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Jabberwalk · 05-04-2011, 08:52 PM

I'm a new member, but have been lurking for a while. *Here's my situation and a couple questions:

I'm currently driving a '94 Geo Prizm that wasn't well maintained before I got it. *It gets mid-30's mileage without any fancy driving, but is nearing its last legs. *So I'm in the market for a used car to replace the Prizm within the next year. *Price range is $4,000 or less. *My mechanical skills are nil, but I'd like that to change, and I'd love to make some ecomods, starting with aerodynamics.

In the winter I commute about 25 miles per day round trip, two miles of it on a rough, steep dirt road and the rest on the highway. *Every spring I pack all my backpacking gear, climbing gear, some clothes, a couple musical instruments, *some books, tools, and maybe a kayak into/onto the car for transport from the coastal winter quarters to the summer job in the Sierras. *The job involves weekly trips over Tioga Pass (Yosemite NP, super steep, elevation 9940 ft) for supplies, and the Prizm handles it fine. I occasionally drive up I-5 to visit the family in Oregon. *It's pretty rare that I have more than one passenger.

I've been lurking this forum for a bit, and there seem to be several popular cars that are commonly discussed that are in my price range: Honda CRX (ideally HF), Honda Civic VX or Cx hatchbacks, Toyota Yaris, and Toyota Tercel (both the 4WD '80s hatchbacks and the '90s 2 door sedans).

So my questions are:
1) Are any of these cars burly enough to handle driving up steep mountain roads at high elevations with a bunch of gear? *Or will I be going 15 mph in 2nd gear the whole time? *How about potholed dirt roads? *What will the situation be if I swap out the top gear for lower cruising RPM? *

2) Are any of these particularly good for a beginner to maintain/modify? i.e. are they *simple, complex, finniky, parts hard to find, etc?

3) I really like the idea of a full boat tail mod. *Can this be done on a sedan? *The aerocivic.com mobile is a hatchback.

4) Anything else I should know? *Such as a different make/model to consider? *I don't expect to buy within the next 6 months, and would like to shop around for the right car, not just the most convenient one to buy.

Thanks a bunch, guys/girls. *I'm really looking foreward to hearing your thoughts!

05-04-2011, 08:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
Jabberwalk EcoModding Lurker Join Date: May 2011 Location: Ca Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	New member with questions I'm a new member, but have been lurking for a while. Here's my situation and a couple questions: I'm currently driving a '94 Geo Prizm that wasn't well maintained before I got it. It gets mid-30's mileage without any fancy driving, but is nearing its last legs. So I'm in the market for a used car to replace the Prizm within the next year. Price range is $4,000 or less. My mechanical skills are nil, but I'd like that to change, and I'd love to make some ecomods, starting with aerodynamics. In the winter I commute about 25 miles per day round trip, two miles of it on a rough, steep dirt road and the rest on the highway. Every spring I pack all my backpacking gear, climbing gear, some clothes, a couple musical instruments, some books, tools, and maybe a kayak into/onto the car for transport from the coastal winter quarters to the summer job in the Sierras. The job involves weekly trips over Tioga Pass (Yosemite NP, super steep, elevation 9940 ft) for supplies, and the Prizm handles it fine. I occasionally drive up I-5 to visit the family in Oregon. It's pretty rare that I have more than one passenger. I've been lurking this forum for a bit, and there seem to be several popular cars that are commonly discussed that are in my price range: Honda CRX (ideally HF), Honda Civic VX or Cx hatchbacks, Toyota Yaris, and Toyota Tercel (both the 4WD '80s hatchbacks and the '90s 2 door sedans). So my questions are: 1) Are any of these cars burly enough to handle driving up steep mountain roads at high elevations with a bunch of gear? Or will I be going 15 mph in 2nd gear the whole time? How about potholed dirt roads? What will the situation be if I swap out the top gear for lower cruising RPM? * 2) Are any of these particularly good for a beginner to maintain/modify? i.e. are they simple, complex, finniky, parts hard to find, etc? 3) I really like the idea of a full boat tail mod. Can this be done on a sedan? The aerocivic.com mobile is a hatchback. 4) Anything else I should know? Such as a different make/model to consider? I don't expect to buy within the next 6 months, and would like to shop around for the right car, not just the most convenient one to buy. Thanks a bunch, guys/girls. I'm really looking foreward to hearing your thoughts!