[Caddylackn]

Since these are both beaters and it is a work vehicle only. I would look at other aspects besides just $fuel per mile driven.

Reliability and cost of parts. Which car has better parts availability and prices? I remember the last time I owned a Toyota I was stuck with buying a lot of dealer only available replacement parts and was not happy with the wait times and costs. Having your beater a week or two off the road while you wait for simple repair parts is going to cost you.

I also look at the local junkyards and see what they have in stock. If they have 4 saturns there of that vintage and zero Echos, then my decision is easy. It is also getting hard to find a selection of 14" tires, and even harder to find 13" tires. I would try to find a vehicle with 15" tires.