Good fuel efficent cars under $3000?
04-23-2008, 11:52 PM
#11
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Originally Posted by Water 97SSEi
I'm thinking a mid 90'* Civic or something similar. My dad'* friend had a Civic coupe from the mid 90s and he said he would get about 42 MPG on the highway.
On a side note...how the H*** do you get 30MPG in a SSEi? Do the newer ones get like 10 MPG better the old ones or something? I'm lucky if I get 19 MPG in my 97, which is about what I get most of the time, and also is what the EPA rates the car at for combined mileage.
On a side note...how the H*** do you get 30MPG in a SSEi? Do the newer ones get like 10 MPG better the old ones or something? I'm lucky if I get 19 MPG in my 97, which is about what I get most of the time, and also is what the EPA rates the car at for combined mileage.
i get 29MPG consistantly on the highway at 75MPH for the last few trips I took..keep in mind that is nonstop, cruise control etc.
city stop and go traffic is like 18 MPG tops
04-24-2008, 12:02 AM
#12
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Originally Posted by Hans
Originally Posted by Water 97SSEi
I'm thinking a mid 90'* Civic or something similar. My dad'* friend had a Civic coupe from the mid 90s and he said he would get about 42 MPG on the highway.
On a side note...how the H*** do you get 30MPG in a SSEi? Do the newer ones get like 10 MPG better the old ones or something? I'm lucky if I get 19 MPG in my 97, which is about what I get most of the time, and also is what the EPA rates the car at for combined mileage.
On a side note...how the H*** do you get 30MPG in a SSEi? Do the newer ones get like 10 MPG better the old ones or something? I'm lucky if I get 19 MPG in my 97, which is about what I get most of the time, and also is what the EPA rates the car at for combined mileage.
i get 29MPG consistantly on the highway at 75MPH for the last few trips I took..keep in mind that is nonstop, cruise control etc.
city stop and go traffic is like 18 MPG tops
04-24-2008, 12:33 AM
#13
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Arithmetic
1200 miles per month / 40 mpg (trip) = 30 gallons reg gas x $4 / gal = $120 per month
1200 miles per month / 30 mpg (trip) = 40 gallons prem gas x $4.25 / gal = $170 per month
1200 miles per month / 30 mpg (town) = 40 gallons reg gas x $4 / gal = $160 per month
1200 miles per month / 20 mpg (town) = 60 gallons prem gas x $4.25 / gal = $255 per month
All highway driving, small car saves $50 per month vs supercharged Bonneville
All city driving, small car saves $95 per month vs supercharged Bonneville
50/50 highway / city driving, small car saves $72.50 per month
Compared to the L36 Bonneville, a small car would save $40/mo highway, $80/mo city, $60/mo mixed. (I could be driving an L67 for what, $12 more in gas each month!)
So, depending on how much you drive, where you drive, how much you value your life, and what you can afford, your Bonneville may not be such a bad option.
I have owned a Toyota Corolla 5 spd, and a Dodge Neon 5 spd that both got 40 mpg on trips, but I would not have liked to have collided with an SSEi when I was driving them. 40 mpg on the Corolla required no air and speed under 65 mph. 40 mpg on the Neon required no air and speed under 70 mph. This was on no ethanol unleaded 87 octane.
It is really very difficult to find a car as nice as the H-body GM, that gets 30 mpg on a trip. My '98 Olds Silhouette could do 30.5 mpg, but only if I drove it no faster than 62 mph. Toyota Camrys I have owned were not as fuel efficient as my L36 Bonneville.
1200 miles per month / 40 mpg (trip) = 30 gallons reg gas x $4 / gal = $120 per month
1200 miles per month / 30 mpg (trip) = 40 gallons prem gas x $4.25 / gal = $170 per month
1200 miles per month / 30 mpg (town) = 40 gallons reg gas x $4 / gal = $160 per month
1200 miles per month / 20 mpg (town) = 60 gallons prem gas x $4.25 / gal = $255 per month
All highway driving, small car saves $50 per month vs supercharged Bonneville
All city driving, small car saves $95 per month vs supercharged Bonneville
50/50 highway / city driving, small car saves $72.50 per month
Compared to the L36 Bonneville, a small car would save $40/mo highway, $80/mo city, $60/mo mixed. (I could be driving an L67 for what, $12 more in gas each month!)
So, depending on how much you drive, where you drive, how much you value your life, and what you can afford, your Bonneville may not be such a bad option.
