My Top 5 Cars: Economy & Reliability
 

It's coming to that time in my life where I get to get another car, the Solstice is soon to go into storage and with many hours behind the computer looking up everything I can find, these are my top 5 car picks for Economy & Reliability.

1996-99 Saturn, This is my number one pick, it's low used car price, easy mpg modifiability, and reports of 200+ thousand miles of life, make this my number one pick.

1996-04 Metro, be it the hatch back or the 4 door, the 1 litre 3 or the 1300 four, low price, high mpg, and from what I can tell good reliability, the Metro's come in a strong second.

1997-99 Ford Escort, sedan or wagon, the major redisign of the series brought a better ride, the same economy, better performance, and reliability.

1996-99 Mitsubishi Mirage, now this is an odd-car-out, but reviews on it rave about it reliability and with the option of a 1.5 or 1.8, this seems to be the sleeper in the pack.

1990-97 Honda Civic, now why isn't this at the top with its reputation for reliability, mpg, and performance? The price. I comb the used car ads and see 90's and 92's for 4000, Iv seen complete thrashers for 2900 and people stick to their guns, you can't talk em down. Here in Maryland a VX or HX grabs top retail, I'v Blue Booked these cars with 130k at 1700 to 2700 and people won't let them go, Honda's are treated like gold out here. I love em, want to get one, but can't find one in my price range, literally getting a Honda would be solid luck.

Honorable Mention:

1990-96 VW Golf, Im a huge VW fan, but it must be the cylinder head design, the Golf 2 litre is rated at 28 mpg Hwy, while Ford's 2 litre Escort is rated at 36. I don't want to start out with a car that I have to struggle to get mpg out of.

1996-99 Nissan Sentra, same as the Golf, reliability, but overall lower mpg.

1989-00 Ford/Mazda 323, Festiva/Aspire, I had a Festiva family car that got passed through a couple of generations from 89 to 04, I loved this car, but the cam shaft had these spacers that would slide off center every couple of months and the car would run like a can of rocks, get terrible mileage, and was repaired every 40k and then break. I would be driving that car today, if it wern't for those cam spacers.

Cars I Plan to Avoid:

All Toyota's, this is a long story that I will make as short as possible, I had a 86 MR2 and a 96 Toyota Corolla separated by 2 years of ownership. Both cars at 140k suffered major electrical failures, over months all sensors, electrics, distributors, and ECU's were replaced to the tune of thoursands. Both of these cars wen't to dealers and independant garages that could not repair them, in 03 the MR2 was given away, in 05 the Corolla was given away. This is why I'm so obessed with relaiblity, I drive for a living.

Dodge Neon, at Carsurvey.org, it seems all neons have to have their head gasket replaced every 40k, if not number 3 cylinder cracks.

1996-99 Cavalier/Sunfire, up until recently, I was a hunge fan of this car, it seems these cars are plagued by electrical failures.

Hyndai Accent, Kia Sophia/Rio, of these two manufactures I have researched and found that these cars are plagued by mechanical problem, again the relaibility factor.

So there you have it, I have about 2000 to spend, saving money these days ain't easy, one of my top 5 would save me a bundle on fuel expenses. I plan on doing everything to the car I buy, that would include every under hood mod for mpg, LRR tires, and I'v seen great mpg boosts with belly pans. Now I ask you, what do you think?

Yeah, I got very lucky getting a 1999 Honda Civic HX for $3500 from a desperate seller! The catch was that my car was a salvage title - probably from hail damage [seller's claim] or from a theft. But it's got the D16Y5 engine and it runs solid! After I bought it in November I kept looking at all car ads to see how often an HX comes up and it's so rare! So I treat my car like gold! It's a FE classic and I get 42.5 mpg tanks with no hypermiling.

You might include Suzuki Swift with the Metro since it's the same car. I have an older Swift now and really like it. I've also had an older 1990 Plymouth Colt (Mitsubishi Mirage) which I liked a lot except for the cheap seats that fell apart after about 50K miles. My Swift easily does 50 mpg hwy and the Mitsubishi (with a 4 speed manual) regularly topped 45 mpg hwy.

Q

I love my '97 Escort. Cheap, reliable, easy to maintain. It'll be at 200k mi the next time I change the oil. It has it's flaws, but I plan to drive it 'till it dies. I just wish it was a wagon.

Of the cars Scott listed, I'd rate the Escort wagons - with a 5spd! - to be the most utility & MPG for the $. Cheap to buy, easy to work on, reliable, roomy for class and comfortable - I'm sold on them.

