What cheap new cars do we "like"?
 

My wifes new job is giving her an allowance for a new car and gas to drive it. Tops out at about $500 a month. I know gas will be a large part of it so i gotta keep the car costs as low as possible. Anything we end up saving goes to us as well so if i play it right ill make some decent extra money.
Im currently looking at new cars in the $15k range. Maybe a little over but ideally under. Personally id throw her in a old used saturn i have lying around but its a no go for her company. Gotta be new off the lot or no money for us.
She want a new fiat 500 or smart and i told her shes crazy. Both are close to dead in the water and the smart is just an aweful car in general for its price. The fiat is selling very poorly and given chryslers history im not going to back them. Kia and hyundia are also out due to our past experience with both.

My current likes:
nissan versa- cheap at 11k. Some reviewers are less than nice to it but i actually enjoyed driving it.
Mazda2- good car that comes in at around 15k base.
yaris- good car that also comes in at 15k base.
honda fit- nice but starts at around 17k.
Scion iq- Looks promising but reviews are killing it. I cant find one close by to test out.
ford fiesta- close to the mazda but starts at around 16k.
chevy sonic- I had alot of hope for this one but like the cobalt xfe I have been let down. Its not out yet for my wife however. Just has a lot of bloat neither of us want. Heavy at 2800lbs, only aluminum rims available (my wife kills rims), onstar and xm bloated in it. Starts at 15k but quickly gets out of hand.
Ford Focus- Starts at 16k but is a nice pick.
Suzuki sx4- AWD is a great benefit but it starts at 17k and is only rated for about 30mpg. Nearest dealerships are also about 60 miles from me

Most of these seem to be in the high 30 range but i have a feeling a few can go well above that. Which ones have the greatest mpg potential?

Re: What cheap new cars do we "like"?
 

The fiat has proven to be a very good, solid and reliable car already, though. It has been a bestseller in Europe since 2007 and has a very proven track record.

Re: What cheap new cars do we "like"?
 

looks like an easy choice...the versa is significantly under budget and you already like it. don't worry about reviews unless they're professional ones about reliability.

Re: What cheap new cars do we "like"?
 

My dad's 08 Focus with a 5 speed is a blast to drive. I like it a lot, and I generally don't like small cars. if you get a Ford, get one with SYNC, you won't regret it.

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Those Fiats are proven amazingly well engineered little cars.

Outside of that, there is the Fiesta, and even at my size, I feel comfortable sitting in the front seat of one of them. They should start around 13k for the base model. 15k will get you a Fiesta S model sedan with an automatic, cd changer and a couple other options. That Ti-VCT motor does SO well for fuel economy too. They even feel like you have a real engine in front of you, unlike the underpowered compacts of yesteryear.

Hyundais..... Well, let's just say the Hyundais of the past are NOTHING like the Hyundais of today. Several of my friends own newer Hyundais, and believe me when I say, they are the only ones who never call me up to say they have car problems. Hyundai has improved reliability and build quality exponentially since those deathtraps they sold in the 90s and early 2000s.

Versa.... Well, its cheap..... in more ways than one. You could get a Yaris too, but with either one of them, once you put enough options on them to make a decent daily driver, they are gonna cost you a HECK of a lot more than that 11k. That 11k is for a base model with a manual transmission and AC. Nissan feels that is all you need if you pay under 14,000 for a car. The next higher model starts at 14k, and that gets you luxuries like cruise control, and what you really should be looking at is the SEV, which earns you bluetooth and all those things that, once you have, you will wonder how you live without, though, that model comes with the aluminum rims that you seem to be opposed to. If you do get a Versa. RUN, not walk, away from any with a CVT. Those things are pretty tolerable to drive with a 6 speed manual, but the CVT turns it into a dishwasher on wheels. Takes what little pep the car has out of it, and it seems like it takes forever for it to do anything. You press on the gas, walk inside, make yourself some bacon and eggs for breakfast, eat, by then it starts moving for your drive to work. Obviously I am exaggerating.... But, I have serviced a couple, and driving them afterwards made me feel like the go pedal was actually hooked up to a light bulb to signal a trained monkey to press on the actual accelerator.

The one thing I will say for the Versa, it does not have that bland appliance styling that is so popular in the economy car market. It seems like a car you could buy in a color other than beige. Not as pretty as the 2 or the fiesta by a long shot, nowhere near as happy looking as a the Fiat, but, I think a person could look at a color paint pallet when buying one instead of just the sepia pallet so many other cars in this segment deserve. Also, I think they are the only car you mentioned where someone other than a midget with their legs sawed off would feel comfortable in the back seat. Though, the Versa is near the bottom on your list when it comes to fuel economy you will see in the real world. Almost all of the others on that list can do better, the Suzuki being the most obvious exception.

