Old Blue, our faithful and reliable 2002 subcompact, just got home from the garage. To get her to pass inspection would require us to spend 80% of her blue book value on repairs. We are thinking that is time that she go to either the junkyard in the sky to play with all the other cars or up on Craig’s List to give a teenager a great first car story of woe and ingenious fixes.
I have driven a Kia Soul and a Chevy Cruze recently as rentals. I liked both although the Soul was a touch big for what I need a car for. What has everyone heard/experienced with the compact and subcompact market?
I just plan to use this car as my mobile locker room during the soccer season and dropping my daughter off at swimming for the rest of the year. As long as it can go up a hill, I don’t care about performance. My priorities are affordability and reliability for seven years.
Mustang Bobby
In March 2014 I got a Chevrolet Spark as a rental in Tulsa. It is basically a four-door Smart car, but was capable of toting four people and a small amount of luggage in relative comfort and went fast enough to go on the interstate. The dashboard lit up like a smartphone with all the geegaws and stuff they put in these newfangled cars, but it was comfortable for what it offered. The Chevrolet website shows it with an MSRP of $12,270 (which was what I paid for my 1988 Pontiac 6000 LE Safari wagon in 1989). If I was looking for what you’re looking for, I’d check it out.
See if you can donate your old car to a high school that has an auto repair curriculum. You can then write it off on your taxes and you’ve given teenagers something to work on.
Baud
I like my Prius C. Saves on gas.
Amir Khalid
I’d recommend the Perodua Myvi, Malaysia’s most popular subcompact, but they don’t sell it in America.
The Other Bob
I know a few people with the Chevy Cruze who like them. The Eco model with the 1.4 L Turbo seems to get a lot of praise. One person I know was able to pull nearly 50 mpg out of it on the highway by driving conservatively.
It seems pretty safe too. The same guy had a Dodge Durango cross the yellow line a hit him head on. Despite the Durango being huge, my friend and wife walked away.
I know two other people who have them and like them. All three people got them with 6 speed manuals.
Marc
I have a 2006 Kia Spectra – still running strong with nearly 118k miles. It gets solid gas milage (26 city/32 freeway), and as long as you aren’t too tall, the seating is fine. No major repairs, although my front passenger side automatic window doesn’t work anymore. A good vehicle, but in no way fashionable or sporty.
The Other Bob
What’s up with this inspection stuff? We dont have that in Michigan.
Mustang Bobby
@Amir Khalid: Too bad; it’s a good-looking little car. Switching to left-hand drive would be a tough barrier, though.
Zinsky
My wife just got a new Honda Fit – she drove the last one for 200k miles with nary a problem. They are consistently rated a Top Pick by Consumer Reports, get great gas mileage, are surprisingly roomy and fun to drive. About $18,000 for the basic, no-frills model.
Swiftfox
I had a 2003 Subaru Forester for 10 years/347,000 miles. They aren’t flashy or full of the latest electronics. They handle well, brake well, and get decent gas mileage.
My current car is a diesel Golf. You can get gas or diesel for less than 25k. Better than a Subaru except it does not have the all-wheel drive and I don’t expect it to last for 350,000 miles.
K488
My son (K581) has a Honda Fit, and loves it. It took me, him, his partner and three bicycles with great ease and relative comfort (I was folded in the back). Ms K488 (K331) and I both have Honda Insights, and love them. I’ve had mine for five years and more than 110,000 with no problems. Currently it has two bikes in the back with the back seats folded down. Very comfortable on long drives, and according to the electronics I’ve been getting around 50 mpg this summer.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: Ha, a Prius-C; those trendy new fangled cars. I’ve got a 1986 VW Jetta.
Tom
I loved my Kia Soul. It was quick, nimble, handled like a sports car and had plenty of room while not being as overwhelming as a full-sized SUV.
