renOnv Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Ok, so I was offered a state job in the next city over, Its a smaller, quieter town town than the one i currently live in, and as a young guy I am not interested in moving there. It would be 30-40 miles each way, which would mean at the very least 300 miles a week (30 miles* 2 ways * 5 days a week). Now I know that many of you guys use the comanche as your daily driver, however if i am driving 300 miles a week MINIMUM just for work I would prefer something with a little better gas mileage and something more... practical i guess (I know I know, nothing is more "practical" than a truck, with the off road/towing/hauling capabilities, but humor me on this, hopefully some of you see my point :peek: ) I just don't want to be putting that kind of stress on my truck, id prefer to keep this truck in good condition for as long as possible 8) . Anyways, I have a few ideas bouncing around my head for a car i can pick up to commute in and also be able to load up some buddies for a night around town or a road trip here and there. Ideally I'd like to get a Datsun 510 8) , the styling is awesome, and id be able to fit a few more people than my commanche holds. An earlier subaru is another option for the reasons listed above as well as the AWD/handleing (down side being my girlfriend drives a legacy and i wouldnt want to seem "cute" with matching cars :yes: . I've also read and heard the praises of an earlier honda (reliable, simple, easy to work on??) Lastly, I have a soft spot for VW's (either an older bug, square back, or fastback. but their lack of power is the biggest draw back. Stretches of the road average 80 mph, and I know a lot of older bugs won't touch that unless i put some after market work into them(but I'm open to ideas if you can give me rough estimates on the prices it would take to make a VeeDub a little quicker. A newer jetta turbo diesel is also a consideration. Anyway, here are my requirements: 1. decent gas milage (At least better than my manche with 31" tires, ive been looking for good diesel models) 2. a car, i don't need an suv... ive got a truck. 3. some style. (my biggest problem with a honda, subaru and most new cars on the market... too common) 4. Most importantly EASY TO WORK ON, I don't want to be paying other people to work on my ride if at all possible. I don't have a problem with getting an older car as i would have the spare change to keep up with maintenance, as long as for the most part is it a reliable ride. In fact I would prefer an older car. I'm just trying hard to avoid buying a new "penny-car" like a honda fit or nissan versa ect. I want something with a little more cool factor to it. Let me know what you guys think of the cars, specifically any experience with driving and working on the 510's or any other ideas you have. I found out about comanches on accident, so i am sure there a lot of choices i haven't though of yet. Remember easy to work on is my mantra if it is an older car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renOnv Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 ...sigh. Why can't they just take a 60's mustang body and make a diesel-hybrid engine to put in it? I mean come on is that so much to ask? :fs1: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasbulliwagen Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 The BMW 2002 would be a good choice. Huge aftermarket following, decent prices for a decent car, and they are available if you know where to look. Sporty, classy, but with good gas milage. You could probably find one built up already with all the sporty goods too. I do love the air cooled VW's though, but I don't think I would choose one for a 60 mile round trip commute. Ive done every mod you can think of to air cooled VW's, but it still doesnt improve reliabilty or gas milage. It would be fine for every once in a while drive, but not every day. If you want a diesel VW that you can still work on, the older Rabbits, Jettas without the turbos would fit the bill, and you could covert one to look like the GTI, GLI models with the body kits and wheels, and still get close to 50 MPG. Theres a company ouside of Detroit, MI that carries every water cooled VW part you could ever think of for really good prices...new and used. Hope this helps you with your decision! :cheers: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtdesigns Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Thats a no brainer.. Honda.. There easy to work on, get great gas mileage, and are dependable machines. As for the to common aspect... Well its not Honda's fault if ever other auto manufacture copied their design hues.. Another good lil car for DD'in is a Toyota Corolla. I had one at one time and it got the best mileage of any car I've ever had. It was a 91 and had a twin brother called the Geo Prism... Might not be 'your' choice,,, but if I ever needed a DD like what your needing, then that would be one of my first choices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahooSteeler Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 For once, LOL, I agree with JT. Hondas are just hard to beat on overall value. But I also agree with the post about the Jetta Diesel. You'll pay more to get one, but with the fuel savings and long term life of the engine, you'll get what you're paying for. VW makes a great diesel. Now, not knowing your mechanical abilities, I doubt it's something easy for the average driveway mechanic to do repairs on. But, since you mentioned wanting a little cool factor to it, the reason I agreed with the other post is you can put some nice 17s on it, make a trunk lip spoiler etc. and look pretty good IMO. Another car that may fit the bill IMO and looks good with a simple wheel/tire upgrade is the 4cyl Altima. Nice wedge-like shape and good MPG, pretty reliable. Just my nickels worth, I always give more than 2 cents. :brows: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJA814 Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 When I'm finally ready to get rid of the Yukon, I'll be looking for a LS2 GTO. :clapping: Ok, so that didn't help. As other have said, Honda, Toyota, jettas, etc. are great choices. One thing to keep in mind is that if you're looking for a car that will be easy and cheap to maintain, pick a popular model. For instance, you could build an entire mid 90's honda accord from Autozone parts alone. Because they're such a popular car, most places will have common items in stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSimon Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I know you said you want to keep your MJ nice .... which is great. But, if they are easy miles to and from work - it won't hurt your truck at all .... in fact, it might be good for it. And, once you factor in the cost of the DD car, insurance, registration, yearly inspection, and general maintanence ..... it might actually be cheaper to drive the truck. But, if you really want a DD car, you just can't beat an older Civic or Corolla (Prism). Or, what about a motorcycle. You can get a cheap 250 that gets 75 mpg for $1,500. If you just have to have something with some "cool factor", look at the Civic Si. They are fast little buggers, and a LOT of fun to drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasbulliwagen Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 The man mentions liking the Datsun 510, I think he is looking for something a little more original than a freakin honda. Yeah the hondas and toys are reliable, but wheres the style? Ill give you a quote from my favorite Automotive journalist Peter Egan... "Art and technical perfection are not the same thing in cars, and hard-core car buffs often prefer art...Which is why they own so many tools!" If he has the opportunity to buy something different, with style and a hint of reliability, I say go for it! There are just too many cool examples out there for him to buy a stupid honda! