Looking for a commuter car

[ryans]

I'm looking for a commuter car. I've heard that the Scion Xb's get over 40mpg. Anyone know if that's true? If you've got a newer commuter car that gets great gas mileage i'd like to hear about it. It's a touch choice finding something that I think would be reliable.

[datsunfreak]

I've heard that the Scion Xb's get over 40mpg.

I believe they are listed in the high 30s, but if you got a 5spd you could probably push it that high.

If you've got a newer commuter car that gets great gas mileage i'd like to hear about it. It's a touch choice finding something that I think would be reliable.

My wife's 2.0 Golf gets about 34mpg and hauls ALOT of gear.

Her next car will be a TDI Golf/Jetta. They get a minimum of 50mpg, and can be pushed to 65-70mpg on long trips.

[datsunfreak]

And IMO, diesels are WAY more reliable. TDI VW engines are known to last over 250K miles. ;)

[ryans]

Yea that's true. My buddy has a TDI golf and he gets over 50mpg. Thing is they're very hard to find. I think i'll be checking CL for them. :)

[datsunfreak]

In a friend's '01 Golf, we got 69mpg on a 400 mile highway trip (A/C off, easy on the throttle). That's tough to beat...

[ryans]

I found a nice G20 I like or a 98 Beetle TDI. I was reading on http://www.Carsurvey.org and the VW's have a ton of problems. That's kind of scaring me now.

[///M3-=FiN=-]

If it's just a commuter, I'd go with a hybrid.

[KYLiquid]

Here in FL, the Scion xB and xA as well as the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris (Coupe-Hatch and Sedan) all get in the upper 30's to low 40's with the manual and can be had for around 15k. They also run on 'regular' (87 octane) fuel and are cheap to insure (small engine).

I may get a daily driver in a year or so....if I do, I am looking at the Honda Fit as #1 and the Scion xB as #2 they are the best looking and most confortable to drive.

Both the xB and Fit also weigh in at only 2300-2400lbs so even though they are low on power they can get up and go pretty well. They also handle pretty well (suprisingly) and can be a lot of fun at an AutoX.

EDIT : Also with the xB and Fit you get the most space and 'station-waggon like room' with the least amount of station-wagon look. The Yarris Sedan is good but doesnt have the big space to haul larger items. The Yaris Coupe-Hatch is only a 2 door and even with the rear seat folded down it cant carry much. The xA has lots of room but it looks like a station wagon. The Fit and xB had big space inside but have a cool look. IMO

[ryans]

I've thought about those two options for a long time. The Xb and the Fit. I wish Nissan would come out with their Cube, that would be great to check out too. some guy is offering me 2 very clean 94 sentra SE-R's so I might take one. Do the automatics or manuals get better gas mileage? He has both.

[KYLiquid]

I've thought about those two options for a long time. The Xb and the Fit. I wish Nissan would come out with their Cube, that would be great to check out too. some guy is offering me 2 very clean 94 sentra SE-R's so I might take one. Do the automatics or manuals get better gas mileage? He has both.

manual cars will almost always (with the exception of some of the CVT cars from audi) get better fuel economy. The reason is the gearing in the manual vs automatic.

As far as the SE-R goes, they are a good car, but know more for their power than economy. Its a good car if you want a balance of power with MPG. A manual could be good for high 20's (maby 28-30) as far as mileage. I dont know about all of them but the Red SE-Rs tend to have a problem with the paint going dull after a few years (the red color is a 1 step red....no clear coat) the sun causes it to dull and fade rather quickly.

[ryans]

I heard that was a problem with all those sentra's. cheap paint job from the factory.

[VDMTom]

The new Honda Fit looks interesting.. maybe you should check those out.

Everyone I know that owns a Honda say that are great for a daily. So I bet the Fit won't disappoint. "Hondas are own to run forever." lol