I also like the Sentras, the ones they quite making in 94 - good cars.

Yeah, the Escort wagon is nice. My messy neighbor used to have one but it was too dirty for me to buy it from her! She's a major slob!

Top 6?
 

Well after doing tons more research I have found that the previously mentioned Nissan Sentra was on the Honorable Mention list, I found just like Honda, they make a number of engine models. Single, DOHC, 1600, 1800, and the 2 litre. I wen't back and re-checked Sentra's and the 1600 model comes in right at 36 mpg, my target base mpg. Apparently I got 2 litre numbers, so the list is amended and it's now The Top 6. It may even go to the top 7 after talking with a 96 VW Golf owner who said his combined mpg in his 2 litre was 31. So we shall see.

yeah for some reason old hondas are 'expensive', i got my crx for 3k 11 years ago :) though 3000 back then is probably 6000 now.

A plug for the Sentra. I was in the market for one about five years ago; my wife's 85 Sentra was getting very old, and we needed four-door (new baby). So... I drove some mid-90s Sentras. The 16V 1.6 is very strong and smooth, but I ended up getting a 94 Tracer Wagon because it was a steal - 63K miles, 5spd, pwr windows/tach, for... $1600, I think it was.

Compared to the Prizms/Sentras I'd considered... the Escort/Tracers have coarser engines, and are less powerful (but sufficient). On the other hand, the 1.9 Escorts get excellent FE - identical to a 5spd 1.6 Sentra, over 40mpg is doable, mid-high 30s is easy - and the wagon is just huge for such a cheap to operate car. A very important point: get the 5spd, it is much more efficient and faster than the automatic Escorts. Ergonomically it's pretty good, easy to work on, parts are cheap. I later bought another 5spd wagon, a 95 Escort.

https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...c975b8e15a.jpg

Bottom line - I bought the Escort because of the WAGON, and then came to like the model. If I were just getting a sedan, I'd have held out for a clean 91-94 Sentra for the better performance/more refined motor.

You can easily get Escorts for $1200-1600 with under 100K miles. Think of an Escort Wagon as a 35mpg SUV... I take mine hunting!

I can answer the Honda question, that's because the Civic is easily hot rodded. Apparently one of the small Acura models uses the same chassis, but a significantly more powerful engine, and is a straight drop in. Because of this, demand for used Civics has increased ridiculously, and when it finally drops, good luck finding a stock one.

Now, here's a question for y'all. I'm a courier out here in Phoenix, and not only do I need an economic vehicle, I need one that'll hold up to rough conditions. My Venture is doing good, but I need better than 22MPG, and I'm getting tired of scraping the chin spoiler going in and out of driveways, or the occasional dirt road runs, so can anyone recommend something where that won't be an issue, AWD/4WD is optional. I've owned a Sidekick four door in the past, but the head gasket let go barely over 100,000 miles, and a friend online said a security company he'd worked for had the same thing happen on two of theirs, so I'm a bit suspicious of those.

You should consider the Civic wagon built during the EF chassis era. 89-91. They are rarely hot rodded and most young guys have no interest in them. I have owned a couple and they are in my opinion a retro fit with better aftermarket support plus you can fit a ton of crap in them. GL

What? Toyotas are known for their reliablility. Well, even though the reliabililty ranking has dropped recently. I have had 0, no problems with my Yaris. I have about 30,000 miles on it. My wife's '97 Camry with 129,000 miles has had no mechanical problems with regular maint.

I don't know about you but I see old Camrys and Corollas running around all the time. There may be a reason for that. Also check out this cool link.

Part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrk6vsb77xk
Part 2a https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Uc4K...eature=related
Part 2b https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfZDt...eature=related

"Announced on Friday, November 23, 2007, the 2000, 2001, and 2002 Toyota Corolla was the most dependable used car of 26 manufacturers and 133 different models of automobiles. In all, 35,000 previously owned cars, which averaged just under five years old, were inspected. The Toyota Corolla only had an average of three faults per 100 cars. "

taken from https://www.itwire.com/content/view/15518/1066/

10,000 dollars for a car with 100,000 miles warranty? There must be some type of catch to this right?





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Consider the Mitsu
 

I would always recommend a Honda, and could even offer you a beautiful white '90 4dr Civic (I'm in MD too), but it's an automatic and you probably want a 5spd. However, your comments about Toyota surprise me, especially in view of the fact that you would consider an Escort or a VW - both vehicles with far worse reliability records than any Toyota.

