Looking for a $1000-$2000 commuter car
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Originally Posted By: CROWNVIC4LIFE
My friend has 2 Honda Accords...Both needed new transmissions,one needed a new engine and both needed major a/c work plus other front end work....One was a 00 the other 02....They will not make 200K miles without a swiss bank account...They traded both of them in for Fords...Now they have nothing to complain about.
I would say you would call the Honda Accords 2 piles of junk.
A fellow courier has a Honda Accord and just replaced the transmission at 200k. Im not sure about, but he says he is good at maintenance, so I don't know if he changed the fluid regularly or not.
My Saturn was given to me at 117k and now has 137k. Nothing big has been done, but good brake rotors are hard to come by. 41mpg on a 60 degree day with only 1-2 cold starts, 95% highway. Also, the DOHC rips pretty good from 4k-6k rpm.
As far as parts for these cars, they made them for over 10yrs and alot of parts are interchangable. So the company going broke isnt too big a deal.
For your list, I'd go with a Ford Escort. I like the 4dr model before they come out with teh ZX2. A 91-96 model got 38mpg with only 2300lbs to pull around. Never owned one though.
EDIT: WOW man, you wait until your thread has 7 pages then totally wreck it. Saying 80% of your commute is highway, now its down to 8 miles. "I want a econobox" then..... to "I like Suburbans" now. You're quite confusing.
Is 8 miles enough time for heat or AC to actually do you any good. I mean, its 5-10 just to warm up a cold car and 100 degree Texan summers I don't think the AC could ever catch up.
My friend has 2 Honda Accords...Both needed new transmissions,one needed a new engine and both needed major a/c work plus other front end work....One was a 00 the other 02....They will not make 200K miles without a swiss bank account...They traded both of them in for Fords...Now they have nothing to complain about.
I would say you would call the Honda Accords 2 piles of junk.
A fellow courier has a Honda Accord and just replaced the transmission at 200k. Im not sure about, but he says he is good at maintenance, so I don't know if he changed the fluid regularly or not.
My Saturn was given to me at 117k and now has 137k. Nothing big has been done, but good brake rotors are hard to come by. 41mpg on a 60 degree day with only 1-2 cold starts, 95% highway. Also, the DOHC rips pretty good from 4k-6k rpm.
As far as parts for these cars, they made them for over 10yrs and alot of parts are interchangable. So the company going broke isnt too big a deal.
For your list, I'd go with a Ford Escort. I like the 4dr model before they come out with teh ZX2. A 91-96 model got 38mpg with only 2300lbs to pull around. Never owned one though.
EDIT: WOW man, you wait until your thread has 7 pages then totally wreck it. Saying 80% of your commute is highway, now its down to 8 miles. "I want a econobox" then..... to "I like Suburbans" now. You're quite confusing.
Is 8 miles enough time for heat or AC to actually do you any good. I mean, its 5-10 just to warm up a cold car and 100 degree Texan summers I don't think the AC could ever catch up.
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Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: saaber1
I had one 96 SL2 engine failure at 76k miles due to oil starvation. I have had around 15 of the SL1's and never had problems really even over 200k miles so I think sl1 is more reliable but that is based on the 20 total samples I have owned only.
The engine has never given me any serious problems. The rest of the car though, is an entirely different story. Here are the things that have failed:
Alternator
Starter
PCV Breather Hose
Radiator
Radiator Cap
Thermostat
Valve Cover Gasket Kit
Upper Motor Mount
Trunk Wiring Harness
Serpentine Belt Tensioner
Front Strut Mounts
Sway Bar End Links
Engine Coolant Temp Sensor
Pre-Cat Oxygen Sensor
Heater Core
Transmission Top Cover Gasket
With 140k on the clock, now I am due for a master cylinder, two lower control arms, possibly a rack and pinion, another upper motor mount, lower transmission mount and a new cruise control unit.
I've done probably more than that in the 6 months I've owned my 96 SL2. (not same repairs but different ones too)
my SL1 on the other hand was more or less flawless with a few repairs just due to old age/wear. My friend still drives the car. I love my SL2, and the powertrain has been reliable, but the electronics/creature comfort features leave a lot to be desired.
That being said, the car never fails to get me from A to B.
For that, Saturns are great.
Originally Posted By: saaber1
I had one 96 SL2 engine failure at 76k miles due to oil starvation. I have had around 15 of the SL1's and never had problems really even over 200k miles so I think sl1 is more reliable but that is based on the 20 total samples I have owned only.
The engine has never given me any serious problems. The rest of the car though, is an entirely different story. Here are the things that have failed:
Alternator
Starter
PCV Breather Hose
Radiator
Radiator Cap
Thermostat
Valve Cover Gasket Kit
Upper Motor Mount
Trunk Wiring Harness
Serpentine Belt Tensioner
Front Strut Mounts
Sway Bar End Links
Engine Coolant Temp Sensor
Pre-Cat Oxygen Sensor
Heater Core
Transmission Top Cover Gasket
With 140k on the clock, now I am due for a master cylinder, two lower control arms, possibly a rack and pinion, another upper motor mount, lower transmission mount and a new cruise control unit.
I've done probably more than that in the 6 months I've owned my 96 SL2. (not same repairs but different ones too)
my SL1 on the other hand was more or less flawless with a few repairs just due to old age/wear. My friend still drives the car. I love my SL2, and the powertrain has been reliable, but the electronics/creature comfort features leave a lot to be desired.
That being said, the car never fails to get me from A to B.
For that, Saturns are great.
In law has a 93 Escort, the car seems to fall apart but the fuel economy is great and the drive train is still working fine.
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