Are there any simple cars left?

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By simple, I mean something that is basic, rugged, cheap, and good quality. In the past there were cars like VW bugs, the Dodge Dart, the Volvo 240, or the old Honda Civics. I'm thinking manual everything, no AC, just an AM/FM radio, no Synch or Onstar, no oil management system, low-stressed low HP engine, no leather, and something you can find parts for at WalMart and fix yourself in the driveway most of the time. Is there such a thing still being sold in the U.S.?
 
A basic work truck? I went basic when I bought my car, a Chevy Cobalt. Manual trans, manual windows, no leather, no options. It's been very reliable.
 
my friend that I carpool with has a saturn ION, real basic. roll up windows. only 'features' are A/C and um, that's about it. the ECOTEC engine is real simple and easy to work on also.
my saturn VUE was real simple also, no traction control, no ABS, just pwr windows/locks and A/C.
 
My 2005 Corolla has windup windows, AM/FM single disk, A/C and power door locks.

No ABS, curtains or traction control.

155k and the only thing I've done to date is;

Oil changes with filter

Spark plugs (did not need but did it just a while ago)

Coolant (last month)

Transmission (2 qts almost 100k ago)

1 set of tires (30k ago)

Air filters when it needs it.

Everything else is still factory.

VERY EASY to work on! (if you need to)

Since I got the new tires, my MPG has dropped a MPG or two depending on the speed. But my overall average is above 42MPG.

Take care and Happy Thanksgiving!
 
I think because of all the safety requirements now, you cannot escape having more and more electronics in the car.

If you want basic, you will need to go outside the US:
You can have a Tata car in India or a Trabant in Eastern Europe which are quite basic (maybe too much?).
 
There are still plenty of "simple" cars, you just have to look at compacts and subcompacts, as mid size cars come with more electronic gizmos standard these days.

So you can have bare bones Yaris, Corolla, Fit, Civic, Versa, Sentra, Cobalt, Elantra, Swift, Wave, probably Caliber, Mazda 3, plenty of choices but in a small car segment.
 
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I think the base Nissan Versa is pretty much simple. For under 10 grand you get a sedan that seats 4 adults with enough room, a fuel efficent 4 cyl engine, 5 speed manual, NO AC, NO radio head unit however you still get wired up speakers to put in an aftermarket head unit if you so desire. I would say thats the closest to what your looking for.
 
Originally Posted By: AuthorEditor
By simple, I mean something that is basic, rugged, cheap, and good quality. In the past there were cars like VW bugs, the Dodge Dart, the Volvo 240, or the old Honda Civics. I'm thinking manual everything, no AC, just an AM/FM radio, no Synch or Onstar, no oil management system, low-stressed low HP engine, no leather, and something you can find parts for at WalMart and fix yourself in the driveway most of the time. Is there such a thing still being sold in the U.S.?

No, sadly...
 
It doesn't matter how "bare bones" a car is nowadays, it still has the annoying evaporative emission controls that set off the majority of check engine lights. I drive nearly 40K miles a year for work and would seriously consider a 76 Nova or similar that is easy to keep in running shape. No big deal with that engine, if a fan or accessory belt breaks, it's easy and quick to repair right along the road.
 
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Originally Posted By: AuthorEditor
By simple, I mean something that is basic, rugged, cheap, and good quality. In the past there were cars like VW bugs, the Dodge Dart, the Volvo 240, or the old Honda Civics. I'm thinking manual everything, no AC, just an AM/FM radio, no Synch or Onstar, no oil management system, low-stressed low HP engine, no leather, and something you can find parts for at WalMart and fix yourself in the driveway most of the time. Is there such a thing still being sold in the U.S.?


A Ford, Chevy, or Dodge fleet-type work truck comes pretty close, although its still saddled with all the alleged "safety" [censored] like airbags and pyrotechnic auto-tightening seat belts. And its almost impossible to find a car without A/C since its cheaper to just build them all the same. A low-end Jeep Wrangler comes close too- bulletproof 3.8 v6 and NV3550.
 
I agree with KrisZ. Today's simple cars are relegated to subcompacts and trucks. This is a pet peeve of mine. You can't buy a simple car anymore. After a/c, sound system, auto, ps, and pb, what more does a person really need in the way of creature comforts?
 
Not currently...

The reason I like Saturn so much is I feel they're like what you want.

Find a 00-02 Saturn SL. No power steering, no power anything, not even a right hand side mirror, and easy as pie to fix. That's why I love my old Sattys.
 
Saturn SL series.

The only thing power on my car is steering. Everything else is manual. Manual trans, manual crank windows, manual locks etc. The only options I have is ABS, A/C and a single disk player.

People think my car is from the early 90's with no power anything and a manual trans. They are shocked when I tell them it is a 2001.
 
Originally Posted By: stang5
how about a base 2wd small truck with manual tranny, doesn't get any simple than that.


+1

I was surprised to see that Chevy actually had a Colorado on the floor of this year's Chicago Auto show with a 5 speed manual. Vinyl or cloth seats, rubber floors, manual windows & locks, solid axles, fuel injection: sounds pretty good to me.

Ford had an f-series with a manual transfer case but I don't remember them having any manual trannys.
 
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