Anyhow, regarding your other suggestions, think about the Mitsubishi. The Mirage is cheap, more reliable than some other Mitsus, and they are a blast to drive. I rented one once and found it to be a great handling/driving car. I also like the newer Lancers, they are very space-efficient and have excellent visibility and driving position.

Good luck!

I'd hold out for a 98 and up saturn with the taller overdrive in the SOHC. One thing I like about the escort is the engine is non interference. If the timing belt snaps no big deal. I'd steer well clear of the gas VW's I don't see any advantage to them. They have short gearing, among lots of other issues. The cavaliers/j bodies, wouldn't scare me a bit, there good cars for the money. I had only minor issues with mine that were all easy and cheap to fix.

Very true, and a lesson learned: don't ignore a leaky water pump! I put off fixing it - I was busy - and the damn thing seized, and belt slipped. Car was at highway speed, and engine just quit. No damage at all. Had it been most other fours, there would have been bent valves and maybe destroyed motor. The belt was pretty easy to replace.

ahh yes, just like a chevette (but v belt driven pump) chevette anyways u can remove a plastic cover, line up the cam cog turn the motor by hand (or bump the starter) line it up slip the new belt on, tighen the tensioner and away u go:D

id say go with the escorts, VERy reliable, cheap parts if it goes out, and can cram alot of stuff in all styles (wagon, hatch, or 4 door) insirance is probably cheap too.

my friend had a 93 escort that he slid off the road going about 35mph, rolled the car 4 times and landed right side up. he said when he came to a few seconds after he stopped the engine was still running! He walked away from it with cuts(every piece of glass was broken) and bruises. The tow truck guy started the car back up and limped it back to the road and onto the flatbed.

if that doesnt scream reliability and safety then ur nuts! my friend still wants another one and get rid of his gashog 2000 ranger 4X4 :P

You do feel you're sitting a bit low in an Escort compared to some other cars, but that's the same in Civics, Tercels, Cavaliers etc, but vision all round is excellent and the maneuverability for keeping out of trouble is excellent, they can pull .8G plus, sportscar territory. I tried finding the limit on mine on a cloverleaf, and I was mushed against the window struggling to keep the wheel turned (weight of my own arm, not the steering) before the tires even began to grumble.

The comment of all neons needing the headgasket replaced at 40K is not true, I have a 2000 with over 60K doing just fine.

They fixed it in 98 or 99, the problem has been fixed with the gasket design, so if it's had one new HG since 98, it probably won't need another for a couple hundred K.

been takin a look at some of the escort wagons... scott mentions 97-99 but most of you guys have prior years. are 97-99 indeed better years?

isnt the escort the exact same as the ZX2 or whatever that car is/was? or the ZX2 replace it or somehting...

ZX2 was a sporty coupe model and had a bit of a hybrid of an engine. Otherwise it was mostly mechanically identical to the Escorts of the time, but I think stayed in production a year or two after the other escorts were done. 97 up Escorts had a 2.0 version of the previous CVH motor with split port induction, but got bigger injectors and a sportier tune, ergo they don't seem quite so sippy, driven normally. However the SPI looks like it has a stratified charge effect, so careful driving and some fiddling may see them doing better than the previous gen... but I think they porked on a few hundred pounds too. If you want the lighter previous gen, slightly smaller motor, and OBD-II for a scangauge you can get it in one model year, 1996.

The folk who are determined to pick the best combos of body, block and head can do some interesting stuff, like put SPI heads on the 1.9 block or a zetec head on it, or an SPI head on zetec bottom end... I think there's a little bit of machining involved due to slight offsets on some of the water channels etc.

The F4-EAT auto trannies get a bad rap... but this may be due to Ford not specifying a fluid change interval on the standard service schedule and also that if the car is not maintained well (disposable car syndrome) and overheating, the tranny will overheat and melt all the plastics in the solenoid pack. Well looked after and kept cool they seem to hold up well, some folks are putting 400WHP and 200+ft/lbs through them, whereas the manuals are known to get delicate around 200-250HP... 80% of the time, a 'scort with a bad auto will have had the solenoid pack gone out, and swapping another one in is not toooo difficult.

i don't see why an mr2 would be such a bad choice. i got a 92 mr2 and it gets 34 mpg to the highway. of course, there a 2.0L camry engine in there but with the lil mods i do for mpg, i went from 25-27 to 34 which is a big difference and it's a really fun car to drive. had it for over a year and had no electrical problems

Updating my Top 5
 

I have run into problems with the laws here in Maryland. The people selling used cars don't want to work with me, when their used car wont pass inspections or emissions, they still expect me to buy their car. I have been working with people for the last 7 months and nothing will pass, wound up killing 8 deals so far. So I had to change my car scope. There are plenty of economical cars from the 90's I want, but for right now I'm sticking to the pre 87's. I'm moving out of state in a year, that will change my car buying stategy again and I can resume my search for the top 5.

