What's your favorite fun econo car?

'93 Corolla. Get a wagon for extra awesomeness.

Since CRX's are not eligible, Civic.

The only local product I would even consider is a Focus, which can be a great car. So that's choice number 2. Just wish that the 1.6 I had for a year was actually sold here in the US- that was a great package.

novaderrik wrote: i seem to wind up with Cavaliers lately..

Get one with the 2.4. I had a few, and that's a really cool motor, even with the auto.

My choice. Fly under the radar, and get one for pennies on the dollar compared to a lot of other stuff mentioned. Swift GT performance with mostly bolt on's, and a WAY nicer car to drive. Nobody even knows what they are.

98-01 Swift

lets see....

i can sink my teeth into this, as this is EXACTLY what ive been doing for years.

SER sentra. currentky a 93 in my driveway.

Neon coupe, DOHC 5 speed. mines an ACR, gets 37 mixed.

had an 02 mazda protege5 5 speed. got 33 mixed beating it like i hated it

89 crx si, d16z6 swap, header, intake, exhaust. 39 mpg mixed, driven like a race car should be

had a mid 90's jetta when i was dating janie (her car). the thing was a riot to drive, just had HORRIBLE maintanance problems.

monica had a 94 civec EX 2 door. 37 on our trips to and from atlanta from boone

my wife had a saturn 4 door, single cam, auto car. got 42. my best friend had the same car, 5 speed. lots more fun. needed LOTS of suspendion work to be considered anyywhere near decent handlining in my opinion.

now own a legacy 2.5 GT, 2002. wagon. auto. 24 mixed, highway, city, anything. always 24. i love that car.

This is well within your budget, and it's nice for hot days

http://www.casc.on.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=25719

Thats a hard choice and i guess my mustang and supra are out lol but as far as econo car...I guess its between my old 89 CRX (they came with a back seat in japan and Europe) and my current 85 MR2 both where 1.6's both broke the 30mpg mark and both handled wonderfully but if neither of those count then i'm gonna have to go with my p10 g20

I'm on my second '94 Protege DX. Averaging 33ish MPG on the daily commute. I have a lot less than $2k in it, too.

Another of my favorite choices (and probably my favorite car ever) is the Saab C900 ('79-'93). They are cheap, mostly overbuilt and I've had great experience with them not leaving me stranded. The Protege is probably a better choice for someone without a garage in which to tinker, though.

1998-2003 ZX2s are almost free and readily found. Have a big aftermarket (as well as stuff like 4-wheel disc brake swaps) thanks to the BG Mazdas that it is derived from (Protege/MX3), and disposable parts like brake rotors/pads are available at any corner car parts store for peanuts. Ford Zetec engines are stout and have lots of go-fast stuff...

Makes a very capable autocross/HPDE car.

What kind of mpg did the Neon SRT-4 get?

First Gen Tiburon. get the 2.0L, they're light, fun, easy to fix and good on gas and most will come with 4-whl disc brakes. You can upgrade the rear sway bar to the newer 18-19mm tib bar, some decent springs/struts and away you go.

sethmeister4 wrote: Only requirements are 4 cyl, 5 spd, mid to high 20's mpg, and a back seat. 2 or 4 door, American, Euro, Japanese, whatever. Don't want to spend more than a couple grand, and any basic bolt on options and junkyard part options are always a plus. Oh, and no engine swap ideas, I don't have a garage. And....GO!

I'm kinda shocked.... AE86 GTS. A decent car can be had for a couple of grand. Tons can be done without swapping the engine, it gets mid to upper 20s in mpg around town(relatively spirited), and can break 30 mpg on the highway. PLENTY of parts available... keep it stock, or build it to what you believe is YOUR AE86.....

In reply to oldeskewltoy:

Where do you find an AE86 GTS for a couple of grand? I'm not calling you out, I am just curious. The ones I see for that price a usually missing a few minor items, like the motor....

If you are on a budget look at AE92 GTS. I dont think the nicest one in the world would bring 2 grand...

Bobzilla wrote: First Gen Tiburon. get the 2.0L, they're light, fun, easy to fix and good on gas and most will come with 4-whl disc brakes. You can upgrade the rear sway bar to the newer 18-19mm tib bar, some decent springs/struts and away you go.

I had a 99... no sunroof, cloth seats, no rear spoiler.. 4 wheel discs, 5 speed, air con and power mirrors.. easily got 32ish in mixed driving of highway and back roads.

Somebody mentioned the BMW 318.. I also push the 318ti.. it is lighter by several hundren pounds than the coupe and sedan.. and I have seen 35mpg on the highway staying at 65 with the windows just cracked, rear sides popped open, and the sunroof popped (not slid back)

No love for the MR2? That would be my fun cheap econo car followed by a 944 Turbo.

edit: just reread needs a backseat.....so no go on mr2.

I should mention Capri xr2 turbo. I had one for a bit and while I'm not a fan of fwd it was reliable, got excellent mpg, has a backseat, and was peppy enough with the turbo.

fast_eddie_72 wrote:

This.

I was getting 34mpg out of mine.

I have a 2000 SVT Contour that get's 24-28 in the city and 29-35 on the highway. And it will do over 130 MPH!

Geekspeed wrote: In reply to oldeskewltoy: Where do you find an AE86 GTS for a couple of grand? I'm not calling you out, I am just curious. The ones I see for that price a usually missing a few minor items, like the motor....

I live in the lovely pacific northwest.... Portland. Corolla GTS's can still be found for fair to low pricing(under $2000).... albeit it is getting tougher. I'll tell you the one place NOT to look... all AE86 based forums.

If you can do a simple swap, find a 1983 E7 Corolla and you can have any one of 6 body styles... AND a 4AGE. The E7 Corolla take all the mods an AE86 does

My 90 CRX HF can hit nearly 48mpg if the weather is perfect and I'm not stopping all the time. 43 is the average when there isn't snow on the ground. It rattles like a diesel and is still on its original 22 year old clutch.

A set of Koni yellows and H&R OE Sport springs turned it into the ultimate momentum car. If you can even BUILD momentum and KEEP it then you're having WAY more fun than you ever thought you would with barely 70 hp.

Only lowered about an inch, so with stock alignment tolerances I'm able to get -1 degree of camber up front and -0.5 degree in the rear without camber kits. Don't have to annoy people behind me at speed bumps, brotatoes in WRXs don't rev on me. A set of Si wheels and 185/60-R14s and a few GRM stickers round out the improvements.

Oh, and it's about a dollar per day for full coverage insurance. I'm mad when it costs more than $25 to fill the tank, which happens once a month.

Mine is the AE92 Corolla wagon. Why? Cause I owned one.

4cylndrfury wrote: SERFTMFW

Dude you beat me to it! One of the all time greats...........an early 90s Sentra SE-R. Nissan got that so right! Wish I would have kept mine.

http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/3122643537.html

Why do I look?

fast_eddie_72 wrote: http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/3122643537.html Why do I look?

Because it's there. I only paid 11K for my 91 brand spanking new.