New car/truck???????

[MIKE IN lINO III]

The race Neon took a dump and it's time for a new vehicle.

I'm looking for some ideas for the best work vehicle.

I drive 64 miles a day to work and I am looking at buying NEW. I don't want to deal with potential problems with a used vehicle. Like I said I was driving a Neon but I might be leaning towards a small truck.

The last vehicle I bought was a 3/4 ton F250 Diesel, this is my go to truck so I just need something for Monday thru Friday.

Lets hear the pros and cons and your opinion of the best quality vehicles out there.

Thanks,

Mike

[Spork]

Me and the wife have an '03 Neon that we're looking to sell this Spring. It barely gets driven (only 36,000 miles) and being as how we're a family of 5... maybe even 6 some day, it doesn't really make sense to keep it. So we're getting rid of her car for an EXT Trailblazer... yay!

The thing has ran perfect for as long as we owned it. 4-cylinder auto, manual windows, manual locks, AM/FM/CD, cruise, fabric seats, and red colored. Haven't had any complaints about it other than it's too small for all of us to cram into which is why we always drive my '01 Monte.

[MIKE IN lINO III]

Thanks Spork,

I'm not looking for someone selling a car ( that's against the rules )Just some opinions about new ones.

I liked the neon, it was 11 years old and had probably close to 200,000 miles. Maybe I'm thinking along the lines of something more practical. Small truck maybe.

[BigWadeS]

We have a Focus, I use for commuting, I drive 66 miles a day and it gets 26-28mpg during my commutes and is roomy enough for what it is for.

[eyepatrol]

I don't know much about the small truck market, but if I recall, Ford has the Ranger which I think only comes in the extended cab version. I suppose the Explorer Sport Trac could be considered it's crew cab counterpart. Chevy has the Colorado and GMC has the Canyon. Both I think have 3.5l engines and both come in extended or crew cabs. Then there’s the Dodge Dakota in x-cab or crew cab. I like these a little better than the GM and Ford products because you can stick a bigger motor in there if you want. Then I’m not certain about the “foreign” vehicles. Nissan Frontier? Toyota Tacoma? Not sure if the Nissan and Toyota would have better gas mileage than the GM, Dodge or Ford products?

[CPL]

I'm also contemplating getting a new car. I've been looking at the new group of so-called B compacts that include the Nissan Versa, Honda Fit, and Toyota Yaris; all get excellent gas milage so should be economical to operate. I've been very impressed with the Versa, this sounds odd, but it "drives big" for its small size. I'm not a huge guy (6 foot 180#) but can comfortably fit in the Versa and have very good visibility as I drive around (took one for a test drive). Mind you, my current daily driver is a Suburban and I'm rather fond of being able to see where I'm going.

I don't believe you can beat the value of any of these cars. They all can be had new for $15k (likely less) and come from reputable manufacturers where you would expect at least 150k of relatively trouble-free miles. That boils down to 10 cents per mile -- you have a hard time getting that price per mile from many used cars (unless they have very high miles and then you must question their reliability). Historically I've been a "buy used and let the others eat the depreciation" kind of guy, but for this purchase I'm seriously considering buying a new Versa. I've not seen any used (even on hsolist) that are going for a price that would make me consder buying used instead of new (taking 10 cents per mile as a bench-mark value).

Hope this information is helpful for you.

CPL

[Powerstroke]

The small truck market is nice for utility, but they rarely get mroe than 25mpg, even with the 4banger. You're better off having a small car. Your diesel F250 will get the same mileage as a ranger or colorado pickup and way better than a dakota.

If I hadto choose a compact truck I would get a Nissan Frontier or a Toyota Tacoma. They have really gotten better in the last couple years.