The only reason I gave it up was that we needed a wheelchair-accessible minivan but I still miss it almost every time I have to drive somewhere.
satby
I actually already spent the BB value keeping the POS I currently drive on the road and it needs another $400 more in repairs. So I am just driving it to earth and hoping I can scrape together some sort of down payment on a newish car in a few months. I really would like a Honda Fit too. I looked at the Soul and liked it, but I need cheap, reliable, and long-lasting. Honda has a good track record for that.
Gindy51
Subaru Impezza if you need all wheel drive. Granted the Subaru lines are not great exhaust wise, can’t stand them for that reason, but this model is pretty nice, zippy, lots of go and it does run cleaner than most.
ultraviolet thunder
I drive all kinds of midsize rentals because I travel for a living. After years of this and being able to grab pretty much what I want off the lot I’ve gravitated to the Cruze. I just like the way they drive. And they’re a handy size for parking lots. No idea of the reliability though.
Gimlet
Open thread – news
http://bennorton.com/dashcam-video-of-violent-arrest-of-sandra-bland-was-edited/
The dashcam video released to the public of the violent arrest of Sandra Bland was edited.
It appears that someone cut footage out and looped part of the video in order to correspond with the recorded audio of Texas state trooper Brian Encinia speaking.
Schlemazel
Maybe an odd suggestion and a bit off your point. If you think you might go used check out the rental companies sales sites, like avisecarsales.com. Our last 4 cars hvae been bought this way & we got at least 200k out of them.
donnah
We have a 2010 Kia Forte and it’s been a great car. I drive a lot with my job and it’s comfortable and gets decent gas mileage. It’s a nice looking car, but not fancy. I’d buy another Kia in a heartbeat.
Joel
@Schlemazel: I’ve always wondered what quality University or City Surplus cars come in. Probably not that great, although the University surplus probably comes in a little nicer than the City ones.
Baud
@BillinGlendaleCA:
Impressive. I’ve kept my cars running for about a good 10 years, but not much longer.
guachi
Mazda 3 hatchback or sedan. Fun to drive, great interior, good fuel economy, practical with the hatch. Outstanding reviews.
Richard Mayhew
@guachi: We have a Mazda 5 as our parent-mobile or as we call it, our mini-minivan, and we love it. Mazda is on our short list, but the pirce point is a little above what we want to spend unless we get something 2-3 years old coming off lease.
Mack
I lease a Fit, though I doubt I’ll be keeping it at the end of the lease. It’s a nice enough car, but only gets 30 mpg. I would definitely look into a used Corolla, the damn things just run forever and get around 40 mpg. I also liked the Cruze the few times I’ve rented on trips.
FlipYrWhig
Honda Fit by a mile. We’ve had ours since 2008. Used to use it to carry a 10 x 10 tent and all the side pieces for art shows.
Guy
I have a 2014 Soul and love it. I was surprised by the “touch big” comment since it actually takes up less space in my garage than the VW GTI it replaced. It just seems bigger than it is due to being shaped like a toaster. Zero problems in the first year I have owned it and you can’t beat Kia’s warranty.
A non mouse
I like my ’11 Nissan Versa. We also have an ’11 Honda Fit. I prefer the Versa, although that may be because it has more bells and whistles.
We too drive our cars into the ground.
Rob221
Mazda and Honda are really nice, but priced according. My wife, at the time my gf, bought a Hyndui Accent and it was OK but felt very “light” when driving. She totalled it but walked away with just a brise so either it did a good job there or is too easy to total. She bought a Mission Versa, the base models of which are very well priced. It handles decently for what it is. Nissian seems to have fumbled their CVT rollout in 2013 or so and is still paying in marketshare. Not the highest rated car, but seemed respectable enough.
