WTB: Great commuter, can stretch the budget

I don't need to keep this under $2010 (for the right car). I need a GREAT commuter.

I'd like:

35+mpg

Prefer M/T

Hatchback or small wagon

STRONG preference for non-fabric interior (leather, leatherette, nice vinyl)

No convertibles

Need quiet and comfortable interior

Prefer to avoid hybrids

A/C a must

Later model- decent safety features (don't need 88 airbags)

EZ to repair- don't need to be driving around 5 Southern states in an Edsel or anything Italian

Cruise control (though I'll add after-market if I need to)

Decent stereo- Nav system would be cool (but definitely not necessary)

Creature comforts matter. Guess I'm getting old.

Still like a bit of driving pleasure- this one's not a beater.

I'll be commuting nearly 1000 miles per week. Make it comfortable.

Jetta, Golf, MINI, Accord come to mind. All others considered.

Anyone have anything they are ready to part with?

Thoughts?

JettaTDi would seem to make sense. 1k a week. that's a lot. I commuted from Sand Diego to LA, everyday, for two weeks when I was 22, and was dying at the end of it. (Moving while working new job in LA,)

If this is long-term, you might want to consider something that fits your criteria with a blown engine, and replace it. Less bucks and reliability.

Let me restate (watching Deadliest Catch and typing doesn't work.) Consider finding a car that fits your list, but has a blown/weak engine/trans to save $$ up front. Then replace the part to gain the reliability you need. I think a Mini's wheelbase would play havoc with your back over that distance. Ford Focus?

TDI is an obvious. Got one?

Really don't want any projects, though I like the way you think.

I'm OK with the MINI's wheelbase. Driven it.

Ford Focus didn't look too bad either. I may rent one for my next trip and see what I think.

Have you been renting?
How low have you negotiated your price?
To these rental places consistent customers are rare and are like gold. Push for less than $30 per day for a midsize.

Sounds like you really need a nicely optioned 2.3/5spd mazda3 hatch. Good luck finding one for less than 7-8k. Also, 35mpg is probly close to max, and only nice highway driving.

I dont know if you could get the hatch with the 2.0 but the 2.0/auto sedan we just sold did at LEAST 35mpg on the highway every time, 37 with the ac off and 42 on one miraculous tank.

The Insight i bought to replace it (2001? iirc) avg's 50, comfy to me, hatchback (SO useful), fun in the turns, but slow as nuts, a little noisy, and a hybrid, so you wouldnt like it

There is a 1999(?) diesel Beetle that's been for sale (private) a couple of towns over from me. Looks clean from the outside. And I think it's in the $5k range. If you want more info on it, let me know and I'll get you the sellers Ph#, and take a look at it. I think it's got 120K miles.It's in Old Saybrook, Ct. I know those are an acquired taste type car.

Pontiac Vibe. You can probably get an 05-06 for ~$5K with lowish mileage, manuals are rare, but not highly valued, so they usually will be the cheaper cars. Mine pulls down 34ish combined as high as 37 on the highway (non-gt). They might not check the creature comfort box, nor the "fun to drive" box, but all other boxes will be checked, and the cargo flexibility and rear seat room are second to none (in their class). I rode a significant portion of my trip to pick up that subaru from you in the back of mine with no discomfort. I took a ski trip to colorado with 4 people, our gear, our Ski's on a car top box, and we drove straight through (20 hours) and comfort/space were not a problem, also averaged 28mpg on the trip which was good for the load. They can tow a decent amount, and pile on the miles. Be sure your comfortable in the seat though, they are not the most adjustable, but mine's comfortable for me.

I LIKE the Mazda3. 7-8K is not impossible.

Diesel Beetle- given my choice I'd rather a Golf, but I wouldn't mind knowing a bit more.

Insight- It's not that I hate hybrids...good luck getting them serviced in the deep South.

Didn't think of the Vibe- I'll take a look.

For those distances, I'd argue that the TDI is the only option. Some may disagree, but my recently purchased Golf TDI is the best appliance I've ever owned: great on the highway (comfortable, low cruising rpm), torquey, 50mpg and 750-800 mile range. I needed to do the timing belt and turbo actuator, but will be holding on to this one for a long, long time. Resale is very high, even with stupidly high mileage on the car...which I expect would be a factor to you when the time comes to get rid of it.

Regards, Nathan

Not sure I can look at it that way.

Regardless of what I buy, in what condition, I will DESTROY the resale value pretty quickly.

I'm thinking I need a decent second hand car (already depreciated a bit), which I will need to get rid of in 6 months to a year to preserve resale, or accept the fact that when I sell it it will have a value of zero.

http://www.racingjunk.com/category/186/Ford/post/1941933/MUST-SELL-ASAP-LOOK-AT-THIS-DEAL.html

I did this with 3 accords.
Buy low mile off-lease vehicles, say 3yr old with 36k miles. Drive hard and quickly get them to 75-80k (maybe 100k) and sell off at only a modest loss.
Take a low milage vehicle to a more normal or just slightly high mile vehicle.

Buy well recognized brands with high desirability even once they have 100k miles.

Any Honda, any Toyota, Nissan.
Right now I think the Ford Fusion could also be a good bet.
The best Celica you can find.
Acura RSX and TSX.

On the flip side, get something with bad resaleto begin with and then sell at a modest loss. ( SAABs get great gas mileage and are cheap)

SVreX wrote: Not sure I can look at it that way. Regardless of what I buy, in what condition, I will DESTROY the resale value pretty quickly. I'm thinking I need a decent second hand car (already depreciated a bit), which I will need to get rid of in 6 months to a year to preserve resale, or accept the fact that when I sell it it will have a value of zero.

