It is about time to start looking for a newer car, my '00 Jetta is getting long in the tooth with 185k miles on the clock. My requirements are fairly straight forward: 30+ MPG, be able to hold 4 adults comfortably, under $15k, under 50k miles, under warranty for 2 to 3 years.

My list is pretty short right now.

The Chevy Impala is the front runner and easily meets all the requirements.

I've also checked out the '08-'09 Ford Escape Hybrid with the CVT transmission. I really like the idea of having an SUV since we go camping a lot. Problem is, Ford has a short warranty that pretty much guarantees any 2 or 3 year old car is OOW.

The VW Passat comes close as well. But only gets 28-29mpg depending on the model. Also is a bit over $15k for one with a warranty.

Any other cars I should look at?

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C(-)ris

How about a used Honda Element? I'm not sure what the MPG is on them, and they stopped production with the '11 model.

I always thought they were neat.

[en.wikipedia.org]

Jeff

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Nissan Altima? My little brother totaled one last year in a dangerous accident which was totally his fault and from which he emerged without a scratch. He bought an identical one the next day and didn't think of looking at another car. Better than 30mpg, which I found amazing. But it isn't an SUV.

I was in a POV Escape last week in Seattle. Seemed like a decent vehicle and the owner, an outdoorsy type in that she likes to camp with her husband and one-year-old, was thrilled with it for that purpose and for commuting. It reminded me that I've ridden in a couple of NYC Ford Escape taxi cabs. They aren't bad cabs at all, and the drivers love them. I had no idea they get 30mpg.

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tenders

I was in a POV Escape last week in Seattle. Seemed like a decent vehicle and the owner, an outdoorsy type in that she likes to camp with her husband and one-year-old, was thrilled with it for that purpose and for commuting. It reminded me that I've ridden in a couple of NYC Ford Escape taxi cabs. They aren't bad cabs at all, and the drivers love them. I had no idea they get 30mpg.

Only the Hybrid model gets 30mpg. The rest of them are much lower.

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C(-)ris

SUV and 30+ mpg will be tough to have in the same package, unless you go the hybrid route - which in all likelihood would conflict with the $15K requirement -

So - I think you're going to do some tradeoff analysis on your requirements...

My friend with the Impala seems to like his quite a bit. The build quality seems pretty good. He's got the 4 banger.

From what I've seen, the EPA estimates on VW's and Audi's are usually low. My Audi gets 21 on the highway, and it's rated at 19.

My GTI (2.0T) is rated at 22/29. However, many get 34+ on the highway. On my last tank which was mostly city - 15 miles each way, averaging ~40 minutes each way - a dozen or more stop lights - I got 28. The lowest I've got was 25ish (that was before I figured out how low of RPM range I could actually drive it.) 6mt.

Keep in mind when the light is green I give gas, and my driving is occasionally spirited. That said, if I'm stuck behind someone it's not uncommon for me to be in 6th doing 35mph (<rant>in a 45</rant>

For my commuter, knowing how much future repairs would cost mattered more than a warranty. That's a big reason why I went with a manual transmission.

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Do you have any interest in a Kia Soul? New ones get about 35 MPG (highway). It's no SUV, but they're cute, inexpensive, and the hatchback is convenient.

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Le poète doit vivre beaucoup, vivre dans tous les sens. - Verlaine

MPG on most vehicles really sucks these days.

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[www.giyf.com]

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M A V I C
For my commuter, knowing how much future repairs would cost mattered more than a warranty. That's a big reason why I went with a manual transmission.

I had a Jetta with a stick for about 2 months before it was totaled by a drunk driver. I could never get good MPG out of it in traffic. I actually get better with the auto that I have now, same motor in both cars. I just don't think I am any good at driving them in stop and go.

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C(-)ris

Quote
C(-)ris

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M A V I C
For my commuter, knowing how much future repairs would cost mattered more than a warranty. That's a big reason why I went with a manual transmission.

I had a Jetta with a stick for about 2 months before it was totaled by a drunk driver. I could never get good MPG out of it in traffic. I actually get better with the auto that I have now, same motor in both cars. I just don't think I am any good at driving them in stop and go.

Is there such a thing as an Impala with a stick?

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MR/F Guestmap: [www.mapservices.org]

I have no experience with these, but:

[www.edmunds.com]

Or sacrifice some mpg for room:

[www.edmunds.com]

Sonatas are really nice.

Impala I drove for 2 weeks 6 months ago as a rental (20,000 miles on it) was clunnnnky. I was fairly unimpressed, especially after all the hype that was given to it.

