Hey guys. I have a budget of about 10 grand to look for a new-ish car for a daily driver. I love my Fiero, but its not really practical for long trips to visit family. I've been poking around online some and so far I'm thinking about a diesel VW Jetta or maybe a 4 cylinder Volvo. However, I'm open to suggestions and I would really like some input as I know there are lots of car guys on this forum that know their stuff.

Here are my list of "must-haves" for this car:

-About 40mpg on the highway, better is always nice
-Must cost less than $10k after taxes
-Must be made in the last decade
-Must be large enough to haul a few friends and guns and junk (No smart car in other words)
-I would prefer an automatic but manual is OK too
-It needs to be easy to work on and a nice aftermarket community would be nice as well

I don't really have a preference for any particular make and I'm not picky about what options it comes with either, I just need a solid, reliable car to trust to run anywhere I want, any time.

So.... suggestions?

Edit: Here is the list of possible candidates as of now. MPG estimates are "Official" from the EPA so I'm sure if I was easy on the throttle that I could do a bit better:

Currently Researching:
-TDI VW Golf/Jetta - 42mpg hwy (manual trans)
-Ford Fiesta - 37mpg hwy
-Toyota Yaris - 35mpg hwy
-honda fit - 35mpg hwy
-honda civic - 34mpg hwy

Meh:
-Toyota Prius - 48mpg hwy (Expensive to fix)
-pontiac vibe/toyota matrix - 33mpg hwy
-scion XD - 33mpg hwy
-nissan versa - 31mpg hwy
Toyota Camry - 31mpg hwy
-Toyota Corolla - 30mpg hwy
-87 Buick Grand National - 23mpg hwy (what I really want )

[This message has been edited by Alibi (edited 05-03-2011).]

Well, the 40 mpg pretty much limits you to a very few cars, and the community part narrows it down to one car: TDI. I would recommend getting a Golf with a manual trans, stay away from the Jetta auto because that trans has a very expensive pattern failure. And for community: http://forums.tdiclub.com/ Check it out.

quote Originally posted by Alibi: Hey guys. I have a budget of about 10 grand to look for a new-ish car for a daily driver. I love my Fiero, but its not really practical for long trips to visit family. I've been poking around online some and so far I'm thinking about a diesel VW Jetta or maybe a 4 cylinder Volvo. However, I'm open to suggestions and I would really like some input as I know there are lots of car guys on this forum that know their stuff. Here are my list of "must-haves" for this car: -At least 40mpg on the highway, better is always nice -Must cost less than $10k after taxes -Must be made in the last decade -Must be large enough to haul a few friends and guns and junk (No smart car in other words) -I would prefer an automatic but manual is OK too -It needs to be easy to work on and a nice aftermarket community would be nice as well I don't really have a preference for any particular make and I'm not picky about what options it comes with either, I just need a solid, reliable car to trust to run anywhere I want, any time. So.... suggestions?

You will get a bargin
VW jetta here is Over $25000

http://www.caradvice.com.au...ta-review-road-test/
http://www.ehow.com/about_5...agon-jetta-cars.html

[This message has been edited by proff (edited 04-28-2011).]

Well, if the Jetta has problems then I don't have a problem looking elsewhere. Are TDI Golf's available in the states and are they generally good cars?

quote Originally posted by Alibi: Well, if the Jetta has problems then I don't have a problem looking elsewhere. Are TDI Golf's available in the states and are they generally good cars?

Any VW TDI engine is good... the automatic transmissions aren't. I'm sure I've seen a Golf TDI on the streets before.

Prizm/Corolla will get the MPG. Vibe/Matrix will probably get you close and have a lot more room. I LOVED my Prizm.

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I been had money.

So if I go VW TDI then I should stick with a manual.

My older brother has a Vibe and he realy likes it. He gets about 34 when he's keeping his foot out of it, but he also has an automatic so its not quite as high as it could be if he had gotten a manual. He wanted a manual but at the time he was looking for a car he couldn't find a good one.

Heres a list of cars I need to go through and do some research on:

honda fit
nissan versa
pontiac vibe/toyota matrix
toyota yaris
honda civic
scion xd

Right now I'm fond of the Fit and the Yaris but the Fit is a bit on the high end of my price range. I need to hit up some dealers and test drive some of these cars to see if I even like sitting in them.

[This message has been edited by Alibi (edited 04-28-2011).]

TDI gets my vote. And yes, manual only. The 01M (if I remember right) auto trans can be an expensive pain, especially if you want to add power. TDIs can be had in Golfs, Jettas/Jetta wagon, Beetles, and Passats. If you want to keep costs down look for an ALH car, those motors ran from 98-03 in the US. The ALH cars are down on power compared to the new ones, but a tune and nozzles will pick up big power for the money. On average, ours gets 52mpg on the highway running about 72 with the a/c on. The best I've managed was 56 completely stock. Mods can improve that even more.

