I'm beating around town in a 1997 Saturn SW1 with a 5-speed. I paid $1600 for it though, but it only had 135k miles on it. Its a fun little car that gets great gas mileage and the wagon has enough space to hold most anything. I rarely drive my truck any more.
Economic daily driver: under $1000
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A Cobalt after all the recalls are done they are good cars, and easy to fix and I love the oil filter location.
Nice amount of power but not the greatest on gas but average.
Nice amount of power but not the greatest on gas but average.
Old (early-mid-90s) Honda Accord. It won't get 30 mpg (more like 25-28) but they're super reliable and even a little fun to drive.
I like the input here.
Originally Posted By: 6starprez
I'll be looking for something in this price range soon but it'll be for driving around town and take trash to the dusty landfill.
Kind of a weird statement you made but if you're used to driving cars with something wrong with them, what's wrong with the matrix and why are you saving it from excess miles? It's eight years old and you're putting HM oil in it @ 84k miles.
Weird statement I know lol
Nothing is wrong with it, I just like the idea to start keeping it clean with the HM add packs in as full syn. Probably placebo note then anything lol
Driving on i4 in central Florida is bad. Some news articles have written about it being the worst in the nation in terms of accidents and slowdowns. Which I don't entirely believe because Los Angeles is pretty bad lol
So I'd rather drive a beater car to and from work
Originally Posted By: 6starprez
I'll be looking for something in this price range soon but it'll be for driving around town and take trash to the dusty landfill.
Kind of a weird statement you made but if you're used to driving cars with something wrong with them, what's wrong with the matrix and why are you saving it from excess miles? It's eight years old and you're putting HM oil in it @ 84k miles.
Weird statement I know lol
Nothing is wrong with it, I just like the idea to start keeping it clean with the HM add packs in as full syn. Probably placebo note then anything lol
Driving on i4 in central Florida is bad. Some news articles have written about it being the worst in the nation in terms of accidents and slowdowns. Which I don't entirely believe because Los Angeles is pretty bad lol
So I'd rather drive a beater car to and from work
Any 5 speed Mazda, toyota, honda, Ford, chevy, Saturn, or Dodge should be great. Also saw a 5 speed Kia Rio pop up around here not too long ago with 300k miles and a new clutch and timing belt. Still drove great. I went and test drove it.
How high end is an '09 Matrix? I'm not saying it is clapped out, but I'm not sure what is being saved by having a beater. Is wear and tear (depreciation) on the Matrix offset by the gas savings of a beater, minus the extra yearly costs of the beater? I'm wondering if this is a net sum zero game.
https://www.dreamstime.com/photos-images/junk-cars-junkyard.html
Here you go,,all the beaters you need,,,right here in Tennessee,,of course other states may vary
Here you go,,all the beaters you need,,,right here in Tennessee,,of course other states may vary
Any 1971-1976 Dodge/Plymouth Scamp/Dart slant 6 cyl. Easy to fix and maintainable. Other than rust and water leaks pretty stout car. Can still find decent ones out there for not much money.
Ford Escort fits your requirements.
Originally Posted By: supton
How high end is an '09 Matrix? I'm not saying it is clapped out, but I'm not sure what is being saved by having a beater. Is wear and tear (depreciation) on the Matrix offset by the gas savings of a beater, minus the extra yearly costs of the beater? I'm wondering if this is a net sum zero game.
Well there is more to the story as well, personal reasons. Not really trying to save a fortune here, but I also understand I may, financially, be better off to stay put in the situation I'm in.
Not really looking for politics here, just want suggestions from you guys here on some possible suggestions for a moderately cheap beater car.
How high end is an '09 Matrix? I'm not saying it is clapped out, but I'm not sure what is being saved by having a beater. Is wear and tear (depreciation) on the Matrix offset by the gas savings of a beater, minus the extra yearly costs of the beater? I'm wondering if this is a net sum zero game.
Well there is more to the story as well, personal reasons. Not really trying to save a fortune here, but I also understand I may, financially, be better off to stay put in the situation I'm in.
Not really looking for politics here, just want suggestions from you guys here on some possible suggestions for a moderately cheap beater car.
It's possible to find a old car that's actually decent in that price range. I got my 1998 Mustang GT for $1200. It had working A/C, didn't smoke or rattle on cold start, etc. Only issue was high mileage (163,000 miles). Previous owner just got a new car and was selling his former daily driver. I did some body and paint work, got the engine running right and ended up with $2,500 in it. Dangit, why haven't I been buying cars like this all along. I have thrown a lot of money away on cars in my lifetime. Now that the Mustang is completely restored, it's living out the rest of its life in WV as I gave it to my sister.
pics 
Mustang was painted metallic black from a 2010 Dodge Challenger (original color was black). 
My shop dog Greta.
My shop dog Greta.
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Silverado12
Mustang was painted metallic black from a 2010 Dodge Challenger (original color was black).
My shop dog Greta.
Originally Posted By: Silverado12
pics
Nice lookin pup!
What part of WV? My dad is from Barboursville, right outside Huntington. I actually thought about going to school at Marshall, where he went back in the late 70's.
But yeah, that mustang was a great deal!
I am starting to think it's smarter, financially, to just drive the Jeep more often. I also want to get my Z road ready ASAP and use that too. May not have room for a cheap better. Hmmm..
