General non-MG related discussions. No politics here please!!
Now that gas is approaching $5 a gallon, a lot of people are rediscovering the appeal of old Geo's and Civic's. I'm wondering what older cars you might buy cheaply today that get 30+ mpg. My '74 roadster gets in the low 20s, so I can't count it.
Geo Metro
Some Honda Civics
Others?
The Kings are the Metro XFi and the Honda CRX HF.
I picked up a Metro yesterday. Oddly enough, they never sold the XFi in Canada, even though they were made in a Canadian plant. So I had to settle for the regular 3 cylinder, 5-speed.
Others to consider? Honda Civic, Hyundai Accent and Toyota Tercel?
If you want to do some side-by-side comparisons, go here:-
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/sbs.htm
Old Geo Metro's seem to come up a lot. However, an old Geo Prism or Storm might be a better deal. Also, the MPG of any car can be made better by lightening the car. Take out the rear seat, and replace the spare with a can of fix-a-flat. Mechanically, it may be possible to remove the drag from the AC system as well. There are also nuts who use wierd extreme driving meathods to improve MPG.
Derek, you finally found one that wasn't lost to rust? congrats. there not bad cars, really. Fit for purpose, as they say.
Yep, found one that isn't rotten where the front bottom A-arms attach. And only $800, to boot. It's my newest car, a '97! I guess that makes it OBDII. Wow, never thought I'd get that modern.
I had a 75 Rabbit that got 42 mpg. Always cranked and ran.
My wife had a 1885 Honda Civic hatchback. Got 55 mpg on the highway!
I'm looking for a Reliant Regal - 3 wheels, 24 hp, 70 mpg!
early BMW E30 325e. I am in the 33-35 mpg range. but the hands on can be a bit more than you might like, still not beyond a clever fellow. the cars seem to be worth about $1500-2000 locally,
All the little cars from the 90s are suddenly worth $3000 even though they have 200k+ miles and need a bunch of work. I am looking too but haven't seen anything yet that makes me want to drop the cash they are asking.
Just did a long trip today in my 1989 Honda Civic with 225K on the clock and it still gives 38 MPG!
My '95 Accord wagon gets 27-31 real world MPG and it's very comfortable. I have ~$3200 in it including new belts, water pump, etc. Found it on Craigslist and it had 74K original, one-owner miles on it.
DonW Wrote:
I bought a CRX new in '84 and it got close to 45 MPG at a steady 55 MPH. I've been looking for another one for the last year but even high mileage but decent examples that haven't been "modified" and ragged out by some pimple faced kid are are bringing close to what I paid for mine new.
The logic of a cheaper, low mileage car that gets fewer MPG but costing about the same per mile driven based on beginning mileage, assumed remaining life and assumed reliability and operating costs led me to buy the Accord.
the most economical older car is(obviously) one that doesn't run.
I get around 30-32mpg in my 98 Pontiac Grand Am - doing 100miles a day.
My daughters brand new Kia Rio is getting 28mpg on the same trip, but as she elaves an hour ealrier that my have to do with traffic.
I did (once) get 95mpg in a Renault R10, but that was slip streaming up hill, freewheeling down hill etc. I had 100 miles to get home and 1.5 Imperial gallons to do it on. No cash and no open gas stations. Made it with 5 miles left in the tank because my home was that far from the first open gas station the next day, and it died as I rolled up the forecourt.
I think John Weimer's VW El Camino is on a list of 10 best mileage getters.
I kinda wish I had my first car now, it was a 78 Ford Fiesta. Awesome car, fast as balls and great mileage.
I bought a '86 Camry off of Ebay last year for $1800. 76K miles. Perfect interior, great body, receipts, etc.
30-32 mpg. Lots of pep as well as bells and whistles. A well built car. I gave it to my daughter for her 15th birthday in March. She can't drive it until next year. For now I will.
An "1885 Honda Civic hatchback," Julian, is a bit older than I'd like! :) That model ran on real horse power, I imagine.
