I just bought an '05 Subaru Forester for $4k, it's been awesome so far. AWD, decent ground clearance, 4 doors, and 25 mpg. Just keep up with regular maintenance and they'll last forever.
Looking for a new daily driver.
- Thread starter csm1320
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^My 08 forester was ok, but the cheap interior and little issues kinda killed it for me.
My car is good and reliable, and... not buildable for 5k, but the factory equivalents are good cars with few issues. Bonneville SSEI, Park Avenue Ultra. Big, comfy, 30mpg on the highway, simple motors, 240hp/280tq, plenty of power. Coolant elbows break, but it's a $5 part and easy, and they'll eat transmissions every 150k or so, but those are cheap and depends on the car. Mine has a lot more hp than stock and is holding up just fine.
My car is good and reliable, and... not buildable for 5k, but the factory equivalents are good cars with few issues. Bonneville SSEI, Park Avenue Ultra. Big, comfy, 30mpg on the highway, simple motors, 240hp/280tq, plenty of power. Coolant elbows break, but it's a $5 part and easy, and they'll eat transmissions every 150k or so, but those are cheap and depends on the car. Mine has a lot more hp than stock and is holding up just fine.
IMO, the best bang for the buck goes to an Escort.
Yes, my friends made fun of me for DD'ing an Escort while my wife drove a "nice" car...and my Cobra sat in the garage.
I bought a '97 Scort (pristine condition) with 152K on it.....drove it to 323K miles with only replacing the tires, pads, and master cylinder. I drove it 25K miles/year....and did 15K mile oil changes....and never even checked fluids. It got 36.5 - 37.9 MPG week in, week out.
I recently picked up a 2005 Focus ZX4 for a great deal, with 101K miles on it. I chose the 2005 because of the timing chains, not belts.... It's doing good, after already putting 15K on it. I think it will go 200+ easy.
I also owned a 2004 SVTF - it was incredible. I sold it with 76K miles on it, and all I did to it was tires. It now has 119K on it by the 2nd owner, and 30K miles were with a turbo.
Needless to say, I have good luck with fords....especially the Escort/Focus. Those are my recommendations.
Yes, my friends made fun of me for DD'ing an Escort while my wife drove a "nice" car...and my Cobra sat in the garage.
I bought a '97 Scort (pristine condition) with 152K on it.....drove it to 323K miles with only replacing the tires, pads, and master cylinder. I drove it 25K miles/year....and did 15K mile oil changes....and never even checked fluids. It got 36.5 - 37.9 MPG week in, week out.
I recently picked up a 2005 Focus ZX4 for a great deal, with 101K miles on it. I chose the 2005 because of the timing chains, not belts.... It's doing good, after already putting 15K on it. I think it will go 200+ easy.
I also owned a 2004 SVTF - it was incredible. I sold it with 76K miles on it, and all I did to it was tires. It now has 119K on it by the 2nd owner, and 30K miles were with a turbo.
Needless to say, I have good luck with fords....especially the Escort/Focus. Those are my recommendations.
Oh, and that 323K mile Scort still runs/ran flawlessly. Stock serp belt.....and only had (1) timing belt change. Doesnt burn any oil, no smoke, nothing. Someone rear-ended me, so the car went to the junk yard. Apparently a repaint on a bumper is enough to "total" an Escort with 323K miles...lol
03-06 Hyundai Elantra GT
35+MPG
NO Maintenance + very cheap parts if it does break
140hp/140tq+2400lbs=fun
"leather"
comes in a 5 speed
only problem I have had is the front lower control arm recall which was fixed by Hyundai with 120k miles on the clock. added a slew of parts and its one of the funnest cars I have driven in a while. handles like a go cart, makes more WHP than a swapped Honda and can seat 4 large men comfortably.
35+MPG
NO Maintenance + very cheap parts if it does break
140hp/140tq+2400lbs=fun
"leather"
comes in a 5 speed
only problem I have had is the front lower control arm recall which was fixed by Hyundai with 120k miles on the clock. added a slew of parts and its one of the funnest cars I have driven in a while. handles like a go cart, makes more WHP than a swapped Honda and can seat 4 large men comfortably.
I hope you're joking... With 140hp that thing probably puts down 120-130whp. Ain't no swapped Honda making 120-130whp! :lol:
I think the lowest rated DOHC motor still makes 160hp, with the better ones making 200+.
I don't know many people(with a brain) that say, "I want horrible gas mileage for my DD". What constitutes ragged out? 5k will buy you quite a nice Civic, Integra or even an Accord in great condition. Sorry but these proposed Crown Vics won't be running nearly as long as a well-maintained Honda and ownership costs HEAVILY favor the Honda.
Horrible gas mileage is a matter of opinion, if I only drove 5 miles to work, I wouldn't care if my DD only got 10mpg. My opinion reflects the OP's requirements for a DD. You're making assumptions.
160 in the proper car with the proper tuning....and that is at the flywheel. They make 120ft/lbs of torque stock, Hyundai has 140. Seen many guys get on a dyno to see 130-150whp with b16's. Ran a few and had quite a bit of fun with them too. I had a bit of nitrous on old large marge but that is besides the point.
Look around and you will see most b16 swapped Hondas that haven't been turboed make nothing to the tires. Let alone the 100wtq they make.