As I get ready to buy an 86 Diesel Golf, the little woman asked me what kind of new car I would want. Well I told her the price of car payments would unbalance any gas savings. So I gave her my top choices for cars, if I had to make payments, or just spend more on a car. For smog laws in my local area, I would want an 84 to 87 Mercedes 190 D, or a tubo diesel Jetta from the same years. No matter what I get, the car will be attacked by the wrench and modded for MPG. I can't tell you how frustrating it is to drive the Solstice and only be able to do a few mods, but its my wifes car and after my 96 Corolla blew up, she's been letting me rack up miles on the Solstice, I can't thank her enough. I thank you for all the imput.

Yeah, the 97-99 are a little nicer. They're a tad quieter & more refined, and more powerful. I very nearly bought a 98 - kind of wish I had - but the 94 Tracer Wagon I ended up with had 20,000 few miles and was several hundred dollars less.

On the downside... the post-97 Escorts are not quite as fuel-efficient as pre-97. The engine is a little bigger, and the car is heavier, so MPG numbers a little lower.

If you can get a low mileage 97 or later wagon w/5spd, jump on it. Of course, do the same for an older one :)

I'm just curious as to why the year range was cut off in the way it is. 1988-1989 Civics are of the same generation as 1990-1991 Civics, and are actuslly better due to lighter weight. Furthermore, 1998-2000 Civics are the same as 1996-1997 Civics. Therefore, 1988-2000 would be a more appropriat range of years.

I don't think I would call it a bad choice; its just a narrow-focus car. Two doors, two seats... not much space. If one is looking for utility, then I would call it a bad choice.

Scott, last December I looked in to mitigation strategy for the coming fuel crisis and outlined some of the highest MPG cars I could find https://fueleconomy.gov/

Here are some models from that list:
Diesel

1985 Ford Tempo 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Manual 5-spd, 31/39
1985 Ford Escort Wagon 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Manual 5-spd, CA 31/39
1985 Ford Escort 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Manual 5-spd, 36/46

1985 Chevrolet Chevette 4 cyl, 1.8 L, Manual 5-spd, 33/41

1985 Mazda 626 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Manual 5-spd, 31/38

1985 Volkswagen Quantum 4 cyl, 1.6 L, Manual 5-spd, 28/35
1985 Volkswagen Quantum Wagon 4 cyl, 1.6 L,Manual 5-spd 28/35
1985 Volkswagen Golf/GTI 4 cyl, 1.6 L, Manual 5-spd, 31/41
1985 Volkswagen Jetta 4 cyl, 1.6 L, Manual 5-spd, 31/41
1996 Volkswagen Jetta 4 cyl, 1.9 L, Manual 5-spd, 34/44
1999 Volkswagen New Golf 4 cyl, 1.9 L, Manual 5-spd, 35/44
2000 Volkswagen Golf 4 cyl, 1.9 L, Manual 5-spd, 35/44

Regular
1994 Ford Aspire 4 cyl, 1.2 L, Manual 5-spd 31/39
1995 Ford Aspire 4 cyl, 1.3 L, Manual 5-spd, 31/38

1994 Pontiac Firefly 3 cyl, 1.0 L, Manual 5-spd, 38/45
1994 Chevrolet Sprint 3 cyl, 1.0 L, Manual 5-spd, 38/45
1994 Suzuki Swift 4 cyl, 1.3 L, Manual 5-spd, 31/39
1994 Geo Metro XFI 3 cyl, 1.0 L, Manual 5-spd, 43/51
1996 Geo Metro 3 cyl, 1.0 L, Manual 5-spd, 37/44
1996 Geo Metro 4 cyl, 1.3 L, Manual 5-spd, 33/39

1988 Honda Civic CRX HF 4 cyl, 1.5 L, Manual 5-spd 41/50
1995 Honda Civic HB VX 4 cyl, 1.5 L, Manual 5-spd 39/50
1996 Honda Civic HX 4 cyl, 1.6 L, Manual 5-spd 33/41


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I found that Civic VX offered the best combination of utility (cargo space, AC, 5 seats) and MPG (topped only buy Geo Metro XFI Unobtanium). I did not consider hybrids due to battery pack cost. I found that Geo Metro had worse fuel economy, while also having smaller engine and less seats/cargo space, and so did Ford Aspire and Toyota Tercel. Larger cars from Ford, Toyota (e.g. Escort, Corolla) are even less fuel efficient.