I can't say for sure, but a least around here, a TDI with well over 200+k is worth an astounding amount of money. For whatever reason (right or wrong...) people think these car's don't wear out. Never mind that everything surrounding the motor is the same as the gasser version...

Nathan

Any Geo Prizm. Corolla dependability without the premium. Either 1.6 or 1.8 with deliver an HONEST 35-38m.p.g. highway w/5 speed. A 94-98 should cost $2k or less, won't break the bank, and unless you cut it in half, you should recoup most of the purchase price, regardless of miles.

Neither are mine:

First one up is a 98 Jetta TDI, M/T, $3700, that's cheap http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/1819768505.html

Second is a Beetle TDI 2000, M/T, $6500, that's cheap http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/1809113844.html

Mazda Protege5. It fits everthing you're asking for except it will probably have cloth. I had one for a few years and I really liked it. Stay away from automatics with this engine. You'll want to replace the horrible factory intake, not for performance but because it just sounds incredibly crappy. BLATBLATBLATBLATBLAT.

This next one is my car, for sale, and I'm not too far away from you in Woodstock GA, 30102: 2002 Nissan Sentra SE-R. Automatic, cloth, but a fantastic commuter car, and I get 26mpg in an all city stop-and-go commute. 146k on the odometer, but drive more like 45k. Strong power from the 2.5 engine. $10,000 worth of receipts for service and repair from it's previous owner, a very good customer of mine. I bought it with a failed transmission and installed a 72k mile used transmission, along with a new radiator a few weeks later when a crack was just beginning to develop on the top tank ( I take absolutely no chances on overheating an engine). Mechanically the car is close to perfect, meaning there are no defects that I'm aware of, and I stay pretty aware. Cosmetically, the windshield is cracked at the bottom along the windshield wipe line, and the clearcoat is comming off the paint on the hood. Call me if interested at 404-936-1191 and we'll talk specifics. Price is attractive but not at challenge level. If you can stand to go with the 4-dr body and cloth, you'd be very happy with it.

Back to other cars in general not yet mentioned: Ford Escort ZX2. Quick little performer with horrible resale value. Built on the older Protege platform IIRC, with the 2.0 Zetec DOHC 130hp engine.

Pre '99 Dodge Neon. Fun, reliable, cheap as generic dog food, and they hold up reasonably well. Still cloth.

1000 miles a week in comfort but fun to drive and mid-20s/g?
- Acura TL/RL
- BMW E39 5'er or E46 3 series
- Infinity Q45
- not fun but... Lexus (several)

I would add MB, Jaguar, Audi and Volvo but you said reliable.

The Jetta TDI is also a good choice because its ridiculously economical but aside from good seats they tend to ride like a pig.

1000/wk miles is best done from a climate controlled, XM stereo, rattle free, solid cabin attached to a very compliant suspension.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: 1000/wk miles is best done from a climate controlled, XM stereo, rattle free, solid cabin attached to a very compliant suspension.

Correct!

nocones wrote: Pontiac Vibe. You can probably get an 05-06 for ~$5K with lowish mileage, manuals are rare, but not highly valued, so they usually will be the cheaper cars. Mine pulls down 34ish combined as high as 37 on the highway (non-gt). They might not check the creature comfort box, nor the "fun to drive" box, but all other boxes will be checked, and the cargo flexibility and rear seat room are second to none (in their class). I rode a significant portion of my trip to pick up that subaru from you in the back of mine with no discomfort. I took a ski trip to colorado with 4 people, our gear, our Ski's on a car top box, and we drove straight through (20 hours) and comfort/space were not a problem, also averaged 28mpg on the trip which was good for the load. They can tow a decent amount, and pile on the miles. Be sure your comfortable in the seat though, they are not the most adjustable, but mine's comfortable for me.

Hmmm... you may be right.

I drove an 09 Matrix S 5 spd yesterday. It's a compromise all around, but in a good way. As you said, it hits most of my needs. And the S model had a little bit of kick in the tail. The pricetag was a little high- partly because of the Toyota badging, and partly because it was newer, but not a bad choice. The Vibes seem to be rarer than hen's teeth around here.

He had a MINI sitting next to it. I think I am off that kick- this is a time in my life where practicality makes sense.

Good recommendation.

Honda civic...cloth seats, but the rest qualifies. my friend has an 02 (i think, might be bit newer) and hes averaging 38 mpg. comfortable car, easy to work on and get parts for, there's a zillion of them. they can be found fairly cheap if you look around, and very low maintenance/high reliability. Ive been driving hondas for the past few years (had a 98 civic 30mpg, now a y2k insight 50 mpg.) as commuters, 500+ miles a week, and though they lack excitement, theyre easy on the wallet once you get past the purchase part. they take "regular" gas and will consume most garbage gas without complaint as well, and just keep going happily along...

Long distance comfort = Long Wheelbase

On paper the Vibe/Matrix is a perfect choice and I was eager to find one to replace my wife's Rav4, but....
Then I had one for a rental car for a week. OMG, I hated the seat. It offered no lower back support. On the passanger seat, I thought the folding hinge buldged out a bit and made for uncomfortable side bolsters. I searched all models and grades and there is only one seat offered through the entire line up; the is no upgrade. It was a deal killer for me.
Of couse, this is opinion and many people must hold a different opinion considering how many are sold. My advise is to be critical of the seats when you test drive.

jrw1621 wrote: My advise is to be critical of the seats when you test drive.

Good point, bad seats never get better as they age.