Looking for a commuter car that is fuel efficient, reliable, and low priced.

[brages]

The Gen 2 Fusion (2010-12) recommendation someone else had is also a solid one. The 6F35 maybe a bit of a gamble if it’s not been maintained at all. And then there’s the EPAS issue - maybe try and get one that’s not had the recall done yet. But these seem to last long and there are plenty of used examples.

Final recommendation I would have is the 2008-11 Focus. They are quite reliable and can be had somewhat cheap too. I have a base 08 S with manual everything and it’s been very reliable. It’s got old school hydraulic PS and it’s quieter than the corolla on worn concrete freeways. That being, the interior on the Corolla is a leaps and bounds nicer than the cheap plastic interior of the Focus.

I believe the 2010-2012 is considered facelifted first gen, with the second gen starting in 2013.

My daughter-in-law has I 2010 and I briefly owned a 2013. The 2013 is a much nicer car, in my opinion. The small turbo engines in the second gen are iffy (although probably great on gas for a long highway commute). The 2.5 that I had was running great at 175k miles. The six-speed transmissions can have a sloppy 2-3 shift though. I got my 2013 cheap because the rack was bad, but I was able to swap in a junkyard rack that worked fine.

I agree on the 2008-2010 Focus, although the 2010 that I worked on is too loud on the highway to be my pick.

 

[TimeFlies]

I can't believe how the Fit keeps popping up on these threads. It's a terrible highway commuter with a terrible ride and plenty of wind noise. Yes-it does have interior space. Yes-it gets good mpg-but is a penalty box in every sense of the word-otherwise. This was a Honda "stinker".

I have extensively driven, and been a passenger in, two different Fit cars, and really enjoy them.
Absolutely fantastic cars!
Many great road trips in the ex girlfriends.
If she had been as good as the Fit was, I wouldn't have broken up with her.

 

[willbur]

Pontiac Vibe - So you mean it was made by Toyota for Pontiac.

yes it was using the toyota parts except for the name badge. Actually, for some strange reason, CR rated the Vibe reliability higher than the Toyota version

 

[Tdbo]

Hi - I'm looking for suggestions for an ultra low priced, fuel efficient, reliable commuter car with perhaps 120k miles that could handle a 150 mile roundtrip daily commute of easy highway driving with the cruise control set to whatever the speed limit is for 3 days a week commute.

I was thinking about late 1990's / early 2000's Toyota Corolla / Camry or Honda Civic / Accord vehicles which could be hidden gems with a lot of reliability left in them.

Would anyone know what are the good years / reliable engine choices for them (and also the ones to avoid). I don' t want the years that have issues with chronic oil burning / sludge or bad transmissions.

Also, would anyone know what year would be too old where part's availability would be a serious problem?

My goal would be to keep the car for 5+ years, and take the car to very high mileage with good maintenance (5k/6 month OCI, 3 OCI with HPL EC 30 to gradually clean out the engine), 4 gradual "do it yourself" transmission fluid drain/fills to restore the health of the transmission, etc.

I did 130 miles a day for 18 years, and I will give you a rundown on the vehicles that I consumed:

1. 1987 Chevrolet Nova (Toyolet)
2. 1996 Geo Prizm (another Toyolet)
3. 1995 Ford Ranger Supercab (4 cyl, 5sp)
4. 2000 Ford Taurus (took this out to 275K on original drivetrain.)

And I finished up with the Accord in my signature (put 74K on it in 30 months.)

Of those, 1 and 2 were penalty boxes, and were punishing in almost every regard.
Number 3 was comfortable and would pull over 27 on the highway.
Number 4 was the most comfortable of all. While the average MPG was less, I could do 30 on the highway if I was prudent with it.
The Accord was probably the best balance of comfort/MPG. I got 33-35 on it (4 cyl/auto), and still had decent comfort (although not as much as #4.)
I would advise looking for a used Accord/Camry at your desired price point. Both are decent/Dependable rides that will get you from A to B without feeling like you got your carcass kicked.

 

[ls1mike]

Bill did you say a price? I might have missed it.

 

[Fordiesel69]

Hi - I'm looking for suggestions for an ultra low priced, fuel efficient, reliable commuter car with perhaps 120k miles that could handle a 150 mile roundtrip daily commute of easy highway driving with the cruise control set to whatever the speed limit is for 3 days a week commute.

I was thinking about late 1990's / early 2000's Toyota Corolla / Camry or Honda Civic / Accord vehicles which could be hidden gems with a lot of reliability left in them.

Would anyone know what are the good years / reliable engine choices for them (and also the ones to avoid). I don' t want the years that have issues with chronic oil burning / sludge or bad transmissions.

Also, would anyone know what year would be too old where part's availability would be a serious problem?

My goal would be to keep the car for 5+ years, and take the car to very high mileage with good maintenance (5k/6 month OCI, 3 OCI with HPL EC 30 to gradually clean out the engine), 4 gradual "do it yourself" transmission fluid drain/fills to restore the health of the transmission, etc.

2008 ~ 2012 Ford fusion. Resolder the solder pads on the connector on the instrument panel (real easy) and it will run for 300k.

I like the style of the 2013+ but they are not quite as good from a durability standpoint.

 

[andrew_j]

An Acura TSX in the 2004-2009 vintage is nice, reliable and comfortable. Guessing your price point can be hit if it has body damage .

 

[Brons2]

The K24 Accords burn from some to a lot of oil. We helped an immigrant friend buy a 2009 Accord EX-L for $5100 with 190K. Changed the oil with 10w30 since I had it on hand and knew of the reputation of the motors, she came back after 4100 miles and the oil was not even on the stick. I was shocked. Neverthless, it seemed none the worse for wear after I filled it back up to the full mark. It was a pretty nice driver, I did the brakes on it also and drove it around a bit, seats were in good condition and it all all the electronic whiz bangs like navigation.