[uffdapete]

I currently own 2 Toyotas - '94 pu and '95 Camry. My next car will be a Camry and next pu a Tacoma. Both were purchased used from private party with 32,000 and 87,000 miles respectively. There have been no repairs on either one beyond normal maintenance. I've previously owned '85 and '91 Tercels, '85 Camry, '87 Nova (Corolla), '92 Previa and a '67 Land Cruiser with similar experience. While there are other good vehicles out there, Toyota has been very good to me.

[DTro]

I'll second the Toyota recommendation.

I'm currently driving an '05 Camry. It has been rock solid and from what I hear, I can expect that till I'm sick of driving it.

I'm really missing not having a truck though. My wife drives a RAV4 and that is what I use to tote my small boat around. It does really well and would make an excellent commuter. Get's high 20's for mpg and yet you can still tow and haul gear with in a pinch.

I've been looking at trucks lately and can't decide if I should sell my Camry and get a nicer truck or keep the Camry and buy a beater truck.

Decisions.....decisions....

[End of the Line]

If you need a comuter car get the Toyota Corolla or the Yaris. Both get in the low 40's for mpg. Being its a Toyota it will last you 200K for sure, and it wont depreciate as bad as alot of other cars in its class if you want to sell later.

[sparkyaber]

If you are thinking about a Toyota, definitely check out Scion. My friend bought an Xb, I think, it is the one that looks like a little box. That thing is huge on the inside! It also gets great gas mileage. It is 100% Toyota. The only thing I really don't like about it is that it is made overseas, as apposed to many toyotas that are made here in the United States. One last thing, they are very inexpensive.

[ice_it_06]

Commuter reason of use only I would definately go Toyota.

I had a tercel lift back which is the modern day Yaris, and (2) Corolla. Every one had over 200,000 on them and the Tercel almost 300,000. I'm a maticulous maint nut but all I ever did was keep them tuned, fresh oil, and tires. Nice looking cars for the budget and tough as nails.

[jltimm]

Another BIG fan of Toyota's here! For the past 15 years I have driven them, and have the wife driving them also. The only problem I have with them is they run so long, you will get sick of driving the same vehicle for what seems forever.Another note- I own a 97 Toyota Tacoma xtra cab 4x4 with a 3.4 V6 and a auto tranny. The mileage I get ranges from 16 in the winter towing to 22 in the summer empty.Great truck though that takes a lickin and keeps on running.

[Water Hazard]

I'll add one other vehicle into the mix...

The Honda CR-V is a great commuter vehicle. It gets in the mid- to high 20mpg, allows you to sit up a little higher, and has enough get up and go with its 2.4L 4-cylinder.

I also use it to tow my boat (towing capacity is around 1500 lbs). I towed my boat up north last summer and still managed 20+ mpg.

The rear seats flip up and create a lot of room in the back (right around 4'x4').

The one complaint I have with the CR-V is that the rear seats only flip up instead of being removeable as well.

I bought mine used (you have already said you'd like to buy new, which is fine) with 31k on it. It is now up to 52k without any repairs.

[iland99]

Another 'Yota fan here. My wife has an '03 Corolla with about 85K miles on it, and we've done nothing to it other than oil changes and fresh tires. Her previous vehicle was a Tercel, she sold it to her brother, it currently has 300K+ miles on it and still going strong. Mileage we get upper 30s city and low 40s highway. The only other word of advice I can give you is that if you do get a new Toyota, DO NOT get the extended warranty, because it's a complete waste of money. The best part about the car? We just made the last payment on it last month. We'll probably get another 200K miles out of it with the only expenses being gas and routine maintainence.

I have a 2000 Dakota with a 4.7 V8. Plenty of power, but the best mileage I've ever seen is 18 mpg on the highway. I used to drive it a mile back and forth to work, and if I got over 13 mpg I was happy. Now I drive a little further, and get around 15 or 16 mpg with it. You can get better mileage with a full size truck.

[Jeremy airjer W]

I'll have to put my vote in for the Toyota Corola/camry, Honda Civic/accord, or the Subaru impreza/legacy. These are all time proven dependable vehicles that offer great to outstanding quality and fuel economy. Keep them cool and lubricated and the will last forever!!

