I love me a little econobox

[CharBaby]

Yeah that's right, I love me a little $#!+box, especially a hatchback. IDKY, I just do! You know, the ones that(with too many options) can cost as much as the next segment up cars base price? You know, those little tiny run-a-bouts/city cars that should never go on the hiwy on a windy day? The cars that should get better MPG than their larger brothers but don't?(they're almost the same)? Cars that zip in & out of parking spots without scraping the vehicle next to it? You have to keep your RIGHT foot close(er) to the floor to keep up with traffic and it'll still manage decent MPG(even if not Great MPG) while doing so. 4 dr hatchback(a.k.a. 5 dr) that'll hold more stuff til the spring bottom out and you're scraping the exhaust system on the way home from the big box store. I keep hunting around for the perfect used(3-4 yrs old) example with the low miles and the granny that took it to church on Sunday all for about $5K. I've had them in the distant past and for some reason I want another.

 

[KrisZ]

Yeah, I like hatchbacks as well and with the the market crazy for SUVs and pick up trucks, these little cars are becoming quite a bargain. If I can get my hands on a Focus SVT that hasn't been abused by some teenager, I'll be all over that. For a bit more money, Fiesta ST looks to be a very good and cheap "hot hatch" to be had.

 

[Trav]

Look for a Golf with the 2.0 slow and stick. I am with you, I cant see a performance car with a 65mph speed limit, pickups are not really as useful as they once were with their little short beds and small SUV wannabees are just about as useless, at least the full size ones you can fold/remove the rear seats and have a ton of carrying space. I don't really like most cars anyway but if I have one it might as well save on fuel and still do the speed limit with no problem.

 

[supton]

I like the idea but last time I shopped I was sad at their NVH. But I live on the highway so highway so I'm biased.

 

[wemay]

Originally Posted by Trav

Look for a Golf with the 2.0 slow and stick. I am with you, I cant see a performance car with a 65mph speed limit, pickups are not really as useful as they one were with their little short beds and small SUV wannabees are just about useless, at least the full size ones you can fold/remove the rear seats and have a ton of carrying space.

One of my favorite cars owned. I had a 1995 "GTi" and a 1994 4-door. Man i loved those cars. The 2.0L 8v crossflow motor was just fine. I Neuspeed and Autoteched the heck out of the GTi with Schrick cams, chips, pulleys, lowering springs....the whole bit. Ahhh, those were the days.

 

[CARJ]

Me too! I bought a 97 Honda Civic HX with 217k for $600 and love it! It's a solid car, but doesn't look all that great and frankly, I don't care. It delivers excellent gas mileage and helps keep miles off my 4Runner (thus prolonging its life too).

 

[Y_K]

Originally Posted by Trav

I don't really like most cars anyway...

Amen

 

[pandus13]

a relatively new Mirage? Or a ford C-Max? Sonic or Bolt? the short Suzuki SX4 (AWD, hmmmm fun in the snow?) If you want to be cute, there is the built-for-US SmartCar. (most of the drivers I saw, where actually elders; this was the city/shopping car, while they had a larger for long travels/kids/grandkids) With a bit of looking, Geo Metro, Honda hatchback, hyundai accent/kia rio htatchback, mazda protege5 may be available from warmer locations....

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted by Y_K

Originally Posted by Trav

I don't really like most cars anyway...

Amen

[off-topic] Trav, can you give us the story again of those crazy motorcycle riding helmets?

 

[Snagglefoot]

I like the wannabe rally cars. I think the Golf qualifies for that.

 

[AZjeff]

Not sure you can get everything on the wish list- 4 year old, low miles, $5K. On Phx CL had to go to 2010 to find $5K cars, here's a Yaris with 116K miles. https://phoenix.craigslist.org/search/cta?query=yaris&max_price=5000&min_auto_year=2010 Good luck!

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted by KrisZ

For a bit more money, Fiesta ST looks to be a very good and cheap "hot hatch" to be had.

