Looking for a car (more efficient than my Taurus)

[Sean T.]

I currently drive a 1997 gold Ford Taurus sedan.

As most of you probably know, it's not the most gas friendly vehicle, but I love it to death.

I am looking to find a good daily driver that is VERY low on gas, but I can't afford a new car, so probably a used car, like mid 90's?

I found this site, and I from what I can tell the best car to get would be...

Suzuki Swift
Geo Metro
Pontiac Firefly

I need something cheap, but I am willing to pay a little more for something extra fuel efficient. Is there any cars better than these?

[Sean T.]

Oh, one important factor, the car MUST be an automatic. I do not know how to drive a stick shift.

[SVOboy]

Learn to drive stick, you'll love yourself! It's cheaper and more fuel efficient!

Anyway, that's a good set of vehicles you got there. I might also look out for a Civic CX.

Welcome to the site!

[RH77]

Originally Posted by Sean T.

Oh, one important factor, the car MUST be an automatic. I do not know how to drive a stick shift.

Welcome Sean. I assume you're in Canada, since you mention the Firefly?

All of those you mention are good choices. I'm a Honda guy -- but the automatics honestly stink. Civic, earlier Accords are good choices...

You could find a decent price on a...
Chevy Cobalt / Pontiac G5 (or Cavalier)
Dodge Neon
Ford Focus, Escort
Hyundai Accent, Elantra (later models; including the Kia twins: Rio, Spectra)
Mazda 323, Protege, 3 (2.0L)
Mitsubishi Mirage, Lancer
Nissan Sentra
Saturn (S-Series -- any), Ion
Scion: xA, Xb,
Toyota Corolla, Echo, Matrix (or Pontiac Vibe), Paseo, Yaris
VW Golf, Jetta Diesel

Best FE to ya...

RH77

[Ryland]

Yes, please learn to drive a standard, they last longer, use less gas, require less maintenance, allow you to be a better driver.
Every one I know who has owned a Ford Taurus didn't think much of how much the car cost to fix, until they got a different car, gas is such a small part of the over all cost of owning a car, about 1/4-1/3 of the cost of driving is gas for most people.

[Cd]

A TDI Jetta gets high 40s with an automatic, which means that if driven correctly could easily get you way over 50 MPG.
I drive a Civic DX automatic, and see 50 + MPG on the highway when driven at around 62- 65 MPH. The car is rated at just 41 MPG highway.

Another great thing about a TDI Jetta is that you can run biodiesel in it with no modifications at all.
Or, the car can even be converted to run on SVO ( Straight Vegetable Oil ! )

[gutcheck]

Welcome Sean.
I'm a firm believer that the cheapest car to own is the one you already have.
There are a lot of tips to learn from this site. From modifying your car to your driving style. Before you get too married to the idea of replacing your new car, really do the math. I assume you're getting about 20-ish mpg currently. Free mods (driving style, extra air in tires) can easily get you to upper 20's. Driving about 1,000 miles per month, that's $50 savings right there. If you get a car that gets 50 mpg, you can save an additional $50 per month.
I agree with Ryland, maintenance is usually a bigger cost than fuel. Maintenance doesn't get much cheaper than a super-common domestic sedan.

[MetroMPG]

Gutcheck & Ryland have made good points. If your concern is strictly financial, do the math first.

Don't forget to consider all costs - sounds like you'd be keeping the Taurus, so you need to add extra insurance & registration costs as well.

This winter, a friend of mine was getting fed up with the amount of money it was costing him to fuel his little pickup. He was shopping for a used subcompact car until I suggested he sit down and do the math first -- ALL the math. He did... and he quit shopping.

[Sean T.]

Actually I am in Michigan, but I am near the border, so I figure a few Firefly's might have made it over here.

I have tried driving a stick shift, and I actually don't really care for it... I have also ridden in them, and don't really enjoy the ride too much.

The Taurus will probably be kept, but will probably be dropped down to storage status for insurance. Besides, my parents pay for the insurance. (forgot to mention I am 18 and will be staying home, commuting to college).

The Taurus is legally my parent's car, so the fact of "the cheapest car is the one you already own" (which I believe in) doesn't really apply to me.

As for the list of cars posted, I will add the CX to the list, but anything relatively new (focus, scions, matrix, cobalt, etc.) is out of the question. We simply don't have the money to afford a car newer than about '99.

There seems to be a lot of Metros driving around here, but haven't seen any for sale. I did see a very nice condition Saturn S series for sale, but didn't stop to check the price. Although, I would really rather get a hatchback (later to be made a kammback) as I could use all the cargo space I can get.

And thanks for the warm welcome!!!