I don't recall any seat/door requirements so why wouldn't the answer be the answer here? Yes they have some electronics, but they seem to be about as reliable as gravity and slightly more reliable than the sun rising.
I don't recall any seat/door requirements so why wouldn't the answer be the answer here? Yes they have some electronics, but they seem to be about as reliable as gravity and slightly more reliable than the sun rising.
What about an Accord DX? Fairly basic, much better highway cruiser than any econobox and actually quite competent when the road gets twisty. Or even the last of the Integra, in LS trim.
Klayfish said:What about an Accord DX? Fairly basic, much better highway cruiser than any econobox and actually quite competent when the road gets twisty. Or even the last of the Integra, in LS trim.
A manual Accord has been on my list for sure.
spacecadet said:The Chevy Spark are hilariously base trim optioned.... steel wheels, no cruise control, manual windows, manual transmission............. and a 7 inch color touch screen with android auto/apple carplay..
Touchscreens are the cheap option because it is simpler to manufacture than a bunch of buttons and contacts and stuff. Might even be an off the shelf commodity component. BlueTooth is probably cheaper than a CD player, as well.
yes to accord, no to jellybean taurus (97-200X). They had transmission problems and they weren't offered in manual anyway, were they? Also the suspension is a BEAR to do. Like, so bad that it was not worth it to me to fix and flip when someone offered my old one back to me for free. And I am a car OPTIMIST
I just sold off an early 00's Saturn Ion 4 door 5-speed. It was my coworker's car that he ordered with no cruise, no power windows because he's phobic of powered things breaking (like for real), manual driver's mirror, and totally manual passenger mirror (get outside and push it around). No CD player, just radio IIRC. It did have A/C and power locks. I think they didn't come without power locks.
It was a good car. It felt light so maybe wouldn't have been a great highway cruiser if that's what you're after, too. Sometimes weight feels good
EDIT: i remember back in the late 90s when i had a job as a porter at a GM dealer I did the pre-delivery inspections. on the supercharged cars I got to take them out on the highway and make sure THAT worked. So that was fun. But one day a bare-bones truck came in that I wasn't allowed to do the PDI on. It was a short cab short bed, radio only, manual everything. They wouldn't let me PDI it because it came with a 454. I always wondered what in the world that truck was all about.
In reply to ebonyandivory :
You realize you have to pay extra to delete most standard items like A/C , power windows, radio delete, etc.
I realize that sounds crazy but think of production. The cost of a few compared the hundreds of thousands/ millions.
ebonyandivory said:Klayfish said:What about an Accord DX? Fairly basic, much better highway cruiser than any econobox and actually quite competent when the road gets twisty. Or even the last of the Integra, in LS trim.
A manual Accord has been on my list for sure.
I've got a bit of a formula going on to make these fun. 
frenchyd said:In reply to ebonyandivory :
You realize you have to pay extra to delete most standard items like A/C , power windows, radio delete, etc.
I realize that sounds crazy but think of production. The cost of a few compared the hundreds of thousands/ millions.
When ordering new perhaps. I don’t see this in the types of cars we’re talking about here ie: lowish budget and several years old.
The special order deletions may cost more initially but it benefits the 2nd and 3rd owner down the line (that’d be me!)
mazdeuce - Seth said:ebonyandivory said:Klayfish said:What about an Accord DX? Fairly basic, much better highway cruiser than any econobox and actually quite competent when the road gets twisty. Or even the last of the Integra, in LS trim.
A manual Accord has been on my list for sure.
I've got a bit of a formula going on to make these fun.
Links please!
ebonyandivory said:We can leave Rangers destined for fleet use out of the equation.
Who makes cars that are relatively common with the fewest options/doodads? Manual transmission, roll up windows etc.
And whats the best way to find them?
(I feel like I’ve asked this before)
As to 2nd or 3 owner, you’re fighting the numbers. About 2% of car bought are manual transmission cars. A significant portion of those are “sporty/sports cars. Corvettes, Camero, Mustang, etc.
Leases of basic cars will be nearly all Automatics because the resale of manuals is terrible.
Terrible resale means if a serious maintenance issue like clutch replacement comes up the car will be scrapped, sold for parts.
Relatively minor fender bender accidents will also total a basic car out probably long before it’s ordinary life is over.
Usually the second or third owner knows a lot of delayed maintenance is on the car. By the time a new owner adds tires, service work, battery, misc. a clutch job will be over the price of a car with more equipment.
In reply to ebonyandivory :
I was going to comment about 4cyl 2006-2010 Kia Optimas... but they've got power mirrors, windows, and 6speaker sound system... probably okay-ish on the highway?
If you can find one, what about a Geo Tracker? MAny were manuals as they were sooo slow with an auto. Wife bought one new in 92. From then until it finally died circa 2010-12 the only thing beyond regular maintenance (brakes, tires, exhaust, shocks, battery and one starter) that ever went wrong on it was the radio volume knob fell off and when rust started to take hold the drivers seat for aft adjuster seized. That was it. Nothing ever failed on that thing. It even survived ingesting water and hydrolocking the engine with nothing more than pulling the plug, turning it over and changing the oil. Simple, solid and reliable.
In reply to frenchyd :
My lowish budget won’t change, nor will the slim chances of finding a low-mileage, one-owner car is this bracket. There’s as much chance a car will need certain items addressed at a certain mileage no matter what. I’m 100% sure the only vehicle (for myself, wife gets new) I’ve been the first owner of was a 1988 Ranger.