Re: What cheap new cars do we "like"?
 

the yaris is a nice car. I have the hatchback with a 5 speed and routinely get 41 (though winter gas is probably going to mess it up bad).

I have heard the sedans do about the same. I know they are more expensive but they are toyotas. not a big fan of nissan. there again I have my own reasons for that one.

I will say that over on yarisworld.com there are a lot of guys seeing mid to high 40s. there are a lot of other guys seeing low 30s (with turbos).

don't rule the yaris out just yet. it is a fun little car. if you haven't test drove one, at least do that.

Re: What cheap new cars do we "like"?
 

I looked at the versa and the sonic today. I really, really like the sonic but it has so many stupid things on it that i just want or need and i cant get the feeling they just jack up the base price. I dont know why they would sell you a car with only 16in alloy wheels, prepaid onstar and xm and a host of ther little niggling things but charge you 75 for a spare tire and 150 for floor mats. If i could get steelies and a spare tire for free id be all over it.
The versa is really a pretty decent little ride. $11k for ac and not much else. the cvt is terrible as stated before and it is even worse on the scion iq. It actually feels dangerous going on to the highway. I think the standard versa could see upwards of 40 if driven mildly well.
I still gotta look at the others but the mazda is my next likeable car. People are reporting mid 40's in them.

Re: What cheap new cars do we "like"?
 

why not a honda civic proven time and time again

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I would like a civic but they are up there in price. Starting at about 17k. Plus they are already redoing the model they just put out for being an underperformer. Its just a touch too much. Ill have to give it another look though. They may offer rebates on the current model if its doing so poorly.

Re: What cheap new cars do we "like"?
 

It sounds like she'll spend quite a lot of time in it. It should be her decision. She's the one who will have to be comfortable in it every day, have to tolerate what she dislikes, etc. Has she sat in or test-driven any of these cars?

I would say look at Hyundai, Kia, Ford, and maybe that Nissan.

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I would steer clear of the Versa. I sold Nissans and I know for a fact that the new one is about three steps down from the old one. Nissan cheaped the car out badly in order to meet its target price. This car was built in the same mindset that killed old GM. Materials are poor, and are likely to prove brittle over time. The car has been universally panned by automotive magazines, particularly Car and Driver, who said: "It is surpassingly rare for an essentially all-new car to arrive on the scene and be so uncompetitive." It finished a DISTANT last in a 11/11 Car and Driver comparison test.

Mazda 2 - I like this one, but it gives up a lot of features and space compared to the Fiesta, Fit, and the Koreans. It is a lightweight, nimble handler, though. Despite the higher EPA mpg ratings, the Fit actually achieves higher mileage in real-life driving (as found by Car and Driver). The Mazda finished 2nd to the Fit but ahead of a Ford Fiesta in a 10/10 comparison test.

Yaris - I really like the new Yaris. It is my #2 pick. It is roomy for a small car, the SE brings a nice sport suspension (if you're in to that sort of thing), and the acceleration and fuel mileage is good. It needs to lose the single wiper. Also, the driving position can be uncomfortable, especially for taller drivers. The left-front wheel well imposes on legroom, and the wheel does not telescope. It finished third in the 11/11 Car and Driver comparison test.

Honda Fit - My favorite. I've had one for a year and a half, and have no regrets. It is comfortable, extremely roomy (with the rear seats folded, the Fit has 25% more cargo room than a new Explorer with the seats folded!), and quick. My wife and I have averaged about 38 mpg, and she does not use hypermiling tricks. The Fit has fewer tech features than some of its rivals, but I do not want them. I would prefer a good-driving car to one that can burp the alphabet or steer itself. The Fit has won every comparison test Car and Driver has had in the tiny-car segment since 2006, and is a 6-time "10 Best" winner.

Scion IQ - Avoid at all costs. I like cute, tiny cars, but this one is a Smart Car with two tiny seats. Its fuel mileage is not high enough to justify buying one over a much-roomier Yaris or Fit. It is also quite expensive for what you get. It is a fashion statement, much like the Smart.

