are now back on the front line...

DIRT CHEAP!

The owner of Timmon's in Long Beach is a good friend of mine, and I also know the guy who is in charge of the program at Bozzani. Some of these cars were turned in in brand new condition. There are a number of different models for every price range.

Mine gets around 42-45mpg with all the mods done. I still love the car. :thumbup:

Hit me up if you're interested.

 

[Cole Trickle]

There is more to life then fuel economy....

Nice buy on the mustang BTW. That is an economy car too... sort of....

I got it for a very economical price when compared to msrp...lol

Its a solid 18 mpg combined car. I do wish the gas tank was bigger i'm nit used to visiting gas stations every other week and it's annoying

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Exactly.....25+ mpg on the highway is great when compared to a school bus.

Life is too short buy something with less than 450+ hp

I had 2 of those, now I only have one.

I do have an economy truck though.

 

[270]

hard to beat the mileage and as far as reliability, has redundant propulsion system pedals.

View attachment 753727

LOL.

If I'm not mistaken he already has a red and white one of those.

 

[Cole Trickle]

I had 2 of those, now I only have one.

You needed the truck...Things come and go, in a couple years things will change.

In the future I think I would like to replace my 00 SS convertible with a C6Z...It's always fluid

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

You needed the truck...Things come and go, in a couple years things will change.

In the future I think I would like to replace my 00 SS convertible with a C6Z...It's always fluid

Yep.. I will miss it occasionally, and can always get another one. I am really happy with the truck so far though.

I thought about a C6Z myself, that will probably be the next thing I get, or an FD RX7 with an LS. They make a C6Z feel sluggish and portly. I may actually drive the RX7 a bit more on the street in the spring and fall now.

 

[mjc]

I got one but it was used....

A 2015 VW Sportwagen TDI with 17K miles for $17K (and with a 162K mileage warranty). Consistently getting 50 mpg.... Way more fun to drive than just about any other econobox, with the versatility of a wagon, and good power...

All the TDI's that were bought back, have been modified by the dealer, gone thought reconditioning, and are now back on the front line...

DIRT CHEAP!

The owner of Timmon's in Long Beach is a good friend of mine, and I also know the guy who is in charge of the program at Bozzani. Some of these cars were turned in in brand new condition. There are a number of different models for every price range.

Mine gets around 42-45mpg with all the mods done. I still love the car. :thumbup:

Hit me up if you're interested.

This my son just picked up a 2015 sportwagen with 27k and fully loaded for 9k. He is getting over 40 mph consistently. He had a Jetta this sedan and was getting over 50 with it, sold it back like I did for more than he paid for it but wanted another

 

[rvrrun]

Well the economy car I would buy is a no brainer.

Fiesta ST. Do it now as they are gone next year. My parents had a standard Fiesta as a daily driver and it was scary because it had so little power and it was a manual. It was also a sedan which has terrible blind spots. Main problem with most eco cars is they lack power and that can be dangerous.

The FiST as all the kids call it, is small, fast, handles amazing and gets decent fuel economy. Can be had for under 20k brand new.

Bad ass IMHO.

Are they still making it? We brought home a Focus ST for my daughters first car because they were going away in '19. My wife and I have been splitting use of it until the daughter gets her license and it's a blast to drive. My wife's daily is a Mini JCW and the ST is just as much fun to drive, and better in some ways than the JCW for less than half the price. I love that you can speed limit the car, limit stereo volume and a few other things by programming a key.

 

[DEEZNUTS]

Did the Prius. They have head gasket issues, ask around. Had coolant on cylinders at 110k. Insurance on them is high. But the car did keep everyone safe when it was hit hard. Did its job.

Went to a 2012 TDI, cut my fuel bill by about 30% from the Prius. They are DIRT cheap and have a great 6 speed manual trans. Fun to drive, not gay, and handle well. 10k oil change intervals.

I can get a hand calc 49.5mpg from it hwy at 75+.

 

[Jetdriver951]

A late 90's saturn for 1K$. You could drive it for a year and light it on fire and still be ahead.

Bought me a 1998 saturn sc2 automatic for my airport car from a older lady that was buying a new car 2 years ago. Only had 67,000 miles on it. She had every receipt for work done on the car. Even had the original window sticker for it. The ac died last year in it so I repaired that myself, "600.00 bucks" ,new brakes and regular oil changes ever 5000 miles. Just did smog on it last month passed no problem and gets 33mpg. Now has 87,000 miles. Bought it for 1,800 bucks. It now is parked in the driveway when I ran out of spots in the garage after I bought a 68 Camaro with 502 bored 30 over "I guess that makes it a 509 from what I was told" with a 5 speed tremac transmission. That one gets 9mpg.

 

[Bigbore500r]

Did the Prius. They have head gasket issues, ask around. Had coolant on cylinders at 110k. Insurance on them is high. But the car did keep everyone safe when it was hit hard. Did its job.

Went to a 2012 TDI, cut my fuel bill by about 30% from the Prius. They are DIRT cheap and have a great 6 speed manual trans. Fun to drive, not gay, and handle well. 10k oil change intervals.

I can get a hand calc 49.5mpg from it hwy at 75+.

Weird your Prius had issues like that, 50mpg is normal for those cars and head gaskets aren’t really common failures. Was yours a old “1st gen” ?