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Thread: Econobox/sub compact choice

  1. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by TGS View Post
    I would say the Fit, personally. I would stay away from hybrids if you're looking at getting a beater on the cheap that is already old, and wanting to keep it until its ancient and treat it like an Apache treats his horse.
    This.

    While I love the hybrid idea and I fully intend to buy a 2021 Toyota RAV 4 Prime PHEV, assuming it isn't prohibitively expensive, Old and Hybrid and Cheap aren't things that go together well. The batteries have a limited life and even a remanufactured replacement is still more expensive than an engine or a transmission in an conventional ICE vehicle even on something small like a Prius and life is affected both environment and usage.

    Hopefully, as EV and PHEV get more common and more mature they will become much less expensive to service over the long term but right now, you are sitting on a ticking "service bomb" waiting to explode your wallet based on my research.

    I am looking forward to the day that I can drive to work and back without using a drop of refined dino juice but we aren't really there, yet.

  2. #22
    The R in F.A.R.T RevolverRob's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RJ View Post
    We loved almost everything about our Honda Fit. Room was great, very efficient, and it was easy to cram an inordinate amount of stuff in it.

    Unfortunately we also found it woefully underpowered. You had to anticipate a half mile ahead of when you actually needed to pass someone at highway speeds, so you could press the throttle and wind the nuts out of the engine. I will say, in its defense, I lived in Atlanta at the time, and traffic there is ah brisk to say the least.

    As a commuter or versatile run about, though, can’t think of many better options out there.
    Stick or auto?

    I wouldn't be stuck driving an automatic equipped econobox if I could avoid it.

    But with the stick you can hammer it hard and get it going. The Fit actually has more HP than the Mz2. I can, and do, pass people in the Mz2 at highway speeds, sometimes in excess of 90 mph. Around 95-100 it starts getting a little hairy...but no problem completing a pass at 70 in 3rd gear or 90 in 4th.

  3. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by GJM View Post
    I even suggested YVK get one as his “3 gun” vehicle, so he doesn’t have to get his fancy doctor car dusty at the range.
    Does the rear door window roll down? I mean, could I stick a Versamax with a 9 round tube out of rear door window, or does it have to go out of the sunroof?






    Quote Originally Posted by GJM View Post

    Beautiful photo. Take another one from the same spot, angling the camera about 45 deg left.
    Doesn't read posts longer than two paragraphs.

  4. #24
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    My family and I are very happy with our two Civics and two CRVs. Very reliable and relatively straightforward to wrench on. Very well engineered.

  5. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by YVK View Post
    Beautiful photo. Take another one from the same spot, angling the camera about 45 deg left.
    Hey, this is PF not Instagram, we don't do the "show me your precious" thing here.
    Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.

  6. #26
    Member StraitR's Avatar
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    The family bought my MIL a Fit. It's been a fantastic little car. Honda and Toyota rarely disappoint.

  7. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by TBone550 View Post
    My beater car has been an '04 Outback for the last while. It gets me on and off muddy jobsites if I leave my truck there for extended work, but at 23 mpg it still hurts to drive.

    I've been thinking about something very efficient since I also live 20 miles from town. My last experience with these type of vehicles was various '96-'00 Civics which served admirably over the years. If I'm looking to spend $5k-$6k these days for the most economical and long-term reliable 4-door I can reasonably find, am I looking for a Prius? An old Fit?

    Nothing I have here, with the exception of motorcycles, gets over that 23 mpg mark, and I don't know diddly about these small cars. I spent over $5k in fuel last year; it's just not necessary to spend that much. I'm listening to this conversation with interest.
    If you're spending $5k a year in fuel, I hate to say it. This actually hurts to type. You might need a used Prius.

    Yes, there's maintenance issues with the batteries, but the much more common problems are basic engine maintenance since so many people just buy Prius, drive a Prius, and do exactly ZERO maintenance. A friend of mine makes a nice side hustle buying Priuses with spun bearings, etc, and rebuilding them to resell. Some of them have had surprisingly low mileage 80k, 90k mile examples with spun bearings from literally never changing the oil is a trend, apparently.

    So keep an eye out for basic maintenance, especially maintenance records, and you should be fine. Bring a good flashlight and open the oil cap and look at the innards of the cyl head - and if it looks like burnt toast in there, that's a bad sign. If it's chocolate brown or better yet, bright gold-ish, that means that engine got regular oil changes and it should be good to go.

    If a hybrid is a strict no-go for a lot of illogical reasons I wholeheartedly understand, Honda Fits without the CVT are fantastic and low maintenance and as others have noted, low visibility.
    The hands-down most fun 'sleeper' hotrod I've ever enjoyed was a customer's Fit with an RSX Type-S engine and 6-spd trans swapped in, and turbocharged to around 450hp.

    The Toyota Matrix from 2004+ is pretty good as well, but that's a ~27-30mpg sort of gig at best and the older ones are getting a bit long in tooth. The Fit or Prius offer substantially better MPG.

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by 5pins View Post
    I just got a Kia Soul on Monday as my new commuter car. I tried the Fit but at 6"2" I didn't fit very well. Same with the other sub-compacts.
    I've been driving a Diesel Soul for about a year now. Great car.

    Only downsides are that my Benelli doesn't fit in the boot with the full mag extension on, and I wish I had bought the auto rather than the manual.
    Welcome to Africa, bring a hardhat.

  9. #29
    Quote Originally Posted by BigT View Post
    I've been driving a Diesel Soul for about a year now. Great car.

    Only downsides are that my Benelli doesn't fit in the boot with the full mag extension on, and I wish I had bought the auto rather than the manual.
    20+ years ago, it seemed diesel was going to be the answer to automotive economy. A guy I worked with had a Passat and was averaging 43 MPG, and it was a roomy car. Never quite took off like I thought.

    I also remember when diesel was cheaper than gasoline. Not sure what happened to change that.

  10. #30
    Quote Originally Posted by TBone550 View Post
    Nothing I have here, with the exception of motorcycles, gets over that 23 mpg mark, and I don't know diddly about these small cars. I spent over $5k in fuel last year; it's just not necessary to spend that much. I'm listening to this conversation with interest.
    Rough math at $3 a gallon / 23 MPG put that over 38K per year. It might seem like a lot, but it really isn’t for some. My wife puts close to that a year, and she doesn’t use her car for work (other than the commute, of course).

    Seems like you’d benefit from a full on electric, if you have the ability to install a charging station in the home.

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