So, a buddy of mine was asking me for suggestions on a commuter vehicle because come this summer he'll be losing his company vehicle due to a job change. He wants something that's economical (will be putting on close to 100 miles roundtrip/day), good in snow (MN weather), relatively low miles (under or right around 100k) and doesn't want to spend a ton (around 7k or so). I told him my wife and I used to own a '12 Mini Countryman and we loved the car. We traded it in on a Honda HRV when my wife found out she was pregnant with our daughter and the size was a tad small for our needs at the time.
So, he did some research and really liked what the Mini is about and found a '15 with 104k on it with the features he wants and a price he can live with. I told him we didn't have any issues with ours, but we traded it in with only 36k on it. After doing some reading, it appears some had oil burning issues and timing chains wearing out right around that 100k mark.
Now, for all of the experts around here, what oil would you suggest for this vehicle? His son likes to wrench and does all of his maintenance on his vehicles. Would this vehicle be a candidate for Valvoline Restore and Protect, or would you stick with a Euro Spec of some sort? I hope I didn't suggest a poor vehicle for him. I honestly didn't know about those known issues when I suggested the vehicle because to me it checked all of the boxes.
if your buddy does not need a powerful , sexy looking vehicle..I suggest a Toyota Matrix or the Pontiac Vibe.
Last year for the Matrix was 2013. Look for the basic engine, the 1.8L, super reliable. The other optional engine was the 2.4l, not bad , but oil consumption issues. Some say not that bad, but the 1.8L is better on gas and very reliable, maybe 137-140 Hp.
The automatic is very good/reliable, the manual I heard okay too.
FWD is good for most people, just put on good snow tires like Blizzaks. The awd models hurt mpgs a bit and add complexity and whatever issues may pop up/ $$$.
I found a 04 base auto Matrix for my father back in 2014 . Just cold AC, manual windows, really nothing fancy. I drove it on and off , my brother bought it off my father before he passed away 4 years ago. Currently has about 128,000 klms on the od and it still runs great, despite my brother being lazy and servicing it when issues pop up. Even then, either I fix/replace or bring it to a shop, very easy to work on and parts are easy to get, pretty cheap compared to other vehicles. And it rides nice, zips along good , merges on the freeway good too. Inside lots of head and legroom, front and back. Great cargo area. They sell quickly on the used car market, basically it's a hatchback version of the Corolla, but seems better.
Older used Honda Civics are very good too. And toyota Camrys.
