Need 40+ mpg college hatchback for less than $1500

neon.. jesus.

Unless your tercel gets 40 mpg AND runs mid 15s i dont think you have room to sneeze at a neon. I dont remember tercels having an entire SCCA race series formed around them either. Neon is one of the best high-mpg enthusiast cars you can get, the end.

ProDarwin wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Less power means it has to work harder?

This is a good thing from an efficiency standpoint. Then again, the Tercel doesn't have that much less power, and it weighs <2100lbs, so I doubt its working much harder at non-highway speeds. Apples to Apples: Fuel Economy.gov Tercel: 28/35, 31 combined Prism: 25/32, 28 combined Fuelly: Prism - approx 31 Tercel - approx 35

You're probably right.... i'd be interested to see what sort of mileage i'd get out of one on my commute. Interestingly, i beat both of those combined number with my Celica without much problem. That's WITH 80mph highway runs daily.

And that's with a faster, better handling, MUCH sexier car. It's a win win win!!!

I think a Paseo with some motor swap trickery could be pretty awesome, though.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Interestingly, i beat both of those combined number with my Celica without much problem. That's WITH 80mph highway runs daily.

Well... apples to oranges. I think the Tercel would beat the Celica in MPG, but only barely.

I wish I did 80mph highway runs going to work - I'd get much better mileage.

ProDarwin wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Interestingly, i beat both of those combined number with my Celica without much problem. That's WITH 80mph highway runs daily.

Well... apples to oranges. I think the Tercel would beat the Celica in MPG, but only barely. I wish I did 80mph highway runs going to work - I'd get much better mileage.

I'd be inclined to agree with you. I don't think it would beat it enough to make the loss of what little fun factor the Celica motor gives you worth it though.

I could try to swing the prizm with basic (invisible) aero mods. I bet if I take it easy I could approach the 40 mpg highway.

I should really calculate what the e30 gets right now. It might not be as bad as I think.

Tercel doesn't have to work that hard really, makes 95hp and weighs 2200lbs. It's punchy enough.. certainly gets out of its way almost as well as my friends 92 5eFE paseo.. this 97 has the dis ignition system.

So yeah, 4.88L/100km highway, and 6.5L/100km on my last tank of city, maybe thats 35mpg, i have no idea, or time to convert it!

either way, they wanted 40mpg, not a fast car. lol.

4.88L/100, if accurate, would result in ~49 US MPG and 58 Ca MPG.
6.5L/100 is 37 US MPG, 43 Ca MPG in the city, That sounds very, very unusual...I'd keep that car!

Yeah I'm not sure what the deal is but she works great, even my 1991 3ee single cam 12 valve terc with no piston rings left would do 6.6l/100km mixed and 5.5l/100km hwy!

If it was a hatchback, you'd be set.

I'm pretty sure neon's don't run mid 15's, atleast that's what motorweek is telling me.. My best friend is a neon fanatic, and while yes, they're fantastic for a domestic compact, they're nothing revolutionary, they're cheap and quick, and domestic automakers are always quick to throw money behind their cars in racing programs.

But as far as I read, i thought this thread was about getting the most MPG's for the least amount of money, and $ for $, I think a tercel will outlast a neon anyday.

halftrac, ever notice the exhaust manifold on the 5SFE? It clearly says "no high fives", they make 130hp, they're no faster than a tercel dude. :D

Vigo wrote: Unless your tercel gets 40 mpg AND runs mid 15s i dont think you have room to sneeze at a neon. I dont remember tercels having an entire SCCA race series formed around them either. Neon is one of the best high-mpg enthusiast cars you can get, the end.

Got to admit it, I do like the tercel. My sister has been beating on hers for six or seven years now and the car has held up very well. Its a 96 1.5/3spd auto with 155k and even buzzing along at 65-70mph it gets 35mpg. And the interior is roomier than the last four cars I've owned, and they were all larger on the outside.

I can never find a 5spd dohc tercel though. An occasional 4spd manual, and a bunch of automatics.

