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

[freebeard]

Values
Average Retail $1,225
Rabbit Diesel Engine -15%
$1,042

Looking at NADA midbook, this has dropped $500 while I've owned it. Now I notice that the diesel engine is a liability. Condition is average for it's age, but it does have a five-speed and rebuilt mechanical diesel pump.

I will prep it for advertising for sale, but just a heads-up here in case someone wants to jump the queue.

[MetroMPG]

Someone on MirageForum just picked up this scratch 'n' dent special with electrical issues for $850 on Facebook marketplace:




It was apparently filthy, possibly not well maintained, and had electrical gremlins (turns out it was an improperly installed aftermarket rear dome light that was shorting out).


The short was affecting multiple systems, and the seller said the car "would not start". I asked the person who bought it for more info, and he says...

It prevented a lot of things from working. Door locks, the fast key, radio, etc. I had to put the key into the slot on the dash to get the car to start.

It's a 2015 top spec model with 85k miles and CVT.

Thread: I might have out-cheaped the cheap! (Cheapest roadworthy used Mirage?)

[Xist]

It is always crazy when someone sells a car because they cannot figure out a problem and the buyer figures it out easily.

Here is a Celica for $1,500. I hear they are reliable, but what silly person would buy a convertible in snow country? https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...9326554292670/

It is also pre-OBD-II, and an autotragic. I would love to make a video series fixing up a 1996 Celica. Maybe I could get Shouty to mention it, but I have enough difficulty figuring out problems already. Relying on diagnosing and forgoing the benefit of code readers?

Forget it!

Here is a 1996 Altima that I may have mentioned. It is an autotragic and the fuel economy is terrible, although I owned a 1997, and do not remember it being that bad. I looked at an Altima and an Accord and it seemed like everything was equal.

Both were good cars, so I was trying to make up my mind when it seemed like both were equally good decisions.

Then this song came on the radio:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txTEhgReZUA

I bought the Accord, later hit an elk, drove a hundred miles to the junkyard, later bought a similar Altima, and my sister sold it when I joined the Army--but not before I blew the head gasket.

I did not think anything about paying a mechanic $1,000 to fix it--until I replaced the head gasket in the Forester.

Hey, I could have fixed the Nissan myself!

This Altima has a blown head gasket, 172,000 miles, and they are asking $150.
I can probably talk them down to $149:
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...ort=BEST_MATCH

[Xist]

The Metro sold and the CX disappeared. They took down the ad and it wasn't parked where it was before. I messaged the Altima owner, but have not heard back. I got my hand stuck in my engine compartment and lost skin pulling free.

[Ecky]

This is the kind of silly person who would buy a convertible in snow country. One day I'm likely to have a Miata in my garage next to the Insight, and both will probably have the same engine.

[MetroMPG]

Can I have your old future Miata engine?

Signed, yet another silly person.

(Who drives a Miata for a couple of months a year when the mice aren't hibernating in it.)

[MetroMPG]

Xist: no autotragics!

[Xist]

You want me to get rid of my one functioning car?!

It was a huge relief to get my Civic running again. Sure, she makes disagreeable noises, but at least I can drive her to a garage.

Honestly, I felt happier that I could still drive a manual. It has been almost two years, but I did not have a problem, while my test drive with the Fit was embarrassing.

[Ecky]

Admittedly, the pedals in the Fit are placed oddly.

[Xist]

I once helped a guy move and was the only one man enough to drive his car. It took me a while to get adjusted and someone said "You said that you knew how to drive this!"

It always takes me a while to adjust to different cars with manual transmissions.