Ford Fiesta - finished last in the 10/10 Car and Driver comparison test, but it was not too far behind. The motor is weak, giving the car poor acceleration despite its reasonable 120-hp rating (it is over a second slower to 60 than the 100-hp Mazda 2). There are glare and visibility problems with the view out. It also got the worst gas mileage in the test. Still, I think that it represents a solid value and performs reasonably well.

Chevy Sonic - The Chevy Sonic finished 2nd in the 11/11 Car and Driver comparison test. It is a great effort from the home team. It is powerful, quick, and gets good fuel economy with the 1.4L motor (2 mpg behind the class leaders in real-world driving). Unfortunately, it is heavy and EXPENSIVE. Personally, I hate the motorcycle-style gauge pod.

Ford Focus - The Focus is a great pick, especially if you can find a cheap one. They're going to be hard to find. The Focus is from the next class up, but is probably the best pick from that class. The 3rd generation Focus (2nd US one, we missed out on the 2nd gen) is well-built, good-handling, and gives good acceleration, handling, and mpg figures. I am a Honda guy and dislike Fords due to my own bad experiences, but the new Focus trumps the new Civic in almost every way. Steer clear of the dual-clutch transmission, as they have been having problems, as has the MyFordTouch system.

Suzuki SX4 - Your feelings on this one pretty much match my own. Poor mpg and no dealer network to speak of. There is hope for the company, in that the Kizashi just got a lot of praise in a 40,000-mile test from C&D. Still, I am not a fan of the SX4. "Buzzy," "Tippy," and "Sloppy" may make cute pet names, but they aren't good qualities in a car.

The Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio5 are also good contenders. They both offer a 138-hp engine that delivers competitive mileage ratings (when hooked to a manual transmission). They are also reasonably quick and offer a lot of features for the dollar.

Re: What cheap new cars do we "like"?
 

+1

How soon are you looking to buy?
Toyota is saying sub $19k for the new Prius c. Higher than you plan, but the 53mpg city/48mpg highway, and slightly lower maintenance costs might cover the difference. They've always taken care with keeping the Prius up to their reliability reputation. Like the iQ, we on the east coast might not see one right away.

Reports have today's Fiat miles ahead of the Fiat that was last sold here, and they have taken an active interest in Chrysler. They can't wait to test drive the new Dart over at cleanmpg.

Re: What cheap new cars do we "like"?
 

It really cant be left up to her. I went through thes same process twice with and ive learned she cant be trusted. The first time she went by herself to pick out a new commuter about 5 years ago she came home with a new jeep wrangler. Needless to say after about a year of that i had to give her my new saab to commute with cause as we all know the wrangler aint a commuter. Last year we got rid of my saab and her jeep and went through the process again. Only this time she decimated the agreed apon $15k budget and came home with a $40k bmw convertable.
No more can she go at it alone. Personally, If i didnt think it would blow up in my face id just bring home a new car but ill have to settle for swaying her heavily. If i let her loose now im 90% sure she will come home in a loaded smart car or 10% sure itll be a fiat. I cant take those risks with her anymore.
Im going to try to get a ride in a fiat and the mazda2 this weekend. Niether have a dealership really close to me.

Re: What cheap new cars do we "like"?
 

Itll probably be in the next couple months. Maybe sooner if the forester cant hold out any longer that shes driving. She's putting almost 1000 miles a week on it now and will roll 200k in the next week or so. It was never bought to be a dd like this, more a around town dump kinda car. Her bmw is useless in the snow as she now sees so it just sits being unused for th enext few months.
Prius is a no go for her. She has a real problem with its manufacturing process since she's abit of a econut. While it mileage is good i also know it may end up costing alot to maintain down the road. She is also aware of the fact that on a carbon foot print basis its like a nuclear bomb for the enviroment. She keeps stating that just to make a prius it is worse for the enviroment than to build and drive a hummer 2 for several years.

Id like to give fiat a try but its not looking good for the company on side. We both have a great mistrust of chrysler and lets face it, its pretty much deserved. The fiat is also selling very poorly over here as well. I just think we can get a better car for the money and its abit on our expensive side anyway.

Re: What cheap new cars do we "like"?
 

The toyota Aygo should have a fairly low carbon footprint since they're making so many of them exactly the same including the Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107 with little but commonly used raw materials and lasts long because of the great quality and second hand value (will be repaired rather than scrapped).

Only problem is that it's a pain in the ears (and possibly as*) at speeds over 35mph but it has the best gas mileage (with it's 3-cylinder 1L-engine) and a low retail price. And it is a long lived model.

