Efficient, cheap beaters! Used car ads: 35 mpg highway or more for $1500 or less

[Xist]

All right, dredging the Internet for relevant vehicles for sale.

This thing:

$895 firm! No lowballs! I know what I got (1993 Metro with 183,000 miles)

Are there any version of the Focus that qualifies? The best that I see is 32 MPG highway (despite claims by the sellers)

Finally! A Mitsubishi Mirage in my price range: https://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/c...995435918.html

If it were a manual it would qualify, but alas! Another autotragic! Oh the humanity!

The only Chevrolet that I might ever consider! 2001 Prizm with 160,000 miles, but I cannot figure out whether it has the three- or four-speed autotragic. They are rated 30/36 MPG respectively: https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/c...995405605.html

This may not be 35 MPG, but I don't care, a $500 OBD-II Civic?! https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/c...993047701.html

Not 35 MPG, but I can tell from here the front bumper doesn't have Gorilla Tape!

(I am pretty sure that it does not have footprints in the roof, either!) https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/c...993046228.html

Only 20 MPG! Do I still come out ahead not having a vehicle with better clearance and whatnot when it snows? https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/c...993002819.html

There is no way of knowing how much snow we will have...

I just do not like canceling.

Is this an LX with HX rims? It says that it needs a new catalytic converter, which is integrated with the exhaust manifold on the 2000: https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/c...990284373.html

This tiny useless thing only gets 31 MPG?! 2007 Chevrolet Aveo: https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/c...988171313.html

It looks like this 1998 manual HX is still up: https://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/c...997132888.html

2001 Civic with one picture showing a hovering hood: https://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/c...997809327.html

I will check Facebook and OfferUp when I have a chance.

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Originally Posted by Xist

Is this an LX with HX rims? It says that it needs a new catalytic converter, which is integrated with the exhaust manifold on the 2000: https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/c...990284373.html

Not HX wheels. HX wheels are 8-spoke, those are 7-spoke.

[Shaneajanderson]

Originally Posted by Xist

All right, dredging the Internet for relevant vehicles for sale.

This thing:

$895 firm! No lowballs! I know what I got (1993 Metro with 183,000 miles)

Are there any version of the Focus that qualifies? The best that I see is 32 MPG highway (despite claims by the sellers)

Finally! A Mitsubishi Mirage in my price range: https://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/c...995435918.html

If it were a manual it would qualify, but alas! Another autotragic! Oh the humanity!

The only Chevrolet that I might ever consider! 2001 Prizm with 160,000 miles, but I cannot figure out whether it has the three- or four-speed autotragic. They are rated 30/36 MPG respectively: https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/c...995405605.html

This may not be 35 MPG, but I don't care, a $500 OBD-II Civic?! https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/c...993047701.html

Not 35 MPG, but I can tell from here the front bumper doesn't have Gorilla Tape!

(I am pretty sure that it does not have footprints in the roof, either!) https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/c...993046228.html

Only 20 MPG! Do I still come out ahead not having a vehicle with better clearance and whatnot when it snows? https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/c...993002819.html

There is no way of knowing how much snow we will have...

I just do not like canceling.

Is this an LX with HX rims? It says that it needs a new catalytic converter, which is integrated with the exhaust manifold on the 2000: https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/c...990284373.html

This tiny useless thing only gets 31 MPG?! 2007 Chevrolet Aveo: https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/c...988171313.html

It looks like this 1998 manual HX is still up: https://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/c...997132888.html

2001 Civic with one picture showing a hovering hood: https://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/c...997809327.html

I will check Facebook and OfferUp when I have a chance.

The prizm is a rebadged corolla, very very good car, and even with an auto 40 mpg should be attainable. I'm fairly certain a 2001 prizm would have a 4-speed auto, with 4 being OD.

[deluxx]

https://annapolis.craigslist.org/cto...999705280.html
$400 Estate sale. Driven daily until recently. One family owned since new.
Complete car. Most things appear to work. 5 speed manual transmission. VTEC engine makes this a bit of a rocket ship. For the age, a very straight body. High miles and the check engine light is on but I have no idea what that means. Everything is a little rough and the price is set accordingly. $400


Sounds like it was a nice car until this guy took it out and did a VTEC with it.
Still, get an ebay B20 or D16Z for <$800 and you have a nice little get around.

damn i wish i was rich, id have 20 acres and 100 beaters

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by deluxx

Sounds like it was a nice car until this guy took it out and did a VTEC with it.
Still, get an ebay B20 or D16Z for <$800 and you have a nice little get around.

damn i wish i was rich, id have 20 acres and 100 beaters

Hard to tell from the badging but that looks like it might be a stock engine to me. At the very least, the D series wasn't swapped with a B series. I think the seller is just trying to make a sale by claiming the SOHC motor makes it "fast".

[MetroMPG]

damn i wish i was rich, id have 20 acres and 100 beaters

That is funny! Same here.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by freebeard

I was just given right of first refusal on a Metro XFi for $1000, available 'soon'. New tires and timing belt.

I drove it as a loaner a few years back and got my personal best fuel mileage with it. Later today I'm going to call him up and offer to trade the Dasher diesel.

Any more word on this? Did I miss a fantastic XFi introduction thread?

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by mpg_numbers_guy

$2200 green manual Mirage "within 200 miles" of me in NC:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...6847787159357/

Wow - I would have bought that! That's the cheapest non-crashed Mirage I've seen so far in the U.S.

In fact, I was going to buy a $1750 2014 5-speed Mirage a week ago in Ontario. 150k miles / 240k km on it. But another MirageForum member had dibs and bought it first. Nothing wrong with it aside from needing tires and a cracked fog light replaced.

[freebeard]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Any more word on this? Did I miss a fantastic XFi introduction thread?

Slowly, slowly, catchee monkey.

It's currently in use as a loaner, I have it reserved for this weekend for a trip up the Valley. He was selling it to avoid having to insure so many vehicles, but he re-upped it again.

The problem is I have to sell the Dasher. It may be the lowest production number car I've owned (else the Canadian Beetle or the French Type III). I already miss every VW I've sold on, the thirteen-window pass-through bus, the 23-window barn-door bus, the panel van; and that's just the Type IIs.

[MetroMPG]

This 2004 5-speed sedan sure shows well in the ad, and has low kms for the year (171k kms = 106k miles):







EPA says 30 / 38 / 33.

The key thing is the ad says NO RUST.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/...ion/1466106294

Rust in the rear rocker area sends these older Echos to the junkyard prematurely. It's structural - the mount point for the rear axle rots away. I briefly owned a 2004 Echo hatchback, and repaired the rusty rockers before it had gotten too bad.


The one I had seemed to be good for ~50 MPG out of the box (un-modded), eco-driving on the scenic secondary roads I usually travel.



This one comes with winter & summer tires on rims. And they say they're selling with a valid mechanical inspection.

I contacted the seller. They're asking $1800, so technically it's not qualified for this thread. That's quite a good price if the car checks out, but if they're not willing to negotiate a little, I'm not buying it.

Looks like an ideal candidate to avoid driving my troublesome 2000 Metro this winter. Then re-sell it in the spring and break even or possibly make a little profit. (I sold my 2004 Echo a few years ago for $2600 with current inspection, and it had a lot more kilometers on it.)