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Ideas for a cheap commuter car

S

stilov

CEG'er
Joined
Aug 20, 2003
Messages
475
Location
Allen, TX
Here are my requirements
good mpg
able to maintain good speed (80-90mph)
decently reliable (I can wrench, but hopefully not all the time)
and 2500-3000 dollars

I'll be driving about 80 miles a day.
Here are some thoughts I have had, E30, E34 (with all records since new), E28
What about Jetta's do they stay together?
throw some ideas my way.

I'd like it to be kind of fun to drive...give me some ideas.
 
Jetta TDI is good but they can be kinda pricey to repair. I loved my 1994 Accord and it looked pretty good too. I got about 34-36 MPG on the freeway depending on the load I was carrying. Is this going to be your commuter for when you move to NM?
 
Just did a quick craigslist search for Honda in Santa Fe and found a few in Espanola, didn't look too much down the list. Also another good car that has good low end torque and good highway MPG was my sisters Lancer, she had the OZ rally edition.

Not to get off subject too much but where are you commuting to?
 
I am not sure yet...I kind of like Rio Rancho, and I timed he drive making sure I didn't go over 80 the whole way to my office in Santa Fe, and from the south end of Rio it took exactly 1 hour...although 20 min of that was through Rio Rancho. I am thinking about the north end of Rio Rancho...40 minute drive...I could actually make it a bit quicker than that.
 
Well if you really want to save money look into the railrunner, express train that goes from Santa Fe to Albuquerque and vise versa. I've never taken it but I know it's a pretty big hit. Especially with gas prices. Rio Rancho is a nice area, my parents own a couple lots on the south end, that place is going up like Windsor did in Northern Colorado.
 
I went a drove a pretty nice SHO the other day in Albuquerque

Only has 113k, 5spd clutch done in last 30k, along with waterpump and timing belt.
I had an SHO one time that was pretty dang reliable...did I get lucky or can they be?
 
I loved my SHO, it was a great car. Parts are getting harder to come by, but over all it was fast and enjoyable. I looked at 8 different ones when I was looking for a DD. But when I found this G20, it felt so solid and the gas savings would be great enough to push me in that direction. I would pick up a Gen 1 SHO, 500lbs lighter and faster, Gen 2 are heavy and have small brakes for the extra weight. The best you will see out of a SHO is 22 city / 26 highway. I saw that once in a blue moon. I got 20mpg all the time with my foot in it. -B.
 
I pulled a high of 28.3 in my 1994 MTX SHO. The Gen I cars are a little lighter, but they're also harder to find. Brakes were enlarged after 1993, so '94 and '95 won't give you any problems. They also have the knuckles that you'll need if you decide to do the '96 brake upgrade for even more swept area.

I've owned two SHOs, and prefer the stick to the automatic for many reasons, though both cars were great. My MTX had 221,938 on the clock and it was still running when I sold it. Clutch was toast (plan on doing one every 75K), but it ran smooth as silk. Great car, cheap to own, and the mileage was comparable to the SVT. If I had a tank of gas where I was particularly zealous about my application of the right hand pedal, I'd see 19, but by then you were having so damn much fun it didn't matter. Under normal conditions, you should see low to mid 20s.
 
ta...I took it back...it started falling apart in less than 100 miles. I called th eguy, and he said nothing was wrong. So I cancelled the check and dropped it back off at his house...that was 2 days ago. I am still looking again.
 
Don't know if this is too much out of your range but figured since you're a BMW guy this might spark your interest. 2002 540i for $14,900. The link to the site is below. The guy selling it works for Sandia BMW in ABQ.

http://racingsouthwest.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=56735

****SORRY IT SOLD I DIDN'T READ FAR ENOUGH DOWN. I'll keep an eye out down here in abq.
 
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Ya...I am looking to stay under 3k. I am thinking maybe a retired cop car crown vic...at least that'd cut down on driving time!!!
 
Well, Sorry the BMW did not work out for you. They are expensive to fix and try to find one under $3k and not have to dump money for repair is not possible in my eyes. I have had my G20 for 5 months now and I can say it is the best DD I've ever owned. It is fun to drive, 30 mpg, and not like every other car on the road. I loved my SHO but had to repair it often and begin to be costly. The G20 has 140 hp which is still not bad in today's standards. Here are a few for you. -B.


http://denver.craigslist.org/car/591142244.html

http://denver.craigslist.org/car/627880062.html

http://denver.craigslist.org/car/629283512.html
 
well i have found some nice e34 like a 525i manual for good prices, but I am no sure about getting an older BMW I'd love an E30...I missed out on an 86 with 80k miles!!!
 
Heh... you can get a 97-02 Escort or ZX2. I average about 34 MPG in mine (5-speed) and if you get one that hasn't been beat to :censored::censored::censored::censored: already, they're pretty reliable cars. I've been happy with mine fwiw.
 
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