Looking for a super economical car, accent ?

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Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
Originally Posted By: sirgerman
The car I want is another Saturn SL but sadly the company is gone,
here is the accent



So go to autotrader on the internet and enter Saturn S series under 60K miles and see what comes up.


Right, why shouldn't the OP stick with the penalty box he's used to.
I note that he's said nothing about his age.
Twenty years ago, I had no problems commuting in an '86 Civic including a number of two hundred mile days.
Today, I doubt that I be quite as happy with it.
I commuted in a rental SL2 for a while years ago while one of our cars was undergoing collision repair, which only took six weeks because the at-fault driver's insurer was intent upon trying to cheap out everything while our body shop wasn't going to play that game. Guess they forgot about the cost of the rental we were making them pay for.
Anyway, the Saturn was very much a penalty box with awful seats and a poor driving position. It made any of our three old Civics seem luxurious. The twin cam was strong, though and fuel economy averaged around 34 mpg, so the car did have its points.
Still not a car I'd want to drive a hundred miles each and every work day.
 
I have a 2012 Impala with the DI V6 and it will get 32-34 mpg on the highway. It's ugly and dated but is cheap, has 300 hp and gets over 30mpg. Much nicer highway car than a subcompact too.
 
I get 35-38 mpg in my yaris depending on the season

Sure it's noisy and not the most comfortable car, but it's reliable and since I upgraded the stereo/speakers i dont even hear the noise.
 
2015 VW diesel with 2 liter engine.
There are 400,000 or so VW dealers have agreed to buy back, plus dealers still possess thousands of unsold vehicles from the 2015 model year.

Once the June deal is ratified the metal is going to start moving. There has to be a deal in there somewhere.
 
I commute 100-140 miles a day & have a Yaris automatic & Echo manual. Great MPG & very little maint work with 350,000 miles combined on the 2 cars.
 
The think the OP needs to define his "money stretch" involving this vehicle and if the potential is there to buy new or not. I get the idea that this $4500 mentioned is closer to what's there to spend versus putting down for a "cheap" new car at $18,000.

It seems people on here tend to pontificate about "going up a class' etc. when they don't have much interest in, experience with, or knowledge of, subcompacts...especially newer ones. I think it's really up to the driver to decide what comfort level he's getting out of the vehicle and if that works for them.

I can tell you that my compact Mazda 3 caused me to worry about my dental work while my subcompact Accent commuter is significantly more comfortable both in the seats and the ride quality. I generally don't like to make blanket statements about "subcompact vs. compact" or "going up a class" due to examples like that. The compact ( or possibly even larger vehicle ) isn't always more comfortable...and may not offer much more usable space. I think that's especially true with the newer generation of subcompacts that are often classified as compacts in their interior volume. For some, a relatively large interior with a small exterior and a 21 cu. ft. trunk with back seats UP is an ideal car.
 
Originally Posted By: spackard
2015 VW diesel with 2 liter engine.
There are 400,000 or so VW dealers have agreed to buy back, plus dealers still possess thousands of unsold vehicles from the 2015 model year.

Once the June deal is ratified the metal is going to start moving. There has to be a deal in there somewhere.


Yeah, but the deal will be for those in developing countries these non-complying cars will be exported to.
 
I have a small budget around $5000 also I want to save money on gas too, the 60000 miles Saturn are long gone, for me it was the perfect car, my wife and I we had 2, they are getting too old.
 
$5,000 can buy you a nice Camry. I got mine for $2,100 1 year ago with 194k miles. I do 70 miles a day in it. With that much extra money you could find a granny driven one.

Also look for a Toyota Avalon or Lexus ES300. They're in your budget and even with the V6 they're good on gas on the highway. My brother had an awfully beat up 1996 Lexus ES300 that he followed me in from Montana to Phoenix at 80 mph. I was in my 1997 Camry 2.2L, he got 28 mpg, I got 33.
 
I had a corolla ECO, with CVT unfortunately, that easily topped 50 on the highway. Never had a tank that returned less than 45. Other corolla models will deliver a bit less. Driving position didn't fit me well, but likely fine for most people, reliable and not expensive new.
 
The great thing about driving an old Saturn SL1 for 100mi/day commute is pretty much anything newer is going to feel like a Cadillac. A new Mitsubishi Mirage or Chevy Spark would be more comfortable IMO.
 
