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what is a good used car with great gas mileage?

S

stag3

Diamond Member
i currently have an 08 mazdaspeed3, which gets 20-25 mpg.
i don't really want to put miles on it and i figured out that gas would be ~350 a month with it.

i was leaning towards buying a base civic (38mpg) which would cost me ~200 a month in gas.

i have 2 options, keep my car and buy a beater
or sell my car and buy a used civic (or comparable car) - better financially.

so i'm trying to see what you guys think is a good/reliable car with good mileage.
i'm hoping to not spend more than ~5-7k if possible.

taking driving enjoyment completely out of the picture obviously.

i guess i have a 3rd option, just keep my car and put those miles on it.
 
Damn that's a lot of driving...I guess if it has to be done.

According to official EPA ratings, the new base Civic (manual) gets 26/34mpg...I think the 38 is a bit optimistic. The 7th gen is about the same (27/33).

The only gas-powered cars in that price range I can think of that would do better are the manual Toyota Echo (c. 2005) and manual 9th gen Corolla (30/38 and 28/37 respectively).

Keep in mind that neither will be as safe as your Mazdaspeed 3, especially not the Echo. The Corolla will be durable but boring. The Echo has depreciated more than similar vintage cars so it will be great value.

Your only other option for an efficient beater is a used diesel Golf or Jetta, but I don't know how new a model you can get for $5-7k.
 
Originally posted by: SearchMaster
2005 Focus with ~50K miles. You should be able to find one for <$6K
Click to expand...

Good choice, but at 32mpg, it gets 5mpg less than the Corolla, and about 12mpg less than the diesel VWs.
 
sweet thanks for the replies so far.
basically my manager said we're getting outsourced in 6 mos
so start looking.

i did not think of the corolla, totally slipped my mind
i don't really trust VW's reliability, unless they have improved, or the diesels are reliable?
 
07 Passat 2.0T here. My commute is a bit over 90 miles round trip. Generally 31mpg, half of the trip at 65 and the other half around 75 mph, generally 1 (up to 3 total) usually red to me stoplights along the way.

Not the greatest fuel economy, and I feed it 93 octane, but given every time I get in the car I am there for at least 45 minutes, I am really glad it is a nice place to be.

Might be worth considering something with big brakes, good handling and long service intervals.
 
With 70 miles each way on the freeway, he will easily exceed the EPA highway figures for any car he chooses. 38 MPG from the Civic should be doable if he doesn't do 90 MPH the whole way.

You might also find a used Focus cheap enough that you could keep the MS3.

But one other thing to consider is that the MS3 is kind of a "compromise car." It's great for a do-it-all single car. But if you're going to get a dedicated commuter, you might want something else to be your weekend car regardless of what you get.
 
Originally posted by: InflatableBuddha
Originally posted by: SearchMaster
2005 Focus with ~50K miles. You should be able to find one for <$6K
Click to expand...

Good choice, but at 32mpg, it gets 5mpg less than the Corolla, and about 12mpg less than the diesel VWs.
Click to expand...

And in 15 years or so, he'll make up the price difference 😉 That assumes the cars are around the same age though...

Originally posted by: stag3
sweet thanks for the replies so far.
basically my manager said we're getting outsourced in 6 mos
so start looking.

i did not think of the corolla, totally slipped my mind
i don't really trust VW's reliability, unless they have improved, or the diesels are reliable?
Click to expand...

VW makes a reliable engine. It's everything else that has issues.

How old of a car are you looking for though? Personally, I don't like going that old when it comes to a small car (I'm big on safety features).
 
was hoping for something with not to many miles already, more than an age of the car to make a decision

i will check out the focus as well
 
Originally posted by: stag3
was hoping for something with not to many miles already, more than an age of the car to make a decision

i will check out the focus as well
Click to expand...

The Focus would be your best bet then. A Cobalt would be cheap too, but its mileage is probably close to what you're already getting, although it would be cheaper to maintain. I doubt you'd find a Civic in your price range with low mileage. If you did, I'd be highly suspect as to why (possible salvaged title, flood damage etc).
 
Originally posted by: InflatableBuddha
Damn that's a lot of driving...I guess if it has to be done.

According to official EPA ratings, the new base Civic (manual) gets 26/34mpg...I think the 38 is a bit optimistic. The 7th gen is about the same (27/33).

The only gas-powered cars in that price range I can think of that would do better are the manual Toyota Echo (c. 2005) and manual 9th gen Corolla (30/38 and 28/37 respectively).

Keep in mind that neither will be as safe as your Mazdaspeed 3, especially not the Echo. The Corolla will be durable but boring. The Echo has depreciated more than similar vintage cars so it will be great value.

Your only other option for an efficient beater is a used diesel Golf or Jetta, but I don't know how new a model you can get for $5-7k.
Click to expand...

My Dad was getting 38/39 MPG with his Civic when he drove to Canada.
 
don't settle for anything less than a civic for your commute. you might want to go midsized sedan for more comfort such as an accord. sure you might lose some MPG but you won't lose your comfort and sanity!
 
Originally posted by: evident
don't settle for anything less than a civic for your commute. you might want to go midsized sedan for more comfort such as an accord. sure you might lose some MPG but you won't lose your comfort and sanity!
Click to expand...

Ok, let's see what you're recommending.

Don't settle for anything less than a civic...

But get an accord...

So which one is it?

My recommendation is to forget buying a single model and start looking for the best possible deal. If a well maintained car of any make or model that gets decent mileage shows up for a decent price get it. I'm a huge fan of beaters that cost $3k or less. If you take your time, shop around, and will deal with cosmetic issues (peeling paint or something like that) you can get a car that will last you a few years for very little.
 
Toyota/Honda's are overpriced used. Even though gas has gone down people are still asking ridiculously high prices on them.

Oh and you SHOULD be able to get better mpg on the Speed3. You will have to really baby it and I mean really baby it but you could get high 20's on it possibly low 30's on highway. I've done it on my SRT4. It just takes a lot of self restraint to do so and a super light foot.
 
Originally posted by: evident
don't settle for anything less than a civic for your commute. you might want to go midsized sedan for more comfort such as an accord. sure you might lose some MPG but you won't lose your comfort and sanity!
Click to expand...

My '91 Eclipse was more comfortable to me as the driver than my '00 Maxima is. Sure it wouldn't hold 4 people comfortable but as a daily driver, it fit me very well (and I'm an average sized guy - 6' 175).
 
If you are content with a 2 seater find a 2000 - 2006 Honda Insight. A 5 speed will net you about 65 - 75 mpg at highway speeds, a cvt will net you 55 - 65mpg. They have been running $4k and up since gas prices came down depending on mileage, etc. Out of all the cars available these are the mileage king!
 
Originally posted by: Uhtrinity
If you are content with a 2 seater find a 2000 - 2006 Honda Insight. A 5 speed will net you about 65 - 75 mpg at highway speeds, a cvt will net you 55 - 65mpg. They have been running $4k and up since gas prices came down depending on mileage, etc. Out of all the cars available these are the mileage king!
Click to expand...

Yep, I came in here to post this. Cool little cars, and you really can get 70+ mpg with the 5spd on the highway. They're nuts.

 
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