Suggestions for good beater with heater / eco car...

[Ryland]

Toyota Corrola's handle well, and get high 30's to low 40's for mileage, but from what I've seen ones from 1996-98 tend to burn oil but are otherwise really solid and cheap to repair cars.
I'm a fan of the Honda Civics, but finding one in your price range is hit and miss.
problem with the sportier cars, like the Mazda's is they tend to be beat on and that abuse is going to cost you alot in repairs.

[Jim-Bob]

If maximum mileage for the minimum price is what you seek, a Geo Metro is what you need. They are available in a 4 door and so long as you get a 3 cylinder with a 5 speed it is hard NOT to get 40 mpg out of one. You could also look for a Civic VX or the very reliable B13/B14 Sentra with the GA16DE/5 speed too. The Sentras are worth 30+ MPG city if in a good state of tune and they have timing chains, not belts. Typically you can expect a Sentra that is well maintained to be capable of 300k+ miles due to the high nickel engine block, forged crank and rods and timing chain. I am not a huge fan of Civics because the engines tend to be more fragile than the ones used in Sentras, but the VX's lean burn engine makes it worth the risk as they get almost the same mileage as a 3 cylinder Metro.

For prices, Metros can be anywhere from damn near free up to $5,000-depending on where you find them. I paid $250 for my 1991 3/5 4 door and it runs and drives. My 1992 3/auto 2 door was $350 and it needs an engine. Both my cars were Craigslist finds and were listed as needing work or as parts cars. However, the important thing with a Metro is not the engine ( they are cheap to go through) but the chassis. You need to check them over VERY carefully for rot in the front where the lower control arms bolts to. I would also shy away from an automatic car unless you have a 5 speed parts car. The automatics give up 10-15 mpg to the 5 speeds and can be expensive to change over (around $300). However, if all you can find without rot is an automatic, take it and try to get a 5 speed parts car.

[vacationtime247]

My suggestion would be a lean burn Honda. Of course, a VW diesel manual Rabbit or Golf would be nice too. A Ford Escort, a Toyota Corolla, Geo Prizm, Geo Metro, Ford Tempo, Chevy Cavalier (dont get a Quad 4 / Twin cam!), Honda Accord / Civic, Nissan Sentra, Ford Probe (4 cylinder), Ford Mustang (4 cylinder), Dodge Omni / LeBaron / K car, just to name a few you could find in that price range.
VT247

[gasstingy]

I'm some kind of jealous of the Pint-oh! My first new car was a 1976 Pinto Pony MPG with the Stallion trim package. Yellow with matte black trim. I drove that car hard, but the 2.3L, 4-speed combo was good for 28 mpg at ~ 80 MPH. I'd pay good money for another good hatchback 76 Pinto.

[Backtobasics]

Part of me toys with the idea of waking the Dart Lite from it's slumber.

I could realistically burn through the 500.00 or so budget in getting the Dart up to speed, but to truly get into the MPG game, it would require the transmission swap to the 4 speed OD (mine was a freak, got out with 3 speed manual) and a carb swap. It would truly be a tuning effort. It would be rewarding to be able to get the MPG respectable on an old school ride and enjoy the old girl.

[ceej]

If your Serious about waking the Dart Lite from it's nap, contact DusterIdiot over on dot org and see if he has any parts left from his work with them. I know he had a couple Feathers. One had all the aluminum goodies, and Wildcat had a few bits as well. Some were shipped with aluminum deck lids as well as the aluminum hoods. He may also be a good source for a correct Four speed and the parts to convert.

I just sold a '94 Geo Metro 3/5spd with a low mileage '96 long block transplant I did to Luigisir over on slant six dot org for $650. I had a bit over $1K in the car over the last four years. I'd put new brakes, bearings, a windshield, heater controls, lot's of plastic interior bits, window regulators, and blower motor in it.
My father-in-law drove it back and forth over in the Klamath basin getting an average 52 mpg.
The Geo isn't a performance car in the normal sense, but it's a great commuter/parts getter! I rolled it across the scales the other day. 1700#.
I see that the prices are coming up on them again. I could probably have turned it for a profit, but he's my friend, so what the heck. He's coming up with two new half shafts. We'll put those in it, and he should be good to go for quite some time. Blue Book is nuts low for a driver, so you never know.
Metro's are out there for reasonable prices, but for that kind of money will tend to be a bit rough. This one looks like a poster child for full coverage keying. Nothing through the paint, but it's a 100' car. When it's wet.

CJ

[vacationtime247]

The Pint-oh is all original, 29,500 miles. Grandma gave it to me before she passed away. Still has the original bias plyed tires on it! It's not perfect, but looks good when cleaned up. Has some spider web cracks in the paint and is faded (needs a good buff). Next summer, it's getting driven. Haven't put 200 miles on it since I've owned it. All of those miles are just to local car shows. Who would of ever thought that a Pinto would turn heads? Think this one is called a notchback. Has a small trunk but no back hatch to pop open.
VT247

Originally Posted by gasstingy

I'm some kind of jealous of the Pint-oh! My first new car was a 1976 Pinto Pony MPG with the Stallion trim package. Yellow with matte black trim. I drove that car hard, but the 2.3L, 4-speed combo was good for 28 mpg at ~ 80 MPH. I'd pay good money for another good hatchback 76 Pinto.

[RJVLER]

SEE Other Thread about stuck Metro XFI. Thats a steal - But a standard metro is easy to find. Cant gaurentee the heater core but you can pick them up cheap ( Heater usualy works ) I just bought a 94 parts car for 300 - If you like to wrench you can easily bring these back to life with minimal amount of money compared obviosly to other models.

[JakeC]

I owned a 1995 Nissan 200sx Se-r (same as the sentra) with a 5 speed, and i averaged around 32 mpg. I could get around 380 miles on a tank while at the time not caring about fuel economy. I do miss that car, and i'm kicking myself for selling it to buy a jeep. I've also owned a 1996 nissan sentra, with 216,XXX miles, and it was probably one of the nicest vehicles i've driven. They do last a long time and get pretty good gas mileage. But they do tend to hold their value, so it might be difficult in finding one for under a grand.

[tecrench]

Several interesting cars in this search up to $2000 asking price the Saturn ??

Used Cars for Sale: Listings Near 67201 - Cars.com