Help me pick a new(Used Car)? Any FWD with rear drive shaft lock in 4WD?

[Focused]

My focus transmission/clutch plate went out after me driving around 17K miles. :-(

Looking for a new car, it would be nice if it can haul a light trailer. (Up to 1500lb, but most likely 800lb real world) A few times a year. Maybe 1000miles a year. With 10K-15K miles of non trailer use a year.

My Budget is around $5500 for the car itself. I might be okay with a Hy-bread that needs battery's replaced for extra if I can get a couple years out of it before I need to replace them. But I think Hybreads are out of my budget for a reliable car.

I prefer a manual transmission.

It needs to be reliable, it should not have transmission/any issues at 117K miles!!!! I can do small things such as oil change, brakes, alternator, maybe a starter if a lift is not needed. But it should not need to have major work in 200K miles! I do not want to be left on the side of the road AGAIN. NO FORD. Found On Road Dead. Had my 1997 Ford Taurus Auto go out, rebuilt it. 45K miles later the transmission cooler lines rotted out and ruined my 1800 rebuild job. I said, next time I am getting a manual. It goes out after 17K miles when it had a brand new clutch. Not happy with FORD~!

It would be nice if I can mod an EV system into the back of it easy. I am hoping RAV4 works in 2WD mode as front wheel drive only. I want to be able to have an easy mount point for the rear axle EV motor. Most 4WD systems have a stupid RWD only mode that turns on the front wheels and only at low speeds. I think I want a car with FWD but has a rear drive shaft. I want to remove the drive shaft and put a electric motor in front of the rear axial. Maybe there is a car that has both AWD and FWD versions where I can just swap out the rear axle for one from the AWD version of the same car. I know nothing about car models so I am out in the dark, any help is appreciated.

I was thinking about putting a custom hitch on a gen1 insight, but it seems hard to get a good gen1 with a manual for a decent price. It seems every one of them are overpriced, and they are getting to the age that reliability is a concern. I hear the transmission in them is weak too.


2014 Mitsubishi Mirage? Fits the bill for efficiency but might not be very good for hauling things occasionally. I also do not know if it is reliable.

2010 Honda Fit? (Hard to EV mod the rear.)
CR-V?
RAV4?
VW GOLF TDI?

Is there a reliable and efficient hatchback that I could swap in a AWD/RWD rear axle with just some wrenching?


My mind is open to out of the box ideas.

[Focused]

Electric Water-Pump, Electric Power steering a bonus. The more manual the better, manual Windows, manual seats...

[Focused]

I also prefer a hatchback that can be modded to sleep in for camping. The focus was not good at that but the Taurus was good at it. I also could get 30MPG highway with it, but I want better MPG out of my next car/SUV.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Seems like the Honda Fit is your best bet. Since there are AWD versions in the JDM, presumably working around an auxiliary electric drive for the rear axle may not be so much rocket-science.

[Focused]

Here is what the rear 'axle' looks like on a fit. Not sure if I could put a RWD axle in it the back, do you know where I might get a compatible RWD axle that would fit or fit with a few new holes? https://image-cdn.beforward.jp/autop...379_425b0a.jpg
It does not look like it has enough room for a RWD axle: https://image-cdn.beforward.jp/autop...024_892f0a.jpg

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

AFAIK the AWD option for the Fit was only available for the JDM. It may seem unlikely to be implemented to such a small car which resorts to a simple torsion beam in the FWD versions, but the AWD replaces it with a rear independent suspension.

[Focused]

Is it the same body for the US version? What kind of differential axle do you think would fit? Can I get one shipped from the Japs? I do not need both rear wheels to spin, not for traction just for getting the car up to 40mph. It would be nice if a plug and play system could just be bolted in. The CR-V seems to work like I need, but it uses some type of hydrolic system. I think that would reduce the efficiency of the rear motor. Also it can not be turned off, I fear a CR-V would give me computer issues if I unplug it.

[Focused]

Or do you mean that I should import a fit with AWD?

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Focused

Is it the same body for the US version?

AFAIK it's the same bodyshell and floor pan for the US version.

What kind of differential axle do you think would fit?

The stock rear axle assembly of the AWD Fit, according to each generation (all had AWD variants, as they are a valuable asset for many Japanese buyers).

Can I get one shipped from the Japs?

Presumably you can get it shipped from Japan, just like some folks get JDM engines into America. At those Japanese car auction sites you may find lists of suppliers who may be able to ship only the parts needed for the AWD conversion. On a sidenote, I've been aware of some folks converting Civics to AWD for performance-oriented reasons in the US and Europe, so maybe it could be another source of advice regarding the import of JDM parts.

[Piotrsko]

Might a Subaru rear assembly fit with different axle stubs?