Richard Mayhew
@Guy: My past four cars:
Old Blue — 2003 sub-compact
1995 Mazda Protege
1983 Volkswagon Rabbit
1981 Toyota Tercel
My expectations as to how big a car “should” be are skewed to tiny. I remember in high school that me and three buddies would do a leg work-out using the Tercel as the resistance for modified squats. I’m used to small cars. Anything over 2,500 pounds feels “big” to me.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: 30 years on Dec. 4. Got rear ended a few months ago, 2 scratches on the bumper.
I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet
We rented a Mitsubishi Colt during our recent vacation in Switzerland. Reasonably small on the outside, lots of room inside. Some nice features (backup beeping that increases with decreasing separation). But it had a 6-speed automatic that was about the slowest-shifting transmission I’ve ever come across (literally ~ 3s between shifts). There seem to be lots of similarly-sized cars over there (rather like everyone having their version of the VW Rabbit/Golf in the late 1970s). Tiny “trunk”. It would do 120 kph( ~ 75 mph) all day without too much trouble.
(It seems like it’s not made any more – the SpaceStar is similar.)
Pay a little extra and get something that won’t annoy you over the time you have it.
Cheers,
Scott.
Ultraviolet Thunder
My wife is on her second Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe. Mechanically it’s a Corolla with a hatch. Very maneuverable and entertaining to drive. Holds a lot of stuff in the back. She gets 30+ MPG with a heavy foot and high 30s when behaving herself.
They’ve been out of production for a while but are common used. We’ve had excellent reliability from both of ours.
RSA
This is not really helpful, but I thought it was fascinating: a Jalopnik gearhead talks with Paul Elio about his $6800 84mpg car, which is apparently not imaginary, though also not yet on the market.
satby
@Rob221: My kid, a mechanic, likes Hyundai for the warranties. I try to keep my cars for 10 years and 200k, but the Ford Taurus I now drive courtesy of my mom won’t make 200k without being owned by a mechanic, and my kid lives across the country.
satby
@RSA: I’ve been watching the developments on that too. It’s a perfect car for the city. Which I hope to move back to in the next 5-8 years.
Ultraviolet Thunder
Again about the Cruze; I drive National rentals all the time and I’ll always grab a Cruze over a Malibu or an Impala. They just drive nicer. Power is perfectly adequate for me. Visibility and maneuverability are great. Very good on gas. We prefer to own a hatchback for year round use, but if I was a sedan guy I’d look no further.
I owned 3 VWs over the years and really liked them. These days I won’t touch one because of what I’ve seen firsthand of their working conditions in one Mexican plant. Shocking and disappointing.
Baud
@BillinGlendaleCA:
VW should hire you for one of their commercials.
RSA
@Richard Mayhew:
For about two decades (driving a 1980 Honda Accord hatchback, then a 1991 Honda Civic hatchback, then a 1999 Mazda Miata) I had the same perception. Actually, I still do: I’m now driving a 2006 Audi A4, and it feels huge. Embarrassingly, I’ve bumped the rear wheels over curbs in the grocery store parking lot a couple of times because I’m not used to such a long wheelbase.
Mack
Richard, I wanted to add this: I was a used car appraiser for a large dealership in another life. Back then, 100k on the odometer and I had no interest, couldn’t sell it on the lot. Times have changed. I can tell you that some of my friends in the biz still won’t put much money into Kias, they don’t have a track record of going 200k plus. Yes, there are exceptions, but they all say that they see plenty of older Toyotas and Hondas on the road with 200k plus still in great shape, and they will buy them to resell without batting an eye. Subaru likewise. Best of luck.
Lee
I have done way too much car buying in the last couple of years (new driver in the house).
So I’ve driven a lot and learned a lot.
First to answer your question:
My recommendation is a Scion xD. Small & actually fun to drive around the town. On the highway it is tolerable. Gets great gas milage. We have a manual with 110k miles and have only changed out the battery (2x) and the alternator.
Another contender is the Honda Civic. I know it is larger than your requirement but a rock solid car.
I would not recommend a Honda Fit. I test drove one over a weekend. I found it a poor example of the Honda quality.
