Well Guys, it's getting to that time again (time to find a different car)
 

The Sheetbox is going to go on the chopping block this year I think. It has a good average for the $300 I originally paid for it but it's time to start looking for a newer Eco car Honda VX sounds intresting, Not enough Geo's around here any more. Looking for something in a $3000 price range. What do you guys think?

A VX is good if you mostly drive rural highways (as opposed to 70+ mph freeways). You need to be able to cruise extended distances at relatively low load to get the magical lean burn MPG benefit.

That fit your driving patterns?

Otherwise, a car I've seen a few users getting frankly shockingly good mileage from is the older Corolla 5-speeds with the 1.6L engine (like deathtrain's 60+ mpg '94 Corolla). That would be in your price range.

hard to beat a VX.

I've gotten into Hondas in a big way - one of my 16 year old, male, teenagers gets 44 mpg (miles divided by gallons) driving to and from highschool and zipping out for lunch and mostly city driving. He drives a 91 CRX DX with ac and power steering.

My other teenager male drives an 88 acura integra with multiport DX engine. He gets 42, but it is a 4 door, and his commute to and from work is better for mileage (averages 45 mph with timed lights along the way.)

A buddy drives a 93 Civic DX hatch and gets 48.

I guess my point is the DX Honda Civics don't get quite the mpg of a VX, but they are a LOT easier to find.

Weak points: need timing belts every 100k miles, and fuel pumps every 150k miles.

No power steering on CRXes, they're light enough not to really need it. (It can be retrofitted from the Civic EX, but it isn't needed.)


That would be a D16A1, which is not really a "DX" engine. It is still D-series, like most of the Civics were up through the 2000 model year. (The Integra was based on the Civic platform, especially for its first iteration.)


Never had a fuel pump issue with just under 200,000 miles on CRXes (Si models). But 100K miles on a timing belt is just asking for trouble. I had mine done every 60K miles.

-soD

You're not going to find a 'newer' Civic VX since it was only made from 92-95. The HX was its replacement and doesn't get quite as good of mileage. It was made until the introduction of the Civic Hybrid in 2003.