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

[iikhod]

Originally Posted by freebeard

I've taken possession of the XFi. I left him the Superbeetle and US$100. There's a punch list so technically it's a loaner.

On first inspection, the front suspension cradle shows paint and smooth metal. I haven't looked at the rear wheel wells yet. Are they also vulnerable?

Congrats
I had to look up punch list, first time i heard of it. So it basically is a list of things the seller of the XFi is going to fix for you,as a part of the deal?

[MetroMPG]

Start a thread!


Rear wheel wells can be a problem, but probably only in the rust belt:





As the factory rubberized undercoating ages & dries out, it cracks and traps water, creating the above. That's my 2000 Metro. Despite that rear wheel well disaster, the front control arm area is near mint (for a rust-belt car) because it was regularly oiled.

[freebeard]

So it basically is a list of things the seller of the XFi is going to fix for you,as a part of the deal?

It's sort of a loose deal, no hand-shake; but the tuning on the SuperB and payments on the XFi are coming out of a single monthly payment.

MetroMPG — Once I've increase my level of ownership, a [boxed cavity] thread will be necessary. I think I'll paint the (12"!) wheels before the road trip next week.

[Xist]

This really doesn't qualify, the 1.6l manual only got 23/31, but this is an autotragic. The three-speed is 23/26 and the four-speed is 23/30. The ad doesn't specify or give any information, like whether it runs and drives, just that it has 141,000 miles and $600 OBO.

I really don't want anything pre-OBD-II, but I wonder what is wrong with it, how much time and money it would take to fix, and how much it would be worth in good shape.

There is also a 2001 Maxima with 126,000 miles that was towed and never picked up. They said "$1,500 firm," but it is now listed for $850! At best it is only 22/27, although they call it a fuel-saver!

I find it curious the 3,200-pound v6 Maxima gets better fuel economy than the 2,300-pound Corolla.

The Maxima needs a windshield and dash vents (which I found on eBay for less than $40). The ad specifies that it runs and drives.

[Ecky]

I think if you could reasonably get it from Vermont, I'd offer you my second Insight, once I finished getting it up to spec. That's a bit of a drive though.

[Xist]

Meet you halfway?

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by Xist

Meet you halfway?

Half the time I can't make it to the post office.

[Xist]

[Xist]

What? Is this car somehow not legal to drive or at least sell, but it actually runs correctly?

What could possibly go wrong?!

$1,300: https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/c...048574626.html

[Xist]

I would aggressively pursue this if it were near Phoenix, but Tucson?! What good ever came out of Tucson?!

https://tucson.craigslist.org/cto/d/...055029567.html