A general recommendation. If you are not in a hurry buy a used car. You can save some money if you can wait and shop around for a good used car.
I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet
@Ultraviolet Thunder: J has had a couple of Corollas – a 1993 and a 2000. We still have the 2000. They go a long time (J got over 200k out of her ’93) and the metal mechanical bits are quite reliable. However, they continue to drive me nuts with the various plastic bits: Door handles (interior and exterior) break, hood release sticks, washer fluid reservoir breaks, etc., etc. I know the 2000 was a low-point in Corolla quality, but I would look long and hard about getting another one if I wanted to keep it for 10+ years.
Cheers,
Scott.
(Who doesn’t have a garage and knows that sunlight/ozone kills plastic, but maybe those bits should be made of metal or different plastic…)
PST
In addition to its other virtues, for a compact, the Cruze is pretty easy for a big man to get in and out of.
OzarkHillbilly
@BillinGlendaleCA: A buddy of mine has a mid 70s Blazer he has been driving since the early 80s. After app 600,000 miles it’s on its 4 engine, at least 3rd tranny, and 2nd body. About the only thing he hasn’t replaced is the frame. So it’s not really a mid 70s Blazer in anything other than name now.
PhoenixRising
I’d buy another Chevy Spark if the one I have were totalled, which it would be in the event of a fender-bender.
Which I and my teen driver would both walk away from.
It’s safe, I get about 37-39 in town 41 highway, and it can get out of its own way. A lot of cars this size, if you wanna haul ass you gotta make a couple-three trips, but this one has some pep with 250lbs of humans plus sports gear, which I gather is your situation.
Your child is young so she won’t wind up at the wheel, given the Chevy build quality, but at the price you can’t lose. My child is already using it for target practice, I mean learner’s permit, and I’m delighted by its handling and the fact that she can drive 3 friends as long as they’re not going too far.
ETA: drivers from 4’11” to 6’3″ have driven the Spark and say they’re comfortable at the wheel.
kent
Do not buy a Chrysler.
Link
belae
I suggest either KIA or Hyundai cars, since they are the only brand that offer 5 years, 60k bumper to bumper or 10 years, 100k power train. And generally their quality are quite comparable to Honda etc. And their cost is 10-20% lower than Japanese big two, though their resale value is a bit lower.
shell
Just remember, if you continue to drive it, a ticket for a expired inspection sticker is considered a moving violation and will up your car insurance next year.
wuzzat
I’d recommend a Mazda3. Great fuel economy, fun to drive, most of the safety features come standard, very good reliability records, and you’ll be able to fit your soccer stuff in the back without making the kid hold it in her lap.
artem1s
2007 Honda Fit. my third Honda. love this car. so roomy and great for hauling stuff as the rear seats fold down all the way. New models have 6 speed manual option. all my Hondas just….ran. Never any engine problems. The Fit could get better mileage on the highway but I could drive the speed limit too. the older models are boxier than the new ones so I think the new do better on highway miles. I drive primarily in the city, lots of stop and go so 30 mpg is about the top end for that.
probably going to trade in and get a new Honda this winter. will either get the Fit or CRZ. I want a 6 speed manual and like the reliability.
TaMara (BHF)
@Richard Mayhew: I have the 2014 Kia Soul Plus (they come in base, plus and exclamation point. LOL. The base is a waste, no pick up at all, sluggish, noisy, etc. The + and ! have a different engine. I can climb the mountains with ease in them.
I get 28 city and 36 highway, my average per tank is 31 mpg. That’s with the air conditioner running. It also has an eco button, but I swear to you, I get worse gas mileage with it. I think it’s the way I drive.
Space is awesome. One great dane, suitcase and miscellaneous fit easily. Child seats are easy to install. Ride is smooth, fairly quiet for the size. Great reliability and safety ratings which are a must for me.
It took me a year to find my car. I tried the Chevy Cruze, it was more expensive, so I passed and then it came out with all these issues, so glad I did.