I think you can find VX for under 2K if you look for a few weeks. I think it's the best we have right now if utility and top MPG are your goals.
Before you settle down, I also suggest you check MPG stats of cars you are considering here https://fueleconomy.gov/ - numbers don't lie, and they go back to 1985.

Good luck

Ross

certainly this info is very general, but my chevy prizm(toyota corolla) is doing quite well for a 4 door car. given others have 2 doors, drive more hwy miles, or are able to EOC more frequently than i, it's a safe bet that this car is in fact VERY efficient.

took a hwy trip w/ the a/c on a couple of weeks ago that yielded 47(46.9) mpg.

Bowtie, when I said less fuel efficient - I was comparing their EPA MPG rating. With driving techniques, mods and favorable road condition you can exceed those figures, no doubt. But when choosing a car to buy for fuel efficiency, using data from standardized testing is the best way IMHO.

Ross

i absolutely understand, and you give good recommendations on mostly "commuter only" cars(2 doors). i require 4 doors, so given this, i'd include the cars that cannot compare to those w/ 2 doors.

i did my own research and test drives concluding that toyota was a better choice for me. then i went w/ a less expensive chevy branded toyota.

I have a 2001 Saturn SC1, picked it up last year for $3200 and have hit over 50 mpg on some stretches. Without hypermiling you could probably average above 40 if you do mostly freeway. I started by looking at Civics... So overpriced and so many are just trashed. IMO the Saturn SC1 is the bang for the buck when you consider, 4 seater, OBDII, decent looking, enough pep, no rust on body panels (plastic), cheap parts, very basic design...

yes, those that think honda civics are the end-all solution(best FE available) really need to realize there are other great choices.

i believe it would be difficult for a 4 door civic to better my FE(in my exact driving conditions). besides, i like the way the prizm shifts. i have short arms and it has a shorter shift range.

bowtieguy - I agree on 4 doors - if you need it, then VX will not work. And Civics generally cost more, and 4 door Civics aren't any better on gas then Ford Escort, Chevy Cavalier, Toyota Corolla, etc. All those cars get pretty much 25 city/35 highway EPA MPG.

I had 91' Ford Escort Wagon a while back and it's been a good ride and is very inexpensive to buy and maintain. Sure is practical - once I had 8 people riding in it back in Daytona - can't do that in a Civic Lol

Ross

https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...c9ebdb27a9.jpg

Looks like what I used to do with my '65 Plymouth wagon...no seat belts back there...don't think you can do that anymore...:(

Belloc - 2001 Saturn SC EPA MPG for Manual 5-spd 1.9L SOHC is 25MPG City/36MPG Highway and 29MPG Combined. Compare to 94' VX 39MPG City / 50Highway / 43MPG Combined EPA. Biggest problems I found with Civics so far are - some parts are expensive - O2 sensors ($170 at least), IACV ($220), TBS($$$) and rust at wheel arches (replacement panels are $40 a piece, but need to DIY ... labor@shop rate would be $$$). It's not too bad, but they do need quite a bit of work. I don't know why people think Hondas are more reliable, I worked in a shop for a while and we always had just as many Toyotas and Hondas as American cars.

OP I love my honda but, I agree that they can be overpriced. If you want a nice 4 door I would go with a saturn(Opel) or an escort like mentioned above.

It seems like your on the right track so keep up the good work. :thumbup:

I have seen a high of 43 mpg in my automatic SL2 w/ HAI being the only modification.

I'm in the market for an SC1 5sp, if we're talking gasoline MPG capabilities, IMO, there is nothing better. (Nothing has more potential, cheaper innitial cost, or cheaper parts... nothing.)

djenyc,

i wish honda made a 4 door civic w/ lean burn. or better yet, an accord w/ a sub 2 liter engine.

but they'd have to take care of that longer throw on the shifter(5 speed).

They do:) All newer vtec's are vtec-e. And if your looking for an older one their called a Civic Ferio. If you like the accord google the new diesel accord. They are amazing.

Chris