Honda commuter is dead. Now what?

100-120 mile commute (round trip). All highway.

Most I would want to spend is in the teens. Prefer a later-model used car. High 20's for fuel mileage would be the minimum. Two seats OK. Manual transmission preferred.

Plan would be to run it until it quits, just like the Honda. I would like something a bit nicer than the clapped-out del sol sitting in the garage until the junkyard comes to get it, however. if I could get several years out of it that would be great.

Here are a few possibilities in no particular order:
1) VW Beetle TDI (2003 & 2006 available near me w/ <75k miles for $12k. Should last another 200k miles or not?)

2) Mini (MiniNext CPO cars in the $15k range. 2007-08 with 20k-40k miles)

3) 2007 Hyundai Tiburon. $12k or so. Not that great of driving experience from what I've read but seems like a solid car and looks pretty good to me.

4) Honda S2000. There is a '05 near me with 55k miles and the cool silver/red color combo.

5) Pontiac Solstice.

I have looked at a couple of '08 Cobalts, they just seem like such junk though. Cheap and feels it. Not sure how long they would last. Found one that had roll-up windows! (Actually one less thing to go wrong, I would just hate to spend $10k on such a POS).

 

What about a Jag X-Type? Most are in the $10-15,000 range now.

Good luck!

--Grant

 

If you get a TDI have some self respect and at least get a Golf or Jetta

 

On that list I would definitely choose the S2000 unless weather is a concern where you're at. Also, sub the Beetle for a Jetta.

 

Get another Honda.

So, #4.

 

I had one for a few years and thought it was great for commuting. Pretty reliable too. The 3.0 Sport in manual would be entertaining.

I would go for an S2k or 350Z if it were me though.

 

S2000. My dad did 120 miles per day 3 times a week for a year and a half and the car never cared at all. Car also saw several track days and LOTS of hard driving. The only issue he ever had was that sometimes the tires needed replacing...

 

Considering I'm coming from a teal del sol anything will be a step up.

 

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp?tracktype=usedcc&csDlId=&csDgId=&listingId=51766925&listingRecNum=45&criteria=sf1Dir%3DASC%26mkId%3D20028%26stkTyp%3DU%26bsId%3D20211%26mdId%3D20745%26rd%3D100000%26crSrtFlds%3DstkTypId-feedSegId-mkId-mdId-yrId-bsId-transTypeId%26zc%3D11743%26rn%3D0%26PMmt%3D1-1-0%26stkTypId%3D28881%26sf1Nm%3Dprice%26yrId%3D20144%26yrId%3D20199%26yrId%3D20143%26yrId%3D20198%26yrId%3D20142%26yrId%3D20197%26transTypeId%3D28112%26rpp%3D50%26feedSegId%3D28705&aff=national

Perfect car, even found a manual for you. Good mpg, style and price. There are SO many to choose from in the 10-15k price range, just do a search on cars.com

Also, a lot more comfortable then the others you mentioned, a nice highway cruiser and it doesnt feel nearly as cheap.

Steve

 

We had an '04 C230, a '05 C320, and have had a '08 C350 for the last 3 years. The coupe version of the C230 would be a possibility for sure.

Of the cars mentioned so far the car I want is the S2000, followed by the Mini. But 45 mpg with the VW would be cheap to run and should last a very long time. Heart says Honda, head says Beetle.

I'm going to look at an '03 VW TDI (5-sp, black w/ tan leather, 50k miles for $12k) over the weekend. We have two other nice cars for everything but my long drive each day, it would be used almost exclusively on the highway, ideal for the diesel IMO.

If anyone has any horror stories with the Bug I would appreciate it. I know the early ones seemed to have annoying electrical problems. Some of the complaining I have read from owners though sounds like they don't even know how to change a taillight bulb, maybe it was as much an ignorant owner as the car.

Putting a search for cars made in the last 5 years, manual, coupe, under $15k at cars.com revealed a few cars I didn't even know existed. The Saturn Ion Red Line Coupe? Never knew...

 

100 miles a day..


A VW, you would be bat-sh*t insane.

Consider:

Accord. Camry, Corolla, S2000, Miata, RAV4, Pilot, 4Runner, Civic, Mazda3, any Lexus.

 

TR6?

hahahahaha, just kidding.

Civic Si would be fun and more practical than an S2000, but you only live once...

 

Aiiiiyep, aptly put.

Along with another few mentioned above. Phoosh...

RSX - Type S, all day long...

 

Please elaborate on the TDI. I know the automatics have their problems, it seems the manuals are fairly strong. If you look in the classifieds most of them 5+ years old have lots of miles, in some cases 200k+ on them. I did want to stay away from the early New Beetles, but it seems like they worked out many of the early 'bugs" if you pardon the pun by 2003.

If there is a good forum for this information I would really appreciate it.

 

The S2000 is not going to get great mileage but is what I would choose from your list.
Mini will eat you out of house and home unless you have a warranty that goes to 200,000 miles.

 

if you go the TDI route for a VW prepare to spend a LOT in maintainence costs...

 

Ditto.

I'd pass on the second gen. new Mini. Those are have more issues than it's predecessor. (2002 to 2006)


I sold my '95 Acura Ingetra LS just short of 200,000 miles. I had the car since new for 13 years. The main reason I sold it because it was time to move on to something else.

 

I'm not trying to argue because I only know what I have read, but if anyone has specific problem areas with the VW TDI with standard transmission I would be interested in reading. It seems the diesel does seem different than a gas engine (obviously) and has its own quirks. Timing belt at 100k, change the oil and filter every 10k, fuel filter every 20k. But overall the engine seems simpler since it doesn't have an ignition system.

Is it the drivetrain that causes problems, or all the electrical systems going haywire?

I have read about glow plug relays going out ($130 for the part). things like clutches and brakes would wear out the same as a gas engine.

 

New Hyundai Genesis Coupe fits the bill imho.

 

I have a friend that has an s2000 and I have been with it every stage from bone stock to it's current stripped out, turbocharged form. I will say the s2000 is incredibly well built and this particular car has taken a lot of abuse and keeps ticking.

If you're looking at DD'ing one I don't think you'd have much of an issue other than fuel consumption. I believe his stock was right around 20mpg. Good, not great.

That 2005 is an ap2, correct? So the larger F22C motor and glass rear window?

 

I believe for the S2000 it goes like this...
2001-02 2.0L motor, plastic rear window
2003-04 2.0L motor, glass rear window
2005-09 2.2L motor, glass rear window.

Fuel consumption was a concern on that particular car, it seems it is low-geared because of such a high-revving engine and that hurts it on the HWY rating. it would have been a lot of fun though.

Found a TDi Jetta close by, probably looking at it this afternoon.

 

Get the S2000. You wont have the same amount of fun and reliability with any other car on your list.

 

Honda Fit Sport FTW.

40+ MPG on the highway, crazy roomy interior, really fun to drive even though it only has 109 HP.

 

I went look at two cars today. One was a Jetta TDI that the ad said was manual but was automatic. The other was a 2009 Mazda 3 but it had been sold a few days ago and still on the dealership website.

Thinking about the Mazda more. Dealership in St Louis has a cheap 2009 with on;y 6500 miles. Called them and it doesn't have factory A/C? Didn't know you could even get one without air these days.

I'll check out the Fit. Also saw the new Mazda 2, for $15k it didn't seem like a very good value, but then again it isn't really fair to compare new to used. A Scion XD for the same new price as the Mazda 2 seems like much better value.

 

My dad often saw 30 highway MPG in his AP2 (2006) with the top up. Top down you lose 4-5 MPG.