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

[Xist]

There is a 2007 Prius for sale in Cottonwood 3 hours west of here for $1,600.

https://flagstaff.craigslist.org/cto...236989441.html

[Natalya]

That car is ****ed.

[Xist]

159,000 miles, it is only rated 26/33, but the owner claims that it gets 39 MPG.

How does that tiny useless thing only get 33 MPG on the highway?!

New battery, registered, tagged, ran fine til 4 days ago. Needs camshaft position sensor. Gets 39 mpg

Registration and tags are more than the Civic hatchback has, and that scrape all of the way down the very short side means that its value is slashed!

Am I supposed to believe that this thing would be worth $800 without that scrape?!

AutoZone and O'Reilly's don't show those sensors in-town, but RockAuto will ship one for $18.38 and it says "Hyundai." Amazon has a Geniune Hyundai [who's impressed?!] one for $30, so I should check part numbers or something.

RepairPal and Your Mechanic say this would cost $200. I forget how much the shop wanted to swap the one for my Forester, but each of them is one wire and one bolt, right on top of the engine.

[Xist]

The 1994 Civic hatchback for $1,100 sold, but a remarkably-similar 1993 hatch appeared for $900. Not only is this a different year, this one has 260,000 miles and a restored-salvage title.

Kelley said that the 1994 was worth around $1,100--with 160,000 miles.

I feel confident that 100,000 extra miles would reduce the value by more than $200.

The restored-salvage title, though...

Someone replaced the engine?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...2945140726961/

[Xist]

They don't specify that it runs and drives, but it has only had one owner, and it came with air conditioning (although they don't specify that works, either).

Unspecified mileage, but it has a clean title.

There is bondo work in the back, but it looks good to me! The back bumper is hanging off and it s missing the rear turn signals.

Under what circumstances is this a good price?

Honda Civic VX hatchback

Here is a 1995 Si with VX rims being sold for parts in Cleveland for $850. It runs and drives, but his mechanic said that it wasn't safe to drive. The owner lost control during a snowstorm and pushed in the back bumper. The hatch doesn't open and the rear glass doesn't close. There is serious rust on the rear quarter panels (where the VX has bondo): 1995 Honda Civic Si Hatchback - $850

1992 Honda Civic VX Hatchback listed 3 weeks ago in El Paso, TX for $1,500 has a bonded rebuilt title and 165,000 miles.

Now for only the finest junk that Facebook showed me when I looked for a Civic VX:

1994 Honda Civic DX Sedan with 230,000 miles and quick-release steering wheel for $1,200 in Tucson, AZ

1995 Honda Civic Si Coupe for $1,500 in Phoenix, AZ. Or not. The description doesn't make any sense.

1995 Honda Civic for $1,134 in Apache Junction, AZ

1995 Honda Civic DX Sedan for $800 in Bullhead City, AZ. Needs water pump and oilpan gasket.

Nonrunning 1993 Geo Metro for $650 in Yuma, AZ. Unless this is the most pristine nonrunning Metro ever I say that it is worth $300.

1995 Geo Metro with 232,000 miles for $600 in Quartzsite, AZ. I hear they have rock fests there! "Needs a starter and would like $600 for it but just really want it gone. Clean title in hand, best offer gets it."

1992 Toyota Tercel DX Sedan with 186,000 miles for $800 in Bullhead City, AZ

1993 Honda Civic with 224,000 miles for $1,200 in Glendale, AZ

1994 Geo Metro with 109,000 miles and an autotragic transmission for $1,000 in Yuma, AZ. No title.

1995 Geo Metro Lsi with 160,000 miles for $500 in Kanab, UT. The driver's door doesn't open from the inside and the transmission is missing a synchro.

1992 Toyota Corolla wagon for $1,170 in Las Cruces, NM

1995 Honda Civic EX Sedan with 225,000 miles for $800 in Durango, CO

1992 Honda Civic DX Sedan for $1,200 in El Paso, TX

1991 Ford Probe Hatchback with 63,000 miles for $1,000 in Kingman, AZ. "Ran when parked."

1992 Toyota Corolla for $1,500 in Phoenix, AZ

Focus!

1999 Honda Civic DX Hatchback for $1,500 in Brooklyn, NY.

Black 2000 manual HX with 220,000 miles! Just like mine! Running, just like mine isn't!

It is at a dealership (in Yakima, Oregon), so hopefully it is in better shape than mine was in 2011. How much would it be out the door?

1998 Honda HX with 190,000 miles for $1,500 in Englewood, Colorado.

Autotragic 1998 Honda Civic HX Coupe with 200,000 miles for $1,500 in Las Vegas, NV.

Manual 1997 Honda HX with 250,000 miles and CEL for $1,500 in Phoenix, AZ.

[Xist]

1 owner 5-speed manual. All stock. Tagged, runs, and looks good. (302) 250-5096. https://delaware.craigslist.org/ctd/...242672627.html

I planned on looking up Insights and other favorites, but I need to work on projects!

[Xist]

Need gone ASAP clean title minor oil leak needs tires runs phenomenally. OBO.

The exterior looks fine, but the leather seats are disintegrating.

What questions do I ask?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...53141809483326

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by Xist

1 owner 5-speed manual. All stock.|

Those don't look like stock HX wheels! Didn't they come with those pretty & light thin-spoke alloys? Mis-identified trim, or???


I can plead ignorance: the Civic HX was never sold in Canada. VX, yes.

[Xist]

HXes have supersized VX rims. Some people put those on non-lean-burn cars and some get rid of those on their VX\HX.

People are weird.

I looked at one HX close to my old house and somebody stole their wheels, so they got steel wheels and put anti-theft lug nuts on all of them--not just one per wheel, but 4!

I am sure that people do steal steel wheels, but that seemed like a waste of money.

How about the Saturn? Are there any common problems?

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Xist

How about the Saturn? Are there any common problems?

The Saturn 1.9L is known to burn oil about at a rate of a quart of oil every 1,000 miles. That is "normal" some will burn more - some less.

The piston rings build up carbon and stick. I've read you can fix it by removing the spark plugs and soaking the pistons and rings with sea foam fuel additive.

Some friends had one. It ran for over 200K miles but was leaving a trail of blue smoke by the time they got rid of it.