My girlfriend wants one because it looks cute like a stuffed animal.:) She has driven it some at work also and likes it.

Re: What cheap new cars do we "like"?
 

sadly the closest we get to that is the yaris with a much bigger motor.

Re: What cheap new cars do we "like"?
 

Color me surprised. I was expecting the Fiesta to win comparisons and the Sonic to lose.

No wonder she bought a BMW. When I drove that much, budget priority number 1 was having a vehicle that I really wanted to drive.

I know it's nearly twice what you want to pay, but a base model BMW 1 series might be more appropriate. She's probably spending at least 4 hours per day in it. Spending that much time every day in a car someone else convinced you to choose is miserable. Been there done that.

Re: What cheap new cars do we "like"?
 

I hear ya but im not going the bmw route again. Its simply far to much money to maintain. I know they do the scheduled maintaince for abit but after that its pricey. On my new 3 series i cheapest i can do an oil change for is around 70 bucks doing it myself. Filter is expensive, oil is oil but this thing takes like 7 qts and thats always gonna be pricey. So the bmw is out. Truth be told im not even impressed with our new bmw and my wife does get pissed thats its lacking things too. For the money we spent my old saab had better just about everything or more of it. You cant even lock or unlock the doors from the inside without reaching over to the door you want to lock.
My wife is liking the mazda2. $13.5 otd. versa was a joke to her. Getting onto the highway with the cvt it stays at about 5k rpms for far to long and doesnt really go anywere. She still wants a smart or fiat. The yaris, fit and sonic are out because she just doesnt like them.

Re: What cheap new cars do we "like"?
 

Actually, we DO get the Aygo.

As the Scion iQ!

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Ya but we get the aweful motor and cvt tranny. I suppose it is technically the same car but i dont consider it to be. If we got the euro version id look into it more. The iq as is is just plain dangerous. That cvt transmission is all over the place. It was tough just getting out of the dealership. It either doesnt want to go anywere or it revs to 4000 rpms and still doesnt go anywere. I made the salesman drive me back in it. It really is that bad.

Re: What cheap new cars do we "like"?
 

I believe the iQ (if it's the same as we have here) is a wider (more drag) and shorter model than Aygo. Aygo is quite roomy for 4 people, more than you might expect and it comes as a 5-door and the iQ doesnt. The automatic is a robotic manual with a single clutch so there is total loss of drive for half a second or so between the gears which means you have to learn how the transmission shifts so you don't need to accelerate in the middle of a shift which can be potentially dangerous. I suspect this would be even worse than the cvt (is it really that bad?) The manual is a bit more straigh forward and easy to drive.

To bad the yaris has the center mounted instrument display because it makes it feel less like a real car and more like riding a tram or something.

Re: What cheap new cars do we "like"?
 

On that one, I can comment and truly know what I'm saying.

the 2012 Yaris has a properly mounted gauge cluster, rather than center mounted.

Re: What cheap new cars do we "like"?
 

Sounds like she read that hack job report. Here's the brief on what's wrong with it; the report based the lifetime calculations with the Hummer 2 going 300k miles and the Prius only lasting 100k.
The Sudsbury nickel mine is another source of Prius FUD. The environmental damaged there all happened years before the Prius came to be. Mostly to meet our demand for stainless in appliances, flatware, and non-hybrid cars. The amount of nickel that went into batteries for Toyota hybrids is a drop in the bucket compared to the mine's output.

The Prius has available for over a decade, and it has been no more costlier than any other Toyota to maintain. Even when used as a taxi. With the regen braking, shoes and pads last over a 100k miles. The engine is spun up to 1000rpm before firing up, in addition to seeing less total hours. The transmission is as mechanically complicated as a one speed manual.

Toyota babies the battery. It falls under the Federal emission warranty of 8yr/100k miles and the 10yr/150k one for Carb states (Mass. is one)

Re: What cheap new cars do we "like"?
 

This^^ And with the tax credits for a Prius, you aren't even that high above your price point. And they are COMFORTABLE and ROOMY, which is VERY important for something she will be spending so much time in. The interior room is a class apart from most of the other cars on your list.

