Afflicted with a PT Cruiser

[OITW]

I stumbled onto this site some time back trying to improve the horrible mileage of my 04 PT Cruiser "Limited Edition." I was already practicing many of the hypermileage techniques, I've added a few learned here, but the only things that have made a difference have been ethanol-free gas and making sure my tires are fully inflated. Done right, they add 10-20% improvement around town, and 40% on the highway.

What I'm looking for, though, was a discussion I read the day I was on this site, but I can't swear it was on this site and I can't seem to find it now. The question was, Best pickup truck. Period. I thought I bookmarked the link, but I didn't. In general, the answers were older Nissans (IIRC--the Japanese dominated the answers) and post 2005 US diesels. Now I'm in the hunt for an older used pickup, and danged if I can't find that thread.

The only other clue was that the day I read that thread, whether here or elsewhere, one of the big threads was about adding wheel covers to the PT Cruiser to improve its mileage.

Otherwise, I'm here to learn, if only as a bad example.

[UltArc]

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...buy-28116.html

Welcome to the chatting!

[OITW]

UltArc, thank you, that is a helpful thread, but it isn't the thread I was looking for.

I should add, I drove an 85 S-10 4-spd and always got 25-29 MPG, never lower, never higher. It was a drunk magnet, hit three times by drunk drivers, insurance company called it totaled even when I said I would pay for the repairs, and the state confiscated it to protect us from drug dealers.

After that I drove an 87 S-10 5-spd, Iron Duke engine, and hated every second of it. Performance sucked, mileage sucked, ECM tried to kill me (it would wait until I was going through an intersection, then let me shift out of gear but prevent me from re-engaging). I sold it for $500 just to be rid of it.

Replaced it with a 94 S-10 X-cab, 5-spd, and I was happy as a clam with it. But I needed more room for my family and so I bought... an Avalanche. Sweet to drive, Hell at the pumps, long gone away. I sold the S-10 to a friend and his widow still drives it very happily.

While I know the old S-10s and would feel comfortable with one, I have two teenagers and need room for them as well. So I'm expanding my horizons. Since I have poor expectations for fuel mileage to begin with, I'm also very interested in reliability. I need to be able to haul 8 ft lumber, 4x8 sheets, refrigerators. In the meantime, for general driving I will start scouting for some of the older Hondas. Anything to replace this PT Cruiser.

[OITW]

Aha, one other clue--the guy who made the Aerocivic also had a number of posts at that site.

So how is for a "How do you like me so far?" noob thread?

[ksa8907]

Welcome! I wish you a lot of luck with that pt cruiser, they are an aerodynamic nightmare.

[elhigh]

Sorry to hear about your bad luck with the S-10 with the Duke. In my experience the Duke is never going to set the world on fire but it's as reliable as a stone ax and almost as sophisticated. Ours was bulletproof when we had it. There must have been something seriously wrong for yours to let you down like that.

Looking for an economical truck, I'm inclined to tell you to set your sights on the 80s. There's somebody on here with a newish Canyon and he's pushing into the 30s with his mileage, but the more modestly sized compact trucks of the 80s - when they were still compact - can really deliver on the mileage front. Five speed manny, 4-pot engine and no frills. A relatively lightweight, uncomplicated box into which you pile your junk and take it places.