The Ultimate DDD (Dad's Daily Driver) that's SUB-$8k

Hey guys and gals!

I currently daily drive my 2017 F150 and I LOVE it. However, I'd love to tool around town with something that sips fuel and can tackle the track. I'm just looking for some ideas that I haven't though of! I've got a 1996 Mustang Cobra that just sits and while I've owned it for 2 decades, I think I'm sort of done with it...so thinking about selling it and getting a 'new' DD/dual purpose car. Reality, 90% daily/10% autocross/track because I don't have time!

SUB-$8k does NOT include mods, those will come over the next year or two and things get replaced...

Non-Negotiables

• 4 seats
• manual transmission
• good gas mileage (20+ city, 25+ even better)
• reliable chassis/drivetrain (I LOVE turbos but that doesn't seem like a smart choice here)
• reliable high-mileage (I'm sure most cars I'm looking at are 120k+ mile variants)
• locally competitive in an autocross class (don't plan to add super stiff coilovers, etc)
• resell value (ie - bought a 98 328i in 2008 for $6k, sold in like 2015 for $5k
• less than 25 years old
• runs on 87 octane
• I don't want a money pit, KISS
• ability to add a hitch to tow my MTB around is a plus!

Some cars I've thought of:

• E46 BMW 330i sedan (BONUS, my neighbor races Spec E46 and has 3 of these, so he would be helpful when issues arise :) )
• Early WRX sedan (probably hard to find one that isn't BEAT)
• BMW 128i manual (these are probably too unicorn to find under $8k, but would be a perfect fit, plus 6speed would maintain value...)
• E90-92 BMW 330i manual (few are manual, worried about BMW maintenance/complexity)
• NC Miata (yes, this breaks one of my rules, but dang, come on, have to at least list a Miata, in reality, I can't pick up my kids from school :(
• BRZ - probably more than $8k
• MINI Cooper S manual R56 (have a friend that makes parts of these cars, so it could be sort of a 'shop car' for him to help with!)
• GTI 6 speed?
• Focus ST?
• what else!!??!!

I'm sure there are a TON of cars I'm not aware of!

GO!

E46 was my choice when i went through the same debate.  Other than 87 octane, it meets all your requirements, and they are easier to find in nice condition than a WRX or some of the others.  Its probably a few years past the ideal timing, but back when I bought my ZHP, there were still plenty of 1st or 2nd owner 330i cars with ~100k miles and full maintenance records for reasonable money.   
 

Never saw the draw of a 1 series, its the same size as an e46 but heavier, more expensive, and with a not as nice interior.  
 

The GTI and focus/fiesta ST could be good choices, i think they're hard to find under $8k.  I think the Mini will be a heartbreaker on maintenance.  
 

What about an 8th gen Civic Si?  Also hard to find in good shape, but they occasionally pop up with adult owners and they live for that 8k rpm redline.  My roommate had one for several years as a daily and it was a GREAT car.  

Most of those cars run on 93 octane. I have a 05 wrx and it runs on 93. I know at least the e90-92 run on 93. Miata doesn't, brz doesn't. What about a 3.5 Altima 6MT? That's about all I have.

G35 sedan? Not sure about finding one with a manual though.

I'll 2nd the civic Si

Maybe a really ratty 1st gen CTS-V?

I tried to do this math before buying my Frontier and landed on a Civic Si as the answer for a fun car. Its hard to beat the reliability of a Honda but it might be hard to find a good one under $8K. 

How about an Altima SE-R?  Nissan didn't make it very long, 02 - 06, but I bet a decient one would fit the bill.

3.7 V6 Mustang?

In reply to dpspeed :

my DD since May of 2021 is a 2010 BMW 328i coupe (E92), RWD, manual, sport package, without iDrive. the N52 engine is pretty indestructible with only a few (well-documented) weaknesses: oil filter housing and oil cooler seals, valve cover gaskets, ignition coils, VANOS solenoids eventually. the OE electric water pumps crap out anywhere from 100-150k from what i've read. on my E60, the OE pump died around 145k IIRC. that car was still going strong when it was totalled at 225k.

I'd prefer a sedan or wagon, but i got this car from a friend with full service records so that outweighed my body style preference.

i'd buy another one if i was in the market.

EDIT:  she runs just fine on 87.  i did note a surprising increase in MPG (around 20% iirc) on a couple of tanks where i ran 93, but the cost hit was 33% so i continue to run 87.

Hyundai Genesis coupe. Fiat 500 Abarth. Mazdaspeed 3/6. IS300 manual. 

In reply to Flynlow :

1 series seems pretty sweet, 128i could be around 3k#, at least 3-4 years newer but still sort of mechanical vs. the newer bimmers. Don't need a lot of space, it would be just for zipping around town vs. the 15mpg truck. Kids are still sort of smallish at 8 and 11. Had an older GTI and it was just okay, but would be a good option for this, Focus ST was a screamer last time I drove one, but worried about it's drivetrain longevity. 8th gen Civic Si wasn't on my radar, will check it out, not a huge fan of Hondas...no real reason why.