I know this is also pretty far above your pricepoint, but you can get a Golf or Jetta TDI in the 24-26k range. 40s, though you may see up to 50 or possibly more, for fuel economy on the highway, low 30s in town, proven highly reliable cars that cost very little to maintain despite the high cost of many of their parts. Also, since she is an "environut", she should be quite attracted to clean diesel, especially since you can probably find a biodiesel distributor in your area. Best yet, they retain their resale better than any other car near their selling price. Really, if environmentalism is going to be a big factor in the purchase of a new car, you can't escape the fact that small diesels are the best thing we could be putting on the road. Plus, both cars are handsomely equipped with options that improve the driving experience, bluetooth, steering wheel audio controls to name a couple, which are important to think about if a person is going to spend so much time in their car. The bare bones econobox is appealing from a price point of view, but when someone spends that much time in their car, one must start thinking about other things as well. With the cost of car payments and insurance (assuming neither of you have a bad driving record) this type of car shouldn't be a budget killer, especially when compared to your past experiences with the BMW or a Jeep. $1000 miles a week though..... You are already looking at nearly $500 a month for fuel no matter what car you buy.

Re: What cheap new cars do we "like"?
 

Well we went out for a few rides today. Had a fiat for most of it since the dealer insisted we take it for a few hours. We even took it to look at other cars. It really is pretty nice. Its a bit buzzy and noisey but its to be expected. The automatic isnt that great though. Its constantly shifting or hanging up and seems to always be looking for the right gear without ever finding it. Price wise its a little higher than we want to spend but they are fairly desperate to sell them since they not really moving. As a matter of fact they are having alot of canceled orders and even a few trade back after only a few hundred miles. The car i drove today had been bought and canceled 3 times. They had about 90 cars on the lot and they said half they dont expect to sell anytime soon. They also said if we wanted a paritcular combo to order soon because fiat was gonna stop sending cars to dealers for abit so they wouldnt get stuck with excess inventory. Some of the cars on the lot were also incomplete which i found disturbing. Some were missing trim pieces while other didnt have standard options on them like the blue tooth or all the stereo speakers. Dealer said they were the early cars they got and its been improved since then. Reminds of the early pt cruiser days when people were buying them unfinished and chrysler would send the parts later except they arent selling the fiats, they are sitting on them. Still a nice car and reports say gets about 42mpgs. Sloppy handling of the actual car sales though. They actually offer a million mile warranty to if you want to spend the money so they are standing behind it sort of.
Im gonna go look at some more tomorrow like the mazda2 again and im going to try to see a turbo sonic but reports are coming in that the cruise version is melting pistons and burning excess oil so who knows.

Re: What cheap new cars do we "like"?
 

The federal hybrid incentives have expired. There are ones for plug ins.

The state might still have some though. HOV passes are a big one for some areas.

The gen 2 Prius seats were lacking in comfort. They were improved for the gen3. No word yet on the c.

If a hybrid becomes a possibility, I'd check out the Insight2. Most users are reporting better than EPA with it, and making a deal might be possible with the Prius c announced. The CRZ also does better than tested if the driver is willing keep it efficient.

While at the Mazda dealer, look at the new Mazda3 with Skyactiv. It's 1 to mpg worse than the 2 in the city, but 4 to 5 better on the highway. Depending on your wife's drive, the monthly costs might be a wash between the two.

Re: What cheap new cars do we "like"?
 

LOVE IT!!!

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ya, the fiat guy pretty much insisted on it. It was handy to go test other cars and actually show them that the others are willing to bend over backwards to make the sale.

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I forgot that!

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In a surprising turn of events the fiat is out of the running. I went to pay for one in cash today, nothing fancy just a middle of the line up car. As im handing over the cash I look at the price breakdown and notice a charge for $350 dollars. I ask what thats for and they just casually toss out "its the charge for a spare tire". I lost my mind. How can anyone possibly convince themselves that could sell a single not-even full size spare for that much. Thats like 3% of the cars total. They offered to remove it but it was to late at that point. if there gonna gouge me that bad when im trying to pay for it imagine what would happen once they got my money and i needed a part.
In another turn of events the Honda Fit has taken the lead. Looks like people are able to pull 40 plus out of it and my wife kind of likes it. We havent driven it yet but hope to this weekend. The mazda2 is also still a consideration but we will see. I know i can get one for 13.5 otd with everything i want but i think the Hondas gonna push 18k. If its that much of a better car its probably worth it.

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We love our Fit. Check out our gaslog. It's my wife's daily driver, and she does not hypermile. When I drive it, I get as high as 45 mpg for a tank.

When you look at the Fit, ask them to demonstrate the rear seat. I think it's the most innovative part of the car.

It is also notable that after about 30,000 miles, we have not replaced a wiper blade, headlight bulb, or anything else on the car. Just gas, change the oil, and go.