I have owned a Toyota Corolla 5 spd, and a Dodge Neon 5 spd that both got 40 mpg on trips, but I would not have liked to have collided with an SSEi when I was driving them. 40 mpg on the Corolla required no air and speed under 65 mph. 40 mpg on the Neon required no air and speed under 70 mph. This was on no ethanol unleaded 87 octane.
It is really very difficult to find a car as nice as the H-body GM, that gets 30 mpg on a trip. My '98 Olds Silhouette could do 30.5 mpg, but only if I drove it no faster than 62 mph. Toyota Camrys I have owned were not as fuel efficient as my L36 Bonneville.
04-24-2008, 07:47 AM
#14
Bill'* logic aside (which I agree with...) 
...
My Civic consistenly gets 38 MPG. The older ones can be found for less than $3K.
Look for Ford Aspires too. They get about 45 MPG. Not bad little cars and fairly capable for what they are.
Also, consider this: how long will it take you to break even on your "investment" in a small car? With the marginal savings that Bill just posted....probably several years. You do the math.
...My Civic consistenly gets 38 MPG. The older ones can be found for less than $3K.
Look for Ford Aspires too. They get about 45 MPG. Not bad little cars and fairly capable for what they are.
Also, consider this: how long will it take you to break even on your "investment" in a small car? With the marginal savings that Bill just posted....probably several years. You do the math.
04-24-2008, 08:47 AM
#16
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there is more to the picture than the mpg a vehicle gets imo. i daily drive a vehicle which gets, if i am lucky, 15mpg on the interstate. i looked a 3 cyl metro for $1000 and when i did the numbers it just did not pay off for me.
after shelling out the $1000 for the car, added premium on the policy, maintenance on additional car, so on so forth i'd have top spend 3/4'* of my time bounching around in the geo to be $1000 ahead at year end.
i'd rather find that $1000 else where in my budget and commute in my vehicle with leather, heated seats, 4wd and all the other amenities of a limited jeep of the generation of mine.
the thought of selling the jeep [and getting $3500 for it maybe] and owning JUST the metro would put a few grand in my pocket at years end but i'd be miserable.
in any even my ex-g/f'* 1991 crx hf [which we bought for $1100 w/ 62k miles on it] did get close to 50mpg on the highway. i just cannot dd that type of car.
after shelling out the $1000 for the car, added premium on the policy, maintenance on additional car, so on so forth i'd have top spend 3/4'* of my time bounching around in the geo to be $1000 ahead at year end.
i'd rather find that $1000 else where in my budget and commute in my vehicle with leather, heated seats, 4wd and all the other amenities of a limited jeep of the generation of mine.
the thought of selling the jeep [and getting $3500 for it maybe] and owning JUST the metro would put a few grand in my pocket at years end but i'd be miserable.
in any even my ex-g/f'* 1991 crx hf [which we bought for $1100 w/ 62k miles on it] did get close to 50mpg on the highway. i just cannot dd that type of car.
04-24-2008, 11:55 AM
#17
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Really serious about the tempo. i have heard the manuals can pull 40+mpg over the road. 50 if you get it tuned right 
and they are dirt cheap these days
and they are dirt cheap these days
04-25-2008, 05:06 PM
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Originally Posted by Hans
Originally Posted by Water 97SSEi
I'm thinking a mid 90'* Civic or something similar. My dad'* friend had a Civic coupe from the mid 90s and he said he would get about 42 MPG on the highway.
On a side note...how the H*** do you get 30MPG in a SSEi? Do the newer ones get like 10 MPG better the old ones or something? I'm lucky if I get 19 MPG in my 97, which is about what I get most of the time, and also is what the EPA rates the car at for combined mileage.
On a side note...how the H*** do you get 30MPG in a SSEi? Do the newer ones get like 10 MPG better the old ones or something? I'm lucky if I get 19 MPG in my 97, which is about what I get most of the time, and also is what the EPA rates the car at for combined mileage.
i get 29MPG consistantly on the highway at 75MPH for the last few trips I took..keep in mind that is nonstop, cruise control etc.
city stop and go traffic is like 18 MPG tops
04-25-2008, 05:58 PM
#20
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Originally Posted by agrazela
As there is no such thing as a non-deathtrap econobox, ever consider a motorcycle?
Anything after say 2000 is generally very safe, especially if it'* a car sold in many other parts of the world.
I'd take my GTI (which is an econobox body) over my '93 in any day of the week safety wise. Will it be more damaged, requiring more to repair? Probably, but the occupants are much safer inside it.