Choose a car for me

[holtjv]

Tough one:

1. good gas mileage: 25+, preferred more
2. under $3k
3. not horrendously uncool

Was thinking about a mercedes diesel but not sure what kind of mileage they get--I had a wagon years ago and loved it.

Thanks...Jack

[Aurel]

Porsche 924. 26 mpg highway, can be found for cheap.

Aurel

[holtjv]

Good one. Hadn't even thought of it. Thanks Aurel.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

944. Bought my first one for $2,200. Put about a grand into it over the following couple of months and it's been great since.

Or a motorcycle is always good. I get 40mpg without even thinking about it on my Katana.

[tobster1911]

Originally posted by holtjv
Tough one:

1. good gas mileage: 25+, preferred more

Thanks...Jack

Clarification, City or Highway? Makes a huge difference....

[holtjv]

Originally posted by tobster1911
Clarification, City or Highway? Makes a huge difference....

I drive 80-20 city/hwy

[tobster1911]

Then I don't think a high(er) performance 4cyl will work well for you. The best I could do in my 944 was 22 city but it did get 33 on the highway.

Also you will need to stay in the 4cyl not 6. My GTP gets 20/30mpg on the city/highway so something like that would work if you spent more time on the highway. I think for the money you are going to have to look at things like late 90's Accord or Corolla or you could move to early 2000's Cavalier or Neon. Anything else = lots of work IMO.

[cantdrv55]

Miata

[nostatic]

late 80's Civic hatchback. Coffee can exhaust optional.

[Jim Richards]

Originally posted by nostatic
late 80's Civic hatchback. Coffee can exhaust optional.

Coffee can exhaust mandatory.

[arcsine]

original VW bug

[Seahawk]

The cool factor should outweight the gas issue:

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?rdpage=thumb&car_id=223889974&dealer_id=645312&car_year=1986&num_records=&start_year=1981&engine=&keywordsrep=&keywordsfyc=&certified=&fuel=&body_code=0&search_type=both&distance=300&first_record=26&make=&color=&min_price=&drive=&default_sort=priceDESC&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceDESC&address=20650&advanced=&end_year=2008&pager.offset=25&transmission=&doors=&max_price=3000&cardist=300

This would work:

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?rdpage=thumb&car_id=210427287&dealer_id=14474602&car_year=1997&num_records=&start_year=1981&engine=&keywordsrep=&keywordsfyc=&certified=&fuel=&body_code=0&search_type=both&distance=300&first_record=26&make=&color=&min_price=&drive=&default_sort=priceDESC&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceDESC&address=20650&advanced=&end_year=2008&pager.offset=25&transmission=&doors=&max_price=3000&cardist=218

[dean]

MB-300 TD gets about 28 mpg. They are heavy with an auto trans. You can run Biodiesel in them though

[holtjv]

Thanks guys. I think I'm leaning to a 240D--not too many around though.

the original bug is another good idea--a 2/3 air cooled family!

Jack

[Porsche-O-Phile]

VW minibus with hippie flower paint job, bald tires and liberal rust.

Oh, and shag carpet.

[pwd72s]

Little pickemup. And who cares whether or not strangers driving near you care if you're "cool" or not? Frankly. I do care about cool...a wee bit. I'd rather drive an XLT Ranger pickemup than a 924. But then, I know Porsches. To me, 924 says entry level loser...naw, beyond that...because the 924 isn't newish...it's old and cheap, and everybody knows that.

[dean]

The 240D is one of the slowest cars on the planet. I had one for a while. There is a hill on the way home that I used to test cars on. In the 240D I would hit the beginning of the hill at 70mph and with the throttle matted I slowed to 50 at the top. Only really heavy semis were slower. Go for a turboed 300D

I have also run my Porsche on that hill. In 5th going 70 at the bottom I had to lift before the top of the hill cause I was doing 120.

[nota]

240 is unreally SLOW esp in city driving
for about the same $$$$ get a 300D esp the later turbo's

td wagons are very over priced vs the sedans or even the cd coupes at about 5k up unless rusty for the wagons
vs 2-3k for a same shape sedan or coupe

I love my 300sd big car with good mpg
and even they are cheaper then the wagons!!!!

[Tim Walsh]

second on the miata, cheap, fun, good on gas.

[holtjv]

Now I'm liking the miata--looks like under $3k and 25-30mpg for early 90s versions.

Will have to have a top though because I cannot fathom driving around in a convertible--maybe on early sunday morning drives with the daughter.

thanks..checking craigslist now