Good project/beater car?

[jayjr1105]

I drive a 2013 Mazda 3 with low miles about 10 minutes to work. My wife just got a new job with a 30 minute drive and has a 2005 odyssey. The van is in great shape and still runs great but I'd like to get something small, better gas mileage, FWD for the winters at least. On top of these things I'll have a daughter driving in a few years.

My initial thoughts is a toyota/honda with high mileage. I can deal with mechanical issues but the tranny must be good and no rust.

Am I in the right lane thinking corolla/civic with high mileage? I have time and a large warehouse/garage/tools so I'd even be okay with a head gasket job or similar. I'm okay with domestic but again the tranny can't be crap.

Apologies if this should have been in the General Automotive area.

 

[krismoriah72]

Since you own a Mazda look at older Ford Fusions.. 2.3L Mazda engines in them. Seem to be nearly bulletproof.. gets 30 plus mpg on highway.

 

[andyd]

Maybe just swap cars?

 

[supton]

Problem with Civic/Corolla is that they come with the import tax--everyone thinks they are made of gold and expects top dollar. But they might have neglected them all these years because they could. I mean, I'd prefer the Toyota's but that's me, I've tried to keep up with them and their problems, rather than shop a huge pool of used models.

I found that I like my vintage 1999 Camry quite a bit, by today's standards it's practically a compact car but with decent ride, NVH, etc. If your daughter will be a new driver there may be some value in "larger is better" in terms of safety. My 4 banger seems easy to work on and parts are cheap, relatively reliable (outside of being old and having old car problems). YMMV. Anyhow, Honda seems known for bad a/c systems (when they go, they go); their automatics are ok behind I4's but V6's, eh... Corolla, 1998 may have gotten a timing chain but 1998 to 2002 were known oil burning years. [After that their 5 speed manuals are actually less reliable than the automatic, if so inclined.] FWIW, I didn't find the timing belt on my 5S-FE that hard to do, so, you might want to read up on timing belt jobs and see if that is something you might feel ok in doing. [Oh, and Honda's have this awful bolt to remove on the harmonic balancer for this job.] Camry also had a bad run with the 2.4L I4's, personally I'd avoid those engines.

My thought: run the van, it's probably the cheapest option. And best known entity. Stuffing the wife into a well-used project car might be a good recipe for... what's the opposite of marital bliss?

Was 2005 a bad year for transmissions in the Odyssey? That might sway me out of it, although a minivan is always a good tool to have around (for moving stuff).

 

[supton]

Originally Posted by andyd
Maybe just swap cars?

This wouldn't be a bad idea either.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Depends on your budget.
A really good buy is the early Acura TSX with the mighty K24 engines.
$5K should get you a really nice car. These are entry level luxury performance cars.
I believe these were the European Accords; not a Civic and not an American Accord.

Good luck.

 

[atikovi]

Originally Posted by jayjr1105
Am I in the right lane thinking corolla/civic with high mileage?


Close.

225,000 miles. Check
FWD. Check
All aluminum will never rust. Check
70 MPG. Check

 

[eljefino]

The import tax isn't what it used to be when dealing with sedans. An 02+ camry with the 4 cyl will get near 30 MPG and is a huge, safe car. The Highlanders built on the same floorpan seem to command 3x as much money.

I'm not a Honda person but their civic motors seem to come in high-strung and low-strung, depending on how many cams and VTECs they have. Fewer is simpler and likely better.

Corollas seem to have grown to near-camry size. I'm kind of a snob and think the camrys are better built. I like the 98-02 corollas but they're such beaters now they remind me of a 3rd world taxi cab.

I appreciate Toyotas for the dumb stuff like ball joints that bolt in vs using rivets, drum brakes that are pre-threaded for jacking bolts, and the heroes that made tech-stream diagnostic software available for the masses.

 

[ThirdeYe]

Try finding a 92-96 Camry. Great cars, almost indestructible. Not easy to find in rust belt states anymore, though. An '02-'04 Civic is another great choice, as well as an 03-07 Accord (4 cylinder).

 

[Gasbuggy]

Cost of a third car won't negate the fuel used by the van. Compromising her safety should also be a thought. A 30-minute drive is nothing, the average commute in the U.S. is 50 minutes.

 

[maxdustington]

VW or Subaru. Everyone who can fix cars wants a rust free Toyota or Honda with mechanical issues because they are easy to fix and have high resale. You won't get a deal on them unless you live in the sticks.

If you are OK with doing HGs, Subaru without question. Should be easy to find an old one with a popped HG.
Originally Posted by eljefino
The import tax isn't what it used to be when dealing with sedans
If you live in a city with a high population of foreigners, the import tax is real on any Honda or Toyota no matter what it is.

 

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted by ThirdeYe
Try finding a 92-96 Camry. Great cars, almost indestructible.


Usually not overpriced ad much as well.

 

[zzyzzx]

Vintage Ford Escort. Inexpensive to buy and insure. Almost zero chance of theft. Cheap and easy to fix. Relatively reliable.

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by jayjr1105
Am I in the right lane thinking corolla/civic with high mileage?


Close.

225,000 miles. Check
FWD. Check
All aluminum will never rust. Check
70 MPG. Check


Finding a decent one with a good battery for sensible money?
Not likely.

 

[hpb]

Originally Posted by andyd
Maybe just swap cars?


That was my first thought too...

 

[Rolla07]

Swap cars gets my vote...or 2003-2008 Corolla. Solid engine, solid trans and super easy to work on. Also quite good on gas.

 

[jayjr1105]

My car is a manual. She can drive it but doesn't like to, especially in winter. Otherwise that would have been an easy fix.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted by Rolla07
Swap cars gets my vote...or 2003-2008 Corolla. Solid engine, solid trans and super easy to work on. Also quite good on gas.


The (5sp) stick shifts have major problems-- go for the automatic.

 

[PandaBear]

Pontiac Vibe, Scion tC, xB, I'd narrow down to Toyota compact or something like that.

 

[Skippy722]

Originally Posted by PandaBear
Pontiac Vibe, Scion tC, xB, I'd narrow down to Toyota compact or something like that.


I love those little xB's. I'd get one of those for the unique factor alone.