It also had the deal with the VTC rattle but I never fixed that, she went back to Brazil before her visa expired (6mo). She had thought about trying to get work rights becase she was a dual Spain/Brazil citizenship (more easy for EU citizen) but she didn't like the type of work she had to do here to get by. We sold the car for $4900 to a dealer.

Would I recommend it? It was pretty comfortable and a good driver, she said it was good on gas. But I'd have to at least take a stab at reducing the oil burning if I was going to keep it.

My dad also had a 2010 Accord LX for a number of years. It also burned oil, but not as drastically as the 09. M1 HM 5w30 reduced the oil burn rate, my dad said. His had the VTC rattle too, but my dad had it fixed, cost around $1000, IIRC. His got low 30s on the highway. It was also much less nice inside than the EX-L model our immigrant friend had.

 

[Graham Piccinini]

Over the years many owners reported that 0W40/5W40/10W40 decreases the oil consumption in the K-series motors. UOAs also look good on 40-grade and timing chain components don't require as many replacements, as compared to a 30-grade. Although the timing chain issues mostly are related to K20, and less to K24.

 

[redhat]

Over the years many owners reported that 0W40/5W40/10W40 decreases the oil consumption in the K-series motors. UOAs also look good on 40-grade and timing chain components don't require as many replacements, as compared to a 30-grade. Although the timing chain issues mostly are related to K20, and less to K24.

I ran a LOT of Rotella T6 5W-40 (winter) and Pepboys 15W-40 through a K24 between 85k to 170k. It greatly reduced consumption. Never bothered the VTEC system in it.

I put one timing chain in mine, stretched 3 links around 100k, and three VTC actuators.

It was a good car, it did enjoy its oil.

 

[MrGraybeard]

I did 130 miles a day for 18 years, and I will give you a rundown on the vehicles that I consumed:

1. 1987 Chevrolet Nova (Toyolet)
2. 1996 Geo Prizm (another Toyolet)
3. 1995 Ford Ranger Supercab (4 cyl, 5sp)
4. 2000 Ford Taurus (took this out to 275K on original drivetrain.)

And I finished up with the Accord in my signature (put 74K on it in 30 months.)

Of those, 1 and 2 were penalty boxes, and were punishing in almost every regard.
Number 3 was comfortable and would pull over 27 on the highway.
Number 4 was the most comfortable of all. While the average MPG was less, I could do 30 on the highway if I was prudent with it.
The Accord was probably the best balance of comfort/MPG. I got 33-35 on it (4 cyl/auto), and still had decent comfort (although not as much as #4.)
I would advise looking for a used Accord/Camry at your desired price point. Both are decent/Dependable rides that will get you from A to B without feeling like you got your carcass kicked.

Along the same lines as the Taurus, the Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego was built on a Volvo platform, and many came pretty well appointed. I see these pop up from time to time with low miles for a decent price. I've also done decades of long-distance commuting, and agree that a small car will beat you up. You'll get to know every tar strip, every change of road surface, on your route.

 

[eljefino]

I know you can buy a usable car for that price (I just bought one for $500) but what does that amount get you in the motorhome market?

Mold.

 

[JimPghPA]

On YouTube there is a mechanic who goes by car wizard who has a lot of videos and some of those he breaks down what are the good years and the bad years for Toyota vehicles and Honda vehicles.

So do some searching on YouTube for car wizard and his videos and see if you can narrow it down to the ones where he talks about the good years and the bad years and the problems that some of those years had.

 

[zzyzzx]

Be mindful that certain Camry/Scion/ models have oil burning I4 covered by a TSB (circa 2009); Not everything they make is worth buying

The MPG isn't particularly good on older Camrys.

 

[We're Metals]

Crown Victoria in any flavor

 

[IndyIan]

I agree on the 2008-2010 Focus, although the 2010 that I worked on is too loud on the highway to be my pick.

At 60mph or lower I don't really mind mine, but a constant 75mph is getting loud. A 2012+ manual Focus is a nice car to rack up tons of miles with few issues

 

[Graham Piccinini]

The MPG isn't particularly good on older Camrys.

My 2009 Scion xB had the Camry 2.4L, the famous 2AZ engine. Deer totalled it around 120k miles, but engine had zero oil consumption at that point.
Best it got on MPG is 28, but usually stayed around 27 with me, or 26 full of passengers and their belongings. Around town it was 19-20. Definitely not something to brag about, but not terrible. Just average.
At the same time I spent a lot of time in a work car, a 2008 Toyota Camry with same 2.4L. That one was definitely consuming oil, but MPG was exactly the same as my Scion xB.
Scion xB is 300lbs lighter than that Camry, but I guess being shaped like a giant toaster didn't help on MPG with the weight savings.

 

[dumkid]

Consider a bmw 328d. All the comfort, 40mpg. You'll have to learn how to do timing chains and pull engines though. The 328i gets less mpg but it's easier to work on than the diesel. If you get a sun faded/dented one with ugly rims the theives will probably ignore it.

 

[Dave Hess]

Corolla is the gold standard for what the OP is looking for.

 

[brages]

I think OP should decide on whether he wants a compact or midsize... Whether the trade-off in ride quality and comfort is worth it for fuel economy.

I really like our Prius for a long commute, but my commute has a few points where traffic really jams, and the hybrid works great at crawling along on smooth battery power there. For cruising along, the hybrid system isn't offering many benefits... The Prius also has good aerodynamics and an efficient engine, so it does pretty good on the highway, too. But the highway ride and handling isn't great on mine.