Which cars ? (Corolla, Civic, Cobalt, Sentra or Focus)

[mcrews]

Originally Posted by stevet47

Are you looking new or used?

I was actually considering this same thought process but with a volvo s40. If I get into grad school (will find out in Feb). my commute is going to be about 100miles a day, so a little bit more luxury would be nice, and I can get 33mpg on the highway before mods.

Thanks!
the next question is (after my first set) then becomes safty. If you are driving twice as far the risk of an accident increases.
I drive 40k miles a year.


I paid $20k for the Q w/40k on it. in 2005. I've spent 10k (total) on it. That includes $4k for the body kit, tires, oil, filters, bulbs,maintainance repairs, everything but gas.
That's $0.214 per mile. add another 20 cents for gas (at $4.00/gal)
and I'm at 40 cents a mile on the high side. I write off at 58 cents on taxes.
While that 'might seem' high to some , I can't pull up to a clients home in a metro or a 15 yr old car.
I have seen two posts today that say "....I'm almost at 100k and looking...."
I'm shooting for 250k, then get an 06 Q45!!!!

I have my oil tested every so often for wear.

mark

[darkmaxx1]

A Prius is a bit pricey and Civic hybrid too. Insight seems a cut-corners-budget. Less efficient. If it would be a hybrid, I would choose a Ford Fusion.

I'm looking to buy a new car. I want to smell the new materials. xD
Generally, we are 2 or 3 in the car for trips.

I can't tell how many road trips, but it can happens once per week (like 120 miles).
The highest I can do is around 200-225 miles per week.

I didn't mention it, but the comfort I'm talking is that it must be equal to my Altima. Not less or I'll miss my old car.

[mcrews]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

Do you need 340 HP to go down the road?

Maybe it doesn't even matter.

What fe does it get?

Frank Lee, that's kinda my point/question.

this particular V8 is probalby the most effecient (total - not just for FE) V8 produced in 2002.
Then the advanced use of alum and alloy in the body. Most cars in that class weigh 4200 + lbs.

epa fe is 23 highway.
up until 2 months ago, I always got 25+ mpg on the road. avg 68mph.
with my grille block and my initial under belly (first 23") I have gotten 30.8mpg on several test drives.
That is not P&G driving. THat is cruise contol.
I am quite confident that I can get 33mpg on a round trip to texas in Feb.
That's 40% over epa.

It's all about trade off. I really have to drive a large 4 door car. I run the a/c automaticly. I would never turn it off. I can drive 5 hours straight, and get out of the car feeling great!
I can drive 129mph and still acccelerate to 150.

[mcrews]

Originally Posted by darkmaxx1

I'm looking to buy a new car. I want to smell the new materials. xD
Generally, we are 2 or 3 in the car for trips.

I can't tell how many road trips, but it can happens once per week (like 120 miles).
The highest I can do is around 200-225 miles per week.

I didn't mention it, but the comfort I'm talking is that it must be equal to my Altima. Not less or I'll miss my old car.

Darkmaxx,
what yr altima.....they certainly improved dramaticly over the ys.?

[darkmaxx1]

My dad had a Matrix 2004 and its suspension sucked ass, you could feel every variation of the bumpy roads.

That's what I meant, the same road comfort or better.

[mcrews]

Darmmaxx,

soory, just saw you have a 98 altima

[some_other_dave]

Originally Posted by mcrews

Then why is everbody coasting and turning of the engine and stripping of accecories .......

Because it takes fuel to idle, and it takes power to move the accessories. Less overall power needed, less fuel burned for a given engine.

Why is a 2.76 rear end called a highway gear
and 4.08 a race gear

Because lower RPMs and higher loads (throttle settings) are more efficient for a given engine than higher RPMs and lower loads. (Up to a point.)

Read up on BSFC (Brake Specific Fuel Consumption) as Frank suggested, and you may start to get why we would like to see smaller engines with tall gearing.

-soD

[Burnt]

My opinion probably doesn't have much weight since I just bought my 2009 cobalt xfe, and have just started trying hypermiling out........but...


I drove a 2009 corolla rental for a few weeks (my '98 tacoma was recalled, which is how I basically got a free cobalt, while it was processed they gave me the corolla as a loaner), and it just didn't have the same feel as the cobalt...the base model was much more expensive than a loaded cobalt LT (I got mine for $13k OTD used with 3k miles), and honestly the corolla just feels like a rental....something you'd get from enterprise.


I think the cobalt is a fantastic car in terms of comfort; my wife/kid aren't riding in some kind of spartan metal drum...the shift feels awesome - short and easy, the readouts are pretty cool too.

I think it's a nice balance between potential fuel efficiency and value.

Then again, this is the newest car I've ever bought....I usually buy deathtraps that are 8-10 years old, so I'm easily pleased.

[user removed]

I drove the Sentra and it was a nice riding car. I would consider it especially after getting 33.25 MPG in my wife's Rogue on a recent trip (EPA 27 highway). I think the Sentra would give you close to the ride quality of a 98 Altima.

CVT or manual?

I'll bet with some smart driving the Sentra would do 40+MPG. The wife's Rogue's CVT is really nice.

regards
Mech

[darkmaxx1]

It would be a CVT.

But, the choice isn't clear yet.

I think it would be a Sentra or a Focus first. Maybe a bigger or hybrid car next.

I know a Sentra 2009 did 33.6 MPG (7 liters per 100 km) on a road who have alot of hills and big turns.

CanadianDriver Comparison tests and reviews Special Feature: 2008 CanadianDriver 50-litre Challenge

According to this link, the focus and sentra did 35.11 MPG and 33.6 MPG respectively on highways.

I guess I'll have to test them out.