The 2 would be up there in the running for me. I would have to drive one if I were go to shopping again.

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Ditching the spare seems to a prevailing trend now. IIRC, Chevy charges $100 for one with the Cruze, and I've heard Hyundai charges as much as Fiat, but their site doesn't state whether or not the spare is standard.

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I know a couple guys with Fits, and they are kinda fanatical about them. I figure there must be a pretty good reason for that, so they must be good cars. I've never driven one, and I have never had the pleasure of one coming into the shop, so I can't really say anything about them. Top Gear thought the Honda Jazz (We call it a Fit in the US) was the second best car on UK's roads. If the guys on Top Gear think a non-British, non-supercar, car is good, then it must be amazing.

I betcha that Fiat dealer tries to call you back. I hate the no spare trend. I still have a hard time accepting the fact you cannot get full size spares.

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Well if jeremy says it is then i gotta believe it.

Couple things the fit has thats tough to beat is an actual timing chain and a spare tire. The fact that people are hitting over 40mpg on a regular basis is also very good.

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My 2008 VW Rabbit, complete base model (only option was an iPod dock), came by default with a full size spare. In 45,000 miles and 3 years I never needed it as a spare but I did rotate it in to use its tread.

I'm not willing to leave my spares at home but I wouldn't sweat it if my new car came sans spare. I can't remember the last time I changed a spare roadside. I did plug one tire in my yard after discovering it was low while driving a few years ago, and plugging it roadside would beat struggling roadside with a crappy jack on a muddy hill and lug nuts that were gorilla-torqued...

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I personally could care less about a spare tire but I do view it as a one of the biggest safety items a car can have. Im driving an old beater saturn with only tiny airbags and i did remove the spare tire but this car is for my wife. God forbid if she breaks down in a bad location or doesnt have cell signal which is fairly common around me. She can change the tire herself but if its not there she's dead in the water. The fact that the fit actually still has a spare in my mind speaks volumes about the company and they dont charge for it. Its not an option its a must. Basically fiat lost an $18k sale because of an at most $50 part and now honda is going to get my 18k because they have it and arent charging me $350 for it.

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Well-said (from a biased Fit owner).

I only have 2 gripes about my Fit: It has some engine thrum at 70+ mph (although it is quiet enough at idle that I have tried to start it while running a couple of times) and I think it can use a 6th gear. Honda has updated the 2012 version with more sound insulation and thicker front quarter windows, which is supposed to take care of the noise issue. It revs high on the highway, but so do most Hondas.

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I've had to change a tire roadside a few times. I had to do it 4 or 5 times in my '99 Si, and I only put about 45,000 on the car. I have not had a flat since. However, I hate trying to find a hole in the tire on the side of the road, and not all holes can be plugged. 2 of my flats were due to sidewall punctures. Can they be repaired with a plug? (I'm not trying to be a smart-alak, I really don't know) :)

I prefer having a spare. I am usually the one who tightens the lugs anyway. I can get them off with the lug wrench. I used to carry a 4-way lug wrench in the car when I only had one. Now that I have three, I keep it in the garage. I keep a towel or two to kneel on and a pair of gloves in the trunk (or in the hiccup truck, behind the seat). If I get a flat in town, I pull into a parking lot. If I get one on the highway or interstate, there is usually enough shoulder for me to get the job done.

What I dislike is that auto manufacturers are taking away our option for the spare, or are charging us extra as a hidden fee.

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I forgot that you're looking for an automatic. That takes care of the 6th gear gripe, as the gearing is taller for the automatics. The engine noise should also be reduced at highway speeds. In addition, the automatic Fit Sports get paddle shifters.

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Sidewall punctures can be plugged, but it's not legal for a shop to do that and I wouldn't expect it to hold for long. As a roadside repair it would probably be fine to drive on for a few days until you can get to the shop and have a new tire mounted.

How are you getting sidewall punctures? I've only had sidewall destruction from rubbing against a sharp rock, hitting potholes, or being underinflated and overspeed. I've had punctures at the very edge of the tread but nothing actually in the sidewall.

Why not get more 4-way lug wrenches? They're easy enough to find for $5, and the cheapies work fine. I keep one in each vehicle.

+1 on towels and gloves. I keep plastic material to put under the towel in case the ground is wet, too. Sometimes I keep crappy clothes to change into if in case I'm wearing nice office clothes when it happens...but I never need to use any of that stuff so most of it gets removed when I do a cleaning (then slowly sneaks in when I get worried about it).