Chevy Spark had horrible safety ratings, so glad I passed.
My friend has a Toyota Corolla, horrible pickup, chugs up the mountain and it’s had more recalls in four years and small issues than I would expect from a Toyota.
I’ve had her for a year and a half now, so feel free to quiz me.
Jason W. Hamner
@guachi:
I will echo the Mazda 3 advice. We replaced a Mini Cooper with it and have not regretted it for a second.
JaneE
I have friends with both Soul and Cruze and they are happy with them. The Cruze backseat is very tight legroom for an adult, especially if the front seat is pushed back all the way. (my spot when that is the car pool vehicle). The Cruze diesel gets about 48 mpg, according to my friend.
sacrablue
@Richard Mayhew: Based on my experience, as your kids get older and involved in too many activities, you may need a slightly larger car. As you seem to keep your car for a long time (me too), I’d go for something a little bigger than you need right now.
rustypickup
A Fiat 500 would fit your requirements, and there are some good rebates on them at the moment. I love mine, small, great mileage and I got the convertible for a bit more and with a push of the button can be top down while still driving up to 50 mph. To make it trouble free, they offer an unlimited time, unlimited mileage warranty. For pretty much the rebates you can get forever coverage. (You can negotiate the price on the warranty too, don’t accept their first offer).
KBS
I love my 2011 Nissan Versa. It’s a hatchback, and I think they now call that the Versa Note. It gets very good mileage, has been very reliable so far, and it’s surprisingly roomy. We test drove a Fit, and it felt somehow cheaper and less well-made, even though it was more expensive. But I have lots of friends who love their Fits, so I guess it’s just personal preference.
Mike in NC
Been a Honda driver for going on 40 years.
Rex Tremendae
I bought a new Cruze in 2014 and am quite happy. My previous car was a 2001, so anything new is going to seem impressive. I have the Eco model, which is a bit of a put on. It isn’t hybrid or anything like that, just has different styling and slightly better gas mileage.
ThresherK
@TaMara (BHF): We are planning to have our car fall apart all at once in about a year. It’s an 02 Sentra.
That car was my wife’s daily driver and she can parallel park it like a champ, thanks to her work parking situation. Have you done a lot of parallel parking in the Soul, and how do you rate it?
(PS Mall parking, aka pull-thru, doesn’t count–that’s easier, even when one is out of practice.)
Bobby D
Prius, bro. All the way. Get one on a lease-return, CPO deal. I’m 5’9″ and regularly sleep in the back at various trailheads and such. It is surprisingly large cargo area for a tiny car, and this is the regular one, not the slightly larger version. Reliably get 50mpg, in mixed city/hwy and I paid about 12k for a 2yr old CPO with 25k on it.
Oblio
My main client is Hyundai, and the car in their model line that I like best is the Accent Wagon (5-door). It’s small, comfy, fun to drive, has nice body lines, the rear seats fold down to create a good-sized cargo area, and will seat four nicely in full passenger-mode. Not a power monster, but when running with an auto trans, a good boot will get you going right now. I prefer the 6-speed manual that allows me to lift the inside rear tire when doing spirited cornering.
jon
My son now has my 2008 Hyundai Elantra. I have a 2015 Forester. Both are excellent and I recommend each, but I think you might enjoy a Hyundai more. My mechanic says they’re good cars and should last a long time, but he doesn’t ask to buy it off me like he does the Forester.
TaMara (BHF)
@ThresherK: I waited for the backup camera model, and so glad I did because I had forgotten how much a Great Dane becomes a blind spot. Parallel parking is very easy with the camera. It was worth the extra $500 for the whole system (which is part of the UVO package – which allows you to download your music directly into the car, plus play off your phone, USB drive or audio jack, depending on your preference) and whole phone system – bluetooth and downloads your contacts to the car as needed.