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtdesigns Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 The man mentions liking the Datsun 510, I think he is looking for something a little more original than a freakin honda. Yeah the hondas and toys are reliable, but wheres the style? Ill give you a quote from my favorite Automotive journalist Peter Egan... "Art and technical perfection are not the same thing in cars, and hard-core car buffs often prefer art...Which is why they own so many tools!" If he has the opportunity to buy something different, with style and a hint of reliability, I say go for it! There are just too many cool examples out there for him to buy a stupid honda! Honda's arent stupid Mr. Personification.. Just some of the drivers... Well alot of the drivers that rice it up, and scoot down the road hurting your ears, not passing by fast, but you'd think they were by the tones in their arrestors.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renOnv Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 I am in no way trying to discredit hondas achievments, I know they made a reliable hard working car that will be rambling our roads for years to come. I don't think anyone is crazy enough to say that hondas (and corollas, ect) are not good cars. The thing is, I am trying to explore other options. I chose a comanche over a ranger, and likewise i'd like a car with a little more character. Let me rephrase the question like this: What older (pre 90's) cars would make good daily drivers? (I went with pre 90's because there are some mid to late 80's cars that i consider "classic" like the e30s, scouts, ect.) PS. When I think of a honda I'd be proud to drive, this comes to mind: Keeping this in mind, whats something with a bit of style that could make a good daily driver for an intial investment of under $10K? To include purchase, initial maintance, and new parts/upgrades to get her running right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renOnv Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 ah yes, i thought i woud mention, lest ye all lose faith in me, that I have not ruled out an xj, or 2wd mj. I mean, come on now. Like i mentioned above, at this point I'm just gathering information and weighing my options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvusse Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 80s/early 90s VW Jetta TDI comes to mind. 55mpg, not too common in the States. Only draw back is a top speed of only 70-75mph. how opposed are you to an 80s Mercedes Benz 300TD? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfreeman616 Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Another car that may fit the bill IMO and looks good with a simple wheel/tire upgrade is the 4cyl Altima. Nice wedge-like shape and good MPG, pretty reliable. Just my nickels worth, I always give more than 2 cents. :brows: I gotta say, :agree: with the Altima, except that it doesn't fit your pre-90's qualification. My DD/family car is a 94 Altima and I had a 98 before that. They're also not overly common, but still have a lot of options for tweaking. A good XJ or MJ 4cyl/2wd/manual would get close to 30mpg highway... My father in law has an 83? Mercedes Benz 300TD. In stock form, not the fastest thing on the road but it's unique, and good fuel economy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfreeman616 Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 80s/early 90s VW Jetta TDI comes to mind. 55mpg, not too common in the States. Only draw back is a top speed of only 70-75mph. how opposed are you to an 80s Mercedes Benz 300TD? hey now! how'd you read my mind while i was typing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvusse Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 80s/early 90s VW Jetta TDI comes to mind. 55mpg, not too common in the States. Only draw back is a top speed of only 70-75mph. how opposed are you to an 80s Mercedes Benz 300TD? hey now! how'd you read my mind while i was typing? Great minds think alike? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onebigmj Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I had a 94saab 900s as a dd before I bought my colorodo. It wasn't common (in my town at least), was great on gas, comfortable, roomy in both the front and back seats, quiet inside, good looking (in my opinion) and ran well for a NA 2.3. here's a pic of mine, original paint too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfreeman616 Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 oh yea, there's also volvo's. the turbo's have some pretty good power, although i wouldn't expect more than 20-something mpg out of one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNT Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 80s/early 90s VW Jetta TDI comes to mind. 55mpg, not too common in the States. Only draw back is a top speed of only 70-75mph. how opposed are you to an 80s Mercedes Benz 300TD? hey now! how'd you read my mind while i was typing? Great minds think alike? I would go with a '92-'95 Honda Prelude Image Not Found Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepcoma Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 Let's see... inexpensive, can fit lots of people, is not a truck, pretty unique, earlier than 1990, decent handling, easy to work on, 4wd, fairly reliable, and different looking? How about an AMC SX/4 or AMC Eagle Wagon? Both seem to fit the bill, I've always wanted an SX/4 but owned an Eagle for years and loved it (the SX/4 is mostly the same, but smaller with a row of seating chopped out). Was actually way more practical than my Comanche for daily use, and did great in the snow. shift-on-the-fly full time 4WD was ground breaking in the 80s when it came out. Powered by the AMC 258 I6, you know then if the car ever gets wrecked you've got an excuse to do a stroker on the 4.0. These vehicles have the same "can do anything, go anywhere" feel to them. SX/4 Eagle wagon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james750 Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 That SX/4 is NICE. I would love to have one. AMC, style, and the 258 all make it a great car. Anyone know of a cheap one in the Denver area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddzz1 Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 How about a 280Z. Maybe not that great on the gas, but its a nissan and I like them. The fact that I like them is a big plus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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