E46 honestly makes the most sense, especially with my neighbor being a spec e46 guy. Could find one sub $5k probably, then have some cash for some quick upgrades, but they are getting quite old. I had an E36 328i that I should have never sold, 26 mpg all day long mostly city driving on 87 octane WITH a bike rack on top.

How did WRX and BMW's end up on your list with that set of non-negotiables? Neither meets the fuel/economy requirements, and are both likely to be varying degrees of money pits (for different reasons) at this price point.

Where are you located? That's gonna make a difference in market and what's going to be a viable solution.

I was going to suggest a diesel manual wagon (Sportwagen, Audi) but you mentioned 87 octane

pres589 (djronnebaum) said:

3.7 V6 Mustang?

This is where I went. 20-30 mpg. 305 hp. 6 speed. Very comfortable and eats up the interstate on road trips. 

If you can look past the auto box I would say ls400, since you need that manual maybe is250 

In reply to Driven5 :

I forgot WRX was premium...duh...maybe a 2.5 wagon :) 

Most of those BMWs are fine on 87.

dpspeed said:

In reply to Flynlow :

1 series seems pretty sweet, 128i could be around 3k#, at least 3-4 years newer but still sort of mechanical vs. the newer bimmers. Don't need a lot of space, it would be just for zipping around town vs. the 15mpg truck. Kids are still sort of smallish at 8 and 11. Had an older GTI and it was just okay, but would be a good option for this, Focus ST was a screamer last time I drove one, but worried about it's drivetrain longevity. 8th gen Civic Si wasn't on my radar, will check it out, not a huge fan of Hondas...no real reason why.

E46 honestly makes the most sense, especially with my neighbor being a spec e46 guy. Could find one sub $5k probably, then have some cash for some quick upgrades, but they are getting quite old. I had an E36 328i that I should have never sold, 26 mpg all day long mostly city driving on 87 octane WITH a bike rack on top.

Fair enough, in a vacuum I do think the 128i is a good car.  Compared to either an E46 or E9x 330i, I think it falls short.  Curb weight is ~3250 for a light-optioned 128i, which is about what my ZHP checks in at.  None of them get down to 3000 lbs.  It's just not really better in any way that I can tell (size, weight, price, features), so I go to the one that can seat 4 adults comfortably.  I also think the E46/E39 were BMW's high point for timeless styling, which is debatable.  :)  I have a similar rant on E30s....a clean E30 325is or 318is for $4k vs. a clean E46 330i for $4k was a tossup on styling, cool 80s throwbacks, and large greenhouses.  Now that a clean E30 is like $10-12K+, often with 200K+ miles, it's awful hard to love them vs. the same $4K 330i where the M54 swap is already done by the factory.

Driven5 said:

How did WRX and BMW's end up on your list with that set of non-negotiables? Neither meets the fuel/economy requirements, and are both likely to be varying degrees of money pits (for different reasons) at this price point.

I've averaged 26-28mpg in mixed driving over the past 80k miles.  Money pit I have to agree, any German car is going to need a steady diet of maintenance (cooling system & control arms every 80k are the big ones, oil leaks and rubber hose and vacuum line replacements aren't far behind).  The one saving grace is it's all documented, DIY'able, and the parts aren't that expensive.  I did the cooling system through FCP, so it's the last time I have to buy parts.

I have to offer the obligatory 4th gen fbody. Break the 87 rule but so do most of your others. They get good fuel economy with the manual.

I second the mazdaspeed 6.

Fiesta ST (turbo though, and probably not 87)

GTO

Cobalt SS

Manual V6 accord

Civic Si

Acura TL Type S

They were supposed to contend with the performance sedans (ex BMW 3 series) of that time. I would expect the Acura to be more reliable than the German alternatives (and I have an E90 328i).

Infinity G35 coupe or sedan?

Cadillac ATS is also a cool option 

dpspeed said:

Most of those BMWs are fine on 87.

Buying a BMW just to run it on 87? Sounds like the beginning of the end for a deferred maintenance plan. Sure they'll run it, but doing so reduces both power and fuel economy.

Flynlow said:

I've averaged 26-28mpg in mixed driving over the past 80k miles.

When somebody says they're targeting Xmpg city, highway, and/or combined, I usually take that as meaning EPA rated since that's the most equal available basis for comparison.

While driven with different personalities, swapping back and forth between my F150 and 128i only favored the BMW by 2-3 mpg.

I want to know where y'all are seeing any of these recommendations for under $8000? 

And to the OP, man 87 octane cars don't exist, and the ones that do aren't sporty like you want. If you're cool with 91, get a B7 generation A4 MT6 and have some fun. If not, maybe a V6 S197 Mustang?

My first thought was 1st gen TSX. G35 has been an answer for awhile, but that means there's lots of ratty examples. E46 330i is in the same boat. I've seen s197 3.7s for around 8, but they tend to be autos. Personally, I think if you dropped the stick requirement you'd have a lot more to choose from. While I love rowing my own gears, I've come to the conclusion that if I want to continue to dabble in cheap cars with good chassis dynamics, I'll have to open up to automatics.  My DD is auto and it's fine and not the soul sucking appliance I anticipated.