Beater high mpg second car?

We have a 2004 lancer that gets shit mileage (25) for a 4 cyl. But check out the public auctions. Can sometimes get a good deal. Buddy grabbed a 2008 scion for 1800 bucks. Barely 100k miles.

 

I had a 01 civic 5spd with 275k miles that I gave to my parents. Still gets 32mpg. Luckily I bought it at 240k from a friend who was a master mechanic at honda so all parts were replaced when needed. No problems with it.

I paid roughly 300 bucks a year in reg and insurance. Id say if you plan to keep the Tacoma for a long time then get a reliable commuter especially a civic. You can probably get on for less than 2k. It really takes more than 5 years of ownership probably to see a payoff. The saving in gas isn't a lot unless you drive a ton because the insurance and reg offset that. It is more keeping the Tacoma low mileage and thus a higher residual value. It was fun to drive a stick again and be able to park in any parking spot without worry about getting dings or parking blocks away because of space constraints with a long bed Tacoma.

 

I have liability, it was $55 a month before I moved to the inner city, now it's in the upper 70's I think. As far as maintenance goes, I use mobil 15k when I change the oil, and maybe do one large(ish) repair a year. I drive it approx. 10k miles a year, but change the oil every 6 months or so. A $20 fill up lasts me a little over a week, but I drive a lot for someone who lives near a city. New tires every 3-4 years which cost a little under $300. And I'd say maybe $600 in repairs a year, but I'm at 257k and the last owners were not nice to this thing. Everything I haven't touched myself was from the factory.
so we will say
50 per month in repairs/maintenance
60 per month liability
60 per month gas
$170 per month
of course everyone's situation is going to be completely different. Honestly some of the repairs I've done weren't really needed/were my own fault. Needless to say, I couldn't be any happier with the car. It's so hard to fuck up and so easy to fix. 10/10 would recommend.

 

Can’t go wrong with a Toyota!

 

I have an 09 Honda Fit, as well as a 2014 F-150 Supercrew 4X4 in addition to the 07 Tacoma 4X4 in the driveway. The Ford and Tacoma get roughly the same fuel mileage, about 15-16 for daily driving, 19-20 hwy with no trailer.

The Honda gets 25 mpg daily driving and 40 mpg hwy. Every single repair is going to be cheaper on the Honda. I can buy a set of 4 tires for the Honda for just a little more than 1 tire for the trucks. For around town use I drive the Honda as much as possible.

Yea, it is costing me some money every year in taxes and insurance. But if I drive 10,000 miles/year on the Honda around town that is 10,000 miles not going on the truck. The miles on the truck are for when I need a truck or for longer trips where comfort is important. But the more miles I put on a $4000 car, the longer my $40,000 truck lasts before needing to be replaced.

I'd be looking at Honda or Toyota.

 

This 100%.

They are very cool.

Groms are what killed the Ruckus. All Groms look the same, as there is only so much you can do and parts to buy. If you have access to the right tools, you have way more options with making a Ruckus your own.

Along with what the others said, you really can't beat a Ruckus. Just be warned, what starts out as "just transportation" turns into a very expensive hobby just like modding Taco's!

 

I wanted Toyota reliability, fun factor, and utility in my second car. I previously had a 2001 2.5RS as my grocery getter, but if I had kept it, it would have been a money sink.

So I bought a Pontiac Vibe GT, 2003. It's the same as a Toyota Matrix XRS, with the 2zzGE engine that redlines at 8,200rpm and puts out a decent 180hp, mated to a 6 speed tranny. Seats fold flat, I can haul bikes, people, gear, and still sleep in the back. Gets 30mpg (not great, but my commute isn't bad), and I picked it up for $3,000 with 120k miles. If you're worried about looks, add some Rally Armor mudflaps and Baja Designs lights.

 

34 miles is within the range of most EVs with plenty of margin. Get a used Nissan Leaf for cheap. Hire an electrician to install a 240V stove/dryer outlet in your garage. Cost of electricity per mile is typically ~20% that of gasoline for a similar sized vehicle. The downside is you'll look like a metrosexual, so put a few Glock and Browning stickers on it.

 

could do what the people in the ghetto around here like to do to corollas; get someone to airbrush you some flames, a dragon, viking, etc on the hood and you're good to go!

 

I have a 2015 golf tdi that's been great for the 16k miles I've had it. With the dieselgate warranty, the shit that breaks most often is covered until 162k miles.

 

The 2014 corolla eco gets 42 hwy
Cargurus has them around 9k. What's your budget?

 

1999 camry, 5 speed. Bought the thing with 130k on the odo only to find out it was rolled back and it had 300k on it.

 

This is kind of funny, but I actually bought my '00 Tacoma SR5 to use as a daily driver. The decision wasn't really based on the Tacoma being more fuel efficient (because it isn't), but I didn't want to rack up the miles on my '09 Mustang GT as a commuter vehicle.

 

I have a 95 VW Cabrio 5 spd with 60k. I only use it from May until the end of October then it gets stored in my friends climate controlled hanger. Don't use the truck that much anymore since moving north near the trails, water, and mountains.

 

30 mpg
8,200 rpm redline
6 speed manual
180hp
4 door
Still able to stealth camp in the back, and haul stuff like a truck! Doesn't do as well off road as my Taco tho

 

Wanna buy a 1999 Mazda Protege? Looks like hell, runs like a cheetah, new air compressor, new timing belt - timing pulley and water pump, heat works, all gaskets have been replaced in the motor. Tires are 1 year old. Glove box is broke. Can't find the part.

 

My daily drive is a 2013 Sonata with 8x,xxx miles. Runs great, cheap insurance, cold a/c and good on gas.