In reply to Adrian_Thompson :
I’ve owned three Samurais and one Tracker and loved them all. The only Tracker near me was asking $2,500 and needed frame rot cut out and welded. Otherwise a 5 Speed Tracker would qualify!
The only real drawback would be the final drive being in the 5’s. Good for around town, not so good for 70mph daily highway drives
parker said:I had a Versa rental car once. It was as if it was designed to make people hate driving and embrace autonomous cars. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if it had been a manual.
Mine is a manual. I would argue that is the only thing that makes it tolerable.
I’d be looking closer at extended cab Rangers but I don’t want my kids in the jump seats facing each other.
Its clear that in roughly 2005, no one made a RWD, manual, no option car which is my ideal.
Looking for as few compromises as possible. Maybe take an early New Edge Mustang and make my own interior from scratch?
Not sure if it has been mentioned yet, but I rented one of the Nissan Micra's not too long ago. It was basic. Had air, but everything else was pretty much manual. Here in Canada they have a Micra Cup series so there is some upgrades that can be done to them.
Here is a cheap example from our Kijiji (Craigslist) ads.
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/london/2015-nissan-micra-free-winter-tire-package-included/1375398038
Mike924 said:Not sure if it has been mentioned yet, but I rented one of the Nissan Micra's not too long ago. It was basic. Had air, but everything else was pretty much manual. Here in Canada they have a Micra Cup series so there is some upgrades that can be done to them.
Here is a cheap example from our Kijiji (Craigslist) ads.
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/london/2015-nissan-micra-free-winter-tire-package-included/1375398038
I don’t believe the micra is sold in the USA.
ebonyandivory said:I’d be looking closer at extended cab Rangers but I don’t want my kids in the jump seats facing each other.
Its clear that in roughly 2005, no one made a RWD, manual, no option car which is my ideal.
Looking for as few compromises as possible. Maybe take an early New Edge Mustang and make my own interior from scratch?
The Power Search function of fueleconomy.gov is pretty cool. Set to 2004-2006 and choosing rwd and manual trans a couple of outliers. Note: if a car was sold in that config in the USA then it was given an EPA rating.
Mustangs in 6cyl and 8 cyl versions
SUVs:
Suzuki Grand Vitara 2wd, 2.5L 6cyl/5spd
Kia Sorento 2wd 3.5L 6cyl/6spd
Isuzu Rodeo 2wd 3.2L 6cyl/5spd
Chevy Blazer 2wd 6cyl/5spd
Nissan Xterra 2wd 4.0L 6cyl/5spd
If you add in 4wd but restrict to CARS only then a lot of Subarus.
ebonyandivory said:I’d be looking closer at extended cab Rangers but I don’t want my kids in the jump seats facing each other.
Its clear that in roughly 2005, no one made a RWD, manual, no option car which is my ideal.
Looking for as few compromises as possible. Maybe take an early New Edge Mustang and make my own interior from scratch?
how about manual swapping a P71 Crown Vic?
In reply to Fueled by Caffeine :
My brother has a 2015(?) Mirage, he both hypermiles it and autocrosses it. It has no options and he has de-optioned it even further (mirror delete, rear wiper delete, stripped interior). For a while he even removed the rear door handles and plated them off for aerodynamics.
ebonyandivory said:In reply to frenchyd :
My lowish budget won’t change, nor will the slim chances of finding a low-mileage, one-owner car is this bracket. There’s as much chance a car will need certain items addressed at a certain mileage no matter what. I’m 100% sure the only vehicle (for myself, wife gets new) I’ve been the first owner of was a 1988 Ranger.
Budget means you are looking for a good price. You may not find a good price on a more basic car than on a car with options.
In fact you are more likely to find a good price on the more typical car than a stripper. Circumstances dictate prices more than options.
A car sitting in the way is a lot less valuable than one on a dealers lot. A car needing a little work is massively worth less and a dirty stinky car is near worthless compared to one all shiny and clean.
Dont want to detail a car yourself? Run it through the car wash and select the delux package. Either have them buff and wax it or do it yourself
AFTER YOU BUY IT!
1SlowVW said:Mike924 said:Not sure if it has been mentioned yet, but I rented one of the Nissan Micra's not too long ago....
I don’t believe the micra is sold in the USA.
Which is a bummer. I rented on in Canada once, and even as an automatic, I vastly preferred it over the Versa.
I’ll join the chorus in favor of the Mazda2. I’ve driven a friend’s on long highway trips, and it is tolerable. Handles great, and he uses it as a recce car for rally, and it has held up to that abuse so far.
In reply to frenchyd :
There seems to be a small misunderstanding here.
To clarify the way my mind works with say a Honda Civic. We have DX, VP, HX, LX, Si, and Hybrid to choose from.
My money is on the lower-optioned model, all things being equal, will sell for a lower price on average than the model from the higher trim levels.
Same thing for Ford Rangers that have the XL Base model and also the XLT (and additional special trim levels such as “Appearance”). On average, I see that the lower trim level trucks, even with the same engine/transmission combo sell for less money than the upper trim levels.
This is leaving out the Lexus vs Camry/Avalon type scenarios.
In reply to ebonyandivory :
I’m pretty sure I understood what you were saying. Let me clarify.
A lower level Honda can ask a higher price if the circumstances allow him to be patient and wait for the right buyer. Clean it up, polish and wax it.
Conversely a higher level Honda could sell for less if the owner just wants it gone quickly. There it sits, dirty, maybe a soft tire, fast food wrappers on the floor. Parked on the street with the new car in the garage already.
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