Oh and the Hyundai just put down 146whp/140wtq with the basic bolt ons. Nitrous will be going back on for a 200whp run coming very soon.
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I will say the Honda interior will last a lot longer than the Hyundai though. At 70k the ASC sunroof started to leak and the headliner took a poop shortly after. I sealed the sunroof and hasn't been a problem since. I guess its the aftermarket sunroof to blame and not Hyundai.
But bad gas mileage is bad gas mileage, regardless of how far your travel is. And it's not like being seen in a mint Crown Vic will win you anybody over as opposed to being seen in a mint Civic. :shrug: I'll take my "ragged out" Honda Civic over a Crown Vic, Escort, Focus, etc. any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
IF something catastrophic were to happen to any of the cars in here compared to a Honda Civic (with an exception to maybe a Escort), what do your repair bills look like? This is a daily driver after all. Things are gonna break and if you're not mechanically inclined and will be paying a shop for the repairs you need to consider that. If you are inclined consider which one is easier to work on physically and how abundant parts are.
But you're taking the most basic swap entry there is. I guess that's a fair enough comparison, but to someone like me who wouldn't jump into that scene with just a basic B16 it's a moot point. I'd have at least a GS-R (can be had for $5K or less), preferably a K20 (not so much a $5K car).
IF something catastrophic were to happen to any of the cars in here compared to a Honda Civic (with an exception to maybe a Escort), what do your repair bills look like? This is a daily driver after all. Things are gonna break and if you're not mechanically inclined and will be paying a shop for the repairs you need to consider that. If you are inclined consider which one is easier to work on physically and how abundant parts are.
But you're taking the most basic swap entry there is. I guess that's a fair enough comparison, but to someone like me who wouldn't jump into that scene with just a basic B16 it's a moot point. I'd have at least a GS-R (can be had for $5K or less), preferably a K20 (not so much a $5K car).
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I disagree, but that's JMO. Many times i've seen in the classified section where people change jobs/move to a different location and have a longer commute and would like to sell. So that gas guzzler was OK for a 10 mile commute, but not a 30+ mile commute....
It may be OK to someone in terms of their thinking, but it's still a fact. Worse gas mileage is worse gas mileage no matter how you dice it. Location is relevant too. For me to really get anywhere I have to travel a solid 20-30 minutes. Even though my job may only be five or ten minutes away, it being my DD I'd have to use it for those 20-30 minute jaunts too. I guess living in a less rural area has it's benefits.
Either way I don't care. I used to DD my built Cobra with 4.10s. I worked a solid 45 minutes away.
Either way I don't care. I used to DD my built Cobra with 4.10s. I worked a solid 45 minutes away.
Im gonna chime in on both points above. Please don't take this as an attack. Im just trying to show why a Honda isn't always the top solution and that other cars can meet or exceed the typical Honda buzz about cheap, reliable transport.
1. If and when I blow the motor in the elantra its $250 for an under 80k mile motor. Swap would take me all of about 2 days at my garage location. So its quite easy to beat a Honda on that aspect. If I had to get it done at a shop, its still a basic 4 cylinder with a 5 speed. Should be 6-10 hrs at a shop which is inline with what a Honda would cost. Repair cost is extremely cheap for the Hyundai and parts are used on other global vehicles from Nissan, Mitsubishi and Chrysler.
2. Most people I have seen with the basic swaps have just done them or have minor bolt ons associated with that swap. When they start tearing into the b16 motor or going with a larger motor it will make more power. Lots of guys today though will still run with the b16 swap as its much cheaper and easier to install in the driveway. If I did it, I would go right for the k20 but some want a swap that is cheap that can be upgraded later on.
Also, if anyone is in the DC/VA/MD area with a swapped civic and would like to get a fun run in, i am always game. I would love to see what large marge would do against a b18 or k20 car. :beer:
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Right. My Powerstoke gets 15 mpg on a good day, hense why I have my ranger that gets 28-30 as my DD.
I guess for me 15 would be poor mileage, where others would consider 28-30 bad mileage. :shrug:.....but that's a whole nother thread i guess....
If you're secure enough in your masculinity, go for a minivan.
I picked up a '97 dodge grand caravan for 1k. 185k miles, but single owner with proper maintenance. Took out the middle seat and now I basically have a pickup truck that is all sorts of versatile.
Yes, it's purple, and yes I get those "who the hell is driving this slow PoS" looks when ppl pass me trying to nurse the tranny along. But for what I paid, it's worth it to me. Gets me where I want to go.
I picked up a '97 dodge grand caravan for 1k. 185k miles, but single owner with proper maintenance. Took out the middle seat and now I basically have a pickup truck that is all sorts of versatile.
Yes, it's purple, and yes I get those "who the hell is driving this slow PoS" looks when ppl pass me trying to nurse the tranny along. But for what I paid, it's worth it to me. Gets me where I want to go.
LOL, you need a big rear window sticker that says "F*** YOU, my other car is a 662HP Shelby Mustang"
I don't get the talking about Hyundai power vs Honda power. It's not like it matters and they will both feel slow anyways.
WTF are you talking about? You drive a LeSabre my friend. A single slammer with bolt-ons will put it to you.
HAHAHAHA. You DD a minivan and your weekend car is a $60k Shelby??? That is amazing!! :bowdown:
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