Need help choosing a fuel efficient yet sporty daily driver

[gone-ot]

If he ain't got the RHYTHM he ain't gonna need the TEMPO (wink,wink)!

[gk_ghig14]

Well after about a week of test driving various cars I think I'm just gonna have to trade the mustang in on something. Only a couple vehicles appealed to me and they were either gas hogs, above what I wanted to spend, very high maintenance costs, or they were in my budget but above my mileage limit of 100,000.

I kept trying to talk my self into a this decade car that was super cheap(aveo, cobalt, current versa) but I just couldn't do it. I just knew that if I settled I would always drive the mustang for most of my errands which wouldn't save me any money.

Right now I'm waiting for the local Hyundai dealer to get in a new sonata 2.0t sport. Looks really fun to drive, has great features at a reasonable cost, and is rated at 26 mpg combined

[nathan01xl]

Fiesta/Focus ST seems to be a great fit for your desires if you are trading in the Mustang.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbcj-zE7gBw

[nathan01xl]

OR you could wait for the Ecoboost 2015 Mustang.

[gk_ghig14]

I actually was going to order a ecoboost mustang, but it came out to almost $40,000 for a coupe fully optioned. Too much for a mid level mustang

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by gk_ghig14

Well after about a week of test driving various cars I think I'm just gonna have to trade the mustang in on something. Only a couple vehicles appealed to me and they were either gas hogs, above what I wanted to spend, very high maintenance costs, or they were in my budget but above my mileage limit of 100,000.

If you are willing to forgo making a car salesman rich, the private party market opens up more and better options for whatever your budget may be. Your biggest loss will be in the trade in. If money isn't the issue, then just continue driving the Mustang and enjoy it.

I haven't driven one yet, but the Sonata appears to be a good car.

... and an automatic is going to cost way more in terms of maintenance and repair. Manuals are the frugal choice for those that know how to operate them.

[gk_ghig14]

Not sure about manual being more frugal. Clutch replacement on my sentra a few years ago was about $1500 at the dealer, transmission rebuild on a auto mustang I also had was about $1200 at the dealer. Plus most automatic transmission equipment is covered under warranty

I'm really hoping the sonata has better steering feel than the optima. Test drove a base optima earlier and the steering feel was non existent. I had no clue how much the front wheels were turned, if they had grip, etc. But it did have some get up and go for being the non turbo motor

[digital rules]

Fluid changes are much more expensive with an auto. A manual just requires a quick drain & fill with 2-3 quarts. An auto takes 3-4 times more fluid if flushed, plus a filter which requires dropping the pan.

I'd still say a manual is cheaper in the long run. I'm planning on getting at least 200,000 miles on my clutch. My aunt got almost 300,000 on her 98 Corolla.

[redpoint5]

I've only had to replace a clutch once when I bought a car that had 120k miles on it. It cost me $40 in parts and a day wrenching. The clutch I put in went another 120k miles before the car was hit and totalled. That was 120k miles of harsh use, off roading, bashing through snow, climbing mountains. I burned it many times. Whoever had the car before me must have been a clod; using the clutch to hold position on a hill instead of using the brake.

Automatics are most certainly less reliable. Go on a truck forum and ask which tranny people would choose for extreme use, and they will all say to go with a clutch.

There are likely poor manual transmission designs out there, but poor automatic transmissions are more common.