Mustang was painted metallic black from a 2010 Dodge Challenger (original color was black).
My shop dog Greta.
Originally Posted By: Silverado12
pics
Nice lookin pup!
What part of WV? My dad is from Barboursville, right outside Huntington. I actually thought about going to school at Marshall, where he went back in the late 70's.
But yeah, that mustang was a great deal!
I am starting to think it's smarter, financially, to just drive the Jeep more often. I also want to get my Z road ready ASAP and use that too. May not have room for a cheap better. Hmmm..
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
Heck, even just the Jeep daily driving makes pretty good sense. Average American drives 15,000 miles per year.
15,000 miles at 15mpg and $2 a gallon is $2,000
15,000 miles at 30mpg and $2 a gallon is $1,000
Extra car means additional insurance, registration, maintenance, and repairs.
Set of tires lasts 3 years, $360. Or $120 a year
Insurance probably $50 a month. Or $600 a year
Registration probably $60 a year
Repairs and maintenance probably $300 a year
Add those costs plus the fuel and you're at $2,080 a year. More than what the Jeep costs to daily drive.
15,000 miles at 15mpg and $2 a gallon is $2,000
15,000 miles at 30mpg and $2 a gallon is $1,000
Extra car means additional insurance, registration, maintenance, and repairs.
Set of tires lasts 3 years, $360. Or $120 a year
Insurance probably $50 a month. Or $600 a year
Registration probably $60 a year
Repairs and maintenance probably $300 a year
Add those costs plus the fuel and you're at $2,080 a year. More than what the Jeep costs to daily drive.
Patman
Staff member
Originally Posted By: 69GTX
Any 1971-1976 Dodge/Plymouth Scamp/Dart slant 6 cyl. Easy to fix and maintainable. Other than rust and water leaks pretty stout car. Can still find decent ones out there for not much money.
I haven't seen one of these in a long time so I think it would be pretty difficult to find plus it won't come anywhere close to getting 30 mpg either
Any 1971-1976 Dodge/Plymouth Scamp/Dart slant 6 cyl. Easy to fix and maintainable. Other than rust and water leaks pretty stout car. Can still find decent ones out there for not much money.
I haven't seen one of these in a long time so I think it would be pretty difficult to find plus it won't come anywhere close to getting 30 mpg either
Originally Posted By: Dumc87
Originally Posted By: Silverado12
Mustang was painted metallic black from a 2010 Dodge Challenger (original color was black).
My shop dog Greta.
Originally Posted By: Silverado12
pics
Nice lookin pup!
What part of WV? My dad is from Barboursville, right outside Huntington. I actually thought about going to school at Marshall, where he went back in the late 70's.
But yeah, that mustang was a great deal!
I am starting to think it's smarter, financially, to just drive the Jeep more often. I also want to get my Z road ready ASAP and use that too. May not have room for a cheap better. Hmmm..
It's going to Flatwoods, which is exit 67 off of I-79. I'm originally from Morgantown. I went to WVU and Fairmont State.
Originally Posted By: Silverado12
Mustang was painted metallic black from a 2010 Dodge Challenger (original color was black).
My shop dog Greta.
Originally Posted By: Silverado12
pics
Nice lookin pup!
What part of WV? My dad is from Barboursville, right outside Huntington. I actually thought about going to school at Marshall, where he went back in the late 70's.
But yeah, that mustang was a great deal!
I am starting to think it's smarter, financially, to just drive the Jeep more often. I also want to get my Z road ready ASAP and use that too. May not have room for a cheap better. Hmmm..
It's going to Flatwoods, which is exit 67 off of I-79. I'm originally from Morgantown. I went to WVU and Fairmont State.
Originally Posted By: Patman
Originally Posted By: 69GTX
Any 1971-1976 Dodge/Plymouth Scamp/Dart slant 6 cyl. Easy to fix and maintainable. Other than rust and water leaks pretty stout car. Can still find decent ones out there for not much money.
I haven't seen one of these in a long time so I think it would be pretty difficult to find plus it won't come anywhere close to getting 30 mpg either
Yeah, those were getting hard to find in the 1980s because they were that good. I had a 1977 Volare' slant six and it got 23 mpg on the highway, but the limit was 55 then.
Originally Posted By: 69GTX
Any 1971-1976 Dodge/Plymouth Scamp/Dart slant 6 cyl. Easy to fix and maintainable. Other than rust and water leaks pretty stout car. Can still find decent ones out there for not much money.
I haven't seen one of these in a long time so I think it would be pretty difficult to find plus it won't come anywhere close to getting 30 mpg either
Yeah, those were getting hard to find in the 1980s because they were that good. I had a 1977 Volare' slant six and it got 23 mpg on the highway, but the limit was 55 then.
Come up north where they do safety/ emissions inspections and get your clunker!
I got my tow dolly from a used car dealer who had a friend in SC (across the non-inspected line) and he'd drag rusted out hunks down to sell as buy-here, pay-here.
NC does emissions/ safety inspections, so go at least that far north and get something that fails, cheap.
I got a camry for $400 with holes in the floor, but I patched those and
legal.
I got my tow dolly from a used car dealer who had a friend in SC (across the non-inspected line) and he'd drag rusted out hunks down to sell as buy-here, pay-here.
NC does emissions/ safety inspections, so go at least that far north and get something that fails, cheap.
I got a camry for $400 with holes in the floor, but I patched those and
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