CanadianTercel wrote: But as far as I read, i thought this thread was about getting the most MPG's for the least amount of money, and $ for $, I think a tercel will outlast a neon anyday.

With the timing belt and water pump replaced on schedule, and normal maintenance (stuff any car needs, like oil changed, gear oil change, etc) neons will easily make it over 350k miles. They arent the best cars in the world, they are made out of thin metal, the seats arent very comfortable, etc, but for a cheap fun car that gets good mileage they are hard to beat. Its certainly fine to not care for them, but they are far from being crap.

CanadianTercel wrote: I'm pretty sure neon's don't run mid 15's, atleast that's what motorweek is telling me.. My best friend is a neon fanatic, and while yes, they're fantastic for a domestic compact, they're nothing revolutionary, they're cheap and quick, and domestic automakers are always quick to throw money behind their cars in racing programs. But as far as I read, i thought this thread was about getting the most MPG's for the least amount of money, and $ for $, I think a tercel will outlast a neon anyday. halftrac, ever notice the exhaust manifold on the 5SFE? It clearly says "no high fives", they make 130hp, they're no faster than a tercel dude. :D

You sure about that? I've driven both, owned both, and there's not even a comparison to be made, quite honestly. Butt dyno may have a lot to do with it, but the Celica feels MILES faster. And i ran my 93 GT Coupe to a 15.9 quarter mile on crappy half bald Kumho ASXs. Bone stock.

Granted, that car seemed to only get 32mpg combined compared to the 34mpg that my 92 GT Hatch gets.

For the record, the 92-99 makes 135hp, and it's MUCH different feeling than the 90-91s. Exhaust manifold is easy fix. Get one off a Camry.

I'm not saying the Tercel is a bad choice, though... merely saying that a Celica will get easily 90% the economy if not more, and be a lot more fun doing it.

I've seen bolt on Neons do 14s. I know they are marginally faster than DOHC Saturns, which will run high 15s stock. Anything will feel like a rocket compared with a Tercel which does... 18s?

Tercel is right though, this thread was about maximum mileage, not fun factor. Neon is a good choice for mileage, Tercel is a better one. I actually searched for them locally after this thread reminded me of them yesterday. I wouldn't mind one in good condition for a daily, although I think I'm leaning toward a Corolla. Corollas are much easier to find.

I've got two neons and a spare 2.4 engine for sale in the 2010 classifieds for $1500. Just sayin'.

I'm pretty sure neon's don't run mid 15's

A sohc/5spd neon will run high 15s stock. Throw on a throttle body from an automatic, and a muffler, and it will run mid 15s. That's roughly $100 on the high end. Maybe $50 on the low end.

I think Travis put it well..

They arent the best cars in the world, they are made out of thin metal, the seats arent very comfortable, etc, but for a cheap fun car that gets good mileage they are hard to beat. Its certainly fine to not care for them, but they are far from being crap.

My zero option DOHC neon was running low 15's pretty easily. 14's w/bolt-ons, 12's with an SRT motor, but I digress.

There's a certain SOHC Neon in the reader's rides here that is now SRT powered....

But i remember back in the day watching it in person run a 14.4 quarter mile with bolt ons, gutted.

The reason i only posted about SOHC neons is because they have taller gears than the DOHC trans... once you run the lower dohc gearing you cant touch 40mpg.

When i had mine (sohc with dohc trans) it was quicker than most sohcs but couldnt GET CLOSE to 40.

So unless you swap tall gears into a dohc i dont think they really belong in this discussion.

I was getting high 30's. Closer than some of the other cars postulated. :)

Guess motorweek isn't the car bible (i think we discussed this before on the GRM forums..) they claimed a 16.8 for a r/t (fully loaded coupe?) at 88mph?

anyhow, here is my friend's neon.. plymouth neon ACR, in NYG.. one of 64 made.

My dad has the 4 door version of that, one of 16 if I am to believe the numbers quoted online.