Good suggestions. One negative on these older Civics, Geos, and others is that they were more lightly-built cars hence the higher mpg, but you paid a price in an accident since there was less steel and structure around you for protection. And none had airbags, of course, and some had no a/c, etc., the kind of stuff we expect today.
I'd like to find an older car like these if it's not worn out -- to not have to fill up every week at these gas prices. Or maybe a Midget? Didn't they get 30+ mpg? What did Spitfires get?
My '97 Metro has front airbags. No A/C. Don't need it up here. But they are lightly built. When I load the 2 dogs in for a ride, weight goes up by about 10%.
and of course everyone is missing the obvious choices......
The original Mini's would commonly get in the mid 40's for mpg's.... and a well set up 1275 (or earlier) Spridget would do around 40mpg on the hwy...... I once drove my '68 Sprite from Phoenix to Seattle-Tacoma in the mid 80's...and the average mpg for the trip was right around the 40mpg mark.......
Another car I had that (for it's size/eng/trans) that was awsome for gas milage...
Was a 1959 Ford 4-door sedan (Fairlain 500/Galaxie) I had in college.....
I set it up for max economy...... A 223cid inline six..... with a B/W T-86/OD trans....and a set of 2.69 gears in the rear...... Running that car between my folks place in Tacoma and school in Spokane (300 miles) I would average about 28mpg...
Of course my wife is averaging 25mpg hwy with her '76 Mercury Comet 2-dr with a 200cid inline six... We found the Comet last winter on Craigs list for $500 with only 80k miles...one owner no rust and perfect body/interior
Michael
I have to have a/c if it's a regular driver here in hot Southern California, but I can live without the airbags . . . Or maybe I shouldn't put it quite that way.
All the Mini's I've seen are right-hand drive which would be a bit awkward, and the Spridgets are cramped and really noisy though I do kind of like an older Midget on a nice top-down day. Just not on the freeway at 70 mph!
So, I'm inclined toward an older Honda or something like that. I've had my share of Mercury Comets and Ford Cortinas and old VW's, and I don't think I'd want to go back to them. Well, maybe the VW's. How about older Fiats, Renaults, etc.? What am I saying? They've all rusted way, haven't they?
Toyota Starlet if you can find one. Maybe a Subaru Justy. MG Midget of course.
graflexmaster Wrote:
88-91 Civic/crx 5 speed manual
I have an 88 civic and am getting 40 mpg. they are cheap, easy to work on and parts are readly available. very reliable.
If you buy one do yourself a favor and do a complete tune up. also replace both electonic components under the rotor cap (forget what they are called). new O2 sensors, a new timing belt and tensioner. remove the fresh air duct that is attached to the radiator, if you lean on it it could crack the radiator top, car will be fine without it.
the stock exhaust is cheap and bolts in in about 20 minutes. comes in sections. replace the stock CAT also, a quick bolt in but hard to get out.
there are some great web sites, do a search ot 4g civics or 4th generation civics.
try to find one with no rust around rear wheel wells.
aviod any that have had engine swaps if you are looking for gas milage and reliability.
I drove the 2003 LeSabre 120 miles yesterday at 55 mph...computer tells me I was getting 35 mpg...to include some in town driving.
Just traded a 1994 LeSabre that 219,000 miles on it that was getting an average of 27 mpg.
Traded it for a PT Cruiser that just gets 26, depending on whether I use ethynol or regular.
Ya just can't beat a GM 3.8L engine. To bad they are not going to make them any more...bullet proof engine...maybe that is why they quit making them.
My wife came with a '92 Dodge Colt, which was really a Mitsibushi something else, but it got great mileage. Wish we still had it. It blew the head gasket, and I could never get the new one to seal even though everything was straight and true. After the 2nd try, we sold it for a song and dance, and the kid got somebody to fix it. I see it once in a while.
It had some go in it for sure!