My buddy has a TDI that was given to him about 3 years ago. his wife drives it. its stick it has about 325000 miles on it and they love it. its coming up on a clutch replacement bit other than that it has been great for them. the other thing you could look at is the prius. i know you could get a 1st gen prius for under 10K or the echo.


BTW dont get a yaris.. not only are they the most boring thing's you will ever drive there about as reliable as a turd.

[This message has been edited by pontiackid86 (edited 04-29-2011).]

I would stay away from the Prius. They are a good idea but after the factory warenty is done paying $8-10k for a new battery when it dies seems a bit steep. I have been told by Toyota salesmen to be sure to trade them in before 100,000 miles. Just my 2 cents

A manual transmission Golf TDI would be a good choice, just make sure the VIN starts with W, W = made in Germany. 3 = Mexico, and 9 = Brazil.

Stay away from VW even if you wrench your own cars. Parts are expensive.

I have an 08 Toyota Corolla S 5 spd and the highest I've gotten with mixed driving/some 60 mph areas to work is 38.5 mpg. 37 mpg on back roads, some stops. I believe the automatic is supposed to get the same MPG.

Or the Honda Civic. I don't like the looks of the newer ones at all or I would have gotten one.

quote Originally posted by JazzMan: Well, the 40 mpg pretty much limits you to a very few cars, and the community part narrows it down to one car: TDI. I would recommend getting a Golf with a manual trans, stay away from the Jetta auto because that trans has a very expensive pattern failure. And for community: http://forums.tdiclub.com/ Check it out.

I x2 this. A TDI Jetta or Golf from around 2003+

quote Originally posted by 02greens10: Stay away from VW even if you wrench your own cars. Parts are expensive. I have an 08 Toyota Corolla S 5 spd and the highest I've gotten with mixed driving/some 60 mph areas to work is 38.5 mpg. 37 mpg on back roads, some stops. I believe the automatic is supposed to get the same MPG. Or the Honda Civic. I don't like the looks of the newer ones at all or I would have gotten one.

My 03 Prizm, which weighs a lot less than the new Corolla got 42MPG on road trips many times. Peppy enough. If you are considering a Yaris or Civic, I would definitely say give the Corolla a look too.

quote Originally posted by Small town fool: I would stay away from the Prius. They are a good idea but after the factory warenty is done paying $8-10k for a new battery when it dies seems a bit steep. I have been told by Toyota salesmen to be sure to trade them in before 100,000 miles. Just my 2 cents

Strong misconceptions here. Firstly, only a handful of batteries have failed before the life of the car was completely used up. Secondly, good quality used batteries are commonly available for under $2,000, and I've seen them sell for less than a grand. Toyota has been warrantying every one of the the extremely rare battery failures regardless of miles. Upshot: the so-called battery issue is a complete non-issue, and hasn't been an issue since the first Priuses were sold fourteen years ago.

That being said, because the hybrid concept works best for stop and go commuting gas mileage for highway use is not as good. It does have the advantage of being a gas car if diesel is harder to find in the OP's area.

quote Originally posted by JazzMan: Strong misconceptions here. Firstly, only a handful of batteries have failed before the life of the car was completely used up. Secondly, good quality used batteries are commonly available for under $2,000, and I've seen them sell for less than a grand. Toyota has been warrantying every one of the the extremely rare battery failures regardless of miles. Upshot: the so-called battery issue is a complete non-issue, and hasn't been an issue since the first Priuses were sold fourteen years ago. That being said, because the hybrid concept works best for stop and go commuting gas mileage for highway use is not as good. It does have the advantage of being a gas car if diesel is harder to find in the OP's area.

I can't wait for LiPoly cells to become more mainstream; being able to take all the airgaps in a vehicle's frame and turn them into battery compartments would be nice (LiPo is much more malleable and can be formed to fit a space, i.e. newer MacBook Pro computers from Apple)

I have a Golf 2.5 with 6spd auto, it gets low 30's. I bought the car just before the TDI came out (doh!). I had heard (this is hearsay, to be clear) that there were a few issues with diesel particulate filter failures leading to particulate contamination engine wide requiring engine replacement. I've found no proof, but it bears mentioning. For what it's worth, these were late model TDI's experiencing the aforementioned issue. My buddy has a TDI Jetta Sportwagen and has had no issues..

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[This message has been edited by 02greens10 (edited 04-29-2011).]

Diesel isn't too bad to find around here, there are lots of farm trucks and semi's that pass through that use it.

