Buying a Car

[Nevyn]

I paid $3500 for my 2004 Hyundai Elantra.

[RobertSmalls]

Originally Posted by wd10

Why are the HX/VX Civics so much more efficient than the other trims?

Lean burn. You can also get it in Honda hybrids with a 5 speed tranny, i.e. the Insight and 03-05 Civic Hybrid.

[honestabe]

What's your budget? If you're looking for the best bang for your buck, get a 95+ Geo Metro 2 door 5-speed with the 1.0 3-cylinder engine. I picked my 95 up with 108,900 miles on it April 17th for only $1200 and it's in mint condition and runs like a new car and gets 50 MPG. I'm 6'2" and 250 lbs, so if I can fit and be very comfortable almost anyone can. The 94 and older Geo Metro's have very cheap interiors and are far from comfortable.

[some_other_dave]

Originally Posted by wd10

Why are the HX/VX Civics so much more efficient than the other trims? Also, do the Civic coupes seat five?

The HX and VX get fuel economy a number of ways. One, as mentioned, is lean burn in some circumstances. Another is relatively tall gearing. The engines are of relatively modest power and size, which also helps. They aren't optimized for top-end (high RPM) power, so they can work well in an operating regime that gets good MPG. I'm sure there are more reasons as well.

The Civic coupes will not seat five that I know of. The sedans (four-doors) can seat five, depending on how big they are and what year the sedan is.

Not sure on your other questions.

-soD

[cfguy2000]

I highly recommend the Toyota Corolla. It is the most common car in the world. (Some 40 million Corollas have been produced worldwide)

I have a 1997 Corolla with 1.6L 3 spd auto, with 196,000 miles on it. I see so many of these cars still on the road. I purchased it with 134,000 miles about 5 years ago from a dealer for $4000 including Tax/Title/License. In this time my car has only not started once (loose battery cable).

1996 and 1997 models have OBD-II connectors. I am not sure about anything earlier. This is important if you want to connect a ScanGuage II or to get Check Engine codes.

What I like about it:

Toyota Quality - I work on the car myself. Everything is so easy to work on. It does not require a large tool set. It is not especially rugged or flimsy. Everything on the car was designed for economy, which is great for EcoModders. Classic Toyotas are known for longetivity. 200,000-300,000 miles on the original engine is not uncommon. Classic Toyotas are very reliable and are not subject to the current Toyota recalls.

Size - Compact - Great for fuel economy, but still much roomier than ultra-compacts like the Geo-Metro. Curb weight for a 1997 Corolla is around 2300 pounds (light enough for good mpg, heavy enough to have a good feel while driving). Later models are considerably heavier.

Engines - Available in 1.6 or 1.8 L for that year. MPFI, 16V DOHC

Transmissions - 3 speed (I don't recommend it, although I can still get great gas mileage), 4 speed auto, 5 speed manual

Tires - 185/65R14 or 175/65R14 stock. I run the 185s in a Pirelli P5 with 85,000 mile warranty. They cost $74 each for the tires. My ride is so smooth and I have nothing to worry about for a long time. I live in Texas. We have about the worst roads in the world. I understand the advantages to running an ultra-small wheel, but I think for safety it is better to run a normal size tire where I live.

Upgrades - There are actually a ton of aftermarket parts for Corollas. Parts for Corollas are usually pretty cheap because of how many of these cars that were produced. Most parts can be replaced by just removing a few bolts. (Like the suspension upgrade I just did. 6 bolts per strut, too easy)

Here is a Corolla with way too many upgrades: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/653609/9

Safety - Driver and Passenger air bags are available. Everyone in Texas has a giant truck. The corolla is the smallest car that I feel somewhat safe driving on freeways here.

[Dr. Jerryrigger]

But Ford now make cars of "equal quality to Toyota", HA HA HA. They sure dropped that slogan fast when that recall happened.

I have only good things to say about Toyotas, my mom had a 90, which is likely still running strong in a junkyard (rust ended it's long service to her), and she would have gotten another had it not been for their no AWD deal with Subaru.

I'm a believer in cheap old cars. I think you'll save a lot in the long run by buying a $2000 to 3000 car, rather than a 4000 dollar car (if you pick the right one that is). You will drop the value of the $4000 one to 2000 in a year or three, where as the $2000 one will never drop in value below $1000 if it keeps running. The key is finding a car that will never stop running, and is cheap to repair (not European).

What part of NY are you in, I'd be happy to suggest some cars on your area's craigslist.

[cfguy2000]

If you have $4000 to spend, you are probably best to spend $2-3000 on the car, $100-200 to replace all the fluids and keep the rest as an emergency fund for repairs.

[Bicycle Bob]

2 mile trips are absurd in a car. The engine barely warms up. A bicycle, OTOH, always starts, never gets stuck, and keeps you healthy.

[wd10]

Here is a Corolla with way too many upgrades: cardomain.com/ride/653609/9

Yeah thats what most of the civics I can find look like except for 2006 and newer models.

I would normally bike two miles, but its not practical for me to ride my bike to school when I have more stuff than will fit in a back pack and much of the year I'd be riding on sidewalks and streets that aren't plowed too well. Also, I don't really want to ride my bike home after track especially in the winter.

I know people who haven't had the best experience with Toyotas but I'm open to them. I know people who have had nothing go wrong with their Saabs and Volvos ('90s and older though) and got well above the EPA mileage but it could be that certain cars end up being more reliable than others.

[RobertSmalls]

I'm not going to tell you not to buy a car (I like 'em), but get a rack and a pair of saddlebags for your bike. I can fit a week's groceries in two saddlebags. I could also drop a backpack in one saddlebag, and a coat in the other. Taking the pack off your back dramatically improves the comfort of the ride.

I used to ride about four miles to school until the first snow accumulation. Then I'd hang up the bike until March.