I parallel park all the time because on of my client’s is downtown Boulder. It really has a great turning radius and fits easily in most spots. It’s not that big, even though inside it feels like a big car.
TaMara (BHF)
BTW, depending on your needs, my neighbor has a Nissan Leaf, charges it at home and for free at the local charging stations. It looks big inside, there is a rebate (here in Colorado) that makes it pretty affordable. He loves it.
I just don’t know how practical it is as a family vehicle.
Origuy
Another Fit owner here. Mine is a 2011 with over 100,000 miles on it. The only major repairs have been related to road hazards. The mileage is consistently around 30mpg. Not only do the rear seats fold down all the way, they fold up so that you can have floor to ceiling carrying capacity.
srv
Mazda 3, 40 mpg, reliable. Or a used Focus, used to be the same car as the 3, but a more comfy ride.
boatboy_srq
@jon: Hyundai makes reliable cars that are rarely interesting to drive. The Elantra is one of the exceptions: driving those is actually entertaining as well as economical. Mum had an ’04 GT: spacious, nimble, decently frugal and decent power/torque. A couple friends reported the same.
I lean toward the Soul for the design, but Hyundai for build quality. Kia has a less-good reputation for building durable vehicles.
@RSA: I used to think that. But anything new or newish under 2500# is going without ABS, airbags, side impact beams and all the loverly safety stuff NHTSA likes and insurers demand (either that or it’s going without a back seat). And my A4 feels more solid than Mum’s Elantra did, but not “heavy” so much as “durable” – and friends’ older Japanese imports feel positively flimsy.
boatboy_srq
@RSA: FYI: the new A3 TDIs are getting high-40s MPG or better, and next year’s A4 TDI is supposed to get 60-something.
Samuel Knight
Consumer Reports says Mazda 3. However, they don’t tend to have sales on them.
Chevy Cruze, Ford Focus, and Hyundai Elantra tend to get put on sale much more and aren’t that much worse. Toyota and Honda of course are fine, but also don’t tend to get deep discounts.
Fiat and Minis are cute but don’t have good reliability ratings.
The new 2015 VW Golf got great ratings , but the 2014 NOT.
So, shop around and figure out the trade-offs you’d like.
JustRuss
If you want a lot of room in a small package–and it sounds like you don’t, but with kids, you can never have too much room–Scion Xb, second generation (2008+). Not pretty, but decent mileage(about 30 on the highway), decent power, Toyota reliability, huge back seat. I bought a used one 6 months ago, just turned 100K and it drives like new. Also a decent highway cruiser, pretty quiet.
Shantanu Saha
Prius, baby. Still tooling around in a 2005 Gen 2 Prius with 130k on it (though only about 10k in the past three years). Replaced the tires twice. Have yet to do the brakes. Tuneup at 100k, and oil changes every 10k miles with synthetic oil (though since I now use it primarily to drive to the commuter train station, I do it every 5k miles). Replaced the 12v battery over the winter when the 10yr old original finally died (did it myself with an Optima yellow top from Advance Auto, about a half hour job). No other maintenance outside of wiper blades and windshield fluid. Flew through NJ state inspection with flying colors this past May.
I expect to keep this car at least another 5 years, replace it with a plug in hybrid Prius in 2020, and keep that car until I retire in the late 2030’s. I may end up filling the tank of that car 3-5 times over its lifespan.
Though small, the Prius is surprisingly spacious. Five adults can sit in the car comfortably, and the hatchback cargo area can haul a lot of stuff, especially with the rear seat folded down.
When I was driving the car long distances, I regularly got 55mpg in summer, 50 mpg in winter using just a few simple driving tricks. Now it’s down to 36mpg, mainly because I only drive it a couple of miles at a pop so it’s consuming a lot of gas to heat up the engine. I suspect that when I take my road trip next week it will go back up to 55mpg.
