what kind of little car would you buy?

[Ozwynn]

I would still go with a 1993 saturn, or maybe as new as 1999. SL2 with a 5spd. you can buy em cheap and they are easy to work on........... they run like cockroaches and will be around just as long.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Besides the fact that the 1.9 likes to drop valve seats.

Really? I wasnt aware of that. Ive owned 2 1.9L's and ive known people who have owned them, and never heard of that. Not saying it isnt a possibilty though. I know one guy who had a 96 that had like 350,000 miles on it.

My sister had a 88.5 Escort Pony. It had manual brakes, manual steering, no A/C TBI 1.9L and a 4sp with no O/D, on a trip to kentucky (granted an uncomfortable trip) it achieved 47.3MPG.

If it would of had O/D mid 50's would not of been out of the realm of possibilty.

If hes looking for something newer, ive been very pleased with my colorado, although it does high 20's for mileage, but its a truck and can still haul and pull things.

later,
Dustin

 

[Evan]

I had a 2008 Focus SE 5 speed 4 door for awhile. Paid $13,000 new. It got about 37 MPG. Pretty nice car.

 

[fastpakr]

There's really no shortage of decent compact cars out there. If you're looking at a NEW car (which I don't recommend simply because of depreciation), the Honda Fit is an excellent choice.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

The only bad thing about little cars (new or old) is there lack of safety. Yeah they got air bags and stuff, but i like the security of 2 big steel rails underneath me, why i got a little truck instead.

Plus the higher ground clearance is nice to, espically since i live on a very nasty dirt road that gets some hellacious pot holes come spring time.

later,
Dustin

 

[MAKG]

Rangers have the "interesting" safety feature of bending the dashboard into the driver's legs in a front impact. Not AT ALL safer than a small car with crumple zones.

Rails are stronger, not safer. You WANT the vehicle to "take one" for you.

 

[rickcdewitt]

Rangers have the "interesting" safety feature of bending the dashboard into the driver's legs in a front impact. Not AT ALL safer than a small car with crumple zones.

Rails are stronger, not safer. You WANT the vehicle to "take one" for you.

while it might be true about the dash i've not seen it.i have seen head on totals from rangers gen1 up to present(probably minus a generation or two) and i've not seen that.i was pretty damn impressed actually how well they hold up to redwood trees and full size trucks.how far the cab smashes flat though in a mini truck roll over scares me.

i have on the other hand seen plenty of little cars in the impound that amputated legs/feet from the lack of steel and cabin room.the blood never bothered me unless you knew it was some girl who would never look the same again.

there are always those freak accidents though where everything happens just wrong and the safety systems don't work.

 

[Jason]

Trucks are far from safe when compared to passenger cars. The full frame doesn't allow for much impact absorption at all. I personally don't care if my vehicle is totaled from a 10 mph hit, as long as I will remain uninjured in the majority of reasonable hits.

 

[LearjetMinako]

Ford, Honda, or Subura. Maybe a GM product that doesn't have bad rep.

 

[MAKG]

Maybe a GM product that doesn't have bad rep.

You mean the ones that are really made by Toyota?

 

[chico4554]

ive had a 94 saturn sl2 for the past 3 years. I bought it with 140,000 on it, now it has 175,000. Its still returning 30 mpg mixed driving. It leaks/burns like 2 quarts of oil per oil change, other than that ive only replaced the water pump. Its getting kinda beat but its about time, and its not like im treating it nicely. I bought it for 1000, prob just run it till its dead.

 

[MAKG]

That's the second post that suggests leaking or consuming a quart or two over a few thousand miles is acceptable. No, it isn't.

 

[Ozwynn]

saturns leak (I don't know what the damn part is called) in the spark plug holes in the valve cover (like the Taurus SHO), these things the plug wires go into need to be replaced every 60k - 75k along with the valve cover gasket. but yeah, the leak oil like an old Ford V8, but will run forever, and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever ....... kinda like that damn pink bunny or a Vulcan 3.0L

 

[Jason]

You mean the ones that are really made by Toyota?

The only GM I ever owned was a Pontiac Vibe. The wife needed a car and I really like Toyota for cars.

 

[LearjetMinako]

You mean the ones that are really made by Toyota?

Good point. More on the lines like the Ponitac Sunfire. The Vibe is okay. You know, the cars that GM built, but don't seem to last. And make lots of noises just by going down the road at 15mph.

Thou I do have to give GM some regards as they really improved their quality control with the lasted models.

Any car that I can turn a wrench on is a good car to buy. No sense in buying a car that has to go to a specialized shop just to get it fixed.