I'll consider a Prius as well then. I think I'm going to edit my original post and add the list of cars I need to look at. I'll be finishing up school for the semester next week so I think I'll go into Joplin and hit up all the dealers and see about taking some test drives.

A TDI Golf w/ manual trans is currently in the lead though

Good luck. I've wanted to get a TDI Golf for the wife but most of them around here have been beat on or the owners thing they hold something that is gold plated.

Jah, that's the problem with good cars, they hold their value really well and don't come up for sale very often.

Staty away from VW and the Prius. anything breaks and its real expensive to fix. Prius= only fixed by Toyota=EXPENSIVE

I would also look at the Nissan Sentra Same catagory at Civic and Corolla. Sporty and a huge after market. But not as expensive as Civic or Corolla.= more for your buck.

I'm not super interested in a Prius but I'll leave it on the list to at least go and check it out. I need to do some research on realiability of the TDI VW cars as I'm hearing a lot of hate it/love it on it and not much in between.

If those don't pan out, then I'm looking into a Yaris, Fit, or a Civic.

Everyone I know with a TDI has had nothing but fantastic experiences with them, except for the Passat with auto, but he's converting that one to manual trans. Hit up BMWGURU on the forum here, he's very familiar with them.

I'm just curious here, but what are some of the "expensive to fix" issues everyone has had? So far maintenance on our 03 TDI bug has included a set of tires, a battery, and regular oil changes. The most "expensive to fix" part of the car was the clutch we put in it, and that was because the stock one wouldn't hold after we tuned it and upgraded nozzles. But when you consider a car that will easily last upwards of 300K miles, the slightly (if at all) higher maintenance costs can be worth it since you won't be making a car payment for a long time.

vw tdi also have an odd maintinec that people dont know a lot about. its easy but you do need to remove and clean the intake at a certain mileage. I cant remember off hand what it is. It is very easy to do. The reason to do it is that they carbon up from the egr system. My dad has a tdi beetle and the motor has needed no extra work at all. We are coming up on the timing belt which is good to make sure its done at its correct intervals. Also when a timing belt is done make sure the tensioner and the water pump get replaced. Water pumps are driven off the timing system. If I was looking into another car i would consider a vw. They have some odd electrical phantoms so research the model and specific year. My fathers beetle has a phantom sunroof that every know and then opens while driving. Its a documented issue on his model year for others as well.

quote Originally posted by Tstang429: vw tdi also have an odd maintinec that people dont know a lot about. its easy but you do need to remove and clean the intake at a certain mileage. I cant remember off hand what it is. It is very easy to do. The reason to do it is that they carbon up from the egr system. They have some odd electrical phantoms so research the model and specific year. My fathers beetle has a phantom sunroof that every know and then opens while driving. Its a documented issue on his model year for others as well.

Tstang, is it an 03 by chance? Also, the intake issue is a good one to bring up. They can get plugged up considerably, but fortunately there are ways around that. Most tuners can work with the egr, and if I remember correctly, a lot of tunes will turn it off completely and eliminate the problem.

quote Originally posted by Alibi: So if I go VW TDI then I should stick with a manual. My older brother has a Vibe and he realy likes it. He gets about 34 when he's keeping his foot out of it, but he also has an automatic so its not quite as high as it could be if he had gotten a manual. He wanted a manual but at the time he was looking for a car he couldn't find a good one. Heres a list of cars I need to go through and do some research on: honda fit nissan versa pontiac vibe/toyota matrix toyota yaris honda civic scion xd Right now I'm fond of the Fit and the Yaris but the Fit is a bit on the high end of my price range. I need to hit up some dealers and test drive some of these cars to see if I even like sitting in them.

Just a word of warning, the fit is terrible in the snow. My mother has one and it gets stuck EVERYWHERE. It doesn't have enough ground clearance or weight to push through anymore than a couple of inches of snow. Any more than that, and the front end lifts off the ground and you just spin the tires.

You also may want to consider a chevy cobalt xfe, they are rated in the high 30s on the highway. I have a 2006 SS without the supercharger and can get mid 33 to 35 mpg on the highway with the 4 spd automatic, but I do use 93 octane fuel, so that helps with my MPG numbers as well.

Good luck on the car search!

I've been hearing a lot of positive things about the Fit in general, but I hadn't heard that it was lousy in snow. On the plus side, we don't get but one or two good snows per year where I am so its not a huge deal but I will keep that in mind for now.

I have a friend with a Cobalt and while it doesn't seem like a bad car, it just feels horribly cheap to me. Dunno, but something about them just doesn't sit right with me.

Stay away from the Nissan Versa!! I saw you had that on your list, cross it out right now. They are awful cars we get them at work all the time with engine and transmission problems. All had really low miles. Nissan's in general are really bad cars for at least the last 10 years. And believe me I know, I get lots of them at work with blown 3.5 motors, and transmission completely shot.