They're pretty expensive, I was looking on kijiji. Supply and command I guess. To be fair, a lot of them were "in no rush to sell" with prices to match.

 

[Lolvoguy]

Originally Posted by supton

I like the idea but last time I shopped I was sad at their NVH.

Exactly! I had a few too and every time I re-visit a small, zippy car, I'm reminded why I don't own one anymore. Once you get older, you start to appreciate quiet and powerful. I also take public transit daily, so when I am driving I make sure it's feels as distant from riding the bus as possible! Sure, I still find myself flirting with the idea of maybe a Kia Soul or something simple with a 5/6 speed stick. Then I'm reminded of the excessive NVH and overall crappiness (and how it makes me feel after being behind the wheel for any amount of time). To me, that's far more important than saving a few dollars at the pump.

 

[rat]

Makes me miss my '85 GTI... The service manager at the dealership I worked at back then was an old German VW tech and "tuned" it up for me one Saturday. Shocking how much more responsive it was when he was done. Little 1.8 with mechanical fuel injection. Black with gold BBS wheels.... what a great little car. My 2015 Focus Hatch is nice, but doesn't hold a candle as far as fun to drive is concerned.

 

[bullwinkle]

Got 2 letters for ya-xB. 1st Gen., '04-'06 manual. Has the headroom of a phone booth, back seat has room for a couple full grown moose (they're not little any more), slides around corners like a rally car (close to balanced front to back). Just needs a higher 5th gear.

 

[Glam_Stachee]

[censored] my 30 year old econobox gets far better gas mileage than modern cars with fuel injection and on-board computers, while mine has neither. I get about 39 MPG average, the average for a brand new car is about 26 in the US, right?

 

[benjy]

an early VW beetle would be the ultimate lo buck ride! cheap to run + cheap + simple repair if needed which does not pertain to anything with an ECU!!!!

 

[Vuflanovsky]

Based on some of the comments in recent threads about small hatchbacks, my guess is that the folks that profess love for small hatchbacks sometimes haven't driven recent examples if the topic turns to NVH. Everything is relative, but most of these little runabouts are significantly stiffer bodied and quieter than just a few years ago. A new Kia Rio might be an example as it rides nicely with very low NVH for what it is versus the same car of pre-2012 vintage. A Soul and a Rio/Accent can be worlds apart on NVH especially if you factor in the year. You'd probably be better served taking in the individual vehicles versus looking at the entire class as being X.

 

[SonofJoe]

You can't buy them in The US but I honestly reckon my little 1.0 L 3 pot Suzuki Celerio is the best car I've owned in 40 years! Easy to drive. Quiet. Zippy when needed. Lightweight (845 kg). Faultlessly reliable. Robotised manual gearbox so driving is effortless. Easily big enough for me, the missus & the grandkids. Happily does 70 mpg & has topped 76 mpg on a long run. Best thing is that it has the street cred of a potato so no one in his right mind is going to nick it!

 

[supton]

Originally Posted by Glam_Stachee

[censored] my 30 year old econobox gets far better gas mileage than modern cars with fuel injection and on-board computers, while mine has neither. I get about 39 MPG average, the average for a brand new car is about 26 in the US, right?

Imperial or US gallon? Quick look shows about 25mpg (9.4L/100km) for average new vehicle mpg here.

Originally Posted by Vuflanovsky

Based on some of the comments in recent threads about small hatchbacks, my guess is that the folks that profess love for small hatchbacks sometimes haven't driven recent examples if the topic turns to NVH. Everything is relative, but most of these little runabouts are significantly stiffer bodied and quieter than just a few years ago. A new Kia Rio might be an example as it rides nicely with very low NVH for what it is versus the same car of pre-2012 vintage. A Soul and a Rio/Accent can be worlds apart on NVH especially if you factor in the year. You'd probably be better served taking in the individual vehicles versus looking at the entire class as being X.

You're right, last time I tested was back in 2014. Did Prius C, Yaris (albeit used sedan), Corolla, Mirage and Versa. Things probably have changed, at least on the new vehicle side of things.