[ChuckN]

Another Toyota Camry owner of over 6 years. Incredible cars, they are. Almost hit the 200K mark...

I might be in the market for a newer car too and the new Camrys look great, but I also like the Prius. The new Accords are nice too. Since I've driven all of these with friends/family members that own them, I'm torn.

When a relative drove from western Montana to Boston with an average of 44 mpg, that's what I like.

[iland99]

I can't believe I left the Impreza off my list. The vehicle I had before the Dakota was a 2002 Impreza WRX. It didn't have too many miles on it when I traded it in for something cheaper, but the miles it did have on it were a lot harder than most. I got upper 20s with it for mileage, and that was driving like an (Contact Us Please) most of the time. AWD is great in the snow. Had it for two years and didn't have a single problem the entire time. Here was the best feature on the WRX:

Man I miss that car.....

[Jeremy airjer W]

Step out of the car sir!!

You will respect my authority!!

[eyepatrol]

That's funny right there hollywood pete!

[island guy]

I'll second the Toyota. I commute 120 miles a day. I have a corolla now that gets 36mpg and I figure to drive it well over 200,000. My first toyota was a camry that I drove to 250,000 and traded it on a Rav4 which has 280,000 and I still own it. All three have been pretty much trouble free. Just normal wear and tear stuff. Brakes, tires, ect. I won't own anything but Toyotas.

[Coach1310]

I'll put a plug in for the Honda Civic. I have one and love it. Great re sale value. Great mileage(without using heat/air I get 38-40mpg). I drive 95 miles per day and love my little car. It doesn't have a lot of get up and go, but plenty for a commuter. You may want to look into the Hybrid version. I just didn't see the positive in the extra $$$. I have heard all good things from Toyota owners too! Good luck!

[vexilarkid]

I would also say to go with a Toyota or a Honda if you want to get a cheap car with good reliability. The Honda Civic is an excellent choice since I know a coworker who owns one and has gotten as good as 46mpg but averages about 42mpg on the road with it. A Corolla is an excellent choice for the money and does have a little less road noise than the civic. It is also right around a 40-42mpg car. A Ford Focus could also be thrown in the mix but probably does not get quite as good of mileage as the Toyota or Honda. One car that alot of people overlook is a Chevrolet Malibu. My cousin has an 05 and I've road in it several times on a coupld of longer trips and it honestly gets 35-37mpg on the highway. This is a roomy car with good power and I feel excellent mileage for the size of the vehicle. I know that is doesn't have the Honda or Toyota reputation behind it but I think they are a good car for the money. He got his for 16,500 out the door. The car has about 60,000 on it so far with no troubles. Just my $.02 worth.

[Gus]

Can't aruge much about either Toyota or Honda, I've owned both. Had a lemon of a honda but that is way beyond the norm. Many 100's of thousands of miles on the 3 Toyota's I've owned in my life. Currently though I'm communting in a Mazda Protoge and it has been a great little car. I got a good deal on it and so far have put 132,000 miles on it in 3 years. Only oil changes, brakes, and the normal spark plugs, air filters. Good car for the $$ and it's a little sportier than the Toyotas I drove. For an american made plug, my mom is still driving a 96 chevy corsica with almost 220,000 miles on it. It hasn't been trouble free ( think she has needed 2 head gasket repairs) but it has certainly gone the mile for her. In the overall scheme she's probably done pretty good with that car $$ wise even with needing 2 head gasket repairs.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Quote:

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think she has needed 2 head gasket repairs

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Ahh, the old 2.2 liter. That was a money maker!!

[so haaad]

It really comes down to what you need the pickup for. Are you hauling heavy? 4wheel needed?

Don't overlook the Subaru Outback. They have a heck of a lot of room in the back, enough fit a lot of portable fish houses. And they get decent gas mileage.