Fun to Drive commuter car

I am going to be needing a commuter car pretty soon here, for school, and was wondering if any of you had any suggestions!

Looking for something older, 8-10 years or so, reliable and fun to drive!

Hit me with your best ideas

 

Subaru WRX

 

He said reliable.

I’ve had good luck with VW. A 1.8t is fun and cheap. Not the fastest thing on the road but enjoyable nonetheless.

I’ll edit to add some TRD to the mix. IS300 especially if you can find a manual.

 

touche'

 

Toyota Matrix.

Toyota quality and reliability, and rather inexpensive since it's discontinued.

 

2009 and newer Infiniti G35 and G37's. They can be had pretty cheap and are pretty reliable. My neighbor has almost 200k on his without any issues. I let him borrow my truck and he let me drive it around for the day. Its the 'X' version which means it AWD. It was a blast! Fast and seemed to handle pretty good. He was averging about 28 MPG before I started beating on it.

 

I had a '12 VW golf that was a 5 speed. Got 40 mpg driving like a grandpa. Driving it hard and fast I would get 25-30 mpg. I bought it new off the lot and just sold it a few weeks ago.

 

Ask this new TW member:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/from-subaru-to-toyota.538788/

 

that gen is far removed from the 1st gen WRX

 

Subaru 2.5rs 98-00

 

Pontiac Vibe. It's a Matrix in GM clothing, so all the mechanicals are easily serviced and parts sourced. Priced lower than actual Matrix units side by side. Call it a collectible for your upturned nose friends.

No one will be interested in stealing it.

It's very practical for school with a fold flat rear cargo area, making it a good hauler for a compact.

I found that having a cosmetic semi-beater that was mechanically/safety/reliably great with a decent condition interior made a great 'school' car.

If it must be sporty rather than practical, a Miata with a hardtop (for security) is a great choice, although cargo capacity is limited.

Obviously the common econo boxes are all practical when we think Accord, Camry, Sonota, Altima. Step down a notch to Civic, Corolla, Elantra and you can find some reasonable buys. Fun to drive? Maybe not. But when in school the reliable & economical components take a higher priority.

 

04-06 Scion xB. Lots of room and great on gas. I miss mine everytime I have to fill my Tacoma up.

 

Mazda. Hands down the best handling little vehicle i've ever driven. Had a Protege'5 for years, beat the SHIT out of it and she kept on ticking. Slow as dirt but that sucker handled like it was on rails.

 

Miata, it’s cheap and has a ton of aftermarket support but also very fun to drive.

 

really ? yaris hatchback with turbo 310 wheel horsepower

http://www.viosturbo.com/2010/01/310-whp-toyota-yaris.html

 

I'm driving a puke yellow 2009 Cooper S. Fun to drive (like a go cart), decent gas mileage but it lacks the reliable part a little...............

The newer F-Chassis are a lot more reliable, but also more pricey.

 

I've gotta throw my vote in for the Mazda 3. I have a 2010 2.5L Sport sedan; bought it new in 2010 for around $22K if memory serves. Nearly 8 years and 80,000 miles later, she is still running like a champ. I haven't had a single issue with it. Very lively handling, reasonably quick and an absolute blast to drive. After driving the Taco, the Mazda feels like a go cart. It's a great balance of fun, practicality, economy and I've already mentioned reliability. I average around 27MPG driving Mrs. Daisy and closer to 22MPG driving like I stole it. I would highly recommend checking one out. After having my heart set on a Civic Si Coupe at the time, I ended up going with the 3 because it made too much sense. Plus, I'm 6'2" and the Civic was just too small. No issues with space in the 3, and with 4 doors you have room in the back for a couple more 6' friends to squeeze in. Just my 3 cents

 

Older Mazda Miata's are cheap, reliable and fun to drive.

 

Scion FRS's look cheap on the used market and should be a blast to drive.

 

I'm driving a 2005 Acura TL 6-speed as my daily right now. Just picked it up a couple of months ago for $5,500 with 180k miles. Great service history and runs strong.

Yeah it doesn't look perfect and the navigation doesn't work but it gets me around and is comfortable to drive while the Tacoma is looking pretty in my garage