Guy
@TaMara (BHF):
I agree on the ease of parking and short turning radius. I would also add that the visibility in the Soul is excellent. The sloping roof lines toward the rear that seem to be the in thing on many new cars make it hard to see what is around you. Being a box, the Soul has big windows on all sides and almost no blind spots.
MattR
@Guy:
A thousand times this. Between this and the change to the headrest requirements in 2008 or so, it is so much harder to see what is going on around you (even with hatchbacks). You almost have to depend on the backup camera now since you have such poor visibility through the back windshield. This was the main reason I decided to fix my 2001 Hyundai Elantra instead of buying a new car about a year ago.
Having said that, I recently rented the Chevy Cruze for about a week and did not have major issues with the rear visibility (though I was also doing very relaxed driving that didn’t require any tight manuevering while backing up). Much better than the Ford Focus I rented several months ago. And IMO, much better than the Mazda 3 I test drove (which I could never buy just because I felt the visibility was so poor, especially out of the passenger side). I never got around to test driving the Soul or Fit but I have sat in them since and would definitely give them a look if I had to buy a car today. I would definitely prefer a compact over a hatchback, but I think my preference to see what is around me will override that.
Quaker in a Basement
Go Chevy! Buy American! Support union jobs!
David
Test drive a Volt. The new ones are well discounted in anticipation of the soon to arrive 2016s. Used versions are an especially good bargain. The car is more solid and drives better than the Cruze. Operating costs are minimal as are the maintenance requirements. The only people I come across without a positive impression have never driven one. Go for a ride. Make sure the battery is charged up and put it in Sport mode and go!
JenJen
Another Mazda3 afficionado here. I just purchased a 2015 six-speed hatchback in April when my beloved 2000 Acura Integra finally died.
I researched for months and was almost certain I’d end up buying a Honda, since I’ve only ever driven Acuras and Hondas, but one test drive of the highly-lauded, zippy Mazda and that’s all she wrote. I’m getting 34 mpg and the safety features, comfort and tech just can’t be beat in its class. And with the seats down, the hatchback has as much cargo space as a Honda CRV. True story!
The Raven on the Hill
For reliability data there is no better source than Consumer Reports. Hie thee to the local library (sometimes it is available online through library web sites) and check it out.
mike
I got a 2015 Honda Fit in December basic model with the CVT transmission (great – I am 6 ft 4 in and the CTV auto transmission makes the car work for me) – feels like a big car when sitting in it – lots of room inside and the back seats fold UP leaving a big hole for all sort of gear
Accessories – not much – all weather floor mats (great) back cover to keep people from seeing into the trunk area and a cargo net (not used it much so far but can be used as a bag if you put it on the back of the back seats
So far have been very happy with the car and at about 30 mpg in the city good on fuel costs
Poptartacus
Buy a Honda Fit
I love my fit puppy
Perfect car for one man and one dog or daughter
Alan in SF
@Lee: @Lee: I’d second the Scion x/D, except maybe for the “fun” part. Great cargo volume, seats 5 in reasonable comfort, goes up SF’s steepest hills, and we haven’t had anything go wrong in five years of tough city driving.
Alan in SF
@Lee: @Lee: I’d second the Scion x/D, except maybe for the “fun” part. Great cargo volume, seats 5 in reasonable comfort, goes up SF’s steepest hills, and we haven’t had anything go wrong in five years of tough city driving.
Eric Nny
No crap, 10 years later plus 250000 miles, my Yaris is still purring. Not flashy, great gas mileage, solid. AND, I live in the land of salt. 6 months of salt.
BruceJ
@Swiftfox: I second the VW Diesel recommendation. very solid vehicles. Ours is a jetta sportwagen; we just went on vacation road trip AZ to Oregon and back and averaged about 48MPG. VW is selling a ton of the TDI diesels…about 75% of all the other VW’s we saw on the road were TDI models.
Ours has been totally reliable; not a lick of trouble. Just me without the AC on going around town I get 35 MPG…