Originally Posted By: sirgerman
Originally Posted By: SHOZ
I have a 2008 Accent with manual. If you don't drive 70 mph you can get over 40 mpg with the car, Very reliable. Have only had to just start replacing parts on mine with wheel bearings and struts. The automatics suck gas. The upper option models have the usual electronic problems.

If I could fine a new one like it I would buy it today.


how you like it so far and what about the timing belt ?
Like i said I would buy another if I could find a low mile one. Very comfortable seats and positions and I'm a big guy at 275 lbs.

The timing belt needs changed every 60k miles. I usually change the tensioner and idler pulley too. But have never changed the water pump. Some kits come with one as all the parts to remove for the belt have to come off to change the pump too. Not hard to do if you have mechanical skills. No special tools needed.

Great in snow especially with some winter tires.
 
Originally Posted By: SHOZ
Originally Posted By: sirgerman
Originally Posted By: SHOZ
I have a 2008 Accent with manual. If you don't drive 70 mph you can get over 40 mpg with the car, Very reliable. Have only had to just start replacing parts on mine with wheel bearings and struts. The automatics suck gas. The upper option models have the usual electronic problems.

If I could fine a new one like it I would buy it today.


how you like it so far and what about the timing belt ?
Like i said I would buy another if I could find a low mile one. Very comfortable seats and positions and I'm a big guy at 275 lbs.

The timing belt needs changed every 60k miles. I usually change the tensioner and idler pulley too. But have never changed the water pump. Some kits come with one as all the parts to remove for the belt have to come off to change the pump too. Not hard to do if you have mechanical skills. No special tools needed.

Great in snow especially with some winter tires.


do you have to replace the timing belt every 60K ? or can it last longer ?
 
Originally Posted By: sirgerman
Originally Posted By: SHOZ
Originally Posted By: sirgerman
Originally Posted By: SHOZ
I have a 2008 Accent with manual. If you don't drive 70 mph you can get over 40 mpg with the car, Very reliable. Have only had to just start replacing parts on mine with wheel bearings and struts. The automatics suck gas. The upper option models have the usual electronic problems.

If I could fine a new one like it I would buy it today.


how you like it so far and what about the timing belt ?
Like i said I would buy another if I could find a low mile one. Very comfortable seats and positions and I'm a big guy at 275 lbs.

The timing belt needs changed every 60k miles. I usually change the tensioner and idler pulley too. But have never changed the water pump. Some kits come with one as all the parts to remove for the belt have to come off to change the pump too. Not hard to do if you have mechanical skills. No special tools needed.

Great in snow especially with some winter tires.


do you have to replace the timing belt every 60K ? or can it last longer ?
60k is the recommended service miles. They can last longer but if it breaks you are buying a reconditioned head as it is an interference motor. If the belt breaks and the motor is spinning you will bend some valves.
 
Originally Posted By: sirgerman


do you have to replace the timing belt every 60K ? or can it last longer ?

The belt fails bc the water pump, idlers, or tensioner fail. Subaru is the poster child for an argument against belts. In Subaru's case they recommend belt replacement at 105K miles.. Replacing the belt only is ignorant. Subaru people recommend replacing belt, idlers, tensioner and Water pump. That's what I did.

I would think that a belt would go longer than 60K with no problem. In subaru's case the belt drives 4 cams and a water pump and has a very torturous path, If it can go 60K any other belt can probably go longer. That's just a guess though.
 
Ecotec is chain (early ones had the tensioner problem).

Toyota Yaris is chain, all years. Corolla went chain in 1998 (but 1998-2002 are notorious oil burners). Camry went chain in 2002 with the 2.4L I4 (but 2002-2004, perhaps later years, had head bolt problems on the 2.4L). Camry 3.0L V6 is belt too, just for reference (the 2.2L I4 is belt).

Toyota seems to have used chains on interference motors, and belts on non-interference. Won't say that is all of them but at least the common motors.
 
Originally Posted By: sirgerman
I have a small budget around $5000 also I want to save money on gas too, the 60000 miles Saturn are long gone, for me it was the perfect car, my wife and I we had 2, they are getting too old.


I looked on autotarder using a California zip code and under 60K miles and some came up.
 
California is a fairly long state, it takes more than 10 hours to drive from Mexico border to Oregon border, if you don't get stuck on a long parking of I5 or I405 in So Cal.
 
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