SUVs that get that mileage are smaller -- CRV might be the biggest -- and it probably gets 28-30.

a few thousand more might get you into something better IMHO.

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The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs [www.fakesteve.net]

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Black

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C(-)ris

Quote
M A V I C
For my commuter, knowing how much future repairs would cost mattered more than a warranty. That's a big reason why I went with a manual transmission.

I had a Jetta with a stick for about 2 months before it was totaled by a drunk driver. I could never get good MPG out of it in traffic. I actually get better with the auto that I have now, same motor in both cars. I just don't think I am any good at driving them in stop and go.

Is there such a thing as an Impala with a stick?

Nope. All autos. The Escape can be a stick though.

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C(-)ris

Nice 2004 Passat TDI wagon that meets most of your wants except warranty. If I were buying this one would be in my garage right now. I have the exact same car (only differs in color) bought at the same mileage about two years ago for $15k. It's just minutes from you.

[www.autotrader.com]

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Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2012 04:40AM by Speedy.

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C(-)ris
It is about time to start looking for a newer car, my '00 Jetta is getting long in the tooth with 185k miles on the clock. My requirements are fairly straight forward: 30+ MPG, be able to hold 4 adults comfortably, under $15k, under 50k miles, under warranty for 2 to 3 years.


I've also checked out the '08-'09 Ford Escape Hybrid with the CVT transmission. I really like the idea of having an SUV since we go camping a lot. Problem is, Ford has a short warranty that pretty much guarantees any 2 or 3 year old car is OOW.

Any other cars I should look at?

We have 2 Ford Escapes, both 2009, 4 cyl 2wd auto AC. Both get 31 on the hwy and about 28 in suburban driving. Both have had no warranty problems. Both tend to weep at the hatch window during the heaviest rains. Ford has had no real success with any fixes (per my service adviser at the dealership, although he will deny that if challenged). This is not a deal-breaker for me, as the amount of water involved is miniscule. More water comes inside when you open the door to get in or out in the rain.

The exhaust sound is more than I want. All vehicles should have quiet exhaust, but Ford thinks you need to hear the Escape work. You also hear but do not feel a lot of imperfections in the road.

Very comfortable for me on trips. I'm 6-4, 200#, 72 years old with a few aches and pains.

I'd buy another Escape in a heart-beat. I have to work to get 29 mpg around suburbia and 34 mpg on trips, but I have done it just because I could (both vehicles perform the same). The 4 cyl is plenty peppy. You need to get use to the constant shifting of the 6 speed auto trans.

Hope this helps.

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Mr. Curmudgeon, on Mountain Lion.

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modelamac
The exhaust sound is more than I want. All vehicles should have quiet exhaust, but Ford thinks you need to hear the Escape work.

Seems the auto mags love to hear a noisy exhaust. Might be fine for them but not for those who buy the car to keep. Or when they drive by your home. But if you're 16...

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Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.

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kj4btkljv
How about a used Honda Element? I'm not sure what the MPG is on them, and they stopped production with the '11 model.

I always thought they were neat.

[en.wikipedia.org]

Jeff

I have a 2008 Element and we love it. It is quite spacious inside for hauling stuff and it is the perfect car for camping or for spending a day at the beach. It is also easy to clean. I hope we can have this car for another 300,000 miles. The one drawback to the car, however, is that it gets lousy gas mileage. I usually average 20 mpg.

If you're looking for a used car that gets decent mileage, I'd look at at Ford Fusion.

You first need to decide the kind of vehicle you really want. Jetta, Impala, Escape, Passat ........... all very different. I recently went through this and concluded I really wanted to sit up higher. That means cars are out, SUVs and Vans are in. Even though we don't really need minivans any more, I've always liked them, and I bought a Town and Country once again. Very happy with it.

The best deals are on rental fleet vehicles: Impala, Taurus, Caravan, etc. You can get a 1or 2 year old vehicle with less that 30K on it for 1/3rd or half off the new price.

most of the Escapes i see listed rate 19 city/23 hwy MPG.

EDIT: i see now that's for gas models, not hybrid.

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[www.giyf.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2012 01:03PM by decay.

Buck,

Very true. Many of the cars mentioned are in distinctly different classes. Some are compact cars. Some are SUVs. Some are in-between a compact and mid-size. I didn't see any subcompacts mentioned, i.e. Nissan Versa, Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris. Some of these subcompacts are surprisingly spacious inside. Four adults can sit comfortably in my wife's '07 Yaris.

FWIW, most compact SUVs are going to be out of the running entirely. They aren't going to give you the gas mileage you listed in your initial post. You'll have to go for a hybrid model and they're going to be out of your budget. Even the Mazda 5 microvan isn't going to do it.