Also I am a 350z owner so I am not a Nissan hater, I just know they don't make good cars, however I do love our 350z.

Are two seaters completely out of the question?
Our Miata gets 30 MPG, being driven like it was stolen.
They can be found for under 10K all day long, in very good condition.
Automatics are a bit less common, but they're out there. OTOH, it's probably the easiest manual I have ever driven.
The aftermarket is everywhere.

If you want cheap and reliable and fuel sipping economy, try a 3rd generation Geo Metro 2 door.

You can flog them and still get over 50 mpg. The 3 cylinder engine is pretty much indestructible and they have a service life of about 300,000 km in fleet operations. Try the 5 speed. They are fun and practical as all getout. Used ones are way cheap.

Arn

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[This message has been edited by 87antuzzi (edited 05-01-2011).]

The Versa is pretty low on my list so I really wasn't going to look into it very hard.

I'm not really looking for a two seater car as I'd like something that I can take on trips with family/friends and a 2-seater just isn't practical for that. I have the Fiero for 2-seat fun though.

I know Metro's do really well on fuel economy but they're a little older than what I'd rather get right now. I guess a modern equivalent would be a SmartCar, but they're too small for what I want to do.

Anyone have any experience with a Ford Fiesta? I think finding a used one in my price range may be hard but I'm seeing a lot of positive reviews for them and they get about 40mpg on the hwy too.

I can't help you with the Fiesta (I've never driven one), but I do own a '10 Yaris hatchback. While it is not the most exciting car to drive, it is still kind of entertaining. If you employ some basic driving techniques you will see 40-45 MPG all day long. I have about 32K miles on mine right now and the lifetime average is right at 40 MPG, with a high of 47 and a low of 35. Realistic mileage figures should be between 38-42 MPG.

You can pick up good low mileage '07-'08 models for $7-$8000. They did a minor facelift for the '09 model and in '10 they added some safety features (i.e. electronic nannies). Initially I hated the traction control, but now I like it. Get a dedictated set of snow tires if you live where the white stuff falls and you'll never have any issues in the winter.

Some things I don't like are: the manual shifter is a bit notchy, cross winds will blow you around, stock tires suck in the rain, but these are minor gripes.....overall I like how the Yaris drives.

[This message has been edited by mrfiero (edited 05-03-2011).]

I'm finding the Yaris is good overall, but I'm also finding that it gets blown around pretty easy. Not a really big deal though.

We do get some snow around here but its usually not bad but if it comes down to it then I'll pick up a set of snow tires.

I'll probably just replace the wheels/tires with some good all-season tires when I get the car as factory tires are usually crappy.

quote Originally posted by Alibi: I'm finding the Yaris is good overall, but I'm also finding that it gets blown around pretty easy. Not a really big deal though. We do get some snow around here but its usually not bad but if it comes down to it then I'll pick up a set of snow tires. I'll probably just replace the wheels/tires with some good all-season tires when I get the car as factory tires are usually crappy.

A rear sway bar helps out quite a bit, in regards to windy conditions. Toyota sells a TRD one, but there are aftermarket ones out there for a few bucks less. Mine is pretty much stock, but with a rear sway bar and it handles fairly well for what it is. If you want it to handle then lowered springs, new struts and sticky tires will get you there. I was never dedicated snow tire guy until i bought a set for the Yaris when Iived in Jackson Hole. The difference in handling in teh ice & snow is dramatic and I highly recommend them if you get more than a dusting of snow. A good set of all seasons will be a step in the right direction though.

I forgot to mention some other quirks......the clutch gets some getting used to and the drive by wire throttle is something I could live without. There are times when it feels like nothing happens when you hit the gas. Overall it's a good car and will do great as your daily driver. Good luck with whatever car you choose.

A while back I looked at a few of the micro cars. If you're thinking fit or civic, the civic is only a little bit more, and gets better mpg than the fit, so why get a smaller less efficient car that costs almost the same? Nissan Versa 1.6l gets 36mpg, Honda Fit gets 33mpg.
Nissans are not as expensive as toyotas or hondas, but not as reliable either.
The Ford Fiesta is brand new and impossible to find for under 10k. The focus 2nd gen 2008 -2011, is a great car, not too expensive and fairly available and gets 35mpg.
If I were you I'd be looking at civic, corolla, focus.

I need to hit up a dealer and test drive some cars. I'll probably go with a manual but I have zero practice with a stick since I've never owned one. I've driven friends manual cars before, but just around parking lots and whatnot.

I don't mind doing a bit of modding to the car, but I don't want to go too crazy with it. I'm focusing more on needing a reliable DD than on performance at this point.