Three of the only ones that might do it withotu being a hybrid is a Jeep Patriot/Jeep Compass (same vehicle, different packaging) or the brand-new Mazda CX-5. The Jeep Patriot/Jeep Compass are 4 bangers with a CVT transmission. I hear they are terrible vehicles. The Mazda CX-5 is garnering rave reviews but it's a brand-new model and will be out of your price range.

Which brings me to a question about gas mileage. Are you talking 30+ mpg under local, mixed or highway conditions. If for local driving only, you should be looking at a hybrid or a subcompact like the Yaris. I know the Yaris can do 29 mpgs under real world local driving conditions.

If you're talking mixed driving, you can move up to a compact like a Mazda 3 or similar vehicle. You should be able to get 30+ in mixed driving. If highway only, all bets are off since many vehicles can hit the 30+ mark under highway driving conditions.

Robert



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2012 12:26PM by Robert M.

no warranty, but this one in my area looks nice

[philadelphia.craigslist.org]

If you're really looking for good mileage then you should include VW turbodiesels (Passat, Jetta, including wagons) in your search since they will get better gas mileage and give you better performance than any of the japanese/korean/american econoboxes. A new one does cost about $1000 to $1500 more than the equivalent gas engine car, though you might be able to pick up a used one that's in your price range.

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"So be proud to be a decent American instead of just a w'anker whipping up fear!" - Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland

My requirement is that it hold 4 adults comfortably. I should have expanded on that and say for a 20 hour road trip with luggage. All the Sub compacts are out. If it is a car it needs to be full size, if it is an SUV it needs to be Escape sized or bigger. The smaller vehicles aren't going to work for me.

The Passat is far to expensive to get one with a warranty. I know from experience that VWs are expensive to repair and very complex and difficult to diagnose. I've had three. 2 Jetta's and a Passat from hell. There is no way I would buy one without a warranty, so they are out from the cost perspective.

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C(-)ris

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Marc Anthony
Do you have any interest in a Kia Soul? New ones get about 35 MPG (highway). It's no SUV, but they're cute, inexpensive, and the hatchback is convenient.

the plastic they use for the interiors was, and probably still is, very soft. Easy to scar and scuff up. A friend's got trashed in just over a year from the young kids. Otherwise, a decent ride for his wife and kids.

Honda Civic - nearly 40mpgs, good quality, holds four adults...somewhat comfortably

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sunfalcon
Honda Civic - nearly 40mpgs, good quality, holds four adults...somewhat comfortably

I was going to suggest the same thing. There should be a good selection of low mileage civics around - Honda overbuilt / undersold a couple years ago.

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sekker

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sunfalcon
Honda Civic - nearly 40mpgs, good quality, holds four adults...somewhat comfortably

I was going to suggest the same thing. There should be a good selection of low mileage civics around - Honda overbuilt / undersold a couple years ago.

Too small. The Jetta I have now is too small and I've been renting every time I take a trip. The Impala rentals have barely had enough room for everyone's stuff.

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C(-)ris

Toyota Matrix

Our '10 AWD model gets 30 mpg on regular gas, not driven conservatively at all. The non-AWD models do significantly better. They are slightly bigger than the Yaris and Versa but still cheap, roomy and reliable.

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“Live your life, love your life, don’t regret…live, learn and move forward positively.” – CR Johnson
Loving life in Lake Tahoe, CA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2012 10:06PM by Markintosh.

i can't imagine 4 adults + luggage fitting comfortably in a Matrix

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decay
i can't imagine 4 adults + luggage fitting comfortably in a Matrix

We have managed fine...owned 2 in the last 5 years.

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“Live your life, love your life, don’t regret…live, learn and move forward positively.” – CR Johnson
Loving life in Lake Tahoe, CA

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sunfalcon
Honda Civic - nearly 40mpgs, good quality, holds four adults...somewhat comfortably

I gave the Civics a try. Seats are uncomfortable. Not as bad as Subaru front passenger seats, but still uncomfortable. I sat in it and it didn't feel that good even after a few seconds. My GTI seats, on the other hand...

Chris, you said 4 people, not 4 people + a lot of stuff I would have suggested something like a GTI (I'm really liking mine) but 20hrs on that suspension might be a bit tough. Plus you'd probably need a roof box for the stuff... which reminds me, why not get one for the Jetta?

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There isn't enough leg room in the back of the Jetta. I could do a box on top, but that cuts into the MPG.

My wife is trying to convince me that we need a Passat with the TDI Clean Diesel... but I could get 2 Impala's for the same price.

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C(-)ris



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/2012 11:28PM by C(-)ris.